Gareth marvels at the weapon in his hand. It is beautiful, and the craftsmanship is beyond compare, quality only the dwarven masters could achieve. He studies the inlaid runes, wondering what they might mean. The balance is exquisite. This blade makes his pair of Neverwintan short swords feel downright shoddy in comparison. He takes a moment longer to appreciate the feel of the hilt in his hand, the weight of the blade, before he slides the weapon back into the scabbard. Removing one of the shortswords, he belts the dwarven blade in its place on his left hip as he is right-handed. While the ranger often prefers to hit targets from range, there are times when a blade is more prudent and useful. For a moment, he considers approaching Zephyros with the sword, but the man seemed fond of the trident he carried, and Lyra had indeed blessed it with the favor of her goddess.

"'I'd much prefer seeking out any remaining heirs to this place," Gareth responds to the Lady Alisande. "I'm not much for lingering in one place for too long. Even my own wife hasn't managed to keep me within the walls of Neverwinter for more than a season or two. No offense intended to anyone, but becoming the custodian of such a place as this would be a nightmare to me."

As the party continues onwards, the ranger keeps his eyes peeled for any hint of danger. He's even more alert than usual, having no desire to repeat the experience of being caught unawares in such an embarrassing fashion as with the chimney stirges. 

Perception - 17

Alisande's questions of whether they might become custodians of Axeholm, seems to catch Meira's attention. "It could be interesting to try to do something with this place. Though I do think any dwarven heirs from this place might lay claims. But could there be many heirs given how the place was sealed off?"  She wonders about that as she continues pondering the idea. "This used to be a mine, wasn't it? Not just a residence. Or is this more of a city?"  As she mulls the idea over, she adds, "Maybe we could work to turn over the place to heirs. But they could perhaps allow us some sort of personal residence here." 

She glances very briefly at Lyra, before turning her attention to Gareth. "You don't think one day you would want to settle down a bit more? Surely you would prefer spending more time with your wife, right? I'd think I'd want to."  She grins, "Well, not with your wife. And I don't mean to say I plan to settle into one place now. But after establishing my stardom in Neverwinter, and then with of course the required world tour of performances, it might be nice to have a residence of my own. Well, maybe a few residences."  She laughs, as such a situation seems so unlikely based on her life right now.  

"I had imagined you wouldn't consider generosity something that quite needed a remedy milady." Rasziel says with a small smile and a polite bow to the highborn redhead. "Perhaps I have ulterior motives for suggesting you would take possesion of what I found. For now I would be quite content if you could find out more about it's purpose."

Not commenting on the custodian issue, Rasziel feels compelled to ponder the possibilities for a business venture here that could help him gather what he needed to meet the requirements of his contract.

"Oh, there will definitely come a time when I need to slow down," Gareth remarks. "Age comes for us all eventually. I might age a bit slower than the rest of you, but it'll still get me in the end too." Ever since Eldrin departed to spend more time with Adabra, the ranger has become more aware of the fact that he is the only one with elven blood in a group full of humans and one halfling. 

"And you're right. I do want to spend more time with Sylvie, but honestly I don't think she would like this place either. No offense to the dwarves, but this place is so closed in, oppressive even. It's a fortress so I understand the lack of windows, but I'll take the wilderness and open air any day. I barely tolerate Neverwinter as it is. My plan is to retire to a cottage in the woods one day once I've acquired enough gold. Sylvie would love to raise her own cow and tend a garden." Gareth's eyes go a little glassy as it's clear he is imagining such a blissful scene. 

The ranger clears his throat and returns to the present. "But you'll have to let me know when your next performance in Neverwinter is, Meira. Sylvie and I will definitely be there to cheer you on."

"Well, it was everyone else that was singing my praises," Meira says in response to Gareth. "But, when I do book a performance in Neverwinter, I will be sure to have you and Miss Sylvie as my honored guests!"  

"Ulterior motives? So your cunning strategy is to inveigle me with arcane curios that will distract me from your other schemes?" Alisande cocks a brow at Rasziel, before a half-smile begins to form on her lips. "I regret to inform you that this is a most excellent plan - I confess I find this instrument maddeningly intriguing. I have no spells with which to identify it, but promise to subject it to proper scrutiny once we are afforded the leisure time to do so."

As Gareth and Meira mull over potential uses for Axeholm, the mage nods thoughtfully. "You both make fair points. In any event, we may be choosing the draperies while the roof is aflame. There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to battling dragons. If we live to see the days beyond, it will be a great blessing indeed - for us, and the good folk of Phandalin. But still, something to ponder."

Meira,

The golden bangle fits onto your wrist incredibly well, as if it's made for you. It hugs your wrist just enough to keep it in place and you hardly notice you're wearing it. Lyra says to you, "Looks good on you! You should keep it!" As you discuss the possibility of settling down, the halfling cleric responds, "Oh I'll never settle down. There's just too much fun to be had in the world."

Rasziel,

You hand the wand over to Alisande and Lyra's eyebrows raise as she walks over. "That looks cool! What do you think it does?" You take up rear guard as the group ventures northwest into the unknown. You don't see or sense any imminent danger to the group, even with the help of your accountant. 

 Alisande,

Using your extensive knowledge of the arcane and history, you suspect the wand Rasziel handed you to be a wand of wonder which can and often does some interesting, if chaotic, castings. This wand is in incredible condition, and quite the prize. As the group continues the expedition, Ozymandias has a hard time being serious and continues to fly around Zephyros' head, playfully landing on the warriors shoulder only to lift off and fly to the opposite side again and again which causes Lyra to laugh as the group moves.

 Zephyros,

You lead the group up the northern hallway while attempting to keep an eye out for danger, but you keep getting distracted by a flying kitten that continues to land on your shoulders and purrs loudly in your ears. At the end of the hallway you find an open door leading east. Just inside the door is a staircase to your right that leads to the second floor. The undead tracks lead upwards. Directly ahead is a winch that controls the portcullis. The rest of the room contains several ballista pointing out arrow slits.

 Gareth,

The longsword feels amazing to wield. The blade hums in the air as you take a few practice swings. It's certainly heavier than the shortswords you're used to, but feel your muscles already growing comfortable with the increased burden.

"Ah, how magnificent!" Lady Alisande cries as a moment of inspiration strikes her. "You have unearthed a quite singular marvel, my good merchant. This is no ordinary trinket, but a Wand of Wonder - an implement with which one may perform feats of spellcraft ranging from the awe-inspiring to the comically inconvenient. The dweomer it is enchanted with is exceedingly capricious - the same gesture is as likely to conjure a fusillade of lightning as bring down a barrage of butterflies. Loath though I am to part with such a potent (and frankly entertaining!) artifact, I must insist on returning the tool to its rightful owner."

The bladesinger gives the wand a last wistful flick of the wrist, before turning it over to Rasziel. She sighs as if experiencing a degree of physical pain in relinquishing the wand back into Rasziel's possession, before she smiles. The red-haired noblewoman resumes the effort to reconnoitre the unmapped passages and chambers of fortress Axeholm, keeping a particular eye out for possible niches into which she might press her new signet ring. 

Perception: 14

"I can hear the sound of bone on stone. And there's a chittering coming from the floor above us," Meira tells the others. "Perhaps we should check up the stairs? Cautiously." 

"I hear it too," Gareth says. "Could be some of Lord Kithran's undead men making the first noise, but the chittering? I hope it's not more carrion crawlers."

The ranger creeps up the staircase slowly, attempting to get a view of whatever might be on the second floor without it seeing him coming.

Stealth - Nat 1 LOL. I apparently still have heroic inspiration from something so gonna use that here...12. Wow, so much better lol

Perception - 24

"One might have anticipated Lord Kithran's purge to be accompanied by the clangour of steel. But bone chafing against stone?" Lady Alisande frowns in thought, and then shivers as her gaze whips across the walls through which they pass. Cold perspiration begins to bead on her brow, as a sense of claustrophobia begins to gnaw at her. 

"We saw the tunnels burrowed by ghouls during their centuries of confinement. I pray you are correct, but... keep your wits about you..." She adds in a quieter voice.

The noblewoman's blade sighs softly as it leaves its scabbard, and she follows Gareth up the stairs, balanced lightly atop her enchanted broom.

Alisande
Stealth: 18

Ozymandias
Stealth: 6

Zephyros gently pushes the flying kitten away as he moves down the hall into the next room. "Now's not playtime little one." The grizzled warrior states as he tries to get a look around. His eyebrow raises as Meira and Gareth both agree to sound coming from above. "Be careful." as he watches the pair move up the stairs quietly. He hates the idea of them going ahead of him, but knows he wouldn't be able to move as quiet as them.

He waits in anticipation for the situation report. 

Gareth and Alisande,

Moving up the stairs, you immediately see the source of the noise. Two giant spider are finishing off the last of the dwarven skeletal warriors who stands amid the wreckage of its fallen kin. It raises its axe with the stubborn memory of duty, joints clicking as if protesting the motion. From opposite sides of the chamber, the two giant spiders close in. One descends first, lowering itself on a single strand of silk that hums softly under its weight. Its many eyes glint in the dim light as its legs spread wide, boxing the skeleton in. The other circles along the stone floor, claws scraping, patient and deliberate, herding the warrior away from any imagined escape.

The skeleton swings. The axe bites only air, then stone. In an instant, silk lashes out—thick, gleaming cords wrapping the warrior’s arms and shield. The sound is tight and wet, like rope pulled through sap. The spider on the ground lunges, mandibles snapping shut around a ribcage with a brittle crack. Bones splinter and spill free, clattering across the floor. Still, the skeleton strains, joints popping as it pulls against the webbing. The second spider drops, landing hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling. Its weight pins the remains in place while its fangs pierce the skull. A dull, final snap echoes as the animating force fails, the bones collapsing inward, lifeless at last.

The spiders pause only briefly. One begins methodically binding the scattered bones into a tight, cocooned bundle, silk stretching and sealing with practiced ease. The other lifts its body and lets out a low, satisfied hiss, legs tapping softly against the stone as the chamber falls silent once more—save for the faint creak of tightening web and the slow drip of ancient dust from the ceiling above. It begins tending to its wounds.

Looking around the room, it's clear an epic battle played out here. Skeletal warriors lay shattered and broken amongst seven dead giant spiders leaking a green fluid across the stone floor from many wounds to their bodies. The two remaining spiders haven't noticed you, but even with the skeletal warriors entering before you, the room is covered with webbing. It's unlikely you'll be able to get any closer while avoiding the webbing.

What do you do?

Map:

 Alisande,

Alisande withdraws to the relative safety of the stairway to consult with the rest of her peers. "Two spiders of nightmarish magnitude, ensconced in a nest full of webbing that could likely immobilise an entire team of oxen. Lord Kithran's undead retainers appear to have done their best, but I believed we just witnessed the last of them vanquished. As for Kithran himself, I observed him not." She explains in a brisk, hushed tone, suppressing a shudder at the size of the dreadful creepy crawlies in the chamber beyond. 

"Rather than foolishly rush in and find ourselves ensnared, cocooned and liquified, suffering the most horrific and protracted of deaths, I propose we exploit the nest itself. Webbing of that density should ignite readily, but if anyone has been possessed with the forethought to procure oil, such an accelerant might prove useful in ensuring the conflagration is hotter, faster and more sustained."

"I have a couple flasks for my lantern," Meira says. "Might give us a start if someone can light it up."

"Schemes? Me? I prefer to think about it as business plans." The young dark-haired man with the sinister-looking scar answers the red-haired lady with a small smile. "A wand of unpredictable mayhem then." He says, shaking his head as the cheerful halfling asks and the red-haired lady explains. "No, I insist, you keep it milady, for now at least. Let's just say that I would loathe to even carrying a thing like that around with me, while you for some inexplicable reason seem intrigued by something that might well bring a most disgraceful doom upon you." 

"I too can set the vicious critters and their pesky web ablaze." Rasziel says quietly, ready to peek out and use his granted magic to incinerate the arachnids.

Zephyros watches as Gareth and Alisande rejoin the group from the staircase. As their report is given, the armored warrior moves to the head of the column with trident ready in one hand and his torch aflame in the other. "Spiders... why does it always have to be spiders?" The warrior asks to no one in particular. "Yes, burning them out is a good idea. I can toss this torch into the room after Meira throws the flask of oil, or Rasziel can utilize his mastery of the arcane. Both are viable options."

The armored bull of a man glances back up the stairs anticipating the arachnids ambush and places his trident in such a was as to impale the first creepy crawly to come down them. "Whatever we do, we should do it quickly."

Zephyros, Meira, and Rasziel,

Lyra says to the three of you, "Just before you go upstairs, I'll bless you with Tymora's grace!"

Combat has started with a surprise round! You find yourselves at the bottom of a 15' staircase leading to the second floor. Movement up the staircase is free during this round.

Initiative:

• 25 Meira
• 23 Rasziel
• 21 Alisande
• 20 Zephyros
• 20 Lyra                  Casts bless on Zephyros, Meira, and Rasziel and stays downstairs.
• 16 Giant Spiders
• 14 Azazel
• 12 Ozymandias
• 12 Gareth

[[OOC: You can use the bless during the surprise round.]]

Meira nods in agreement to Zephyros and heads quickly up the stairs. At the top she takes one step to get within 20 ft. of the giant spider to the south but staying near the wall along the stairs.  She then throws the flask at the spider. 
(Flask Ranged Attack: 10 or 12 if Proficiency is added, including +1 from Bless; On a hit, the target is covered in oil. If the target takes any fire damage before the oil dries (after 1 minute), the target takes an additional 5 fire damage from the burning oil. You can also pour a flask of oil on the ground to cover a 5-foot-square area, provided that the surface is level. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and deals 5 fire damage to any creature that enters the area or ends its turn in the area. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.)

After the throw, she moves north along the wall to the east of the stair, crouching down to try to hide.

(OOC - I'm unclear if there is sufficient cover here to Hide. If she can, she will try that, Stealth: 18; otherwise, she yells at the spider in a screeching voice to distract it, offering HELP to Rasziel to hit the spider/oil. Also, her intent would be to try to get the oil to hit the ground in front of the spider to spread out on the ground. But the info on the oil flask is more about hitting a target.) 

The young purple-robed dark-haired man with the sinister-looking scar gives the mirthful halfling an acknowledging nod and starts to hover up and into the vast chamber above while purplish magical energies in his hands starts to hum and crackle. Ascending into the large room he then unleashes three purplish flaming beams from his hands and the purple jewel on his chest towards the closest arachnid.

Action: Casting flavoured Scorching Ray
Purplish flaming beam: 9 + Bless: 4 Fire: 8
Purplish flaming beam: 23 + Bless: 1 Fire: 7
Purplish flaming beam: 26 + Bless: 1 Fire: 8