Danak and Never still unconscious, the group delves deeper into the forest. Mirna, Nilsa, and Nars are eager to get back to town, but Liarel convinces them to be patient. Once we’ve settled into a small grove, Mella casts goodberry to wake Danak and Never and heal Liarel and themself. Mirna tells the group that she and her family were taken several days ago and she thinks they were to have been sold into slavery. Danak asks some insensitive questions about Thel. Through his hysterical sobbing Mirna confirms that he was killed in the street.
The group decides to take the family to Daran’s for safe keeping until we’ve dealt with the rest of the Redbrands. We walk around town to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. On the way, Danak talks to Nars about the “adventure” he just had. Nars says he knew several of his captives from around town, that they were ruffians before they organized. Mirna says it seems like Glasstaff stays in the hideout.
Daran comes out to meet the group and ushers everyone inside. As Daran begins to care for the family the rest of us rest and clean up. Liarel keeps watch out the window to make sure the Redbrands don’t sneak up on us. Mella opens the leather bundle to find a cloth wrapped sword. It’s hilt is in the shape of a bird with outstretched wings and it has the word “Talon” written on the sheath. We remember hearing about a knight named Aldith Tresender who died fighting orcs. He was also known as The Black Hawk and we wager that the sword could have been his. Never detects magic and the sword glows purple with transmutation magic.
Liarel notices someone coming and warns the group. Daran says he put up a post in Neverwinter and that the person approaching could be coming in response to that. Daran goes out to meet the approaching half-orc, confirming that she is from Neverwinter looking to take a job. Daran rushes her inside and the group is introduced to Alada. Daran tells her that he was looking to send someone up to the Old Owl well, that that we could use her help in town first. Alada tells us she was a sailor and that her old boss was a real asshole. She’s up to anything as long as she gets paid. Mella gives her the Talon.
After a bit we leave Daran’s. Danak and Alada head to the Lion Shield to sell the extra short swords we picked up in the hideout and Liarel, Mella, and Never head to the general store to sell Liarel’s rubies and stock up on supplies. After running errands the group reconvenes at the Sleeping Giant. Once inside, Alada immediately buys a keg and downs it. Grista tells us that no one else has been by yet and Danak pays her to clean up the blood on the floor.
We make our way back to the Stone Hill Inn where Danak buys two additional rooms so the whole group can rest. As the rest of the group retire to their rooms, Mella decides to hang around the common area to see if they can overhear anything important. Once it gets sufficiently late and everyone else has left, Mella hears a voice in their head, “Where is my sword? You gave it away? you gave away my sword! It’s here in this inn!”
Mella, wanting to avoid getting in trouble with Danak, decides to go upstairs and consult with Never before doing anything. As they make their way to the stairs the voice continues to nag them for the sword, telling them to bring it outside. Mella thinks “Ooh, is the sword your weakness? Can I kill you with it?” and they promptly see a green beam coming through the window toward them. They feel a pull at their lifeforce but resist. They eye at the window disappears as they head up the stairs. The voice gives Mella ten minutes to come out with the sword.
Mella wakes Never up and explains the situation to her. Never tells them to wake the rest of the group but Mella refuses, not wanting to deal with Danak. Mella tries to suggest an alternative, but Never ignores them and leaves the room to knock as loudly as possible on Danak’s door. Liarel overhears and comes out into the hallway as Never says that the Eye Monster is back. The whole group (including a thoroughly sloshed Alada) heads downstairs to fight the Eye.
Alada hears “You have my sword”, thinks it’s just the alcohol. A green beam then comes through the window and attaches to her. She feels freezing cold and slumps down, her skin starting to sag before the beam disappears. Liarel unbars the front door. Anther beam comes through the window, this time attaching to Danak, who weakens. The beam disappears and Danak hurls a dagger at the window the monster appeared in.
Liarel and Never run outside and around opposite corners of the building, neither sees the monster. At the open door, Alada brandishes the sword and slurs something meant to draw the monster out of hiding. Mella follows Liarel and Danak follows Never. Around the back end of the inn Never notices that the door to the stables is open and calls for everyone to come around back before peering in. The horses are noticeably agitated. She spots the monster hiding and misses it with a witch bolt, scaring the horses as a green beam comes toward her. She shakes it off and the monster runs out the stables’ side door onto the street.
Liarel seem the monster run out and misses it with an arrow before confirming its location for the rest of the group. Danak rushes up behind the monster and Alada comes up to its front, raging at it. It lashes out at her with its claws. Mella turns into a panther. Danak strikes the monster with his axe. Never hits the monster with an eldrich blast as Alada, still completely hammered, swings wildly and takes a chunk out of a nearby post. The monster runs past Danak and Mella gives chase.
Danak catches up to the monster and swings his axe down upon its shoulder as Liarel runs around and blocks its path. Alada tries to jump over the panther, but stumbles leaving both herself and Mella prone. Danak slams into it once more and it collapses. Mella makes sure it’s dead and buries it. We make our way back into the inn, re-bar the door, and sleep until noon.
The next day we can’t find Ornella anywhere. Danak offers to pay for everyone’s breakfast and Mella vehemently rejects the offer, saying they don’t want to owe anybody anything. After breakfast we head to the Sleeping Giant to find it closed. We knock, but there is no answer so we decide to make out way to the thicket. We make our way into the cavern where Danak promptly runs right into a guard. Without wasting any time the guard runs down a passage to the left calling out “They’re back!” Danak follows downstairs to a hallway and into the leftmost door. He sees a barracks with the guard, a small, abused-looking goblin, and three large, furry humanoids. The goblin sees Danak and passes out. One of the large creatures has a jeweled eye patch.
The rest of the group catches up as Danak hits Patches with his axe. Alada flies into a rage and slams into Patches as Never hits him with an eldrich blast. Patches barks something in a language we don’t understand. Mella turns into a rat and scurries into the corner of the room. One of the large humanoids bashes Danak on the head with a club. He collapses.
Liarel hears the door at the other end of the hallway open and sees three cloaked figures come out. She shoots one, causing him to stumble back into the others. Liarel casts thunderwave at the Redbrands in the hallway, knocking them back. Never hits one of them with eldrich blast, causing him to fall.
Mella returns to elf form and casts sacred flame on the Redbrand in the barracks. Alada strikes one of the humanoids with her great sword, cutting through his shield and hitting him in the chest, causing him the stumble back dead. The Redbrand grazes Mella with an attack.
In the hallway one of the Redbrands manages to hit himself before the other strikes Liarel with his short sword. Liarel rushes into the barracks to cure Danak’s wounds. Alada slashes at another of the creatures with her broad sword and the Redbrand hits Mella twice with his short sword. The creature swings at Alada, making contact. In the hallway one of the Redbrands slashes at Never.
Danak gets up and hacks at Patches with his axe. The Redbrand stabs Mella, who falls. The two creatures strike at Alada, who barely manages to stay up. Danak swings at Patches, killing him. Liarel produces flame, hitting one of the hallway Redbrands. Never trips trying to avoid Liarel as she swings her mace at the Redbrands. Alada strikes the remaining creature and it promptly slips in a puddle of blood. Danak kills the Redbrand in the barracks as Liarel heals Mella. Never finally bashed one of the hallway Redbrands with her mace, killing him.
The remaining creature runs out of the room, taking off up the stairs, and the remaining Redbrand turns and runs through the door at the end of the hall, closing it behind him.