Once Chandan and Kriv have left the room and it is only Jaliera and herself with the Drendars she does her best to calm them down.
"We", she indicates Jaliera and herself, "will escort you to the outside of this place. The exit is near to the Halfling farmer's lands, Mistress Alderleaf? I am sure you know her? Tell her we freed you and asked her to keep you safe until we return to town. I am sure she will help you."
"You should know that a Knight arrived with us, one Sildar Hallwinter. He has established himself in the Townmaster's Hall and is set to bring proper justice to Phandalin. We will be bringing the Wizard to him to decide his fate. We were tasked with eliminating the Redbrand threat, although the old man went too far."
She takes a step closer to the door and calls to Kriv, Davroar, and Chandan. "We cannot take the Drendars along with us. It is too dangerous. Jaliera and I will escort them out the tunnel we came in so they can seek refuge with Mistress Alderleaf. We've cleared those areas so it should be safe. It will only take us a few minutes to return."
He halts at the crypt's north door to listen to Kallista. She has a point; they either keep the Drendars guarded where they are, until they're all ready to leave, or they escort them to the surface.
Chandan can't leave yet though.
"Ah, good idea!" He nods to the tiefling, "From the pile of clothes in there, could be another twelve or so captives come through here. We try to find where they are now."
"Find out what you can from the wizard but wait for us to return before you explore any new areas."
She speaks to the others as she heads out with Kallista and the family, agreeing that this is the best way forward. She is however worried about leaving Davroar with the other two having a large difference of opinion and also in splitting the party.
"We should move as quickly as the family are able."
The two women have decided to to escort the villagers out. The men are going to stay behind with the prisoners. What route are the women taking and what are the men doing here?
[ooc: There is an obvious path that everyone knows of to exit this place. That would be to go out the way you came in. I've highlighted that path on the map. There are other choices, of course. If Chandan, Kriv and Davroar are just going to stay put, that's one thing, but maybe they don't? There are 4 unexplored areas you know about. Where are they going? ]
Last edited by Neptune; Fri 04/09/1520:14 UTC. Reason: Updated map
(OOC - Well, if the men stood in Room 7 (the middle room on the northern wall), they could watch as Jaliera and Kallista take the villagers to the tunnel exit. It should be a matter of 10 rounds (5 out and 5 back, without running) to do it so it's not like they'll be gone even as long as a Short Rest)
OOC: Well, OK. If you are ready, I would like to hear what everyone's plans are for that 10 rounds. Where are you and what are you doing? I've republishing the map with a key to rooms (numbers) and areas left to explore (letters)
[Chandan wants to check door B. In theory in leads into a 15x15' room. Unlikely to be Iarno's bedchamber at that size, but will clear this NE quadrant. Chandan's money (if he had any) is currently on the bedchamber being somewhere in that NW blackspot.]
She keeps her bow to hand, still watching for the wizard's familiar as well as any other trouble. Smiling occasionally at the villagers, she leads the way back through the chasm cavern, heading for the route out, the one they came in by.
As Jaliera and Kallista march the three freed prisoners to the tunnel entrance, Kriv watches over the prisoners and Chandan while Davroar keeps watch. Chandan makes his way over to the door that had not been checked and tests to see if it is open or locked and realizes that the latter is true. Either they get a key or let Jaliera pick it when she returns from her mini mission.
Out in the great cavern the group crosses the safe bridge and head to the tunnel entrance. As they pass the spot where the nothic's carcass lies sprawled in a pool of it's ichor, the mother turns her head away from the crevasse, covers her mouth with her hand and starts to weep.
"Children, keep moving and don't look down she says," but of course they have to take a peek. Down in the bottom of the crevasse there's a half eaten body and a quick look at her ashen face indicates that the body is that of her husband. The children have to look, of course. They too start to cry.
Jaliera and Kallista usher them towards the tunnel. They stop there because Jaliera hears something in the tunnel just as they get there. People a coming from there and she hears voices. Those voices stop abruptly, an indication that whoever is coming heard something they didn't expect to hear.
[ooc: Jaliera and Kallista need to roll initiative. The prisoners are non-combatants.]
She stops as soon as she hears the noise coming from ahead. Ushering the woman and her children behind her for protection she readies for whatever might be coming. Her expectation is more Redbrands, as who else would be using the tunnel. But she doesn't discount other possibilities.
She backs away quietly gaining some distance to give herself a chance to use it, ideally to discourage those approaching from coming further. Her bow is ready but she waits to see who it might be before firing.
With a crack of his knees, the old man bends and eyes the lock, clucking to himself.
"Hmm. Locked. Not the wizard's chamber then." He ponders aloud.
"Alarm was raised, he left in a hurry, came from room over there, fled to south-east passage. Would not stop to lock up after him."
Chandan closes his eyes and visualises their exploration of the manor. The north-west now seems most likely to be where they'll find the Redbrands' books if there are any.
Still, something important must be kept behind a locked down, even if it is a bit out of the way. It could be an archive.
So he wanders back in to Kriv, Davroar and the prisoners.
The sounds of people coming comes too late to hide but not too late to be ready. Jaliera and Kallista come face-to-face with a trio of Redbrand Ruffians. They know this from the distinct red garb they wear. When the ruffians see the freed prisoners, the tiefling and the young rouge they unsheath their weapons and it doesn't look like they are willing to parlay.
Meanwhile, Chandan is ponders out loud about where the wizard's chamber might be before meandering back to Kriv, the prisoners and the currently inanimate skeletons. He must have forgotten that Davroar was keeping a distant eye on Jaliera, Kallista and the three villagers. When he asks his question, neither the wizard nor the bugbear answer.
Ruffians initiative Neptune rolled 1d20 and got 9
OOC: Note that when you were wandering around the town and encountered Redbrands there, you killed the ones you encountered. Your characters would realize that word has gotten out. I placed Davroar in a spot where he can keep an eye on the villagers and their escorts...just in case there's trouble.
Jaliera can get an attack. I left room in the map so that range weapons are still in play without disadvantage.
As the enemy come into view, she doesn't waste any time. Bringing her hands up she extremely quickly slaps her cupped palms together and points with an outstretched finger. The loud clap that should have come from her hands is displaced, and amplified to tremendous levels and a loud ringing noise, painfully intense, comes from a point in the midst of the foes. Without pause she launches into another magical phrase and points her finger at those who survived the thunderous noise.
Kallista Shatter Spell (Quickened to Bonus Action) Zeim rolled 3d8 and got 18 Thunder Damage. Con Save for all the Redbrands versus DC 13 for 1/2 dam. Then cast a Magic Missile at whichever of the Redbrand made their Con Saves. Kallista Magic Missile (if needed) Zeim rolled 3d4+3 and got 10
DM As the ruffians emerge from the tunnel and take their first aggressive step forward, they are stopped in their tracks by Jaliera's evocation of arcane thunder. They red robed men feel their bones shake and crumble and the second man in line actually explodes into a pile of blood and bones. Before the man in the lead can test out his legs, Kallista's bolt of magic burns a hole through his chest and he crumbles to the ground. This leaves one of the ruffians and he quickly decides that his best course of action is to kill the horned devil that killed his two pals.
The first thrust of his short sword finds a hole in her defenses and digs deep into her torso. The other stab misses. It's Jaliera's turn ...See the OOC thread for an explanation..
R1,R2,R3 Con Saves Neptune rolled 1d20+1,1d20+1,1d20+1 and got 13, 11, 21
Watching Kallista take out two of the three Redbrand brigands, he will quickly move back to shout down the corridor to Chandan and Kriv still in the room, "Three more Redbrands by the way we came in! Kallista killed two ..."
Davroar will not wait to see whether they will all come to see, as he will want to move back to his original spot to see what happens next.
He is being loud enough to be heard to those in the room, but trying not to be too loud to cause more attention.
His ears twitched, and he disregarded the locked room. Davroar and Kriv had the prisoners under control, but the fray in the cavern put the rescued family in jeopardy and so Chandan had to act.
Wincing, cursing, hopping and shuffling, he hurried south as fast as he could, leaving bloody footprints in his wake. The old monk wanted to ensure the wife and children had close protection.
(OOC - Since the ruffians went already, and Chandan moved, I presume it's Kallista's turn again?)
Kallista
She grunts as the sword enters her side and spits a curse in Infernal at the Redbrand. Bringing her hands up she summons a Bolt of Fire and hurls it at the enemy.
Kallista Firebolt Zeim rolled d20+5 and got 22 Kallista Firebolt - Damage Zeim rolled d10 and got 7
DM Kalista's firebold harms the ruffian badly but he does not drop. Since the horned devil woman was obviously the most dangerous, he concentrates on killing her. He stabs her with her sword with his first attack but she is able to sidestep his second thrust.
Chandan is now halfway down the cavern with the crevasse. While Davroar watches and Kriv stand guard over the wizard and the bugbear with the eyepatch.
K3 attacks Kallista Neptune rolled 1d20+4,1d20+4,1d6+2,1d6+2 and got 19, 9, 4, 3 Kallista takes 4 points of damage.
ooc: technically the Redbrand is adjacent to Jaliera so her bow shots will be at disadvantage but she missed, so we move on. Jaliera and Kallista, let's see if you can take out the ruffian.
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