The line of hobgoblins filled the path leading through the woodland. They were marching slowly, four abreast. SJ couldn’t tell how far back they went as the path curved, but there must have been over thirty rows, meaning there were at least 120. Stood in the middle of the slow marching line were three other creatures. A vast monstrous creature SJ recognised from her gaming days as an ogre, a larger hobgoblin wearing the robes of a mage, and a person whose face sent pure anger flaring through her. It was the face of Malcolm the half-orc.
The line was moving slowly forward. As it began to reach the field opening, the lines split, heading to each side and spreading out as they faced towards the town along the lengths of the corn field. From this side of the field, SJ could just see the town and the blocked streets with the wagons and vaguely make out a head above the barriers that had been created. The huge ogre was passing beneath her now, and she could hear Malcolm’s voice.
“I told you it would be the best time to attack. They wouldn’t have been expecting it now.” He said.
The monstrous form of the ogre looked at him but didn’t respond. Instead, it stepped towards the edge of the open fields, its massive form blocking SJ’s vision back towards the town. The hobs that had split along the field edge slowly moved through the tall corn stalks. She wished the wind had been even stronger to flatten them and make the hobs more visible as they crouched and began to move towards the town. The ogre didn’t enter the field area and instead just stood as it gave some commands in a language SJ didn’t understand. It moved to the side so its bulk was nearer the tree line.
“I need to get back and warn them,” SJ said.
“This is a very organised attack. I can see why the town is prepared to defend against them if they have been hit before,” Dave said.
“At least Malcolm is wrong. The town is aware,” SJ spat angrily as she mentioned him.
There were still more hobs filing down the path. There must have been nearer 300, at least in the raiding party. Suddenly remembering, she triggered her identification skill at the line that was still advancing. Her display suddenly flooded with information before it began to combine and lessen. The sensation made her feel lightheaded, and she grabbed the tree trunk to maintain her balance.
Hobgoblin Fighters x 36 – levels 5-12
Hobgoblin Berserker x 25 – levels 8-11
Hobgoblin Archers x 31 – levels 6-9
Congratulations! Identification Level 4 reached.
Congratulations! You have reached Identification Level 5. At level five, you may now identify creatures twenty levels higher than yourself.
Subterfuge - Identification Level 5 - 45 of 50 to level 6
“Well, that is one way to level your skill. Next time, I would suggest being a little more careful. Most people select individual targets. Group data above twenty doesn’t give you much information.” Dave said.
“And at what point did you ever tell me that,” SJ hissed, still clearing her head.
“Erm. Maybe I forgot that part,” Dave laughed nervously.
SJ looked at the back of the ogre and triggered her skill again, this time focussing only on it.
Bordon the Brandisher
Level: 23
Hit Points: 480
Mana Points: 55
Armour Class: 28
Attacks: Bash/Charge
Special: Rage
As the details appeared on her screen, the ogre turned around and stared directly towards where SJ was hiding amongst the branches. She couldn’t hear what he said from the distance she was but noticed the robed figure begin to move in her direction.
“Damn,” she cursed. She immediately began to fly and work her way back through the tree branches. There was no way the ogre could have seen her, but it knew it had been identified.
“Told you to be careful,” Dave said.
SJ ignored his comment and flew back towards the lake’s edge through the canopy. The first line of hobs was probably halfway across the field now, and she could make out several carrying crossbows as they lifted them, pointing towards the street entrances. There were six in total, and the town defenders were formed, blocking the hobs’ advance.
“That ogre is a monster at level 23,” SJ said.
“He is exceedingly high to be anywhere near a starter town. The necromancer’s being 21 was bad, but a level 23 ogre is insane to even be near here. Then again, we do have a level 88 dragon sitting on a mountaintop not far away and a god.”
Wiping her face to clear the rain from her eyes, SJ looked over the field. She was only level 6 and one higher than the weakest hobs she had identified. Feeling helpless and distraught at what was going to happen. The lightning flashed in the sky again, and this time, as it did, it was followed by the deep sound of a horn being blown from the direction of the town. The hobs must have been spotted as balls of light were cast into the air. From several locations along the town’s front, brilliant light suddenly appeared, floating over the fields.
“Yes,” SJ said, clenching her fist.
As the glowing balls moved over the fields, the gloom from the storm was reduced with almost daylight conditions due to their brilliance shining down. One of the hobs turned and aimed his crossbow at one of them, firing at it. The bolt sailed towards it to pass harmlessly through. They were magical, after all, and not something that a bolt could remove. SJ had not seen the cloaked hob since she had moved away through the branches but realised it must be near the field again. A dark bolt shot towards one of the balls of light, and upon hitting it, it extinguished.
“I need to do something,” SJ said.
“I think this is a perfect opportunity for you to train.”
“Train! During a battle?”
“The hobs won’t expect anything to attack them from behind, so you can take advantage.”
“How do you suppose I do that?”
“Hit and run tactics.”
Contemplating Dave’s comments, SJ looked to the end of the hobs line nearest the lake. It was some distance away from her, but at least focusing on one end would stop her from being caught in the middle of everything if things went wrong. Lifting from the branch and dropping low, she began to skirt the field’s edge before lifting and heading towards the end of the approaching line.
There was a cry from her right as she flew, and she turned to see the massive ogre now standing in the centre of the main track and slowly moving forward. He was out of range of any arrows from the township, still the distance he was. His cry cut over the thundering rain, and on his command, the hobs stood, releasing their flight of bolts at the town’s defences. The whistling sound of bolts and twanging strings was lost in the storm.
A cry of pain reached across the field, and someone in the defences had been hit. SJ grimaced at the thought of the almost silent lances of death flying towards the town unseen. A whistling sound suddenly reached her ears, and as she neared the side end of hob line, she realised what it was. The archers from the town had returned fire.
Glancing upwards, she noticed a stream of tiny flashes of dark streaking through the sky. The storm affected their parabolic flight. None came close to her position, but there were sounds from along the hob line as the falling shafts of death struck more than one. Having seen scenes in films to witness even fewer arrows that had fallen to earth was a sobering thought.
Reaching the last hob on the line, SJ identified it.
Hobgoblin Fighter
Level: 7
Hit Points: 45
Mana Points: 40
Armour Class: 10
Attacks: Slash/Stab
Special: Nil
Its back was to her, and she was about four feet away from it. There was another hob to her right, about fifteen feet further away, leading this hob slightly as it focused on sneaking closer to the town.
Landing and ducking down, she allowed herself to grow, equipping her claws as she had done. The hob moved no more than six feet from her now, and she crept towards it until she could have reached out to touch its back. It wore rough-looking leather armour, its green arms uncovered and bracers on its wrist with matching leather greaves. Thinking through her options and not knowing what healing the hobs had, she thought about disabling enemies rather than going for kills. She knew her damage would not be high enough without fighting, and she couldn’t chance being caught against more than one. She just wasn’t strong or skilled enough yet.
The way it was stooped in a crouching position revealed the backs of its ankles, and with a decisive and swift strike, SJ brought her blades down across them. The shock at it being struck from behind made it flash forward, standing as it did. It then fell as it realised its feet were no longer functioning properly. The damage she had wrought caused it to fall. Immediately shrinking again, she moved left and flew away again towards the lake’s edge. Nothing followed or came for her, and as she turned to see the outcome, her display triggered.
Congratulations! Bleed effect triggered.
Another hob had moved over to the downed one and snarled, saying something in their tongue that she didn’t understand.
“He called him a useless piece of troll dung,” Dave said.
“Thanks,” SJ replied, her body tingling from the adrenaline.
“One out of the fight, at least.”
“Too many to go through.”
Turning, SJ flew back behind the line and along the path, which was a natural break between the end of the field and the woods. There was nothing on the track as everything approached the town. Shouts and cries had started as both sides had begun to call orders as the battle commenced. SJ flew above the corn, and not forty feet from her was the back of a person she recognised. The half-orc Malcolm stood at the rear of all the hobs, well away from the front line advancing.
“He is mine,” SJ hissed under her breath, temper flaring and seeing red.
“Be careful. I will watch your six,” Dave replied.
SJ changed her direction, heading straight to where Malcolm was standing. He was holding a large two-handed sword with his back to her. Nothing was near him, as he had allowed himself to fall behind. Bordon was walking forward, showing no concern as another rain of arrows came down. Bordon lifted a huge club he was holding above his head as they did, a couple striking it and sticking in.
Landing a few feet from Malcolm, SJ grew crouched again. When she had first fought him in the town, he had worn a breastplate, so she hoped he was the same again. Identifying him as she moved to strike.
Malcolm Kilgore
Race: half-orc
Age: 20
Level: 6
Hit Points: 36
Mana Points: 30
Armour Class: 10
Attacks: Slash/Charge
Special: Nil
The only change he had achieved was reaching age twenty. With both her fists clenched, she drove her blades deep into his lower back. At the same moment, a clap of thunder broke the sky. Malcolm’s body clenched forward, his back arching and his scream covered by the rolling thunder. Removing one of her blades, she struck again higher up his back. His health had dropped by two-thirds from her first strike, and as her second strike punctured the centre of his upper back, his health dropped to zero. Anger and hatred fuelled SJ, withdrawing her blades and allowing his now lifeless form to fall to the floor. How dare he bring hostiles to the town.
“Small,” yelled Dave.
SJ snapped from her trance and shrunk again. Thankfully, no one had noticed due to the sounds of battle that had commenced and the thunder above. Turning, she quickly flew low and fast back to the road again.
“That was a clinical finish. Very impressive,” Dave said.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish.” SJ had just performed her first real assassination. Killing Malcolm, she felt no regrets in ending his second life after what he had brought to the town. As the realisation set in, she rose and scanned the battlefield. The hobs were now closing in on the town, and archers were still trying to pick off approaching forms. SJ could hear cries and moaning from around the field at various locations. The mage stood nearer the back of the group, with Bordon still walking calmly forward down the central track leading to the main street.
Looking right, SJ saw some hobs moving back across the field. One of them was limping with an arrow sticking through its thigh. The other supported it as it moved to the track before dropping him down, turning, and running back towards the town. The injured hob was now lying a short distance from her. Moving into the woods, she approached where it lay, triggering identification as she neared.
Hobgoblin Archer
Level: 8
Hit Points: 31 of 45
Mana Points: 45
Armour Class: 8
Attacks: Bolt
Special: Nil
The archer sat slowly, trying to remove the arrow from its thigh. It cried in pain as the arrow’s head was caught and would not pull free. He let go of the arrow hitting the earth with its clenched fists, obviously unhappy about not being able to partake in the battle. SJ grew and stayed behind a tree, looking at its back. Sneaking from the wood edge, she again struck with precision. Her blades tore into its neck, and it would have screamed if it was able, its arm flying up, trying to grasp her hand. Her other blades then plunged into its back, similar to what she had done to Malcolm. Its health had dropped to a sliver, and as she grabbed her arm and tried to wrestle her forward, she withdrew her claws from its back and struck again, removing the last of its resistance. Immediately shrinking and again changing position and moving away back into the woods.
Three corpses now lay on the field from her hand. She felt no remorse as her display triggered.
Congratulations on reaching Level 7
You have been awarded the following:
5 hit points
5 mana points
+1 Dexterity
+2 free points to distribute as you wish
She opened her character sheet and assigned her two free points to Constitution to support her martial arts training and improve her health. With her significant points gain compared to many she could soon start to benefit being able to balance her attribute growth bonuses.
↻ Level: 7
Experience: 36 of 1000
Hit Points: 52 of 52
Mana Points: 40
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 12
Subterfuge - Identification Level 5 - 49 of 50 to level 6
“I am heading towards town. They are too close now. I will see what I can do to help.” She said.
“You are doing so well back here, though,” Dave replied.
SJ flew swiftly across the top of the cornfield, the rain still hammering into her smaller form, and the occasional drop made her adjust her position. The hobs had started to reach the wagon barriers broken up by the buildings acting as the town walls, and as she neared, she could hear the clash of steel as hand-to-hand combat commenced. Looking over, she watched the monstrous ogre still strolling slowly towards the main entrance.
SJ could do nothing to stop the level 23. Something with that many hit points and armour class would be like striking a mountain at her level. Moving forward between the natural break in the line where the hobs had moved to attack one of the wagon positions, she flew up and over onto the rooftop of the nearest building—flying to the edge and landing, looking down at the wagons below her. A fierce battle was underway between a group of hobs who had managed to force their way over the top of one of the wagons and were trying to push forward into the town. Swords clattered, and axes swung. Both sides took injuries as casualties were made.
A dwarf that SJ had seen in the inn on several occasions took a nasty slash to its face from the axe of a hob and fell to the ground wailing. As it did, a stream of light burst forth and struck him. His cries of pain lessened as the healing spell did its job. It was absolute chaos everywhere she looked. She was at least a street from the centre and swiftly flew across to the next building. Looking left as she did, she could see Bordon approaching the wagons. The hobs moved out of his way as he swung his huge club and smashed one of the wagon’s sides, splintering the wood and sending splinters flying. He roared in anger.
Just further down the street, SJ noticed movement. Turning, she saw Mayor Maxwell and watched in amazement as he transformed. He was a large man standing at least seven feet tall, but the beast he turned into was on a whole new scale. Bordon must have stood nearly twelve feet tall, and as Mayor Maxwell finished transforming, he stood up on his hind legs as the largest grizzly bear SJ had ever seen. He stood just as tall, if not taller than Bordon, on his hind legs and dropped to all fours. His shoulder must still have been nearly six feet. Roaring in anger, spittle flying from the grizzly’s mouth, it charged at Bordon.
The next clap of thunder could not have been better timed as the two monstrous forms crashed into each other. Bordon tried to swing his club at the mayor as he leapt at him. Their bodies collided, and the momentum of the mayor forced Bordon to stagger backwards from the blow as it raked its huge claws down the front of the breastplate Bordon wore. The metal was torn open as if it were a tin of soup. Bordon roared in response and brought his fist, holding his club round, crashing into the side of the mayor’s head. Dropping back to the ground, the mayor stood and roared again at Bordon, who roared back. The two goliaths stared each other down, awaiting the next move. While the behemoths fought, the remainder were fighting for their own survival.
SJ watched as Captain Broadaxe withdrew his axe from what had once been a hobgoblin, which was no longer recognisable. It had been cleaved so cleanly. He let out a battle cry, a bright flash of blue light encircling him as he sprinted forward through the now-open entrance to the street, meeting the hobgoblins who were pushing their way through where the wagon had been. A bolt of blue suddenly flashed forward from the field, and SJ noticed the hobgoblin mage directing attacks at those defending. SJ had decided on her next target.
