It was a day like any other at Greystone. Damp. Boring. And cold. The outpost was built right up against the Thron River, along a stretch where the waterflow is rapid enough to send spray flying into the air as it crashes into the rocky embankment. 

Typically, there's 14 stationed at the outpost at any given time, but that's changed recently. War with Karalor has been on the forefront of every military commander's mind these past few months, and many soliders have been transferred to the eastern border. For about a month now, only a little more than half the usual number has manned Greystone:

• Aino Tanssija
• Karlo Temuri
• Rahza Greysail
• Raia Castorena
• Rohan Winfield
• Mira Voss
• Jax Tilvern
• Toren Elsper
• And the commander of the outpost, Kaleth Grejan

The outpost itself sits somewhere between "not that large" and "not that small." It's little more than a hastily constructed wooden palisade on the east side of the river, built as a half-dome around the only bridge for dozens of miles. It contains a stable, an armory, and a small mess hall. A barracks was planned to be built, but somewhere along the line it fell to the wayside. Soldiers stationed at Greystone instead sleep in tents along the south wall.

There are two gates, one that handles the eastern road, and another one leading to a road that cuts north. A bridge runs across the River Thron, leading back into the main lands of Eldoria.

Nothing special happened throughout the day to indicate that this is when it would all begin. You woke up early at the dawn, and alternated among taking watch and your other daily tasks with the other four. As night came, you took your meal in the mess hall while Kaleth and the others took over. Then at last, it was time for a blissful rest...

It was a day just like any other...

BOOM

You're startled from your rest by an explosion that shakes the outpost. As you hurriedly collect yourself and exit your tent, you begin to hear shouting. Bursting through the flap of your tent, you're hit with an acrid smell, like burning old carcasses. 

The east gate has been blown apart, chunks of its flaming splintered wood litter the ground inside the outpost. Kaleth lays dazed on the ground in front of the torn gate, fumbling for his greataxe. Beside him, you see a mangled corpse wearing Eldorian armor. Soldiers have begun to pour through the outpost's broken gate, fanning out around Kaleth as they enter. Interspersed throughout their number you can make out the uniformed robes of four Aurinellian battle mages.

Mira and Jax, whom had been guarding the north gate, seem equally stunned, frozen in place at their posts. 

As you begin to process what you're seeing, Kaleth yells from the top of his lungs: "GUARD THE BRIDGE! HOLD THESE DEMONSPAWN BACK!"

For Players:

Greystone Outpost Ambush

Stepping out of his tent is an average-sized individual that can best be described as "not quite human". His eyes glow a bright yellow in the dark and his pointed furry ears perk up at the sudden commotion. 

As he looks around, he hears screaming and weapons clashing. Old memories started to surface. He freezes for a moment. He remembers running back then, feeling powerless. Only this time, he can fight back. He shakes himself back into focus. He tries to understand the situation.

How did this happen? How did so many of them get in without anyone noticing them approach? Questions for later. 

Commander Kaleth was starting to get surrounded. Rohan and the others needed to help him out of this predicament. More importantly though, they needed to survive. They were heavily out numbered and taken by surprise. Rohan grabbed his bow and arrows and prepared to fight for his life.

Initiative: 7

The owl had been acting strange all evening.  Almost as if he sensed something coming.  Ash's smoke-dark feathers had been ruffled with unease in the minutes before the attack, but the apprehensive bird had grudgingly retreated nonetheless to Aino's tent as the young wizard retired with her books after a bit of stretching and some desultory forms with her rapier.  But when the BOOM rings out, Ash is out of the tent almost before the sonic wave hits.

Uncharacteristically, Aino is far slower to react, having been lost in a page of arcane magic, musing over some strange rune that appears to be related to Marnoth, the Shroud.  Tossing the book in her pack and strapping it to her back, she takes a moment to grab her rapier and longbow before darting out of the tent.  Her dirty blond hair, only partially corralled by a long braid that hangs over her shoulder, frames a youthful elven face and deep brown eyes.

Aino's momentarily languid pace seems at odds with the desperate urgency of the situation.  Incongruously, the lithe bladesinger appears to be taking it all in from where she stands, balanced on the balls of her feet, partially covered in shadow.  Thoughtful.  Curious, even, despite the obvious danger.

Fascinating.  If we survive this, I will have numerous notes to take in my journal - aye, and even my spell book, perhaps.  I have always wondered how the battle mages of Aurinelle use their spells in battle.  Their tactics.  How they fight.  How they... die.

Aino Initiative:  7
Ash (Aino's owl familiar) Initiative:  21 (nat. 20)

The shockwave of the exploding gate ruffles the tents and Rahza steps out, stretching his neck with audible pops. His scimitar and shield already in hand, he grins at the gathered foes. "Knew today would be fun. The wind wasn't right all yesterday," he mutters. He starts to walk forward, pointing the tip of his scimitar at the nearest battle mage and yells, "About time you cowards made a move!"

Initiative: 19

Karlo hastily throws a cloak over his shoulders, grabbing a quiver from inside his tent before stepping out through the flap. A sleek black longbow materializes in his hand as he surveys the scene, eyes narrowing as they adjust to flickering light of the flames. 

Looking over the outpost turned battlefield, he settles his sight on Kaleth. He was going to be surrounded soon, and there was little doubt in his mind that the Aurinelle soldiers wouldn't be in a hurry to grant mercy to captives.

His priority would be getting their commander to safety - or relative safety at least. Next, the battle mages.

Initiative: 6

Raia groggily stumbles from her tent after the others, sword and shield in hand. Normally she would be ready for anything, but tonight she mistakenly fell into quite a deep slumber. With bleary eyes she looks around the outpost, trying to make sense of the attack.

There were so many...Her gaze flicks to the bridge at Kaleth's command. It was a chokepoint they could conceivably hold, but only after those mages were dealt with.

Initiative: 2

For Players:

Before any of the other soldiers can react, Rahza is on the field of battle like lightning, and flying onto the battlefield overhead, a barely noticed owl...

Ash swoops and dives at the Aurinellian soldier furthest to the southwest, flapping his wings in the enemy's face before flying back to Aino's shoulder.  Taking the help action and avoiding any attack of opportunity using owls' Flyby capability and 60' fly speed.

(Providing advantage to Rohan, Kalen, Rahza, or perhaps Aino herself - whoever attacks that soldier next this round).

The owl glares at Aino from her shoulder as he lands.  Done mooning over your books yet?  I've never met a bladesinger so slow...

As Rahza walks confidently toward the closest soldier, he mutters a prayer under his breath, "Let the winds of the storm push away the blades of my foes." As he reaches the first soldier, he smiles broadly and says, "You here to do a soldier's work, or just make us jump?" His scimitar lashes out at the Aurinellian troop.

((Bonus Action to cast Shield of Faith on self, raising AC to 20. Movement left three and up five, to be just southwest of the enemy soldier. Attack 13 19, Damage 7 if it hits.))

DM SCREEN ROLLS

The Aurinellian soldier flinches and swings wildly with their sword as an ashy owl flies in their face, scratching away with sharp talons before arcing away and returning to Aino's side. Before he's able to recover the pirate turned soldier is upon him, slashing down with a scimitar that catches his arm, slicing off a chunk of flesh.

Three soldiers break off from the main body, sprinting across the outpost grounds towards the gate Mira and Jax had been guarding. A red skinned tiefling with swept back horns leisurely follows behind them, sending a streak of fire through the air at Raia with a flick of his wrist. The spell flies past her head, blasting a hole through Aino's tent.

Another trio of soldiers surround your dragonborn commander, longswords whipping through the air as they try to bring him down quickly. What you know that they don't however, is that this is Commander Kaleth Grejan, one of the fiercest warriors you've seen in the Eldorian military. He will not lose a fight so easily. With a roar the dragborn swings his greataxe in an arc, deflecting two of their blades while the third just barely catches wrist. With another war cry he swings the greataxe twice, tearing through the armor of one of the soldiers and turning their torso into a bloody mess.

A second mage makes their presence known on the battlefield, a silver-haired elf. He quickly makes way through the gate, following in the footsteps of the tiefling as he hurls his own firebolt, this one directed at Aino. The shadar-kai would probably find their aim less than impressive, as the flame harmlessly flies nearly a whole body length over her head.

For Players

"Interesting."  Aino ignores the sass from her owl and draws her rapier as she begins to whistle a low, haunting tune, woven with tendrils of shadow.  Starting her Bladesong, she dances to the north, not seeming to rush, but moving more quickly than she appears.

As she goes, the tiniest strand of spider-silk emerges in her free hand and with a flick of her fingers, her melody almost palpably shapes a large, dense web positioned in a diagonal cube at the eastern gate to entangle as many of the attackers as she can contain within it's expanse.

If I get caught in that thing... grumbles Ash darkly inside Aino's head as the young wizard veers northeast into melee with an Aurinellian mage and soldier.  Counting on Kaleth, Rahza and the others to hold the center and south as she moves to contain the northern flank.

Bonus Action:  Aino starts her Bladesong.  For the next 10 rounds (or unless incapacitated):
Aino's AC goes from 16 to 20.
Aino's walking speed goes from 30' to 40'.
Aino's CON Saves to maintain concentration on a spell go from +3 to +7
Aino has advantage on Acrobatics checks.

Action:  Aino casts Web in a diagonal 20' cube along the east gate (as shown by gray diamond in image below):
Web area of effect should include Aurinellian soldiers 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 and battle mage 2.
When any creature starts its turn inside the web, it makes a DC14 DEX Save or is restrained, move speed reduced to 0', attacks against it have advantage, and it has disadvantage on its own attacks and DEX Saves thereafter while so restrained.
Creature on its turn can use its action to make a DC14 STR Save to free itself or remains restrained.
Regardless, the web represents difficult terrain.

Movement:  Aino moves 40' north and northeast as shown below by the arrow, leaving Ash behind, flapping in the air with an affronted expression.

Reactions:  Aino has reactions available and may use them to cast Shield, Silvery Barbs or Absorb Elements if needed on enemy turns.

Though he knows that the Commander can hold his own in combat, Rohan knows that he’s no one-man army. He’ll need support. With Aino and Rahza already joining the fray, and possibly the others, it should be sufficient.

Quickly surveying the battlefield, Rohan sees the three soldiers heading towards Jax and Mira. Perhaps he can start making his way over to them. He starts heading northwest through the tents, stopping halfway where Aino was a moment ago to survey the Commander’s situation. The soldiers engaged with him were distracted. It would be a good moment to strike.

Quickly nocking an arrow, he aims it at the soldier outside of Aino’s web spell. Just like hunting game back in the day, he aims for a tender spot, somewhere that could cripple, or even better, kill. The arrow flies, but Rohan doesn’t wait to see if it hits, he continues his way towards the three soldiers heading north.

Movement: 30 feet northwest (6 square diagonal)

Action: Shortbow attack at Soldier 8 (with sneak attack since the Commander is within 5 feet of him)

(Rolled in dice log)

Attack: 21 Damage: 9 (5+4) Sneak Attack damage: 3 (2+1)

Reaction:

Rohan can use his Skirmisher feature to move 15 feet away if an enemy ends its movement within 5 feet of him, not provoking opportunity attacks.

DM SCREEN ROLLS

As thick ropy strings of web fall upon the area, the mages from Aurinelle immediately snap their attention to the elf. One of them - the one(mage 2) near the gate - is caught by surprise and entangled in the spell, restrained by the thick webbing. Two other soldiers(7 and 12) are also held down by the webs. The others however, manage to escape being stuck by the spell, cutting through enough of them themselves or quickly helping the soldier next to them.

While the shadar-kai moves with inhuman grace across the battlefield, an arrow flies past behind her from Rohan's bow, taking one of the Aurinellian soldiers ganging up on Kaleth in the back. You hear him let out a pained, gurgled cry as the arrow hits a vital spot, probably piercing through a lung. The soldier is still up, but just barely.

For Players:

Karlo narrows his focus onto the mage caught in Aino's spell, reaching for the magical power granted to him. He raises the conjured bow in his hand, pulling back the string without an arrow nocked. When he lets loose, a small mote of blackish energy flits across the outpost, cursing the restrained soldier(7) to Kaleth's right. Turning on his heel, he runs back and up the steps of the palisade wall to get vertical distance over the fight. He raises his bow once again, this time with an arrow on the string.

Aiming again at the same soldier, he releases the arrow.

Movement: 5ft southwest >> 5ft west >> 5ft south >> 5ft southwest >> 5ft south >> 5ft east
Bonus Action: Hex on Soldier 7, Disadvantage on STR Checks, and 1d6 necrotic damage on hit.
Action: Longbow Attack on Soldier 7
Attack: 11 23 (advantage against restrained targets)
Damage: 12 piercing damage + 3 necrotic damage

DM SCREEN ROLLS