You're unable to get an accurate read on the keep's army at this point, you're seeing the same groups of creatures moving around at the same times of day. The same number of the same creatures in the same areas at watch. It looks like the watch rotation and activity levels in the keep are VERY standard day to day. For instance, while you're aware that there ARE Goblins and Hobgoblins in the keep you see almost no sign of them at all, so you have no idea if there are 5 or 50. For the human contingent, you've seen at least 14 different people in your two days of watch, and can guesstimate maybe 20 total as a round number. The gnoll contingent doesn't seem to rotate as often as the human mercenaries seem to and it's number you're pretty sure has got to be at least 12 (and you assume at least a few more given that food is still delivered to what you assume to be the gnoll barracks, even with all 12 of them on the walls as guards). Of the other three factions (Orcs, Goblins and Hobgoblins) you've not seen much. The orcs tend to keep to themselves, and you notice they're not part of the daily watch rotation, mostly being used as servants, delivering food, cleaning the latrines, running errands, etc.
The humans you see are obviously mercenaries, roughians and rogues (). There is no 'standard' form of dress for any of them. Most of their clothing is of very low quality, most of it is mud-stained, ripped, worn through, and in ill-repair...most of these men are obviously vagrants and highwaymen, used to living out in the wilds. Disguise is a possibility, passing yourselves off as recruits seems possible...though you'd have to come up with some rather lower quality clothing to pull it off.
The keep has a single entrance, the main gate in the south center of the keep wall. The gate is wooden and generally stands raised. It does NOT look like it's very sturdy, and is obviously in some disrepair. The gate swings closed and locks, it does not drop from above. The gate is flanked by two thirty foot tall towers (the two towers in the southern wall), 20' wide each and spaced 10' feet apart, one on either side of the gate. The towers are perpetually manned (as far as you can tell) by humans and gnolls...and you suspect all three levels to be occupied by at least some creatures. From your observation point above the towers you can see a trapdoor on top and a door in the side leading into what you assume to be the second level of the tower and out onto the battlements. While you cannot see it, you assume there to be a door at the first level of the tower leading out to the gate and the keep grounds.
You cannot, from your observation, see where their water supply is. There are no visible wells on the keep's grounds, however water flasks are brought along with food at every meal. There are no streams or rivers flowing near enough to the keep and you've seen none of the external patrols coming back in with supplies...the most reasonable explanation is that there is an underground water source the keep is able to draw from...not uncommon in the mountains.
You see no stables, and from what you understand of nature and horses, it is unlikely that any horse would stand the touch or company of the majority of the creatures in the keep...they'd as likely be killed and used as meat than be ridden by the keep's residents. None of the buildings seem to be hugely flammable. All of the buildings have some wood in them, but this is a keep built on the fronter: any buildings not able to withstand flaming arrows would unlikely be built here. That said, you could likely find somewhere to start small fires if you were looking for simple distractions. You have no idea what kind of organization the keep could put up to something like a fire, so you have no idea how long it would take to put out, however it's a good bet that with the chaotic nature of the creatures in the keep it would take them as long to organize as it would to put out even a small fire.
There is a single main road, not much larger than a wide dirt path, large enough for a couple carts or a wagon, leading up to the keep through the surrounding hills and forest. Not much care has been given to this path and the forest has grown thick to either side of the road...which seems to stay clear only because it receives use by regular patrols. You do, however, see signs that perhaps a wagon train has passed this way recently, but from your vantage point it's almost impossible to be certain.
The keep reinforcements you saw come in were moving down the 'road' as mentioned above...and there weren't many of them, no more than 1 or 2 of each group that came into the keep. You estimate that the keep's reinforcements are slow, and only growing at about a rate of 10 - 15 monsters per week...enough to cause problems if you wait around long enough, not enough to seriously hinder any concerted efforts the seven of you make.
Lash grin's at Dirk's comment, her mind running the possibilities of mayhem and subterfuge available to them.
Thursday morning Dawns cold and hazy, the clouds are overcast and Grey and a mist and fog hangs over the ground obscuring much of the visibility of the surrounding area to only tens of feet. Much of your scouting efforts are hindered throughout most of the day and by midday, cold, and wet, Lash and Mird return to camp to dry out and wait for the Return of Armand, Thantos and Dirk. A storm is blowing up and it's clear to all of you that snow is likely to fall overnight...the last bluster of winter in the higher regions of the land.
Not only are your scouting efforts hindered, Selena and Fyird are also hindered due to the visibility of finding any real sources of food. Today's meal consists of your rations and water you brought with you, being unable to replace the supplies today.
Mostly, the day is a bust for everyone involved and you spend your time in your (relatively) warm cave with the small fire and so miscellaneous things like cleaning weapons and armor, caring for the mules and supplies, etc.
Sometime toward late evening sounds from the forest below attract your attention but soon enough the code signal is given and Dirk, Armand and Thantos return, sitting down to dinner and the seven of you spend the evening recounting your respective stories of the happenings around you.
The evening dwindles into night and around two in the morning, snow starts falling. A heavy blanket of snow falls over the treetops, only some of which manages to make its way to the ground. For the first couple hours, everything is mostly wet, with snow periodically sliding off the tree tops to crash to the ground randomly. The party wakes up in the morning and starts preparing themselves for the day ahead when high guttural voices reach your ears inside the cave. These are obviously not human voices and they are not far away, moving, somewhat, in your direction. It won't be long before whatever is out there hits your first line of snares and warning traps.
Selena whispers to her nearby companions.
"Voices, below. Who here will see what threat opposes us now?"
The hairs on the back on Dirks neck stand on end as he hears the sounds of the guttural voices.
Dirk stands and readies his Elven Blade as he eases to peer around the edge of their concealment.
In a whisper, Dirk looks back at Lash, "Lash, feel like doing a little scouting?"
Lash nods quietly drawing her rapier quietly as she drops into a stealthy crouch. She pauses for a moment, thenbegins her slow creep forward.
Stealth
Perception
Slipping out of the cave, cloak pulled tight around her, Lash merges in with the rocks outside the cave, moving quietly and silently to an observation point, hidden above the forest floor.
Between the still lightly falling snow, the slightly lessening of light from the snow covered canopy above, and the gray and overcast day, it is hard for Lash to make out anyone down below. Following the voices, however, she does see 4 sets of rather smallish prints, heading in the direction of the camp. The voices are still there, but seem to be standing still. An argument seems to have broken out.
(The conversation below is semi-audible from within the cave, especially if you move to the entrance to listen.)
Voice #1: I tell you something's up there!
Voice #2: Then it's a bear, or a mountain lion, do you want to be eaten alive?
Voice #1: That's no mountain lion, I tell you there was light coming from the cave above, and voices, human voices!
Voice #3: The queen expects us back in camp, I'm tired, my feet hurt and I'm cold. That cave up there isn't big enough for an army to hide in. Probably more recruits making their way to the castle.
Voice #2: Even if they're enemies, what are they going to do to us? Lets go home, it's past supper.
Voice #1: I'm reporting this to Klossarek. Someone's up there!
Voice #4: Report whatever you want, we're leaving.
The conversation obviously ends and whatever is down there sounds like it's gathering dropped gear to leave.
Selena follows Lash, but does not venture out of the cave where she can be seen. She tries to stay 20 feet away, in case something or someone attaks Lash.
Dirk nods his head at Mirds comments, "I agree, let's not let this opportunity to thin their ranks slip by."
Turning to the others, "Follow behind Mird and me. I don't think I need to remind you that it would be unfortunate if one of these creatures escapes back into the Keep to report what he saw. Let's make sure none of them do."
Drawing his two-handed Elven blade, Dirk takes one more look at his capable traveling companions, then steps slowly and quietly from the cave.
Slipping out of the cave, Mird motions to Lash and the two of you move down off the hill, followed by the rest. Ranged weapons at the ready, you move into position and at the next stop only a few minutes later, you attack, crossbow bolts, arrows, sling stones and spells pounding the four goblins into the dirt. It's all over in a matter of seconds, the natural sounds of the forest around you resume, and the goblins twitch their last.
You spend the next hour burring the bodies a ways off from your camp site and covering your tracks back to your camp site.
The seven of you spend the rest of the day hunting and gathering around the camp, replenishing your food supply for the day and waiting till nightfall.
Following Dirk's prior suggestion, around 8:00 that night you head down to the keep to observe the nighttime activities of the keep's residents.
Immediately you see changes in the Keep's guard makeup. Instead of the humans and Gnolls manning the walls as during the day, a contingent of Goblins man the walls at night, their ability to see better at night giving them a good view of the surrounding grounds. Taking a physical count, you notice that there are more guards around the walls and towers this night than during the day. Whereas the walls seem to be manned by somewhere around 10 Humans and 12 - 14 Gnolls, tonight the walls seem to be loaded with, at your count, around 34 goblins all told. The activity level of the grounds seems about the same, but there are contingents of goblins and hobgoblins outside on the grounds arguing and fighting with each other. Periodically a loan orc or two will leave the building in the middle of the east wall and move quickly through the grounds, often being accosted and humiliated by the goblins and hobgoblins out on the grounds, but other than that all activity seems to be focused on guarding the keep or staying in their own confined spaces.
Moving back to your campsite around 5 in the morning to spend Friday resting up, you determine that you have about as much information as you're going to get on the Keep's activities and residents.
Ok, so here's some things I probably haven't mentioned.
* Patrols are set out from the keep (anywhere between 4 to 10 creatures, generally a mix of goblins and orcs with a periodic gnoll or human in the mix), about 3 times a day (mid morning, mid afternoon, and late night). The patrols typically return within an hour of being sent out, so it's unlikely the patrol covers more than a mile or two around the keep.
* Smaller groups, typically armed with ranged weapons, leave the keep once a day, these creatures tend to be gone for two to three hours at a time and are obviously a hunting/scavenging force, these are ALWAYS orcs. Note that given the number of creatures you can tell are within the keep (you know of at least 50) it's unlikely that the food being brought back by this savaging / hunting force is adequate to keep the entire force fed...it is likely that this is simply supplemental to another method of supplying the fort with food.
* The gate, while closed, does not seem to be an obstacle, many of the patrol groups seem to open and close the gate at will without being "let in" by specific guards. While the guard on the walls is consistent, it's also fairly lax. You don't notice anyone asleep at their posts, but wall guards and tower guards seem to often enough meet with each other on their patrol route to stop and chat.
I'm happy to answer any questions you might have regarding either day or nighttime cycle of the keep. If there's something you'd like covered I'll give you the information here.
From an assualt perspective the party will need to decide upon a course of action:
The first potential action the Party can choose to take is to assault the keep directly. There are many ways to do this:
* Direct assault on the front gate. (Charge in).
* Attempt to thin the ranks through a ranged battle with the wall occupants.
* Attempt to climb the walls / attain the keep proper through stealth or subtlety/trickery.
A suggestion of creating a distraction has been made also which could be used with any of the above tactics.
Another possible approach to the assault of the keep is to attempt to thin the Keep's Ranks first. There are several ways of doing this:
* Attack the Patrols heading out from the keep proper.
* Attack the hunting party heading out from the keep proper.
* Determine and attack any supply chain the Keep has, cutting off keep supplies (if any).
The two methods also can be combined, using a frontal assault of some type to draw off keep defenders into the unprotected forests where you can more clearly battle the keep defenders in the open.
All of these, obviously, have their drawbacks as well:
In all cases, an attack on the keep will warn the keep that there are things in the area that are willing to attack them. You can expect a concerted effort will be made to hunt down this threat and destroy it.
A frontal assault may put you up against all of the keep defenders at one time. Depending on how many creatures are in the keep, this might be quite a problem for the party. Attaining the keep through subtlety / trickery may cause the party to be trapped and overwhelmed.
Attacking patrols or hunting parties is likely to go well at first, but could lead to ambushes and traps that the party may not see coming. Attacking the supply chain too could cause the party to get in over their heads (you've never seen a supply caravan/wagon/whatever so you have no idea how large or how much is sent at one time, if, in fact, the keep is supplied from the outside).
And, too, keep in mind that the keep seems to get "reinforcements" trickling in periodically, the longer the party waits, the larger the force they'll have to fight.
It's up to you guys now to determine a strategy that will best work to eventually obtain access to the keep. The only advice I, as the GM, will give you is that this is a low level adventure module. You're not expected to "get it right" the first time. Don't frustrate yourselves in trying to come up with a "foolproof" plan, there really isn't one.
--Doug
Selena looks around at the other members of the party, worry and confusion plain on her face.
"Other than the strange sense I get about the goblins, I would say our best recourse would be to strike at night. The smaller goblins seem easier to beat in combat than their orc cousins. But I am willing to let a more experienced military person lead since my ideas can be silly sometimes."
Okay, so I think I've given up on the devout idea. While it would be fun to attract followers earlier than normal, it would be hell to moderate, most likely. Also, the benediction of ethereality is perhas a little overpowering at this level. So, instead, I think I'll multiclass as a witch, with your permission. I might even ask my celestial ancestor/guide/whatever to be my patron, and of course it would be a Force of Wisdom. As to the witch's familiar, I was thinking of having a dove (+3 diplomacy), but would probably rather have a butterfly. (as in the picture on the profile). This is of course assuming we can get everyone back on. Butterflies were suggested as a familiar in an old Dragon magazine, but their +3 spellcraft is probably a little too powerful. Any suggestions for an alternative. Maybe +3 fly?
"They see better at night than we do. Not sure we should geve then that advantage. It may be better to strike at sunrise."
"You probably have the right of it, military campaigning is not my strongest suit."
Selena smiles, as though sharing a private joke with herself.
** spoiler omitted **
I still think we need to replace the wizard.
Rise of a Regent Campaign Status
-------------------------------------
Good afternoon folks, I wanted to communicate with you all quickly about the status of the campaign.
As everyone is painfully aware we've had a loss of focus over the last few weeks. Lots of travel and waiting on everyone else has taken it's toll on the pace of play here and my non-standard posting rates seem not to have helped much either.
I had a quick conversation with Dirk (an RL friend of mine) to try to determine what some of the problems are, and he indicated to me that a main loss of focus seems to come when I step away for a few days and miss posting. As he rightfully points out, the story line progress when I post, and when I miss posting, it hurts the pace of play.
I'll be honest with everyone, I've debated simply closing the campaign, but I also believe that in doing so it would be an injustice to the rest of you, my players. I know for a fact that several of you have posted interest in continuing the campaign and finding out what happens next.
The best "solution" I have come up with is to try to get to a reasonable post schedule that we can all live with. As I told Dirk, I am willing to commit to a one a day post schedule M - F with Saturday and Sunday being "off" days from the campaign. I am willing to run with less than this as well if this schedule doesn't meet what everyone's capable of, but I think the main thing that we need to do here, at least in the short term, is set a schedule we can all live with and then do our best to stick with it, at least for a few weeks.
I have an option that will work somewhat well for me personally, and I'm wiling to take suggestions on something better for the party itself. I'd recommend a 5:00 pm posting deadline per 'day', with my posts coming between 5 - 8pm. This allows everyone to know when to check for my post and you have either the evening or next day to post your reactions to it for processing by 5:00 pm the next day. I will TRY (though I will not guarantee) that I will try to check at least one other time during the day and respond to questions, comments, etc. that the players may have, but I will commit to the 5 - 8 post deadline.
If I could get everyone, at least for the next couple weeks, to make sure to post SOMETHING (even if just "Ping, I'm here.") for each post deadline so I can see that everyone's involved and checking the thread I would greatly appreciate it.
Again, if anyone has other suggestions, I am willing to consider.
Regarding our missing Mage, I agree with Selena, unfortunately Thantos has been gone for far too long and needs to be replaced. For the moment I will take a hand in Thantos' character but short to mid term, I'll need to get another player interested in joining the campaign at this point.
I am open to accepting a friend, relative or co-worker from anyone in the campaign to begin with who is willing to dedicate some time to the campaign. I'll leave this open slot till Friday 9/24 for any of you to offer up someone you know for the position. If no one has anyone by the 24th, I will go back to the campaign interest check thread and post an open slot to the general community.
If you're all willing to pick this back up and regenerate some focus, I'm willing to go the extra mile to ensure that you all have regular and consistent posts from me trying to move the story line forward.
I'd like to start, Monday, with the new post structure. Please use the campaign discussion thread at: Rise of a Regent Campaign Discussion Thread to post comments or suggestions on a better post schedule than what I have above.
Lets all take the weekend, take a deep breath, and come back on Monday and start hitting this with some focus.
I'll get a post together with a "story recap" and an information recap for the keep that you've found, and we'll start with an interesting encounter on Monday to get the campaign back on track.
--Illydth
The Rise of a Regent campaign takes place in a land named Norwold. This is a large landmass stretching north to south along the north-eastern shore-board of the continent. The land area is mostly a mountainous region, dotted with hills, plains and marshes, with the vast majority of the rest of Norwold being forested to some degree. The nation of Norwold is ruled by an Emperor, ruling out of the capital city of Alpha. The Emperor of Norwold stays out of the regional governments and kingdoms that make up its larger land area and does not interfere in the regional governments either with maintaining control or in a protective capacity. Entire regions may be wiped out by marauding bands of wilderness monsters and the larger Norwold community will never know about it. Norwold is about as “frontier” as you can get. Roads are few and far between in the region, and out beyond the spheres of influence of the various major cities of the region (few and far between), they are non-existent. Travel is hindered in many ways by the multitude and mass of mountain ranges in the western (particularly mid western) land areas.
Campaign prolog starts in the year 597PH, a time-line based off of the founding of the capital City of Alpha (in the year 0 PH). The story starts with an assassination attempt by a band of assassins who assaulted and, to all knowledge, killed the Kethlenican Royal Family. The attempt, however, failed to kill both the Prince and the Son of the Captain of the King's guard, who in the escape from the kingdom, became separated and lost each other in the larger land of Norwold.
Fast forward thirty years to the start of the actual campaign. The date is 628PH and the individual members of the party convene in an area in southern Norwold called Kiren's Keep, thousands of miles from Kethlenica. Once gathered within the keep, the party is brought together by the Keep's military leader, Captain Garelson. It was soon discovered that a large army of Orcs is planning an assault upon Kiren's keep and it was up to the party to help defend the keep.
The orcs attack the keep and the party, along with the Keep's military presence, bring down the orc army and scatter it across the lands. In the process, the party finds a note on the orc leader describing communication with an assassin band working within the area, a band known as "The Brotherhood" who seems to be in league with the force that is behind the orc attack. It is also discovered that this brotherhood is the same assassin organization that overthrew Kethlenica 30 years before.
Soon after the orc invasion's demise, the part discovers it's roots are all from Kethlenica, and that one among them, Kiren's Keep Commander and Governor Kilenthar is actually Prince (and now maybe King) Armand of Kethlenica, in hiding in Southern Norwold. After affirming their interest in putting Armand back on the Kethlenican throne, the party goes off in search of more information on "The Brotherhood" by following up a lead in the note acquired from the orcs.
From Kiren's Keep the party proceeded south to the largest town of the region, Penhalligon, to look up a wizard and sage by the name of Kavorquian, a man well known in the region to be a master at the magical art of scrying. The information the party has notes that he was approached by the "Brotherhood" to help them find Armand, who they suspected to be in the area. However the party arrives at this wizard's house to find him recently deceased of what seems to be natural causes. They undertake a quest to go down into Kavorquian's laboratory below his mansion to find some items for the new "owner" of the estate, one Kaerin, Kavorquian's Adopted son and a man with ties to the ruling family of Penhalligon, and to find a Journal that might provide more information about the order of assassins and their interest in Kavorquian.
While in the lab it is also discovered that some at Kiren's Keep, likely the two mages within the keep, are acting as spies for the brotherhood, providing the party an object that allowed the keep mages to spy on the party and their conversations from afar.
After many trials, the party finally found Kavorquian's room in his lab and just barely stopped a group of looters in the dungeon (some members later found to be part of the Brotherhood) from destroying the journal, unfortunately one of them escaped and it is assumed is reporting back to the Brotherhood about the party. Journal in hand, the party discovers that the Brotherhood knows of Armand in the area, and was trying to use Kavorquian to find him, likely killing him for his refusal to help.
The journal also told of an Ilyana, a self styled "Queen" of the region who is thought to be living in a Keep in the Black Hills, an area to the north and west of Kiren's Keep in the mountainous region. Ilyana is the illegitimate daughter of Lord Arturus, who's legitimate daughter took the rulership of the region when Arturus died years before. It is discovered that Ilyana is working with the Brotherhood to overthrow the power in the region, and if she succeeds would likely have to be recognized as the rightful ruler of Penhalligon.
The party has undertaken a quest to kill or capture Ilyana and end her reign of terror on the region by assaulting her keep in the Black Hills.
On their way back through Kiren's Keep, north and west to the Hills, the party finds other strange things going on at Kiren's Keep itself. The Keep's new ruler Alalar, long time friend of Armand, is acting strangely. He has brought in unruly mercenaries to provide more soldiers for the keep, but these mercenaries all seem to be violent and more criminal than soldier. They are running unchecked through the keep, breaking rules and abusing the local citizenry. Also, Alalar himself has disappeared into the surrounding lands with a large portion of the Keep Military, supposedly to track down the remnants of the orc army to ensure they cannot attack the keep again.
However, there are signs that it is the remnants of the orc army that are doing the real hunting, and this opinion is only heightened by the fact that Alalar has failed to send an update back to the keep for days, has completely disappeared, and, according to some soldiers you did find, ran off with a small number of men and hasn't been heard from again.
Having no time to solve the Keep's problems, however, the party set off into the Black Hills and found Ilyara's keep.
A force of Goblins, Orcs, Hobgoblins, Gnolls and Humans seems to inhabit the keep and you've seen that she is gathering more to her side every week. It is now the party's job to surmount the keep's defenses though hit and run tactics or other means, and to find and destroy this Ilyara. The party has found a camp within the woods and has observed the keep for about a week at this point in the campaign and is now ready to take action against the keep and it's defenders.
From your week's observations you've found out the following information about the keep itself.
In the interior of the keep's walls, there are 4 large main buildings, one each for each of the major factions within the keep: The middle building for the Hobgoblins, the east building for the orcs, The west building for the Goblins, and the south building for both the humans and gnolls (you supsect this building is at least two seperate areas).
From a keep numbers perspective, you know of at least 14 humans, 12 gnolls, and at least 30 Goblins. Of the Hobgoblins and Orc contingent, you aren't sure, but you've seen at least 6 different orcs and 2 different Hobgoblins in your observations of the keep itself. You also know that there are about 10 - 12 new recruits to Ilyara's army per week that tend to show up at the keep.
You know of daily patrols of 4 - 10 of the keep's inhabitents and these patrols are sent out 3 times a day. Another single group is typically sent out and brings food back in, not enough to feed everyone so it's likely supplemental to another food supply source.
There has been no sign of any of the keep's leadership, though it is obvious that there is a pecking order within the keep and it's just as obvious that the Orcs are the bottom rung of that order (not typical where orcs and goblins are concerned).
You can get within 100 yards of the keep and still be under cover but beyond that the ground has been cleared and kept clear so that there is no cover between that 100 yards and the keep walls.
The walls are manned day and night, during the daytime it is humans and gnolls and they all carry bows. At night goblins with bows patrol the keep walls.
Earlier this morning, in your morning hunt for food and water, you came across the tracks of a mid sized group of creatures traveling down what passes for a road leading toward the Keep. Tracking the group, you have come upon them about a mile out from the keep, stopping for a rest before continuing on to join up with Ilyara's army.
The group is comprised of a couple humans, three orcs, five goblins and two gnolls (12 creatures in total) and are arguing and fighting amongst themselves, as you would expect a group such as this to do. They are all armed with swords and are all lightly armored, with the humans and gnolls being in chain armor, and the rest being in various forms of leather.
Drawing a sparkle of magical energy into her hand, Selena gestures towards the arguing military squad. "This group is rather disoriented, so I think we can take them."
"Yes, now is as good of a time as any". Fyird begins a soothing lullaby...the notes easing their way into the consciousness of the enemy.
Generating the Combat Round Statistics, you'll have a partial surprise round coming in but a couple creatures were able to prep for round 1. Everyone reading this, please give me init.
Initiative
With a soldiers calm Dirk draws his Elven blade out of its scabbard. "I'll try to move in close enough to charge one of the humans. Lash, you may want to try circling around and attacking from the rear. I suggest the rest of you open with your ranged weapons before stepping into the fray."
In the text below:
G# = Goblin
N# = Gnoll
O# = Orc
H# = Human
Initiative - Round 0 (Surprise)
Armand - 25
G3, G5 - 22
N2, O2 - 21
Dirk, Lash - 20
Mird - 19
Fyird - 17
G1 - 16
Selena - 14
H1, O1, G4, N1 - 13
O3, G2 - 11
H2 - 3
In this round:
Armand, Dirk, Selena and Fyird will Act, as will G3, G5, N2 and O2.
Lash is stealthy moving to a better position for round 1.
Mird wasn't ready when you decided to move/act so he's spending the round setting up for round 1.
Armand is holding his initiative till after Dirk charges out, making him go at 19 with Mird.
With Dirk yelling to attract attention, two Goblins a Gnoll and an Orc; who just happen to have started standing up, either to stretch their legs or to proceed back down the path, you're not sure which; set themselves and draw their swords (the goblins are carrying short swords, the Orcs and humans a longsword and the gnolls are wielding a huge sword in both hands).
The other creatures start scrambling to their feet but won't be ready for this round.
If Selena's turn comes around, and I'm not here for some reason, here is what she wants to do. She'll move away from any nearby enemies (only taking a 5 foot step if necessary to keep them from attacking her), and will cast bless granting +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves against fears to all allies within 50 feet for 3 minutes.
Lash continues circling, her stalthy creep bringing her behind the enemy.
Dirk crashes out of the brush with his battle-cry on his lips.
"BLADES OF HELL!"
Quickly searching for the most dangerous opponent, Dirk sets his sites on the large hyena-headed Gnoll. Sword held high, Dirk charges and delivers a powerful over-hand chop!
Yelling in terror the orcs and goblins scramble to their feet, several of them looking like they're ready to bolt. One of the gnolls backhands an orc who decided the fight wasn't worth it and tried to break and run, knocking the orc back into the fray as he draws his own two handed sword.
On their feet the four camp guards turn at Dirk's yell and move forward to engage. Moments later they see Armand in his armor charge forward, mace and shield drawn. and the orc () with the gnoll () hesitates a second, trying to decide which is the worse of the two situations...the gnoll or the party.
The standing Gnoll draws his two handed sword and grows a deep growl as he sets himself awaiting Drik to approach, thinking better, the second orc near the gnoll readies his longsword and stands to meet Armand's engagement as well.
The two other standing goblins at the back move to flank the Orc, creating a semi-circle of swords that Dirk and Armand are ready to barrel into. Both of them scream something in goblin and ready their weapons.
As Dirk hits the "wall" of creatures with Armand a couple steps behind, all four creatures take swings.
Unfortunately the orc, in his terror, takes a swing with his longsword that entangles it with the gnoll's two handed swing. The gnoll's swing flys way wide, but does knock the orc kite winding, ending up with him sprawled on the ground at the gnoll's feet (and Dirks) with both swings not even coming close to hitting.
The two goblins, however, have slightly better timing. Using the orc's flying body as cover the Goblin on the right () takes a hasty swing at Armand to distract him, while the one on the Left () pops out from behind the orc's now cleared self, stabbing ahead with his shortsword, barely catching Armand's shield a glancing blow, and being pushed off target from hitting Armand squarely in the temple.
Armand takes a swing at the Standing Goblin on the Right, the one that almost skewered his head, with his mace.