Quote from DirtyDogP >>

"...nothing overtly dangerous has taken place."

Hildigrim just gets these words out when he is jostled by a cloaked Drow rushing through. (The face is covered, but the body build and clothing are Drow.)

A few seconds later, everyone in the party is pushed back, as 4 armed and armored Xanathar members chase in the direction of the cloaked Drow. The leader is a hobgoblin in plate wielding a maul. "You can't escape us, courier. You are going to die, but running will make it slower and more painful."

(The Drow is 120' away. The Xanathar squad is 60' away, between the party and the Drow.)

(Are we able to take combat actions now, or are we not in combat yet?)

Hildigrim steadies himself after being jostled. And when he hears the bugbear call the drow a courier, he asks, "Courier? Do you think?" He looks at the others and then hurries after the bugbears.

Quote from Mingofaust >>

(Are we able to take combat actions now, or are we not in combat yet?)

(Not in combat yet... There are people on the street, so any actions would likely hit pedestrians who walk in front of you at the wrong time.

The module has this part as a chase, since Hildi has urged the group to follow. There are 3 complications that the group needs to pass (3 out of 5). If anyone wants to use a spell slot to assist with any of these complications, mention it.)

First roll of three: 4

First chase complication:  Each character must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check (their choice) to get around a group of thugs outside a festhall that are spoiling for a fight. Characters with the Soldier or Criminal background enjoy advantage.

"Let's go!" Quillary says with a smile, turning to chase after the Hildi and the bugbears. As she sees the group outside the festal, she immediately recognizes the potential problem, and tries to dodge through them without provoking them!

Acrobatics! 9

Edit: and she plows right into them?

(Group check. If enough pass, you shall pass.)

Drusk will try to plow through them like bowling pins (athletics): 22

Pascal huffs and runs, “Y’all betta move, otherwise I’m taking an arm!” Intimidation: 10

DAGNABBIT

"Ah ha!" Jorin roars and batters his way throught the crowd after the courier.  Athletics 19

Hildi dodges and weaves through the forest of legs as Volo flutters 15 feet above the group. Acrobatics: 24

Hildigrim slips through the mob of thugs. They close ranks before Quillary can slip through, and Pascal's glare is a little weak. (He is still a little fatigued from the mind-games he was playing on Boskyn's bodyguards earlier.) Fortunately, Jorin and Drusk steamroll an opening, allowing Q & P to continue forward (stepping on fallen bodies along the way).

• Second roll of three: 1
• Second chase complication: Each character must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid wiping out on a particularly slick puddle of stalactite drippings.

Note: Drusk will use a 3rd level spell slot to dry out the drippings with Create or Destroy Water, so consider this solved.

(DC 17 with only one skill option doesn't sound good to me. Better to use up a spell slot.)

• Third roll of three: 1  (hmm) I'll roll a d4, and skip over the previous rolled results: 1
• Third chase complication: Each character must make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to get through a crowd of zombies being herded to work. On a failure, each character is jostled for 9 bludgeoning damage.

Note: If the group check fails, the damage will be 13 for failed rolls and 9 for successful rolls. Otherwise, only failed rolls get 9 damage.

If you can find a clever way to use a spell slot for this situation, I will reduce the DC or make it an auto-succeed (like the 2nd complication).

Pascal has nothing that would not result in massive collateral damage! Pascal be nimble, Pascal be quick!

Acrobatics: 5! Yep.

Quillary tries again to dance through the obstacle! Acrobatics: 8

Edit: fudge.

(Yeah, not looking good.)

Drusk scoffs at the idea of Acrobatics: 9

(OOC: Okay, everyone is taking some damage. Quillary has been warning us about these stinking zombies all this time, to no avail...

Hildigrim and Jorin should still roll their check, to see if they take 9, or 13 like the rest of the party.)

Jorin calls out, "Watch out, work zombies!" and attempts to dodge them.  Acrobatics 17

Huzzah!

Hildigrim thinks, "No problem. Our party's cleric will just force the undead creatures to scatter. From what I understand, that's cleric 101." He waits. "Any second now." He cringes. "Any second." He begins dodging. "Hainard's hairy toes!" he hollers.

Acrobatics: 18

Drusk is prepared to Turn the undead, when the shepherds (zombherds?) speak up. The middle-aged dwarf sounds fearful: "If you scatter the zombies, that will put them outside our magic that keeps them (somewhat) docile and under control. They could hurt dozens of people before we got them back under control." His wife is more direct, striking at Pascal, Quillary, and Drusk with her staff for causing so much trouble.

Eventually, the group makes it through the herd, but not without some bruises from the zombie mosh-pit.

(Hildigrim and Jorin take 9 points of zombie bashing, everyone else 13 damage.)

The Road Enders arrived at an abandoned house. The Xanathar thugs have cornered the drow inside the family room, as you burst through the kitchen. (Map will be posted a bit later.) In addition to the doors being unlocked, they are rotted and barely on their hinges.

Now everyone roll for initiative.

Drusk init: 8

Quillary burst through the door...

Initiative: 7

Slowly, behind even Drusk.

Initiative: 17

Pascal (initiative: 22) apparently reaches the home with perfect speed!? 
Pascal looks around, “How... how did I beat y’all here!?”

Initiative: 10