Oh, forgot…

”Pspspspsps….”

Animal Handling: 15; Perception: 14;

Mana follows everyone up the stairs. He wonders what Wagner has in mind.

How do you converse with an aberration?

Why does he suspect the cat?

So many questions, yet no time to inquire.

Oriace furrows his brow at Sterling’s whisper, and the implications that the creature is mimicking the cat’s mewing. He doesn’t know exactly what’s going on—but whatever it is, it certainly isn’t good. With a fluid motion, he draws his rapier and begins whispering a spell under his breath, the air around him shifting subtly as faint currents stir to life. The gust barrier forms, rippling his cloak (he maintains it until initiative starts).

“I’ll stay behind Wagner,” he murmurs. “Let’s be cautious. We don’t know what it’s capable of—or if it’s even alone.”

He ascends the stairs carefully, ready to strike—or speak—depending on what they find.

You carefully make your way upstairs, but under the weight of all of you, the stairs let out a creak and the gazer looks over and sees Jasper. It's mouth opens as it grins. "Nom Nom!" 

And we are in initiative!

Auto rolling init put Oriace and Stirling before it, and Mana and Wagner after it. So lets go with that for the first round, and after Oriace and Stirling have acted, and the Gazer has gone, you may all post in any order as usual.

Oriace throws his weight in and charges with the rapier, hit roll 9 (or should I rather call it miss roll?).

Sterling raced towards the stairs just as Jasper darted off to the side and a bit behind Oriace. As soon as the gazer came into view, the bard cast his spell, attempting to sheath the creature in an aura of light, then called out encouragement to Oriace.

MOVE: Towards & up the stairs, just until the gazer comes into view
ACTION: Cast Faerie Fire on the gazer (DC 14 DEX Save or he becomes sheathed in light)
BONUS: Give Bardic Inspiration to Oriace

End of turn!

Dex save: 5 so sheathed in light (blue green or violet. Up to Sterling though mechanically makes no difference)

It then shoots out two beams, one at Oriace (DC12 Wis save or frightened until Gazer's next turn) and one at Sterling (DC12 Str save or pushed 30ft back, meaning down the stairs - no damage)

Mana casts his spell. Con save: 13 so just fails, and the gazer is blinded. 

Everyone apart from Mana can take a turn

Wagner focuses his tracking powers on the gazer, then rushes in and stabs at it.

BA: Hunter's Mark
Rapier: AC 13, 16 piercing. (On hit, Bardic Die spent, AC +4)

Mana hoots with excitement that his new spell worked. He then notices the blinded eyes darting towards his location. Stupid, he thinks to himself. He uses some of his movement to take up a position elsewhere from his “last known good” stance.

Oriace steels himself against the gazer’s eerie gaze, recalling the murmur of ancestral spirits that banishes his budding fear (Save 11,14); as Mana’s spell blinds the aberration and Sterling’s faerie fire illuminates it, the halfling darts in with a hushed lunge, raking his rapier home amid flickering motes of blue-green light—his deep bass voice resonating through the cramped stairwell and sending a promise to the gathered spirits that this abomination shall find no foothold in his thoughts, nor any mercy from him or his companions. (Hit 23,10 for 9 damage)

Sterling's STR Save vs. Pushing Beam: 19

Sterling just managed to crouch a bit and brace himself for the beam's impact, preventing himself from being knocked back down the stairs. "Nice work, Mana!" he said as he rushed past the gazer to take advantage of its lack of vision. Smoothly drawing his rapier as he turned, he lunged towards the creature as its aura settled into a brilliant violet, guiding his strike. "Get him, Wagner!" he yelled, stepping back and hoping that their combined attacks could quickly end the confrontation.

MOVE: To behind the gazer
FREE: Draw rapier
ACTION: Attack gazer with rapier
* Rapier Thrust - Attack: 15, Mundane Piercing Damage: 5
BONUS: Give Bardic Inspiration (1d6) to Wagner

End of turn!

Quote from Charwoman_Gene >>

Wagner, feeling responsible for the mission, takes the keys and heads towards the front door. “Anyone have a brighter idea than just barging in? I intend to negotiate with the creature if it will let us.”

(Is Wagner or anyone else trying non-lethal damage?)

Mana watches the flurry of attacks and questions whether he understands the semantic domain for the Common word “negotiate”. He’s only been on the surface a few years and there is yet so much to learn!

(Oriace isn't going for non-lethal damage. He didn't plan to negotiate with the aberration.)

The gazer is well and truly dead unless Wagner went for non lethal. (AC13, 13hp. So Wagner alone would have either knocked out or killed)

"Dang it, I only intended to hurt the dashed thing before trying to talk, I must have nicked a major blood vessel or vital organ," says Wagner, looking embarrassed.

"Let's locate and secure the cat."

Mana casts Speak with Animals immediately and then calls out in his best (sand papery) tongue of “cat”,

”The danger is gone, Fillipa. Your master, Uza, sent us to find you. Please come out. We want to help.”

He will wander the floors, calling out this repeated message (for up to 10 minutes) until he locates/reconciles with the feline.

After a minute, Fillipa comes out. Everyone else can hear her meow/purr, though Mana hears the words. "That monster wanted to eat me but I am good at hiding." and then she starts to clean herself, seemingly unphased now the danger is gone.

“Yes, you are. If it had been much smaller, I’m sure you would have been the one hunting it.” Mana compliments. “Did you see how that evil frayed yarn ball got inside the building, or who might have let it in?”

"I was outside when I came across it. I ran back to the shop and the door was open and it just followed me in."