How to ambush the ambush

Be me, human pala-bard

Be not me, dwarf fighter-barbarian, half-elf paladin, human druid, halfling rogue, drow ranger, and duergar barbarian

Level 8 party

Group is summoned to a council meeting of the city we're staying in

Council says they have a very important task for us

Asks if we are willing to submit to a Zone of Truth before entrusting us with this task

Group is somewhat leery, but submits

Starts asking questions about whether we would betray the empire to complete this task for the city

Surprisingly not a trap

Council wants us to delve into caves under city to recover an artifact

Something about needing the artifact to help fight an evil marauding legion that may or may not be allied with the empire

Group accepts job but says we plan to meet the dragon protector of the city first who just recently returned after having been missing for 40 years

Council member mentions that someone already went to greet the dragon

Person left a note for us

Note is from the Alchemist, a night hag that has been tormenting us for the last 6 months IRL after we kinda ruined her drug lab

Also was part of the group that had held the dragon captive

Well, shit

Party races out of the city on horseback trying to chase down the Alchemist

Three hours later

Come across a small 15ft deep ravine in a heavily wooded area

Overturned cart in the bottom of the ravine

Nothing out of the ordinary here

The two dwarves dismount and start walking over to the cart

I decide it may be wise to investigate the trees on the upper ledge of the ravine

Walks along the ledge and looks up into a tree

Notices someone looking back

Archer in tree whistles loudly

Another archer starts rustling in a nearby tree

Also two ripped dudes in heavy armor and two massive toad-looking things on the other ledge

Roll initiative

Rest of party does typical rest of party things

Barbarians and paladin charging at big dudes and toads, ranger shooting arrows at anything that moves, rogue being sneaky mfer

Turns out big dudes have a lot of health and resistance to physical damage

Toads have grappling and restraining tongues

Archers are pretty strong with their bows and are 15' up in trees

Also the overturned cart is a mimic

Finally my turn

Walk up to the tree

Place hand on tree

Look up at archer

Cast Thunderwave into tree

Timber, bitch

Just in time for tide of battle to shift

Ranger conjures bunch of giant spiders to swarm the mimic

Druid calls lightning and turns one of the big dudes into a lightning rod

Rogue unloads on a toad with a nat 20

With sneak attack

With a vicious rapier

Duergar goes full Drax

After a round or two of this, remaining big dude decides this isn't going to end well, takes off running

Looks back after a few seconds

Sees two raging dwarves, a pissed off halfling, and an army of spiders chasing him

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Meanwhile, I thunderwave other archer's tree

Paladin restrains him in vines

Archer begs for mercy

Pala-bard and full paladin reluctantly agree to let him live

Archer gets struck by bolt of lightning

The druid