The blade aimed at Lola is stopped without problems by the mulatto warrior's chain mail, but when the criminal turns it towards Sildar, the veteran is grazed on his left hand by him.
“Rusty joints, old man?” the criminal mocks him.
Then even the Redbrand with haunted eyes takes courage, advances, and tries to finish off Sildar, hoping to catch him unprepared.
Having difficulty defending himself from both, the veteran parries a first attack from the Shortsword, but the bandit swirls it into a second attack, which, although muffled by the chainmail, breaks some rings and manages to bite the underlying flesh, causing a wound not serious, but still annoying.
"No one messes with the Redbrands!" shouts the criminal, elated.
“Oh, really!?” Lola snarls, bringing a powerful slash from her Greataxe downwards, aimed at Haunted Eyes Redbrand's neck.
The heavy blade, pushed at an unthinkable speed by the warrior's muscles and anger, falls in a wide arc and cleanly cuts off the head of the exalted bandit.
As Broken Nose Redbrand opens his mouth in fear and horror, Sildar takes the opportunity to attack in turn, swinging his Longsword into a slash to the chest, followed by a thrust to the belly.
The pain of the blade cutting his chest makes the bandit understand that getting distracted wasn't the best idea he ever had - but it's too late: the tip of the veteran's sword pierces his belly and the criminal collapses to the ground , with a final regurgitation of blood, while Sildar, twisting the sword in his wound, says to him in a cold voice: "Who would be the one who has the rusty joints?"
Aeleth watches in satisfaction as Lola and Sildar dispatch the last two Redbrands. He knows that they have made a powerful statement against the tyranny of the Redbrands, and that the people of Phandalin will be safer as a result.
Aeleth sheathes his shortbow and joins his companions. They stand together, their weapons still dripping with the blood of their fallen foes, and look out over the peaceful streets of Phandalin. They have done their duty, and they feel a sense of accomplishment.
But they know that their work is not yet over. The Redbrands are still a threat, and they must be dealt with completely. Aeleth and his companions will continue to fight for justice in Phandalin, until the town is free from the grip of tyranny.
Determined to put an end to the Redbrands' reign of terror once and for all, you set off along a road that climbs towards a hill on which the ruined mansion known as Tresendar Manor is located.
You are followed by the looks of some citizens who witnessed your successful confrontation with the criminals... looks in which the uncertain light of hope emerges.
"See how they look at us?" Lola points out to all of you "Clearly, what Phandalin needs is a civilizing influence — someone to take the reins and bring law and order, so that honest people can prosper. Someone like us!"
"Maybe..." Merric doesn't seem entirely convinced "but in the meantime let's focus on eradicating the Redbrands".
You reach Tresendar Manor without problems and, after a brief exploration of the manor grounds you find it deserted... but with plenty of tracks leading to a stone staircase just off the empty ruin of a large kitchen. At the bottom of the stairs stands an unlocked door with a cellar beyond.
The door opens onto a five-foot-wide landing fifteen feet above a large cellar, with stone steps descending to the floor in two short flights. Another door stands beneath the stairs to the north. A large stone cistern occupies the western part of the room, whose walls are lined with kegs and barrels.
"It seems that there is no one in this room..." Torrga looks around "Should we take this opportunity to explore it? Or is it better that we go and open the other door? After all, it seems like the only other exit..."
"It seems..." Sildar repeats, in a dubious tone, still keeping his hands close to his weapons.
Aeleth steps forward, his eyes scanning the room. "I agree with Torrga. We should explore this room first. We don't want to be ambushed if there are any Redbrands hiding in here."
You all go down the stairs with stone steps without difficulty and reach the floor. The only places where someone could hide are the barrels stacked along the north wall, or those stacked against the south wall, or the large stone cistern occupies the western part of the room.
Aeleth can choose which of these three places to start looking... while he searches there, helped by Lola who decides to stay next to him, the other party members will search in the other two places...
Aeleth decides to search the barrels stacked along the north wall. He moves cautiously, his senses on high alert, his shortsword held ready. He knows that the Redbrands are ruthless and will not hesitate to attack if they are surprised.
He reaches the barrels and begins to carefully examine them, one by one. He listens for any signs of movement, and looks for any cracks or openings that could conceal a hidden Redbrand.
Lola stays close to him, her hand resting on the hilt of her greataxe. She is not as trusting as Aeleth, and she is always on the lookout for danger.
The barrels contain fresh provisions: sautéed pork and beef, flour, sugar, apples, and ale... Moving barrels around to thoroughly search them, Aeleth realizes she is making a little more noise than she would like... then Lola, the robust mulatto warrior, who understands the situation, approaches and with her strength helps him move the barrels by lifting them rather than making them crawl. No traces of redbrand there, though...
Torgga and Merric, meanwhile, search the barrels to the south, finding them full of fresh provisions as well, while Sildar examines the large stone cistern, noting that this rectangular reservoir is clean and filled with cold, fresh water. It is 10 feet deep with a rim 2 feet higher than the surrounding floor (so that the bottom of the cistern is 8 feet below the floor). Drain pipes from the roof of the old manor above fill the cistern with water.
"What is this?" Sildar asks himself, at a certain point, amazed.
The gray-haired warrior spotted a waterproof satchel that was hanging from a submerged rope attached along the south wall of the cistern, about 2 feet below the surface of the water.
"There are some gold coins inside... I'd say about fifty..." he announces to you, as he opens it and examines the contents "and a clean set of ordinary travel clothing... and also two potions - probably potions magical!" he takes a sip from each one.
Taking a sip is a method that works well for identifying potions... it is only dangerous if some of the potions are poisonous... but Sildar is lucky and the two potions turn out to be not poisonous at all and, in fact, potentially very useful... One is a potion of healing, the other a potion of invisibility. "Take it all, Aeleth!" he passes the entire satchel to the agile elf wizard "These are all things that could be useful!"
"Useful indeed!" Merric exclaims, his eyes widening at the sight of the treasure... and, distracted, he involuntarily rolls a barrel to the ground.
This time the noise is quite loud and so, while Aeleth takes the satchel that Sildar hands him and Lola, worried by the noise, approaches the door to keep an eye on it in case someone enters... the door actually opens and three bad boys emerge who can only be Redbrands: one with a scar on his neck, one with a birthmark that disfigures his face, one with black and greasy hair, all with short (and dirty) red capes and with short swords held menacingly in their grasp.
"Curiosity killed the cat..." Scared Redbrand growls "...and it will kill you as well, intruders! You should have never come here!"
[[ OOC: Thanks to Lola keeping an eye on the door, you are not surprised; please, roll for Initiative! ]]
First Shortsword Attack (vs Lola): 12 Damage: 5 (piercing)
Second Shortsword Attack (vs Sildar): 21 Damage: 3 (piercing)
Sildar's Parry attempt - his AC raises to: 22
The blade aimed at Lola is stopped without problems by the mulatto warrior's chain mail, but when the criminal turns it towards Sildar, the veteran is grazed on his left hand by him.
“Rusty joints, old man?” the criminal mocks him.
Then even the Redbrand with haunted eyes takes courage, advances, and tries to finish off Sildar, hoping to catch him unprepared.
First Shortsword Attack (vs Sildar): 12 Damage: 3 (piercing)
Second Shortsword Attack (vs Sildar): 5 Damage: 7 (piercing)
Having difficulty defending himself from both, the veteran parries a first attack from the Shortsword, but the bandit swirls it into a second attack, which, although muffled by the chainmail, breaks some rings and manages to bite the underlying flesh, causing a wound not serious, but still annoying.
"No one messes with the Redbrands!" shouts the criminal, elated.
“Oh, really!?” Lola snarls, bringing a powerful slash from her Greataxe downwards, aimed at Haunted Eyes Redbrand's neck.
Lola's Greataxe Attack: 25 Damage: 17 (slashing)
The heavy blade, pushed at an unthinkable speed by the warrior's muscles and anger, falls in a wide arc and cleanly cuts off the head of the exalted bandit.
As Broken Nose Redbrand opens his mouth in fear and horror, Sildar takes the opportunity to attack in turn, swinging his Longsword into a slash to the chest, followed by a thrust to the belly.
Sildar's Slash: 8 Damage: 7 (slashing)
Sildar's Thrust: 9 Damage: 7 (slashing)
The pain of the blade cutting his chest makes the bandit understand that getting distracted wasn't the best idea he ever had - but it's too late: the tip of the veteran's sword pierces his belly and the criminal collapses to the ground , with a final regurgitation of blood, while Sildar, twisting the sword in his wound, says to him in a cold voice: "Who would be the one who has the rusty joints?"
[[ Gratz! Combat over ]]
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth watches in satisfaction as Lola and Sildar dispatch the last two Redbrands. He knows that they have made a powerful statement against the tyranny of the Redbrands, and that the people of Phandalin will be safer as a result.
Aeleth sheathes his shortbow and joins his companions. They stand together, their weapons still dripping with the blood of their fallen foes, and look out over the peaceful streets of Phandalin. They have done their duty, and they feel a sense of accomplishment.
But they know that their work is not yet over. The Redbrands are still a threat, and they must be dealt with completely. Aeleth and his companions will continue to fight for justice in Phandalin, until the town is free from the grip of tyranny.
Determined to put an end to the Redbrands' reign of terror once and for all, you set off along a road that climbs towards a hill on which the ruined mansion known as Tresendar Manor is located.
You are followed by the looks of some citizens who witnessed your successful confrontation with the criminals... looks in which the uncertain light of hope emerges.
"See how they look at us?" Lola points out to all of you "Clearly, what Phandalin needs is a civilizing influence — someone to take the reins and bring law and order, so that honest people can prosper. Someone like us!"
"Maybe..." Merric doesn't seem entirely convinced "but in the meantime let's focus on eradicating the Redbrands".
You reach Tresendar Manor without problems and, after a brief exploration of the manor grounds you find it deserted... but with plenty of tracks leading to a stone staircase just off the empty ruin of a large kitchen. At the bottom of the stairs stands an unlocked door with a cellar beyond.
The door opens onto a five-foot-wide landing fifteen feet above a large cellar, with stone steps descending to the floor in two short flights. Another door stands beneath the stairs to the north. A large stone cistern occupies the western part of the room, whose walls are lined with kegs and barrels.
"It seems that there is no one in this room..." Torrga looks around "Should we take this opportunity to explore it? Or is it better that we go and open the other door? After all, it seems like the only other exit..."
"It seems..." Sildar repeats, in a dubious tone, still keeping his hands close to his weapons.
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth steps forward, his eyes scanning the room. "I agree with Torrga. We should explore this room first. We don't want to be ambushed if there are any Redbrands hiding in here."
He grasps his shortbow. "Who's with me?"
"We all are!" the party agrees unitedly.
You all go down the stairs with stone steps without difficulty and reach the floor. The only places where someone could hide are the barrels stacked along the north wall, or those stacked against the south wall, or the large stone cistern occupies the western part of the room.
Aeleth can choose which of these three places to start looking... while he searches there, helped by Lola who decides to stay next to him, the other party members will search in the other two places...
Which place would Aeleth prefer to choose?
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth decides to search the barrels stacked along the north wall. He moves cautiously, his senses on high alert, his shortsword held ready. He knows that the Redbrands are ruthless and will not hesitate to attack if they are surprised.
He reaches the barrels and begins to carefully examine them, one by one. He listens for any signs of movement, and looks for any cracks or openings that could conceal a hidden Redbrand.
Lola stays close to him, her hand resting on the hilt of her greataxe. She is not as trusting as Aeleth, and she is always on the lookout for danger.
The barrels contain fresh provisions: sautéed pork and beef, flour, sugar, apples, and ale... Moving barrels around to thoroughly search them, Aeleth realizes she is making a little more noise than she would like... then Lola, the robust mulatto warrior, who understands the situation, approaches and with her strength helps him move the barrels by lifting them rather than making them crawl. No traces of redbrand there, though...
Torgga and Merric, meanwhile, search the barrels to the south, finding them full of fresh provisions as well, while Sildar examines the large stone cistern, noting that this rectangular reservoir is clean and filled with cold, fresh water. It is 10 feet deep with a rim 2 feet higher than the surrounding floor (so that the bottom of the cistern is 8 feet below the floor). Drain pipes from the roof of the old manor above fill the cistern with water.
Sildar's Perception: 16
"What is this?" Sildar asks himself, at a certain point, amazed.
The gray-haired warrior spotted a waterproof satchel that was hanging from a submerged rope attached along the south wall of the cistern, about 2 feet below the surface of the water.
"There are some gold coins inside... I'd say about fifty..." he announces to you, as he opens it and examines the contents "and a clean set of ordinary travel clothing... and also two potions - probably potions magical!" he takes a sip from each one.
Taking a sip is a method that works well for identifying potions... it is only dangerous if some of the potions are poisonous... but Sildar is lucky and the two potions turn out to be not poisonous at all and, in fact, potentially very useful... One is a potion of healing, the other a potion of invisibility. "Take it all, Aeleth!" he passes the entire satchel to the agile elf wizard "These are all things that could be useful!"
"Useful indeed!" Merric exclaims, his eyes widening at the sight of the treasure... and, distracted, he involuntarily rolls a barrel to the ground.
This time the noise is quite loud and so, while Aeleth takes the satchel that Sildar hands him and Lola, worried by the noise, approaches the door to keep an eye on it in case someone enters... the door actually opens and three bad boys emerge who can only be Redbrands: one with a scar on his neck, one with a birthmark that disfigures his face, one with black and greasy hair, all with short (and dirty) red capes and with short swords held menacingly in their grasp.
"Curiosity killed the cat..." Scared Redbrand growls "...and it will kill you as well, intruders! You should have never come here!"
[[ OOC: Thanks to Lola keeping an eye on the door, you are not surprised; please, roll for Initiative! ]]
A Friend Of Mine:
I rolled a 17+4 = 21 for Aeleth's Initiative.
Other Initiatives:
Torrga: 18
Merric: 19
Lola: 10
Sildar: 5
Scarred Redbrand: 6
Disfigured Redbrand: 19
Greasy Hair Redbrand: 4
Initaitive order:
Aeleth (21)
Disfigured Redbrand: (21)
Sildar (15)
Scarred Redbrand (13)
Greasy Hair redbrand (10)
Torrga & Merric (9)
Lola (7)
Aeleth is up!