Group 1: Hais, Jewel, Katarinam Rin

The next few moments were particularly confusing. It was a testament to elven grace that Hais was able to get out the door with his pack shouldered and an arrow knocked before the mists swallowed sight of Felicity completely. As he hurried after the girl, he found that Katarina was moving along the boardwalk with him. Rin and Jewel, both somewhat confused by the dark and the mists, managed to mistake Katarina for Kimimi 'til all four of them had turned off of the boardwalk and onto a trail leading south towards the temple to Chaunteah.

They didn't get far before enemies loomed out of the mists, coming between them and Felicy. There were six of them, the shortest of them 6'3 and most of them half a head taller than that! Their shoulders were broad and their bodies were thick. They wore heavy leather pants and boots and mail clinked bellow crude surcoats, reinforced with assorted iron shoulder and knee guards. Their faces were furry, with wide mouths on muzzles. Their narrow eyes gleamed golden in the dim light. Wide, triangular ears with tufts of blood red fur twitched like those of massive foxes. The four in front carried round bronze shields of the type called targe and heavy clubs full of iron spikes. The two behind them carried steel halberds with oak shafts. They gave delighted hoots with a smattering of some crude goblin language as they moved in, more or less holding their formation, hungry for blood!



Even in this confusing element they weren't fast enough to strike before the young heroes had a chance to act first...

Spoiler: Game Mechanics
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Our enemies are hobgoblins. They come into view 20 feet ahead of Hais and Katarina, 25 ahead of Jewel and Rin. So no one will have any trouble closing with them if they wish to fight hand to hand. Maneuvering around the hobgoblin formation will be trickier. There’s a carpentry shop on one side, a stable on the other. Going around them shouldn't take too long, but in the dark and the fog, what else might obstruct your path?

I have rolled initiative on your behalf—using Hais's dexterity bonus—and we act first. Unless for some reason Hais wouldn't be running with an arrow knocked, he gets that attack as well.

Each round indicates about a minute of combat, but that's very fluid. Basicly, a round describes quite a bit of maneuvering and trading blows to set up for one or two good shots, not just a few thrusts and parries as in later editions.

The hobgoblins with shields have AC4. Those without have AC 5, but are behind a shield wall! Subtract that number from your Thac0 with your attack form of choice. If you roll that number or higher, you hit. A natural 20 will also allow you to roll your damage dice twice.

Writing for group two next!