This is going to hurt 
I will also position myself to defend the casters as best as I can.
Thoroncir will do the same with Renee. He’ll use his shield and his sword as best he can to repel the diving Crebain.
Hitchcock meets Tolkien. Ouch!
Shields would be really handy right now!
Elfstan will use normal sling bullets on the Crebain as prudence allows. He will work on protecting his face and eyes and staying behind the Big Folk (and the dwarf).
I can use my x-bow and war shield at the same time without penalty right? x-bow is more or less a one handed weapon? If so, I want to do that.
Where’s [color=blue]Fireball when you need it? I won’t be a ton of help, here, sorry, but I’ve got a quick idea before I completely hide away.[/color]
Using Hodwain’s bulk as cover, Deor will try to cast a Web between any trees, large rocks, or anything above head height, ideally, or else between things at ground height cover our flanks or rear. Only once, though, because he’s got to try to conserve at least one spell for the vampire. After the Web is up, he’ll cast only if it’s reasonably safe to do so, using Smokepuff to try to confuse the birds.
Gwaelur finds the crossbow shoots best with 2 hands, but once fired, can be quickly lowered and shield and axe can be ready to use. Stick the shield in front of you, the spikes make this simple and the axe you can rest against the shield.
Deor times a web spell for when the crebain are nearly on top of the party. He stretches the webs between several trees.
22 arrows and 4 bullets, 2 paralyzing darts and 2 bolts kill 23 crebain. Another 12 get stuck in the web. Brin fired and hit once from a surprising distance. He shot an extra round compared to all the others.
Brownie hides very low. Riglo has a pair of torches ready. Renee drops to the ground and covers her head and face.
Miron and Gil-Gandel prepare to duck and continue firing. Thoroncir as noted switched to sword and the large magic shield of unknown properties. Brin will try the new magic long and a torch. The Hobbits plan to duck and resume fire as the crebain climb away.
The crebain strike, Brin takes two scores with his light armor for 3 points. He lights one with his torch and cuts the other down with a well-timed stroke of the magic sword.
Thoroncir does not hit, but succeeds in blocking every strike for him and Renee. The shield is surprisingly light and far better than his own.
Miron is struck several times for 5 points as Gil-Gandel for 4 points.
A creban impales itself on Gwaelur’s shield and another bounces and is stunned by his helm. His axe cleaves a third.
The wild cat pounces the stunned one and quickly puts to end this much larger foe.
Fang bites one but takes 7 points from many strikes.
Hodwain claws or bats at least 5 out of the air. None get past him and Deor and Ghân are safe. He does not appear injured. Deor almost hit one with his staff. Ghân hits and drops another Crebain with his darts.
The Hobbits are missed, as they are terrible targets, short and hard to see.
Swiftwing decends like only a hawk can and destroys a larger bird. He drops it at Miron’s feet and climbs swiftly.
Riglo is struck for 8 pointsbut is seemingly everywhere defending others and striking and burning at least 5 crebain.
The Elves and Hobbits then drop another 5 as the climb away.
The strike itself lasted about 2 minutes and the Crebain have already lost 58 of their numbers to death, burnt feathers or web. The entire exchange was only 6minutes long.
Miron calls out, we dropped at least a quarter of their numbers already.
If there’s time, Ghân will pass out Goodberries (making sure Fang gets 7).
He will also use First Aid.
Larger than a hawk and the wildcat?! How big are these things? :eek:
There would be time to quickly pass out berries to those that did not use them today. So Fang gobbles down 7 to be healed. Miron takes 5 and Gil-Gandel 4 very quickly. Brin has used 8 today and is getting his bow ready again. Riglo gladly accepts the 8 berries and is healed.
Crebain are large evil oriented crows. The weigh a bit more than the hawk but are nowhere near as swift and smaller of wingspan.
Only Brin is now injured and that is but 3.
Deor will leave the web up until right before its magic would dissipate, then burn it with a torch, hopefully killing the birds caught in it. He’s hesitant to use his final spell of the day yet, so will hold off unless it’s really necessary. Keep Folca up high and pay attention to any approaching enemies.
Deor notices through Folca that a darkness is approaching from the East. No more than 5 minutes away at its current rate of movement.
If Deor directs him, can Ghân do a Detect Magic on the black cloud?
The cloud is too far away and moving as fast as a horse.
“Fleeing seems to be out of the question now! Can we build the fire any higher? What else needs to be done in the time we have before that cloud gets here?”
Are the Crebain pulling back, or are they massing for another assault?
The Crebain are massing for another attack and will be sweeping back in for another wave shortly.
Thoroncir has a brief moment of despair, quickly suppressed, as he notices the dark cloud approach and sees the Crebain massing above for another attack. “My friends,” he calls to the others in the party, raising his sword, “we have done well so far, but clearly remain in no little danger here. Yet I think we would be even more vulnerable if we broke our formation and took to our heels. Let us stand and fight on! What say you?”
I don’t know if my computer’ll hold, but I’m willing to hope. 
“They can’t outlast us!” Miron calls, gingerly testing his bowstring as the the flock reels around for another pass. "We’ve taken almost a quarter of their number in a single assault, and sustained moderate injuries, but for each pass they’ll be capable of inflicting less damage. If we can survive the next two passes on our feet, the remaining fiends shouldn’t be in a position to tax our remaining strength.
Given we can hit them coming in and they are coming round for another pass, I am going to try one of the smoke bombs when they are at range. Hopefully, they will not find it quite so easy when they have to fly through a cloud to get to us and throw then into confusion.
At least, that’s the general idea
As an addendum to that, do we have a very large sheet of canvas, some bits of rope and a few rocks or branches to tie to the corners and time to form a large trap for the Crebain as they come through the smoke.