Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4463992" data-attributes="member: 1846">Hobgoblins!"Right then," declaimed Aran. "I'll go first!""You sure?" asked Cass. "We've got no idea what's down there. Surely we should head down as a group?""Nope," asserted the halfling. "Look around you! We've got two Paladins in whacking great armour - not great for stealth or speed. We've got a Cleric of The Reason, what, he'll talk the enemy to death? We've got yourself, a large woman with a Greataxe, you've got two slightly fragile Wizardly types, and you've got me - silent, deadly, and used to working on my own. I'm the natural choice!"A resounding silence met this appraisal of everyone's abilities, and Aran gleefully started down the stairs. Sabbat decided to stay at the top, mentioning something about a vague premonition of doom he was experiencing [1]As he moved carefully down the stairs, Aran could see that the room ahead appeared to be worked stone. The remains of some more scarcophagi line the walls, shattered into pieces, with the desecrated bones scattered across the floor. Two intact scarcophagi block each of the two exits from the room, and on each one a single lantern sits, lighting the space in front.Both Aran and Elwanen, following close behind with sword drawn, notice that the smell of oil in the air is very strong for only two lanterns.As Aran steps forwards to explore further, everyone in the group hears a low voice issuing from further down the tunnel, saying "Delay them as long as you can. I need a little more time to complete the ritual." Departing footsteps echo back up the hall. Exchanging looks, the party edge a little further forward perhaps wishing that they had managed to be a little more stealthy.A second later, two figures make themselves known behind the scarcophagi. Both wear well-cared for armour and are holding nocked longbows, their faces pug-faced and ugly. They sight their arrows and release, and the party faces it's first fight!The battle is swiftly joined, with Aran running forwards to unleash two bow shots of his own in response. The armoured hobgoblin opposite him dodges the arrows, and then drops his bow and reaches down. Straining with the effort, he overturns the scarcophagi – it shatters, spilling a further torrent of oil around the halfling's feet. The lantern then drops into the flood, igniting the pool and burning Aran quite severely!"Ow! My hair is on fire!" he shouts."What are you talking about?" hollers Cass in return as she advanced. "The flames are nowhere near your head!""Not that hair!" he yells back. "My feet hair! Ow! Ow! Ow!"The Dwarven Paladin Rangrim strode forward, clutching his warhammer and attempted to vault over the other blocking scarcophagi – only for it to break under his weight and dump him into another inferno. The two hobgoblins seemed emboldened by the success of their traps, drawing longswords and pressing the attack. As Cass raced forwards to help out, also getting burned as she ran through the flames, Des stepped up."Let the power of the Reason grant you aid at this time," he pronounced, and within a second Aran's burns had largely healed over.A third hobgoblin then added his own bowfire to the fight, shooting from behind a further scarcophagus that lay deeper into the tomb. The distance was too much for him, and the arrow ended up skittering along the floor through the accumulated bones.Theron, muttering a swift spell to illuminate his Orb, and Elwanen joined the attack, pressing the hobgoblins back and darting through the fire to assault them. Theron used his arcane prowess to send bolts of black energy arching through the air, and Elwanen channelled the holy power of his deity to guide his attacks.Glancing around at the situation, Theron noted that the third hobgoblin was free to pepper the party with arrows from behind cover, and decided to force him back. Conjuring a cloud of daggers around him, the hobgoblin was forced to try and duck away – however, Cass got there first! She launched herself forwards and over the remaining scarcoughagus, sliding neatly over the top instead of breaking through it as Rangrim had done, and hammered the Hobgoblin back into place. Caught between her axe, the magical Cloud of Daggers and the walls, the goblinoid figure was swiftly dispatched. The hobgoblins were disciplined and forthright soldiers, veterans of many battles against lesser foes, but against these heroes-to-be they fell quickly to sword, hammer and spell. As the flames guttered and died, leaving scorched stone in their wake, the party caught it's breath and checked for further attack. For a second, all was quiet…..until the ghostly figure that had spoken to them before drifted out of the wall, it's empty eyes again regarding those that stood catching their breath before it.[1]1 crater, who plays Sabbat Fau, couldn't make this session, so we left the character at the top of the stairs.Next update: What does this strange spectral figure want with our heroes? And can they figure it out in time?</blockquote>

Verification