Gwen quickly makes her way out, just to make sure there were no surprises waiting, and is glad to see there are no folks waiting to ambush them. And no sign of the spider creature. Gwen keeps a lookout until everyone is out. In between that time Cirrus unintentionally channels healing magics, via the stave.. rod.... healing Burgee greatly, while the energies flowed through Gwen before she had a chance, but they were partially cut off by her quick exit. Upstairs, the corpses could be heard shuffling around, as their position shifted to remain as far away from Rose as possible.

When Paavu comes down, Cirrus tries casting lesser restoration, in an attempt to fix Paavu's damaged limb, and while the spell helps clear out his lungs more than they had been since he was a wee boy.. actually allowing him to breathe significantly easier, and taste the crisp, cold air - his arm remained limp and useless. And occasionally pain would pulse through it when the join moved ever so rightly. The party moving back down the path they knew for sure was cleared out of assailants recently, and the trek, short as it was, was quiet and uneventful. Making your way back to the house that had held the strange, wooden staff. Everyone shuffling in and Gwen closing the door behind you all. The house itself wasn't completely sealed, there were gaps in the windows where the metal plates barred vision and  added fortification, as well as the door having some space between itself and its frame, but it wasn't enough of a gap that someone could shoot an arrow through, yet it was enough that smoke could filter out, and voices could be heard outside if speaking normally and close enough. The door, now closed, seemed to have two sets of studs, and there was a wooden bar that was clearly meant to go across the door to bar entry from the outside, but would also create a prison of the house as there were no other routes out.

As everyone went about their business, Gwen would pull up one of the chairs within, of which there were only two that could reliably be used, by all except Paavu, who would be forced to use the floor or stand. Gwen speaking to everyone, and resisting the urge to pick up Rose so she could tend to Paavu. Well We've seen that this place has become a nest of fiends. Last thing I expected was more undead after the other night. I neglected to tell you this before as I felt it would be irrelevant... but well the kid was faking.. obviously. his plan was to seperate us and kill us as efficiently as possible. He stumbled on the goblinkin you had all dealt with before our rescue and was hoping to grow his army of undeath but he didn't expect me to be so good with a weapon at close range I suppose. Either way, while I don't think these two things are connected, we'd best be wary just in case. Afterall those undead.. and that monster spider thing... Just saying, we need to be more cautious, because either our target is allied with these things and has set them against us.... or they were aware of the danger ... and know how to get around it to make a merry chase.

Regardless... lets not linger long. As our employer said, time's wasting and I'd really rather not hear that ******* go on again about how we're  responsible for his mistakes.... *sigh* so here... to help us recover more swiftly.... she quietly hums a tune, that sounds sad, yet hopeful. A reminder of more peaceful times, but the song has no words. Everyone feels some pall of magic flowing through them as they settle in and relax....

((If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points. the DC to fix Paavu's arm is 11 medicine. missing it by 5 or more will make it worse, significantly))

At some points during the rest, anyone with a passive perception of 14 or more, will hear the distant sound of shuffling feet around the middle point of the rest.

Medicine 23

Once settles in Rose would use a chair or anything really as a stool to stand up higher and examine Paavus arm, all while saying I don't know how you tall folk can stand being so high off the ground. Aren't you worried you'll fall? Rose heard Gwen's words and agreed with her whole heartily, but her focus as such as on trying not to make Paavu feel worse so she made no reply other than an agreeing nod. Sit still now. Unless you want me to mess it up. Though a one armed giant does sound terrifying I'm sure you can make better use of both. Using the equipment in her healers kit Rose would start the process of setting the bone in place and eventually wrap of the arm in a bandage with a split to keep it in place. Though magic was her preferred means of healing she was getting tired and as Paavu said there was no need to waste precious magic at this point. Her time at the temple thought her enough about setting bones and such so she was confident she could help.

Once the bone was set and makeshift cast made Rose would stand back and admire her handiwork. There. Hows that feel big guy?

"Careful. Indeed." Burgee replies to Gwen as he all but falls to the floor to rest. "Not really my forte, or so I've heard, whatever forte means. But whatever that is, I heard it a lot growing up," he chuckled. He looked around the room. Dark and dilapidated, it gave him a shiver and he got a little more serious as he watched Rose work on Paavu.  "Are there no ends to you wonders little one?" he asked her.

Gwen's song of rest, if applicable: 3

(If Gwen can do song of rest, could I also do mine? If so, would that stack? Giving everyone a total of 2d6 extra dice to heal with?)

((I guess it doesn't matter because it is at the end of a short rest and I'm doing things halfway through it.))

Cirrus holds back a chuckle at Rose's comment towards tall folk. Presumably 30 minutes after the settle down, Cirrus hears the noise and gives an exhausted "oh gods..." he stands straight up, ready to draw his blades. "Footsteps everyone. Distant, but there nonetheless." Cirrus is going to attempt to peer through the windows or the slits in the door or walls to try and figure out what's causing the sound (Ideally I'd also like to know it it is something that is getting closer to us). Perception: 7 (disadvantage just in case since you explicitly said that it was hard to see through: 10)

If he can determine the source of the noise:

If he cannot see anything:

 (Aye, they would stack as they did last time)

Cirrus, hearing the noise from outside, goes to investigate the source of the noise, shifting from windows to the door without actually opening them trying to get a good angle on where he hears them from. The noise however is too far in front of the windows blocking view and the angles he can see are too far off to the side to be able to see much. It doesn't sound like anything overtly familiar, and he couldn't get a good gauge on exactly where or how far but it did sound as though they were getting more distant as time went by, until eventually the noises faded. And just as things had settled down, he can hear a familiar voice through the sending stone So my good friend.... anything of interest to report to dear old Halia? What are you and your group up to? After telling the townsfolk about our kerfuffle, they wanted me to check up on things.

Paavu had sat, if only for Rose's sake, meeting her jest with a snort but little more than that. Rather he'd already turned to listen to Gwen, so what followed from Rose either went unheard or ignored by her. Still, the goliath is stock still throughout the process. Even if some parts should've provoked some minor form of a pained expression, it never shows on his face. As if he was far used to pain, or suffered enough of the worser agonies as to be able to brush off lesser ones to some extent.

"Without a means to search beyond by foot, we'll have little choice in the matter, little elf." He would say as she sung. Not really wanting to interrupt, yet needing to get the point across all the same. "But, what caution can be taken in future encounters... will be minded, at the very least. Which is why we'll head to the tower. The obvious meeting point first and foremost before checking the rest. Unless you wish to scout alone under magics little Rose mention before?" He asked, sounding genuinely interested. Even if the answer were to be an obvious one given the nature of Rose and Gwen's relationship.

The promise for a measure of caution nevertheless made, he soon settles his back against the wall to focus on just recovery for the time being. When stirred by the question later on, he'd been about to say something before suddenly looking towards door. Then as Cirrus went to investigate, he took a moment to put back on both gauntlet and shield while biting back a grunt of pain of the splint now making movement awkward.

Only once assured it would hold at the price of some mobility in the thing, Paavu finally gets up, and makes for the door facing the path with the intent of actually cracking it open enough to look outside. If but Zombies were the only thing to worry of, he'd try to motion calm in the others without taking his eyes of the sight. If not zombies, but something else entirely... it would depend.

Stealth: 9.
Perception: 8.

As Rose was working on Paavus injuries and Burgee spoke Rose would smile and say It's no wonder really. Not all temple acolytes become clerics and gain Selûnes blessing to heal with magic but all learn the more mundane methods of healing. We deal with broken bones, illness, child birth, all sorts of things at the temple. It's just part of the job.

When Rose finally finished she sat down and drank some water from her waterskin and watched Cirrus and the big guy check for danger. She was not overly worried herself, confident that any undead would be easy pickings and that the spider thing would not return so soon after the beating it received. The idea of sending Gwen to scout ahead did get her attention however. She was confident enough Gwen would be fine but she was wary of letting any one person go off on their own. 

So what do you guys see? And ashy bastards in need of a beating?

((Sending has a limit of 25 words, so unless you want to retcon the message written, all that comes through is: "So my good friend.... anything of interest to report to dear old Halia? What are you and your group up to? After telling the townsfolk-"))

Cirrus isn't sure if there's anything to report that she would care about, but will take the opportunity to respond so he doesn't waste a charge later:

We’re In Thundertree Looking For Spider. Lot Of Undead Around. And A Spiderthing With Sticky Spit. I don’t know if she’s here.

 "The noises seem to have faded for now, Rose. I don't know if they were zombies or not. If we're unlucky, that was the sound of our target walking away."

(Was caught up in posting, i'll just let it stand as is)

Ultimately, neither Cirrus nor Paavu see anything nor are there any signs of passage. Perhaps it was just local wildlife passing through was what they assumed it to be most likely. There were no signs of the corpses  from before either. The place seemed as placid as ever, and the remainder of the time within the fortified house goes by otherwise uneventfully, and everyone feels as good as their ministrations allow. And seeing as no one had disproven of Paavu's idea, after everyone agree's they're ready, everyone picks up and heads out the door, cautiously. 

Heading up along the path and this time taking the right-fork as opposed to the left. At an intersection near the middle of the village, a narrow lane winds up the steep hillside to the north. Directly to the south is a ruined building that might have been a store or workshop. Webs stretch across the lane, from the building to the trees on the north side of the road.

The party has been to everywhere except 1 and 7 on the map so far. You are all currently just to the left of the red 6 on the road.

Paavu quietly grumbled at the webbing coating the lane; the most obvious trap in the world. "Or perhaps less a trap." He murmured, affixing his gaze on the buildings to the south. "It seems that spiderling wasn't the quite the only of its nature to take up residence here... Unfortunate." He looks then to the trees to the north. "We could cut back and go through the treelines. But, we want to be as close as possible before any full note our presence... Which means..."

He turns back to the others. "We need to clear the building to the south. Make sure no threats lie there. A blaze will only attract more attention then any shrieks of some creature lying in wait, so no fire is what Paavu recommends." A glance down at his arm is followed by another tired sounding sigh. "Paavu will... /can/ step forth on webbing, or even cut as he goes while others hang back. Perhaps lure creature out if disturb it enough. Can the rest of you be ready to strike it /without/ yelling. Or-" He puts his good arm behind his back, and asks with very deliberate calmness, "Might either of you have a suggestion?"

Burgee whispers a few words into his closed fist and then opens it up and a ghost-like hand emerges and floats above Burgee. "I can test the strength of the webbing," he says as the hand waves at Paavu. "But I agree," he adds pointing to the south, "we should check out this building first." Burgee turns towards the building and then stops. "Carefully this time? Maybe a small peak inside before we all go in. Wouldn't want to run into another house of the dead."

Paavu gives Burgee a small smirk at the somewhat rhetorical question. "We can handle undead. It is the spider-like things that will be the real problem." He then gestures using his good hand casually at the webs. "But by all means. Give them good tug, and we watch both building and trees closely to see what responds." He looks to the rest, and with a last word of, "Ready yourselves", gives Burgee one last trusting look before taking out the Yklwa to launch at first creature to respond to the tugs, assuming he had a decent angle on it.

Cirrus will try to peer in the building through any openings in the walls if there are any. NOTE: I'm not going to walk into an open doorway, I'm trying to more hidden than that. Perception: 26

If there aren't any wall cracks or windows, Cirrus will whisper, "Well the only ways to see into the building is through the doors, so I don't know how we can see what's inside without what's inside seeing us."

Rose will ready herself to strike out at any spider things or other hostiles that decide to be stupid enough to come out of this building. She pantamimes zipping her mouth shut to show agreement with the whole "being quiet" part and just prepares for the worst. 

 Cirrus sucks in the crisp, winter air around him, his body glowing white, as if he was becoming one with the very air around him. His eyes glowed, and his feet floated just above the surface of the ground, yet made no sound. for just the briefest of moments, he was the elemental plane of air incarnate. His vision was so clear as to see the world around him in a way he had never seen it before.... somehow he could just feel.. everything, and his movements were as the wind itself, ephemeral, insubstantial and un-phased by restrictions as he literally glided towards the window.... and then floated above it, without needing to use his traits.... his body moved as it possessed yet he was in full control. Floating above the crumbled roof, he peered down, and in perfect clarity... he saw three massive spiders, each tucked in a corner of the room that from ground level would be nigh impossible to see if you somehow made it inside without alerting them.

The entire room within is filled with light webbing. Enough that if someone did make it in, they would likely become stuck.... at this point, Cirrus notices one such poor soul, his body cocooned in a thick web, with only his face remaining outside it, but it was clear the desiccated and long dead. Though the body did seem to bulge oddly around the waist. As Cirrus' consciousness reaches further out, he can feel the ever so slight disturbances of air coming from just on the other side of the broken road... a false door... and an even larger spider within it. The spider seemed tense.. as if poised to strike at the first thing it detected that crossed its path.

What do you all do? You have not been noticed, yet.

From his supernatural vantage point, Cirrus will try to pantomime the threats that he has seen, and waits to see what the party indicates their next action is. He also pulls out a candle (or a torch if it was given to him), again gesturing that he could throw it down through the cracks in the roof. 

Burgee looks at the group and simply asks, "Fire?"

Rose shrugs and says As Paavu said that might draw more unwanted attention. But I all for it if you guys are. Sounds like they know we are here anyway. Any thoughts big guy?

 It takes an actual few moments to get Paavu's attention, as his focus had been on the building, and not some odd theatrics going on at the side or later well above it. When he does so, he just kind of puts away his weapon for a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's gonna go right ot his head." He mutters to himself before just aloud enough for those still earthbound, "Doubt they noticed us exactly, but moreso hunting instincts demanded alertness. Same for any ambusher that needs to lie in wait." Paavu would say while drawing his weapon once more.

"Be as may. Paavu does not like this drawing of attention. Know so many things go wrong even trying this plan... But, maybe this teaching moment." He gives Cirrus the okay nod and trust Cirrus firebombing will either scatter the spiders to the winds, or at least force them out. Thankfully, no supernatural flames weren't involved, so apart from the webbing, it would not last long with so much snow to dampen its advance beyond the confines of the building.

With the OK from Paavu, Cirrus takes a candle, and lights it.  Finding a good spot... Cirrus tosses the candle, carefully at the entrance so that the spiders would have to run through it, or, climb over the walls, through the hole in the roof, exposing themselves without the benefit of their carefully laid trap. As the candle drops, the wax lands on the webbing, and Cirrus has a birds eye view of the three spiders within the former-shop twitch expectantly, their bodies tensing... waiting for that second vibration to indicate prey was near. Instead, nothing further came immediately. Until the flames, which had initially done nothing...  finally began to consume the webbing. And when it did, the flames spread quickly, licking the spiders fine hairs as it reached them all at around the same time.

Rearing up in fear of the flames, the trio of arachnids began to climb out of the walls, to avoid going directly through the fire.  Each of them  moving in a different direction, the one hiding staying put, unmoving. The flames lick through the webbing across the path and end just before reaching the hiding one.

Combat has started, the party is first, in a surprise round, the only one NOT surprised is the hidden one. Cirrus feels as though his special is fading and if he doesn't land soon....