Mana whispers in lament. “These two never stood a chance.”

He moves to the western door and before he opens it, gives a Bardic Inspiration to Oriace.

In hushed tone, he warns, “We must be quick, the stairs are near and the nimblewright must be stopped.”

Oriace kneels briefly beside the fallen, murmuring a low, mournful note—a whisper for their spirits to pass in peace. Rising, he nods at Mana’s urgency and catches the bardic inspiration with a faint glimmer behind his eyes.

With a soft flick on his hand drum, he returns the gift, voice barely above breath:

“Let the spirits guide your steps. The quiet will shield us.”

He gestures to the western door, voice low but steady:

“That way. I would think that stairs should be just beyond, the sounds seem to come from further up in this direction. We move fast—before anyone hears we’re here.”

Rapier in hand, he opens the western door.

You open the door, and it's not a staircase. It's the great hall. You notice the following:

Lying about the room are the bodies of eight guards wearing bloody and tattered House Gralhund livery over their chain shirts, as well as two corpses in black leather armour. All are humans. Two thugs also in black leather armour, holding bloody maces stand over them.

The sound of fighting can be heard more clearly, coming from the top of a wide staircase in the northwest corner. 

Two iron chandeliers hang from the dark mahogany ceiling above a long dining table carved from red larchwood. Chairs surround the table, with a particularly tall and elaborate chair at each end.

Lining the wood-paneled walls are tapestries and locked wooden cabinets that contain fine dishes, silverware, and candlesticks.

A fireplace with a black marble mantelpiece has a framed family portrait mounted above it. (The portrait depicts Lord and Lady Gralhund, their three young children, and a dog.)

As you notice this, the thugs also notice you. They heft their weapons ready to attack. You all notice this and have time to react first (I rolled init on the encounter tracker. They got a 2, lowest party member had a 6 so you are all up in any order you like)

“Damn!” Mana squeaks.

(Assuming the thugs are not immediately upon us and hoping they are within 10’ of each other)

Mana hopes to end the hostilities before they start. He targets a Sleep between the thugs, but at least catching the one furthest away, on the assumption that the nearer one won’t turn his back to wake the other.

DC 14 WIS or Incapacitated immediately, then another save at the end of their turns, else Unconscious for 1 minute.

If both thugs are incapacitated, Wagner will approach them, and ready an action to attack if either wakes up.

If one is still up, Wagner stabs at them with a defensive flourish. [[AC 16, 17 piercing; Wagners AC goes up to 22]]

A 10 and a 15 (I had no idea sleep had changed so much) so one stays awake. And promptly gets stabbed by Wagner and instantly is bloodied (<50% health left) 

Oriace follows Wagner and buries his rapier tip in the injured thugs breast. (Attack 24 for 7 damage)

It is very injured now. 

Strangely incapacitated doesn't prevent movement, but the falling asleep one doesn't feel a need to move. End of its turn, gets 5 for the save so falls unconscious.

The other one takes a swing with its mace against Wagner (pack tactics does not apply as it requires the ally to not be incapacitated, so sleep helped there). 23 to hit for 8 damage.

You are all up again. 

Mana sees our “big man” get hit and draws his own rapier. He darts to an unoccupied spot next to the offending thug and places a well aimed thrust into a gap in his armor. Unfortunately, he feels the blade catch on some bone or sinew beneath the thug’s armor. He draws back his blade and blurts out a Healing Word to Wagner.

Attack: 20 Damage: 4 piercing 

Healing Word: 11

(All rolls in Game Log)

"Thanks, Mana!" says Wagner as he stabs again. [[AC 20; 13 piercing]]

The awake one is now not awake. Mana had left him on 4hp. Wagner finished him off. Oriace is up still. Melee attacks on unconscious give advantage and are automatic crits. 

Oriace searches the thugs, especially for anything that could hint at their faction (Investigation: 11 plus 4 from Mana's inspiration)

“Do we want to spare this one for the authorities, or dispatch him?”

Mana begins to retrieve a length of chain he’s been lugging around for just such an occasion.

They are Zhents. The dead one has a flying snake tattoo (and the asleep one looks like it does too but you are trying not to wake them to check too hard).