This outpost was well-supplied. The party find 4709 gold in various denominations, both on the fallen humans and bugbears and in stashes in this room and the next. They also find 11 gems, each worth about 50 gp, including 2 carnelians, 3 chalcedony, 1 chrysoprase, 1 moonstone, 1 sardonyx, 1 star rose quartz, and 2 zircon. The real prizes are a stash of useful items, including 3 potions of healing, 1 spell scroll with the cantrip minor illusion, 1 spell scroll with the 1st level spell feather fall, and 1 spell scroll with the 2nd level spell suggestion.

(We got a really good roll on that 11d6)

Krennic brings Statue and the box into the room and follows them into the adjoining room, which seemingly contains a barracks. Fifteen leather hammocks are hooked to stone brackets that protrude from the walls at regular intervals in here. Painted in blood on the middle of the floor is a 10-foot-diameter circle with ten equidistant spokes extending outward from its circumference (Xanathar’s symbol). Several of the humans have tattoos with the same design. The undead beholder has the same symbol painted around its milky central eye.

"Well, let's get a move on," Krennic says. "Tend to your wounded so we can keep going."

Zinn greedily snatches up his shares of the loot and meticulously counts it out. Satisfied at the haul he turns to his companions.

”We show the stairs to the third level just a bit south of here through this hallway. If we want we can just make our way there and see how far we can go. If we run into a problem we can always double back and take down the other Xanathar gang so we can gain the favor of that creep we met back in the festive hall.”

"No," Krennic says. "We will be stopping on this level. It is almost supper and you need to find your way back out by noon tomorrow. I have another task for you on the surface. Leave me at..."

Martus Krennic looks at the map, pointing the brewery. "...here. I should be pretty secluded from wandering trouble there."

Kaltent collects his own share of the spoils, then moves to look at where Krennic points on the map and nods his agreement.  "Looks like it could be safe enough.  As long as we check what's ont he other side first," he adds, pointing at the door on the far side of the brewery where they haven't explored yet.  Looking back to Krennic he asks, "What task do you have for us on the surface?"

Shift collects his share of the loot, collecting the gems and the cantrip scroll together, to be sold later.

Shift considers Zinn and Krennic's word.

"Well if we are heading back to the surface, maybe we could look at trying to take out the other target for the disembodied wizard, on our way back down?"

"Then we can get the map information for reaching Skullport, without having to go too far out of our way."

Shift considers for moment.

"Could we take a short break before we head around to the brewery?"

"If we run into another challenge, I wouldn't mind having my more powerful shape-shifting abilities available."

(Unless someone stops him) Shift sits down and begins taking care of his wounds and then closes his eye and sits back to rest.

“Let’s make our way over to the brewery before we get settled” Zinn says to Shift as he sees him start to make himself comfortable. “Then we can all get some food and turn in for the night and get some real rest in before we head back to the surface. We’ll notate where the other Xanathar gang is in case we want to pay them a visit.”

Shift looks at Zinn with a deadpan look.

"Really? You want to head into the unknown after a fight like that, without a little break to get some strength back?"

Shift goes back to tending his wounds and then resting, giving Zinn a wave.

"Knock yourself out my scaly little friend, but this shapeshifter needs a break, of the next fight may knock him out."

"Hey, if we're taking a break anyway, toss me a couple of those gems real quick," Kaltent tells Shift.  Once he gets the gems (the two worth the most), he takes a couple minutes to cast Distort Value on each of them before handing them back to Shift, then settling his back against a wall and closing his eyes for a quick nap.

(Distort Value lasts 8 hours and I haven't used either spell slot, so might as well use both slots to cast it a couple times before we rest since I get em back anyway.)

Spending 2 hit dice: 9 6

Bronx plops down and rests his head on one of the dead bodies, using it as a makeshift pillow. (Expending one hit die: 7)

Krennic nods, saying curtly, "Fine."

He also sits and pulls out a small packet of rations.

Shift holds the two gems up, giving them a look over and comparing them to the others.

"Nice, that really makes them sparkle."

Shift adds them back with the others.

Shift rises from his rest feeling much better and ready to face another challenge, if needed.

"Right, shell we get to our intended destination, so we can secure it?"

Rethan stretches as he stands.  "Feeling better, then?" he asks Shift.  "Let's get moving."

Paging Zinn for any short rest actions.

The party head back through the room filled with dead Xanathar thugs and then turn south to come to a heavy wooden door. Per the notes on their map, they remember this long room with two animated ballistae guarding the brewery entrance. They had risked a lot to get past the ballistae, finding them too difficult to fight but easy enough to trick. Still, the flaming projectiles they fired were seared in each of the party's memories. Finding the brewery too difficult to defend, they slipped past the ballistae and made their way to level three. But now the monk wanted to hole up in the brewery for the night....or maybe a few nights...so they would have to do things a little differently this time...

"They don't see this far," Bronx says, rubbing his shoulder absently where a flaming bolt hit him last time. "Maybe...50 or 60 feet in?"

Everyone nods remembering the same things. It is safe for a little bit but the constructs still had a long range and a long sight making approach dangerous. They open the door and step into the long, pitch black chamber...

Sorry, yes. Rolling all of the hit die

7

2

3

7

2

2

Zinn rests on the ground, he eats his rations and drinks deeply from his waterskin replenishing himself as best he can. He was still weary from the fight, but he felt better now having regained some of his strength.

When they come upon the Ballistae, Zinn loudly curses in his draconic tongue, calling down vile epitaphs upon the hated constructs. 

Zinn looks at the Balistae and ponders their predicament. 

"I don't recall how we slipped past these things before... but I am limited when it comes to illusions, and my charms are useless on these constructs. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve if we need to be more direct and burn through the damned things... but could there be a better way?" He scratches his clawed hand on his scaly chin as he tries to think of some way though that would avoid yet another difficult combat. 

"Do you think they could have been instructed to ignore the Xanthar? Perhaps if we disguise ourselves with the Xanthar insignia they will allow us passage?"

"I cant remember the specifics either."

"Do they run out of projectiles or was it magical in nature, so effectively unlimited?"

Shift looks to Kaltent,

"You are our resident illusion specialist, do you want to try walking one of your phantoms through the room, see what happens?"

The group slowly recalls that they do not target anyone above or behind them, that they seem to effectively have unlimited ammunition, and that their range is about 120'. They also fall back to the door when there are no targets.

Kaltent nods his head.  "Seems like an easy enough test."  He looks around at the members of the party then settles on Zinn, staring at the kobold for a few moments.  Just before it can get too uncomfortable and causes Zinn to say anything, he looks away and speaks a few words (Silent Image.  A second Zinn appears standing next to the original, indistinguishable from their ally.  The new Zinn turns and walks out into the hallway towards the Brewery.

If the turrets shoot down the Zinn illusion, he creates a second one mimicking one of the Xanathar they killed before and sends that illusion down the hallway too.