Aster regains 7 HP

(OOC: Great, I keep being a high-roller...) 

Khessa whispers to him: "There's only this left... distract him, I'll finish him off!"

The blonde arcane warrior continues to duel with the surviving bugbear, waiting for an opening. Aster distracts him with a couple of sudden thrusts and the tall adventuress takes advantage of this to try to land the decisive blow!

(Song uses the potion to heal Aster, Aster Helps Khessa, who readies an attack and as soon as the Bugbear get's distracted, she does her attack with Advantage - hoping to mitigate luck)

 Attack: 17 Damage: 10 (slashing)

“I am the main threat to your life, you pathetic prick!” Khessa tries to shield her friends and stand between them and the surviving bugbear "It's me you have to throw down! And the stench of your years-long-unwashed armpits won't be enough for this - you'll have to attack me!"

/---Initiative--/

Bugbear A (dead)

Khessa

Song (HP 19/35, AC 14, Morningstar(+4 to hit, 1d8+2), has 2 potions of healing) 

Aster (HP 4/26, AC 14, Rapier(+5 to hit, 1d8+3 piercing, has disadvantage due to sunlight sensitivity still) Frost Fingers 1/4 casts left)

Bugbear B (HP 7/27, AC 16, +2 to Dex, +1 to Con)

-----

The bugbear, mad with rage, focuses on Khessa as she wanted. Something is strange about his eyes now that she is truly seeing them as he bears down on her. Almost as if he's possessed. Whatever it is, the bugbear is a threat still to their lives.

His attack on Khessa: (Attack: 21 Damage: 10)

The bugbear is forced to make a difficult slash, to strike in a place that is not protected by Khessa's armor... so she manages to parry with Cabbage Patch Avenger at the last moment.

"Nice move... for a newbie!" the blonde arcane warrior does her best to continue to keep the attention of the dangerous adversary on herself "But as you can see, it's not enough! Can't you really do better? Would it be easier, for you, if I tie a stone to my ankle?"

Meanwhile, with a furtive nod of understanding, the tall adventurer signals Aster to repeat the previous attempt... and she waits for him to distract the enemy.

Song, less patient, tries to close the issue on her own with a ferocious morningstar blow.

Song's Attack: 19 Damage: 4 (bludgeoning)

...And in fact she succeeds! The tiefling's violent blow catches the bugbear unprepared and cracks his skull like a ripe melon.

"Well done, my friend!" Khessa pats her on the shoulder "So they will learn that trying to hit passers-by on the head is not a nice initiative!"

Since it was necessary to kill them, the blonde arcane warrior proceeds to at least search their bodies, commenting in the meantime on a detail that she noticed in the last phase of the battle: "There was something strange in their eyes... As well as in the ease with which they avoided our blows and spells, managing to respond, on the contrary, with lethal precision... Almost as if they were possessed! Let's hope it's just my impression... In a territory tormented by raids by drow slavers, incursions by dragons and by a growing goblins army, I wouldn't really feel the need for demonic bugbears".

(OOC: Does Khessa find anything of value or noteworthy on the corpses?)

For fun, roll from this table twice to see what you get, but in addition to this table you also find...

Alongside the heads of the bugbears, you find intricate tattoos and embedded in their center are small gems. They were obscured thanks to the fur, but you caught a glimpse of them flashing brightly for just a moment, before fading. You think it might be possible to pry the gems out. The gems themselves flashed a green color, but now that you see them up close, they are clear.

Lol! You have always some nice surprise in store! 

1) 1

2) 11

Ok, with these two containers, I foresee a career in Alchemy for Khessa! Anyway, she does her best to extract the gems... both because puzzled by their eventual magical properties and for their possible monetary value.

"Who knows?" she reasons "Maybe those play a role in the 'possessed' behavior of the bugbears".

Then, if nothing else happens, onward to Phandelver!

Soon enough, you are in Phandelver. It's midday, so you see the towns people out and about as you come into the otherwise sleepy town. The things of immediate note:

- A large manor on a hill overlooking the town

- A seedy looking tavern

- A general goods store

(However I think you've been through this module before right? At least the start? You can go to any location you remember in town, that works for me. I'll post a map later on. Got a sleepy kid on me haha)

I had been in Phandalin (playing the start of Dragon of Icespire Peaks)... It is the same of Phandelver with just a different name? Or are two different towns?

Anyway, this Khessa has never been here... so she will go for the tavern, both because Aster and Song deserve a bit of relaxation, after having suffered so much during the battle with the two Bugbears, and because in this way she will be able to try to gather information on the situation of the place... as well as on who governs it - because she is with who governs, that she will have to negotiate the possible cessation of hostilities with the orcs!

(OH MY GOD, it is Phandalin. LOL thank you for catching that)

Map just so you have it (I'll put at the front too)

"Are all taverns as lovely as this?" Aster asks as you all walk into the Sleeping Giant.

The building looks like it is suffering from neglect and the floors creak uneasily beneath your boots. Inside, you find a number of the patrons are wearing red cloaks and are lost in a game of cards with one another. Anyone inside without the red cloak seems weary of those with the cloaks. There is space at the bar for the three of you. There is a half-orc behind the bar, a woman. She spotted you as you entered and has kept her eyes on you, but didn't seem to want to bother to greet you.

Khessa smiles and replies to Aster: "Well, there are lovely taverns and less lovely taverns; but at least no one is coming running towards you brandishing a mornignstar... Doesn't that seem like an improvement already?"

Reaching the bar, the blonde arcane warrior smiles and greets the half-orc: "Hello! Could I have a beer, please? I just arrived in town... How are things here?"

And to Song and Aster: "If you want something, obviously you can order too... you need to recover".

"You are too kind, my lady... I assume you'll cover my part of the bill." Aster chuckles as he takes a seat. "It's nice and dark in here... So it's not all bad." He keeps his goodhood pulled up. Might as well not broadcast his race to the room just in case.

The half-orc woman sizes you up and tilts her head after she pours you and your companions a mug of beer each. "It's going great... If you keep your nose out of the Red Brand's business. A friendly warning, if you will. Last adventurers to come through and try something are buried out back somewhere. Wouldn't like to see your pretty faces 6 feet deep."

Song leans in and whispers to Khessa, "Red Brands... I heard of them. They are basically organized thugs, highwaymen and the like."

"These... 'Red Brand'... must be truly terrible, if they are the main concern here, when from the countryside someone even told me about a dragon!" Khessa widens her blue eyes, impressed "Maybe it was just an exaggeration..."

"What's your name anyway? Come, sit at the table with us for a moment, there aren't many people now..." the blonde arcane warrior invites the half-orc, with a warm smile "So you can rest for a moment... if other customers come in, you can always get back up and serve them. My name is Khessa, nice to meet you!"

"Dragon...?" The woman looks perplexed, as if this is the first time she is hearing about this. "Hmm.. Must be. We'd feel it if it were a dragon... I was in a southern village when a dragon attacked it. The fear was what we felt first... then the flame." She shuttered at the thought. "To you, you can call me Zom."

Zom walks around the bar and takes your invite. "Lucky for you all, I'm in the mood to humor folks today. Maybe there is a dragon nearby and it makes people feel friendly." She smirked.

"Well done, Zom!" Khessa welcomes the half-orc as she comes and sits "So no dragon, thank goodness! I just have to avoid these 'Red Brands' and their business. How can I recognize them? Do they always wear something red? And what are their business? You know, if I know, I can avoid getting involved... You give me the impression of being a smart and informed person - and one who is willing to help a peaceful foreigner stay out of trouble".

"You know, not many are willing to flatter an orc. I'll tell you how it is," Zom nods. She seems to appreciate your forthcoming about what you want to know. "Red Brands are all these folk in red. Look around," she whispers, " they run this town. I don't know their business, because the last bloke to say anything about it is dead, may he rest in peace. As long as we don't give them trouble, they don't mess with us, but this town probably won't last too long if they keep running travelers off the road. Not many come this way. Not anymore. The townies are fine enough. Some of them can be a bit prejudiced, but they are all bark and no bite." Zom glances at Song as she says this. She doesn't seem to acknowledge Aster, likely she just thinks of him as a very pale human or elf. "Avoid the color red and you'll be fine. But if you like to tango... you could talk to the mayor. He's shut in his 'ouse down the street and to the left. When those brands killed Halantha's husband, he boarded himself up in the mayoral office and hasn't been seen since. He posts jobs, somehow, hoping adventurers will turn up... but usually if they do, they are offed pretty quickly."