Thursday 12 July 1280, Afternoon (All Clear?)

"Ok, ok, easy friend." Oloc motions for the hirelings to lay their weapons at their feet. He tucks his scroll back in his belt. The hirelings do as he indicates. 

The hobgoblin visibly relaxes somewhat, and hisses toward the foliage. "Lars! Anders! Come out and take the weapons." Two other hobgoblins, armed with axes, and slightly smaller than the one with the crossbow, come out from hiding to the north and warily pick up the dropped weapons.

Oloc speaks again: "Let us be civilized here. As I said, Alanna has sent men to help us. They should be here in a matter of hours. Then all will be clarified."

The large, crossbow-armed hobgoblin lets out a breath. "Alright, then, civilized it is. Maybe you are bounty hunters after the bandits just like us, but I'm not sure I want to wait hours to clarify things. Still, we can at least start by exchanging names. I'm called Swede. Now you can tell me your name, and those of your friends. Then you can lead me to the companions you mentioned near the cave mouth, and we can all have a nice chat together."

Swede then quietly calls up the bandit trail to the east. "All clear, Axel?"

*****

Duran continues to watch and listen as the scene unfolds around him. He keeps his bow at the ready and quietly moves around slightly to the south, and finds a position from which he can get everyone in his view and stay hidden.

Sneering at the sight of hobgoblins, Gaven sees Duran sneaking and stays still so to not let creaking armor alert the hobgoblins to their presence. Gaven readies to charge if necessary.

Varros eyes the hobgoblin with suspicion with his bow at the ready. He struggles to hear what is happening. As he listens it takes all his willpower not to let his arrow fly. Because Varros can hear a conversation he waits, assuming that if there is a dialogue perhaps all is not as it appears.

*****

"All clear Axel?" calls Swede quietly to the hobgoblin east of Oloc and the hirelings. The hammer-armed hobgoblin, who had been peering in toward Oloc and company, and following the conversation, twists around to look up the trail toward the cave. Then he suddenly starts, and goes stiff.

"I'm not sure, Swede. I think I just heard something."

"Damn!" snarls Swede under his breath. "You, you, and you," he says, shepherding Oloc and the hirelings into cover with one hand while keeping the other on the crossbow. "Get in here and stay quiet." He keeps the weapon aimed at the group.

"You two," he says to Lars and Anders. "Move up with Axel and check it out."

The two axe-armed hobgoblins head eastward up the trail, keeping to cover on either side, and join up with Axel.

 (Note: tree images are an abstraction and do not represent individual trees)

*************************

OOC: Actions?

Audibility/Visibility:

Audibiltiy: Everyone in the party was able follow the above conversation, so you all know that Oloc and the hirelings are now unarmed, and you know that the hobgoblins claim to be bounty hunters after the bandits.

Visibility, at the end of the post:

Oloc and the hirelings can see Swede, but cannot see Anders and Lars (after they dash off into the foliage) or Axel, Varros and Gaven. Neither can they see Duran, but only because he has successfully kept himself hidden in the foliage.

Varros and Gaven can all see Anders and Lars (who now emerge near Axel) and Axel (whom they could already see before), but cannot see Swede or Oloc and the hirelings. Varros and Gaven have a fair idea of approximately where Oloc and the hirelings are, though.

Duran can see everybody.

There is no indication that any of the hobgoblins have spotted Varros, Gaven or Duran. However, Axel seems to be squinting into the trees due east up the trail toward the cave as the other two hobgoblins join him. However, if Varros, Gaven, or Duran were to attack, move normally, or fail in maintaining stealth while moving stealthily, all lines of sight to the PC(s) in question would become reciprocal.