As the battle at Castle Daggerdale raged on, the situation quickly evolved with new developments on the field. From within the darkened doorway of the castle, three orcs, armed and ready for battle, rushed out, their heavy footsteps echoing off the stone. Haj and Cal, observing from their vantage points, watched as these new combatants swiftly moved to reinforce the southern flank of the castle, where the sounds of combat were most intense.

Meanwhile, on the battlements, a small group emerged, moving with a sense of purpose and urgency. Two mercenaries, their armor clanking with each step, were joined by a goblin, its small form darting between them. But it was the presence of a mysterious robed figure that caught Haj and Cal’s attention. Haj immediately recognized the figure from the town square in Shadowdale. Shrouded in a cloak, the figure moved with a quiet, eerie grace, its face hidden in the shadow of its hood. There was something undeniably ominous about this individual, a sense of concealed power and intent.

Below, amidst the chaos of the battle, the commoners who had been forced to dig the mass grave seized their chance to escape. They dropped their tools and ran off to the south, away from the conflict and towards the promise of freedom. As they passed by the party's position, they cast silent, grateful looks at their liberators. Their expressions spoke volumes, a mix of relief, fear, and hope as they disappeared into the safety of the surrounding forest.

In the midst of the confrontation, the orc that Drax had mocked with his 'Vicious Mockery' spell lashed out in a blind rage. Its target was Taya, who stood her ground bravely. With a guttural roar, the orc swung its heavy weapon at her. The blow landed with a resounding impact on her armor, the force of it staggering her. Though her armor absorbed much of the hit, the strength behind the orc’s attack was undeniable, a testament to its raw, unbridled fury.

Taya's health is 23/34, it is Cal and Haj's turn

Haj yells at Cal to use his healing potion, then takes aim at the closest enemy (BB9). Before firing he casts Hail of Thorns

Attack: 23 Damage: 7

Hail of thorns 3

Cal runs straight south to the edge of the water while drinking the potion 8. As he wades into the water to try to get some cover from the ballista, he whirls a hand back at the closest enemy to try to telekinetic shove (Str save, dc13) him back 5ft, delaying the inevitable by some fractions of a second at best.

In the heat of the battle at Castle Daggerdale, Haj swiftly notched another arrow to his bow, his eyes locked on the advancing orc. Under his breath, he muttered a quiet incantation, infusing the arrow with arcane energy. As he released the string, the arrow flew straight and true towards its target.

The moment the arrow struck the orc, it erupted into a flurry of thorns, blossoming outward in a lethal explosion of sharp, wooden spikes. The orc, caught off guard by the sudden transformation, was impaled by the thorns, its roars of rage quickly turning to cries of pain. The magical thorns burrowed deep, the orc's life rapidly ebbing away.

At that precise moment, Cal, seizing the opportunity, focused his telekinetic energy on the orc's now lifeless body. With a forceful push of his mind, he sent the orc's body flying, turning it into a makeshift projectile. The body hurtled through the air, creating a momentary distraction among the enemy ranks.

The chaos of the battle continued to escalate. To the north of the castle, the group of orcs, goblins, and mercenaries, upon witnessing the fall of their comrade, quickly reevaluated their strategy. In a rapid decision, they split their forces – half of them veered off towards Cal and Haj, seeking to overwhelm the pair with their numbers. Their approach was aggressive, a mix of shouted commands and battle cries as they charged.

The other half of the northern group redirected their attention towards the southern wall, where the rest of the party was engaged in fierce combat. This group moved with a more tactical approach, attempting to flank the party and provide support to their besieged comrades.

It is Drax, Galdric, and Horros' turn

Observing the increase of forces at the top of the wall near them, Galdric abandons his plan to teleport up there to engage the ballista.  It's becoming clear to him that the southeast corner is becoming quite a popular spot and he feels that he and his compatriots will soon be overrun, especially now that Taya has already received wounds.  His team needs to get out of there.  

"Go back that way, around the corner!  I think there will be less resistance there!" Galdric yells, pointing in the western direction. 

After offering this suggestion to his fellows, Galdric goes around Taya, coming behind the orc, careful to not stay in the ballista's line of sight for more than a second.  He takes a swing at the orc, hoping to end it quickly so his teammates can head west unimpeded.  Failing that, at least distract the beast.

Attack: 18

Damage: 8

Sensing that danger approaches from up above, Zyzix is forced to act out of a sense of self-preservation. There was too many bodies crowded here on this side of the wall. All it would take is a single well placed spell, and they would all be killed in one fell swoop. Feeling the urge to dash away and flee from the melee, he takes a few steps away from the wall. He turns slightly as he does, and he catches sight of the robed figure above. He halts his flight, looking up at the figure as a half-baked idea forms in his mind. This will either go very well, or I’ll probably end up dead, he thinks to himself. Drawing a deep breath to steady himself, he calls up to the man up above in what he hopes is a forceful and intimidating tone. 

“You up there! Tell your forces to stand down, and we will spare your lives. We are merely a fraction of the force that marches upon your position. They will be here in a few minutes, and if you don’t surrender now, we will destroy you. I suggest you command your men to lay down their weapons and yield to our custody so we can detain you before the rest of our more bloodthirsty allies descend upon you. I promise that they will do you no harm if you yield.”

He fixes the man with a firm glare, hoping that his subtle magic is able to take hold of the man’s mind.

((Casting Suggestion on the robed guy))

Horros joins Galdric defending a potential retreat to the other end of the castle. As he does so he casts toll the dead dc 13 wis or 3 damage. 

As he wraps the corner he smashes his hammer against the ground shouting his holy words as he uses his bonus action to cast [spell]spiritual weapon at the nearest enemy reinforcement: Attack: 15 Damage: 9

”we can’t just leave the ballista no?” He asks Galdric 

“I can get up there, but I fear there are too many of them up there for me to handle alone”

"I'll try to slow 'em down and take the brunt of the initial attack. Hit them hard!" Taya yells as she presses her shield against the bloody orc and pushes herself between him and Horros. She hurries past Galdric towards the incoming orcs and positions herself next to the spiritual weapon. Sword drawn, shield at the ready and with her teeth bared, she tries to dodge any attacks on her while taking a deep breath to replenish her energy (Second Wind: +9 HP).

(The remaining orc should get an opportunity attack at Taya but at disadvantage, because she dodges this turn. In fact - as a reminder - all attacks on her should be at disadvantage until her next turn. By the way she moves to AH25 if that wasn't clear and I counted Horros' space as difficult terrain for passing through.)

High atop the battlements of Castle Daggerdale, under the cold and cruel direction of the robed figure, the mercenaries and a goblin prepared their ranged weapons. The robed figure, commanding and sinister, gestured aggressively towards the party below. "Rain death upon them!" the figure barked. "Let none escape your arrows!"

With this ruthless command, a volley of crossbow bolts and arrows was loosed, arcing through the air towards the party members engaged in the fierce battle below. Each missile hissed with deadly intent, but due to the agility and awareness of the party, they narrowly missed their targets.

The robed figure, watching the barrage fail to hit its mark, sneered in frustration. "Incompetent fools!" they spat venomously. "Can't you aim straight? Hit them, or you'll find yourselves on the receiving end of my wrath!"

Meanwhile, on the ground, the orc surrounded by Galdric, Horros, and Taya fought with a desperate ferocity. In a wild swing, it lashed out at Horros, managing to land a glancing blow. The orc's weapon grazed Horros, the impact jarring but not deep, a testament to Horros's battle-hardened resilience.

Simultaneously, a group of orcs to the east executed a tactical maneuver. They ran south around the corner of the castle walls, effectively flanking Galdric and Taya. With menacing grunts, they readied their weapons, preparing to strike. Their movements were coordinated, their intentions clear – they aimed to take down one of the key fighters in the party, hoping to shift the tide of the battle in their favor.

It is now Haj and Cal's turn. Horros took 7 HP of damage.

Cal focuses on the two nearest mercenary,  and says "They have no money for this! Want real gold? ||twinnedsuggestion Switch sides and fight on our side for this battle!|| he prepares to Silvery Barbs either if they pass their save, and if he does grants the advantage to himself. Meanwhile he makes a beeline for the bridge and moves 30ft closer to it.

As one of the mercs falters and looks confused Haj draws his scimitar(s) and attacks the other.

Main Attack: 21 Damage: 8

Offhand Attack: 12 Damage: 6

Cal stepped forward, his presence commanding despite the turmoil around them. Locking eyes with one of the bandits, he spoke with an authoritative and compelling voice, imbued with the power of magic. "Fight for us," he intoned, casting 'Suggestion' with a subtle but irresistible force. The spell wove its way into the bandit's mind, altering his perception and will. Almost instantly, the bandit's expression changed from aggression to confusion, and then to a reluctant acceptance, as the magic took hold. He turned, now facing his former allies, ready to defend Cal and Haj as if they were his own.

Meanwhile, Haj engaged the other bandit with the swift grace of a seasoned warrior. He drew his scimitar, the blade glinting in the light of the rising sun. With a fluid motion, he struck at the bandit, his blade slicing through the air and into his opponent. The scimitar cut deep, the sharp steel rending flesh and eliciting a scream of agony from the bandit. The wound was severe, blood spilling onto the ground, a clear sign of Haj's skill and precision in combat.

It is Drax, Galdric, and Horros turn.

Seeing the other orcs coming up behind him, Galdric spits out a curse that would make Waterhavian dockworker blush. In an attempt to weaken the newcomers, he casts Bane on the three of them. (12 Cha Save). 

Horros strikes at the orc next to him with his mace before directing his spiritual weapon to attack its previous target. “Oi Oi! The party has started! Stand strong friends for our cause is righteous!!” He seems to be enjoying himself. If he kills the orc with his mace he moves to cover their flank (next to Drax) 

Mace attack: Attack: 8 Damage: 10

spiritual Weapon attack: Attack: 21 Damage: 7

(I might’ve screwed up my formula for the first one. I rolled on my character sheet just in case) 

Feeling a sense of panic as he sees the approaching bandits, he takes a step out once again and looks up at the robed man. He casts another spell under his breath, but it takes a different effect than the last one.

Casting Phantasmal Force on the robed homie. If he fails, he will see an air elemental spawn behind him, and it will begin attacking him.

With a mighty swing, fueled by both his strength and divine fervor, he brought his weapon down with a crushing force. The blow landed squarely on the orc's skull, caving it in with a gruesome finality. The orc's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

However, as Horros attempted to direct his summoned spectral weapon against another orc, the attack missed its mark. The weapon swiped through the air but failed to connect, leaving the orc momentarily startled but unharmed.

Galdric, amidst the fray, unleashed a wave of magical profanity. The words, laced with arcane energy, emanated from him in a disorienting shockwave. Two of the orcs near him reeled from the impact, their senses scrambled by the curse. They stumbled, their attacks thrown off balance, providing Galdric a momentary respite and advantage.

Drax, seeing the chaos unfolding, focused his attention on the robed figure above. He attempted to cast 'Phantasmal Force,' trying to convince the figure that an elemental was attacking him. However, the figure’s will proved too strong, or perhaps their mind too shielded, and the spell failed to take hold. The robed figure merely glanced around with a confused and then amused look, realizing the attempt at deception. "Elementals? Do you take me for a fool?" the figure scoffed from the battlements, unaffected by the illusion.

Above, the ballista crew, aiming hastily at Taya, released another massive bolt. The projectile, however, missed its intended target, flying wide over Taya's head and embedding itself into the ground with a thud. The operators’ rushed efforts resulted in poor aim, sparing Taya from what could have been a lethal hit.

On the ground, the orcs surrounding Taya swung their weapons in a frenzy. However, only one of their blows managed to connect, striking her armor with a heavy but harmless thud. The other two orcs, still reeling from the effects of Galdric's curse, swung wildly, their attacks missing Taya as they struggled to regain their bearings.

It is Taya's turn