Level 2 of the Dungeon Cont'd

After swallowing the difficult pill that allying with the Zhentarim was, I need to console myself in some smiting of Xanathar's Faction members. It was the alliance of most sense, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
 
The last outpost of the Xanathar goons contained plenty of fools for me to outlet my frustrations on. It felt good, dispensing some righteous justice. These scum who soil our city and flout it's laws shall find no hiding holes below it on my watch.
 
I served as a fairly good magnet for the initial attention of the thugs, who were treated to some thunderous applause (and damage) of my compatriots, while my own swings were rather futile. After getting battered about a bit by more my own people than the enemy, I managed a few good hits myself, dropping some bugbears. I have talked to my companions about this new tactic, and while I agree it was effective, I'll need to look at increasing my resiliency against spell effects, thunder and psychic damage in particular.
 
The leader provided a decent fight, while the zombie beholder provided some difficulty, but dropped just as quickly as the rest. The fight was over in 30 seconds and while I was bloodied, it went well enough.
 
After a short rest and a thorough exploration of the outpost, we moved on. The Ballista Hallway proved to be too big a puzzle to resist for us. Rhys made me invisible and I made a run for the doorway. The ballistae turned out to be awakened and mobile, so we had to take them out. Hidden behind them was a dwarven brewery and beyond that storerooms protected by pit traps (which Espy found the hard way). After a brief battle with some mimics posing as ale barrels, we came into possession of 200 magically preserved barrels of Malarkin Ale. The Zhentarim are moving them to the Tavern for us for 20 barrels. I look forward to our next celebration as the ale should be fantastic.
 
After a rest, we continued on exploring the supposed dwarven temple to the south. Inside were the skeletal remains of 5 dragons, which were held together with wires and such as to have them pose life-like. Rhys seemed to think the Gold Dragon's statue was growling when he approached it, and it turns out Espy is a goddess of magic, according to the skeletal dragon. There was nothing of real note beyond.
 
Moving on to the Elven Temple, finding many petrified monsters and a quartet of statues that apparently can turn them back from their stone form. The next room contained crumbled sarcophagi and some owlbears. There was an illusionary tree projecting light above them, which seemed to fascinate Flaem and Espy.
 
Espy managed to then trigger another trap, causing a torrent of water with a giant stone sphere being pushed along with it with Espy in front and the rest of us behind it. Rhys tried to entangle the ball without success. I charged in and attempted to grapple the ball, slowing it, but not stopping it. Flaem managed to slow the ball again, and Espy calls out that she's okay so I made it back out of the water to the top of the slope. The elaborate trap still managed to get Espy, damn near killing her. We decided to take another break.