Proceeding carefully you manage to sneak a peek over a small hill, at a place where you can have a good view without being seen yourselves.
You spy the keep in the distance. It is built out of black stone and consists of a single ground floor with a tower. Large sharpened wooden stakes jut out of the hillside, pointing away from the keep (toward any potential attackers).
Next to the keep is a stockaded horse corral, partially embedded in the false hill. The doors to the stockade are open and a dead and partially dismembered horse is in the doorway.
It appears that the keep is being assaulted by lizardfolk. You see eight groups of five lizardfolk are arranged in strategic places around the keep, using bushes, large rocks, and dead trees as cover. Each has a club, large shield, and at least one javelin. Some of them are eating horsemeat, and at least one is eating a dead human soldier. Three dead lizardfolk are out in the open near the keep, attracting flies. A hundred yards beyond the most distant ground of lizardfolk is a broad swath of grassland, and beyond that is the Mistmarsh. It is impossible to reach the keep without passing the lizardfolk, and without the use of magic it seems a certainty that at least one of the lizardfolk will see anyone attempting to reach the keep, as there are no hiding places that lead all the way up to the keep.
The current situation worries Valgrim, with the keep under siege from the lizardfolk. His mind begins to race.
"Vug, Vulcan, any magic ye may have to get us into that keep without being noticed?"
"Bubba, what can ye tell us about these walking lizards? Not many of them in me clan's mountains. Need to know strengths, weaknesses, can they see in the dark, etc."
"I can make up to three of us invisible."
"And I can make two people invisible!" Vug pipes up. "That would cover all f-five of us. We'd still have to be careful, and I'm not sure how we would make our way out before tomorrow, but it's worth a shot."
"Maybe we could draw a f-few of the lizardmen over here f-first; you know, thin out the numbers f-for the defenders."
"Sure, Vug, what do ye have in mind? Be aware I be not very range-friendly."
"Well...I didn't have anything really specific in mind. Maybe send up a f-few f-f-flaming arrows or something to lure them over this hill. We pounce on 'em, then turn invisible and enter the f-f-fort."
She seems slightly unsure of her own plan, but game for anything.
Bubba:
Allustan is busy crafting something or other at the temple of Nethys, so you are on your own for now.
"Subtlety isn't really my strongpoint although if we need to blast a way out I'm your man".
First, Vug takes a minute to mix together some alchemical reagents from her pouch (including what looks suspiciously like grimlock hair) and soon she has two invisibility extracts ready to drink.
Then she says, "Well, here goes nothing, I guess."
She wraps some rags around the head of a few arrows and gets a small fire going, in preparation to firing her flaming signal arrows. There's still time to object...
"This isn't right. These lizardfolk have been quiet the past few years. Something must have stirred them up, we should try to capture one alive."
"If we capture one alive, we can ask what the problem is. What language do lizardmen speak, anyway?"
"I can summon one or two earth elementals to help us," Feres offers. "They would only be here for about half a minute, but they might make for a good distraction and buy us enough time to get to the keep."
Vug will give an extract of Enlarge Person to Valgrim and an extract of True Strike to Bub (if he wants it). Once everyone's ready, she'll fire a flaming arrow as far towards the lizardmen as possible (in a big arc, presumably). She'll wait a couple of minutes to see if they're sending any lizardmen towards the hill; if not, she'll try it again.
If they're sending a big group (e.g. more than 8, say), she'll suggest drinking/casting invisibility and making a run for it; otherwise, she'll suggest fighting and trying to take a prisoner.
Vug will also prepare an extract of Levitate, in case someone needs to float inside (invisibly) and get the garrison to open the gate.
Are the lizardmen surrounding the fort, or are they massed on one side?
The lizardfolk have the keep surrounded, and are assembled in small groups of five. One such group breaks off to investigate Vug's flaming arrows. Roll for initiative.
Bubba downs his elixir and Feres casts Shield of Faith as the lizardfolk bear down upon you. Valgrim is hit by a morningstar for 3 points of damage, while a couple of javelins miss Vug and Vulcan.
You are up. Crude map here.
Vulcan raises a hand, a bolt of scorching heat lancing from his palm to streak towaerds the javelin thrower.
Vug tosses a bomb at the lizardman in front of Valgrim, shaping the blast to avoid Valgrim and Feres.
with PBS, into melee: , 6 splash damage (Ref DC 15 for 1/2)
Round One:
Feres slashes his scimitar at the lizardman standing in front of him.
Bubba starts chanting.
Vulcan scorches a lizard man in the back row, while Vug's bomb detonates, obliterating one lizardfolk and singing two. Feres cuts down one of them.
Two lizardfolk down, one staggered, and Valgrim still to go.
Valgrim moves to P32, incurring the AoO, and the proceeds to cleave the 2 lizardmen conveniently standing next to each other!
"Don't kill 'em all Val!" as Valgrim cuts two lizardfolk in half with one swing.
Valgrim storms ahead and sends pieces of lizardfolk spraying in all directions. The last survivor turns tail and runs like it's being chased by a gar, screaming at the top of his voice. There is considerable more interest among the rest of the lizardfolk now, but you have a round or two before they arrive.
How many are coming? 10 or 20 or more?
Vug says: "Let's meet at the main gate. F-father F-f-feres -- why don't you take this levitating elixir? Then you can f-float inside the f-fort and ask them to open the gate quickly so that we can get inside with your smooth talking and whatnot."
"That was fun! Let more of the lizardfolk come!"
There are about ten lizardfolk coming towards you. I kind of pity them.
Seeing as the first group of lizardfolk kind of fizzled, Vug will hold off on the "invisibility + run" plan and drink her mutagen of dexterity instead.
"Don't slip guys!"
Two rounds later ten lizardfolk appear and attack.
I think we could use some new initiative rolls. The lizardfolk go on 19. Updated the map here. I didn't put Feres's elemental on the map, as I am assuming that it is hiding in the ground somewhere. You can place it wherever you like.
Vulcan casts shield as the party waits for the lizirdment to approach.
Int
Initiative:
The lizardfolk advance, and slapstick ensues as they enter the Greased area, with warriors tripping all over each other. Some of the lizardmen manage to avoid the slippery area, but none of them manages to connect, either with morningstars or thrown javelins. The last lizardfolk hangs back and starts casting a spell.
Your turn.
"I got these two, Friar, you get the other two!"
Valgrim cleaves again at the 2 lizardmen in front and to the right!
Vug hurls a stink bomb straight at the spellcaster.
with PBS: , 6 splash damage in a 5' radius (Ref DC 15 for 1/2), nausea for 1d4+1 rounds in a 10' radius (Fort DC 15 negates)
Bubba tries to trip one of the lizardfolk coming form the right .
Valgrim obliterates two more of the lizardfolk, while Bubba brings one down with a deft twitch of his whip. Vug hits the spellcaster squarely with a bomb, and although she resists the noxious fumes the pain makes her lose concentration.
Feres and Vulcan to go, then the lizardfolk.
Round One:
A short squat humanoid-shaped creature of dirt and stone, faceless save for two glowing ruby eyes, explodes up from the ground next to the lizardfolk spellcaster. With a mighty swing of its arm the elemental creature slams its rocky fist at the lizardfolk spellcaster.
Feres takes a step to the side and slashes his scimitar at the lizardfolk not caught in the area greased by Bubba.
Determined to finish the caster Vulcan levels the wand of Magic Missile at her.
The spellcaster backs off and heals herself, while the fallen lizardfolk scramble to their feet to come to her aid. One of them hits the elemental for 3 points of damage.
The rest of them close in. Valgrim, Bubba and Vulcan are all hit for 3 points of damage. The lizardfolk in front of Feres and Valgrim tries to rise (triggering AoOs from both of you).
Your turn.