AtD 004 Against the Hobgoblins

Leaving his companions lurking in the trees to the south of the lake, Saeldur, crept toward the armed camp. Keeping in the tree line he moved slowly and cautious wrapped as he was in his elven travel cloak. Without incident, Saeldur reached an advantageous spot to watch the camp and settled in to learn more about the creatures camped therein.

Quickly, it became obvious that the creatures were hobgoblins—particularly militaristic goblins that hated elves—and that they had. been there some time. It seemed to be a hunting camp. One observation of note was that the hobgoblins seemed to be both sentries and hunters. All were armed with longbows and it seemed the camp would be a tough place to over run.

After several hours, Saeldur returned to the group and the adventurers hatched their scheme—to lure the hobgoblins from their camp and to slay them in the open ground by the lake.

With the rest of the group prepared Saeldur again returned to the camp’s environs and began to pepper the enemy with bowshots. So accurate was he that in short order the elf had killed or injured three of the foul hobgoblins and the balance declined to leave the camp! Frustrated by his success, Saeldur returned to the party to discuss a new plan. Several of the more hotheaded party members were in favour a frontal assault on the camp, but eventually cooler heads prevailed. Instead, a new plan eventually coalesced and the party leap into action before night fell and the hobgoblins would have the advantage due to their darkvision.

Quickly, but stealthily the party circled the camp and climbed the wooded bluff overlooking the camp. From here they could get to within 100-foot or so of the crude defensive wall of cut branches, tree trunks and the like surrounding the hobgoblins’ tents.

But one sentry watched the north. Ozloc crept from the cover of the woods and—before the hobgoblin could spot him—cast sleep on the unfortunate sentry. As the warrior sunk into magical slumber the rest of the party (except Saeldur who remained on overwatch) rushed quietly down the hill, forced their way into the camp and slew the guard.

A few moments later, it became clear the rest of the hobgoblins remained unaware of the party’s presence and so the heroes began to creep through the camp. Checking the tents as they went to ensure no enemy remained behind them, Gromm opened one tent flap to discover an injured hobgoblins—one of Saeldur’s arrows still jutting from his shoulder—just waking up. The half-orc quickly buried his axe in the warrior’s head before the hobgoblin could raise an alarm.

With this last impediment brutally dealt with, the party snuck up directly behind the remaining eight warriors. Quickly, they struck taking their enemies completely by surprise. As Saeldur rained down terrifyingly accurate arrows from the hill above, the party’s warriors made short work of the hobgoblins. With their leader quickly slain, the few survivors fled, but they did not get far. All were cut down before they could make it into the tree-line.

As silence descended on the battlefield, Bodrum used his magic to stabilise the hobgoblin leader. The party wanted answers, and he seemed the perfect person to provide them…