I have gone back to using a simple yes/no oracle for this part of the adventure. The oracle is below.
1 – Yes, and
2 – Yes
3 – Yes, but
4 – No, but/because
5 – No
6 – No, and

Betrayal of the Dragon Queen.

The Characters.

Derowen, Ranger, 1st level. HP14 (currently 10hp)
Hedrak, Fighter, 1st level, HP 16
Peran Freeshadow, Rogue, 1st level. HP 17
Morwen, Mage, 1st level. HP 15

Places of importance and interest.

Blackgrave. Nestling in the mountains to the west of Northgate is the outpost of Blackgrave. Whilst most outposts tend do disappear after only a few years, Blackgrave has been home to people for 70 years or more. During that time the outpost has been able to fortify its perimeter with a stout stone walls although the main gate tends to remain open during daylight hours and the outpost guards take little interest in who is entering or leaving Blackgrave.

Crying Wolf Inn. A cosy little inn located in a sleepy little outpost about a days walk from Blackgrave. The party rested there overnight. They met an old storyteller in the evening and in the morning a young woman who seemed somehow out of place in the inn.

The old tower in the hills.

The PC’s attempt to sneek up to the entrance, they make a group check needing 3 out of the four to pass a Dex check to avoid being detected. All except Morwen have stealth skill so get +1 to their Dex. All four pass and they manage to get up to the wizards tower without being noticed.

Peran looks in to the entrance chamber (room 1 on the map). He sees 4 horses and (1d4 + 2) 6 men sitting around a small fire eating and talking, all of them seem to have a purple glow about them.
(Human Bandits/Cultists, AC 11. HD 1(hp 3). Attack for weapon roll 1d6, 1-3 spear 1d6+1 4-6 Dagger 1d4+1. Nat 19 Blade Trauma(1d12/1d10). S12 D11 C11 I10 P10 W10 Ch10 L4.
Cultist Leader, AC 11. HD 2(hp 7). Attack Dagger 1d4+1. Nat 19 Blade Trauma(1d12/1d10). S12 D11 C11 I16 P10 W10 Ch10 L4, Spells Gabbling of the Jade Moon & Gaze of Beguilement).

The party decide that it would be risky to attack the 6 cultists as there may be others they cannot see.
Peran points to a second opening (window in to room 3) to the left of the entrance they are at. He carefully moves towards it, keeping as close to the tower walls as possible in an effort to remain unnoticed.
Derowen quietly takes out her longbow and cocks an arrow, aiming it at the men inside, should the party be discovered she will let the arrow fly.
Hedrak draws his longsword and readies himself to either follow Peran or charge the 6 men inside room 1 should they be rumbled.
Morwen puts her hand on the pommel of her sword and hopes to any god who will listen that she does not need to use it.

Peran makes it to the window without being seen.
Question. Is the window open? d6 = 2. Yes.
Question. Can Peran get in through the window? d6=5. No
Although there is no glass in the window, the window has a grill which prevents access. Peran is able to look inside and he can see that the room is illuminated by only the light from outside and it appears to be empty. Unable to gain entry into the tower this way he goes back to the others.

Peran whispers to the others that there seems to be no other way in to the old tower except through this entrance (into room 1) and past the cultists and their horses.

Peran decides to try and sneak into the room and get as close to the cultists as possible.
Peran makes a Dex(stealth)check. d20 =12, success.
Peran snaks into the room using the horses as cover.
Question. Are the horses spooked by Peran? d6 =5. No.
Peran is able to get right up to the horse and within attacking distance of the cultists without being noticed, he signals to Dorwen who looses of an arrow at one of the cultists.
d20 roll =19. 2 damage plus 9 damage missile trauma.
Darowns aim is true and one of the cultists drops to the ground.

Combat.

Peran gets a free hit on one of the cultists. d20 rolls (advantage) 9 and 16. A hit for 6 damage.
Peran grabs one of the cultists and drives his dagger deep into the unfortunate man, who lets out a low grunt and doubles over, dead.

Round 2.

Peran rolls for intiative for the group. d20 = 10, success (just). The PC’s move first.
Question. Is Peran close enough to a second cultist to attack with his sword? d6 roll = 3. Yes,but…
Peran attacks a second cultist with his short sword but the horses have been spooked and distract him. Roll at disadvantage. d20 rolls = 6 and 3, failure.
Hedrag moves quickly into the room to help Peran who is in danger of being surrounded by the four remaining cultists who ready their weapons. Morwen draws her longsword and reluctantly follows.
Darown drops her longbow, draws her short sword and enters the fray.
Three of the cultists turn to meet the three PC’s rushing at them (weapons, spears) . The fourth (weapon, dagger) strikes back at Peran.
Question. Is the cultist also hampered by the horses? d6 = 4 No, but…
Although the horse are rearing up, it is not them but the onrushing PC’s who distract the cultist as he stabs with his dagger. He fails to make contact with Peran.
Roll at disadvantage. d20 rolls = 15 and 9. Failure.
Hedrag has closed in to melee range and attacks one of the cultists.
d20 roll = 15 +4 bonus = a hit for 5hp.
Hedrag quickly dispatches a third cultist.

With half of the cultists now dead, I decided they must make a moral (Wil) check, failure means they flee the tower. Roll d20 for each NPC = 5, 2, 15. Two cultists flee the tower.
The gods have answered Morwens prayer, she thanks them all for making sure she did not need to use her long sword. Peran though is still in combat with a cultist and must fight.
Initiative roll = 19. The cultist strikes first. d20 = 16, success for 4 hp.
This time the cultists dagger makes contact with Peran who receives a gash to his arm. Peran strikes back with his short sword. He fails to make contact.
d20 roll = 5, failure
Question. Are any of the other three PC’s in a position to help Peran? d6 roll = 3. Yes but…
Who is closest? 1/2 Hedrag, 3/4 Darowen, 5/6 Morwen. roll = 2.
Hadrag still has is long sword in his hands, “must I always be the one who saves you Peran”, he brings his sword down on to the last remaining cultist who drops to the ground.
d20 roll = 11 + 4 attack bonus. Success for 3 hp.

End of Combat.

Peran walks over to the door on the left hand side of the room, “We need to open this door, I noticed steps leading up to the next floor. I am sure the room is empty unless the noise we have created has caught the attention of others”.
Question. Is the door locked? (unlikely, advantage roll). d6 rolls = 2 and 3. Yes, but…
The door is locked but someone has kindly left a key in the lock and Peran is easily able to open the door.
Question. Is there anyone in the room? d6 roll = 1. Yes, and…
Who is in there? 1/2 = 14d+1 cultists. 3/4 = Mage + 2 cultists. 5/6 Mage plus the Elf maiden. Roll = 2.
3 cultists two armed with daggers, one with a spear, are rushing towards the door. Peran steps back and Hedrak moves to block the door which is only wide enough to allow one person through at a time.

Combat.
Roll for initiative = 17. Failure.
As Hedrag steps forward to barre the entrance to the door, the spear armed cultist thrusts his spear at him.
d20 roll = 1. Fumble.
The cultist somehow manages to drop his spear and as he bends to pick it up Hedrak strikes him with his longsword (for 9 hp damage) and the first cultist drops to the ground.

Round 2.
Roll for initiative = 3, Success.
Hedrag steps over the body of the dead cultist and strikes at a second.
d20 roll = 11 +4 attack bonus. Success for 4hp.
“This is just too easy” shouts Hedrak as another cultist falls to his longsword.
The third cultist makes a moral check, d20 roll = 6, failure.
The last remaining cultist drops his dagger and pleads for his life. Hedrag picks him up by his shirt and throws him through the door, “If I where you I would run for it before my companions here get hold of you”.
Peran makes a Int(persuasion) check. d20 roll = 5, great success.
Peran stops the cultist and asks, “We are looking for an elf maiden who we believe you took against her will, where is she”.
“She is in the top room, our leader has her tied up, there is no else there with them”, the cultist blurts out. Peran lets him go and the man flees in fear of his life.

End of Combat.

Peran decideds to quickly search the dead cultists to see if there is anything of value on them.
Question. Is there any coins or anything else of value to be found on the cultists? d6 roll = 5. No.
With no treasure to be found on the dead, Peran picks up a spear thinking it better than taking nothing and may be useful, Hedrag also picks up a spear. Morwen takes one of the daggers, thinking it easier to fight with than that cursed longsword.

The PC’s move on through the next room (room 2) and find a spiral staircase leading upwards. Peran leads the way, his newly claimed spear held out in front of him. Derowen is next, she regrets not picking up her longbow and hopes non of the fleeing cultists picked it up on their way out. Morwen is behind her sister, holding her dagger and Hedrag last, spear in one hand, shield now in the other.

The spiral stairs abruptly end and the way into the 2nd level is barred by a wooden hatch. Peran pushes it to see if it will open. (Str check, roll =16.failure) The door is too heavy for Peran to open by himself and Derowen gives him a hand to push it open. This time their combined strength forces the heavy wooden hatch open, it lands with a resounding thump almost certainly alerting anyone in the build to their presence.

The second floor is empty. In the opposite side of the room to the hatch a further flight of wooden stairs leads up to the third and final floor, Peran again goes first, followed by Hedrag, Morwen and Darowen last this time.

As Peran steps into the dimly lit room he sees the elven maiden tied to a wood crucifix, her head hanging limp. A voice coming from a cloaked man holding an ornate dagger says “I have been expecting you, you are to late, your elven friend must now die”. The cultist goes to stab the elf with the dagger.
Roll for initiative. d20 =4.
Before the cultist can plunge the dagger into the elf, Peran throws his spear at him.
d20 =17+3 ranged attack bonus. A hit for 6hp.
The cultist screams in both agony and rage. He drops to his knees, and pulls the spear out of himself. As Peran and Hedrag rush towards him he attempts to cast a Gabbling of the Jade Moon spell.
Initiative roll = 13.
The cultist manages to cast the spell just before Peran and Hedrag get to him. An apparition of an alien, emerald green moon appears in the room.
Both Peran and Hedrag must make a Luck(Will) save. Peran rolls 15 and fails, Hedrag rolls 9, he just passes.
Peran is overcome with madness and spends the next 6 minutes moving around the room yelling, tearing at his clothes and pulling at his hair, there is nothing the others can do to calm him. Hedrag screams at the cultist to prepare to die and thrust his spear at him.
d20 roll = 17. Success for 6hp.
The spear is goes straight through the heart of the cultist and he dies instantly, still kneeling and propped up by the spear shaft.
Hedrag picks up the ornate dagger, he thinks it will fetch a nice sum of money if he sells it in Northgate.

The PC’s take the elf maiden down from the crucifix, she is alive but just. When Peran recovers from his madness, they carry the girl down the stairs to the ground floor.
Question. Are the four horses still there? d6 roll = 2. Yes.
Question. Is Darowens longbow still there? d6 roll = 5. No.

They decide to take the horse back with them and gently put the elf maiden on one, Darowen, angry with herself for losing her bow, walks beside her, the others either walk alongside or ride the other horses and they make their way back to Blackgrave.

Question. Do they encounter anything on their way back down the mountain? d6 roll = 6. No, and…

Their journey back to Blackgrave is, thankfully, uneventful and the elf maiden regains consciousness but is still weak and in need of rest. They enter Blackgrave and make their way back to the inn.

To be continued.