While one might expect Varielky would wait until the guards notice them, as they have their weapons drawn and shields raised, Varielky feels only a little remorse about attacking them like so. On one hand, it's their fault for being unable to notice the real threat, even when it got this close. And they were running, too. On the other hand, she didn't know just how effective Snow's magic really is. 

But anyway, Varielky draws Dreygaard and leaps forward, slashing horizontally to slay two guards standing close by with a single swing. She nearly succeeds, too. Her blade cuts deep into the first guard's back, and from there it surges into the second's neck. Although badly wounded, the first remains alive, but the second falls dead on the ground. Before the first could react, though, Varielky makes sure to shove him down too, leveraging her shield to force the guard out of balance.

Action: Attack. Each attack should go to a different guard.
            Attack #1: 9+10 to hit, 4+9=13 damage.
            Attack #2: 9+10=19 to hit, 7+9=16 damage.
Bonus Action: Shield Shove to knock that first guard prone. Athletics: 12+8=20.

Snow watches Varielky lay into the guards without pomp or circumstance and pulls up short, aiming his hand crossbow at one of them.

Zeroing on the guards head, he squeezes the trigger but in his eagerness for the headshot he in fact misses entirely.

Action: Hand Crossbow Attack on a guard: 2+5=7

(OOC: Following Varielky’s attack, the first guard is injured and prone, the wind smashed out of him before he could yell for help, and the second guard is down and bleeding out.)

(OOC: Auger's attack is focused on the guard that was untouched by Snow or Varielky.)

The Surprise Round ends with one guard down, a second prone and badly damaged, while the third (saving throw = 1) drops his weapon and his shield — which rolls back into the street — and grasps his head in agony, eyes plastered open wide tearing up as his psyche falls into the Sea of Stars. The fourth guard sees he’s been ambushed, raises his shield, glowering, and steels himself for the inevitable. “Ellosh take you!!,” he shouts.

Please post actions for Round 1 in any order.

With a slight regret at potentially killing another, but tempered by his target's imperial standing, Auger again attacks the guard he attacked in the previous round, holding his mind in the Sea of Stars.  While there perspective is lost. Distant lights seem in arm's reach, then the close things, your own hands, are eternally distant. Time takes hold. Worlds melt. Suns go dark. Through it all, the cold burns.

Details

• Auger targets the same guard with another Mind Sliver for 7 points of damage if he fails his DC 18 INT saving throw. This guard failed in the previous round and so has to subtract 1d4 from his saving throw.

"I really need to get more practice with darned thing", Snow mutters under his breath as he reloads the hand crossbow.

Seeing the guard standing firm and shouting at them, he takes aim for him. This time the chest would be good, just trying to miss the shield in truth.

He carefully squeezes the trigger until the less than familiar twang of the bolt being released is heard.

He watches as the bolt does indeed avoid the shield and strike home.

"Better", he says.

Action: Hand Crossbow Attack on a guard: 10+5=15, Damage: 4+2=6

Varielky stabs down to end the poor guard's suffering. Some blood splashes, but otherwise the body now lies lifeless, motionless and in silence.

Varielky, on the contrary, rushes to the guard Snow missed before, readying her sword low for an upward strike. At first, Varielky meant to use raw force to power through and push away his shield. But just before she reaches him, Snow's second bolt strikes the guard, creating the perfect opportunity for Varielky to gash the guard, who then falls dead, too.

Action: Attack, first the guard on the ground, and lastly the one Snow shot.

Attack #1: (17; 15 - advantage)+10=27 to hit, 3+9=12 damage.

Attack #2: 19+10=29 to hit, 6+9=15 damage.

Like a latch closing, the mind of guard three severs, and, silenced, he flops like a sack of leaves onto the Sandy cobblestones while Snow and Varielky finish the last two. In the street, the rolling shield makes one wide circle then like a coin on a tabletop twirls to a grinding halt. 

From the gate, shouting can be heard. ‘They are closing the gate, Master,’ sends Py.

Please post actions for Round 2 using the same map as before. 

Auger immediately lets the others know what Py said. "We have to get there before the gate closes if we can."

Auger then takes the Druid illusion and moves it back into the street ahead of them as he prepares to move forward. Before moving he pauses for a moment. He had gotten used to travelling without being noticed that it was going to take him a moment to understand if he was still within its effect.

(OOC: Does Snow's magic still hold?)

(OOC: Only 15 minutes or so of pass without trace have elapsed, and Snow’s concentration has been uninterrupted. So at this moment, 40-45 minutes of concealment remain, at Snow’s discretion.)

Varielky sheathes her sword - even if she'll draw it again in a moment - and turns back, running back to the corner where she'll be able to see the gate. "Unless one of you can get us all past a closed gate or keep it from closing, I think it's time we power through them."

Even if she says that, Varielky wonders if it were truly possible. Snow and Auger aren't exactly master swordsmen, and even if she breaks past the guards, they'll have to get through too, and it might take too long to take out all of the guards. What if the gate closes? Varielky tries to assess just how much time they have before the gate fully closes. Is it closing fast, forcing them to dash across, or is it slow enough to allow some lenience?

Investigation, if needed: 16.

(OOC: The guards are retreating through the gate as one of them begins lowering a portcullis while another pair seem to be budging restraints off of the tall doors in order to close them as well. The guards will be through and the gate lowered within three or four rounds, Varielky guesses.)

Snow thinks for a moment before asking Auger, "Are you able to get through the wall Auger? I can handle Varielky and myself and it might be beneficial for them to think we are trapped on this side of the gate", he asks as he moves forward.

He stops a short distance away from the gate, the next step dependent on Auger's reply.

"If I can see the other side, then yes, I can get through," Auger says as he advances with Snow.

(OOC: Are we already right at the gate?)

"Make your choice. The gate is closing quickly." Varielky urges. "I believe we have enough time to make it past by running in, but we can't delay." She continues to run forward, making sure to stay close enough to Snow.

Round 2

It sounds like you are rushing the gate, and by dashing, reach the vicinity of I-9 by the end of Round 2. Three guards remain between the gate and you, and they are dodging, shields raised, ready to dive through the doors and under the portcullis. The doors are slowly grinding shut, with a 5’ wide opening at H3; and the portcullis is lowered half-way by the end of the round, it’s bottom spikes 5’ above the ground.

Guards 5, 6, and 7 stand in a line at G4, H4, I4, dodging since last round. They are the only ones in view.

Please post actions for Round 3 in any order.

As they rush forward Snow gets the feeling it was too late now to change their course of action. If he disappeared with Varielky, Auger would be alone and exposed and he couldn't have that.

"Ok, I guess we are fighting through", he says just loud enough for both his companions to hear.

He raises his crossbow and fires off a bolt at one of the guards closing the doors, and reaches out with his mind to telekinetically push another away from the door.

He tries to stay behind Varielky if possible, or let her charge passed and follow close.

Movement: Carries on moving forward and out a bit to get visibility on the guards closing the doors.
Action: Hand Crossbow Attack on a guard closing the door: (19, 1)+5=24, Damage: 6+2=8
Bonus Action: Telekinetic Shove away from the door to stop delay them closing it, DC16 Str save or moved 5ft away.

(OOC: If he can't get visibility on the guards closing the doors or lowering the portcullis, he will go for another)

"Got it." Varielky runs to confront the guards directly. However, given the time pressure and the guards' defensive stances, she doesn't even bother drawing her sword. All she needs to do is clear a path. Varielky runs until she's right in front of the guards, then tries to shove them all down to the ground so she could jump above them. Using her wide shield, she even tries to shove two of them together to do it all even faster, but unfortunately, it divides her force between the two, pushing each with less force than she could apply on just one.

Regardless of how many of the guards did end up prone (but assuming that's at least one), Varielky jumps above them to get behind all three, then stand in between the closing doors to hold them open just until Auger and Snow can get past. "Hurry!"

Move: Breaking it to moving in front of the guards, then after all her actions, to H3. She should probably be able to do it with 30', depending on which square exactly she was standing at.
Action: Attack, swapping both attacks for shove attempts at guards #7 and #6 to knock them prone.
            Shove #1: Athletics: 18+8=26.
            Shove #2: Athletics: 6+8=14.
Bonus Action: Shield-Shove to knock guard #5 prone.
            Shove #3: Athletics: 7+8=15.

Seeing the chance the others have created, Auger moves as quickly as he can, running through the closing gate before attempting to deal with any guards. Auger does not risk himself however. As he approaches any who might hit him, he reaches into the Sea of Stars and moves himself forward and past the gate, as far as he can before continuing to move away. Once there and through, he turns and faces the remaining guards.

Py, fly ahead a little and make sure no reinforcements will come from the direction of the tower ahead!

Action: Dash

Move: Through the gate to the other side

Bonus Action: Will Misty Step so as to avoid providing any chances at opportunity attacks

Concentration: Silent Image is still active, but the illusion did not move this round so is either at max range, or just out of range