Eron manages to wound the NW sea devil before Tom and Will reach the scene of the battle.  Tom recklessly swings his shovel at the Sahuagin Eron had wounded, but the clumsy tool makes a poor substitute for a sword.

Shovel Attack:  9  (Miss)

Shovel Attack:  5  (Miss)

Will cleans up, however, his longsword flashing twice through the rain and wind, and the NW sea devil falls.  

Longsword Attack:  8  (Miss)

Longsword Attack:  18  Slashing Damage:  6

Nearer the house, the other Marine emerges, running toward the beach with two longswords in his hands.

The two remaining sahuagin close on Eron, spears stabbing and jaws snapping and biting for his flesh.  He is able to dodge and defend against the worst of their assault.

• Spear Attack:  8  (Miss)
• Bite Attack:  13  (Miss)

• Spear Attack:  13  (Miss)
• Bite Attack:  14  (Miss)

1. Eron
2. Marines
3. Sahuagin

Leo will help on the wounded Sahuagin, and Fane will attack and stay where she is at.

Light Crossbow attack w/Advantage: 24 dmg: 11

Eron quickly pivots his right sword held defensively, his left flicks out to slice the toothy menace north of him, “Good work now this one!”

Action dodge.

Marine HQ:

[The offhand bonus action attack is only available if the Attack Action has been taken with the primary melee weapon.  If some other Action has been taken instead, like Dodge, the offhand bonus action afforded by Two Weapon Fighting isn't available.  While Dual Wielder extends some additional features for two weapon fighters, it doesn't provide a work around for the need to take the Attack action to trigger the availability of the Bonus Action.  That said, it won't make a difference this time....]

While Eron does his best to avoid more spearpoints, Tom and Will continue to swing away at the sea devils.  Once again, Tom misses twice with his shovel, but Will is much more effective with his steel longsword.

• Longsword Attack:  12  Slashing Damage:  13
• Longsword Attack:  16  Slashing Damage:  6

The northmost Sahuagin is nearly gutted by Will.  It turns away from Eron and lunges at Will with its spear.  Will dodges the spearpoint, but inadvertently steps into the range of the sea devil's toothy jaws, suffering an ugly bite on his arm.

• Spear Attack:  6  (Miss)
• Bite Attack: 22  Piercing Damage: 4

The other Sahuagin continues to attack Eron, who dodges with much less difficulty now that there is only one attacker.

• Spear Attack:  15  (Miss)
• Bite Attack: 13  (Miss)

The sea devils seem lost in the throes of battle, unaware that the tide has already turned against them.  But then the last Marine arrives, tossing a longsword to Tom and drawing one of his own, letting the scabbard fall into the surf.  This seems to snap the sea devils back to reality, and both of them turn and flee back toward the sea.  All the other marines take attacks of opportunity against the fleeing raiders, felling the one already wounded by Will.

• Longsword Attack (Tom):  9  (Miss)

• Longsword Attack (Will):  17  Slashing Damage:  13

• Longsword Attack (other Marine):  19  Slashing Damage:  8

Eron can make an attack of opportunity of his own, or even pursue the last Sahuagin into deeper waters.  Unless he pursues, we exit initiative here.

Fane's bolt, with a helpful distraction from her familiar, finds its way home and the second sea devils drops dead in the bloody surf.

Under a flash of lightning and peal of thunder, the last remaining sahuagin continues its attack.  It spears down the remaining guardsman, who falls to his knees, clutching the deep hole in his belly, before toppling into the mud.  Then the creature continues forward, savagely biting one of the dwarfs from the bar.  The dwarf pulls away, blood pouring down his face as he howls in pain, clutching at a missing ear.

Spear Attack:  15  Piercing Damage:  8

Bite Attack:  14  Piercing Damage:  2

1. Guards
2. Fane
3. Sahuagin
4. Tilliman
5. Commoners

Despite every fiber of his being screaming at Tilliman to run away or at least keep at a distance... the sight of the commoner's horrid injury takes deep root in the gnome's psyche, physically disabling his abilty to run away...

His eyes practically vibrate in horror watching the blood spraying and seeing the commoner's bewildered look of raw mortality...

Tilliman swallows dry air and his face goes taught in a reactive, desperate, lymbic rage. With his jaw quivering, his heart fwumping, his ears ringing an intimate high-pitched tone over the dissociative din of battle, he draws his short sword and charges forward a the Sahuagin...

Shortsword to Hit: 19

Damage: 7 + Sneak Attack (3) = 10

Eron seeing the sahuagin flee nearly stumbles and falls trying to slash at the one that bit Will, “Don’t pursue!  We’ve no chance in the water.”

Eron looks over the fallen sea devil, checking for a soldiers insignia or sign that this is bigger then 3 random sahuagin.  “Wellgar should be informed, he can help with that nasty bite too Will.  I need to hurry and check on my friends.”

investigation 10

Eron is definitely feeling all of today’s exertions as he yet again runs to the Wicker Goat.

Wicker Goat:

Tilliman darts in with a quick stab to the sahuagin, enough to get it bleeding and angry.

The dwarf bitten by the sea devil withdraws from the fight, retreating closer to Fane's position while clutching his bleeding head.  The other dwarf, fueled by beer and anger, clobbers the sahuagin with his own mug.

Improvised Club Attack:  19  Bludgeoning Damage:  4

"Har!  Take that, you stinking pile of whale puckey!"  Then he turns to follow his comrade in beating a retreat back toward the tavern.  When he turns his back, the angered Sahuagin takes advantage to lash out with his forked spear, skewering the dwarf who falls to the ground with a short scream.

Spear Attack (AoO):  16  Piercing Damage:  6

The two human commoners take advantage of all of the fighting to approach the growing pile of bodies.  They grab one of the guards, who still shows some sign of life, and begin to drag him away from the combat.

1. Fane
2. Sahuagin
3. Tilliman
4. Commoners

Eron:

The sahuagin warriors don't wear any badges of rank or colors of military units, but in your own limited experience you've never seen such on any sea devils, including the ones who assaulted your captors.  They are intelligent and organized beings, clearly, but clothing and armor doesn't appear to be a part of their culture, outside of a few large clam shells fashioned on like pauldrons and knee pads, fixed in placed with ropey threads of thick seaweed.

Eron knows from word of mouth and experience that sea devils will use the cover of storms to attack ships at sea, able to organize in the relative calm beneath the waves to take advantage of the stormy chaos on the surface.  Perhaps these villains are applying the same principal to raid Saltmarsh?

Tom and Will dispatch the other marine to run for the church to alert the priest, and then find others to help as he can.  

"We'll patrol the docks and see if we can find more of Eliander's guardsmen... get an idea of how bad this is," Will says to Eron as he leaves for the Wicker Goat.  "Good Luck."

[Through the magic of storytelling, Eron will arrive next round at the Wicker Goat if combat is still engaged there....]

Fane will move forward about 15 feet or so and will yell out “Careful Mr Tilliman” as she moves her hands in an incantation, ending with her hands being side by side. From them, out roars a cone of fire to engulf the Sahuagin.

Leo waits until the fire envelops the Sahuagin before moving in. If it is still standing, it will help Tilliman, giving him advantage on his next attack.

 Burning Hands 13 DEX save: dmg: 9 (half on save)

She will then backup 10 feet.

Sahuagin DEX save:  6

The scaly fishman gibbers and flails as he is consumed by fire, the flames licking uncomfortably close to Tilliman, but not enough to do harm.  

The last sea devil falls, while the human commoners continue to try to resuscitate one of the downed guards.  The air still roars with the wind, rain and thunder of the tropical storm raging above you, but for now the battle is over.  

At this moment, Eron arrives, having run straight here from the marine headquarters.  He sees that the river has overflown its bank outside the tavern, and a handful of sea devils lie piled with fallen defenders of the town.  Fane and Tilliman are both out in the street, though both appear to be unharmed.

[Congratulations.  You have made it through your first 'real' combat - the little skirmish with the Ixitxachitls was just a warmup.]

“Tillman, Fane where are Regdus and Therris?  Are you both okay?  Perhaps we should find Captain Firemane.  There may be more.”

Eron tries to recall the rivers path through Saltmarsh.

History 19

[Map.  Map key is available on the campaign page.]

Tilliman is on his knees, still grasping his dagger, trembling with shock... "No. I'm not okay. I'm not okay. I'm not okay. I'm not okay.." He continues muttering to no one for a while before the final part of Eron's statement lands in his shock-fettered consciousness. 

"What!? More? When?..." He asks, starting to rise to his feet. "How long before they arrive? How much time do we have to get out of here?"

Tilliman is on his knees, still grasping his dagger, trembling with shock... "No. I'm not okay. I'm not okay. I'm not okay. I'm not okay.." He continues muttering to no one for a while before the final part of Eron's statement lands in his shock-fettered consciousness. 

"What!? More? When?..." He asks, starting to rise to his feet. "How long before they arrive? How much time do we have to get out of here?"

"We were not injured." Fane response, "but some of the guards were. I believe the others stayed at the Goat, we should go check on them. First I want to check out these Sahuagin."

Investigation: 22

Looking for anything of value, interest, clues, etc.

“Tillman let’s get back in the Wicker Goat.  Are you hurt?”  Eron looks him over thoroughly (medicine 4) Eron might conclude poison… “Tillman do you need a healer?”  Eron is genuinely concerned and will completely focus on Tillman’s wellbeing.

Tilliman takes a moment to calm himself and shakes his head, checking his body, still trembling, so dissociated he's not entirely sure himself.

"No... Miraculously no." He looks up, seeing Eron's genuine concern. It calms him a bit and he even a manages a smile. "Thank you though, friend."

The urgency of the situation then returns to his mind. "But you're right. We should get shelter."

He's ready to follow Eron into the Wicker Goat.

Once inside the Wicker Goat Eron seems both relieved Tillman seems to be okay, and anxious pacing wondering about Will Tom and Capt Firemane.  He fights the urge to say anything as Tillman recovers his nerves and Fane learns what she can from the bodies.

After steadying himself slightly, Tillliman grabs a random handful of coins that comes out to 4 gold, 1 silver and 10 copper, drops them unceremoniously onto the bar and says, "Please. I need a bottle of something." He then turns to Eron and stares for a moment, blinking with recognition.

"Where did you come from?" He finally asks. "And what in the hells is going on around here? Is this an invasion? Should we flee?" He shakes his head in disbelief, still suffering random waves of shock. "I came here for academic research, not to shove a knife into some blood-frenzied fish person!" His hands go to his temples and and he starts massaging them again. "Oh gods I can't believe that actually happened..." He starts muttering to himself, not quite in the same state of shock as before, but certainly agitated.