Cloud of Protestor’s Tears appeared with a rolling yellow mist, formed from the point next to the column of energy beside the bow. Even as the gnolls looked up, some shrinking away from the rolling cloud, another spell landed. This one was a shimmering coned trap of temporal slowdown, locking the Boss Gnoll in place. Forcing its initial howl to become a weird howling warble.

Arrows started landing moments later along with an Elemental Fire Bolt that struck monsters as they clawed at their eyes and wiped at their noses, one after the other finally locating their attackers. Not that Lance was allowing them time to recover, as he loosed Splitting Arrow after Splitting Arrow into their midst, more intent on damaging and showering them with attacks than killing outright.

At the same time, Matt took down the first shadow gnoll, the monster choking on the Barbed Arrow in a throat. While it died, the other shadow gnolls faded into the shadows, searching for their unseen attacker or making their way to Keeley and Yanesh, both standing in the clear.

Matt tracked one more gnoll, watched as it popped up a bare half-dozen feet from him before he loosed the arrow at it. Then, he too backed away, knowing better than to loose and stick. Not a moment too soon, for he saw another shadow gnoll drop down onto his previous spot, tearing into the ground.

He forebore firing upon it, knowing to do so would give him away. He noted the second gnoll he had embedded an arrow into was still alive, injured but alive. And angry.

Fading into the darkness, he kept moving from shadow-to-shadow, cursing as he was pulled out of the main fight. He had three monsters to deal with. Three, all by himself.

Still, that meant of the seven shadow gnolls, he was dealing with more than half. He was doing, he assumed, more than enough.

In the meantime, the other three went direct for Keeley, popping up near her. One stuck it’s foot in a trap, another two closed on the pair. Yanesh released his own Lightning Bolt into the first to close, putting the monster in a twitching heap by his feet where an arow could be fired into her.

The last found Sarah plunging a spear right into its side from behind, long before it could take more than a half-dozen feet away. She tore it out, struck and struck again, killing the monster.

Leaving them ready to take all the other monsters that they had left untouched, other than Lance’s own arrows.

“We’re good.” He whispered. “Everything’s going according to plan.” He knew he jinxed it. Speaking something out loud like that was a guarantee the fates were coming to screw with them. Murphy had heard the clarion call of his name and now, he was buzzing over in his B-24 faster than ever.

But it didn’t matter. Because something was going to go wrong anyway. After all, he just had to look at today as an example.

Arrow to his bow, Lance looked at the monsters charging towards him. At some point, the Boss has managed to escape the Temporal Trap, only to be hit by the Entangling Roots. Those had slowed him down only a little, as it muscled its way through the grasping roots, leaving trailing roots on its body and a couple of still grasping tendrils behind.

Even with its delay, it was still just a half-dozen feet behind its compatriots. Neil, finding he had not needed to help out at all moved to the forefront, hunkering down in front of the rushing monsters. He took the first on his shield by dipping low and coming up with a surge, meeting the surge with a push of his own. He’d learnt that a shield wall wasn’t a static thing – you couldn’t, unless you had significant mass and backing behind you – stand up to a rushing creature.

Instead, you pushed back before the point of impact, jarring the both of you to a stop. Of course, the problem was, the shock of impact was enough to throw both parties into disarray for a few precious microseconds.

Whichever party was the one who managed to recover first was the one that would have the advantage. In this case, the larger gnoll was the first to recover. It shook its head out, opening its hand and getting ready to swing its arm at the other. Only to find itself distracted by the tearing of thorns into its body, a sensitive muzzle torn up by a flying, semi-translucent thorn, leaving a trail of blood.

Howling in anger, it swung a clawed hand, only to be blocked by Neil’s shield. Then another swing, dodged as Neil stepped to the side as he swung his hammer. The attack slammed into low ribs as the gnoll attempted to bypass the big – huh, Lance was sure Neil had been smaller before – man as they tried to get pass.

A step back, a swing downwards clipped the monster as it crumpled forwards across the back of the head. It wasn’t a fatal blow immediately but it did leave the monster woozy and out of the fight for the moment. Turning his attention back to his first opponent, Neil weathered a slew of quick claw strikes.

Sarah, on the other side a few steps behind was busy slowing down her own two opponents, one gnoll already injured with an arrow in its arm and leg. The other had an open wound across its torso, the broken portion of an arrow sticking out of its chest.

She kept those two back with thrusts of her weapon, the monsters more hesitant to arrive. On the other hand, behind the first quartet to arrive was the Boss and far behind, one last limping, crawling monster. Taking their time, the monsters chose to slow down a little in their push forward as the Boss made its presence known.

Not by fighting directly but howling, so long and so loud that it froze them all and chilled their bones. Neil, in the midst of blocking a series of clawed attacks, hesitated and had his shield torn away from him. Then, another claw shot forwards, striking his chest and pushing him back as his armour absorbed the blow.

Sarah found her weapon torn aside, a pair of jaws clamping down on her arm. Biting deep into her upper arm, a couple of teeth pierced the armour there and pulled her aside as another claw tore into her chest. The claws mostly bounced off her armour, but the impact spun her around. She kicked and fought reflexively, desperate to get free.

In the meantime, more of the gnolls managed to slip around the embattled pair of melee fighters to attack the backline. One stepped accidentally into a hidden trap, its foot enclosed in powerful glowing runic jaws that caused it to fall over, even as the bone in its legs broke. The other managed to slip pass entirely, latching onto Lance with both arms.

Shaking off the effects of the howl, Lance found himself lifted straight into the air, a slavering jaw opened wide and ready to clamp down on his face. He had a brief moment to open his mouth to scream before the jaws clamped down around his head, engulfing him in darkness.