"Sounds like a plan, then." When everyone is ready, Hex heads back into the cave and leads the party back to the path they suspected the owlbear to be. "I'll head in first, see if its safe before we make any moves." She heads down the path to scout out the area, moving softly and slowly so as to not catch the attention of the owlbear.

Hildigrim looks at his slightly quivering fingers. "Normally I'd be happy to work on the lock, but I can't seem to get the chill out of my bones after falling in the Moonsea."

Hex notices Hildigrim's hands and gives him a sympathetic smile. "I can do it, if you want. I'd need to borrow your lock picks though. Don't have any of my own." She puts a hand out towards him. "My hands are pretty warm as well if you wanna hold them," she half-jokes.

The ghastly animal stench fills your nostrils as Hex quietly leads the party back up the steep tunnel and toward the other end of the tunnel. The sound of scratching claws and a bestial growl fill the passage. Hex quickly sees that not an owlbear, but two giant weasels snarl and spit at each other in the center of a low cavern, watched by a trio of warped and twisted kobolds. One of the small reptilian humanoids has translucent scales, revealing its inner organs. Another looks to be floating a few inches off of the ground at all times, while the third has a shadow on the back wall acting independently of it. Three more weasels are chained to a boulder to the side of the cavern, near a patch of striped toadstools. Past them lies an exit to the cliffside.

The kobolds pay little heed to the figure watching them, but Hex's scent appears to trigger the giant weasels' sensitive snouts. While the pair fighting in the center remain focused on one another, the three chained at the back of the cavern lunge at their chains, alerting the kobolds to Hex's presence. The kobold with the moving shadow rushes to the side of the chamber, freeing one of the weasels from its chain. The translucent kobold launches a stone from its sling, which Hex dodges, but the hovering creature floats close enough to throw a jar at the tiefling, which strikes her chest and shatters. Five spiders contained inside the jar begin to skitter across Hex's body, while a sixth falls dead from the impact.

Round 1 Order:
Enemies
Players <=====

Placement:
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Two giant weasels are still chained to the wall.

Health:
Auriel is lightly wounded.
Hex is lightly wounded.

Carl is taken aback by the scene unfolding before him as he enters the room.  He pulls his hand up reflexively, casting eldritch blast at the nearest kobold, but the shot goes wide.  “Well I’ll be…”  He looks over to Squirt Mudbottom and urges him to walk over to Hex and knock the spiders off of her.  Carl glares at the kobolds, giving his meanest face possible..

Eldritch blast : Nat 1 (6) to hit.  

Bonus action : Unseen servant goes to sweep spiders off of Hex, if possible.  

Hildigrim is at first fascinated by the scene. Giant weasels. A fight ring. More disfigured kobolds. He is still taking it all in when the jar hits Hex, disrupting his analysis and putting him on alert. He moves behind Carl and attempts to hide.

Bonus action hide — stealth: nat 1 for a total of 7 — and that wasn't even at disadvantage

As he is loading an arrow, he sneezes loudly, giving away his location.

Undaunted, he angles around the dwarf and aims an arrow at the kobold freeing weasels.

Attack: 8

He pulls back on his bow string and another sneeze surprises him. He lets go of the arrow, and it flies over all of the targets.

1 arrow used

Auriel reels back as the jar shatters against Hex, his eyes widening in alarm as spiders spill over her. He barely has time to register the snarling weasels and the strange, twisted kobolds. What the hell? Where's the owlbear they were expecting to find?

"Thia na fuin!" he spits in his native tongue, drawing his halberd as he charges the nearest kobold—intent on cutting it down before it can throw anything else, or unleash another weasel.

As he moves, a golden shimmering barrier flickers briefly to life around him before settling into place.

Bonus action: Shield of Faith
Halberd to hit: 16. Damage: 14

"Oh gods, we were wrong. We were so wrong." Hex immediately scrambles back as far as she can from the kobolds and weasles, swatting at the spiders to get them off of her while simultaneously trying to pull out her bow.

Movement: Backing out of the cavern

Action: Get the spiders off. If that doesn't require an action, she'll attack the nearest kobold.

Longbow Attack - 15  Damage - 12 Colossus Slayer - 3

OOC: Got a good chuckle out of the flavor on Hildigrim's rolls.

The kobold that threw the jar is dead before it can celebrate the success of landing its missile accurately, Hex's arrow placed cleanly in its skull. To its side, another kobold's head rolls off of Auriel's halberd, and the paladin finds himself suddenly accosted by the giant weasels that had previously been fighting each other. Apparently finding a common enemy in their owners' assailants, their jaws snap at Auriel's legs as they work in tandem.

The remaining kobold runs over to the chains, leaping over its fallen companion to free another of the trapped weasels, leaving only one restrained while the freed weasels find targets in Carlthuzad and Hildigrim who both miss their own targets. Carl avoids the snapping jaws, but Hildigrim feels teeth raking at his arm.

Hex feels the pricking sensation of several aggravated spiders biting into her arm; when one goes flying from some invisible hand, however, the others see no reason to stick around and skitter away into the tunnels.

Round 2 Order:
Enemies
Players <=====

Placement:
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Auriel is engaged in melee combat with two giant weasels.
Carlthuzad and Hildigrim are each engaged in melee combat with a giant weasel.
One kobold remains.
One giant weasel is still chained to the wall.

Health:
Hex is wounded.
Auriel is lightly wounded.
Hildigrim is lightly wounded.

Hildigrim gives up hiding and aims again at the kobold, hoping to drop it before it can release another giant weasel.

Attack: 24; damage: 8

OOC: I doubt that's enough.

He points at the creature and growls to Carl, "Hit it in the head!"

Bonus: help action to Carl if he targets the remaining kobold

2 arrows used

Carl looks up and spots the kobold, saying “Aye.  Will do.”  His arms come up and glowing light shoots out, blazing across the room toward the kobold’s head.  His eyes glaze over and turn dark as he feels the force exit him.  

Eldritch blast : 14 to hit, for 13 points of force damage.  

Hex grimaces at the feeling of the spiders biting into her arm but is at least relieved when Squirt manages to scare them off. Seeing Hildigrim and Carl finishing off the kobold, she turns her attention to the two giant weasels attacking Auriel. She holds her attack, waiting to see which the paladin attacks first before taking her shot - either helping him finish off his target or injuring the other.

Action: Longbow Attack - 14  Damage - 11   Colossus Slayer (if applicable) - 4

Once he's finished with the kobold, Auriel raises his halberd again—only to bring it crashing down on one of the giant weasels biting at his legs. Weasels, cockroaches, cockroaches, an owlbear... what kind of menagerie is this!?

Action: Halberd attack 11 / Damage 12
(ooc: Not sure if you've taken into account the Shield of Faith, Barty)

OOC: I did take Shield of Faith into account for the attacks against Auriel but I did forget to roll concentration after he was hit! 🫠

Hildigrim's attack will kill the kobold he is targeting, so redirecting Carl's eldritch blast toward a giant weasel.

The last kobold's hand is on the chain of the last giant weasel attached to the wall when Hildigrim's arrow strikes it, ruining its plans. The weasel remains chained firmly, and it snaps its jaws at the end of its restraints as one of its companions is blown to smithereens by Carlthuzad's powerful blast. The dwarf feels teeth raking down his arm, the price to pay for his focus on Auriel's opponents. Now with only one weasel attacking him, Auriel is able to keep it at bay with the reach of his halberd, while Hildigrim also remains a jaw's length away from his own weasel. Hex's arrow misses its target, and the battle remains pitched as the frenzied creatures continue their assault.

Round 3 Order:
Enemies
Players <=====

Placement:
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Auriel, Carlthuzad and Hildigrim are each engaged in melee combat with a giant weasel.
One giant weasel is still chained to the wall.

Health:
Hex is wounded.
Auriel is lightly wounded.
Carlthuzad is lightly wounded.
Hildigrim is lightly wounded.

“Arrrgghhh!” Carl reflexively grabs his back where the weasel clawed in through his armor to his skin, growling, he turns to face it.  His eyes completely black, he reaches out and arcing electricity spikes across his hand, giving his face a glimmering scowl, he turns with anger toward the weasel and reaches out, arcing the energy into it.  “Shouldn’a done that, beastie…”.

Shocking grasp to the weasel : 19 to hit, for 8 points of lightning damage to it.  

Auriel is grateful to have one less weasel to deal with and turns to slash at the one still snapping at his legs. As he fights, he can't help but spare a thought for Sylyra, who would have surely hated to see these animals chained and riled up against them—only to fall under their weapons and spells. They likely would have been far less aggressive had they not fallen into the hands of these kobolds.

The thought seems to make his aim falter.

Attack: Nat 1

Believing the others could most likely handle the giant weasel without her, she turns her attention to the last remaining weasel still chained. She felt scummy as she raised her bow towards it. She couldn't help but think of Sylyra and how he would've dealt with the situation. Would he approve of killing a chained animal? They could let it go but... the logical part of her brain told her it was probably better to kill it. No doubt, the kobolds had trained them all to be violent. It wouldn't be safe to set it free.

With hesitance in her heart, she let loose her arrow at the weasel, hoping to finish it off quickly.

Action: Longbow Attack - 20  Damage - Unable to parse dice roll.

(rerolling damage. i manually typed out the dice roll so i probably scuffed it up somehow lol)

Longbow Damage - 10

Favored Foe - 2

OOC: I'll give a little more time for Hildigrim's action before resolving.

Unable to use his bow in such close quarters, Hildigrim drops his favored weapon and pulls his rapier. Lunging toward the weasel, he attempts to dispatch it with one well-aimed attack.

Attack: 22, damage: 10, sneak attack if applicable: 3