<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/V2OpMCW.png)</div><strong>Time of day:  </strong>Day 1,  2:20pm<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Elsir Vale, six miles away from Drellin's Ferry<br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>All<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Ambush - Foiled.<br/><strong>Notes: </strong>Bright daylight<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Kanuna raises his head a little more as Mead assured him of their victory,<strong>"Ah... good."</strong>he replied in his slow manner, beginning to reach down and gently patting Betsy's large shell to reassure her that everything was alright. The creature, while knowing her master's gentle touch even through her natural armour, is still shivering a little from fear of the Hell Hound's firey breath. Much like Kanuna she takes time to slowly observe her surroundings a little at a time before slowly emerging. There are a few burn marks noticeable on its flesh. It's a wonder the poor thing didn't try to bolt as soon as it was attacked leaving you stranded here or the inhabitants of the cart tossed about if not for Aubrey's prior guidance to it.<br/><br/><strong>"Yeah, whatever you say horse,"</strong>the charmed hobgoblin replies to the centaur wizard,<strong>"though I don' like the short thing's idea of tryin' to tie me up"</strong>.<br/><br/>Both Mead and Thaialie check the Hobgoblin leaders, the wizard on the cleric and the bard on the bladebearer.<br/>The centaur isn't quite able to recall which deity the symbol, a red, outstretched and clawed hand belongs to, though her experience as a researcher tells her that such a thing may be known to clerics indigenous to the area. Or possibly to the local inhabitant who she has currently wrapped around her little finger. There is, after all, no better knowledge than first hand knowledge.<br/><br/>Moving on to the corpses in the former home she and Lilian, who has joined her in going into the farmhouse, takes a closer look at the five bodies. One female human is dressed in beige and maroon finery that, while the touch of the fabric is likely something Excellence may turn her nose up at it, seems to be of good quality. Furthermore on her person is a talisman indicating that he is a travelling merchant, acting as identification as such and a pass for tolls on the roads surrounding the vale which is not due to expire for another two months. Along with her are a trio of armed guards decked in unremarkable studded leather armour, longswords not even drawn from their sheaths, equipped with crossbows and each having several arrows having pierced their vitals. A small leather pouch has been set beside the merchant, if you look into it contains a fair amount of coin, 355 gold by your estimate, or should you wish to count it. The final body is that of an elderly human, the the rough clothing and the wear on his boots and cuffs of his trousers you estimate that he may have been a farmer, but beyond that has no identification on him.<br/><br/>The gnome when searching the commander notices that the hobgoblins may have been using this ruined farmhouse as a base for some time, there being signs of a campfire and less than perfect bedrolls stashed away. The commander himself is a hulk of a hobgoblin, quite a bit larger than Thailie's new friend and quite honestly it's likely that you didn't think they could even grow to this size and be as healthy, fit or frankly<em>swole </em>as this one. The only thing on his person which may identify him though is that the sword he wielded had the same red hand as the cleric's holy symbol on the pommel and if you wish to examine his body further, a tattoo of the same symbol emblazoned on his back.<br/><br/>Calanthe notices, while searching the surroundings, that there may have been other Hobgoblins in the area. In all likelihood when the fireball went off in the farmhouse they fled the scene rather than face the force of a wizard.