OAWYM: Not Our Finest Hour

Game Date: 8/27/2016
Location: The Game Keep
Campaign: OAWYM, Session 9
System: D&D 5e
DM: Rusty

The Party:
Corbin (Daniel) - Human Cleric/Wizard
Byzun (Gary) - Human Sorcerer
Malcer (Graham) - Human Warlock
Val Ravensword (Matt) - Half-Orc Paladin

NPC Companions:
Dene Ledford - Val's Companion
Robb - Corbin's Companion
Tatio - Malcer's Companion

The Session:
We began the session still at war.  The Iron Circle have been advancing on Albridge, and last week we fought a couple of skirmishes.  Today we took a short rest and kept on going.  Since their players weren't present, Marcella and Tamir headed for town to help the fight there, while the rest of us proceeded to a more active battlefield.

This group was led by a Champion, local leader of the Iron Circle.  We also faced several of his Rabble minions, a Brigand (who was ordered to protect the Champion's horse), and a pair of Tar Devils.  We won initiative, but didn't manage to get much accomplished in the first round.  On the Champion's first round, he hit Val hard and she went down.  Bad omen.  Corbin revived Val with a healing potion on his turn, but next round she went right back down again, along with Corbin.  Finally Dene revived Val, who revived Corbin.

We discovered the Champion was more powerful when adjacent to his teammates, so we decided to take out those weaker minions as quickly as possible.  Malcer dropped three Rabble at once with Burning Hands, and we gradually picked off a couple more.  The final Rabble did an impressive job of surviving, taking multiple hits and nearly escaping before going down. Val tried using her Channel Divinity to turn the Tar Devils, but they both made their saving throws.

Corbin concentrated his attacks on the Brigand, who was too busy protecting the horse to fight back much.  Once Corbin managed to get a good hit in, and used that opportunity to hop on the horse and ride away.  His companion Robb also disengaged and fled.  The rest of us were unconscious by this point.  Having won the battle, the evil Champion stabilized us and took us prisoner.  Corbin and Robb returned to Albridge, where the battle was almost over.

With their leader distracted by us, the people of Albridge had managed to drive away their foes.  The Iron Circle returned to their keep (Harkenwold), with their prisoners. We ended the session there.

Coming up:
Val, Byzun, Malcer, Dene, and Tatio are now prisoners being held in the keep. Either they will try to escape from within, or Corbin, Robb, Tamir, and Marcella will try to break them out.  Or perhaps both will happen at the same time. On the bright side, we've received the benefits of an extended rest.

Will they try to sneak into the keep or go for a frontal assault?  Will the people of Albridge help us in our rescue attempts?  Will the now-fired Brigand change sides and help us out?  Tune in next week!

Sneak preview of the keep.