A nasty surprise for a guard as Nurmi emerges from the storm drain.

Having prevented the beacon from being lit Taulfan and his raiders, accompanied by Zou Kov and his band, infiltrated through enemy territory and approached the castle under cover of dark.  They were met by an escaped prisoner who provided some interesting information.  This prisoner, a local who had been taken during the initial invasion, had been forced to help build the castle and unlike most of the other labourers not passed on to work at the slave-operated farms the invaders set up.  One of his duties was general maintenance and included clearing storm drains before winter. He told Taulfan and Zou Kov that one of these drains was large enough for a man to pass through, had its mouth in a hard-to-see spot over a river, and had an access grating in the courtyard where the winch that operated the main gate - a portcullis - was sited.  After a short discussion the leaders decided to attack at once and Zou Kov volunteered his group, as the best fighters in the force, to go through the storm drain and raise the portcullis to allow the others to get in.

Zou Kov and his group emerge from the sewer in the courtyard where the windlass for the portcullis is located.  There is one guard in the courtyard for every two (or fraction) in Zou Kov's group.  The more that move along the sewer the more the chance of being heard and the guards being suspicious.   The raiders have the first move. It costs one action to climb out the sewer, and the first one out must use another action to open the grille.

In the guards' first move they call for help and in each turn two more guards appear.  There can be ten in all and one leader.  The leader can appear at any time but if killed cannot be recycled.  If all the figures are used up no more can arrive until there are casualties to recycle.  At the end of the guards' eighth turn an overwhelming force appears and the barbarians are overpowered and captured if the portcullis has not been opened. 

To open the portcullis the windlass must be wound fully up.  If not fully wound and locked the portcullis crashes down again.  A figure beside the windlass may use actions to turn it.  One or two figures may work at it.  If at the end of a barbarian turn six actions have been spent on the windlass the portcullis is fully raised and the windlass locked.  (That is, two figures working at it each get three successes.) The band of barbarians waiting outside can enter and the castle falls.

​
Zou Kov                     
Q2+ C3 Leader

Aushog
Q3+ C4 Magic sword +1

J'Neb
Q3+ C4

Naim Tocs
Q3+ C3

Brother Athelstan
Q3+ C2 Cleric

Saylok
Q3+ C4 Shooter to Medium, Stealth

Nurmi
Q3+ C4

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A dull shift guarding the windlass for the portcullis.

The storm drain cover is thrust aside and Nurmi clambers out.

The rest follow.

The guards are stunned. J'Neb and Zou Kov cut one down, Nurmi another.

Saylok deters some arriving reinforcements with a flurry of arrows.

The guards at the winch resist stoutly but are cut down. Zou directs some of the band to hold off the enemy reinforcements which are cautiously pushing into the courtyard.

The reinforcements try to force their way to the winch.

Mighty thews straining, Aushog and NaimTocs heave at the winch and raise the portcullis. Nurmi, Athelstan and J'Neb hold off the guards.

On seeing the portcullis open Taulfan's men dashed towards  the castle and poured in through the open gate.  The garrison resisted half-heartedly and were soon overpowered.  Taulfan's warriors released the prisoners held in the castle, then thoroughly looted and burnt it.  Leaving a force to watch the coast Taulfan over the next few weeks attacked the slave-farms the invaders had set up and set free the labourers.  By winter the country was clear of the Knights but their removal, and their previous destruction of the old tribal structures, had left a power vacuum which the ambitious Taulfan filled.