Chapter 13

Midnight has come and gone while the adventurers and Low Elves have defended the village of Wayside from the first wave of the goblin horde. The Low Elves have been protecting Scribbles & Nibs and Preva’s Flowers, but the adventurers have been focused on their own battles to save the Buzzin Bee—and the town and townsfolk.

They have little time to catch their breath before Dolor notices that a giant spider is frantically waving several of its legs from the top of a tree. “Ready yourselves, here we go again!”

Fight choreography

Round 7

• 15 goblins come out from the treeline and reveal themselves, 250 feet from the Buzzin Bee.
  • 5 of the goblins stop to fire their short bows at the heroes, all arrows missing their marks.
  • 10 of the goblins pass through the treeline and dash ahead 60 feet.
• Dolor takes a long shot with his shortbow at one of the stationary goblins at the treeline, hitting his mark and killing it. “Huzzah!” he exclaims up to Cindel in the second story window.
• Grindlefoot, as a giant spider, deftly climbs down his tree and bites one of the 4 remaining goblins, killing it. Fortunately, he remembers to not drain the creature’s blood before his spidery instincts take over.
• Cindel fires her longbow at the closest goblins and misses.
• Gven readies her two hand axes for short range throws, having thrown all 4 of her javelins during the first wave.

Round 8

• 3 goblins at the treeline move ahead 30 feet and fire their shortbows, all missing.
• 10 closer goblins move ahead 30 feet and fire their shortbows, all missing.
• Dolor fires another shot at one of the closer goblins, hitting it for 5 damage—it’s now hobbling severely.
• Grindlefoot shoots his web at one of the goblins close to him, missing wide.
• Cindel fires two arrows in quick succession from her longbow, killing 2 of the closer goblins.
• Gven holds, ready with her hand axes.

Round 9

• 3 goblins closest to the treeline move ahead another 30 feet and fire their shortbows, all missing.
• 8 closer goblins move ahead 30 feet and fire their shortbows at the defenders.
  • Unfortunately, 3 arrows hit Dolor for 5, 3, and 4 piercing damage.
  • The rest of the arrows miss, kathunking into the ground around Gven and the window frame protecting Cindel.
• Dolor swigs a greater healing potion for 15 points of health.
• Grindlefoot is too far from the closest goblins to attack and scrambles back up a tree to hold his position, keeping eight eyes out for more enemies coming from the forest to the North.
• Cindel fires two more arrows at the goblins, killing one and missing another.
• Gven continues to hold her ready position.

Round 10

• 3 goblins alive at the 190’ mark, and 7 goblins alive at the 130’ mark.
• 3 goblins further away move ahead 30 feet, fire their shortbows and miss.
• 7 goblins closer to Wayside move ahead 30 feet and fire their shortbows.
  • Unfortunately, this time, two arrows connect with Cindel, causing 8 and 5 piercing damage.
  • Dolor also gets hit by an arrow, receiving 7 piercing damage.
  • The rest of the arrows miss.
• Dolor fires his shortbow at the closest goblins and hits one, stopping it dead in its tracks.
• Gven yels up to Cindel, “need a healing potion up there?”
  • “Yes,” she groans loudly, “but I don’t think throwing it from there will be any help and you’re needed down there. Keep fighting.”

Round 11

• 3 goblins farthest away move ahead 30 feet, fire their shortbows and miss.
• 6 closer goblins move ahead 30 feet and fire their shortbows, most of them missing.
  • One arrow hits Dolor, causing 8 piercing damage.
  • Gven takes one arrow for 2 damage.
• Dolor misses with his shortbow then swigs a healing potion, receiving 11 healing points.
• Grindlefoot senses something coming from within the trees to the North, but cannot tell if it’s more goblins or something else.
• Cindel, once again proving her prowess with her longbow, quickly kills 2 more goblins.
• Gven’s barbarian rage has run its course, so she invokes it again while holding her position close to the Buzzin Bee.

Round 12

• 3 goblins farthest away move ahead 30 feet, fire their shortbows and miss.
• 4 other goblins dash ahead, now within 10 feet of Gven and Dolor.
• Dolor closes to melee range and misses with Gleaming Blade, but then follows up with a swipe of his dagger, killing one of the goblins.
• Grindlefoot can now sense—and hear—something very large moving through the trees towards him. He scuttles through the tree branches, moving laterally into other trees that seem out of the path of whatever is headed towards the battlefield. Once again, he waves several of his legs, trying to notify Gven or Dolor of the impending enemy.
• Cindel, now hurting quite badly, can’t quite find her usual strength and misses with her two arrows.
• Gven, now that 3 goblins are finally within range, obliterates one of them with her greatsword.

Round 13

• Two of the trees at the treeline break apart violently and an extremely large hill giant crashes through, roaring at the top of his lungs. The Great Mouth has made an appearance and the remaining goblins are obviously frightened, yet continue to attack.
• 3 goblins farthest away move ahead 30 feet, fire their shortbows and one actually hits Dolor, causing 4 piercing damage.
• 2 goblins close to Dolor and Gven attack them with rusty shortswords, but they’re suddenly out of sorts and miss wildly.
• Dolor swings Gleaming Blade with precision, killing a goblin instantly, and then follows through with a swipe of his dagger, wounding the other one for 5 damage—it’s barely hanging on to life.
• Grindlefoot, still as a giant spider, shoots web at the hill giant, but misses.
• Cindel sees the gargantuan hill giant for the first time and recognizes what will happen if the heroes fail to stop it. “That thing will level the whole town, we have to stop it here!” Summoning her last reserve of strength, she fires off two arrows from her longbow and one connects with the hill giant’s shoulder, causing 14 damage.
• Gven kills the injured goblin in front of Dolor with an inattentive swipe of her greatsword and then moves forward to meet the other 3 goblins in melee combat.
• Hill giant makes a frenzied dash forward, closing the distance quickly and moving from the treeline to the 170’ mark.

Round 14

• The 3 remaining goblins move forward to meet Gven in an attack and only one connects with its shortsword, causing 2 slashing damage.
• Dolor moves forward to join Gven and kills one of the goblins with his shortsword, but misses another with his dagger.
• Grindlefoot knows that this is the final battle and dashes towards the hill giant, although he’s still out of reach for his web attack.
• Cindel is still in the throes of her surge in strength and fires off two arrows at the hill giant, both hitting it in its mid-section and causing 17 piercing damage.
• Gven quickly dispatches one of the two remaining goblins.
• Hill giant makes another frenzied dash forward, moving to the 90’ mark and the emits another savage roar of fear that frightens Gven, Grindlefoot, and Cindel.

Round 15

• The last remaining goblin mistakenly thinks that Gven’s frightened of it and with renewed confidence swings at her. She offhandedly bats away the creature’s shortsword.
• Dolor isn’t frightened by the hill giant’s roar and fires an arrow from his shortbow, causing 7 piercing damage.
• Grindlefoot is able to shake off the crippling fear of the hill giant, but unable to do anything else.
• Cindel, still frightened of the hill giant, kills the last goblin with an arrow and then misses the giant.
• Gven is able to shake off the crushing fear, but can’t do anything else.
• Hill giant closes the distance to Gven and Dolor, swinging its humongous club at them both. Dolor ducks in time to escape being hit, but the giant connects with Gven on their backswing for 6 damage.

Round 16

• Dolor, still not frightened by the huge hill giant, swings Gleaming Blade at it and hits, for 15 damage, then follows up with a slash of his dagger, causing another 5 damage.
• Grindlefoot, still in giant spider form, moves closer to the melee combat, wanting to help.
• Hill giant roars loudly again, frightening Gven, Dolor, and Grindlefoot (Cindel is still frightened).
• Cindel fires off 2 arrows, powering through the fear encompassing her whole body, and hits the hill giant with one, causing 10 damage.
• Gven throws one of her hand axes at the giant, hitting it square in the chest, for 11 damage. She is then able to shake off the fear.
• Hill giant swings it’s monstrous club at Dolor and Gven, missing both by a slim margin, and then moves in closer to them for easier access.

Round 17

• Dolor, still frightened, misses the hill giant with his sword and then quickly swigs a healing potion, gaining 11 health.
• Grindlefoot takes a few moments and is able to fight off being frightened.
• Cindel, still frightened, shoots off 2 arrows in quick succession, both hitting the hill giant and causing 11 and 6 in piercing damage.
• Gven, trembling with unnatural fear from the hill giant’s spell, swings her sword with all the strength she can muster, yet the giant bats it away.
• Hill giant twists to the side, attacking with its club, and misses Dolor, but connects with Gven, causing 16 in bludgeon damage.

Round 18

• Dolor is unable to shake off being frightened and misses with his shortsword, Gleaming Blade, yet connects with his dagger, inflicting 14 damage to the giant, before falling to one knee in fear and frustration.
• The hill giant is clearly not doing well, even though it’s still on its feet and swinging that damnable club.
• Grindlefoot, feeling courageous and wanting to help his companions, dashes towards the melee battle, yet is still 60 feet away.
• Cindel cannot stop being frightened and is still hurt; the trembling in her arms and hands pulls her aim off and she misses with the two arrows from her longbow.

Gven, still under the hill giant’s spell of fear, is enraged that it has forced her to feel something so natural to her. Her people, the barbarians of the Sky Bison tribe in The Badlands, embrace their fears. Fear is a tool to be used in battle. Fear fuels the desire to outwit and outmaneuver your opponent. Fear is not something that is forced upon you, it is a source of power that comes from within yourself. You harness it, embrace it, mold it into strength and resilience and courage. How dare this creature desecrate such a hallowed feeling and turn it against her!

Dolor, kneeling in front of the giant after his attack, notices the look of determination and anger in Gven’s eyes, and quickly pulls up one leg, setting it firmly on the ground in front of him. Gven takes a short, powerful run torwards Dolor, places one foot on the knee he offered her, and leaps with all her strength at the 16 foot tall hill giant. With her longsword extended out to the side and above her head, she hits the peak of her ascension and begins to swing it with all her might at the monster’s exposed neck. She lets out a resounding battle cry, “NOOO FEEAAARR!” as her greatsword severs the beast’s head cleanly from its body. She hits the dirt with a loud thump, solidly on her feet, and the giant’s head rolls off to the side, coming to a slow stop. She barely has time to blink before two arrows pin it to the ground, Cindel making sure it doesn’t recover.

Grindlefoot continues his spidery run to the battle scene, until Cindel fires an arrow at him—not knowing it’s their companion in disguise. He turns around and spider-runs back to the treeline. A few moments later, Grindlefoot—as a halfing—emerges from the trees and makes his way over to the group. “Wow, these gastrointestinal issues of mine flare up at the damndest times!”

Cindel whisper-shouts from the second floor window, “Gven, I’ll take…that healing…potion now, if you…still have a mind…to share one…or two.”