Phandelin Five Lay Trap for Targor

5/29/20

After thwarting a rather painful goblin ambush (for Jangle at least), our heroes patched themselves up, looted the goblin bodies, and took stock of their situation.

Jangle recovered his Jade Frog and the Cragmaw amulet. Upon recovering the amulet, Jangle discovered an interesting property: its unique orange gem gave the appearance of internal flames. Droop mentioned that it was called "The Eye of Maglubiyet" and told of its history among the goblins.

Qili recounted what she knew of the goblin god Maglubiyet: at eleven feet tall with black skin and fire erupting from his eyes, Maglubiyet is one to be feared and obeyed without hesitation. This information led the party to realize that the value of the amulet is not just ceremonial to symbolize the kingship, but it actually has the power to intimidate and command goblinoids.

At the same time, a lone survivor returned to Cragmaw Castle to report to Targor that the heroes had overcome their ambush. Targor had been intrigued when his goblin spies reported that the heroes were making their way toward the castle. He prepared his castle defenses and set the ambush to recover the amulet and kill the troublemakers.

Now he was angry and decided more force would be necessary to dispatch the thieves. He assigned his spies to return and keep him informed of their movements as he contemplated his battle plan.

Meanwhile, back at the ambush site, the heroes interrogated a goblin named Scratch that Cade and Droop had captured. Scratch informed the party of the general layout of the castle, its defenses, the approximate number of goblins and hobgoblins, and the intimate details of goblin romance. The most interesting details were that there were 2 hobgoblin raiding parties stationed there, with one being the more elite unit led by Targor himself.

The adventures discussed at length what to do about Targor. They decided an assault on the castle would be suicidal. Cade wanted to offer Jangle and the amulet (or rather, a replica of the amulet) as bait to lure Targor out and confront him on their terms. Jangle refused, stating that he had been shot enough that day.

Jangle proposed to send the goblin prisoner back to Targor to demand that he come alone to fetch the amulet or it would be destroyed. Cade countered that Targor wasn't that stupid and suggested that they regroup with the Elf trappers that they met earlier in the day to augment their strength before settling on the final plan. The party agreed.

Therefore the heroes returned to the trappers and convinced them to help the party defeat the Cragmaws. They agreed, as the Cragmaw hobgoblins have been viciously hunting them for years.

After dispatching their goblin prisoner on the advice of the Elves, they made a light camp on the Elven frontier, rested, set traps, and waited for a hobgoblin patrol to discover and raid the faux campsite. The heroes hid in the trees and Jangle used Thamaturgy to simulate Elven singing to portray an appealing target.

The goblins, having tracked the party the whole day, sent word to Targor that the party had made camp with the hated Elves. Despite having detected at least one goblin watching them, the party did not move to engage it.

Targor, unhappy with the situation and growing impatient, decided to strike them at their camp with overwhelming force and recover his amulet.

After several hours of waiting, the heroes heard a raiding party of goblins approach from the South. Two wolf riders rushed the camp to find it seemingly empty. One of the wolves was caught in a trap, throwing the goblin rider prone to the ground. Four goblins trailed behind on foot, unable to reach their mounted comrades.

The adventures pounced on the unsuspecting goblins, raining arrows upon them from their perches in the trees. Cade flew down upon the non-trapped goblin rider, crushing its mount with his staff and fists, whereby ejecting the rider from its mount onto the unforgiving ground.

Qili summoned her famous spiritual anvil and threw it high into the sky. It came crashing down onto an unsuspecting goblin raider with a sickening splat.

The heroes began to taste victory and plan their next ruse just as the sound of double-time marching was heard from the South. Six hobgoblin raiders appeared from the forest pass and opened fire from an extraordinary distance with their longbows, concentrating fire on their hated enemies, the Elf trappers, immediately killing one with the first volley.

The adventurers returned fire before seeking hasty cover from the hobgoblin assault. Jangle's quick spell work dispatched one hobgoblin, but the rest of the party could not penetrate their expert defenses. Just then, a second wave of hobgoblin raiders appeared from the south, led by Targor himself astride his huge Worg "Willie".

Targor commanded his soldiers to destroy the hated Elves, Jangle "the false king", and recover his amulet. At the thought of spilling Elven blood, his hobgoblins plunged into a inspired offensive. They shot down the second Elf trapper despite his cover, rescued their trapped wolf, and opened fire upon the heavily obscured halfling hiding in the branches of a distant tree. They hit her painfully (if not lethally) with extraordinary marksmanship.

We find our heroes outnumbered and sheltering from heavy fire as the hobgoblin front methodically advances upon their position. Targor, anticipating his victory and tasting sweet revenge for his humiliation at the hands of Jangle, taunts "the false king" as he demands the return of the cragmaw amulet, the symbol of his long-awaited Kingship.