If they all stay grouped up:

Hope's eyes will glow with hellfire as she the flames of her patron erupt from the palm of her hand outward towards the three assailants. 

(Burning HandsDex Save, vs DC 15, 11 fire damage, half as much on a successful save)

If they do not stay grouped up, she will instead either disengage and step back as far as she can or if she has breathing room, she will cast Hex on one that is going next and eldritch blast him too. 

(Attack: 20, 1 force damage, 3 necrotic damage.)

Initiative roll: 4

"It was worth a try," Flash says to Verona with a shrug. His hands unclasp and one slips into his robes, returning with what looks like a miniature spear - it's about 3 foot long, and at least a foot of it is pointed blade. He spins it briefly like a baton, before holding it raised like a scorpion's sting, his other hand extended towards the guards.

"I would let is through if I were you," he calls to them. "Or I shall be forced to carve a path."

Initiative: 15

If a guard has not attacked yet, Flash will ready the following Action. If they have already attacked by Flashes turn, the Action and Bonus action are his turn.

Action: if one of the guards moves to attack anyone, including himself, Flash will return the favour, jabbing forward with his Yklwa: attack 14; damage 5 piercing.

Bonus Action: Unarmed Strike: A jab to the throat with his fingers, replicating a spear or sword thrust: attack 21; damage 4 bludgeoning.

Almost imperceptibly, Leryin releases a quiet sigh. He'd hoped that subterfuge alone would be enough for them to get out of this roadblock, but apparently not. "On your head be it." He replies, voice betraying his irritation. His reluctance to resort to violence even now, however, is evident, as he hesitates momentarily before waving a flippant hand to gesture at the guards.

"You lot aren't very competent, are you?" He asks, voice lightly mocking. "Is that why you were assigned to this pointless post? I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't your first time asleep on the job."

Assuming at least two are still alive/conscious by the time it reaches Leryin's turn, he will cast Sleep (25) to include only the guards. Otherwise, he will cast Vicious Mockery (Damage: 1, WIS DC 14) at the remaining guard and give bardic inspiration (1D6) to Thomas.

Verona Initiative

10

Action

Verona weaves a simple pattern in the air and then says "Austudeia Nar" Fire sprouts from her hands and she hurls it at guard 3 assuming he was  the guard on the far right.

Attack: 17 Damage: 6

Initiative: 17

Aurelia pulls her shortbow, knocks an arrow and lets it fly at one of the guards. Even as she does so the golden scaled dragonborn smirks in amusement at Leryin's wit - "Wish I'd thought of that."

OOC:

Attack with Shortbow: 22, Damage: 4

Depending on where she is in the Initiative order Aurelia might qualify for a Sneak Attack thanks to one of us being within five feet of a guard. If so, Sneak attack Damage: 6 

Aurelia points her shortbow at Guard 2, who's just began running, and let flies an arrow. You all see the arrow whiz past the guard's head.

Guard 2, on the back left, takes out his sword and rushes forward towards Thomas. Fierce determination mixed with slight apprehension from the previous spell. As if trying to brave through the slight fear of a caster being with you, he shouts out and swings. Attack: 14 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

Thomas rushes Guard 1 in the middle, breaks through his defences, lunges and leaves a nasty, gaping wound across his face. The guard snarls, taken aback, but not quite dead yet.

The guard retaliates and swings at Thomas: Attack: Attack: 14 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

At the same time, Flash rushes forward with his Yklwa, then leaps forward and thrusts at Guard 2 while still in the air, who easily deflects the spear with his sword. Using the momentum of the deflection, Flash kicks the sword out of the way, lands and jabs Guard 2's throat. The guard stumbles back a few steps, shocked and choking.

Hope draws on her Patron and focuses, angling herself so that she can get all three without hitting her friends. A cone of fire bursts forth from her hands, engulfing all three. They scream out in pain, but remain standing, yet you can all see they are not doing well at all. Hope, suddenly hears a rumbling chuckle in her head. 

Guard 3, terrified out of his mind, drops his sword and raises his hands. And in a moment of desperation, says to Aurelia. "Zolteal knows you're back! And she's sending people to finish you off for good this time. Keep me alive and I'll tell how to find her!"

Verona, lets out a spell and completely immolates Guard 3. There's a shriek of pain as he falls to the ground, his body completely charred.

Arcane notes come from Leryin as he casts Sleep on the remaining Guards. They all look at him, stumble, then crumble to the ground in deep sleep.

(You are all now out of initiative order)

Thomas takes a moment to look round for witnesses (Perception: 8) before cleaning his rapier on one of the sleeping guards’ cloaks.

’Zolteal? An acquaintance of yours?’ he asks Aurelia

Leryin holds his breath for a moment as the guards drop, confirming that his spell had worked before releasing a sigh of relief. Despite his previously bold words, he seems a little pale as he steps closer, skirting around the two sleeping bodies while trying not to look at the body of the third guard.

"We should talk while we move." He suggests, tone still a little tense, although the glance he shoots Aurelia is one of curiosity. "They won't be asleep for long."

It should have been impossible for a golden scaled dragonborn to turn pale but Aurelia was very nearly managing it. The adventuress had been shocked still has the third guard had appealed to her directly but before she could respond he was burnt to a crisp. For a moment she stood there, eyes wide, an arrow still knocked to her bow, her tail twitching behind her.

"No... that's impossible," Aurelia says, seemingly more to herself than anyone else. Blinking she comes back to the present, obviously realising that Thomas is addressing her. "Uh, I guess you could say that. I never thought I'd hear from her again though. I wouldn't have thought she'd recognised me."

 She glances at Verona, even as she starts walking again. "You really couldn't have waited a few moments before chargrilling him?"

While there is definitely a hint of anger in her voice there is a larger hint of shock and fear new to the hitherto confident, even cocky woman. 

"Pitiful..." Hope's left eye begins to twitch slightly, the hellfire dying down -- somewhat. The usual soft glow returns to her eyes as she suddenly looks with horror at what everyone has done, including her of course. She reels back and her stomach turns. "I... I inflicted pain on another person." She whispered to herself. Dark whispers flooded her mind and she turned to the others. "What, what do we do now? We... we should go, right?"

(Assuming Thomas doesn’t see any witnesses with his 25 perception - will re-write if there is…)

Thomas takes hold of the charred remains of the guard and starts dragging it into a nearby alleyway, looking for a sewer grate if possible.

’Flash, Aurelia, rip up their cloaks and tie and gag those guards before they wake up. We don’t need them chasing after us straight away. Does anyone see a sewer outlet to lose this one in?’

(Perception to find sewer grate: 24)

"My apologies, I had already sent my spell flying when he spoke. Now I agree lets keep on moving" Verona waits for the others before briskly walking towards the East Gate.

Thomas, you don't notice any witnesses, but you do find a sewer grate twenty feet ahead of you and slightly on the right. A pillar of steam rising out of it

If you want to pop it open you're going to have to make a Strength check. DC: 13

Do the rest of you go to the East Gate?

Using her dagger Aurelia slices up the guards cloaks and gags them, as Thomas suggests, binding them enough so they can't easily escape but making sure they can still breath.

Then she moves onto the sewer grate and, straining herself, tries to open it: (Strength 8)

Thomas moves up to Aurelia as she tries to open the sewer grate. ‘Here, let me help you with that. I think you have a better chance of opening it than me…’

(Thomas will offer to help Aurelia in a second attempt)

Aurelia looks mortified but manages a weak smile and a jokey: "My hero," at Thomas before she tries again.

13

19

Verona seeing her companion struggling decides to try opening the sewer grate. "Let me give it a try"

17

Thomas gives a slight double check, then smiles. ‘Thank you, Verona.’

He then shoves the corpse into the sewer, and closes the grate. ‘From, umm, experience, bodies aren’t left long when you dump them in a sewer…’

He looks around the group ‘Right, time to go before someone comes across those guards - hopefully a thief, with luck…’

Verona gets up and goes towards the East gate with the others.