Road to Phandalin

"I've heard stories of Gelatinous cubes swallowing people whole even if they get a hit on it, invisible till then. My friend and Mentor a Gnome wizard named Bard said that all he could see was the poor fighter stuck inside it struggling to get out slowly dying. He said it was like moving liquid that attacks. and he said it was large enough to swallow 5 people or more."  She tells Marco to keep looking for it while on Otrov's shoulder

Otrov

”Well lets be extra cautious and careful, and let’s move slowly here, I’d rather not get stuck in a blob of goo today!”  Otrov points to the floors walls and ceilings - “Look!  It’s clean!  Nothing!  Margey,” Otrov whispers, “Did your stories mention how clean a house the geleetin- the geleatinny- the gel- ugh! How clean the “things” are!?  Spotless in here!  Impressive!”

Otrov feels a nagging headache coming on at Dain and Zurgz apathy but there’s nothing for it right now. Viper, she thinks to herself, meet sssssslime!

Think we keep slowly moving forward until there are any directional opinions. Otrov has her Prick in hand, readied for an attack on any unpleasantness that she spots...

She shrugs "Bard said It absorbs things, and digests them so maybe that's the result of digestive acid. let's go down that hallway(If I remember right there are two hallways leading back towards the fungus area and a door, she wants to go down the bottom hallway) We won't go far just enough to tell if the spiderwebs increase."

She keeps Marco on alert 

Yes you can circle back to the Fungus cave, once you get close to the cave where you encountered the stirges before, you will notice more spider webs on the floor again.

"What now? We burn webs?" Zurzg asks simply of the others, and quietly so, if everyone else appeared to be trying to be so. After getting an answer he looks to the ceiling out of curiosity of any spiders lurking about up there.

Perception: 20.

"We stay away from them." Margret replies quietly.

"I think I like Otrov's suggestion to lure the cube with our familiars or at least mine"

(I wanted to stay in the passage I just said towards the fungus area)

Otrov

”Okay what day let’s backtrack to where we were before - no sense getting our webby friends involved and being in between a spider and a squishy place!  Let’s have Marco lead if you’re okay with that Margey.  But first,” Otrov whispers and takes out her tripwire and bell and sets it across the mouth of the tunnel before they continue to head north (As original). 
Assuming no one protests, we keep northwards cautiously, slowly, quietly...
She looks at the 4 companions, “So what do you know about these things? Can we tell what kind it is? What hurts them?  Besides a hungry ogre armed with a spoon?”  Otrov stifles a giggle at the last bit - difficult considering how hilarious she is. 

Dain will add an alarm to the tripwire set up. He will cast it as a ritual.

I assume Margaret will explore the tunnels with Marco while Dain sets up his spell? You changed him back into a bat (did you remove the spell components necessary?) so roll me a perception check for him please. bat

Zurzg, you don’t see any spiders or other dangers around at the moment.

Otrov 

the halfling observes and watches over Dain while he does his cool magic stuff, biting her lip to keep from interrupting him...

perception - 15 

She'll wait till after Dains spell is cast then she goes into Marco's senses Echo location perception

11

Seeing as they wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, Zurzg finds a wall to lean against and dozes off immediately on the spot by all appearances while waiting.

Otrov

The halfling's thoughts eventually return to the fungus cave: there is something about it that draws her interest that she can't shake.  It's like a magnet that is pulling her towards it.  Eventually, she voices her thoughts in private to Margret - who may or may not be in a trance - fearful of earning both Zurgz and Dain's wrath...

Map:

Margaret you explore the mine with Marcos help. You find that the tunnels with the Gelatinous Cube are mostly free of spider webs, only a few strands on the ceiling. The cave leading to the fungus, as well as the entrance tunnels for the Banquette Hall are more heavily webed. You also hear the crushing of weaves from time to time again. You also find the Slime Cube in the north west corner of the tunnel system, close to where you encountered it before. It is in a side tunnel close to the tunnel that seams to be leading deeper north into the mine. 

how webbed is the stairway? and is there a door at the top?

The webs are not an obstacle, just individual threads along the floors and walls.

She as Marco flies towards the cube trying to let it know Marco is there then up the stairs hoping to lure it into the forge room

she then comes out of his senses and puts him in a extra dimensional pocket unless she thinks she can go further once there

Otrov

Otrov looks around for any materials (dirt, charcoal, ash, ground up bone with a bit of water, etc...) and smears it all over her exposed body parts, trying to make them darker.  

"Well, Margey?  Fungus room?  Or north again towards the forge?"  Otrov asks.

Margaret, it takes a few tries, but you are able to leed the cube to the stairs, but no matter how hard you try, it won't go up the stairs into the hall. It seams to activly avoid big open spaces

"No harm checking out the fungus room, before we head to the forge." Dain suggests from where he is watching the tunnel they came here by, his alarm spell set.