"Can your spell reach that high?" Helena asks with a frown. (I am imagining the tower is several hundred feet above the ground, let me know if that is incorrect.)

"It's impossible for the spell to reach that much high, but I believe the range of the spell will cover maximum thirty feet of height. Beyond that range, it will be unpredictable and we'll have to depend on assumption"- Sphyboe replies with a serious tone when she inspects the tower carefully, and attempts to concentrate on the spell.

"Very well." Helena says with a nod. She moves to the stairs and starts to climb.

(The tower is 1000 feet up, so I think Sphyboe would have realized that it was much to far. I don't want you to use a spell slot unless you really think your character would use it. Anyone following Helena?)

Bramble can’t wait to ascend the spiral staircase. The views on the way up should be panoramic and spectacular.

Daerthe sighs as she goes to move up towards the tower via the staircase. Being in the sun was bad enough but getting closer to it would be worse. At least the tower would get her out of it. With that thought in mind she starts to walk faster.

You all head up the stairs. It’s amazing how solid and sturdy they feel for being made of clouds. About halfway up, your pace starts to slow as the challenge of the climb hits you. It’s a long way up. Bramble is especially struggling with the steepness of the stairs and length of the climb. Any of you may pause to take in the view which becomes more and more spectacular. Unless you have been mountain climbing, you have never been so high above the ground. The fields spread green below you with scatterings of trees. To the west, you see the sparkling blue of the Sea of Swords. To the north, your eyes follow the High Road up to the city of Waterdeep which looks like a very intricate toy city surrounding Mount Waterdeep. To the east, you make out the silver ribbon of the Dessarin River and beyond it the dark green shadow of the Ardeep Forest.

Taking whatever short breaks are necessary, you eventually reach the top of the stairs that end on a large cloud about 200 feet across. Again, the surface is surprisingly firm. Before you is a hexagonal tower that reaches more than 200 feet high with an open archway leading into a vestibule that seems to be 20 feet wide and deep. If you peer into this entry room, you see a translucent blue curtain hanging in the back that divides it from whatever lies within. All is quiet.

(What would you like to do? I’m assuming that Essie is following the rest of the group.)

Bramble is huffing and puffing as he reaches the top. Although he’s been on his share of mountains, this offers the most precarious views. Looking straight down gives him a bit of vertigo and he quickly shifts his attention more towards the horizon. As he gathers his breath, he comments,

”Does anyone else find it odd that we’re allowed up the stairs and yet not met by anyone to confirm our welcome?”

"I find it odd the stairs were there at all." Helena says with a frown. She sighs and moves towards the tower. "Let's see if anyone is home." She would walk in and call out. "Hello, anyone home?"

Quote from Karmoli >>

(The tower is 1000 feet up, so I think Sphyboe would have realized that it was much to far. I don't want you to use a spell slot unless you really think your character would use it. Anyone following Helena?)

 (@Karmoli, Can Sphyboe cast the spell when the party will reach the entrance of the tower? Otherwise, I agree with you.)

Stealth 8

Sphyboe has been attempting to move carefully without making any kind of noise that might alert the residents of the tall hexagonal tower. But, when she attempts to pass through the translucent blue curtain, she accidentally steps on the length of the cloth, and finds herself on the verge of collapsing while attempting to grab the curtain for support.

Quote from InkedBee >>

Quote from Karmoli >>

(The tower is 1000 feet up, so I think Sphyboe would have realized that it was much to far. I don't want you to use a spell slot unless you really think your character would use it. Anyone following Helena?)

 (@Karmoli, Can Sphyboe cast the spell when the party will reach the entrance of the tower? Otherwise, I agree with you.)

 (I just read the spell and you also have to be able to see the person whose thoughts you want to read.)

Daerthe pulls her cloak over her head to cover her head more before she moves to slowly move towards the tower. As she moves she will start to lean down and into a slow crouch.

Stealth: 11

Sphyboe will conjure up the copper piece out of nowhere which she had thrown away earlier and store it inside her pouch. She stands near the blue curtain while leaning on the handle of the Battleaxe to put extra pressure so that she can maintain balance, and using her left index finger, thumb and ring finger to spin the Dagger around her palm. She seems expressionless when her dark pair of eyes slowly observe the movement of her colleagues, then she will suggest:

"We're wasting valuable time here when we could have reached the urban area. This place seems empty, if we exclude the Griffons roosting inside the tower. I want to get out of here."

She attempts to avert her attention from the creepy silence of the tower to the miniscule view of the area. It looks like she can easily grab the miniature trees, and place it inside the city as a part of a casual tabletop gameplay. She wonders if Bela, the Griffon is used to enjoy this type of view.

Helena shrugs and moves inside, calling out.

Essie had followed the group without thinking - she's pretty sure she'd follow this group anywhere by now - and climbed up the tall staircase without complaint. She finds herself lingering on the stairs, staring out at the view surrounding them. Her eyes are wide, and there's an expression of awe on her face. She's never seen anything like this. It shows.

"Oh, but we couldn't have just ignored this," Essie tells Sphyboe. "Look at this view. And it's a mystery, too. We have all the time in the world to reach the city."

As Helena steps beyond the curtain and calls out her greeting, she has a moment to look around before her greeting is returned. The inside of the tower is one large room that rises 100 feet into the air. There is a huge wooden table, probably 10 feet high, with an equally large stone chair. The room is brightly lit by six crystal spheres hanging from iron chains.

“Welcome, welcome!” says a booming voice. A huge figure in a billowing purple robe with gold stars and other accents is descending into the room, presumably from the opening in the ceiling far above. “Forgive me for not being right at the door to greet you. I was just getting the tower fully settled. I am so pleased you accepted my invitation! My name is Zephyros. Welcome to my tower!” As he lands on the floor, the whole tower moves with the impact. The giant has wild white hair that swirls about his head and a wispy beard hanging down his chest. His eyes are piercing blue and his skin a pale pinkish gray. He smiles at Helena and Sphyboe with obvious delight. “Please invite all of your friends in! I don’t have appropriate accommodations for small folk, but I would like to make you an offer.”

Bramble enters with the invite and his jaw drops immediately. It was not the cavernous interior or the crystal spheres or the table or the chair but the proprietor of the tower that took Bramble’s breath away. Years ago he had seen a couple of hill giants from very far away, across a valley. Their size was impressive but they were very far away. Now that he was in the presence of a giant, he felt how very small he truly was. A nervous smile flickered on Bramble’s face as he squeezed out a greeting in a broken voice,

”You…you…your Majesty!”

Bramble bows his head, more to hide the rolling of his eyes than in ceremony.

Oh dear, he thinks to himself. I hope I haven’t offended him.

"Our host wishes us all to come in for some item he wishes to discuss." Helena calls back to those outside. She then turns to the giant. "Your not the one who attacked a village south of here recently, and stole an item called a nightstone, are you?" she asks, wanting to get that out of the way straight off. "From what we hear a flying castle rained rocks down on the village and then those from the castle landed and took the nightstone from the center of the village."

Zephyros chuckles at Bramble’s words, “Oh, my dear sir, no, no. I am merely much larger than you, not royalty. Please, do not let me intimidate you. I wish to be friends.” His smile turns to a look of concern as Helena asks about the attack on Nightstone. “Oh, dear. I didn’t know about that one. Very disturbing. It was most definitely not me. I wonder if Sansuri had something to do with that…” He seems lost in thought for a while, long enough that you feel as though he had completely forgotten you. Then his eyes fall upon you again, and he says, “Terribly sorry. I am quite worried about the upheaval to the ordning and all the violence against the small folk that has resulted. I can’t quite unravel what has happened. But they say that you all will be able to help restore order and I want to assist.”