"What of Crescent Roses old blades? We have some infernal iron with us." Ruby suggested. "With my Aura I can physically touch Karlach in order to get a better idea of what's needed."

"Wait, are you suggesting you can help fix part of ot right here? Fuck yeah, I'll take anything that can help."

"It would be a temporary fix, but it should bring your heat much further down then just infernal iron on it's own." Dammmon tossed Ruby a hammer as on parchment he began to sketch out the plans.

The others watched As Ruby and Dammon worked in unison, folding infernal iron and Remnant steel together. Ruby measuring Karlachsh engine and a few short hours of diligent work as Ruby and Dammon were drenched in sweat. Ruby carefully installed the upgrade and the flames on Karch died out in as the air around her cooled.

The barbarian looked at her hands amazed. "You two are amazing. I haven't felt like this in years."

"Find me in Baldur's Gate, we should be able to fully repair it there, as I would be able to get my hands on adamantine or mithral." He said as he drank from a glass bottle.

CHAPTER 17 : The Well

The party made their way into the abandoned village as the group made their way to the village well Ruby glanced down the dark shaft in case there was water at the bottom the could draw from. Instead she saw a stone lined cave. "Guys? Come look at this!"

Alfira and looked over the edge. "Hmmm i can detect magic down at the bottom." Gale said.

"Could also have a fair bit of coin from people making wishes at the bottom." Alfira said the group carefully made down.

"Smells like mold and rot." Shadow heart remarked at the bottom of the shaft. They did find some coins and a larger cave network. Heading deaper into the moust cave several large spider webs caught their eyes till the rounded a corner and spotted 2 massive blue spiders. Larger then a man they crawled across web bridges.

"What it that?" Ruby asked pointing at a grotesquely bloated thing with mishappen clawed limbs, blue skin and a distended stomach.

"Ettercaps, vile things, some claim they are descended from mad druids who made a deal with the demon of spiders. I just see them as monsters. Phase spders as well, their glowing blue exoskeltons are a dead giveaway." Thalia identified the creatures with ease. "Gale, Wyll some fire should be enough to deal with these. Durge, Ruby cover our rear for when the phase spders teleport behind us."

Wyll and Gale stepped to the front, catching the attention of the monsters. The ettercaps rushed the front as Gale and Wyll cast blast os fire engulfing the beasts. The Phase spiders like Thalia predicted teleported behind the group.

Karlach ran past Wyll and Gale swinging her axe cutting a etter cap down while Alifra used the larger teifling to cover herself as she burried the short sword she held deep in the creature's chest killing it. Durge lashed out with the shattered flail whip he took from the Gnoll leader smashing the phase spiders exoskeleton before sending a blade of ice deep in it pinning it though its body before grinning as he stomped its head in. Ruby swung Crescent Rose in a wide arc bisecting the spider she faced.

Thalia and Shadow heart charged the remaining etter cap. The half elfs spear dug deep into its chest when the pale teifling swung her twin blades taking its head off ith two swift slashes.

Heading deeper into the cave they came upon a small work shop with some scrolls and books. "Seems who ever set this up was obsessed with spiders..." Gale said setting a aged journal down as Alfira tried on a pair of magic boots. The web covered floor no longer stuck to her.

Heading towards the main chamber they spotted several skeltons and goblin bodies. Once the reached the main chamber of the cave, it was filled with phase spides crawling on the walls and pillars. in the center of the room was a deep glowing green pit and a massive blue and red arachnid.

"Shit, must be the momma huh? No way we can leave this here." Karlach said. "I see a lot of spider egg sacs ready to hatch. This is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Its a imbalance of nature... Phase spiders aren't native to this part of the sword coast." Thalia agreed. "We need to kill them or they will devaste the local ecosystem, what i wonder is how have the other druids not noticed this, and so close to the grove as well." The party snuck around the rocks as Gale, Durge, Wyll and Alfira prepared their spells. Ruby set Crescent rose to its sniper form. Shadowheart cast some protection spells and karlach heafted the titan string bow. Thalia drew her blades as she readied herself, in the dampness of the cave, the bitter sweet smell of rot hung around her more noticeably.

Wyll and Gale blasted two massive fire ball spells into the hoard of spiders, the flames spreading quickly across the hoard as the jumped in blue flashes. Alfira targeted a cluster of eggs and with a shatter spell sent boulders tumbling crushing the egs while Durge targeted the other cluster, with a blast of ice magic freezing the eggs solid, and with a secod spell obliterated a swath of spiders and the last of the eggs with a lightning bolt. A grin spread across his scaled face as the creatured boiled and popped from the magic.

Thalia used her gloves of thorns to summon a hail of spikes that cut through the smaller spiders before slashing with her scimitars, the rot spreading through the spiders with each cut.

Ruby and Karlach fired their weapons, Ruby getting two shots into the spider matriarch as Karlach landed shot that ripped all the way through it. The massive spider teleported across the chamber bareing down on the huntress only for Karch too intercept its attack with a fearsome roar, Her axe swing caught the giant spider in its thorax knocking over. Shadowheart lunged in with the her spear and it cut deep into the creature leaving a deep gash where struck.

Wyll drew his sword and leapt with precise strikes cut into the foes before him. He cut his palm with his sword ignighting the blade. Gale and Durge commanded fire, lightning and ice to rip apart the spider hoarde. Spells fire from Sorcerer and wizard in tandem. Alfira cast thunder wave to cast advancing spiders into the depths of the cave below.

Thalia created a wall of spikes to create a barrier to slow the spiders. The magic of nature flowing through her. Ruby swapped Crescent rose to its scythe form and unleashed a rapid series of attack that ripped apart any spider near her but also ripped into the matriarch. The wounded beast stuggled to get up but Karlach was waiting, the teifling gladiator brought her axe down with a thunderous rage cutting deep to the exo skeleton with three powerful strikes ripping apart a hole in the armor. Shadowheart lunged forward, a sickly green spell in her hand rotting away the matriarchs flesh, as it suddered in pain a green robe fell out of its wounded body. It let out a wail and died as the group obliteraed its spawn.

The group took a moment to breath as Gale examined the robes. "I see, the matriarch used to be a elven mage obseesed woth spiders..." He pocketed the robe. "I'm still detecting another magical source." Wading through the piles of spider bodies Thalia searched till she found a dark glowing amythyst.

"I think that this unlocks the book we found in the necromancers lab." She says riffling through her pack producing the book. Placing the gemstone in its skull cover the book unlocked, glowing pages with dark runes flashed before her eyes, the smell of death pervaded the chamber as Thalia read the pages, with a turn of the page the spiders at her feet began to stir, rising from the dead as fungal growths spread across their bodies. her green eyes color shifted taking on a purple ring around the iris. Then the book slammed shut. "Fascinating..." Thalia said placing the book back in her bag.

Thalia walked towatds the ground as the spiders followed her, dying one by one. "I'm not one to judge by I'm fairly sure necromancy isn't one of Silvanus's domains." Shadowheart remarked. "But utilizing the undead in our endeavors will be useful."

"Ah forbidden by morality but not my the lady of magic herself. We would be wise to use it." Gale smiled "Besides who hasn't dabbled in the taboo."

Wyll gestured to his horns, "Thalia i would caution you to following such a path of magic, but seems a large portion of our company is already utilizing forbidden magics."

"Zombies, haven't fought that yet. Could be some good training back in camp." Karlach smiled.

"The smell of rot follows you, walking the boundry of life and death, following your urges... make sure your choices are unclouded." Durge said.

Aflira is puking in the corner. "No undead pets... hrrng!"

Ruby simply looked at Thalia, she was put off by the unnatural magic yet when Thalia looked at Ruby, she could still see the girl that had brought her away from the gruesome sight of murder to a secluded natural wonder to help her.

The party left the cave and went out the town towards the shore line, a sunny wetland on the river bank. "This is where Auntie Ethel said she lived." Ruby remembered.

"Right, somethings off about that woman." Shadowheart remarked.

"I find her really pleasent." Aflira said.

"She knows much and tells little." Durge stated. There was shouting up ahead on the path. Sounded like two men arguing with a woman. "We should go help." Karlach stated.

Ruby Rose stats, class, and racial abilities

Class Fighter lv 5

Subclass Champion

Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)

Hp: 45 (3 d12 plus 0)

Strength: 18 (base 17)

Dexterity: 16 (base 15)

Constitution: 10

Wisdom: 8

Intelligence:12

Charisma: 10

Race Human Variant (Remnant)

Feats:

Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex

Savage Attacker : Reroll damage once take highest

Base Speed: 45 ft Total speed: 55 ft

Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (50 Thp) (resets on long rest)

Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action

Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (18-20)

Action Surge: Gain an extra action

Extra attack x1

Gear:

Infernal Crescent Rose: plus 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing an fire damage plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.

Infernal Critical, Reduces critical by 1, and on a critical hit target auto fails save against burn condition.

Searing Petal Smite: While Dashing from at least 60 ft away, auto cast searing smite at lv 2. 2d6 fire damage. Once per short rest.

All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.

Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.

Two-handed, heavy, extra reach

Cleave lacerate trip enemies, peircing shot

1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.

Haste Helm: Plus 10 ft to movement first three turns of combat (Effectively just 10 ft because I'm not drawing out combat for more then 3 rounds except for major bosses) plus one dex save

Speedy Light Feet: Gain three lightning charges when Dashing. Lightning charges deal additional damage on weapon and spell attacks.

Ruby's Explossive bag:

7 Alchemist fire bottles

5 smoke powder bombs

2 smoke powder bags