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With everyone in place, Val meanders into the clearing and raises her voice. The lizardfolk react immediately, heads snapping up and angry hisses echoing from fanged mouths. Confusion is quickly replaced my fear and confusion and anger, their faces quite expressive for bearing such alien features. "Impossible!" The largest of them motions to the two who had been working on the door as he says it, and they lurch forward at an awkward but speedy gait as they bring their axes up. 'The Witch' lets them close to half the distance before extending a crooked finger in their direction, the signal given and responded. Nobody can hear the bottle crack on stone over the *whoosh* of heat and crackle of flame, burning oil spreading in a bloom between the duo. They stagger and shriek, one coated with burning oil as the other makes a slithering roll in the mud to extinguish their own limbs.

Shock is best to describe the look on the one with the feathered headdress as she entwines her fingers and barks angry, clipped words. Clairese recognizes the start of a spell and brings her own magic to bear, keeping her motions and words as slow and soft as the magic will allow to avoid drawing notice. The lizard woman's words disappear in an instant, though her mouth continues working, and she makes a motion that seems like it should enact some effect. Nobody is more surprised than her when nothing happens. She draws a clawed thumb across her own throat as the larger warrior looks back to her, and he hefts the club in his hands as he advances on Val.

The others, both those who've been burned and those who were gathering vines, lose their nerve in the face of the long-rumored Witch of the Withered Grove. They break for the tree line, the most injured staggering and stumbling in his efforts before crumbling into the mud and lying still. The feathered one moves slowly away, not turning her back to Val but rather moving backwards in a slow crouch as her tail sweeps behind her for obstacles. She may not be gripped by the same terror as her lackeys but she seems willing to let the larger lizardman cover her retreat. The warrior moves forward with heavy steps, club drawn back to swing as he closes the distance.

Okay, so none of the lackies rolled high enough to make more than the flask of oil and silence spell necessary for success here. The four of them are fleeing, though you can intervene in that if you wish. The shaman is making a more measured withdraw but is attempting to remove herself from the situation as well. The warrior is the only one to make the save here and, with one aggressive opponent on the field, we should check in on combat mechanics.

Initiative is a d10 in C&C. No additions. Dex breaks ties. This guy has a +1 for Dex if that comes up.

During combat, anyone can move 1/2 their speed and still attack. A character cannot move and cast in the same round unless the spell specifies they can do so. Otherwise, you can take your full movement unimpeded. The warrior will start the round 15' from Val and advance to Val's position on his turn, which will put him in closing range of anyone who has at least 10' as their half move.

I always say post your actions when you can rather than wait for people later than you in the order, as people's posting schedules vary considerably. That said, you are able to react to things that occur before your turn comes up, so I do allow editing of combat posts based on that criteria should you need to. I will always take your intent into account by, as an example, applying your action to a logical target should yours die before your turn arrives.

Future combats will involve maps and grids and the like but this is basically a tutorial so I'm not putting a map together.