Archie spends the day with a minor illusion to make a mole appear next to Brundir and follow him around.

Vark can't help but chuckle at Archie's antics. As the caravan begins to make it's way into the chasm, his eyes scour between the trees, searching every shadow for potential danger.

As the wagons continue through the crevasse, Valaith walks at the front of the convoy, her eyes scanning left and right across the earth as she searches for traces of those who have passed through here before. Like most of the old, earthen road through the pass, long ruts from other carts and wagons run the length of track into the distance. However, the soil is packed hard and the previous travellers likely weren't recent enough to be able to follow a specific set of tracks. Nevertheless, it is clear that many feet have passed this way over the years.

Once the caravan has moved far enough through the crevasse that the entry point is out of sight, Vark's ears perk up as he starts to hear rustling from above. At the front of the train of wagons Valaith spots a broad shiny area lining the ground ahead.

After the forst few mole sightings, Bründir responds with a bit of Prestidigitation to give Archie an increasingly alarming case of violent gas - omplete with olfactory details.

“Ha! And here I thought you didn’t have a sense of humor.”

 Val immediately holds up a fist as she spots the strange slick surface before them. "Hold up. Something strange up here, be on your guard! If there was a time for them to do something it would be now. Eyes up on the hills!" She slowly moves forward, still holding a javelin in one hand and her hammer in the other and scans the hill side for movement or sound as she plods towards the shiny area.

Perception - 13

Seeing Val look ahead he quickly climbs on top of her shoulders to get a slightly better view.  “Hrgh umph, what do we see girl?”

Val gives Archie an angry side-eyed glare as he jumps up on her shoulders, but doesn't shake him off this time. "I don't know yet, something shiny on the ground ahead. I wonder if its oil. That's what I would do. Set the ground on fire ahead and then attack from the slopes. We would have nowhere to go, we cannot retreat, too narrow. Don't get too comfortable up there."

A speck of light blooms on the clifftop in the darkness and a flaming arrow arcs into the sky before plummeting onto the ground ahead of Valaith. The glistening soil rapidly catches and flames spread across the breadth of the crevasse, blocking further passage. All along both flanks of the convoy humanoid figures appear atop the rocks, cast into silhouettes by the light of the flames. Three on the left and two on the right. At the rear of the caravan a single figure, larger than the others seen so far, blocks retreat 30 feet back.

The crevasse is approximately 30 feet wide along the length of the convoy and the cliffs on either side are 30 feet high. The sides of the crevasse are made of jagged stone plates with plenty of space for hand- and footholds. Val stands 10 feet ahead of the front wagon and the flames burn a further ten feet ahead of her, for a total of 25 feet ahead of the front wagon.

Everybody roll initiative in discord dice-rolls. "!i join"

 Val growls as her suspicions are accurate and the flames roar to life. "Get to cover! NOW!" She shouts at Archie as suddenly her breath begins to mist in the air and her face takes on an icy countenance that Archie has never seen before. She immediately begins moving up the sides towards the nearest enemy, her life in the mountains making such movements practiced and with ease. Once in range she draws back the javelin in her hand and hurls it with all her might towards the closest enemy above!

Val goes into a Rage. She will move to get within 30' so her attack is not with Disadvantage. If she is close enough to make the attack without moving, she will do so and then immediately make a full move towards the figure to the rear.

Bringing out his shortbow he aims the arrow high into the cliffs and shoots one of the figures looking down on them.  8 for 4 damage.  Archie hops of Val and points to the figure on the back of the caravan. “You have to keep that guy off us!” Followed by Archie scattering under one of the carriages for cover.

Vark darts into action, having expected the ambush would happen any moment. He strafes from the fromt cart towards the middle of the caravan, then launches an arc of blue lightning towards one of the bandits on the slopes. The attack goes wide, and Vark lets out a curse in primordial that sounds like a crack of thunder. Still charged by his magic, his feet lift off the ground as he flies ten feet, placing himself right between the first and second cart, desperately trying to get a little cover.

As Vark's spell cracks through the air, Bründir spring up from his cover and stands atop the wall of the front wagon, sword in his left hand and a javelin in the right. "For Hyarantar! For Sheercleft! For Khaz a Grungron!" His arm whips forth and sends a javelin with deadly precision and strikes the center bandit atop the cliff to the left. Without a moment to spare, the dwarf realizes he's too exposed and leaps down to the ground. He follows close to the wagons and ducks under the middle cart for better cover. Seeing the large figure to the rear, he draws his axe and makes ready to charge.

Dorno looks nervous and tries to take cover near the middle of the caravan.  He gathers his courage, furrowing his brow, and begins his usual routine of enchanting stones and tossing them at the enemies on the cliffs.

Initiative: 7

Magic Stone attack: 9

Damage: 5

OOC . I don't get the impression the enemies are clustered enough to make Faerie Fire or anything worthwhile, but if so please do let me know.

Vark leaps into action first, but his witchbolt is wide and simply arcs up over the edge of the crevasse, illuminating the shadow cliff faces.

The central figure atop the cliffs to the left flourishes their hands and speaks an incantation, calling a firebolt into being that they hurl back at the half-orc. It's a solid hit and burns Vark's thigh painfully.

Vark takes 9 fire damage triggering his relentless endurance half-orc racial trait -> 1/8 Vigour, 11/16 wounds
Limp: Your walking speed is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DEX saving throw (DC10) after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone.

Archie's arrow sends the spellcaster reeling as they stagger to avoid it. The wagon drivers quickly join the gnome, hiding under their respective wagons.

Bründir's javelin also strikes true, this time dealing a nasty slash to the side of the spellcaster's head.

The bandit at the front of the caravan leaps into action, aiming his crossbow at Valaith and she gasps as she twists to force her armour to take the blow.

Valaith takes 5 piercing damage -> 10/15 Vigour

At the rear of the caravan the large bandit marches steadfastly forwards, taking cover behind the end of the rearmost wagon and propping up a heavy crossbow to take a shot at Dorno. The firbolg's cover saves him from being wounded.

Dorno takes 5 piercing damage -> 5/10 Vigour

Val bursts into action, propelling herself up the cliff with great speed and dexterity. Her javelin knocks the breath out of the bandit at the top. He won't be able to avoid another hit.

Vark is outflanked by a bandit on the right hand side of the crevasse and though wounded he drives himself to keep moving forward.

Vark takes 5 piercing damage, regains 6 vigour. -> 6/8 Vigour, 8/16 wounds

Dorno's magic stone fails to find its mark and the remaining two bandits both have eyes on him. Although he manages to avoid being wounded by the first bolt, the second wounds his arm.

Dorno takes 2x 5 piercing damage -> 0/10 Vigour, 12/17 Wounds
Wrenched Limb: You cannot use reactions and have disadvantage on melee attack rolls.

The party hears cries of pain in a low voice, Dorno sounding scared.  He tosses another stone, this time at the spellcaster if possible and if he's still up, otherwise just at the closest bandit pursuing Dorno.  The firbolg gets nervous as they approach and closes his eyes for a second, suddenly turning invisible.  He takes this opportunity to flee between the two carts and tries to circle around behind the rear cart again, hoping to hide behind the whole caravan as the large bandit moves forward.

Magic Stone attack: 13

Damage: 4

Vark shouts out, in orcish this time, as he is hit by a bolt of fire and a bolt of steel. He drops to one knee, his thigh in excruciating pain. With one hand he fires a beam of glowing icy energy in response to the spellcaster. It nails the already injured mage, though Vark doesn’t see whether or not the attack was enough to down him as he pops back behind the cart, slinking down lower, trying to get as low and close to the back of the cart he’s behind as possible.

The icy attack lances up at the caster, hitting him in the eyes. He stumbles away from the edge of the crevasse and out of sight.

Archie's initiative.

Archie crawls out from under the caravan to gain sight in the front of the caravan.  Takes aim with his shortbow and fires an arrow 18 for 6 damage.  He then rolls back under the carriage and scampers under the rear carriage if he can make it.

crit max damage what?!?!?!?

Bründir catches the flash of the fiery projectile and his heart sinks. Bad enough to be ambushed, but now magic? Luckily, the rain of steel seemed to turn the bastard away.

With a moment to spare, he turns to Vark. In a panic, Bründir threw some water on the half-orc and grabbed a fistful of dirt. A thought crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside and packed the earth around Vark's arrow wound, "Don' die," was all he could muster before rushing to the next wagon.

Under cover of the next wagon, Bründir spots Dorno's legs as he struggles with being a target for arrows. "Oi', Big Guy! Don' get hit anymore! I'm goin' for the big ass in th' back, stay low an' start on th' other side. We're gonna get through this!"