Quote from Saute_Monkey >>

(OOC:  We are outside, near the inn talking with the Zhents. Torem lead us back across from the keep at post 254. The keep is part of the town, just across the broken bridge. From the front of the keep to where the Zhents stopped and talked with Mae is a couple hundred feet.)

(Also Correct. :) )

"There have got to be about twenty of them!" Torem yells back. "Leaving the safety of Nightstone would be nothing short of suicide!"

One of the orcs gives an excited yell, pointing towards the broken bridge. The orcs begin to wade into the moat, yelling war cries and waving their weapons. They begin to clamber up the shattered bridge, only to be met by a hail of Zhentarim projectiles. Shoving aside the corpses of the fallen they press the attack, led by a scarred war chief and a shaman.

Orc War Chief Initiative: 9

Orcs Initiative: 15

Orc Eye of Gruumsh Initiative: 15

Zhentarim Initiative: 10.

Xolkin Initiative: 7

Mae Initiative: 16

Guards Initiative: 17

Sheshka Grimaces and readies her ax to cut down some orcs "Ear Seekers..." She grumbles, clutching her ax in both hands.

Initiative: 21

Iz continues toward the keep, intent on warning the remaining guards of the impending attack and potential Zhentarim take-over. 

initiative : 17

The Battlefield:

The Zhentarim, Torem, and PC's are congregated in the opening in the palisade where the bridge is located. The fifteen or so orcs that remain are clambering up the shattered wooden planks. The three other guards are still in the keep across the moat. 

Rat initiative: 11

(it doesn't show the result of the roll for me.. so i'll roll again. But in case it does for others then keep the first one and just put Rat into initiative order based on that)

Try 2 on initiative: 4

(OOC: In the opening at the bridge to the keep, or the drawbirdge?)

(At the bridge to the keep.)

Druug will head up as well, casting Sacred Flame at any orc within range. 

Dex Save DC 12

Damage: 4

Finally realizing that there's nothing to be done, Iz grumpily turns back, sprinting toward the fray. She raises her shield and drawing her sword. "Guess it's the hard way then." Her eyes narrow.

(Everyone can make their initial attacks, along with a roll of a d4. Initiative is unnecessary in this situation.)

Casualties: 8 19 5

Dexterity Save: 18

"Go for their leader!" Xolkin yells, and a rain of arrows brings the orc war chief to his knees. The orc horde continues to surge forward, and Mae and a Zhentarim mercenary fall before the vicous onslaught. 

"Kella!" Xolkin's heartbroken scream rises above the cacophony of battle, and he struggles to reach Mae's lifeless body, shoving aside several orcs in his mad attempt to reach her.

OOC: Wow, there goes the Chief

Sheshka will mark an orc within melee range with her Hunter's Mark. Once the target of her ire is acquired, she gives a big two-handed swing from overhead with her ax! "GRAAAGH!"

Battleaxe: Attack: 13 Damage: 10

Retaliation Roll!!!: 4

Sheshka's axe sinks deep into the orc's gut, staining the ground with black blood. 

The orc war chief staggers to his feet, denying death his soul. With the endurance of a gorilla, he rallies his horde around him, bellowing a war song to Gruumsh.

Iz charges the war chief, with her longsword in hand. She's humming that happy little tune from before, but the look on her face reflects frustration, impatience.

She shouts to the rhythm of clashing blades and shields, "I... just... want... to... save... the... common... folk!"

attack 7  damage : 6

chaos : 3

"Oh dear gods, this is such a mess, all we wanted to do was leave and now there are two entire groups of people complicating this and all of these axes and crossbow bolts are entirely too close to me for my liking and— gah! Like that, exactly like that, would you brutes stop that for just a second so I can take appropriate measures—" Thalia only just manages to duck under an errant flying bolt and frantically makes the hand signs for mage armor before standing back up and hurrying to put some distance between her and the nearest orcs. Oh, if these hoodlums are going to make her defend herself, she'll give them something to defend against. Y'know, once they're not in immediate cutting-off-her-head range.

Retaliation roll: 4

(OOC: Wish I'd had the forethought to do this earlier, but oh, well!

Also, don't mind the color change; just differentiating from Druug and maybe trying something a little more... coppery, I guess?)

Rat takes a shot at some random orc with his shortbow:

Attack: 10 Damage: 4

Retaliation roll: 1

He will also try to hide with bonus action: 24

Druug watches Mae fall and looks back to the orcs, narrowing his eyes and searching for the Orc Eye, loosing Guiding Bolt at him. 

Attack: 7 Damage: 16

(Next attack to hit the Eye has advantage)

Retaliation:  3

     "Oh, just what I needed. This should be good to work out some frustration." Frixori takes aim at the nearest orc, says a few words in infernal, and necrotic energy coalesces around her target (Hex. She pulls the trigger on her crossbow and watches it to her target. 

Attack: 13 Damage: 14

Retaliation: 2

 (Do we roll something else if we're hit back?)

Rat's arrow finds it's mark, and an orc topples into the moat, clutching at it's ruined throat. Druug hurls a Guiding Bolt at the orc shaman, who is not quick enough to avoid the arcane projectile.

Two orcs break free of the fray and lash out at Rat and Frix with bloodstained axes. 

Rat Attack: 18 Damage: 6

Frix Attack: 16 Damage: 7

Orc Count: 14

Zhentarim Count: 5

Round 2:

Casualties: 12 7 1