Matheris hands over 450 gp for the War horse and names the horse "Drakus".  

Matheris says, "Up to you folks.  I'm ok with any options.  There seems to be plenty to handle around here."

Faith introduces Solace to his new Charger. Inspiration strikes him, as he looks at its dark face and dappled flanks. “Your name shall be Patience.”

Barthen comments, "There are two more Rockseeker brothers, Nundro and Tharden, are camped somewhere outside town. Barthen hasn’t seen them in a tenday and expects the brothers to return “any day now” to resupply."

Barthen adds,"The Redbrands are making it hard on everyone, shaking down local businesses and flouting the townmaster’s authority.  Those ruffians frequent the Sleeping Giant Tap house.  Be wary of them.  Although I suspect you'll do ok should you have to deal with them."

You finalize your deals and pay for mounts.  As you head back into the street, you see four armed ruffians waiting for you. All of them are humans wearing grimy red cloaks, their hands on their weapons as they watch you.  One of the ruffians spits on the ground. “Time for you to move on, strangers. Give us your stuff, and be on your way.  Time to teach them a lesson about our town."

“If you are seeking charitable donations, share with us the cause and if it is righteous, we will donate what we can spare. If not, our ‘stuff’ serves the many the best with us.”

Faith sizes them up and down. 

“I would warn you. We are seasoned adventurers. If you seek violence; you will find it, and you will not like the outcome.” 

The ruffians laugh, "He's talking smack to us boys.  Take'm and make it hurt too."

Roll initiatives.  

Rumble in Phandalin

 You see 8 ruffians.  They're standing in an arc in front of you in pairs.  A and B are 10 ft apart with B 20 ft from C.  C and D are 10 ft apart then 20 ft to E...and so on around to the last one H.  Karea is 30 ft from A...Lena and Faith are 50 ft from C and D.  Matheris is 30 ft from H.

I'll give it about 36 hours for initiatives to be posted then I'll auto post it and start the fight.

 OOC - I adjusted ranges to be more to scale with the building sizes vs the token sizes.....FYI.

OOC - I got busy so this might have to wait another 24 hours or 36-48 hours.

Initiative: 17

”We’ll make this quick, and see you delivered to the local thief taker. One day, I hope you see the error of your ways.”

He turns the ring on his finger and focuses on the despair these men will feel, in cells, as they grasp the malice and wickedness they have profited by and lived under, and become better, as he casts Summon Shadowspawn

Initiative for Karea: 26

Initiatives are 

Karea 26

Ruffian G 22

Ruffian C 21

Ruffian F 20

Ruffian H 19

Lena 18

Faith 17

Ruffian D 16

Matheris  15

Ruffian A 10

Ruffian B 8

Ruffian E 3

Karea is up.

 Everyone can post an action and I'll work it into the initiative order and adjust for targets that go down or as needed.

Is there any area of darkness nearby? 

The Shadowspawn of Despair runs forty feet forward after Faith summons it into being.

Now only ten feet from Ruffian C and D, it opens its mouth and screams. A shadow; there is no noise, only the absence of noise — a terrible, deafening silence that makes ears throb and chests ache. It is the fracturing of glass. It is the dilated pupil, mirror-wide as near-corpse begins to separate from true-wraith. It is the tree-bursting frost of deepest winter, cold enough to freeze fingers black and blood to shattered garnet. 

Dreadful Scream (1/Day). The spirit screams. Each creature within 30 feet of it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of the spirit for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

 

Weight of Sorrow (Despair Only). Any creature, other than you, that starts its turn within 5 feet of the spirit has its speed reduced by 20 feet until the start of that creature’s next turn.

 

 

OOC - No darkness....Early morning with the sun up.

Karea will take out her bow and attack ruffian A, activating favored foe. (The second attack applies dread ambusher)

Attack: 27 Damage: 8 

Attack: 25 Damage: 18 

Lena shrugs nonchalantly at their polite request, "Perhaps yous should all give us your gear, then get yer sorry asses outta town!" She kites her foes, keeping 30ft from her targets, her crossbows drawn and firing in the blink of an eye, targetting the closest enemy that hasn't yet acted, and moving on to the next after they are downed, her ruthless efficiency ony lightly hindered by the daylight.

Attack (Action) - To Hit: 8 (miss)
Attack (Extra Attack) - To Hit: 14 (hit) - 19 piercing damage (1 use of favoured foe)
Attack (Dread Ambusher) - To Hit: 18 (hit) - 18 piercing damage
Attack (Bonus Action) - To Hit: 12 (miss) 

Any movement she has remaining, she tries to find nearby cover. (40ft total movement available in first round)

Quote from Dragon_Heir >>

Karea will take out her bow and attack ruffian A, activating favored foe. (The second attack applies dread ambusher)

Attack: 27 Damage: 8 

Attack: 16 Damage: 11 

 Karea deftly fires two arrows into Ruffian A dropping them like a sack of potatoes.

Ruffian G attacks Matheris and moves to engage in melee and hits. One of two attacks hit.. 7 damage.

Ruffian C moves to attack Lena in melee...One hits  4 damage

Ruffian F move to engage Faith in melee...Both attacks hit for 12 damage.

Ruffian H moves to attack Matheris in melee....Both attacks miss.

Lena and Faith are up....

Quote from PolarBearSoup >>

Lena shrugs nonchalantly at their polite request, "Perhaps yous should all give us your gear, then get yer sorry asses outta town!" She kites her foes, keeping 30ft from her targets, her crossbows drawn and firing in the blink of an eye, targetting the closest enemy that hasn't yet acted, and moving on to the next after they are downed, her ruthless efficiency ony lightly hindered by the daylight.

Attack (Action) - To Hit: 8 (miss)
Attack (Extra Attack) - To Hit: 14 (hit) - 19 piercing damage (1 use of favoured foe)
Attack (Dread Ambusher) - To Hit: 18 (hit) - 18 piercing damage
Attack (Bonus Action) - To Hit: 12 (miss) 

Any movement she has remaining, she tries to find nearby cover. (40ft total movement available in first round)

 Lena's attack takes out Ruffian C that moved to melee with the Extra Attack barely getting through the armor, but enough.

Lena select your second target with the Dread Ambusher Attack. Which kills that target.

Quote from NycrolB>>

The Shadowspawn of Despair runs forty feet forward after Faith summons it into being.

Now only ten feet from Ruffian C and D, it opens its mouth and screams. A shadow; there is no noise, only the absence of noise — a terrible, deafening silence that makes ears throb and chests ache. It is the fracturing of glass. It is the dilated pupil, mirror-wide as near-corpse begins to separate from true-wraith. It is the tree-bursting frost of deepest winter, cold enough to freeze fingers black and blood to shattered garnet. 

Dreadful Scream (1/Day). The spirit screams. Each creature within 30 feet of it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of the spirit for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Weight of Sorrow (Despair Only). Any creature, other than you, that starts its turn within 5 feet of the spirit has its speed reduced by 20 feet until the start of that creature’s next turn.

Ruffian C and D are likely taken out by Lena.....Ruffian F moved to melee range with Faith so it's also near Matheris.  You could place the shadow so that it's scream can effect Ruffian E, G and H and still not effect Faith or Matheris.  G and H are 5 ft from Matheris so if you place the shadow next to E the range to Matheris is 35 ft and 30 ft to Ruffian G and H.  I will roll for three saves by Ruffian E, G, and H.  We can adjust that if you wish to do something else.

Ruffian E:14, Ruffian G: 19, Ruffian H: 10  vs. WIS DC 16.

 

Matheris uses his reaction to cast Hellish Rebuke on Ruffian G.

Matheris stays in human form and attacks with his rapier.

Crimson rite active at start of the day or after a long or Short rest..While the rite is in effect, attacks you make with this weapon are magical, and deal extra damage equal to your hemocraft die of the type determined by the chosen rite. A weapon can hold only one active rite at a time. Other creatures can’t gain the benefit of your rite.

Movement: Move 0 ft 

Rapier of Warning Ruffian H: Attack: 18 Damage: 4 (Lighting crimson rite) + Unable to parse dice roll. (Peircing) + Unable to parse dice roll. (Necrotic Bloated Agony) = 9

Bonus Action:  Blood Curse of Bloated Agony

Reaction: Hellish Rebuke;  19  on Ruffian G for attacking Matheris.  Ruffian G DEX save 22 vs DEX DC 13

Ruffian H fell to Matheris' rapier attack and G took 5 fire damage from the hellish rebuke.

So far  ----Ruffian A, C, H are dead

Ruffian E is frightened with movement of 10...

Ruffian G is down 5 hp.

Ruffian F is in melee with Faith.  You cast after the Ruffian attack so no concentration check.

Ruffian B and D are active unless one of them is targeted by Lena second attack.