Cursing Burr races down the hall trying to get to the dining room, his anger rising....

Action-Dash.

Bonus Action- Rage.

Zefla hesitates for the briefest of moments, thinking maybe this god forsaken town would be better off without their poor excuse of a Baron.  But then she gets ahold of herself and staring at Izek with confusion and contempt, she runs into the dining room following the creature.  She pauses right inside the door, looking for her target and if she sees her, she fires another arrow, wishing she had something more powerful against the undead foe.

If she doesn't see her, she'll use her dash to keep going to try and find her, firing when she does.

Attack: 16, Damage: 9

Burr dashes through the serving rooms and into the dining room, flying into a rage and cutting off the Vampire Spawn's escape.  He rears up in front of the monster in all his fury, even as Zefla plunks it with another arrow from out in the hall.

Izek charges after the monster and his master, crashing into the dining room with his axe raised high.  "Die, wretch," he bellows as he brings the axe down.

Battleaxe Attack:  19  Slashing Damage:  14

Battleaxe Attack:  10  (Miss)

The first attack bites into the creature's back, though it doesn't seem to hurt it as badly as it should.  The creature pivots and shoves the grappled form of the Baron into the path of the axe.  Bone and muscle yield to Izek's blade as the Baron is nearly cut in two.  From Burr's perspective, the Baron may have already been dead before this... he is surely dead afterward.  Izek gasps, though it seems more from shock and anger than from grief.

Back in the hall, the mastiff has just seen its master carried away by some corpse-scented monster.  Confused, hurt, and defending its home, it turns to Zefla, baring its fangs with a growl.

Bite:  20  Piercing Damage:  3   And Zefla has the Prone condition on a hit.

The medium-sized dog tries to maul her, knocking her to the ground.

Upstairs, the last untraumatized guard watches Soren warily as he creeps down the stairs, looking around for where the battle has moved.  As he does so, a commoner emerges from the front room near the foyer, a window curtain bundled up over his should, full of pilfered belongings.  He gingerly steps over the dead but pauses when he sees the guard.  "Ay, don't mind me.  Monsters roam the town!  The devil will take us all!  I'm just making sure I get mine...".  He looks ready to bolt out the smoldering front door.

• Soren
• Vampire Spawn
• Burr, Zefla
• Izek and Guards and Baron and Mastiff

Giles keeps looking out of the window from time to time, mind racing as he considers his options, periodically looking back at Ireena.

(Rolling perception to see if he heard Soren’s call : Nat 1 : 6)

(Now that I know Burr was right by the vampire spawn, Zefla can use sneak attack with her last arrow.  That would add an additional 7 damage to her original 9)

Soren feels as if he has been running his whole life.  In some ways, perhaps he has.

Having heard the mastiff enter the fray, Soren calls out to address the canine, using Speech of the Woods, his voice rising like a mournful howl:  Fierce and anguished pack warrior.  None of us warm-blooded two-legs threaten you, save perhaps the familiar one with the half-moon-bladed axe.  Certainly not my small two-legged companion who just passed by you.  It is the cold dead two-legs with long claws and fangs who slew your master.  We all seek to battle them, so please do not attack or restrain us in our hunt.  Join us if you dare.

Sensing that the flames at the front door are quelled for now, and caring nothing one way or the other for the apparent looter in the southeastern room, the druid spins and dashes back the way he came, not wanting to give the bewitched guard a chance to poke him with his spear.  West along the upper hallway and down the stairs to the kitchen.  Aiming to continue east along the lower hallway as far as he can go in pursuit.

Nettle also dashes,  taking wing and flying west, down, and then east 120' along ceiling the lower hallway, giving Soren a telepathic scouting report.  Using Flyby if necessary to avoid opportunity attacks and not venturing within 5' of any potential foe.

[Soren's dash from the front of the house is able to get him half-way down the rear staircase.

Also Soren, make a persuasion or animal handling check (your choice) DC 14 to see if you are successful in turning the mastiff's fury away from your friends.]

In the dining room, the Vampire Spawn glances back and forth between Burr and Izek.  As it does, the wounds from the latest arrow from Zefla begin to knit closed.  "My, my... what big, strong, scary men.  Whatever shall I do?" she rasps, her undead face that of a young woman but her voice that of an old crone.  Then it pushes the body of Baron Vallakovich toward Izek, the corpse falling across the big bald warrior and crumpling at his feet.  In the same motion, it clambers up the wall like a spider and then onto the ceiling.  It crosses the dining room, around and over Burr and back toward the door toward the rear of the house.  

Izek slashes with his battleaxe...

• AOO Battleaxe (w/disadvantage):  12  (Miss)

... but the corpse of his master trips up his footwork and his strike embeds in the ceiling instead.  "Rahrr!" the man howls in a blind rage.  "Come back here you worm!  I''ll feed you your own fingers once I catch you!"

As the Vampire Spawn slips out the door toward the prep-kitchen, Burr may take an AOO.

The creature scuttles across the ceiling of the next room, dashing, and then through the door into the kitchen.  It turns toward the rear stairs... and comes face to face with Soren.  It hangs there from the ceiling, looking at him upside down, then it smiles.  "Aw... it looks like you caught me!  I guess that means you win a prize...".  It grins, bearing its impossibly long canines....

• Soren
• Vampire Spawn
• Burr, Zefla
• Izek and Guards and Mastiff and Looter

From her vantage point in hall, she watches the creature fling the lifeless body of the Baron at Izek as it escapes through to the prep kitchen.  She has a fleeting thought of regret now seeing the Baron dead of her thought earlier.  This isn't what she wanted.  None of this was.  Ignoring the possible looter, she dashes straight towards the kitchen and can make it through the door.  

As she does, she turns to see it happy to see Soren come down the stairs.  She takes the opportunity to shoot yet another arrow into it's frustratingly healing body.

Attack (crit!): 27, Damage: 12 + 20 sneak attack

AoO- Bloodspear vs Vamp- Attack: 23 Damage: 9

Burr immediately chased the undead thing, having little regard for the dead official.

He jinks left as he comes through the door boxing in the dead thing and thrusts at it with the Bloodspear again.

Bloodspear vs Vamp- Attack: 22 Damage: 12

BA- ( Out of Rage....bugger...)

Soren's Animal Handling to calm the mastiff:  14 (once again, right on the nose - see campaign log).

Burr manages to wound the undead twice with his bloodspear, the weapon doing far more damage than Zefla's arrows.  Indeed, Zefla's quick shot from the rear of the kitchen catches the monster in the back of the neck, but somehow seems to barely faze it.  Burr's strikes, on the other hand, clearly hurt the undead.

The mastiff, swayed by Soren's plea, allows Zefla to rise and move away without further molestation.  

Izek charges after Burr and the Vampire Spawn, shouting back into the house, "Guards!  Worthless currs!  Where are you lot, damn it all?!  I'll have your hides if you don't get after this gods-damned Vampire!"  Seeing Burr stopped in the doorway, he bellows "Out of my way!"  and tries to overrun him.

STR:  6

[Assuming Burr will easily beat that check.]

He's not able to muscle past the tough farmer.

After the shouting from Izek, one of the guards comes running from the front of the house, emerging in the kitchen right behind Zefla.

• Soren
• Vampire Spawn
• Burr, Zefla
• Izek and Guards and Mastiff and Looter

Attic:

From his seat by the window, Giles can smell smoke from somewhere below, and the voice of Izek can be heard calling for more guards.  Behind him, Victor nervously sighs and picks up one of the skeletal cats, stroking its skull behind where one of its ears should be.

Ireena is silent, staring at her hands, while Lady Bauer impatiently moves to take a closer look at the strange circle on the floor in the corner.  "Don't touch that," Victor warns sternly.  "It's broken."

Soren has no more reaction to the Vampire Spawn's nihilistic taunts than would a wolf at bay.  Doggedly, he raises his small wooden shield and stands his ground, blocking the door to the upper hallway at the top of his stairs.  His free arm gestures upwards as he murmurs for Silvanus' aid.  Once more, a beam of pure moonlight, dappled as if having passed through a the light canopy of a pine forest, shines directly down upon the undead horror.

Moonbeam:  creatures entering or starting their turn in the 5' radius cylinder AoE make a DC14 CON Save.  14 radiant damage on failure, 7 on success.

"Burr," the druid calls out in Elvish to his friend, "let the Baron's rabid alpha warrior through to attack if needed.  I think we will need to slay him too soon enough, for like a mad wolf, he furiously hunts one we seek to protect, you know the one, but for now, he is an ally against the abomination."

Nettle glides in from the hallway (60' fly speed with flyby), wings flashing in the Vampire Spawn's face before the owl settles back on Soren's shoulder.  Help provides advantage to the next attack against the Vampire Spawn.

(Soren hopes to only block the Vampire Spawn from entering the door to the upper hallway, in case the creature decides to go that way.  If the creature gets by him, or drags Soren with him, he will of course not try to block anyone else that may be pursuing the Vampire Spawn.)

CON:  9

The Vampire Spawn hisses in pain as the beam of moonlight splits and cracks its skin, burning the edges of peeled flesh.  Worse yet for the monster, the wounds inflicted by Zefla and Burr do not heal.  It glares nightmarishly at Soren, all gallows humor gone.

It slashes at Soren with its claws, trying to get past him and back up the stairs to the upper floor.

• Claw Attack:  9  (Miss)

• Claw Attack:  22  Slashing Damage:  7

Soren's shield is able to hold back one clawed hand, but the other slips past his guard to slash at him.  Still, he holds the stairs and the Vampire Spawn is unable to escape.  [Soren will need a Concentration check for Moonbeam.]

Not wanting to be completely surrounded, the Vampire Spawn scuttles along the ceiling to the space northwest of Zefla and then drops down off of the ceiling, next to her.

[Both Soren and Burr can make AOO on the Vampire Spawn.]

• Soren
• Vampire Spawn
• Burr, Zefla
• Izek and Guards and Mastiff and Looter

AoO- Bloodspear vs Vamp- Attack: 25 Damage: 12

Burr swore, " NO YOU DON'T!"

He jumped over the table and leapt at the creature as it moved toward Zefla, aiming his spear at it.

Bloodspear vs Vamp- Attack: 13 Damage: 10

( Zefla gets SA cos Burrs there?)

Rays of silvery-green sunlight flash from Soren's free hand as if reflected from a deep forest pond towards the Vampire Spawn's face as it brings its second set of claws to bear.  Soren casts Silvery Barbs as a reaction to the Vampire Spawn's second attack in an effort to distract it (re-roll and use lower roll).

Regardless of the result, the diversion caused by the spell grants Zefla advantage on her next attack, ability check or saving throw.

Soren has now used his reaction and cannot make an attack of opportunity (and did not have a weapon to do so in either hand in any case).

[Reroll of attack:  7]

As events undo and rewrite themselves, Soren is able to deflect both claw attacks with his shield.  [No Concentration check is necessary.]

As Burr continues to pierce and pursue the Vampire Spawn, it is looking more and more damaged and desperate.  Its undead body is barely held together, as its flesh is burned and torn and gaping wounds have opened in its torso from all the arrows and spear-thrusts.

Seeing the wounds gaping upon the creature makes Zefla grin.  Ignoring the appearance of the new guard, she notches another arrow taking advantage of the diversion caused by her druid friend.

With that advantage, she crits again!
Attack: 27, Damage: 11 + 14 sneak attack

[The Vampire Spawn had moved next to Zefla... but with a cunning action she could have disengaged and moved one space away so that she did not incur disadvantage (to neutralize her advantage) from making a ranged attack in melee.  So, I just moved her over one spot and the crit still stands.]

The Vampire Spawn lets out an unearthly screech, its fanged maw gaping wide in fury and terror as Zefla's arrow lands in the center of its forehead.  Its pale, blood-slick and charred skin begins to darken and crack, spiderweb fractures racing across its body as though it were filthy porcelain about to shatter.  Wisps of black smoke curl from its eyes, nostrils, and mouth, accompanied by the nauseating stench of seared flesh.

Suddenly, the spawn’s entire form convulses violently, its claws raking the air in a final, desperate spasm.  Its flesh rapidly withers, clinging tightly to its bones like rotting parchment, before collapsing inward.  Blackened sinew and bone crumble into ash, scattering in the air like dry leaves caught in a storm.  For a brief, horrifying moment, its skeletal face remains intact, its hollow eyes burning red with unnatural hatred.  Then, with a sound like a dry whisper, the skull splits and disintegrates into dust.  All that remains is a dark stain on the ground, and a foul, tangy odor in the air.

With Burr out of the way, Izek charges into the room.  Seeing the Vampire Spawn disintegrating in its death throes, he spins and levels his eyes at Soren, advancing towards him up the stairs.  His scarred face twists into a snarl as he takes each menacing step forward, gripping the haft of his weapon so tightly that his knuckles whiten.

"Enough games," he growls, his voice a low growl, slurred slightly by the alcohol coursing through his veins.  "The monster’s dead, and now it’s your turn to talk.  Where is she?  Where’s my sister?"  He raises his axe, the blade catching the flickering light in the room.   In his other, monstrous hand, whisps of flame dance between his fingers.  "Don’t think for a second you can lie to me.  If you so much as blink wrong, I’ll carve the truth out of you, piece by piece.  And when I’m done... what’s left of you won’t be enough to feed the rats."

He sneers, taking another step closer, his massive frame casting a looming shadow.  "Speak NOW, or pray to whatever gods you’ve got left that your death comes quick."

Izek:  readied action

At the other end of the kitchen, the guard there gulps nervously, looking at Burr and Zefla, but then aims his spear at the halfling and mumbles, "You had best do as he says.  Izek means what he says."

Guard:   readied action

Finally, behind Soren, a final guard (one who had been upstairs near the front of the house) approaches.  He is currently about halfway down the upstairs hall, moving toward the rear staircase where Soren is standing.

• Soren, Burr, Zefla
• Izek and Guards and Mastiff 

Giles turns to the others in the room, stating “It is taking a long time, I wonder if they are okay…”  He goes over to the window, leaning his head out, tilting it down as he holds the rope, listening for sounds of battle or screaming.  He looks out in the distance to see if he sees anyone watching the house.  

Perception : (2 + 5) : 7

Burr gives the guard a pitying look and moves over to stand next to Izek, he says nothing but nods to Soren willing to follow his lead, the Bloodspear is easy at his side.