Rogram sheathes his sword and picks up the kobold, the injury on his back causing him to grunt with the effort.

(If it hasn't yet been an hour since he cast it, he'd still be benefiting from his longstrider spell to help the extra weight not bog him down too much.)

Smoke will not help carry the body, instead of he will look around to keep watch to spot other raiders. Unsure if its worth the risk of slowing us down. We are almost at the keep, then we will be safe. He says but doubting the last part, not knowing how the guards would react to this strange group in the middle of this battle. But he will do his best to display his optimistic side to keep everyones spirit up. 

Smoke will use his speed to scout ahead, being carefull when nearing corners of buildings and motion back to signal if the way is clear. If they reach the final house before the keep he will wait till others move out first, making sure the first person the guards see is not a Tabaxi. 

Thia will help the monk with the dead body.  She wrinkles her nose up in disgust but appreciates that someone has to.  "Can we run now, please?" she asks, eying the safety of the keep once more.

Dern will attempt to retrieve his bolt. After, he'll stick with the back of the group and keep an eye out for further raiders and danger. The Dwarf is eager to take out any of the raiders and the kobolds, but he's not willing to throw down into fray all alone. Not yet anyway.

Thrax will linger in the back with Dern, keeping an eye out for other threats that need to be neutralized, doing his best to position himself to cover the retreat of the citizens fleeing the chaos around them. He also looks for any other organized resistance to this rampage. "Is there anyone else in this town who will stand and fight against this scourge?" He snarls as he scans the battlefield. 

DM Screen:

Thia and Yevele grab the dead raider, while Rogram carries the small unconscious kobold by himself. Dern finds his lone crossbow bolt loosed in the scuffle to be broken.

"We're almost there!" Linan encourages, helping her husband stay on his feet. Her children cluster behind her, their eyes peering out in every direction as they cling to her legs.

Smoke spots them first, looking around as the party gathers themselves; a group of a half dozen kobolds has spotted the party, wheeling from around an alley less than a hundred feet away. Behind them are a human man and woman, wearing leather and armed with scimitars, shouting orders.

For Thrax:

Yevele drops her end of the dead raider, getting ready with her quarter staff for the attack from the kobolds. She will try to position herself so that she is between the kobolds and the path that Linan and her family need to take to get to the keep. If she is able to do so, the monk will wave at the keep and tell Linan to "Run!"

Are the newcomers between the party and the keep?

If not, Rogram will hand the kobold to Linen and encourage the family to run for the keep. "Take it to be bound and questioned," he instruct her.

If so, Rogram will put the kobold on the ground, trying not to jostle it too much so it will stay unconscious.

Either way, after unloading his cargo, he will draw his sword and prepare for battle.

Thrax turns and shouts to the citizens "Make for the keep! That parapet is the best defense we have against these fiends!" He steps forward 30 feet towards the Kobolds in the alley and calls down the wrath of Gond upon them, and roaring out in his draconic tongue at the pack as as clanked his spear against his shield. 

Thrax castsSacred Flame at the closest Kobold. 

Spotting the group of kobolds Smoke waves his hands to cast Prestidigitation and quickly says Rogram, follow my lead. Having seen Rogram cast similar magic. 

Smoke will move to the middle of the road in plain sight and stretch out one hand in front of him with his palm facing the kobolds. Stop! Lay down your weapons now and surrender to the armies of .. Baldurs Gate! quickly thinking of a nearby city. 
He will stand firm and puff his chest. We are a forward scouting group and the full army is right behind us. He holds up his hand in the air next to his ear to signal the kobolds to listen. The magic he cast a moment ago is now still going and making sounds of drums in the distance. Not a musical kind but those used for battle formations, trying to create the impression of a nearby army preparing to enter battle. 

We have come to battle the dragon but it seems it left. He forces out a chuckle Hehe. Would you really want to fight an army that came here to battle a dragon? He puts on a smile to appear most confident of their position. Then quickly adds They eat kobolds for breakfast! He looks a bit sideways to basically talk to himself Im sure they will be disappointed, perhaps even angry to not be able to fight such a great creature and might take it out on you lot, the thought alone. He emulates a shiver running down his spine at the thought. Hoping his rambling might add to the idea that they cant really be bothered fighting them. 

Another set of drumbeats echoes behind the buildings. 

Now lay down your weapons and surrender, maybe you will live. Smoke will then cross his arms and wait. Hoping this display is enough to either make them run away or surrender. 

Action: Cast Prestidigitation to create sounds of drums and try to convince the kobolds (and perhaps humans) to surrender or run from us. 

Thia unceremoniously drops her end of the dead guard too and wipes her hands on her leather trousers with a grimace.  Picking up on Smoke's clue she nonchalantly strides to the front, next to him and Yevele, placing her hand on the hilt of her rapier but not even bothering to draw it, as if she too is bored with this trivial band of raiders.   "I believe," she announces loudly and confidently, "I just saw Grand Duke Eltan's personal guard entering the village just over there."  She indicates somewhere vaguely off to the side, opposite from where the raiders have just emerged.  "They'll be here any moment."   Thia shakes her head slightly as she does, letting both loose strands of hair cover her ears, making her appear more human than elf for the moment.  She looks to Smoke.  "Perhaps we should quickly slaughter this group of raiders before they arrive and deny us the opportunity?"

Attempted Deception or Intimidation (both at +5), adding to Smoke's efforts, hoping to scare the raiders off.

OOC: Sorry if I didn't make it clear, the party is standing between the approaching raiders and the Keep.

DM Screen:

Initiative:

Smoke Deception (Advantage-Help): 21

Kobold DEX Save: 13

"Nonsense!" Linan shouts back to Yevele, though she barks to her husband, "Cuth, take the kids. I'll catch up." She speaks determinedly, "We all get to the Keep, together." She waits with her broken spear held at her side defensively for the raiders to approach.

As one of the kobolds serpentines away from Thrax's descending sacred flame, Smoke and Thia put on an impressive display. The sounds of drums sound very small and distant, the limits of such a minor cantrip, but the glances shared by the kobolds show a sudden confusion.

Round 1 Order:
Linan
Players <=====
Enemies

Placement:
The raiders are 60 feet away from the party.

OOC: Giving Yevele, Dern, and Rogram the chance to take a true action during the first round of combat before resolving the effect of Smoke's attempted deception.

Rogram looks at the tabaxi out of the corner of his eye as the bard encourages him to follow his lead. Unfortunately, the blacksmith apprentice has no idea what Smoke wants him to do. He opens his mouth a few times to try to add to the story, but doesn't seem to be able to get a word in edgewise. Finally, after Thia turns the story from one of speculation to one of opportunity, the half-dwarf raises his sword and sneers at the raiders. "I agree. Why leave all the fun to the army?" he agrees menacingly.

Ready action: If a kobold comes in melee range, Rogram will strike them down: Two-hand longsword attack: 22; damage: 8 slashing damage

Yevele will pull out her atlatl and use it to launch a dart at the closest kobold Attack: 22 Damage: 4

After launching the dart, she will begin to move backward to get herself closer to the keep, saying to everyone else "I think we should slowly retreat toward the keep. Any minute, more of these fighters may come around the corner."

"Best be off with ya! Unless yer wantin' to end up at the end of the soldier's pikes!" Dern will shout to the kobolds and raiders. He brings his crossbow around and fires at a Raider!

Attack: Attack: 18 Damage: 5

"And there's more where that came from if ya plan on stickin 'round!"

OOC: The enemies are 60 feet away, so Yevele's dart is at disadvantage.

DM Screen:

Dart vs. Kobold (Disadvantage-Range): Lower of 22 or 25

Sling vs. Yevele: 12
Sling vs. Dern: 21 Damage: 6
Sling vs. Smoke: 11
Sling vs. Thia: 10

Yevele winds back with her atlatl, launching a dart across the battlefield that strikes a kobold in the chest, the impact tossing it backwards from its feet. The injury and the threat of an impending army causes the kobold to flee once back to its feet, a dart still hanging from its ribs. One of its companions quickly follows before the humans moving with them bark them back into line. They advance, one raider grazed by a crossbow bolt from Dern. The kobolds load rocks into the small slings they carry, and let loose a volley toward the party; only one lands, a painful strike onto Dern's neck. The humans remain behind the line of kobolds, advancing defensively, but for the moment have remained out of Rogram's striking distance. Linan remains beside him, ready to strike at the same moment.

Round 2 Order:
Linan
Players <=====
Enemies

Placement:
The enemies are 30 feet away from the party. The two human raiders are dodging.

Health:
One raider is wounded.

Dern is wounded.
Rogram is lightly wounded.

Thia calls out to the wounded raider. “Drop your weapons and surrender. You’re no match for the Grand Duke of Baldur’s Gate!”

Action: cast Vicious Mockery at the injured raider; DC13 Wisdom save or 2 damage  

Move: retreat back from the front lines.  

The sling rock catches Dern right in his temple! Blood runs down one side of his head, obscuring what little vision he has. The dwarf retreats away at his full movement  and wipes the blood from his eye before firing a bolt at one of the Kobolds.

Attack: Attack: 8 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

If there is any sort of cover her can dart behind, Dern will do so for the moment after the bolt is fired.

The longstrider spell lasts an hour. Is it still going?

OOC: The end of that hour is approaching, but longstrider is still active.