darn, you win.
Bhoors looks out from his rather inept hiding spot. "Seriously the medical part of this team is recommending caution." He motions them over. "Lets get out of sight and regroup."
You all duck out of site for a few minutes. Nothing else happens or stirs outside. From the upper floors inside the manor you hear the occasional clash of steel on steel.
Hearing the battle in the Manor and what fun it must be, but with his party members being wounded he lets his blood lust subside.
"We can take a shot rest too get you lot patched up then we can pillage, I mean take a look at the Manor house."
Marquez takes some time still being cautious for shadows to emerge from anywhere. When he believes the area clear, he moves to the others. ”De shadows move against us. We must be on guard.”
Looking at the others, he offers arcane healing to those in dire need but is otherwise willing to continue.
You all retreat back into the garden and find a secluded spot to catch your breath and recover from your encounter with the undead shadows. But soon enough you realize it is time to move or risk discovery.
If ether of the door are open Dacknar heads that way and then upstairs to where he last heard the battle from.
Dacknar finds the double doors at the front of the house unlocked and slightly ajar. Stepping inside you find yourselves in a large open hall with ornate furnishings and all the trappings of a well off noble family. Two iron chandeliers hang from the dark mahogany ceiling above a long dining table carved from red larchwood. Chairs surround the table, with a particularly tall and elaborate chair at each end. Lining the wood-paneled walls are tapestries and locked wooden cabinets that contain fine dishes, silverware, and candlesticks. A fireplace with a black marble mantelpiece has a framed family portrait mounted above it.
What is unusual about the hall is the number of bodies strewn about and the two thugs with bloodied weapons standing at the base of the stairway to the upper level. The dead men all wear livery that matches that depicted on several of the tapestries while the thugs are simply dressed in black. As soon as you enter, the men turn and charge to attack.
Bhoors sees Dacknar disappear into the house. He looks at Marquez, "Any chance he is bravely covering our escape?" He sighs but then brightens, "The hazard calls us to the table. The dice are rolled. Luck favors those who dare." He moves to the door.
”I am more thdan ready to continue. My pause is only for de others.” Marquez pulls his blade forth and follows the others.
He moves forward to intercept the thugs with Bhoors. Familiar flames death his steel as he plunges his at the thug.
For plus
Dacknar move up to meet the thugs and swings at them.
"It be always best to loot the looters."
The two thugs rush right into the steel death that is the party. The first man it met by swords, hammer, and rapier as Dacknar, Bhoors, Rakdon and Marquez all connect with the second man caught in collateral damage from both Bhoors and Marquez.
Before he even realizes his companion is dead, the second black clad man
takes continues his charge, swinging his mace at Rakdon and connecting with a loud thwack to the half-elf warriors upper leg.
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Stepping up to the black clad man.
"Why do you wear all black, are you horribly scared or something?" and then Dacknar tries to send the man to his grave.
Seeing that the thug poses very little threat to us and he may be more useful alive, Marquez attempts to knock the thug unconscious with the hand guard of his rapier.
Rakdon and Dacknar both land hits on the surviving thug, while the attempt by Marquez to take the prisoner captive goes awry when he simply ducks the Bladesinger's blow. However, the move is enough to throw off the man's next attempt to hit Rakdon as his club misses the warrior by several inches.
Bhoors presses the attack.
Dacknar seeing what Marquez is up to, he tries to fallow suit.
Swinging his sword at the man in black. Dacknar flips his blade so the man gets hit by the flat of the blade.
"Oh knock him out."
Marquez doubles down on his attempt to knock the thug out again. This time connecting solidly.
Under the combined assault of Bhoors, Dacknar, and Marquez the thug falls unconscious at your feet bleeding from several wounds. Taking a few moments to unmask the man you don't recognize him at all. However the tattoo's on his cheek and wrists are the very familiar markings of a Zhentarim gang member.
There are several exits from this room, two doors to the east. Two to the west plus a stairway leading up to the second floor, and an additional set of double doors along the north wall near the set where you just entered.
"Guards of the house or keeping watch on the door while the rest of an assault team is active else where in the house." He shrugs, "It sounds like there is fighting elsewhere. We might have stumbled into a house being hit by the Zhents."
"Lets keep their clothes and gear incase we ever find the need to look the part of the Zhentarim."
"Their tats mark them. So they can still be left to the guards if we are not inviting unwanted attention to ourselves. Like where did you find them." He shrugs, "All options are on the table."
Seeing that any valuables on the Zhents are already being taken care of.
"These one's may not be the only ones here. Last I hear of the fighting was upstairs, lets go and take a lookie."
Dacknar starts to head for the stairs.
As Dacknar walks over toward the stairs, the sound of fighting erupts not far from the top of the same stairs.
Dacknar climbs the stairs and enters an elegant foyer that is currently the scene of a seemingly long running standoff. Three more thugs dressed in black are busy trying to holding off a break out attempt by three armed guards wearing livery similar to that worn by the corpses downstairs. So far neither side of battered fighters has noticed either the halforc or Unmei's 'shadow self.'
Marquez strides easily up the steps following the half orc and illusion.
In answer to Unmei’s question the Amnish duelist moves in and engages with a Zhent thug. ”Surrender or die Zhent, de odds are not en your favour.”
Dacknar sprints up the steps looking for a fight. He figures that if they were to save the home owners that a nice reward would be theirs. and if not, he would just come back later and take whats due.
At the top of the stairs he bellows out, with sword in hand. "STOP FIGHTING!!!
Rakdon's arrow strikes the guard right in the chest, but before anyone else can react or really understand what's happening, both Dacknar and Marquez fill the air with demands to cease battle and surrender. For a few moments quiet fills the room while the two sides size up the newcomers.