William took point with Astarion to his left flank and Halsin to the right. Karlach took the rear, wearing some kind of loose cloak to hide her infernal glow.
The only thing giving her away was the faint heat shimmer around her and the sound of her battle-axe as its edge sliced through the air.
Halsin's staff hummed with the magic of nature as its surface writhed like living vines or roots, and every step he took the ground seemed to welcome him like a friend.
Astarion seemed to stalk the night with a preternatural ease, the shadows of the night itself clinging to him extra closely as if it were a second skin that actively camouflaged him from being spotted at a distance with his pallid skin.
They approached the blighted village by way of the bridge across which multitudes of scattered wagons and goods were strewn all over, along with the occasional body of merchants and civilians who failed to flee in time.
The sound of Goblin activity reached them before they saw them and they stopped at the edge of the bridge to plan their assault.
William remembers the myriad playthroughs in Act 1 he had gone through and knew that there would be two goblins on either side of the main entrance waiting eagerly for any intruders. He knew that it was essentially a kill box that would put them at an immediate disadvantage.
"Halsin, can you create a net of vines from the top of that cliff on the right to the ground below? If we scale that cliff, we could effectively ambush the goblins from the side, where there are definitely fewer guards!"
Halsin looks to the right. Indeed, there was an open cliff face that led to an unprotected section of the blighted village. He grasped the staff in his hands and it began to glow subtly with a verdant green light, and he muttered.
"Faithwardens vines!"
On the top of the cliff, the grass began to sway as if by wind before suddenly twisting together, changing form to become vines that continued to twist together, forming a thick net mesh that fell over the side and onto the ground below with a dull thud.
Karlach was the first to start climbing, she was followed by William, Astarion, and Halsin in that order, and soon they were all standing at the edge of a cliff, the sounds of goblins making merry nearby breaking the silence.
William gestures for the group to gather and he began laying out the plan.
"Astarion, you will be picking off stragglers. Do you see the sleeping Bugbear next to the wall there?" He points to the sleeping mass of muscle and fur snoring next to a bunch of random liquor bottles.
"I will be quick," Astarion seems to melt into the shadows as he performs the stealth skill that makes rogues famously deadly, the only visible way to track him being the faint glow of undeath in his eyes as he moved.
Astarion seemed to emerge from the shadow of the wall itself and moved with agility through the random bits of glass and bottles strewn about, reaching the Bugbear in mere moments and reaching for his dagger at his waist before stopping.
Astarion's eyes seemed to glow with a dull red predatory light, and his mouth opened stretching to an abnormal degree, and two fangs extended like deathly blades.
He could see the soft spot on the Bugbear's neck where his large vein pulsed with life.
The bugbear suddenly woke with a start, a soundless scream never leaving his gaping mouth as he fought uselessly against being drained.
Astarion did not hold back and drank the Bugbear into what can only be called a dessicated husk in mere moments, pulling back at the moment of death with a trail of crimson life trailing from his lips.
Thankfully for him that at this distance only William could effectively see him and what he had done, he cleans the blood from his lips stabs the Bugbear in the neck with his dagger to hide the two fang marks now present.
"Nicely done Astarion now there are two more in a barn that we can ignore for now, you can probably hear the banging from here!"
Bang
Bang
MMMPH
MMMPH
Karlach's face seemed to glow red for some reason.
"Yeah, let's... Ignore them for now!" she muttered, clutching at the hem of her cloak to hide her current expression.
Halsin shook his head and stifled a warm chuckle.
"Halsin, I'll need you to stick with me and act as a wall with your bear form while I prepare my spells. You may fight how you please after the initial spell volley with either spell or claw, whatever you are comfortable with. I trust your wisdom!"
"Karlach, take this potion!" He hands her a potion from his pack, "It will protect you from fall damage. I'd like you to scale that tall house over there and prepare to leap in from a flanking position whenever they surround me and Halsin!"
Astarion waited eagerly for his part in the plan, appearing to be barely containing the raw instinctive killing intent in order to act normal.
"Astarion, you will hide in the shadows and strike when you deem appropriate!"
They broke the huddle and separated, moving according to the plan.
William and Halsin climbed the ladder to the house in front of them. Two goblins were facing toward the town's entrance, one with a bow and the other with a makeshift wooden staff complete with bones and charms.
Williams' eyes glowed a faint purple as he channeled his sorcerous bloodline. He reached out with his hand, and a shimmering crown of light appeared over the staff bearing goblin.
He used the spell Crown of madness.
Suddenly, the staff-bearing goblin turned to its companion, who had only just now noticed the faint glow of the crown. It raised its bow and prepared to knock an arrow when the staff-bearing goblin fired a green ball of acid at the goblin's face.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhgggggghhh!!!" The goblin bowman let out a scream of absolute agony as the ball of acid began actively melting the creature facial features into a bubbly paste that fell onto the tile below.
The goblin died shortly due to the critical damage it had taken and fell backwards off the roof, much to the horror of the goblins on the ground who were already startled by the screaming.
"What!?" A goblin shouted looking up at the staff-bearing goblin.
He pointed upwards with his curved blade and shouted, "TRAITOR... DIE!!!"
At that moment the spell timer for the Crown of Madness spell ran out and he shook his head in utter confusion.
SHNNNK
The goblin bowman on the opposing rooftop had fired a deadly arrow which now stuck in the staff-bearing goblin's abdomen.
The staff-bearing goblin cried out in pain before falling onto his knees and finally off the roof.
They all looked at the two dead goblins with anger and confusion in equal measure.
One of them, his face contorted with anger, kicked the staff-bearer who was still lying on the ground, his eyes blazing with rage. "What the hell was this guy's deal, shooting his bowman with a ball of acid, that shit hurts ya know!"
Another spat and said, "Who the hell cares more booze and food for the rest of us hahahaha"
The one in front of him sneered derisively at the corpse but the second he looked up at the roof where they fell be suddenly began to shake in place appearing in terror.
Halsin, in his bear form, was on the roof, glaring down at him with his massive dagger-like claws glinting in the moonlight. He leapt up off the roof with agility that defied his massive bulk and slammed into the middle of the goblins, crushing one and sending the others flying.
Boom!
"Hyakkk!"
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhgggggghhh!"
"WHAT THE... ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"
The goblin staff-bearer on the opposing roof raised his staff towards Halsin but before he could form the spell it was struck in the face with a fire bolt.
"Ahhh fuck it burns!" The staff-bearer cried in pain and frustration as part of his face ignited but the flames did not do deadly damage only leaving a nasty wet scar and the faint but noxious scent of burning flesh lingering closely like an aura of pain.
William pulls the Widower from its sheath and leaps into the fray swinging his blade at the nearest goblin who attempted to block the blade.
CLANG!
The goblin managed to block the blade, however the goblin did not expect for his blade to begin rusting at the point of contact, flaking off into dust moments later. After a few seconds, the Widower carved into the goblin's shoulder, cutting a shallow line into his abdomen.
He did not deal enough damage to kill the goblin, but he managed to stagger it as well as leave it without an effective weapon.
The goblin snarled at William and raised his ruined blade, but before he could attack, a shadow loomed over him, and he felt the hot breath of a deadly bear against his skin.
He turned his head, only to find a grizzly bear, its entire body covered in tattoos, standing upright on its hind legs, claws extended and raised ready to deliver a devastating blow.
"Aghhh noooo!"
With a swift, powerful motion, Halsin brought down his claws, cleaving the goblin into a shower of blood and viscera.
The staff-bearing goblin, his eyes burning with pure hatred, glared fiercely at William before raising his staff. As if in preparation, a swift movement of atmospheric magic commenced, and a deadly orb of acid began to coalesce at the top of the staff, its pointed tip directly aimed towards William.
"Die ya bastard!"
Slash...
The staff-bearing goblin turned suddenly to see Astarion slitting the throat of the goblin archer who was standing just behind him.
The sheer glee in Astarion's eyes as he carved into the goblin's flesh made the staff-bearer take a single step back, his spell fizzling out in the process.
Instead of continuing to attempt the spell, he shifted his focus and reached for a small horn tucked away on his waist. He brought it to his lips and blew with all his might.
The horn roared and unleashed a thunderous sound which forces Astarion back as he clutched his sensitive ears.
Ten goblins and two wargs rushed in, moving towards the source of the sound with their weapons raised.
William and Halsin stood shoulder to shoulder, their weapons held firmly at the ready, as they found themselves surrounded by a group of does.
Astarion managed to slip away from the immediate danger, disappearing into the shadows and quickly relocating to a more advantageous position, all before the staff-bearer ceased blowing its horn.
The goblins surrounding William and Halsin swing their weapons, and the Wargs snap at them between strikes.
One of the Wargs managed to grab hold of his sword with its claws and throw him to the ground before attempting to pounce on him.
Time seemed to slow as the blade-like fangs and claws neared him, and he subconsciously began to think that this was where it ended.
But before the attack could land, a red blur crashed into it from above, turning its spine into a modern art piece inside it as the Warg was smashed to the ground.
Karlach breathed heavily, her exhalation accompanied by a cloud of steam that billowed out, her infernal heart pounded wildly against her ribs, and an intense heat permeated the air around her, making it feel as if the very air itself was about to boil.
She smiled brightly, her bright teeth a stark contrast to the night outside.
Her muscles coil with barely restrained power as she swings her large battle-axe in a deadly arc of destruction, killing multiple goblins in a single attack and injuring more that failed to move quick enough to avoid being brutally injured.
Halsin is flanked on either side by the remaining Wargs who snapped at him repeatedly, biting bloody chunks out of his magically transformed body.
Halsin let out a deafening roar as his hind leg was ripped open with the sharp claws of the Warg. However, he quickly swung his own claws in response, managing to swipe the Warg directly across its maw, leaving deep trench-like wounds on its face.
The Warg howled in agony for a few seconds before Halsin stomped on its neck with his bear forms massive weight.
William grabbed the face of the goblin as it threw itself at him, before burying the Widower into the goblin's neck.
The staff-bearing goblin who had blew the horn once more raised his staff as acid formed into a ball pointed towards William and Karlach.
He was in the midst of launching it when his world suddenly plunged into complete darkness.
An arrow stuck fast in his skull, killing him outright and sending his soul screaming to the shadowy embrace of the Absolute, his body tumbling from the roof to the veritable slaughter below.
On the opposing roof, Astarion lowered his bow, having a smirk.