Lost Mine of Phandelver

"Of course you're not king, but it may cause a distraction at an opportune moment if we pretend you are. Remember the cave. It almost worked." Rigel replied.

He asks Garret, "How is he? Can he travel? We need to get Marcon and get out of here." Looking around Rigel says with a nervous tone, "Who knows what that wolf's howl might have attracted or alerted."

As Garet approaches Gundren and kneels next to him, it's all too apparent that the poor dwarf is sadly beyond any help: the creature's terrible blow all but crushed his windpipe, but it was almost certainly the resulting fall face down in the small brasero next to the eastern wall that finished him... be it as it may, only a powerful cleric with a Resurrection spell can help him now...

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 Rigel and Ronk start to make their way towards the exit and have almost reached the western door in the triangular ante-chamber. All of a sudden, just as the ranger mentions the wolf howls, a terrifying animal scream - halfway between a bird's screech and a bear's roar - erupts from the darkness somewhere in the southernmost part of the castle. Right as they notice this, the woolen curtain to the south giving into the hobgoblins' guard room flips open... to reveal two small figures rushing towards them: you all recognize your valiant goblin allies Spit and Stopit ! Their faces are even more sickly green that usual and somewhat pale, as they grab you with panicked desperation. 

"Quick ! Mussa HIDE and let IT go ! Hoomans mussa hidey-hide, QUICK-FAST !!!" Spit hisses, trying to speak in whispers.

As the goblin says this, he tries to push you back into the room you just got out of, and you hear the paws of a massive four-legged creature rushing past in the corridor, just beyond the rickety wooden door ahead. Once again, the shrill scream rings out, making the very fondations of the castle tremble.

"H..he..I..I can't help him.****y s..someone much closer to w..will of gods.. much stronger c..could help h..here"


Garet closes Gundren eyes, leaves small, dry flower on his chest and fallows the group as quick as possible

Rigel meets Garret at the door any motions for him to go back inside as he follows the Goblins back into Grol's chamber. He makes sure Ronk is in before closing the door.

"What in the 9 hells is going on? What was that and where is Marcon? I had assumed he had went to find you." Rigel questions the goblin pair.

The two goblins put their backs against the door as you all hear more blood-curdling beast roars, then a series of screams and shouts in goblinoid speech coming from outside. Whatever that thing was, it goes without saying that the whole castle must be aware of its murderous presence by now.

As Rigel interrogates the two small humanoids, they do their best to provide explanations although their slurred Common and the fact they keep interrupting and talking over each-other makes it somewhat of an arduous process:

"Hooman no make angry witha gobbos !"  Spit starts, lifting up his hands in a placating gesture, "Spit and Stopit no wanna go na castle-place, waitah nice-n-goody, like we says we does first ! Gobbos wanna be stay-stay !"

"Ya, butta wolfie wolf-thing comah run outta castle, then, we is HIDING because we no wanna get bit, yess ?"  Stopit blurts out, his arms spread in apology. "Thenna we is hidin good, very good then we sees many much, them's RED HOBGOBS. Big ones, they comah see wolf, start do much talking. Say 'Oh, King Grol will never go without wolfie, whya wolfie runnin so ?' Then Big Hobgobie Boss sayin 'Much many problems inside is for sure ! SO WE IS WAITIN HIDE OUT HERE, THEN GO TO CATCH FILTHY TRUDERS WHEN COME OUTSIDE'. Stopit hears it ! Everthings !" 

The two goblins continue talking even faster together, while you all hear the hobgoblins in question shouting commands and warnings to one-another outside, then screaming in agony. Whoever they are, their encounter with the source of that Big Roar doesn't seem to be going their way...

"Oh so... we is big feared but we knows needa TALK TO HOOMAN FRIENDS and make da WARNIN fast-quick !"  Spit explains, "So mes and this IDI-OT Stopit we is go to find you, but IDI-OT here opena WRONG. DOOR !" He points at the other goblin accusingly.

"Me no IDI-OT, PUKAH-FACE ! YOU ! YOU IS BIG BASTAH EEJIT, YOU IS ! I says 'Spit we mussa try here door', did not ? But not, Big Eejit always wants be Boss..." Stopit fumes, his face darkening under the offending comment.

"Not true ! NOT TRUE !!! Big door with big wood, mebee is-a hoomans in trouble, me thinks ? Me cannot know everthing, Mastah PUKYBUTTOCKS !"

"You is call this-a beastie HOOMAN ? UH ? NO HOOMAN, NO ! LISTEN-A EATIN OUTSIDE, KILLA EVERTHING ! SPIT EEJIT !"

The two small goblinoids are now hissing at each other like cats, and almost about to come to blows in their mutual accusations...

"Hey now, hey now," Vanzaren says. "Take a deep breath please."

"Alright, everyone stay here while I take a look. Take the map. While I'm looking use some of the bedding or whatever you can find to wrap up Gundrens body. I'm sure Sildar or his brothers would want a proper burial.  If something happens to me try to sneak out another door. I'll try to lead it away if needed. I hope Marcon didn't get caught alone."

Rigel hands Van Gundrens map case containing the map. Slipping out the door he moves to the corner where the entrance hall meets this corridor. If the curtains are still in place over the entrance he will move up and peek out. If not he'll try to observe from the intersection.

Stealth: 16

Perception: 4<---disregard incorrect code.

Perception; 11

 Rigel approaches the exit and instantly realizes that any noise he could have made is drowned by the mayhem he sees outside, past the shredded remains of the entrance curtain: about 10 yards past the door he sees the inanimate body of Marcon first, face down on the ground. A dozen feet or so further towards the north, three hobgoblins armed with maces are being literally tossed around and torn apart by a massive owlbear. The creature - obviously the source of all the noise, along with the red-faced goblinoids' death screams - seems to be possessed by a murderous rage ! 

A little ways off and further to the north-west , the ranger hears animal barks - the wolves ? - and commands being shouted in Hobgoblin. From where he stands inside the castle, he can't quite see who's talking, but the goblinoid speech is clear:

<"Careful about its paws, you idiots ! Try and flank it from behind, prod it towards the woods ! I'll go get the guards, just hold your ground !">

 There's a sound of chains rattling and two big grey wolves come into view, diving straight for the owlbear.

Rigel slips back to the rest to inform them of what he just witnessed. 

Vanzaren looks a little surprised. "Sorry, you just left Marcon out there?"

"Well I can't help him alone. So lets go get him." Replies Rigel before turning and heading back out to the curtained entrance. He pausrs for a moment to allow for the rest to catch up.

Just before stepping out into the light he says, 

"Ignore the fight unless it comes to you. Get in, grab Marcon, get out. We retreat to Grols room if needed. We want to keep them in front of us and not surrounding us if possible."

Ronk gets ready to move with the others. "I'll grab Marcon. Maybe he's just playing dead. That's supposed to work with bears right? Maybe owlbears too?"

Garet fixes shield on his arm and grabs his mace firmly "T..t..that is w..way you sh..should n..never int.interrupt healing rituals!"

 As the party makes it back to the curtains - that by now are nothing more than a few threads of hemp and shredded rags fluttering in the wind - the sound of many more goblin voices and the slam of a door can be heard coming from the south. You have a feeling that the roars of the owlbear and the screams of its victims haven't gone unnoticed... 

 Ahead, the scene remains unchanged: ignoring the two wolves snapping at its heels the owlbear is still clawing away at the hobgoblins, one of whose number finds himself now without a mouth to scream with... as you watch, fascinated, the owlbear first swipes its claws across the foot soldier's face, shearing the lower jaw clean off, then actually clasps its beak on what remains of the humanoid's head and tears it away with a vengeful jerk, sending spurts of dark red blood across the trampled ground.

The other two goblinoids seem to pale at the sight of their comrade being beheaded in such a savage manner, and you can tell their resolve is sorely shaken... yet they still stand firm !

For now...

As for Marcon, he still hasn't moved. You all see the large, muscled back of the barbarian like a slab of pink flesh on the cold ground ahead, and from this distance it's hard to see whether or not your friend is still breathing.

Death Save #3:

"Okay. Lets go."

Rigel leaves the relative safety of the door way. Staying low and keeping the boulders to his left he rushes to the warriors side.  Once there he will physically force the final goodberry down Marcon's throat in an attempt to stabilize him. Rigel will then stand guard while Ronk tries to extract Marcon.

Rigel spares a moment to guage the progress of the rescue before returning his focus on the owlbear battle taking place in front of him. 

Marcon awakened to a small coughing fit and a budding headache. "Ri...gel?" He said, squinting up at the man until his face finally came into focus. "You're... you're de-..." The man suddenly seizes up, before then sharply looks to his north and the spectacle going on there. Now shocked and confused, he winds up wasting a few extra precious seconds paralyzed for a moment, before finally thinking to reach for his mother's spear as he scrambled to his feet; forgetting for a moment the grim set of thoughts that led to his near death experience.

"This-... The-..." He tries and tries, but the words just won't form right in his mouth. A risky glance away from the fight to the castle is soon followed by him motioning to the castle, before carefully retreating from the frackus. Even if able to make it a safe distance/get back to the others, the man is wild-eyed, shaky, frustrated, and confused all at once. So much so, that an effort to think and speak is abandoned for looking towards the others for guidance.

---> Action: Disengage.
--->Movement: 1/2 to get up, and remaining half to start moving to the castle. (if otherwise unable to make a full retreat back for the curtain)

Rigel gently urges Marcon along while keeping his back to the warrior. Reaching back he loops an arm around the wounded warrior helping him as needed. 

"Everyone, back to to the ante chamber in front of Grol's room." Rigel urgently whispers. "We get everyone patched up, grab Gundren and get out of here."

The two remaining hobgoblins don't even notice as Rigel and Ronk come forward to revive Marcon and then assist him as they retreat towards the castle entrance to the south.
(OOC: based on his available movement after standing, Marcon can advance as far as the north side of the canvas-covered doorway.)

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WOLF A

The alpha wolf sinks its teeth into the owlbear's heel, eliciting a painful roar from the monstrous beast, but loses its grip as it tries to drag the owlbear to the ground.

WOLF B

The smaller wolf follows suit, snapping at the owlber's hamstring. Even though its bite does severe damage, the resilient owlbear refuses to be dragged down!

HOBGOBLIN 2
The wounded brute disengages from the owlbear and retreats towards the northeast corner of the ruined castle.

OWLBEAR

Enraged and near death, the owlbear snaps out at the remaining hobgoblin in front of it, but the foe raises his shield and absorbs the beast's razor-sharp beak. The goblinoid warmaster failed to anticipate the claw strike that would follow...and an instant later looks down to find his bowels lying at his feet!

TARGOR BLOODSWORD

After shouting his commands to the barracks window, the hobgoblin warlord moves back towards the unfurling battle and draws his longbow to attack the owlbear from a safer distance. His arrow finds the beast's rump, but does little to quell the rampage.