01.003 - "Gamble's gamble"

Having decided to go and rescue the villagers at the sanctuary, the party prepares to leave the keep. Before leaving, though, A'postrofae pulls her knife and slits the throat of their mercenary prisoner, much to the dismay of Sir Hector the Paladin, and much to the delight of Escobert the Red. Not much was made of the death, and the party took off down the tunnel to sneak their way over to the sanctuary.

After having Bismark climb a tree to reconnoiter the situation, they took up positions outside the rickety stone wall south of the building, where they could get a surprise attack on the group trying to burn down the building or through the door. They opened fire on the kobolds and cultists, taking down all but 3 in the opening volley, but the other 3 were quickly dispatched without the kobolds out front or the patrolling group being alerted. During the volley, Brynne noticed that Gamble was not with the group. Unbeknownst to them, he had snuck off to the west into the woods

Able then took a cultist's robe and put it on thinking he might be able to sneak in amongst them while the group crept along the outside of the horribly maintained stone wall to the east side and took up a position for another surprise attack. Their surprise was almost foiled when the cultist in black robes saw Able and immediately recognized that he was not one of theirs. Just as he did, though, a firebolt streaked out of the woods to the west, drawing everyone's attention, and striking the battering ram, catching it afire. There, in the woods, Gamble stood, pointing and laughing and hurling insults at the kobolds.

Seeing his opportunity, Able ran, and the party opened fire with arrow, bolt, and a thunderwave that took out nearly the entire group out front, and those remaining were easily mopped up. The group knocked on the door a few times, asking those inside to let them in, as they were here to rescue them. It took some convincing, but eventually, the door opened and Eadyan Falconmoon, a priest of Helm stood there, along with a dozen or so villagers. The party convinced them to follow them back to the keep where they would be safe.

Meanwhile, the patrolling attackers took off over the western stone wall, to kill Gamble. He turned and ran back towards the keep, laughing, flipping the bird, and throwing firebolts back at them as he ran. He killed kobold, and had successfully lured the entire group (2 drakes, 3 cultists and 9 kobolds hot on his trail) away before reaching the tunnel and safely returning to the keep. Galdren the guard was on duty there, and let him in, killing the drake that had finally caught up to Gamble.

Back, safely at the keep, the party sits down to rest up a bit, but is interrupted around 3 am, when a pack of kobolds led by a half dragon man, and a robed woman, that A'postrofae quickly recognized as Frulan, show up at the main gate of the keep. After taunting the keep's defenders, he brought forward 4 prisoners - the family of one of the guards - and challenged the keep's best warrior to a duel, or he would kill the prisoners there in front of everyone.

Bismark considered taking his challenge, and Gamble offered him another one of his potions, which he took and quaffed, but then decided not to go, realizing that we were in an easily defendable keep. Leofinas then announced that he would take the challenge, and walked out the gate, with Able close behind as his second. Leofinas landed a hit, but was quickly overtaken by the half dragon man, who dropped him unconscious with a heavy blow from his greatsword. During the fight there seemed to be some arguing amongst the kobolds, and divied loyalties between the dragonborn and Frudal. However, as the fight ended, Leofinas lay there on the ground as This blue-scaled dragonborn turned and led their group away.

As they left, Hadley, the keep's attractive quartermaster, ran out of the gate with the last healing potion they had, and knelt down beside Leofinas, cradling his head in her lap, and gently pouring its contents into his mouth. When he came to, Able and Hadley helped Leofinas hobble his way back up to the keep, where they finally were able to catch their breath and get ready to lay down for the night.

**<Note: The Party advanced to level 2 at the end of this session>**