Arkun stays where he is, and seeing the zombie is still facing Rylan, he decides to send another mote of radiant energy toward it to put it to rest.  

Starry wisp : 23 to hit on the zombie, for 8 points of radiant damage.  

He looks down the room and quietly says, “What about them?  Let’s shift our attention..these abominations must end.”

Without the added distraction of severed hands skittering across the stone, the zombie stands no chance of withstanding the onslaught of weaponry that now turns against it, or the blast of radiant light that overtakes it for good measure. As it lies smoldering and cut into pieces on the ground below, Rumble's advance toward the skeletons at the far end of the room is met with indignance from the wild-eyed man behind his undead bodyguards.

"Bow before the Lord of Lance Rock! Me! Behold my dark terrors!" he shouts, his eyes darting from person to person as you advance. The skeletons in front of him, each armed with sword and bow, protected by meager scraps of armor, continue to stand inanimate as if on display.

Area Description:

The party is in an enormous cavern illuminated by several guttering torches set in sconces on the walls. The floor is uneven, and the ceiling is forty feet up. Three flat boulders near the passage serve as tables for human corpses. Severed body parts sit in baskets by the corpses, covered in dry gore.

Farther to the west, a stone stair climbs the north wall, ending near the ceiling. A stone slab like a counter juts from the wall across the room from the base of the stairs. It holds saws, knives, and other tools. The four skeletons stand beyond this tool bench, guarding a wide passage that exits this cavern.

OOC: Each character has earned 25 XP for defeating the zombie and crawling claws.

Aldric flicks his axe, attempting to remove some of the gore from its blade. He steps forward and squares up to the wild-eyed man. So he is the one causing all of this. Aldric would never have thought someone so unimposing could be behind it. He admits that he is once again surprised in this horrible place. They're lucky to have proceeded relatively unscathed.

"None of us will be doing any bowing," the knight begins. "We're here on behalf of the people of Red Larch and the Dessarin Valley in general. They told us this place held a terrible evil, and now we know why. Your undead watchdogs put up quite a fight, but we succeeded in reaching you. And these —" He waves his axe vaguely at the host of skeletons. "— guards won't stand much more of a chance. Come along quietly, and no one else needs to get hurt."

Rylan snatches up his whip and stows his sword, spitting on the fallow zombie at his feet... His head rushes with adrenaline and he barely hearing Aldric's words as he prepares to rush the line. This is going to happen... and this bastard is going to die for what he did to these unfortunate souls.

If Rylan hears any verbal incantations from the human, he's going to rush the man, brandishing his whip and ready to pour some smite into the hit...

Otherwise, he'll hold tight until the fight seems inevitable, in which case he'll charge at the skeletons with his whip (no smite)

Now that the source of the undead menace revealed itself, Rumble began tightening the grip on his axes and lower his stance as if ready to rush forward at a moment's notice. The fact that he hadn't immediately done so is perhaps either a testament to his training or showed a degree of respect for the chain of command. Or maybe both possibilities were at play. Either which way, the earth genasi stony visage still bore the marks of barely restrained righteous fury behind his glaring and scowling at the so-called Lord of Lance Rock.

And his patience was not infinite. At but a word from Aldric, or motion from the Lordling that might suggest he might either strike up hostilities or intended to flee, and Rumble erupt into motion and charge the skeleton line! He just needed the signal, as he was in no mood or mind to mince words...

(OOC: Still maintaining the rage until the minute passes.)

"Nonsense!" the Lord of Lance Rock shouts back, stamping a foot from behind his skeletal guards. "The Lord of Lance Rock surrenders to no one. I am, however, magnanimous and fair. If you surrender and depart now, I will allow you to leave, despite the damage you have incurred."

Aldric's frown deepens slightly at the madman's response. He takes a breath, forcing his voice to remain steady. "What is it you are trying to accomplish here?" He motions to the  zombie and hacked up hands. "Where are you getting all of these bodies from?"

The half-orc would prefer a peaceful ending, but he has a feeling none of the few answers that would result in peace is going to be uttered by this one before them.

"That is none of your concern!" the man says, tapping his foot as he places his hands on his hips in indignation. "You are trespassing in my kingdom! I am, however, benevolent and patient, so I will say again, leave now and swear to never return, and I will allow you to do so. Overstay your unwelcome any longer, and I warn you that you may become one of them." He fiddles with his moustache as he concludes his speech.

The skeletons stand deathly still, bony sentinels buffering the space between you and the Lord of Lance Rock.

Rumble had had ENOUGH! With every word the madman spoke without even a hint of contrition or acquiescence to Aldric's request, the together the earth genasi gripped the axe. Until eventually the slight trembling in his arms still alongside a huff. "Last mistake." He growled lowly his one and last warning before his body is in motion. His only thoughts being splintered between getting to the mustache twirling desecrator and shattering any defenses that would dare to rise to intercede!

(OOC: Not sure if its been a full minute at this point, but if not then as a reminder Rumble may still have a few turns of active rage in him.)

(OOC: Hoping to slip this in before Rumble executes his action)

"What afflicts you!?" Rylan shouts, more in panic than anything else then steadies himself...  "You are the Lord of Lance Rock, are you not? We saw your warning... I swore a vow... I'm honor bound to heal the afflicted and bring joy where I can..." He looks around at the rotting flesh around him. "...even to a place such as this."

He squeezes the hilt of his sword to steady himself and swallows back the rushing adrenaline as he adds. "So before we draw arms or honor your request to leave, I must offer my aid. Will you tell us what afflicts you?"

"You petulant fool!" the self-proclaimed Lord of Lance Rock sends back to Rylan. "Those signs were supposed to keep people away, not draw you goody-two-shoes in like a moth to a flame! Were the populace possessed of more intellect, the strategy surely would have been sound, but it seems that the Dessarin Valley has no shortage of would-be heroes," he says.

"Now, my patience is wearing thin. Depart at once, or my offer of truce ends!" the man raises his arms, and the skeletons before him follow suit, raising their weapons in a defensive fighting stance before him. His eyes widen as Rumble rushes forward, and his bold statement ends in a higher pitch as he turns and wheels down the passage behind him, leaving his guards to fight his battle.

Round 1 Order:
Players <=====
Skeletons

Placement:
All four skeletons are within movement range of the party.
The Lord of Lance Rock is not currently a combatant, and is not currently in sight.

Health:
Rumble is lightly wounded.

"Back here wretch!" Rumble demanded; his last word transforming into a battle cry as he rushed the skeletal defensive line.  With his first swing he'd see bone crack. But where it strike lacked in creating a crippling wound, such was the power and weight behind the blow as to leave it staggering off-balance. Just long enough for his second axe to sweep in smash into its spine!  Only afterwards does he risk a glance back over the shoulder and call back, "We can't let'em get away!"

Action: Attack with Handaxe to Skeleton(Center Most).
(Melee, Lethal, Vex)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 19 For: 6 slashing damage. 

Bonus Action: Offhand Attack with Handaxe to Skeleton(Same target as above).
(Melee,Lethal,Vex)Handaxe - Attack #2 - To Hit: 19 For: 8 slashing damage.  
(Adv. from last attack was from Vexing the target)

Rumble's battle cry elicits no look of disapproval from the elder knight this time. The half-orc raises his own weapon and his voice, mingling his own battle cry with the genasi's. He choses a separate boney target and launches himself upon it.

Attack: 12 (no idea if that hits); damage: 3; topple if it hits, DC11

Rylan's face twists into a scowl as he shouts "Coward!" He begins rushing after the man.

Okay, a couple different options here depending on the precise positioning...

1. If there is a way to Dash around the skeletons in pursuit of this so-called "Lord" Rylan will do so to ensure the enemy can't get away. (Accepting any AoO that come his way)

2. If he has enough movement to go beyond the line of skeletons, but they block his path.... He'll use an attack to Push one of the skeletons (ideally one on the far eastern edge to minimize opportunity attacks) to break the line and move through it to continue his pursuit. (Again accepting any AoO he must). (Athletics: 6... eesh)

3. If it takes his full movement to get within melee range of the skeletons he'll Attack the easternmost skeleton with his longsword. (To hit: 14, Damage 4 + Sapped)

Arkun moves forward but not engaging in melee with the skeletons, targets one that appears injured and sends a mote of energy toward it.  He nods and says “We can’t let him get away!”

Starry Wisp : 14 to hit, for 2 points of radiant damage.  

DM Screen:

Attack Rolls:

6 #Shortsword vs. Rumble, Miss
6 #Shortsword vs. Aldric, Miss
22 #Shortsword vs. Rylan, Hit - 8 piercing damage
5 #Shortsword vs. Rylan, Miss
7 #Shortsword vs. Rylan, Miss

Rumble's charge breaks the skeletal line as his first handaxe crashes through several ribs, staggering the creature off balance. His offhand swings in horizontally, slicing cleanly through the creature's spine and sending it tumbling into pieces onto the ground. He quickly has to pull his first axe back around to deflect a sword that pokes in toward him from another skeleton's hands. Rylan bowls through the opening created by the fallen skeleton, but feels his hip snag on something as he rushes by. Coming to a stop in the passage beyond, the paladin stares down darkness, his human eyes unable to distinguish anything past what looks like a split in the tunnel beyond. As he looks down, he sees a bad gash in his hip where a skeleton's sword punched through his chain mail, and worse, that skeleton is advancing toward him. Sword meets sword in the tunnel, and axe meets sword where Aldric tangles with the third remaining skeleton while Arkun sends a mote of radiant light into the back of the skeleton fighting Rumble.

Round 2 Order:
Players <=====
Skeletons

Placement:
Three skeletons remain.
One skeleton is engaged in melee combat with Rumble.
One skeleton is engaged in melee combat with Rylan.
One skeleton is engaged in melee combat with Aldric.

Health:
The skeleton fighting Rumble is lightly wounded.

Rylan is badly wounded.
Rumble is lightly wounded.

Just as swiftly as Rumble is turning aside one blade does he bring the other axe around again, aiming for the skeleton's neck and practically decapitates it. Yet his grin of satisfaction would quickly gives way to a look of alarm if it yet clung to life; it's head somehow hanging on by whatever bits of sinew remained attached to the bone. Nothing a follow-up swing of his axe couldn't finish if need be, though the final cut is anything but a clean one.

"Tch! Hold on, Rylan, I'm coming!" He called out had he felled his own skeleton, but not without sounding a little breathless. In fact, that earlier bout of righteous fury seemed to be dying down bit by bit, as whatever supernatural rage that flowed within was starting to lose steam..

Action: Attack with Handaxe to Skeleton(targeted Rumble).
(Melee, Lethal, Vex)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 23 For: 11 slashing damage. 

Bonus Action: Offhand Attack with Handaxe to Skeleton(Same target as above if not defeated).
(Melee,Lethal,Vex)Handaxe - Attack #2 - To Hit: 25 For: 4 slashing damage.  
(Adv. from last attack was from Vexing the target)

Arkun gets tired of staying at the rear, he focuses on his trusty staff and moves forward, swinging at one of the skeletons.  

Shillelagh : 10 to hit, for 10 points of bludgeoning damage.  

Rylan curses his own foolishness as he turns to the skeleton and swipes at it with his longsword... 

To hit: 16, Damage 9 + Sapped (Disadvantage on next attack)

"Rumble, quit playing with that bucket of bones and hurry over! He's getting away, blast him!"

"Stand together," Aldric growls. He raises his axe, attempting to split his skeleton foe in two, but the brainless creature outsmarts him, dodging the attack completely.

Attack: 6