(008) The Blockade

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
At The Encampment

Anwyn sneaks up behind the rearmost Hobgoblin worker and (1d20=12) silently plunges her dagger into his back causing a grievous (2dd=2,6) 7 hit-points and slaying the fellow outright. The other two workers shriek as they realise they are beset by murderous adventurers, and turn to flee as Caine cuts Flewellen free of his bonds.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
At the Diggings

Meanwhile, the flanking party rushes the diggings.

Olaf veers wide of the works in order to fire his bow, while Dieter and Crystin charge directly into the thick of it, slashing at the Hobgoblin labourers as they turn to see their onrushing doom with weapons crashing down.

Both fighters catch their foe by surprise (1d20; Crystin=6, Dieter=19). Crystin's mace cracks a glancing blow to the back one fellow's skull for (2dd=1,1) 2 hit-points, and Dieter's sword (2dd=2,3) slashes down across another's muscled, sweaty back for 4 hit points -- splaying him fatally into the mud. The wounded Hobgoblin and his sound fellow are both turning to flee from the attack.

Meanwile Olaf lets fly a missile from his bow targetted at the Hobgoblin Captain (who is closer than the Bosun) (1d20=10) but his arrow deflects off the Captain's helmet, giving him a forceful clip to the back of the head (missed by 1).

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Melee

At the same time, the parley turns to an ugly melee.

The Bosun bellows at the spearmen as he pulls a great round shield off his back and the six Hobgoblins plunge toward Taines, Mads, Ulric and their squirming prisoners as a solid wall of spears and shields.

(Initiative is rolled; Mads 1d6=3(+1), Taines 1d6=5(-1), Ulric 1d6=5, Hobgoblins 1d6=6, prisoners 1d6=1(-2)).

Ulric takes a judicious step back as he begins to incant his sorcerous curse as Mads yanks a hand-axe free of his belt with his right hand while still grasping the jerking prisoner-leash in his left, and smashes his hatchet blade into the back of the first prisoner's skull. With a bloody squelch he drops like a stone and awkwardly pulls the other two prisoners toward his dead weight.

Taines bravely (insanely?) charges the advancing wall of six Hobgoblin soldiers front on, but by ill fate the Hobgoblins have the advantage of reach and numbers, and three of them thrust their black spears at the brave Dwarf (1d20=20, 2, 19). One pierces him with a hurled spear as they run in for (2dd=1,4) 4 hit points, and then as he batters away a first brazen thrust, a third Hobgoblin kneels low and drives his spear upward, impaling Taines wholly in the belly for another (3dd=3,1,5) 5 hit points! It is a foul wound that must surely slay any Man, but Taines is no Man, and by his absurd vigour he somehow fights on!

With blood gushing from his wounds Taines smashes the bristling spears aside and crashes into his foe with a roar as he brings his axe down in a deadly arc (1d20=13) to cleave the sly rat who gutted him for (2dd=2,2) 5 hit points. The cunning Hobgoblin fighter's helm and skull are split in twain by the Dwarf axe, and he is smitten wholly unto the earth in a gory mess.

Meanwhile Mads has but a moment to pull his bloody axe from the prisoner's broken skull before the spearmen are upon him also. Two of the grinning goblins are there, both jabbing and stabbing with their cruel spears (1d20=15, 10), and one of them punches him with that black dagger-point for (2dd=3,1) for 3 hit points.

The last of the Hobgoblins lingers as the others dive in, and now hurls his spear at the retreating figure of Ulric (1d20=18) and impales the sorcerer before he can complete his chant! Ulric is befallen as the spear-point shears him for (2dd=1,2) 2 hit-points of damage. His spell is ruined!

Behind the tumultuous line the Captain rights his helm as he turns to see Olaf, Dieter and Crystin running in from the flank. "Left flank!" he bellows above the din, and both the Boson and the fellow who cast his spear turn and see their danger.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The situation is thus;


...............\.road.............
................|............h....
................|.................
.................\....h.h.........
.......x..........|...............
.....cT(..B.......|...#(A.........
...U..cx..........|.h#.#.... <-- encampment
.....M(x...X......|...#FC.........
.......x..........|...............
..........x.......##h.... <-- construction
.................===hK... <-- diggings
.E................|(D.............
N+S...............|...............
.W...............O|...............
h Hobgoblin labourer
c Hobgoblin captive
( corpse
x Hobgoblin soldier
B Boson
X Captain

Taines has 1 of 12 hit points.
Mads has 3 of 7 hit points.
Ulric has 2 of 4 hit points.

Olaf has but 4 arrows remaining.

Your intentions please...

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
Seeing the six hobgoblins attacking the stout dwarf, Flewellen jumps to his feat and releases the The Mellifluent Concord at his captors. "Run hobgoblin warriors,"Flewellen then shouts, "you have lost the battle here. Run while you can. Run far, far away. Staying here will only result in the loss of your neck. Run rather than stand and fight. Begone!"

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:
Olaf will fire another arrow at the Hob Captain! When he runs out of arrows, the melee is so closely joined that he doesn't have a clear shot, or an enemy closes on him he'll drop his bow and attack with sword and shield.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

Mads will disengage and move to protect Ulric from further harm. If he can't get a spell off we might not live to fight tomorrow.

[waysoftheearth]

makofan wrote:
Caine will attack the closest enemy

[waysoftheearth]

Harry wrote:
Wild eyed, Taines "steps" around the captive on the ground, placing the bound hob between him and the solider.

"Aye, looks like you skewered me good toad, now it my turn", Taines casts him a grim smile.

Wincing under the searing pain from his torso , Taines brings his shield and axe to bear against another spear attack.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
It's open war!

(Initiative is rolled! 1d6; Olaf=6, Flewellen=6(-1), Caine=4(+1), Other Hobgoblins=4, Dieter=2(+1), Crystin=3, Captain=3, Boson=3, Anwyn=1(+1), Mads=1(+1), Ulric=3(-1), Taines=1(-1))

Olaf lets fly one last shot as the Captain, the Boson and another spearman plunge toward the flanking party. His aim is true (1d20=16) and his missile pierces the Captain's mailed shoulder causing (1dd=4) 4 hit-points, and sticking from him, but the Captain is unslowed.

Flewellen doesn't pause to thank Caine for his freedom, but leaps through the mean encampment as he conjures the sorcerous Merovingian words and orders the Hobgoblin fighters to flee in an alien yet melodic verse that few now know. Despite their incomprehension and the din of battle, the effect (2d6=3,1) is marvellous! The four hobgoblin spearmen who dangerously press Taines, Mads and Ulric seem to mis-read the manourvering of their Captain and Boson as flight, and turn in panic to break off themselves just moments from victory!

As Flewellen incants his sorcery, Caine pounces upon the nearest hobgoblin, a labourer attempting to flee the scene, and (1d20=9) plunges his dagger into the hapless fellow's back for (2dd=1,3) 3 hit points, driving him to the ground mortally wounded.

Of the three Hobgoblins who have turned to meet Dieter, Crystin and Olaf, the least of them hurls his black spear at Olaf as the others charge in (1d20=7) but his throw goes wide and clatters past Olaf to his left.

And then combat is joined with a thunderous crash! "You again!" roars the Hobgoblin Captain, recognising Dieter as they trade grim blows once more, each searching for an advantage. But despite his arrow wound, the Captain makes good use of his size and aggression, battering Dieter's shield arm with his heavy black mace and (1d20=18) at last bludgeoning Dieter's chest for (2dd=2,1) 3 hit points. In reply, Dieter is unable defeat the Captain's hard dented sheild (1d20=5).

Fighting along side them, Crystin and the Boson meet in a like contest of arms. "They sends women now?" sneers the Boson as he buffets Crystin with the bulk of his great belly and his strong shield arm, and lashes high and low with his razor edged whip, while Crystin defends herself nimbly and countstrikes with her quick mace strokes. But neither the Boson (1d20=2) nor Crystin (1d20=8) truely harms the other in the opening exchange.

Anwyn also slashes lazily after a fleeing Hobgoblin labourer (1d20=4) but the fellow scurries away form her in panic, and she does not bother to pursue.

Meanwhile, Mads maintains his position defending Ulric even as the Hobgoblin fighters mysteriously turn and flee despite their excellent odds of success. Mads grunts as he throws his handaxe at the back of a fleeing Hobgoblin solider (1d20=13) and his weapon thunks solidly between the fellow's shoulders for (1dd=6) 6 hit points, splaying him onto the ground from whence he does not attempt to rise.

So defended, Ulric is able to attempt his sorcery again, and despite his recent injury his memory of the spell (1d20=17) is fierce and clear. He incants the Draconic versus of The Baleful Somnolence once more, targetting the Hobgoblins now engaged against Dieter, Crystin and Olaf (2d6=1,5). One of the fleeing soliders and the fellow who cast his spear at Olaf fall suddenly asleep on their feet, but neither the Boson, the Captain, nor Dieter, Crystin or Olaf are affected by the magic (saving throws 1d20; Crystin=18, Dieter=20, Olaf=19, an amazing run of luck!)

Away form the action now, Taines puts his heavy boot upon the head of the captive grovelling on the ground before him and surveys the field... no foe remains near enough to threaten either him or Ulric -- a fortunate thing indeed...