Barty's "Lost Mine of Phandelver"

"I would pray for their souls, but it seems they left these vessels a long time ago" Says Tochi thoughtfully, then looks around. "I doubt their remains will contain anything of note, so no need to bother looking through them".

Then, listening to the others, responds to Finna "Well, whatever the flaming skull may be, it does not seem like a kind spirit. I believe we should head towards it and remove it from our world".

"Would not mind a short rest," (after all, before battle Finna was running about for all these time), "but if you think we can take them down now - we can go. May be it waould make sence to check the big room with the wheel first. Do not remember anything special there, but I was not searching."

Nemean turns to his companions, “A short rest seems sensible before charging into a fight with a flaming skull”

Thulgrim is happy to join the others in a short rest. 

(@Barty: Thulgrim is still determined not to eat or drink until he has spilled living blood, as per his blood oath. Happy to take a CON check or exhaustion level or something if/when required. Let me know. Here's hoping there's more than just undead in this mine.)

OOC: Noted!

Also for clarity, because Finna would definitely have known this, the flaming skull was in the same room with the wheel. The ghouls you just fought came from the room before it, which is divided into three sections.

Short rest it is! What are each of the characters doing while resting? Any light activity, identifying, attuning, etc.?

I don't think Thulgrim properly identified his boots (otherwise he would have vaulted over the zombies and hit them from the rear) so he will do that now. 

Finna is just resting. May be finishing her map (can we get one now? :) )

Tochi will meditate during his rest, focusing on rejuvenating his body from the recently finished battle.

Hit dice: 2

EDIT: Can anyone see my rolls? All I see that rolls are, for some reason, not available

OOC: Yes, your roll is visible, at least now.

I repeat it regularly in different topics, let me say it here too. That glitch with invisible rolls can be cured if you put some symbol right in front of the script. "\" wors well, for example. Your roll will lokk like that:  \[roll]  and magically become visible no matter the devise you used to post.

DM Screen:

The occasional sounds of bats and other small critters is drowned out by the faint sound of booms in the distance. Together with Nemean's knowledge,  Finna has summarized the area she had scouted.

For Thulgrim:

OOC: Characters have gained the benefits of a short rest. If you would like to roll any hit dice (or if Tochi would like to roll any more), please do so in your next post.

Finna stand up and stretched. "Still light on spells but can scout now. But we are about to fight - eight zombies and a flaming skull await." The next room should be clear now, but Finna will still enter cautiously.

Thulgrim is in good health, and still keen for a fight, so he offers to take point (behind Finna's scouting).

If'n there's one thing I 'ate, it's bein' last t' th' fight! I'll nae let ye spoil me fun next time! he says with a good-natured chuckle and a slap on Tochi's back.

Nemean will use one hit die: 9

Nemean grips his scimitars and steels himself for the fight. “I can try to rush the skull first, he seems more dangerous than the zombies, if we can we should try to take him down quickly.”

OOC: Who has the lantern?

Finna leads the party into a great cavern, divided into three sections by steep escarpments -- high ledges at either end, and a lower section in the middle. Carved stone stairs climb up to the ledges. Two large tables stand in the middle section, along with a pair of old braziers. A smaller table stands on the eastern ledge. The skeletal remains of dozens of dead warriors--dwarves, gnomes, orcs, and ogres--attest to the fierceness of the fighting that took place here long ago.

There are three exits to the room other than the tunnel you have entered through, to the southwest, north, and northeast.

"Skull is to the north. Attacks anything that moves and on sight with some ray of fire. Flying."

Thulgrim's whisper is still only slightly less loud than his talking, but he rasps: P'rhaps there be some way t' separate 'em. Draw th' zombies away where th' skull cannae follow. 'Ow deep be that water channel ye mentioned? If'n I lead th' zombies in there, ye can 'andle the skull by itself.

(OOC: Looking at the map Finna drew, there seems to be a water-wheel in a channel. Is the channel empty? It looks like it exits the room on the right. Might be able to jump in there to draw off the zombies and get cover from the skull.)

OOC: Do not know about the water - the furnace was "cold and dark". There was nothing about the channel..

OOC: The channel looked dry from what Finna could see.

Ready to advance once an action is determined.

"So, what do we do? I suspect they will come together. Should there be a way to block zombies and let only the skull go through or the other way around - I would love to do so. But do not think it will work. I can cover the entrance with spikes, it will wound zombies a little. Just do not forget to stay away from that area. And then I can work as a bait and bring the horde  here. It will be a hard fight, though."

(OOC: Actually, that's a good idea. If Finna casts her Spike Growth in front of the corridor (see pic), Thulgrim can stand at the edge and pull the zombies in and then down the corridor. That should at least soften them up, and might even take a few out. We'll see what the skull does and worry about it then.)