The bugbears were down, but they hadn't explored the whole of the fortress yet. There was a corridor and a secret passage to address first and the decision was made to head north and push through the secret door on the idea that they might be able to come in at the back of their opponents. In this way, they came to an armory betraying a clear plan for expansion that the thugs had as there were a number of Redbrand cloaks and numerous weapons oiled for long-term storage within. Enough to field a small company of bandits.
Following the narrow passage just a another ten feet or so came to a crypt with three sarcophagi each with a skeleton standing guard. At first they stood there quiet and motionless, but as the party took a step forward, they moved into the fight. Before Caress could step in to plug up there approach, one of the creatures was in the door and swinging at her.
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| Holding the Line as the Casters Fire |
Over her shoulder, one of Mythram's arrows smacked into the shambling automaton, reminding the other two skeletons that they also had bows and each loosed bolts at the companions behind Caress. Silvery fire and purple bolts burst past Caress.
"I can't get a clear shot." Ravyn called from behind.
Caress tried to push past the skeleton in the door, but it would not give her egress. With that passage barred she lashed out with the dagger in her hand and unleashed the radiant energies of Sharess to carry from the first target to the one in the rear, rendering the creature in the front to dust and giving her room to step forward and engage the archers. The skeletons turned to blades of their own managing a pair of stinging blows to the yuan-ti as her allies continued to press the attack.
In the next room they took a moment to catch their breath, investigating the crypt and considering their next moves. Only Lyra was ready for the assault that came and she unleashed a punishing fire on the Redbrand bandits that tried to take advantage of the recovering party. The sorceress took a solid blow before Mythram burst past her into the room to engage the bandits directly and Ravyn's bolts further encouraged the thugs to retreat. That did leave Mythram in the room alone and the bandits managed to land serious blows upon her.
"If you still have healing, I think Mythram can use it!"
"I'm on my way," Caress responded, rushing forward to land a healing touch upon Mythram's shoulder and taking a position between the two thugs. Now in the room, Caress could see a pair of teenagers and a woman kept within prison cells and her eyes narrowed.
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| The last spell slot. |
A moment later and Mythram was punching her dagger into a thug's face and pushing him back against the wall so that he slid down unconscious.
"I would like not to have to kill you." Caress said as Ravyn appeared in the room, glowing with eldritch power.
The remaining thug dropped his weapons and pleaded mercy. Caress reached into her pack for her silk rope and set to binding the man, tightly and cleanly.
"I suppose it's good that we brought someone who knows how to tie people up." Lyra noted.
"Well, pleasure, not business," Ravyn commented.
"Though I imagine it is business for Caress. Did they teach you that in the festhalls?"
The question monetarily confused the paladin who stood up. "Of course they did. If you do it wrong, you'll hurt someone."
The woman in the prison cell was Mirna Dendrar, wife to the man who had stood up to the Redbrands and been killed for it, being later fed to the nothic that they had fought in the cavern. The party escorted the family to the secret exit and then turned their attention to the remaining exploration. After sometime, they found some less than aware Redbrands in a storage room though the three started to rouse for a fight when they opened the door.
"You realize at this point, that the Glasstaff is dead, the bugbears are dead, and the rest of your compatriots are captured, except the ones that the bug bear killed, right?"
"Caress," Ravyn called out. "Don't you have the key?"
"Ohh! Right." And then Caress stepped out of the door, swinging it shut and locking it behind her as the thugs sputtered in shock and then tried to burst down the door...very feebly.
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| Wait. What? |
From there it was just a matter of convincing them to drop their weapons and surrender. Though these three the party allowed to flee.
Back in town, tired, dirty, bedraggled, and Caress bemoaning that she'd stained her silk rope with blood by using it to bind an enemy, they came to the town master. Who expressed wonder that they had managed to root out the thugs besetting his town. The party was less than impressed with his attitude at their success and Mythram stepped forward to arrange a place for the goblin to stay, informing the master that the goblin had nothing to do with the predations on the town.
As the party moved to the Stonehill Inn to get cleaned up and rested before setting their sights on Conyberry and the famed banshee Agatha that protected the town there.
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