Sword Coast Rambling

OOC: I missed that. Good catch. This one appears to be an exit from somewhere if I had to guess. To obvious from this side that this corridor is suspicious.

Searching the long corridor with help from Beetle, Serak finds a crack along the edge of the south east corridors end wall. The crack forms the outline of a door, which at first glance is easily glanced over. The door swings easily on a set of hinges inlaid into the wall, but for the time being remains closed 

Serak: Returning to the others with Beetle, Serak says, "All clear on the eastern front, gentlemen. A room with supplies to the northeast and the southeastern corridor ends in a dead end and is suspiciously well lit. Beetle and I found a hidden door at the end of the hall."

Let's have a look down these stairs here next, shall we? I suggest we go together in formation. There may be others aware of our presence lying in wait for us."

"Start with the room at the bottom to the left where the bugbears came from?" Beetle says..."I can take point"

Serak: Nodding his agreement, Serak says, "I suspect these Bugbears were Cragmaw and I'd like to find evidence to that effect, if possible. Same formation as before? Lead the way, my friend!"

Beetle leads the way down the stone steps, followed by Syna, Zyltris and Brots. Serak follows behind keeping an eye out behind them for any creatures following them. Quietly and carefully Beetle creeps over the scorched stone slabs and slowly pushes open the wooden door to the south room. The door creaks loudly as it opens, but the room beyond is devoid of any movement or signs of life. This doorway is the only way into or out of the room.

Before them is a makeshift barracks, 15 foot long by 25 foot wide, containing four roughly built wooden bunks with heaped-up blankets and dirty dishes scattered about. A strong smell of unwashed bodies and rotten meat fills the air. Small piles of crumbs and moulding food litter the floor, some with small teeth and claw marks - tell tale signs of recent rodent visitors. Beside a pile of blood stained red cloaks, sits a rusted iron key. Around the room, the walls feel cold and damp, small traces of black mould forming in the corners of the room. 

Beetle looking around the room takes the key "This might come in handy while we explore this place."  Then continues to search around for anything else that might be of value...

Perception2

Brots, breaking away from the group will look for any signs of hidden doors or rooms.

Zyltris will keep vigil nearest to the entrance 

 Serak: Taking the least bloody of the cloaks, Serak uses his dagger to cut it down to gnome-length and hands it to Brots, saying, "Congratulations! You've officially been promoted from prisoner to one of the gang! Cheers!"

After Beetle searches the room, the bard says, "Try that key in this door. If we can lock it, this would be a good room to rest in. I doubt anyone bothers the Bugbears much. I sure wouldn't. We should finish searching the other rooms first though, same as we did this one."

Beetle tries the key on the door to see if it locks it.  After He will make his way down towards the northern room the redbrands came out of.

"After we check this other room we will do the short rest.  Then we should see about that secret door maybe."

Checking through the rest of the southern room, Beetle finds very little of interest. From the pile of dirty cloaks and food it is apparant  that redbrands have been sleeping in this room for some time. The bugbears however are seemingly more recent additions to the dwelling. A few small tufts of hair here and there, a deep recess in the mattress of a broken bed and a neat bundle of javelins are the only signs they have slept here at all.

Beetle turns the rusted key in the door lock. It creaks as the lock turns and pops closed with a loud CLUNK. Locking the door securely. 

Unlocking the door once more, Beetle carefully makes his way northwards to the next room. 

Several worn tables and chairs are scattered around this large room. At first glance this area appears to be used as a meeting room or headquarters for the redbrands, doubling as a common room when not in use. Wooden benches are drawn up against walls decorated with draperies of brown and red, and several ale kegs are propped up and tapped in the corner. A tap drips a regular beat into the small pool of ale that has formed beneath it.

In the northwest corner of the room, a round table surrounded by three unconscious redbrands sprawled out on the floor. One lies in a pool of blood, shortsword protruding from his chest, obviously dead. The other two are passed out, too drunk to pose any real threat. A stack of coins and trinkets is heaped upon the tabletop between them, as well as a set of dice.

Zyltris follows Beetle into the room with the three Redbrands on the floor. He pulls the short sword out of the one and ties up the others. “Let’s move them into the room we rest in so we can keep an eye on them. Don’t want anyone calling out an alarm while we rest.”

"Agreed," says Beetle helping Zyltris with the Redbrands and then turning to inspect the room for anything else worth while...

Investigation 8

Perception 18

Glancing around the room again, Beetle struggles to find anything of use. The ale kegs are largely empty. Numerous wooden and metal tankards litter the floor and benches, with various amounts of liquid within them. A stale hum of vomit and urine follows the party around the room. 

The table in the northwest corner has been used recently for an energetic game of knuckle bones. From here chairs have been thrown across the room in anger. A line of ale splashed across the wall mixes with a splatter of blood. At the end of the trail lies the dead Redbrand.

The table itself has seen better days. On its top lies piles of coins - totalling 75 copper, 55silver, 22 electrum and 15 gold. In the centre of the table lies a gold earring set with a tiny ruby. Collecting these Beetle rolls the four dice playfully along the table top. 

5,1,5,6

After throwing them a few times, he notices the regular occurrence of rolling a 1 and 6 on two of the die.

"Looks like they had some loaded dice..." Beetle chuckles to himself...."cheating themselves...lol...not much else in this room from what I see, lets head back to the south room lock the door and take the short rest."

Serak: Searching the room and the bodies quickly, Serak says, "We should bind and gag these drunks and leave them locked up in the Bugbear's room after we rest."

Investigation: 15

As the party prepares to rest, the bard begins to sing an old elven tune, as softly as possible.

Short Rest: 2HD(2d8+4) = 15 HP

Song of Rest: (1d6) = 3 HP

Beetle short rest 1d8+2 6

Song of rest 3

Short rest 4

Song 2

OOC: Zyltris only needs 3 HP, so he'll almost certainly be at full HP too. Good to go, team!

So shall we search the supplies to the northeast first? Then I think we just rush the secret door to the southeast. No way we'd all make our stealth checks. Just run in steel swinging and see if anything jumps out at us?

Edit: Forgot Beetle thinks there is a door in the supply room too. I could sneak into that one or the one to the SE, but it is risking opening doors. No way to stealth that I don't think.

Serak will be a much better scout very soon. Expertise in Stealth and Invisibility = we'll never be surprised again.