Thread by @Shadumura

Tonight [because I was shite and didn't bother posting the last session], I get to do a two part reveal of Salazar's Bizarre Misadventures: Parts 4 & 5!
Tonight, the group resumes their mission to stop the redbrands, their leader and the bugbears! but first! we return to tavern..

Our compatriots -- Zurk, Naz, Lho-Vahn and myself, decided to set out for more information regarding the redbrands. The asshole elf was gone, so that's one less thing we had to deal with. We travel south a bit, from the tavern to the townmaster's hall. A Note was pinned to door.

"WANTED:
REDBRANDS
DEAD OR ALIVE
INQUIRE WITHIN FOR MORE INFORMATION."
The group, after reading the door, entered the hall following Sal's lead.
Inside was a big, pompous fool of a man -- whom we assume to be the townmaster himself. Sal talked with him as the group look around.

The townmaster -- Mr Harborwestern -- tells us that the Redbrands hung out around the abandoned manor and will pay us significantly to eliminate them. At this point, Sildar busts through the front door and greets the party, after realizing we were there.

Sildar tells the group that his friend Larno was missing and that he was last seen at the manor. At this point, Mr. Harborwestern pointed out that Larno was likely the leader of the Redbrands, a Glasstaff. His moniker coming from said staff he carried.

Sildar slammed his fists on Harborwestern's desk at the mention of his friend being the leader of the bandits, causing Sal to jump upright at attention and Mr. HW to create a foul smell, coming from his chair. The group is then told to bring him back, alive or dead. He leaves.

The group concludes the conversation with Harborwestern and needing fresh air, leave the Hall. The group needs to find out where the manor is, so they had Zurk fly up and see if he can spot the manor. He spots big building in the NE, so he came down and we travel to the manor.

The manor is as you can expect from being abandoned for so long: in shambles, with some sections of it being gone into rubble due to lack of maintenance. As we investigated the front door, Zurk bursts through the door. Inside, there was just as little inside as there was outside.

Sal -- with a high perception roll -- notices a latch in the far corner, with the dust in that area disturbed more than everywhere else. Sal points it out and tells the group to prepare for whatever may come, as he goes to open the latch, putting his shield down for a moment.

With a dirty 20, Sal easily opens the latch and lifts the hatch, revealing a set of hidden stairs going down into someplace. The group descends into the room below... it's a cellar! A cistern fountain sat at the far end of the room, with barrels and crates on each side of it.

A waterproof pouch floated in the water, which Lho-Vahn picked up. Inside was a healing potion, a green potion, clothes and 50g. Seemed like an emergency kit for when someone needed to flee somewhere with. Apparently, there was a door to the fountain's right. Sal goes to it.

He tries the door and -- with much regret -- opens it, almost having a blade hit his face -- were it not for the wide swing. It was Red Brand Bandits! Battle ensues and a lot of flailing was had. Bandits hit Sal enough to reduce him to 4hp. Lho Nat 1 his flail into Zurk.

The flail goes flying into the fountain next to us. Zurk tries to go in with his rapier and drops it on a nat 1 as well. Disengages out of the tiny room. Sal Disengaged as well, getting around Lho-Vahn behind him with some difficulty. Tried to use Thurmaturgy. Hit bandit w/ door.

1 Damage. It's Something? The Bandits inside get on the receiving end of a frost spike explosion. One died while two are hurt. The second hit Lho-Vahn but took an arrow from Zurk. The final one tried to flee but Lho-Vahn hurled a Guided Bolt at him. Combat concluded.

Against better judgment and rushing, Sal tries to use rope and find a barrel to tie around it, so he can go into the water to retrieve Lho-Vahn's flail. Roll a nat 1 on investigation and -- wearing just a chain shirt -- smacks his bear hand on a rusty nail. roll 1D4. 4 Damage.

Sal goes unconscious to -- of all things -- a damn bent nail. Lho-Vahn heals him and one other while Naz went into the water for the flail. Apparently water is his thing? I use a little bit of Lay on Hands on myself, Zurk and Lho-Vahn. Sal goes to check bandit hit by Bolt....

Sal finds garnets, gold and silver on the bandit. Lho-Vahn gives him gold and silver. Zurk mentioned that the bandit was trying to flee somewhere nearby, to escape the group. Lho checks the wall while Sal goes into bunk room. Takes cloaks for disguises later on.

[Also for proof of demise]. Sal tries to give one to Zurk and gets yelled at for his efforts, so instead gives Lho-Vahn one and puts one on for himself. Naz comes out of the bunk room and Sal gives him one for use as well. Lho-Vahn apparently found a secret exit in the cellar.

The group enters through the new hall and comes out into a long, large room -- with a chasm going the length across. A voice spoke into our heads, demanding food before crossing. As someone who isn't afraid of sharing, Sal takes out some rations but Lho-Vahn accepts them first.

The Voice tells us to go across the bridge with the food and Lho-Vahn goes across... and the bridge collapses underneath him. He falls down into the chasm but is okay. The bottom of the chasm is cold... unnaturally cold. There is a body in the middle... it's the woodcarver!

Apparently the bandits took the woodcarvers body and dumped it in the chasm. It doesn't look as... decayed, as it should have been -- since he died a while back. There's also claw marks and chunks missing from it, having been bitten into... as a snack...

In the meanwhile, Naz talks to the "Voice", finding out as much as he can -- as usual. The Voice tells us to bring it actual food, for it is very hungry. Mentions meat and other foodstuffs. Sal helps Lho-Vahn climb out of the chasm and Sal goes back to the cellar, for barrel.

Several barrels had various foodstuffs and ingredients in them as Sal investigates them, coming across a barrel of salted meats. Tipping it onto it's side, he rolls it back through the secret hall and into the chasm room. Letting it roll into the chasm, the barrel shatters in it.

Apparently, the Voice would tell us all it knows, if we fed it. After listening to the voice tell us various details -- Larno is Glasstaff, leader of the Red Brands, human wizard; His chamber was in the western side of cavern; Black Spider hired the Red Brands to terrorize town..

... bugbears brought in to reinforce the Brands; Captives are kept in crypt, guarded by skeletons. During this, Zurk -- being bored -- saw a shiny next to the woodcarver, and went down into the chasm to carry a chest back up to the group. Inside had a lot of wealth...

... and a longsword. A very.. special longsword. Salazar takes out the longsword and draws it out of it's scabbard. This sword had significance, and Salazar knew what it was: This was Talon, a magical sword that was wielded by the manor's previous owner, Aldith Tresender.

Tresender went by the moniker "Blackhawk" and wielded this +1 Longsword in defense of the town & manor. That it was sitting in this chest, did not bode well. Was he killed? Did he fled, leaving it behind? Was it stolen? But before anything could be said, the Voice yelled "Leave!"

The Voice did not like Zurk taking the chest, even though it did appreciate the meats we brought it. So, we entered the broken wall next to us, into an armory of sorts. Crates of equipment, Crossbows, Swords, Polearms and more were spread across the room. Furs on the ground.

As group collected itself once more, Zurk -- once more, bored -- flew over to see what the creature was, after it told us to leave -- so it could eat. The voice roared as Zurk flew back, yelling that he saw what it is. Big Eye! Sal paled at that, thinking Beholder....

... but what crawled out of the chasm was not a beholder... but a beastly humanoid creature called a Nothic. It did, however, have one large eye, so Zurk was technically correct. The creature was set to kill us, and we returned the favor. BATTLE!

Naz casts Ray of Frost onto the Nothic, slowing it down as Lho-Vahn went up to the creature with his flail, and sadly miss. Salazar, having given Naz the longsword to look at but it ended up on the ground, draws the sword and raises his shield. An aura of white light covers him.

Sal has casted Shield of Faith as bonus action, bumping up his AC [still with chain shirt, no chain mail] up to 18. He joins Lho-Vahn in melee, swinging his new sword... and missing as well. The Nothic claws Lh-Vahn, causing him to be knocked out.

Zurk fires an arrow into the Nothic as Naz fired a second Ray of Frost into the beast. Seeing Lho-Vahn get downed, Sal touched his shoulder and spends the last of his Lay on Hands to get him back up [3 hp]. While up, Lho was still prone, which was easy target for Nothic.

Nothic missed the first hit, even with advantage, but connected with the second, knocking Lho-Vahn out a second time -- in anger, after seeing Lho wake back up. Zurk landed a second arrow while Naz got a third ray of frost on it. This thing will not remain standing for long.

Lho-Vahn is down and Salazar, in righteous fury, slashed the creature upward, finishing it off with Talon as the cut splits the creature's large eye. Naz voiced irritation, having wanted the eye for his studies but it was done. Maybe next time.

Sal goes to dig into the pouch Lho-Vahn picked up, pulled out the read bottle and administered it to Lho-Vahn. Once more, the Hobgoblin was up again. Having finished off the creature, the group returned to the armory alcove and have a short rest... Lho-Vahn spots another door...

AND THAT CONCLUDES PART FOUR OF MY PALADIN'S CHAOTIC ADVENTURES.
The group dispatched bandits, a rusty nail knocks Sal on his ass and a new creature was struck down by Sal's new sword. The next thread will be separate. See y'all next time on Salazar's Bizarre Misadventures!

@threadreaderapp unroll

[I promise to do part 5 later tonight. I'm tired and I want to go back to bed]