Quote from Swiftgale >>

 "I know we were being paid for this, but I am not willing to go down there even for money. Good luck"

"Well, imagine that!" huffed Sterling, irritation concealing a mote of envy.

Quote from cyreon >>

"I only have one candle and even if we were to rely on that I didn't even think on bringing anything to light it."

The would-be jeweler grimaced. "It'll have to do. I can light it, that won't be an issue. And unless all of the Xanathar followers have darkvision, we should come across some light down there eventually. But... I imagine we're all low on magic, so we'll need to be especially careful. We should be ready to flee if necessary; can't get paid if we're dead."

Noticing that his familiar was also apprehensive, Sterling picked Jasper up from his position, shrinking behind the bard's boots, and tucked him into a vest pocket. He finally gave a low exhale as he steadied himself.

"Shall we?"

"Let's rescue this guy and kick back with a fat reward! I'm ready!", says Wagner.

"Seriously?" Oriace's eyes bulge a little. "You entertain the thought to enter that dark, stinking hole with not more than a single candle? Any draft or odd step can put it out and leave us in the dark, stumbling through... the unspeakable." Oriace sighs. "I think we should take a moment and look for the next shop around here and get some torches before going down, at least. And once we're at it, perhaps also some old clothes. I'm never going to get that smell out of my outfit. I'm an entertainer for heaven's sake," he complaints and stares pleadingly at his companions and searches for any indication of help coming from Renaer on the issue.

"On second thought, maybe you are onto something." Wagner will look around for a shop he can purchase a tinderbox, a hooded lantern and 3 flasks of oil (or torches if a lantern is hard to get), and maybe a set of common clothes.

If you aren't fussy about clothes, there are corpses with free clothes back at the warehouse. But you can buy all of that at a nearby shop without difficulty (standard phb prices. You are bards so I assume you will try and haggle, persuasion check, dc15 to knock 25% off the price) 

"Okay, okay," conceded Sterling, his hands raised. "If we're going to take the time for all that, let me just run back to the tavern... I've got a lantern and two flasks back there, so I can save us that much coin at least. And for the sake of time, I'm willing to risk that Prestidigitation can clean our clothes; but if you're not, you could probably just grab clothes off the people we fought.

"Meet back here in ten minutes, then?"

Sterling will grab the lantern and flasks from his chest in his room. (He always carries his jeweler's tools and merchant scales on him, but didn't think the group would need the lantern. Go figure. He'll definitely need to get a backpack eventually.)

Wagner buys the supplies after Sterling leaves as the duplication won't hurt.
Persuasion: 25

Oriace hurries back into the warehouse and gets four sets of clothes from the dead Xanathar thugs, with a little effort and their Disguise Kit, perhaps they would be able to pass as members and get easier access to the hideout? He describes this plan to the others and asks their opinion. Then in the shop he searches for a Pouch, trades his Backpack for a larger one (essentially two normal ones), buys a Rope, Hempen (50 feet), a Grappling Hook, 10 Pitons, a Hammer, a Mirror, Steel, and if the others are willing to chip in a few coins also Thieves' tools. (His purchases are 12 gp plus 25 for the thieves' tools. He only has 25 gp and if Wagner and Sterling each add 8 gp for the tools, he'd pay 9. Persuasion for 25% discount: 8)

You make your purchases (luckily not costing anything due to your new noble friend) and head down into the sewer. A putrid stream flows along this sewer tunnel, which leads in two directions. In one direction, you see a tiny symbol drawn on the wall in yellow chalk: a palm-sized circle with ten equidistant spokes radiating out from its circumference. (It is fairly obvious, and no checks required to follow the yellow symbols especially with your light, so I will not wait for a response to confirm you follow them).

After an hour of following signs through the tunnels, you come to a three-way intersection where a ladder leads up into a stone shaft capped by a circular metal cover. One of the familiar chalk symbols is marked on the wall just past the intersection, and floating near the symbol is a spherical, grapefruit-sized creature with a bulging central eye and four stumpy eyestalks. It bares its teeth at you.

Group Initiative: 9
Enemy Initiative: 11

Enemy image:

Before you have time to react, a ray beams out of two of the creatures eyestalks.

Wagner: DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed and speed halved.

Oriace: DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened.

Both these last until the start of its next turn (assuming you don't all kill it immediately.

You are all up,

Renaer will run up and attack once with his dagger, and twice with his rapier. The first two hit, but then the creature anticipates the next swing which just misses. Before the rest of you have chance to do anything, the creature is already looking on deaths door.

Wagner rolled a 6.

Wagner hesitates, “Saying, aw come on guys, he seems nice!”

Oriace isn't afraid thanks to being a brave halfling but he doesn't quite get what Wagner sees in the miniature beholder. "That's the guard dog at best. And the most ugly one I have ever seen!" Oriace insults the eyeball with magically laced words. (DC 14 Wis save or 3 damage)

17 I don't normally do public rolls, but this one has potential to be quite amusing.

The insults don't seem to affect it. (normally editing after a roll is fine. But not this time. The number was and still is, for me at least, 17)

With his magic waning, Sterling decided to take a more direct approach. Racing up to the creature before it could fire another beam, he quickly drew and thrust with his rapier. "We've got this, Renaer!"

ACTION: Attack!
* Rapier Thrust - Attack: 6, Mundane Piercing Damage: 5
BONUS: Bardic Inspiration (d6) to Ranaer.

End of turn!

Wagner is no longer charmed.

Two more rays fire out. One hits Sterling. DC 12 Strength saving throw or be moved 30 feet away down the sewer.

The other hits Renaer, with the same colour as against Wagner.

"You are right. He does seem quite nice. Do you think he would make a cute pet?" (For reference. Its size is tiny)

Take your turns and someone deal damage. 

(( Sterling's STR Save: 19 ))

The bard braced just in time for the point-blank beam, resisting it's forceful push. "Nice try," he quipped, as he then side-stepped, spun and lunged forward once more with his rapier.

ACTION: Attack again
* Rapier Thrust - Attack: 18, Mundane Piercing Damage: 4

End of turn!

Oriace ups the ante and mocks the creature again, "Hah, who'd want this as a pet? It's just a pint-sized pretender with half the eyes and none of the menace!" (Vicious Mockery, Wis DC 14 or 3 damage)

Wagner, still off from the ray’s effect stabs at the creature wildly.  (Hit AC 9.)

Wagner goes to stab at the creature, but the creature drops below the attack. At first Wagner thought it was a dodge, but actually, it just fell to the floor dead