What You Know
The entry cavern fight is over: all four ogres are dead (one of them, Ogre B, courtesy of Ogre C's javelin), a goblin warrior is down, and the maps show two goblin minions marked as casualties. Everyone leveled up to level 4. There was no usable audio this session, so everything below is grounded in the thread notes, the battle maps, and the party's current character sheets.
Three facts matter for what comes next:
The "large soup." At the back of the cave the party saw a churning mass — likely the source of the Infernal whisper ("come to us") that Barzer alone heard outside the cave in March. Whatever it is, it lured the party here on purpose — and the human whose tracks went into this cave back in March never came out. Before anyone closes distance: the bat scouts it from 60 feet (blindsight doesn't care what it looks like), Theren casts Detect Magic (a 1st-level slot — rangers can't ritual-cast — but worth it here), and Selena ritual-casts Augury — "weal or woe if we approach?" — for nothing but ten minutes.
Six goblins are still in play. Two goblin warriors and four goblin minions never got a black circle — they're alive, on the field, and the next session opens with them as live threats.
The mud puddle incident — Barzer spent part of the fight standing in the open because the fog hid what the terrain actually was. Positioning for the back line needs to be decided before the next fog goes up, not after it comes down.
The Level 4 Toolkit
What this party brings into the next room, per the current sheets (a couple of level-up choices may still be pending — finalize them before the next fight):
- Kaltor — Paladin, AC 19 and 49 HP, the front line. Longsword +1 with Sap mastery (hit a target, it has disadvantage on its next attack), Divine Smite on demand, Channel Divinity twice per long rest — Sacred Weapon adds +3 to hit for 10 minutes — and a 20 HP Lay on Hands pool.
- Theren Vale — Hunter Ranger, Archery style, Hunter's Mark, and Horde Breaker: once per turn, an extra attack against a second creature within 5 feet of his target. Clustered goblins are exactly what this feature is for.
- Barzer — War Magic Wizard, INT 20. Fire Bolt at 120 feet, Fog Cloud, Misty Step as a bonus-action escape, and three reaction options (Shield, Silvery Barbs, Arcane Deflection). He also has a 30-foot fly speed and a bat familiar with 60-foot blindsight — the two best answers to ever standing in a mud puddle again.
- Nysera — Druid, AC 17. Wild Shape twice per short rest, now up to CR 1/2 forms (no fly speed), 2 hours per use. Her concentration kit — Moonbeam, Flaming Sphere, Spike Growth — competes with Wild Shape for her action economy, so pick one lane per fight.
- Elaris Moonveil — Lore Bard, CHA 20. Five Bardic Inspiration dice per long rest, Cutting Words to subtract a d6 from an enemy's roll as a reaction, Healing Word, Misty Step, and Starry Wisp (+7) when she's attacking from range.
- Selena — Life Cleric with 20 max HP — the most fragile member of the party by a wide margin. Healing Word, Sanctuary, Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing, and Channel Divinity (Divine Spark for slot-free ranged damage or healing; Preserve Life for a 20 HP emergency split). She has no attack cantrip — her at-will turn is positioning, not damage.
What Gets You Killed
Regardless of approach:
- Barzer guessing about terrain again. Send the bat first — 60-foot blindsight doesn't care about fog or darkness. And remember he can fly and Misty Step; "stuck in the open" is a choice now.
- Selena anywhere an ogre-sized threat can reach. 20 HP is two hits. She stays behind Kaltor, full stop.
- Elaris spending Bardic Inspiration mid-combat. The bonus action competes with Healing Word — hand dice out before initiative.
- Nysera splitting her action economy. Wild Shape and her concentration spells are both action-hungry; decide before the fight which one she's leading with.
- Theren marking late. Hunter's Mark on the priority target on round one, not round three — and position so Horde Breaker has a second body in range.
The Three Options
Three viable paths, depending on risk tolerance and how much the party trusts the silence behind them.