Hildigrim, feeling much calmer with a barrier between him and the horrors, carefully aims his bow at HH7. He once again asks Volo to swoop down and provide a distraction. As the creature glances up, the halfling releases his arrow and then shoos Volo to safety.

+1 shortbow attack: 22; damage: 9 piercing damage

Sneak attack if appropriate: 9

He then points out a weakness he noticed to Quillary about HH7 if it survives, otherwise HH8.

Jorin will hack and chop at the horror in front of him

• Action:  Reckless battleaxe attacks directed at HH8
  
  • First Attack: 23 Damage: 11
  • Second Attack: 23 Damage: 15
• Bonus Action: Reckless moonblade attacks: 22 Damage: 10
• +8 radiant damage to the first attack that lands

Qullary grunts as one of the horror's blows lands. As Hildi's arrow sinks into the horror in front of her, and he shouts advice, Quillary lets out a low rumbly growl, then, "The forest guides me Hildigrim! But I see your opening!" She swings her club and her spores swarm.

OOC > Which is to say, she already has Advantage thanks to the Great Tree...

Action: Swing magicked club at HH7 with Adv from Great Tree. 15 to hit, for 6 magic bludgeoning damage
Reaction: Spores swarm HH7, and on the monster's turn, Con Save vs DC 15 or take 2 necrotic damage

Edit: Weak. The forest is weak this round. ;)

Hildigrim's arrow connects for 18 damage to HH7. That is followed by Quillary's club bashing it for 6 damage.
HH7 CON save vs. DC 15 spores: 11

Jorin strikes 3 times for 49 damage to HH8. That was the first damage it has taken, but it is already below half health.
(OOC: Giant strength + barbarian is a nasty combo.)

Pascal is still up. (Both remaining hook horrors have taken similar amounts of damage.) Then the hook horrors will go.

(I will have Pascal do a cantrip.)

Pascal targets a Flame Bolt on HH8, the hook horror fighting with Jorin.

• Attack: 24 Damage: 14  (hit)

The hook horrors go. HH7 slashes at Quillary.

• Attack: 25 Damage: 10  (hit)
• Attack: 23 Damage: 15  (hit)

HH8 slashes at Jorin (with advantage).

• Attack: 26 Damage: 23  (hit, reduced to 11)
• Attack: 24 Damage: 11  (hit, reduced to 5)

Start of a new round... Drusk will repeat the Sacred Flame + Spiritual Weapon on HH8.

• HH8 DEX save vs. DC 14, or take 9 radiant damage: 11  (fail, takes damage)
• spiritual happy face Attack: 9 Damage: 8  (miss)

Hildigrim is up, then Jorin / Pascal / Quillary. (Jorin is low on HP, but HH8 is almost collapsing. HH7 is below half health.)

(Bah! Beans, sorry, forgot to post. Yes, cantrip works just fine haha)

Quote from Quasimodal >>

Hildigrim is up, then Jorin / Pascal / Quillary.

(Everyone can post. Will take care of Hildigrim later.)

Working once again in tandem with his faithful familiar, Hildigrim fires another arrow at HH8 while it is distracted.

Attack: 25 Damage: 8

Sneak attack: 9

Hildigrim's arrow slays HH8. Only foe left is HH7, dueling with Quillary.

Quillary (who is at 18 hp) is going to set her shield and Dodge, while screaming wordlessly at the Hook Horror.

Jorin charges the last horror, vaulting over Quillary's rooted and shielded frame, to being his blades down on the creature in an incredibly awesome way.

• Movement:  Frenzied charge to HH7
• Action:  Definitely Reckless battleaxe attacks directed at HH7
  
  • First Attack: 29 Damage: 16
  • Second Attack: 25 Damage: 12
• Bonus Action: Reckless moonblade attacks: 18 Damage: 16
• +3 radiant damage to the first attack that lands

(26 damage on that first attack is ridonkulous.)

Quillary is fortunate to be dodging, as Jorin is swinging his weapons wildly, shredding the last hook horror to pieces. She has to assure Jorin that he can relax, that it seems to be dead.

Now that you have a chance to look around, you see other bodies of hook horrors, long dead but not completely scavenged yet. Those bodies are mixed with broken arrows and magic scorch-marks. It seems this group of monsters have encountered other adventurers in the past. That may explain their reluctance to fight with your party (until they were attacked directly).

Combat is over.

(OOC ya, when i saw the rolls i was like, praise the eight, we f**kin' them up now, lol)

Quillary laughs as Jorin celebrates, and she lets the Great Tree aspect slip away. “It seems others have been through here, we may be on the right path.”

Hildigrim calls Volo down to his forearm and coos over the creature for a while, praising him for his helpfulness and making sure he didn't suffer any injuries during the scuffle. Once he's satisfied Volo is fine and feels well thanked, he scavenges the battlefield for salvageable arrows. He finds two that appear still usable. After retrieving and putting away the two blades he dropped, he smiles at the others before whipping his head back in the direction of the river and then toward the two as-of-yet-untraveled exits from their current location. Narrowing his eyes, he listens carefully for any sounds that would indicate they aren't alone.

Perception: 17 — disadvantage? 12

With the death of the 8 hook horrors, the cavern you are in is quiet, except for occasional water drips or slight breezes. (Too far away from the river to hear it from here.)

Hildigrim edges up to the two other exits from this cavern (south-east corner, and far south tip). No sound from either one of them.

He does notice a recent blood trail heading to the south-east exit. The blood trail turns around and heads back to your combat area.
That is consistent with HH5 running away, then coming back (with another hook horror).

Jorin's frenzy begins and ebb and as he calms, he looks at the many, many gashes on his body and says, "We may need to a take a quick breather..."

He recovers 9 hp from second wind.

Drusk: "I agree with Jorin. We could do with some sleep soon... But let's find a better place to defend. This cavern is big and has too many entrances."

“I will scout for a likely location to sleep,” Quillary announces. She mumbles and murmurs and sounds become muted, the light dims, as a shroud descends over her. Then she does her freaky curl up into a ball and sprout legs turning into a giant spider thing, then the spider scuttles up the wall and along the ceiling to the south East. Sounds return and the dim light brightens as it leaves.

Cast Pass Without Trace, Wild Shape into Giant Wolf Spider (maintaining spell concentration), follow the blood trail hoping it is to their lair which is now empty and secure.

Stealth: 33

Ha! Even at +16.

(I can't say as though i've ever seen a red 17, lol)