Penumbra casts message to Salty Joe.

"If you can get the back door open Bankur and I can pop in and suprise em."

"Copy you. If shit gets weird I'm blowing the door. Stay clear." Salty whispers back. 

Salty Joe and Rand follow the man into the building, trying to give the impression of importance and authority. Inside, you see a 10' x 20' room that ends in a closed wooden door on the southern wall leading to the rest of the larger structure. The room was obviously once used for food preparation and eating, a combined kitchen and dining area. You can imagine the space filled with a wooden table with benches down the side, perhaps a small vase with some wildflowers in the center of a setting of simple clay plates and mugs. Maybe the father's chair at the end, with a carving of an old family crest, or just a sign of the sun-god. But your imagined furniture burned or rotted away long ago. The men still use the old stove and cook fire for cooking, and have found some serviceable plates and mugs.

Favric stands about halfway in, his partner staying by the open door. "See? Everything in order here. No need to waste any more of your precious time here, I assure you. Here," he grabs a small cloth sack about the size of large apple. "I don't have much, but please take this bag of dried and spiced apples for your troopers. They are a nice, sweet treat from jerky and biscuits!" He holds them out with one hand and motions to the open door with the other.

Through a series of exaggerated and almost entirely unnecessary hand gestures Penumbra silently indicates to Bankur that they should stand to the sides of the rear door and be ready for anything.

Salty Joe points to the closed door. "Mind if you show me whats in the backroom sir?" 

"Just our sleeping quarters. But I suppose you won't be deterred from seeing it. After you, then." He steps to one side and nods towards the back.

As you are reaching out to grasp the handle, Favric shouts, "NOW! Subdue them!" Chaos erupts inside the abandoned farmhouse...

(Salty Joe has a moment to act before anything else happens, then Favric and crew will act, and then Rand.) 

Salty will open the door to the "living quarters," place his harmonica to his lips, and and center a shatter on the back door. (Any creature within 10ft of the door make a con save DC 13 or take 16)

Then he will turn around and say to Favric, "Surrender now you fool. You are surrounded and EVERYONE heard that." Deception 19

(Bankur and Penumbra need to make a DC13 Dex save or take 8 points of piercing damage from the exploding wooden door. Roll your initiative for next round!)

Knowing their time for niceties was up, Salty Joe opens the interior door and sends a spell at the door leading outside, blasting it open! Unfortunately, his companions were standing on either side of the door and listening, so they get hit by wooden shrapnel! There are four other men and women in the back room - all four looking towards Salty Joe with their weapons drawn.

Two of them are in the blast area (DC13 Con save: Pink 19 and Yellow 10) and are either killed outright or are knocked down. The other two (Green and Orange) move to the door but only one can engage Salty Joe with her scimitar. Attack: 17 Damage: 6

Favric and the first cultist attack Rand! Favric (Red) Attack: 8 Damage: 2 and Blue Attack: 7 Damage: 2.

(Rand is up - next round will incorporate Penumbra and Bankur in initiative order... Salty Joe - 22 ; Cultists - 7 ; Rand - 5)

Rand quickly decides that Favric is his target. While he draws his sword, he channels the divinity of his gnomish gods and swears an oath of enmity to Favric (advantage on attacks for one minute). He then attacks Favric with gusto. 

Rand with Advantage: (Attack: 26 Damage: 18) If he hits, Rand will use his extra power to divinely smite Favric. (if a hit, Add 2)

 (wow, terrible rolls!)

'Nope!" Salty will use cutting words to reduce Favric's attack by 2

Dex save: 22

Initiative: 4

Salty lets off another Shatter in the room centered where he can catch all remaining cultists. (Con Save 13 or take 20)

(I moved the marker on the map to show where I wanted the spell to hit.) 

Dex save: 19

Initiative: 16

Hearing the commotion going on beyond the door and trusting Salty Joe to follow through with the plan, Bankur looks at Penumbra and yells "Duck!". Seeing his companion move away from the danger, Bankur puts his shield between himself and the door. As the door explodes outward he manages to dodge the pieces that his shield doesn't catch.

Hearing the sounds of battle inside Bankur utters a short prayer to Ilmater and steps through the shattered door. Taking in the battle scenes Bankur looks to the prone but conscious human just inside the door and immediately drops his mace down on her (him?) in a quick downward blow.

(Attacking the yellow target with my mace, and assuming I have advantage due to it's prone position. Since this is a human I'm intending my damage to be non-lethal)

Attack: 12 Damage: 6

(Initiative order... Salty Joe; Bankur; Cultists; Rand; Penumbra)

Round 1 finishing up: Salty Joe tries to get into the mind of Favric and disrupt his attack, but the cult leader manages to land his blow despite the bard's magic. Both Penumbra and Bankur dodge the hundreds of min-projectiles that used to be the back door!

Round 2 Another thunderclap explodes in the bunkroom, blowing out the shuttered window and knocking the cultists down. (DC13 Con save: 4) Blood oozes out of their ears and noses, and all appear to be dead from the sonic explosion! Bankur enters the room a second after the thunderous attack, only to see there are no targets for his mace! (You don't have the movement to get into the fight with Favric…)

Meanwhile, Favric and the last cultist take another set of coordinated attacks at Rand. Favric Attack: 18 Damage: 4 - Blue Attack: 10 Damage: 3

Rand tries to take down the leader, but can't make the connection...

Penumbra ?

Salty will using cutting words to reduce Favric's attack by 3

Penumbra launches an arrow at whatever cultist she can get a clear shot at.

Attack: 21 Damage: 7

Sneak attack: 11

(Can we say that I moved to the side? I still had movement and forgot I was in the way.)

After barging through the door and almost pounding what he now realizes is a dead body, Bankur takes a moment to get his bearings. With the realization that the battle is continuing in the other room, he sprints through the door to help. Seeing the tall figure land a hit on Rand, Bankur immediately steps up to help his comrade.

Attacking the red target target with my mace.  Attack: 18 Damage: 7

Round 2 (con't): Salty Joe again tries to get into Favric's mind, this time making him doubt himself enough that his swing misses Rand. The other cultist's blow is easily deflected by the paladin. (No damage to Rand!) Bankur quickly traverses the large room and steps into the fray, bashing Favric over the head and dropping him like an old flour sack. Penumbra moves in behind Bankur and fires an arrow into the last cultist while hidden behind the doorframe and wall, killing him instantly! (Combat over! 75 XP each - you're up to 1,500!)

The cultists are each wearing black leather armor, a black cape cut to resemble dragon wings, a horned mask, and carry a scimitar. Favric carries a potion of flying in a stoppered vial around his neck. In the main room is a small coffer containing three gleaming diamonds (100 gp each) and a bone scroll case. Inside the case you find a note!

After reading the letter, Salty looks around at the bodies of the Cultists. "Lets steal their uniforms and trick this dragon into leaving."