Another night in a soft bed means that Essie is rather reluctant to go back downstairs. Sure, she had woken with the sun, but she was much too comfortable to be getting up just yet. She meditates for a while before the smell of food draws her out of bed. She puts her armor on with steady hands and joins the others downstairs. 

Sitting at the table with Bramble and the others, she digs into breakfast with gusto. Well cooked food like this is something else she could really get used to. As the wand is laid on the table, she studies it with a curious look. But instead of reaching for it, she tips her head to Helena. "Perhaps you might be better at figuring it out than me."

She drums her fingers against her holy symbol and looks around the inn. Her shield is on her back, her weapons strapped into place at her hips and back. She's ready to go whenever everyone else is.

"I'll take a look." Helena agrees. She would first cast detect magic to see if she can detect anything magical about the wand. Once finding it magical, she would take it in hand and study it closely. (I do not believe we have a pearl, so Identify spell is out. She will take it aside and study it for a short rest, as long as the group is not leaving directly. As some of the group appear to be shopping, I assume Helena has time to study the wand while they do that.)

When Helena casts Detect Magic, she gets a positive response. The wand clearly glows with the arcane. Studying it carefully, she can tell that whatever enchantment is upon it is from the school of evocation: this wand is designed to deal some kind of damaging magical energy.

Sphyboe joins the party at the breakfast table and attempts to start a conversation about the event of previous night. She will confess that her initial intention has been slightly different than the course of actions that have occurred. In fact, these trained 'Griffons' have seemed like the best alternative option to resume the journey, rather than depending on their current process. But, she hadn't any opportunity to execute her plan.

When she finds Helena busy with the magical wand, she suggests:

"When we finally get to see the metropolis of 'Waterdeep', please remind me of the intriguing acquisition of the magic item. I might be able to find someone who can identify the item in exchange for a small amount of commission."

Helena spends an hour studying the wand, getting a feel for it, gesturing with it experimentally. Eventually she recognizes it as a Wand of Magic Missiles, usable by anyone in the party to cast the Magic Missile spell a certain number of times a day.

(What will you do with it?)

"This wand is used to cast the magic missile spell a certain number of times per day." Helena says as she holds it up. "If someone wishes to make use of it, then I have no problems giving it to someone else." She glances around the group. "If not, then I can certainly make use of it myself, but I can already cast a number of spells myself, so it doesn't have to be me that uses this item."

“Great job at identifying the wand, Helena.” Bramble is very impressed with the skills this group he has aligned with has. “I will defer to the collective wisdom of the group as to who uses it.” Bramble is inexperienced in arcane powers and humanoid group strategies.

Daerthe returns to the inn with her new clothing, looking like an entirely different person despite the fact her displeasure of having to finish her business as the sun came up clearly showed on her face. "I have returned from shopping... It seems that it is much h the same as my homeland... Minus a large amount of groveling from the seller."

"Well, if someone wants it, just let me know. Until then I'll hold on to it." Helena says, placing the wand in her belt. She glances around at the group then. "Are we ready then to get on the road?"

You all depart the fortification and head north on the road to Waterdeep. From Helena’s past experience, you gather that you should arrive at the South Gate just before sundown. You hadn’t noticed so much in the fort itself, but it is a rather foggy morning with overcast skies for the first couple of hours of travel. Fortunately, this close to Waterdeep, the road is well patrolled and you don’t run into any trouble.

By midday, the fog has cleared and the clouds have broken enough to let some sun through on occasion. As you continue up the road, you notice something odd amongst the clouds.

(Everyone roll Perception)

Bramble was enjoying being on the road again and several times he let his mind wander off, imagining he was in an old growth forest with ferns and stumps surrounding him rather than the well worn and clear open path he was traversing. While shaded by the now breaking clouds, he imagined he was under a canopy of trees. His immersion was interrupted by a break in the clouds that lasted longer than his imagined path through his forest would infer. He looks skyward.

Perception: 23

Perception 15

Sphyboe examines her surrounding when the party members resume the journey. She squints her eyes in order to take a better look at the sky while using the palm of her hands to cast shadow on her irises. She doesn't want to get temporarily blinded by the intense rays of the sun.

Helena perception: 16

Perception: 20

You all can see that there is some kind of large object? Building? Construction? on the top of a cloud off to the east of the road, maybe a thousand feet up. It is definitely not something you would normally see in the clouds. Bramble and Essie can discern that it is a cylindrical tower, at least a couple of hundred feet tall, you’d guess. Its spire looks almost like a wizard's hat, pointy and blue with stars painted on it. After watching for a moment, you notice something white and fluffy pouring down from it. After another few seconds, you decide that a cloud-like material is forming something like a spiral staircase up to the tower. This is all happening about 200 feet east of the road.

(What would you like to do?)

“Well. You don’t see that every day.” Bramble will blurt out. “Should we take the appearance of a staircase to be a ‘welcome up’ gesture?

Daerthe foes her best to avoid looking up at the sky, doing her best to keep her sensitive eyes from direct sunlight. As the others seem to notice something she will look up as well.

Perception: 20

"I think we best check this out." Helena says with a frown. She sends her owl towards the cloud to have a look, but also heads towards the stairway herself as well. glancing back to the others. "There has been a lot of giant activity of late, we might learn something here of use..."

As you all approach (assuming you follow Helena’s lead), it is clearly a tower floating on a cloud above you. The cloud-like substance that has lowered to the ground is clearly stairs. All is quiet. It takes a little time for Sabastien to fly all the way up to the tower and then return within range to communicate with Helena what he sees.

Sphyboe will move closer to the tower so that she's within 30 ft of the structure. She pulls out another copper coin and hurls it towards the tower in order to cast Detect Thoughts, the coin disappears mid-air when she whispers:

"Sal hin va"

"I might detect the presence of intelligent creatures, let me find out if they're friendly."