Party at start:
Oret - Monk, Zen Archer
Tsunami - Fighter
Cidic - Barbarian
Gaylord Starcrusher Jr. - Halfling Rogue
Bi Teme - Sorcerer
My players managed to let Erylium escape in the Catacombs, so given that she has no other obvious safe haven, she made headed for Thistletop. Behind her she left the minor runewell which the players failed to really investigate beyond finding it was magical etc.
As the players had levelled up at the end of the Catacombs, she also levelled and I changed some of her prepared spells. The players then spent a day or two in town and headed for Thistletop...
At Thistletop, the party (sans any healing beyond the half dozen CLW potions they had bought) struggled, especially with the Druid using his woodland stride ability causing them all sorts of problems. He got his message through to Ripnugget about the adventurers' arrival and the Warchief, in conference with Erylium at the time, sent her out to harry the PCs while he gathered his warriors and manned the watch towers.
I decided that Ripnugget is too scared of Nualia (or wants to impress her) to send word to the lower levels, which was probably a good job for the adventurers.
Erylium used her invisibility to get close, watched as the PCs finally dispatched the druid, his pet, the dogs and most of the refugee goblins. Then she flew back to report.
Then things got strange...
The group decided, given that Ripnugget had strengthened the guards on the far side of the bridge to use subterfuge. They picked up a goblin refugee corpse and used him like a Thunderbirds dummy to shout across the bridge to lure more goblins over. Now Ripnugget has a reasonable intelligence score and decided at this point to instruct Erylium to use her invisibility to see why there was a dead refugee trying to give orders to his warriors, depleted as they were. He also sent word to Bruthasmus who he respects as a mighty warrior and wise counsel.
Brathasmus, in his infinite wisdom decided the best thing was for him and a couple of warriors to charge over and find out more, especially given the lack of a druid and the reports of adventurers from Erylium. His charge over the bridge ended with him being bull-rushed over the cliff edge by Tsunami (later dice rolls meant he survived the fall with 2HP remaining, a swim roll got him to the cliff edge and subsequent climb rolls started his magnificent return. Of course, no-one looked to check if he died...)
Enlivened by this turn of events, the players charged...
Well, Cidic charged with Tsunami behind him. As he emerged, Erylium used Reduce Person to erm.. reduce his threat, so to speak: Halfling goes from small to tiny and subject to an AoO to attack the goblins.
Tsunami skidded to a halt behind him but was caught in a web spell (Erylium again) which blocked the bridge. Cidic charged ever onwards. The rest started concentrating fire on Erylium who used invisibility to her best advantage. In response to the excessive hostility toward her, the group in the main failed all their will saves vs her 30' fear effect and started the process of running away. Cidic continued on across the blocked bridge... alone. He made it into the front gate of the fort before expiring in a blaze of gore, being the first PC to meet Ripnugget.
Oret, the only one not to run in fear, fell to Erylium and her dagger. The rest of the group, returned from their fear ignored him as he bled out while they dispatched the returning Bruthazmus and wasted a LOT of arrows on Erylium who at the last gasp used invisibility to escape again...
A huge battle evolved quickly once Erylium had left the scene and the PCs gained in confidence once more. The bridge trap, of course, was set off with Tsunami falling to the waves below and Bi Teme saving herself from the fall but being over the wrong side of the gap. The Goblins remaining were eventually dispatched, but Ripnugget managed to flee after being reduced to less than 10HP and his mount having been slain under him, leaving the PCs with a virtually empty ground floor level of the fortress to sack but two dangerous enemies out there in the wilds and a working rune well.
I am planning a rival adventuring group working behind the scenes based around Erylium, Ripnugget and a zombie/sinspawn version of Bruthasmus to harry the players as they continue onwards through the series.
One day I feel my players will work out that actually walking up to the bad guys and hitting them might work to their advantage rather than overly complex deception and huge long pauses and celebrating letting major NPCs run away.
Party at the end:
Tsunami - Fighter (unconscious)
Bi Teme - Sorcerer (no spells left)
Gaylord Starcrusher Jr. - Rogue (clothing a bit dirty)
New arrivals:
Grak - Half Orc witch
Phoenix - Oracle