Lyra lowers her hands from her nose and mouth—an instinctive reaction to the smell in the ruined shrine—as Alisande offers her the holy symbol. "Oh… thank you. I'll keep it safe." She studies the amulet closely, and then adds. "It feels wrong to leave it here, among so many dead. I'm sure its owner would rather it rest in another shrine to Moradin, where a cleric of the All-Father could put it to use again."

Lyra slips the symbol around her neck beside Tymora's silver coin and her lucky moonstone. As she adjusts them, she whispers quietly to her own holy symbol, "You don't mind, Lady Luck, do you? This is just for safekeeping."  Then, more audibly, "I bet Sister Garaele in Phandalin will help us return it properly."

When Meira mentions Gareth again, Lyra nods quickly. "Yes, please! Let's find him. This place is dangerous! I know Gareth is careful, but I'd feel better if we all stayed together."

(OOC: Is the ceiling over this staircase also covered with webs?)

Zephyros eyes the dusty box with curiosity. While suspicious, his inquisitiveness grasps the better of him. The veteran approaches the abandoned object sluggishly, and picks it up looking for small details to figure out whom it may have belonged to or what may be inside it, or even if it might be trapped.

Investigation: Nat 1

Ironheart watches the interaction between the Cleric and the Wizard. He never understood faith- hoping something you can't even see to protect you. The burly man also was confused. He ponders, 'Why do the devout and pious pay respect to different gods? Certainly they'd account it as disloyalty. You can serve only one master...-' Zephyros' thoughts are interrupted, and to his delight. Glad to take his mind to a more concerning matter, the bear of a man responds to Meira, "I'd agree with you. Fire is an excellent weapon against webs, and Gareth is absolutely most unwise right now. We need to find him."

Zephyros Also checks this staircase for webs before slowly and cautiously advancing to the room above.

Perception: 13

Lyra,

This staircase is not covered in webs.

[[OOC: A holy symbol of Moradin has been added to your inventory.]]

Zephyros,

You pick up the dusty box and inspect it. It's a simple box with no markings or elaborate engravings. A simple latch holds the box closed. You have no idea who owned this box or if it's trapped. It's not overly heavy but you do suspect something is inside. Presuming you open the box, you find a bottle inside filled with a red liquid, corked, and cushioned with straw.

Moving up the staircase, it leads you to the second floor of the fortress where a hallway splits north to south and across from the staircase is a closed door. To the south you see a wider stairway leading back down to a lower level. To the north, you see the hallway turn west. A door to the north lies open.

[[OOC: A potion of superior healing has been added to your inventory.]]

Rasziel follows along and grimly nods in agreement as the bearded warrior decides to locate the straying ranger. It was indeed unwise to abandon a coherent formation as there was most likely more threats to deal with before the halls of ancient Axeholm would be safely used as a refuge for the people of Phandalin. He had taken due note of items found and expected nothing less from his diligent and dutiful accountant.

Meira follows along with the others as they head up the stair. "Should we just see where that passage goes to the west? See if we can find Gareth?  Then we can come back and check the doors."  She looks to Zephyros, seemingly ready to follow his decision on the matter. 

Lady Alisande concurs with Meira's idea, and a moment later, Ozymandias gives flight.

"I quite agree - it seems judicious to reunite our company. It would be rather distressing to discover our valiant Gareth ensnared in a web somewhere, converted into an oversized arachnid's buffet. I do not envy the unfortunate soul required to compose the letter of condolence to his dear wife."

The young tressym sails through the air, veering northward and then west, gliding through corridors that have gone untrodden by living beings for half a millennium. His keen amber eyes curiously scan the hallways for Gareth, for danger and objects of interest. 

Ozymandias
Perception: 13
Stealth: 10

Zephyros nods in agreement with Meira and continues to the north and stops to look for any tracks in the dusty corridor.

Survival: 20

Zephyros,

Walking north, you immediately spot fresh boot prints on the dust covered floor leading west. In addition, you hear the sounds of a struggle not far from you.

Alisande,

Everyone,

You all hear the sounds of a struggle not far down the western corridor. It sounds like Gareth is in trouble!

Combat has started! Round one initiative:

• 22 Gareth
• 19 Meira
• 18 Zephyros
• 17 Alisande
• 13 Lyra
• 13 Azaael
• 12 Ozymandias
• 9 Rasziel
• 8 Stirges

Hearing Gareth might be in trouble, Meira readies her bow and rushes around the corner and down the long hallway.  (Bonus Action - Dash; moves through Zephyros' space - costs 10 ft. - then diagonal up-left, then continues 9 spaces along the far wall from the room.)

(Assuming she has no line-of-sight at any dirges.)  As she moves, she keeps alert, trying to make sure there are no other dangers. (Perception: 15)  

(If there is line-sight she will attack: Shortbow Attack: 20, Damage: 10 piercing + 8 sneak attack) 

"Ozymandias reports that Gareth has been spotted - he is being accosted by a clutch of winged parasites in a room to the west." Alisande announces, her brows knitting together with worry. The noblewoman hops on her broom and hurtles down the corridor, her long red hair whipping behind her.

When she arrives, she holds the flaming torch upright, and is greeted by the horrific tableau of a cloud of filthy stirges pressing their fangs into Gareth's flesh. At once, she flings an invisible palm at one of the blood-sucking beasts, slapping it hard across the forehead in an attempt to drive it away. 

ACTION: Dash. 
MOVEMENT: Stopping just north of Ozymandias.
BONUS ACTION: Telekinetic: Shove. Attempting to detach one of the stirges currently clinging to Gareth and drive it back 5ft. DC 15.

Meira,

[[OOC: Please give me an acrobatics check to see if you can push yourself that much further to gain line of sight on the creatures.]]

(Meira Acrobatics: 24)

Hearing Lady Alisande mention Gareth is under attack, Zephyros rushes to get at least to the doorway. He stops just beside Ozymandias.

Action: Dash

Movement: 60 feet

Lyra sprints after the others as fast as her short legs allow, though she quickly falls behind. She doesn't doubt for a moment that her friends will have Gareth covered by the time she reaches them

(Action Dash so she can move 50 feet)

Gareth had wandered away from the main group in order to scout ahead, which, in hindsight, had not been such a great idea. To be fair, he had not expected a cloud of stirges to assault him as soon as he examined the chimney, them dive-bombing him from above and sticking him with their filthy proboscises. The ranger was woozy with blood loss and not having a very good time. He was just about to call out for help when he saw the others rushing toward him from the corner of his eye.

"You all have...excellent timing," he coughs.

Longbow discarded on the ground for the moment, the half-elven ranger instead attempts to pluck one of the stirges off his body, doing his best to shimmy out of its grasp. 

Athletics: 6 or Acrobatics: 24

Gareth grabs one of the ugly beasts, pull it off of you as it was feeding from your blood, and throw it to the ground.

Meira vaults past Zephyros and runs down the hallway, making it to the doorway, and she sends an arrow into the head of one of the fluttering creatures. The arrow impales the beast and sends it into the southern wall, dead, hanging from the arrow.

Zephyros runs just behind Meira and sees the battle happening inside the room as he shares the space with Ozymandias.

Alisande jumps on her broom and flies through the corridor, quickly catching up with the others, and sends a telekinetic blast into the other creature currently sucking the ranger dry of his valuable lifeforce. The creature is pushed back 5' from Gareth.

Lyra runs to join the fray!

Azazel, Ozymandias, and Rasziel are next up.

The stirge that was thrown off by the ranger decides it's had its fill of blood and begins fluttering back up the chimney. The other one, shoved away from the ranger, flies back at him for another bite, but isn't able to reattach itself. However, as Gareth is distracted by the first, a second one finds a sweet spot on the ranger's backside. Attack: 22 Damage: 4, and the beast is now attached to Gareth.

[[OOC: That brings us to the top of round two.]]

With Azazel hiding and clinging on to his purple robes, Rasziel hurries after the others, cursing under his breath over letting the ranger head off by himself.

"Mrowr!" The kitten growls raspily, darting through the door towards the stirge still plumbing blood from Gareth's hindquarters. While valiant in spirit, the little duke possesses little in the way of actual striking power - his claws are better suited to tackling mice than fearsome monstrosities that are all thick pincers and proboscis. The calico cat whips his tail against the membranous wings of the stirge as a distraction, then flies back out the door and ascends to the ceiling. 

MOVEMENT: Swooping towards the stirge, then using the flyby feature to evacuate without taking an AoO.
ACTION: Help. Giving advantage to whoever is next in the initiative order.