[x] (Opportunity) This group could succeed with a little help. Go with them to face this.
It's Eira who speaks aloud first.
"You're thinking of going for it, huh?"
Eddis pauses… But nods. "I need a win."
Helen is the next to speak. "With their potential force… I think you'll need some help to do that."
"... You offering?"
Helen nods. "Active fiends need to be stopped - and I'd bet they're planning on expanding their territory soon."
You suppress the urge to shudder - Helen is committed when she needs to be. And while you're certain she's right that this group isn't going to negotiate, it's still chilling to think about on some level.
Eddis sighs. "... The help would be appreciated."
You ponder, quickly telepathically raising, "Think we should bring in Torgo and crew?"
"Nope," Eira responds. "He's still building the fort, and the fort's not close enough."
---
The plan comes together quickly. The lizardfolk you'd seen were not using bows - which didn't mean they didn't as a whole, but implied that the best route would be to start with a distance advantage where possible. Strike the patrol, only go in for the mound proper when you have to.
One of the guards suggests that, given they've got the mound, if you're going to win, you need a counterfortificaiton. Helen shakes her head. "Building one up would take too long."
"Then what?", he asks.
"Strike from beyond their initial range. Provoke them out. Favor a partial victory over risking people - even some of them taken down will delay any potential plans and buy the Keep time - and given the Keep's already aware of them -"
Eddis raises a hand to interrupt. "... Being able to tell them the problem's even partially handled would be good for my group. Getting any loot would be even better. Something to show for…"
She dragged off. You're the one to speak. "My condolences for your loss."
"... Yeah. You got the ones who did that, anyways, so. Thank you there."
Standing up, she speaks. "Break camp. Based on the location of these Lizardfolk… If we can lure a few of them to a quickly prepped position along the river…"
You quickly think through the location, and point southwest. "The closest point to their mound is there."
"... Crossbows, bows, and raised shields oughta give some cover," Eddis completes.
Helen nods. "Myself and Senaz are both capable healers, and Eira can add more arrows to the pile until they're close enough for her skirmishing tactics to take over."
Eddis nods. "Let's set up."
---
Raid prep never involves digging into the playfield in your games.
But you do have a couple tools for the job with what Helen and Eira added to their kits from that order - and when one person notes that Helen's shovel looks really, really fancy, they buy the simple bluff on your part of saying "Don't ask" with a bit of intensity.
The method's simple. Along the northeast bank of the river, create a short trench - a couple feet deep, to provide a few feet high wall, with some parts bumped up higher and others able to be jumped over - more easily from your side than the river.
This still takes a good three hours between the various tools, but it's enough to have things built up… Right around the time the Lizardfolk spot your efforts. One makes a keening screech, but they back off.
Eddis looks ready to give chase for about three seconds. "No. They're going to bring more of their force."
You nod. "Get ready."
… Six minutes later, there's the full group. Sixteen red-skinned Lizardfolk, visible fiendish horns - one's got a bit of armor on, the others are relying on their tough skin and turtleshell-looking shields.
The apparent leader shouts. "This land will be ours, humans. Flee this valley and never return, or face the fury of She Who The Weak Abjure!"
Welp, that's one question answered. Helen is the first to become fully visible. "You seek to threaten the keep, then."
"She calls us forth from the Abyss, and we eagerly follow. Your keep will fall to ruin!"
You shout, "Sixteen of you against a highly fortified keep. Sounds like a great plan!"
"Do you think - pfftah. You are no threat to her plans. Especially not once we've slain you!"
You respond with an arrow aimed directly at the leader.
(14+5 = 19; hit! 6 damage.)
He cries out, but charges with the others, barely fazed by the hit against his shoulder. Fortunately, they're not quite in range for their javelins yet… While your group has, in order:
Helen Garland's longbow strike (14+5 = 19; hit! 6 damage) joining yours on the leader…
Eira's shortbow (16+5 = 21; hit! 4 damage) also hitting the leader and providing evidence these lizardfolk have some toughness to them…
… The two scouts shooting at others in the number (one hits for 4 damage, one misses), three of the group's fighters breaking out heavy crossbows (two hit for a total of 13 damage).
Eddis herself (with a tiny hand crossbow barely worth using without surprise) and the guards (who don't have ranged weapons handy) take cover and prepare to strike instead, while the mage looks at where the lizardfolk are approaching, and prepares something.
By the time they're raising their javelins to throw, you're shooting again…
(11+5 = 16; hit! 6 damage)
… And the leader drops. Helen and Eira switch to one that already took one of the scouts' arrows (3 + 5 = 8; miss. 10+5 = 15; hit! 6 damage). The scouts get the hint, focusing fire on that one (one miss, one hit for 5 damage), while the thugs focus on one they already hit (only one hits for 4 damage)...
And then everyone ducks behind the walls as the javelins fly, drawing keens of annoyance from the lizardfolk - only you understand that one's shouting about 'how dare they use our tactics'. Pfft. Unfortunately, they have more javelins.
But you have the kinda tactics that Torgo's clan would consider an acceptable baseline for proper defensive formations. Even as your arrow whiffs (6+5 = 11), Helen (10+5 = 15, 10 damage) downs another, Eira (14+5 = 19, 3 damage) gets a hit on a third, the scouts finish them off (2 hits totalling 16 damage), and the fighters take their shots, downing a fourth (two hits for 7 damage).
Ducking is enough to offer total cover against their second wave of javelins, forcing the lizardfolk to wade into the water. They're quicker at going through it than humans - but not quick enough to deny you another wave of shots -
With your first hitting one severely (Nat 20; 9 damage), followed by a miss (5+5 = 10) from Helen and Eira (2 + 5 = 7). The Scouts take their shots, but at this close neither finds purchase; the fighters, seemingly of sterner stuff, take out one more lizdardfolk before switching to their maces, everyone else readying for melee.
As the Lizardfolk to one side - closer to the fighters - go for the dip, their newbie wizard shouts "GREASE!" - sending four of the Lizardfolk scrabbling as their advantaged position turns into them collapsing over one another, opening them up to a pile of hits (four, one a crit, to be exact, totalling 23 damage, enough to drop one) even as two move to scrabble over the hillocks you've built, before getting smacked back by the fighter's maces (11 damage).
On your end of the trench, five remain. You and Eira burst out over the trench, you landing in ther middle of them and slamming your hands together in a thunderclap, hitting three (5 damage). Eira, meanwhile, moves to the back of their formation to cut in with her shortsword (Nat 20; 7 + 5 sneak attack = 12 damage), while Helen cuts in from the front (15 + 5 = hit; 4 damage) - and Eddis finally takes her shot at the one Helen just hit (3 damage including some sneak attack), dropping them, the guards strike with spears (both miss), and the scouts back off to keep shooting (one hitting the one Eira hit for 9 damage, downing that one).
That leaves two in position to swing at you - and one lands a painful hit to your shoulder (8 damage halved to 4) with a heavy club. The next goes for the guard, but nearly trips more than making a useful swing.
That leaves five on the other side - two of whom get up and swing at a fighter successfully, though he seems to shrug it off so far (7 damage), while the other three, caught in the grease, barely succeed at so much as getting up - one opening himself to some opportunistic hits that bring him down.
It's at this point Helen observes, "Normally, they'd try to flee by now. But being Abysstouched…"
They're looking only angrier. No sense of style, minus five points.
With Eira this close, another thunderclap won't be safe. Fortunately, you've got a rapier (much more stylish) and a good piercing hit (17 + 5 = 22; 8 damage). Eira jumps in (11 + 5 = 16; 8 damage including Sneak Attack) to finish that one off, followed by the scouts hitting another by Eira hard with a headshot that drops them immediately, the two guards (one hits, 7 damage) and Eddis (misses) swinging at the last of your side - followed by Helen sliding in front of you… And her sword shining as it cuts into and drops the last of the number on your side, as she shouts, "By SOLARIA!"
… That draws the lizardfolk's attention to her. Which is exactly where they shouldn't be looking, as the guards step in with spears and the fighters their maces (only three hit, enough to drop one of the four remaining Lizardfolk). Readjusting, the remaining three all try to get one kill in, jumping at a guard - whose step back and a lucky parry with his spear leaves him barely scratched.
Then you're in to cut at one, who manages to block. Helen scrambles atop the hill and finishes them off (Nat 20, 14 damage). Eira switches back to her shortbow, though her shot runs wide….
… And the guards and fighters finish the remaining two off.
Helen glances around some, before declaring… "Victory."
Cheers surround you, as an adventuring party realizes they've done something - with some help, sure, but also through their strength of tactics.
You can't help but think they're going to be very handy allies to have handy… Even if you need to split the loot more ways, leaving each of you with just eight gold pieces, and that's after using some of your spellcasting to treat the few wounds they took.
Back on the road, Eddis sighs. "... You're going to keep going, aren't you? I can tell you're made of stronger stuff than us."
Helen is the first to respond. "... We wouldn't have been able to face those Lizardfolk without you. Do not sell yourself short."
The adventuring party's leader draws pause. "... Perhaps. But I wish I had more than thanks to offer."
You're next. "Keep trying to keep this place safe. That's enough for now."
… She nods. And you…
[ ] (Break Ways?) … Head east down the road. Maybe there's something there.
[ ] (Break Ways?) … Try south across the river this time, further into the swamp. With your luck, there's more there.
[ ] (Break Ways?) … Go north into the woods. The risks of getting lost are less severe when you can do the Teleport Door Trick.
[ ] (Break Ways?) … Actually, stick with them and go back toward the keep.
---
1600 XP of Lizardfolk, cut to one-third to account for your allies and favorable position, then split between three PCs, is 177 XP each, bringing you to 611 XP. (289 to go to Level 3.)
And yes, that also accounts for the fact that I started fudging damage numbers to keep things moving once it was at 'party has this in the bag' point.
] (Break Ways?) … Try south across the river this time, further into the swamp. With your luck, there's more there.