Most of the information is the same as for the previous map. 

Note how far out the front tow goblins are.  

Lily and Thaoran are only about 20' from the goblins.  The others are about 25-30'.

The front goblin on land (with an *) is injured from Uthal's sling.

The back goblins with a little box by the G are the ones carrying supplies and don't look like combatants.  

The 5 goblins in the river with an S by the G are sleeping for now.  

The top half of the map with the attempt at water lines is the Hreusen River.  

You still can not see into the gulley leading up to the Vargolg to know what remains there.  Right now the procession stopped when the guards halted when they thought there might be an attack.  Chaos reigns amidst the goblins.

 

 

Thäoran's emerald cat-like eyes narrowed slightly as a mixture of disappointment, sorrow and anger washed over him as he took a closer look at the rear prisoner. From close proximity, he could see the man's blood clearly wasn't pure. He was a hybrid of elven and human, a breed that Thäoran had always disapproved of. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to let his dislike deter him from the task at hand. Nocking an arrow into his pinewood bow, the elf aimed the shaft at the goblin holding the rope that was placed over the prisoners' necks. His target was the goblin's beady eye and he hoped, only being 20 feet away from the foul fiend, his aim would be true.

So...his father was yet to be found. Just before he let his arrow fly, the elf swallowed tightly as his old dread sank its icy claws into him, old questions rising once again: where was his father? Could Thäoran reach him in time? And the most chilling question of all...was his father even still alive...?

Pushing aside those troubling thoughts with some difficulty, the elf renewed his grip on his bow, took aim and loosed the arrow at the enemy who had no idea Thäoran was even there. Hopefully, the goblin would be felled before he could fully comprehend the situation and warn his fellows.

Lily saw confusion in the goblin ranks as some of the others attacked the enemy.  She saw goblins around the prisoners pause and the ones behind crashed into them.  This was her chance.

She moved as silently as she could towards the goblins holding the prisoners and when she had covered half the distance to them, she raised her hoopak up high and began twirling it rapidly end over end as she continues to move slowly towards the guards.  The whirling stick was special in it’s construction, a secret known only to her race, and it contained tiny holes drilled into it’s length, which she sometimes used as a flute.  When whirling the hoopak like this, the holes give off an ear splitting sound that could be terrifying and painful to anyone close to it.  The combined pain and disorientation is enough to possibly make enemies flee from the sound.  

(OOC:  Okay, she isn't moving quickly at all, but moves silently, which I assume takes away some of her movement distance, so considering the distance and her action, I figure she wont be able to do anything to attack any goblins this round, or even reach them.  Her goal here is to disorient the guards and possibly drive some to flee thinking an overwhelming attack is in process. Note to the other players, this sound can affect anyone around, based on distance.  Only deaf creatures, and Kenders, as they had learned to block it out, are completely immune.  The DM is already aware of this so I'm not telling him anything he doesn't already know.   )

As the commotion started, Gerdar pushed forward to the nearest goblin and took a swing.

 

(Amen and attack ~)

Frustrated that his excellent aim had not downed the goblin, Uthal conjured a piece of his home. Feeling in him the bitter cold from the mountains he missed so much, he muttered the words to himself as he cast frostbite on the same goblin he had just hit with the stone flung from his sling, before stealthily making his way to the tree that stands by the rivers edge and closest to the goblins.

  The ambush was a success and several goblins fell dead or sleeping but out all of them. As the bewildered creatures tried to figure out where the attack came from Hornet once again readied a bolt. He moved carefully about 15 feet from his previous location in an attempt to further confuse the creatures. Knowing the gnolls ea greater threat than goblins, Hornet sent his bolt toward the gnoll in the river closest to shore 

A wicked smile spread across the witch's lips as she set her violet gaze upon the standing gnolls. The others were more than a match for the goblins, but the gnolls could prove a challenge once they made it back to shore. That of course wouldn't be happening, she had a delightful surprise that soon both would be enjoying, albeit in different ways. Intoning words of power as she plied threads of magic invisible to the untrained eye, Soledad wove a nightmare tapestry around the larger of the gnolls. And oh what a delicious nightmare it was...

Terror arose from the depths of the river as writhing poisonous snakes wrapped around the other gnoll overtaking its figure completely. Where there once was a gnoll now stood a snake demon with endless snake headed limbs that struck out to sink their poisonous fangs into gnolls warm flesh. It was hungry and it wanted a fight.

((OOC: Casts Phantasmal Force to target one of the two gnolls, this should be a different gnoll than the one Hornet has targeted. The illusion is set to cause the gnoll to see it's ally as the snake demon described above. Soledad will maintain this illusion and cause it to attack.))

Meeting Fenris Kaine

As Fenris followed behind the rest of the prisoners the Half-Elf could not but berate himself for his stupidity and his infatuation with the Lady Sarai. If not for that he would not have been stupid enough to seek out an “empty cave” with two of her guards and a young eager mage. Come to think on it the mage too seemed quite infatuated with the Lady herself also, perhaps like Fenris too infatuated. The Half-Elf Rogue/Wizard had, had a few days to think on all of this and could find no other reason that even though he had resistance to charm somehow the Elvin noble had indeed charmed him. Thinking back it had all seemed as she had said, the cave had indeed seemed empty but that lasted all of a few minutes as the young mage had suddenly taken an arrow through his leg and the two guards had fled, leaving him to try and save himself and the mage. In the end the mage ended up dead and he himself a prisoner. For sure if he ever gained his freedom he would be having a long, possibly deadly talk, with the Lady Sarai and her two guards.

As he walked and carried the chest before he continually looked for ways to escape but with the number of Gnolls and Goblins the chances of getting away were too long. Without his weapons, gear and even readied spells, all he had were his cantrips and even then his only true offensive one was firebolt. However these Gnolls and their Goblin underlings had not been stupid and had gagged him just enough for him to be unable to use it. For the moment it was a waiting game. Yet Fenris knew something was afoot as this sudden evacuation of the cave system was a clear indication something or someones had caused a panic within the ranks of the creatures holding him prisoner.

Then as if he had foreseen it all along the Gnolls and Goblins seemed to become confused standing around in a state of unsureness looking in all directions as if they were under attack. Hoping that there were other adventurers indeed doing just that Fenris decided this was the moment to act. With his guard Goblin looking around in confusion Fenris quickly took the chest he was holding and swing it attempting for a low hit into the creatures groin. Hoping in shock and pain that the Goblin would release the rope around his neck, Fenris would next go for removing his gag hoping he have the the action and bonus action to do so. If successful his next round would be about fire and escape…...

The first to act this round was the little Kender – and her actions seemed likely to have a huge impact on the outcome of this fight.  She crept forward (To the tree at the front of the gulley – it is the only way to move forward and remain hidden.)  Upon arrival Lily started whirling her hoopak in a big circle and the little holes in the stick caught the air and started making a whistling noise.  At least it started as a whistling noise but quickly rose to an ear-splitting shriek.  Anyone within 50’ of her desperately wanted to clutch their ears and everyone looked around for the source of the sound.

(OOC Note:  On a failed wisdom save the hoopak noise can have one of two effects – either a shaken effect that prevents a creature from taking an action (they can still take reactions or bonus actions and may respond to being directly attacked, or they have been taunted – they will have disadvantage on attacks unless they move towards the source of the sound.  These effects last 1d4 rounds.  I may modify this effect in the future if it seems too strong.)

               Amidst the goblins the effect was quick and immediate.  Three of those holding ropes seem impacted in some way, as did 4 of the 5 coming out holding supplies.  It was hard to tell what impact it had on those still in the gulley.  But if the goblins had been confused before there was true chaos now.  All knew they were under attack, but none seemed to have a clue where it came from. 

               But the effects of the hoopak attack were not all beneficial to the party.  Both Hornet and Soledad were staggered by the sound and would be unable to take any actions this turn.  (But luckily for both – only this turn, you will be fine next turn.)  The others fared better as their locations gave them some chance of seeing the Kender and realizing what was going on.  Hornet was still able move stealthily forward but before he could nock the arrow he held in his hand he instead held his hands to his ears.  The noise was shocking and painful.  Soledad had great plans for getting the gnolls to attack each other with a spell, but those plans also came to naught as she hunched behind the rock providing her cover and tried to identify the source of the noise. 

               Uthal luckily saw the little Kender start whirling her noise maker and ignored the noise as best he could.  He cast frostbite on the goblin holding the lead prisoner – the same one he had previously nocked on the head with a sling stone.  The creature was quickly covered with a numbing white frost and looked almost like a tree covered with hoar frost.  Whatever the appearance, the goblin was dead and quickly dropped to the ground like a dutiful corpse and dropping the rope that held the first prisoner.  That prisoner, while clutching his ears and clearly impacted by the noise, saw his chance and took off running – he went 60’ North along the riverbank- away from the party.  (The bank in front of the Vargolg allowed for fairly easy movement – any further movement North in this direction will be slower.)

               Thaoran had started the round right next to the Kender and so identifying the source of the noise was not hard.  It was still ear splitting, but not disconcerting otherwise.  In fact, he smiled at the impact it had on the goblins.  He grabbed his bow and drew an arrow – it was a great disappointment to discover that the last prisoner was a ½ elf and not the desperately sought-after parent, but he would still try to free that one first.  He aimed and fired – and his shot was true.  As the creature was staggered by the sound the elf’s arrow pierced its beady little eye just as he had envisioned.  It fell to the ground, dropping the rope as it went. 

               This left the last prisoner standing there with a chest in his hands and the rope around his neck dangling free.  He had seen the first signs of chaos and hoped this was his chance.  As the noise started, he had switched his grip on the chest and prepared to swing it at the creature holding his rope, but before he could do so an arrow sprouted from its eye, and it dropped dead at his feet.  The time for action had indeed come!  Instead of swinging the chest at the now-dead goblin he simply dropped it on the beast’s head and then reached up and attempted to remove the gag in his mouth.  It took a moment, but he got it free.  (Tann – a slight interpretation since the goblin was already dead.  Instead, you switched to the other action you wanted.  Dropping the chest is an item interaction and you get one of those each turn but swinging it like a weapon would have been an attack – an action.) 

               The five goblins holding bags and other goods all seemed to panic.  As a group they dropped their goods and ran.  But they didn’t seem to know where to run.  One ran straight for the river.  Three ran North along the river away from the party.  And one ran straight at party, going right past Lily directly at Gerdar.  It was impossible to tell which of them had been impacted by the noise, because their panic and confusion had already begun. 

               There were two more prisoners yet to act – the two twins in the middle of the group.  Seeing the chaos and hearing the noise they also seemed to decide that it was time.  Each reached out and grabbed the rope holding them to a goblin and gave it a hard yank, trying to tear it away from the goblin that held it.  The two young men were the quintessential ‘strapping young farm lads’ and the first easily yanked his rope free and sent the goblin stumbling.  The goblin holding the other twin’s rope however in his fear at the horrible loud noise coming from nowhere clutched what he was holding in terror and when the farm lad yanked the rope the goblin instinctively clutched harder and held on.  Goblin and farmer stared at each other still connected by the rope. 

               With two of the guards around the prisoners dead there were three of them left after the various tug-of-wars.  The first, who had lost his grip on the rope of the first farmer, had been tossed forward by the yank on the rope and just kept on running.  He was 50’ out into the water and moving quickly away from the fray.  The one still holding a rope seemed surprised to find himself still holding on and just stood their gaping at the farmer.  (Shaken by the noise maker and unable to take an action.)  The last goblin spun towards the South having correctly identified where the attack was coming from and fired an arrow.  He aimed at Thaoran and might well have hit, but the tree the elf was crouching behind gave him partial cover and took the hit instead.  The goblin then spun and moved to the tree directly away from the party getting some cover of its own. 

               There were also 5 goblins dozing in the river.  But dozing in fast flowing rivers is a difficult thing to do and drowning, or even near-drowning, has a tendency to wake people and goblins up.  Two of the sleepers had already been swept past the ford area and as they were swept into deeper waters both struggled awake.  But they were pulled down stream by the current and having just woken were struggling to stay afloat.  The party had already seen one goblin swim the river (Back at the pyre) but in the clutches of the current it was unclear what the fate of these two now awake but desperate goblins would be.  Of the three that were still near the gnolls in the ford two of them woke up as their heads were dunked under water and came up sputtering.  They struggled to their feet and looked around in confusion.  The last sleeper seemed to have achieved by accident a sort of back-float posture and snored his way past the gnolls and into deeper waters past the ford.

               The two remaining lead goblins were already halfway across the river when the noise and the arrows caused them to turn around.  They stood their ground and grabbed bows – firing arrows at the closest target they could see – Hornet.  The tree he was hiding behind gave him partial cover but one of the arrows still found its mark, but it was only a minor scratch.  (-3 hp) 

               It was at this point that the entrance to the Gulley seemed to almost erupt with goblins.  At least 20 of the things suddenly ran out of the opening and scattered.  They were a mixed lot – some few were carrying weapons.  Others were dragging younger goblins with them.  Some still clutched bags of goods.  What they all had in common appeared to be a desire to get as far from the gulley as possible.  Most ran straight towards the river.  A couple ran towards the party and several headed North along the river.  Some looked like they might have been under the influence of the Kender’s hoopak but it was impossible to tell.  They all ran.

               As several goblins ran towards him Gerdar picked out one carrying a sword and swept his axe at it as it ran.  It was hard to tell if it was the dwarf’s strength, the magic already on the axe or the goblin’s speed, but when goblin met axe, it was split cleanly (actually, in truth, very messily) in two.  It was clearly out of the race. 

               This left the gnolls still to act.  Seeing where the goblin archers had targeted the first and closest enemy, they saw Hornet as he crouched near the river.  Uthal also was right there.  They ran forward to engage their foe.  (Far enough they had to use their action to dash – so no attack this round.  But both Hornet and Uthal are now considered engaged in melee.) 

 

Overview

The overview is that the area between the gulley entrance and the river is chaos.  I will get an updated map up soon.  You will need it. 

What was that horrible noise? Hornet slung his crossbow and held his hands over his ears.  Looking around he saw the Kender swinging her stick and that seemed to be the source of the irritating sound.  He was about to curse her when he saw that the goblins fared much worse than the party.  It seemed the little one had a few tricks up her sleeve.  Turning his attention back to the river, Hornet saw the gnolls charge him just as he felt an arrow bit his side.  The creature were too close for crossbow so Hornet drew is rapier and prepared to attack the nearest gnoll.  

Party Members are denoted by a circle around the first letter of their name - or the new 1/2 elf.

If a goblin is moving the direction of their flight is indicated by an arrow.  If there is no arrow that goblin is currently holding their position.  

The three "H" markers indicate the three human prisoners.  (The one to the right should have an arrow indicating he is running right.

Conditions along the river further to the rigth will get tougher and slow down the escape.

You still do not know what, if anything, remains up the gulley towards the Vargolg.  

That seems chaotic enough.  Enjoy!

Thäoran gave a curt nod to the half-elf prisoner he had just freed. Taking a dagger from his belt, the elf proffered it to the man.

'I hope this will be of assistance,' he said, 'please, take it.

((I'm assuming Tann's character takes it))

After the half-elf had accepted his offer, Thäoran once again took up his bow and swiftly fit a shaft to the string, aiming at the one of the bugbears (the one on the right as Thäoran is facing them). The elf hoped his nightvision would aid him in his attempt to fell, or at least wound, the deadly beast. His aim was the creature's chest as it was the biggest target, thus the most easy and likely to successfully hit. Even if he just succeeded in slowing it down so his companions could finish it off, he would be satisfied.

Lilly whooped at the effect her hoopak noice was having on the goblins; this was the effect she hoped to accomplished.   She let the two who ran by her go on toward the rest of the party, and she moved quickly forward towards the goblins; as she moved she stopped the twirling of her hoopak.  Though it’s was effective, it was difficult even for her to block out it’s effects so she only used it sparingly, especially around friendly companions.  

She hefted her hoopak and moved toward the goblins by the entrance though which they all seemed to be emerging from; her curiosity was up now and she wanted to see what had yet to come out.   

Lilly continued her whooping and yelling, trying to sound more fierce than she was in the hopes of continuing the confusion of the goblins.  She runs up to the nearest goblin to her by the entrance and, if she can reach it and attack it, she will strike at it with the sharp end of her Hoopak.  

(OOC: So she has stopped her noice attack, though yelling still in an attempt to continue the confusion.  If her actions will allow her time, she will strike at the Goblin closest to her and at the entrance.  If you need further clarification, let me know.)

Crouching behind a rock, Soledad shook off the last of her own shock from the screeching horror. Unable to identify the source of the sound, the witch was forced to deal with the most urgent matter at hand. It was the gnolls that still posed the greatest threat, and they were already upon her alies. That could be used to her advantage. 

Tucked safely behind her rock, the golden elf set her eyes upon the closest gnoll and spat a deplorable word of power from which a hellish chorus arose that only the gnoll could hear. Dicordant voices whispered of its pathetic weakness, of all the pain it had ever known. They shreaked of doubt and promised a horrible death. 

((OOC: Dissonant Whispers))

Dropping the chest, his hands free he grabbed at the gag covering his mouth and threw it away. As he did an arrow suddenly appeared in the Goblin holder of his rope, dropping it to the ground dead.

'I hope this will be of assistance, please, take it.”

A male voice from behind him made him turn quickly to find an Elf holding out a dagger to him. With a quick nod of thanks Fenris readied the dagger then finding his closet enemy between him and an escape to the west he brought up his cantrip of Firebolt and launched it. Then he was quickly moving to put some space between him and the other Gob's humming a tune of song.

(Ok Nomad take your pic of the 2 Goblins between me and the tree that Thäoran is hiding behind on the map. As a bonus action I’m starting use of bladesong and Item interaction attempting to remove the rope from around my neck..)