Caught looking as the elven stranger rushes in and drops a thug - with but light cuts - that one's got some skill! - and Idrix drenches the rest in flames, Rory rushes in to club any left standing, hoping to take the ruffian alive for information.
Before Gelin can even think of a relatively clever return quip for the red-cloaked scoundrels, battle erupts around him and bodies begin to drop. "Oh. Well, er..."
He draws his rapier and moves up to his comrades' shoulders to prevent any escape attempts. "I guess we're doing this, then!"
1/10 (can only move next round)
2/6
6/10
The Redbrands leap back, taking damage from the heat but avoiding the brunt of the genasi's flames, then drunkenly take up the battle.
"Die, elf!" One Redbrand leaps at Zove, catching him off-balance after his furious attack. He is cut for piercing damage, then bats away the Redbrand's second stab like it's child's play. The Redbrand is off balance and seems out of breath already.
The second Redbrand follows the flames as they dissipate, thrusting at the bulky Idrix. In his typical taunting fashion, Idrix is able to twist and turn away from both thrusts, the point of the sword coming just inches from drawing blood.
The last Redbrand ducks beneath Rory's incoming warhammer, and retaliates with two slow thrusts that are blocked and turned away, fighting to a stalemate.
Round 2 Order:
Players
Redbrand Ruffians
Tracking:
Three Redbrand Ruffians remain.
Zove is engaged with one Redbrand, who is heavily wounded.
Idrix is engaged with one Redbrand, who is heavily wounded.
Rory is engaged with one Redbrand, who is wounded.
Gelin is 10 feet back from the melee.
2/6
6/10
Zove fumbles the scimitar in one of his hands, and it clatters to the ground beneath his feet. The Redbrand is caught watching it fall, and the elf's other scimitar hacks into his neck, ending his life.
Round 2 Order:
Players
Redbrand Ruffians
Tracking:
Two Redbrand Ruffians remain.
Idrix is engaged with one Redbrand, who is heavily wounded.
Rory is engaged with one Redbrand, who is wounded.
Gelin and Zove are 10 feet back from any Redbrand.
When Idrix sees the elf downing Redbrand after Redbrand, and them flailing at the party, he bursts out laughing, and with a flick of his fingers sends a bolt of flame at the face of the thug threatening him.
Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a spell attack equals your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Most spells that require attack rolls involve ranged attacks. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn’t incapacitated.
Picking up his jaw after the newcomer's vicious assault, Gelin gets his wits about him in time to join Rory in the melee, stabbing at their common foe.
Rory once more swings, awkwardly, at the drunken Redbrand in front of him, distracted by trying to keep an eye on both the strange Zove and the door to the tavern. Recentering his focus, he tries to catch the ruffian on the backswing.
The scimitar flips up into the air, and it nearly falls out of Zove's hand again, but after a slight fumble he holds his scimitar once more.
Idrix throws a mote of fire around the Redbrand, misjudging the distance. It flies past, blasting into the side of the tavern, melting a small hole in the outer wall and leaving quite the scorch mark. From inside, angry shouting and curses can be heard.
The other Redbrand suddenly coughs blood onto Rory while he winds up his hammer. The dwarf looks down to see the point of Gelin's rapier sticking through the ruffian's chest. Rory instead turns his attack to the last remaining Redbrand, who dances back out of range of the incoming warhammer. Rory quickly switches his grip and swings back in the opposite direction, dropping the Redbrand dead with a satisfying crunch.
The road falls silent as combat subsides. The few passersby who remained to watch the short fight stand slack-jawed. As they hurry away, you can see smiles on their faces.
Idrix spits on the corpse of the Redbrand who had insulted him, and dusts off his hands. He idly looks at the scorch mark, shrugs, then turns to the newcomer.
"Some fancy bladework right there! If you're hunting Redbrands, join up with us!"
"appreciate the extra blades, t' be sure, but... what's your fight here, friend?" Rory eyes the new elf somewhat warily, wondering how far to trust this arrival. "as for the rest of 'em, I imagine if we check inside, this lot musta been keeping watch for somebody."
"fair enough, though I'd wonder what these wretches could possibly have ta do with anything yer elders woulda seen fit to send word across the lands and waters to ye for," Rory responds skeptically, wrinkling his brow.
"As for the history lesson, we're like ta bore the youngsters if we go inta it too far, so...do the honors?" the dwarf nods towards the entrance.
Idrix nods approvingly at the glowing light.
"Magic from the hand, the way it should be! The Redbrands are a reward waiting to happen for us, and they're hacking me off to boot!"
"Fancy," Gelin remarks at the strange magic. "Though I don't know how much we can cow them with a few spells if they've got a wizard leading them."
"Yeah, tricks won't cut it! We'll have to slash and roast them!"
The inside of the tavern is little more than a watering hole. A few tables sit on broken legs, with their stools tipped over or smashed from some barfight long past. A small area behind the bar appears to lead to some sort of kitchen. The building is empty. It seems that the four ruffians itching for a fight were the only inhabitants.
Idrix saunters into the tavern and idly looks about.
"Charmin' place. Kinda funny they were all waitin' outside for us instead of in here, though," Rory joins Zove in searching the joint, heading behind the bar towards the kitchen for signs of recent use.
"As for a wizard," he comments while looking around, "we hear the brains of this operation is one by th' name of Glasstaff, though don't know much more about 'im than that."
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"Supposed to be scary enough to make the town nervous, so I don't suggest taking him lightly."
Gelin peeks through the doorway behind the bar. "Wonder if they've got any fresh cheese...cheese is good."
As he starts to step through, he freezes mid-stride, then spins around to the group, eyes wide. "Wait a minute!" She called me smooth!"
Nothing in the room looks noteworthy to Idrix or Gelin, and Zove doesn't find any hidden compartments or doors.
The only thing of note near the kitchen that Rory finds is a clean(ish) glass on the bar, and a dirty washrag in the middle of the kitchen floor.
"No cheese, alas -- and no Redbrands 'ere either. Snuck out the back, maybe?"
"Any rate, they've demonstrated to my satisfaction they're up ta no good. Let's go find 'em at their manor?"
Zove notices that the dust covering the base of one window along the back of the tavern has been disturbed very recently. Handprints have been left at the bottom and side of the window, as if a humanoid creature recently went through.
"Hah! You're right Rory, they're sneaky cowards! Let's find their den and burn it out!"
"Think ye can follow 'em, Zove? They've no doubt a good head start at this point."
Rory hustles outside and around the back to help search for tracks at the exterior of that window --
Rory is able to find a set of humanoid footprints at the outside of the window, and you are able to track them easily back to the muddy main road of Phandalin. Once you arrive closer to the center of town, however, you lose the tracks as they blend with dozens of others.
"Damn! But it was worth a go! I say we head to the Hall, and see if Sildar has word for us! And then hit the manor!"
"Better than chasing footprints, anyway. Let's go see if he's had better luck than us."
The Townmaster's Hall has sturdy stone walls, a pitched wooden roof, and a bell tower at the back. Posted on a board next to the front door is a notice written in Common.
REWARD--Orcs near Wyvern Tor! Those of a mind to face the orc menace should inquire within.
The notice bears the town's seal and an indecipherable signature.
Gelin glances at the notice on the door with a shrug. "Well, if we've a mind to make a heroic name for ourselves, I suppose we picked the right town, didn't we lads?"
"You're onto something, Gelin! In we go!"
Idrix strides for the front door.
Zove does not recall anything specific about Wyvern Tor.
Shouting can be heard through the walls, and it grows in pitch when Idrix opens the front door.
A fat, pompous old fool stands quivering in fear, his chins shivering as if they have minds of their own. The source of his current state is Sildar Hallwinter, who once again looks every bit the fierce warrior Gelin, Idrix and Rory met in the tavern in Neverwinter. He is wearing chain mail and carries a longsword at his hip. Laying against the wall nearby is a heavy crossbow and a case of bolts.
He is angrier than you've ever seen him. "It is your problem, Harbin, or did you expect the role of Townmaster to only make you fatter?" he shouts.
Harbin, the fat townmaster, avoids eye contact with his retort. "What would you have me do, Sildar, knock on their door and ask them politely to please come to jail with me? They're led by a wizard!" he replies.
Sildar shouts back, "I would have you do your job, you fool! The blood of your woodcarver is on your hands, and the Lord's Alliance will see justice for it, even if I have to do it myself!"
The two are so absorbed in their scuffle that they don't even notice that you have all walked in.
Idrix claps his hands together with a bang.
"Oi! We're here, and we have words!" , Idrix loudly announces to the room, swaggering in.
"Sildar, allow me to introduce Zove," Rory says dryly, explaining the elf suddenly in the middle of the shouting.
"He jumped in to assist us when we were attacked by four o' them Redbrands -- somebody really ought deal wi' that lot."
"Looking much more yourself there, Sildar! I guess you've not had better luck than us so far..."
Gelin finds a chair to lean against, pulling out his lute and strumming a chord or two. "Oh no, don't mind me. Go on! This should be good."