Chapter 1: A Friend in Need

Stitches' fingers begin twitching involuntarily. While everyone is distracted by Yagra's rage, he starts surreptitiously going through the pockets of the fallen band members.

Pleased the fight is over, Vatra returns to the table with his friends.

Everyone thinks you're picking up your ball bearings as you liberate a few of the Beauties' belongings.

On the musicians you find 3 GP worth of pocket change. The Kara-turan has a silk handkerchief embroidered with foreign script, and Krentz has another 5 GP worth of change, a silvered stiletto dagger embellished with eye motifs, and folded-up label that reads "Peabody Session Ale," which depicts a slice of a lime being squeezed of its juice.

As Vatra and Alastriona climb the stairs to join Prince and Xelia on the balcony, their attention is drawn to the sound of a throaty rumble. Turning, you watch as a hulking creature climbs up out of the shaft in the middle of the taproom — a monster with warty green skin, a tangled nest of wiry black hair, a long, carrot-shaped nose, and bloodshot eyes. As it bares its yellow teeth and howls, you can see that bat-like creatures are attached to its body, with four more circling above it, darting in and out of the joists of the second floor.

Everyone in the tavern reacts in fear except for the barkeep, Durnan, who shouts, "Troll!!"space
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ROUND ONE

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Initiative Order

1. Alastriona, Butler, Prince, Stitches (any order)
2. 9 Stirges (HP: 2, AC: 14)
3. Durnan, Yagra
4. Troll HP: (84; AC 15)
5. Vatra, Xelia (any order)

Distances:

1. Alastriona and Varta are 30 feet from the troll and the well it is crawling out of
2. Prince and Xelia are 50 feet from the well via the stairs, but could jump off the balcony and get there in a single round DC 10 dex (acrobatics) or str (athletics).
3. Stitches and Butler are 15 feet from the well.
4. Five of the stirges are on the Troll, the other four are airborne, fluttering about the open-air column above the well. Only ranged attacks or something clever will be useful in engaging them. Consider them 20 feet from everyone on the ground or stairs, and 10 feet away from anyone on the balcony

Battlefield Features:

1. Panicking crowd
2. Sturdy wooden tables and chairs
3. Pewter mugs half full of ale, metal serving plates of food
4. Shadowy alcoves
5. Thick wooden pillars
6. Big, open well
7. Lit oil lamps

Stitches examined his new treasures with greedy eyes, pocketing each in turn and pondering which of his new finds would most please Obaya. But as he began to actually gather his ball bearings, the troll's guttural roar broke his reverie, and his head jerked to attention to take in the unnerving scene. He shot his companions a quick glance, rolled his eyes, and shrugged.

A wide leather strap flickered like a yuan-ti's tongue from beneath his cloak, sending a small stone flying toward one of the airborne stirges. Without waiting to see if it hit, Stitches waved an apologetic salute to the unconscious forms of Krentz's band still piled on the ground, ducked under a table and shuffled his way to the far side of a wooden pillar.

In the stampede of patrons rushing to the bar, very few notice the Kenku's impressive marksmanship, and fewer still even know where he ended up after the fact. Nonetheless, a dead stirge falls into a pitcher.

The Beauties are struggling to bring their unconscious comrades awake amid the turmoil, but Yagra turns away from them like a child who has found a better toy.

"Perhaps today won't be a total loss after all" she declares, a smile on her face as she stares down that big troll.

Butler curses before realising his weapons are back up where the band were sitting. Turning he runs forwards, foot planting into the middle of one of the Bueties backs who is bent over trying to wake their friends as he launches himself at the block and tackle hanging over the edge of the pit to try and swing back up to the balcony.

Alastriona finishes her walk to the table, plants her pewter mug down, and appears ready to sit. She wonders what all the fuss is about, as though treating the troll like another customer in this tavern of mixed company.

Seeing the expressions on both Xelia and Prince, no further words are necessary and Alastriona grabs her war scythe. She steps onto a chair and in stride places another foot onto the balcony, then leaps off to descend towards the troll like a dark angel.

Butler swoops up gracefully onto the second-floor balcony to retrieve his gear (Inspiration awarded!), while Alastriona descends dramatically.

The three remaining airborne Stirges flutter up to the second floor, darting and stabbing at Butler (9 piercing damage), Xelia (7 piercing damage), and Prince (4 piercing damage) with their murderously sharp proboscises. It drinks deeply of the adventurer's blood.

Xelia collapses from the blood loss!

Durnan grabs his famed greatsword, Grimvault, from behind the bar and leaps into the fray with the Troll. He looks neither old nor retired as he dances around the creature, peppering it with blows (33 damage). A smile spreads across his face like a man reunited with his true love.

"Back to Undermountain with ya, ya disgusting thing!"

The Troll, reeling from Grimvault's bite, lurches at Durnan with surprising speed and a deafening roar. As the troll lashes out with claw and fang (28 damage), a flock of stirges take flight from the Troll's back and descends upon Durnan, but none are able to find an opening (0 damage).

Yagra runs to Durnan's side and punches a stirge, killing it instantly. (3+ damage)

Situation Update

Group 1: The Troll and 4 Stirges battles Durnan and Yagra by the well. Alastriona is 10 feet away from this scrap.

Group 2: On the 2nd floor, Butler, Xelia, and Prince are engaged with 3 Stirges. Each has a Stirge attached to these PCs and each will suffer blood loss at the start of the stirges' turns. Xelia is unconscious. Vatra approaches this group (15 feet away)

Stitches is under a table on the ground floor, 15 feet from group 1, and 50 feet from group 2 by way of the stairs. He has a clear shot on the 2nd floor Stirges, although the one on Xelia has 1/2 cover (+2 AC).

Butler got inspiration for his last round's nifty use of the hoist (and reminded me that it's there).

NEW BATTLEFIELD FEATURE UNLOCKED: You can ride the hoist that extends from the roof to move from level to level. (currently at second floor).

Xelia! Seeing his friend come under attack, Vatra forgets all about the troll and heads up the stairs, weaving in between panic stricken bar patrons attempting to find their way out of the current mess of a situation. He unsheathes his dagger and stabs at the hideous creature attached to her unconscious form. As he swings, the blade flashes with a green flame-like energy.

Prince, who was too lost in a self-congratulatory daze after the performance to care about the fisticuffs below, is startled when the disgusting thing latches onto his neck and draws blood. "Ugh! I think I better dance now!" The bard springs to his feet and yanks the stirge loose, staining his ruffled collar with his own blood. He flings the creature onto the floor and calls out, "Varta, darling, get that for me, will you, so I can help Mama Xelia over here!"

Vatra lights his sword ablaze and strikes down the stirge draining Xelia, frying the one on Butler's back in the backswing. Prince rips off the one afflicting him and tosses it to the ground. It flutters, ready to take the air once again.

The crowd is stampeding out of the Yawning Portal. The remaining Beauties have piled their unconscious members on the marimba and are wheeling them out the front door.

ROUND TWO

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Xelia's toughness shines through.

From his cubbyhole, Stitches could see that his friends have their situation well in hand, though he couldn't spot Xelia. He wished he hadn't left his bow and quiver at their table, but it was difficult even for him to hide it beneath his cloak.

The more immediate threat was busy tearing holes in Durnan and Yagra just around the corner. Stitches did so love having a front line to hide behind. He rolled out into the open, staying low to avoid the attention of the filthy blood-suckers. Another small stone sailed from his sling, and the momentum of his roll carried him behind another pillar, this one closer to the stairs.

Alastriona straightens after her landing. Kicking the blunt end of her polearm out, she uses the momentum to swing her war scythe into a spin before lancing it out above everyone's head for the troll.

Butler gives Vatra a salute in thanks as he takes a moment to catch his breath before he puts a foot against the railing and levels his crossbow at the troll. "Hello beastie" he mutters as he let’s loose his first shot.

Stitches bullseyes a stirge resting on the troll's head, Butler finishes off the last of the stirges on the balcony, and Alastriona harries the troll with her war scythe.