"I might be able to get up there, maybe one of you can help me? Stand on the stairs and give me a platform to spring from? If it looks worth exploring, I can send a rope down."

((Proposing an assisted Acrobatics check to get rid of the disadvantage?))

((Nah, magic eyes has probably worn off by now. We had to wait for Kay's box joke.))

"That's the spirit Ess! But hmm..."

He looks up at the attic hole thoughtfully.

"Ash? You were a quick climb up the tree outside, right? Think you could get up there and drop us a rope? Or we could lift Kay up there. Either way."

((Edit, cross post...))

Ash stands up from examining the clothes. As she walks over to the others she holds out her hand and flexes it, and admires her claws, as they come out...“I should be able to climb it...”, she says, looking at the stairs and walls. “You have a rope?”.

She slinks over to the broken stairwell and attempts to claw her way up the wall into the attic if there’s space, taking someone’s rope with her if one’s offered ((climbing speed 20ft)).

"Oh, right! Yeah, that's easier!"

Korrik hands her some rope.

Ash does a couple of quick stretches and cracks her knuckles, before looping Korrik’s rope over her head and shoulder (like a sash) and attempting to scale the wall...

Ash, from the looks of the clothing, it seems like it is (or was?) owned by the same person. 

Ash, you attempt to climb up to the attic from the top of the broken stairs. With your cat-like grace you're able to do it. (I won't ask for any rolls in this case due to your climbing ability.)

You make it to the attic, and grab hold of the attic floor and kind of pull yourself up and have a peek around with just your head. Several holes in the roof allow dim light to enter this large room that extends the length of the house. Two large sacks lie heaped in the northwest corner, and there seems to be broken furniture and trash everywhere. 

I have added a new 'Battlemap 3' tab to show what Ash sees! (pardon the new map style :) )

Ash ties off the rope to one of the beams or rafters overhead, and throws the rest down in case the others wanted to head up too. “Not much up here, I’ll take a quick look...”. She attempts to do a quick lap of the floor. She’ll do it on all fours to spread her weight a little, and stay around the edges as much as possible, where the floor might be stronger. She will also investigate things like the sacks if they look interesting...

Perception (darkvision): 20 

Investigation: 17 

Ash, given your perception roll was so high, this is what happens.

You enter the attic, and are about to tie off the rope to a secure beam when you see 6 horrific creatures up in the rafters. They look like a cross between a large bat and an oversized mosquito. Their legs end in sharp pincers, and they have a long, needle-like proboscis.

These creatures do not notice you yet. It seems they were sleeping or resting. However, they are starting to move about, likely because they smell you. You will need to make a stealth check if you want to go back down to the others without the creatures noticing.

Essentially, you can either attempt a stealth check to retreat back down, or do something else which might initiate combat, albeit with the creatures surprised. If you try and talk down to the others, the creatures will hear you. 

 (we can keep the investigation roll for later if needed)

What will Ash do?

Map is updated with where these creatures are, and I've added it to the bestiary tab. 

**the rope is NOT tied yet. You didn't have time in this moment. If you try, they will notice you. 

((OOC: wow, nice twist.... I am thinking hard!... how far away are they? How far away is the nearest? Thanks...))

[edit...] Ok I just saw the map... I’m on it... My decision, and new post, incoming.....

Ash sees the creatures and freezes... She takes a second to weigh up the odds, and then draws her slingshot and fires at the northern-most one.

Attack action (sling), (surprise/unseen-attacker = advantage?): Attack: 18 Damage: 5 ...plus 5 sneak damage.

Movement: As soon as she’s fired, she turns and climbs down to the lower floor. As her companions see her, she says quietly, “Flying bugs incoming!!....”.

Climbing details:

Bonus action: Once down on the floor and out of view, she will use Cunning Action to hide. (She’s stopping under the hole, in front of all her companions).

((OOC: I think that’s her surprise round, I’ll roll initiative now ready for the aftermath!...))

Ash’s Initiative: 4 

Oops....I forgot to roll stealth to hide. Here it is!... Stealth for hiding: 16 

((If her initiative is higher than the bugs’, she will probably just remain ‘hidden’ and ‘ready’ a sling attack for the first bug that shows))

Initiative: 5

((I'm not sure that I've rolled a natural 1 all day, even with all ability checks at disadvantage. As a halfling, I can reroll the 1 and get something better, but I've just been rolling 2s and 3s!))

Ben is a little startled to see Ash come right back down rather than a rope.

"More bugs? Figures."

If he can, before the bugs show up, he will move to the spot behind the stairs in the top left corner of the house and ready his crossbow to shoot.

Initiative: 19

Attack: 12 Damage: 4

((The roller feels like exhaustion should mean something, clearly!))

Ash, your sling bullet nails the bat-like mosquito thing, and it explodes in a red blood splat in mid air. This happens in milliseconds, and before the silly creatures know what happened, you're back down the hole, and they most definitely did not see where you went after that. How could they. (hide = success!)

Ok, this is the moment where initiative takes hold. No surprise round as Ash essentially just did it out of combat. 

((Ben, no problem about positioning, and your attack is readied))

Round 1: Ash, Bug-Bats, Busren, Korrik, Ess

Ash readies her sling, waiting for the bloodthirsty bat-bugs to come down. Ash, please roll that attack now as they are next and it will be activated as these creatures smell all of your blood now that they are aroused and will be coming down. You are hidden, so it's with advantage. 

Bug-bats will go after Ash makes that roll!

Both of the map tabs are updated. 

"Um pardon? Flying bugs?!" Ess says as he sees the tabaxi jump down and prep an attack.

Ash says, “Bugs, flying bugs! Five or so I think... Fork!..”. They start flying out and Ash fires at the first one to appear....

Readied sling attack (advantage): Attack: 15 Damage: 7 ...plus 5 sneak damage. 

"Flying bugs aren't uncomm-" He stops in whatever he was about to say when they appear, "BIG flying bugs!"

Ash, you see one of the creatures indeed fly down the attic hole, and your sling bullet once again nails the thing dead on, and it explodes in a bloody splat in mid air. 

You then see more of these things just swarm to the opening. It's like a buzzing / wings flapping kind of noise, and the acoustics in the attic are causing it to echo a bit. *buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz flap flap flap* these creatures would see you right when they come through the hole given their first little friend was exploded by your shot. They all immediately swarm you, hungry for your tabaxi blood! It is a buzzing flying mess as they all try and cling on to you...

Attack: 18 Damage: 7

Attack: 24 Damage: 5

Attack: 18 Damage: 7

Attack: 21 Damage: 6

Ben, your crossbow shot misses the creatures. You didn't get a good look at your target due to the sheer chaos of the situation. The bolt sticks into the east wall. 

Korrik is up!

Ess yells out "YA BIG BUGS!! JESUSSSS!"

Map is updated.

(I will post the results of the bugs attacks in a new post to not mess up the rolls.)

Ash, two of the bat-bugs fly harmlessly around you. However, the other two actually manage to LAND on you. They stick you with their proboscis (ouch) as they cling to your body using their pincers on their legs. (-12), and two of them are now about to start sucking blood!

(sorry, it was -9)

((OOC: Should it be -9hp not -12hp? Thanks))

”Yes!! Shot! That’s two down!!..... ... Oh wait! argh!... ouch! Get them off me!!....”, Ash calls out, beginning to flail around.