Into the Chamber of Eyes
After being delayed in leaving Fallcrest, Messoria reaches Thunderspire Labyrinth and the Seven Pillared Hall. From there she is pointed in the direction of the Chamber of Eyes where Aelar, Andraste and the Dragonborn Warlock Surina have been fighting a band of hobgoblin raiders who have kidnapped a Halfling.
Messoria is able to identify the eye motif of the complex as relating to the worship of Torog, the Patient One, but it seems to no longer be used as a shrine. Aelar updates Messoria on the situation, warning that they had recently fought five hobgoblins, and while they were able to kill two, the others escaped to warn their allies. With that in mind, we suggest Leleth and our guide stand watch outside the complex in case more hobgoblins arrive, while Messoria, Aelar, Andraste and Surina go deeper into the Chamber of Eyes.
As we fall silent for a moment, Aelar listens for the sound of enemies and hears a halfling’s cry of fear amidst hobgoblin jeers and the growl of what is surely a dire wolf. Rather than go in by the direct route through the double doors, we decide to try to find a side route.
Before we get very far we find a room with two duergar relaxing by a fire. We are able to take them by surprise but they prove too tough to kill quickly, despite a lethally placed dagger from Andraste, and they raise the alarm. A few seconds later we are able to kill them but the damage has been done.
The band of hobgoblins starts to muster led by their captain, Krand. The heavily armed soldiers take the lead while archers and warcasters harass us from range. We hear the growls of frustration from the dire wolf as it struggles to force its way through the narrow tunnels to reach us.
As all the party take serious wounds, Messoria quickly realises that we are overmatched and suggests a retreat, but two more hobgoblins have made their way around behind us, blocking our escape. As Messoria positions herself to stop the hobgoblin main body from getting through the narrow tunnel, Aelar, Andraste and Surina focus their attacks on the hobgoblin archer and warcaster who stand between us and escape. The dire wolf squeezes its way into the tunnel ahead of the hobgoblins, slowing their advance.
We were fortunate that the more heavily armoured soldiers had not been able to get around behind us, and the lightly armoured hobgoblins are killed, clearing our escape route. Aelar and Andraste lead the way past them, leaping athletically over the balcony to the floor of the entrance hall. Surina, now badly injured, follows but stumbles on some rubble as she lands, and after her comes Messoria who had been acting as rearguard. A hobgoblin soldier emerges from the double door, the remaining warcaster behind him. Messoria engages the soldier but the warcaster, seeing the bleeding dragonborn warlock, attacks her instead. Surina falls just as the dire wolf finally emerges from the tunnel. Seeing the dragonborn on the ground, the wolf leaps from the balcony but misses its footing on the loose rubble. Unfortunately it falls next to the dragonborn and as soon as it regains its feet, it tears out her throat. Messoria, Aelar and Andraste make good their escape and meet up with Leleth and their guide.
On the way back to the Seven Pillared Hall we are ambushed by three gnoll hunters. They are ideally positioned to pick us off using their powerful bows so we duck into a side tunnel to force them to close the distance if they want to attack us. In the narrow tunnels, we are able to control the battlefield to our advantage. Two of the gnolls are killed and the third runs away. Minutes later we are back in the (relative) safety of the Seven Pillared Hall.
Now we have a clearer idea of the hobgoblins’ strength, we know it will take a stronger force to successfully defeat them and rescue their Halfling prisoner.
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