The Fall of Targor

6/7/2020

Things are looking bad for the Phandalin Five as Targor and his band of hobgoblin soldiers advance. Their two Elven allies are dead, Qili is under fire in her tree, and Droop is counting his last breaths as he pulls arrows from his wounded body.

After freeing their trapped wolf, who promptly dashes off, the hobgoblins take up covered positions behind the trees surrounding the clearing to continue to pin down our heroes.That's when Jangle realizes he has one more trick up his sleeve. He pulls a scroll out of his pack and tosses it to Cade. "See if you can do something with this." He then insults a hobgoblin before zigzagging deeper into the forest, hoping to cover his tracks.

Hearing the insult, Targor's elite guard begins to pursue the bard holding their prize. The first hobgoblin raider dashes to the west side of the camp only to be caught by another hidden bear trap, screaming in pain and rage. A passing hobgoblin stops to assist and disarms the trap, flinging it across the trail. Three more dart past, startled to discover Link and Wolfie sheltering behind a tree.

Cade then steps forward and calls out to Targor, "How about we even the odds?" He brandishes the scroll and begins reading in a strange chant-like cadence (it sounds oddly like Mongolian chanting). Fire erupts from his fingertip as he points at a spot dead-center of the clearing where the forward hobgoblin patrol has sheltered. Flames dance in his eyes as he watches the fireball explode, engulfing the hobgoblins, trees, and grass in flames. All five of the hobgoblins are blown off their feet and burned to ash in the magical fire.

Targor is furious as he watches his advanced guard disintegrate before his eyes.

Never missing a chance to add insult to injury, Jangle jeers, "Is it hot out here?"

At this Targor prods his mount and charges into the fray, searching for his hated adversary. He rushes through the formerly trapped pass in the trees and finds himself on the far side of Link.

Link, realizing he has a chance to get the jump on Targor, attempts a swinging mount from the nearby tree onto the huge worg standing before him, but he sorely miscalculates and finds himself prone on the ground. He picks himself up, looks around to see if Jangle saw that, and then takes a swipe at Targor, hitting him for a flesh wound with his magical sword Talon. Wolfie bites at the newly arrived Hobgoblins but is deftly blocked by their shields.

Qili, freed from her bombardment, climbs down from her perch and shares a healing prayer with Jangle, making them both feel fully rejuvenated.

One hobgoblin breaks off past Link to pursue Jangle zigzagging though the forest. As he runs, a viscous crack on the shin from a hidden Cade knocks him off his feet and he falls arm-first into yet another hidden bear trap. Blood trickles down his arm as he roars curses at the strange goblin. And once again, a compatriot rushes in to free the injured hobgoblin. Not quickly enough though, as Cade lands a furious series of blows, killing the trapped hobgoblin before it can regain its feet.

Droop, feeling safe with the battle having moved away from him, darts out of cover to take a bowshot. His shot is true and wounds the would-be rescuer hobgoblin as Droop darts back into the safety of the trees.

Two hobgoblins remain near Link and Wolfie, attacking and seriously wounding the wolf, but missing the dexterous Elf. Link retaliates for the wound to his beloved wolf and scores a savage blow against his foe, nearly severing his leg as he falls prone at Link's feet. Wolfie pounces and dispatches him with a quick snap of the neck.

Targor, ignoring the Elf to pursue his prized amulet, darts back into the trees after Jangle. Despite a powerful blow from Cade in an attempt to take out his mount, Targor finally comes face-to-face with Jangle. He slashes twice with his greatsword, cutting Jangle across the back.

As Jangle reels in pain, he hears the ominous croaking of his frog. Targor watches with amused hatred as Jangle drops the glowing trinket at his feet. Jangle then suddenly slashes his shortsword at the worg's injured leg (thanks to Cade's blow) and attempts to roll underneath the huge beast as  it comes crashing to the ground. Unfortunately, his roll is slightly miscalculated and the giant beast falls upon his legs, trapping him. Targor is ejected from his mount but manages to keep his feet just as the glowing frog spews forth a green light.

Immediately and inexplicably, Targor, Willie (his worg), Jangle, Cade, Qili, and a nearby hobgoblin feel completely refreshed, as if they had slept for hours.

Targor then walks to where Jangle lay and snatches the amulet from his neck and spits on his face. Vowing to himself to kill Jangle another day, Targor concludes this battle cannot be won outright, and decides to flee with his sacred amulet. He orders his men to retreat and mounts his magically recovered worg. It springs to its feet and darts off to the east where it suddenly stops due to more of Jangle's trickery. Jangle has charmed the worg into believing it is running directly into a wall of fire. Targor, seeing nothing, spurs and goads his mount into motion, but causes it to take damage as if the flames were real (in its own mind, the flames are as real as can be).

Targor seems to have won the day despite losing many of his elite forces. Regrettably, many reliable soldiers have fallen to the trickery of these interlopers, but the amulet will give him the power and authority to rebuild. His hobgoblins begin to retreat, though Cade and Qili flank one and kill it. Cade then humliates another by catching its arrow mid-air and dropping it onto the field as if it were a harmless plaything.

As the last two hobgoblin soldiers retreat, they watch in confusion when Jangle calls out and Targor immediately charges back into the battle. Unbeknownst to them, Jangle had deceived Targor into believing his amulet had vanished and teleported back to Jangle's own hand.

Targor approaches Jangle but is immediately rebuffed with a guiding bolt from Qili and psychic attack from Jangle himself, causing Targor's mount to flee the battlefield. Confused and out of control, Targor is caught unaware by Cade, who has summoned 10-foot-long tendrils of snake-like fire and knocks Targor lifeless onto the unforgiving ground, his precious amulet still clutched in his hand.

Bewildered by Targor's inexplicable actions, his last two hobgoblin lieutenants scramble to escape. Qili strikes the first down with a guiding bolt. The second manages to grab the amulet, mount the worg, and dash away, dodging numerous attacks. He cannot outrun Qili's third guiding bolt, however, as it strikes him down in a flood of radience.

The battle ends with the trees still smoldering, the grass charred, the ground sticky with blood. The worg, now masterless, stands cautiously appraising the party. As expert animal-handler Link approaches, it lashes out with a savage bite.