CrazyHedgehog's Red Hand of Doom

Game Master GeraintElberion

Yes, this is a pretty brutal locale, well as with any encounter that seems to have wave after wave of opponents. But actually apart from a few lucky hits you've taken down your foes pretty quickly before they've had an opportunity to do likewise.

At work just now without my notes, will try to update later tonight.

Round 5 continued
Allowing Leonar’s flaming sphere to take the lead, Helaku slips in through the door and targets another spell at his enemies, his spell power rapidly dwindling. This time, a patch of ground under the feet of the gnolls and bugbear turns into slimy grease, and their feet threaten to fall out from under them. The gnoll archer and one of the guisarme-wielding gnolls and the bugbear do indeed fall over, but the other gnoll affected manages to keep its feet, just.

Keliwyn follows after, remaining by the door to provide cover for the rest of you entering the room. He snaps off one arrow at the closest gnoll.

Leonar’s ball of fire rolls right into one of the gnoll guards, who tries to get out of the way but is still burned horribly. Gnoll made a successful Reflex save, took 5 points of fire damage, it's on its last legs.

Aleste steps into the room as well and throws an acid bomb. It hits the gnoll directly in front of the bugbear square in the chest, coating the poor creature. It howls as the acid eats it alive, disfiguring it horribly. The creature falls down and dies. Well done with the critical hit, 28 points of acid damage to the gnoll. The others made successful saves for the splash damage so took 2 points acid damage each.

Ambrose rides as quickly as possible around the perimeter of the keep, looking for any access points. He finally reaches the southern wall of the keep once again and the hole torn in the wall there. Full round of Smoke running x4 brings Ambrose back to where you arrived on the map.

The gnolls strike back. The gnoll archer who slipped on the grease and fell down gets back to his feet, shooting an arrow at Helaku! Hits for 3 points of damage. The gnoll next to him attempts to get out of range of the grease and the burning sphere, stepping gingerly forward and stabbing at Shaylar with his guisarme, a well placed strike. Made successful acrobatics check to stay on feet, hits Shaylar for 10 points of damage. The other remaining gnoll drops his bow and picks up his dead comrade's guisarme, moving forward to attempt to strike at Aleste. Fortunately Aleste is able to duck the attack, dancing out of the way.

Round 6
The bugbear picks itself up and backs through a doorway into the tower. The white-furred caster starts to pull out a wand.

Updated map of keep

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Leonar moves into the keep, as his Flaming Sphere vanishes. Undeterred, he tried to find a magic to target the monsters. Seeing the gnoll pick up the quisarme, Leonar targets with a spell, instantly turning the weapon red hot.

Fire Damage unless it drops the weapon 5d4 ⇒ (3, 3, 4, 2, 4) = 16

Reflex 16 to avoid damage from Burning Disarm Spell.

Round 6

Seein the bugbear pull out the wand, Helaku slides along the north wall past Leonar and Aleste. Once more his hands work and he finishes with a flick toward the bugbear. Casts grease DC 17 Reflex on the wand.

Having come around to the break in the wall again, Ambrose urges smoke through the rubble, picking his way around the fallen stones and back into the keep. Moving through the broken interior wall, the knight spies the lone gnoll standing warily on the patch of grease, the flaming sphere burning ominously nearby. Lowering his lance, he stabs out at the gnoll in front of Shaylar, judging the gnoll in the grease to be less of a threat.

"Where did that mage go?!" he calls, looking around for the bugbear.

Moving forward 20 ft. back into the keep, into the four squares south of the disabled minotaur. Attacking the gnoll just under the '8' label.

Lance Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Crit confirmation: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Damage: 3d8 + 12 ⇒ (2, 2, 1) + 12 = 17

Ambrose:
HP 20/52
AC 21

Smoke:
HP 36/47
AC 22

"He's fallen back into the tower. Just inside that door."

"Sweet Ehlonna, they've got it in for me alright! Time to finish these accursed monsters. Ungh, why's my sword so heavy all of a sudden?"
As I swing my sword at the gnoll closest to me, the effect of the ray becomes painfully obvious, my strike sorely lacking the strength to penetrate the armor of the gnoll.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Attack, Longsword: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Current status: AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15
Current HP: 16/26
Saves: Fort +5 / Ref +9 / Will +4
Str 9/14

I take a step back 5ft, draw my bow and shoot the nearest gnoll.

attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Oh, dear.

Round 6 continued
Keliwyn leans through the doorway with his bow, snapping a shot at the gnoll in front of him but misses.

Leonar follows in next, and casts a quick spell at one of the gnolls. It squeals as the guisarme it's holding onto starts glowing red hot. The gnoll tries to hold on to the weapon, but its hands (paws?) are terribly burned. You all like fire way too much. :) Leonar, where does the burning disarm spell come from? I've been trying to find the spell description, but I've not located it.

Seeing the gnoll distracted, Aleste takes a step back out of reach of the gnoll's weapon and launches another arrow. Sadly though, it misses. Aleste, moved you along a bit further as had moved Leonar into the square I think you were meaning. Still out of range of the gnoll's guisarme. As I wasn't sure whether the spell description would prevent him from taking an attack of opportunity, I'll rule that the gnoll was too distracted by his burning fingers to worry about you getting out of range.

Helaku casts a spell on the bugbear's wand, coating it in a glossy sheen of grease. The bugbear's brow furrows in concentration as it tries to keep hold of the slippery willow wand, but somehow he manages to keep a grasp of it. Bugbear made a good Reflex save.

Completely unprepared for a threat from behind, the gnoll near the ruined wall doesn't notice Ambrose's approach until the point of his lance spears the gnoll right through the back, the sharp point erupting from its chest. It drops the bow as it fumbles to the ground, lifeless. 29 points of damage to the gnoll. Wow!

The gnoll caught in the greasy patch on the floor attempts to get to its feet, but has no luck, falling on its haunches again. The other remaining gnoll drops the guisarme as it burns even hotter. Unarmed, it turns and tries to make for the door to the tower. As it moves through the greasy patch, it too falls over!

Round 7
The bugbear concentrates as it attempts to hold onto the wand even while the spellcaster uses the wand to weave a spell. Three glowing motes of magical force appear and with a flick of its fingers the bugbear sends them at his closest opponents. They zoom out unerringly and hit each of you with a sharp impact. The bugbear then slams the wooden door of the tower. You hear a booming thud as it is barred from the inside! Summoned a magic missile spell, with three missiles. 4 points of force damage each to Ambrose, Shaylar, and Aleste.

Having trouble uploading the updated battle map. Will keep trying just now, but it the site is down will try again tomorrow night.

Initiative
31 - bugbear
24 - Keliwyn
20 - Leonar
19 - Aleste
16 - Shaylar
16 - Helaku
16 - Ambrose
16 - gnolls
15 - Jorr, dogs

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Burning Disarm is on the pfsrd. It's from Pathfinders Chronicle 15: Cheliax, Empire of Devils.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/burning-disarm

Burning Disarm

Linkified. BTW, I have that one on Helaku's list too. Great spell.

"He's getting away. Wait for a moment if any of you want to chase him now and I can dispel the grease. Otherwise, let's take care of these gnolls and we can go get him together."
I'm going to wait till we get a little closer to my initiative so I can decide whether to use an action to dispel the grease or to try to help wrap up the gnolls.

"Anyone able to do something to restore my strength? Don't know what that monster threw at me, but I feel seriously weakened."

Current status: AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15
Current HP: 12/26
Saves: Fort +5 / Ref +9 / Will +4. Stats: Str 9/14

Time to heal up.

I step further back and swig my final healing draught.

cure moderate wounds: 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (6, 3) + 5 = 14

Thanks for the spell descripton guys, really thought it was in the core rules.

Updated Map (finally!)

Leonar, almost out of divine energy for the day, knew he had to try to engage the gnolls hand-to-hand now. He quickly asks for a,blessing from above, and flexes his newfound muscles, moving 15'forward toward the remaining bad guys.

Cast Divine Favor.

Round 7

Watching Leonar advance on the gnolls, Helaku whispers a few more words and then opens his mouth again in a familiar gesture. A terrible silent shriek tears across the room and descends upon the gnoll blasting him toward oblivion. Casts ear-piercing shriek 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6 points of sonic damage and DC 17 Fort save for half damage and to avoid being dazed for one round.

Grunting as he struck by the missile of force, Ambrose urges Smoke another step forward, into the room-turned-battlefield. Seeing the prone gnolls floundering in the grease, he takes aim with his lance and attempts to skewer the closest enemy.

Stepping 5 ft. left, making an attack on the prone gnoll to the right. I'll factor in a +4 bonus on the attack roll for him being prone?

Lance attack: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Wow, this lance loathes gnolls! Also I think before when I crit I misinterpreted how you did critical damage. I rerolled damage completely with my second damage roll, but I think you just have us roll the additional dice and add it to the first? So I'll do that now.
Critical confirmation: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
Critical damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (6, 4) + 8 = 18

Ambrose:
HP 16/52
AC 21

Smoke:
HP 36/47
AC 22

Round 7 continued
Keliwyn, moving in to the room, takes aim at one of the slipping, sliding gnolls, hitting it in the rump with an arrow. The gnoll, just getting up, squeals as it slips down again, its body covered in slick brown grease. 6 points of damage to the gnoll on the left.

Leonar moves to the edge of the grease patch, just out of reach of the luckless gnolls. As he does so, he casts a spell, gaining a powerful divine blessing.

With the gnolls distracted, Aleste takes advantage of the breathing space to step back and imbibe a healing draught, healing some of his wounds.

Shaylar takes a step closer, keeping his bow trained on the gnoll guards, ready to loose an arrow if they try any more aggressive actions.

Helaku casts another magical shriek, hitting the gnoll on the right just as it tries to reach for a weapon. The gnoll collapses on the ground and doesn't move. 6 points of sonic damage to the gnoll, it is now dying.

The other gnoll bets back to his knees and tries to open the door but finds himself skewered on Ambrose's lance! The knight manages to coax his mount forward into the keep, just managing to fit through the hole in the ruined wall. 28 points of damage to the last gnoll, it's a goner. Whichever way you want to roll critical damage is fine, I think the results end up the same. Though, I suppose I do find it easier when the critical damage is rolled separately from the initial damage, just in case it turns out not to be a confirmed critical hit.

There is silence in the room, what sparse furnishings there were turned over or hacked at over the course of the fight. Pausing, you can hear the bugbear's booted steps moving up the stairs.

31 - bugbear
24 - Keliwyn
20 - Leonar
19 - Aleste
16 - Shaylar
16 - Helaku
16 - Ambrose

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Is Grease dismissible?

Sure is.

Helaku waves his hand at the coating of grease that left the gnolls floundering and speaks a word. It instantly vanishes.

I stow my bow, draw my dagger and stand by the door, ready to follow someone who knows how to swing a sword.

"Last one, I think. Ready?"

Leonar pulls his scimitar as he follows closely behind the magic using bugbear.

Double move to follow the Mage. Probably a bad idea to chase blindly up stairs, but, oh well...

Ambrose hesitates and dismounts, calmly patting his steed's neck. "I'm sorry smoke, but doorways and staircases are no place for you." He leaves his lance attached to the weapon cord along the saddle and lifts his battleaxe from his belt, running a thumb along its edge before moving towards the door, pausing as he passes Leonar. "Good shaman, I don't suppose I could trouble you for some of your healing magic? That minotaur's swing was mighty and the potions I drank didn't help as much as I would have liked."

Round 8
Helaku dismisses the grease patch, and you move up to the stout wooden door, to find it is barred from the other side. Still, where could the bugbear go, but up?

"Bah, I've got no way to get through the door. Either he is on the roof, and we can pick him off from there, or he has the ability to fly, and we are in trouble, because he will be gone with the wind."

While waiting at the stairs, he uses his wand of healing on Ambrose.

Charge of CLW Wand 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Marked off a charge from CLW Wand. 34 charges left on it now.

"I've used up everything I have that might be useful aside from illusions and mist, but I'll do my best if one of you can help get through."

With my sword in my hand, I look at the others, before asking Leonar for some healing as well. "That should keep me going for a while longer, though I think I'm more or less running on empty. And I still feel weakened."

Current status: AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15
Current HP: 12/26
Saves: Fort +5 / Ref +9 / Will +4
Stats: Str 9/14

Thank you, Leonar. As for this door...I could try and get it open, or else hack it down. Moving over to the door, Ambrose tests its strength, and his own.

Strength check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Okay that's my third 20 in a row and I am now starting to get suspicious. The chance gods are setting me up for some epic failure.

(if a round passes...)

Leonar zaps the elf with his wand of healing as well.

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Round 8
Bow at the ready for any more attacks, Keliwyn moves up to examine the wooden door the bugbear disappeared through. "No good. I think it's been barred from the other side."

Leonar uses his wand to heal Ambrose a bit more.

Shaylar takes a moment to catch a breather, leaning against the wall, still feeling weakened.

Helaku dismisses the grease patch ( Already posted ). With a word, it instantly vanishes. He moves up to the door, but it is barred, ""I've used up everything I have that might be useful aside from illusions and mist, but I'll do my best if one of you can help get through."

With those words, Ambrose puts his shoulder to the door, and with a mighty run breaks the stout wooden door down. Great roll!

Inside the circular chamber, you see it has been outfitted with a mix of furniture, including a large desk, an overstuffed chair, a massive four-poster bed, and a large easel that holds a sizable canvas covered with a sheet. A flight of stairs arcs up along the south wall to the upper floor, and a fair amount of rubble from a hole in the ceiling lies heaped on the base of the stairs.

Round 9
Keliwyn moves inside the room, covering it with drawn bow. Nothing jumps out to attack the elf, and after a moment he signals that the coast is clear. You can hear a short command uttered up above.

Updated map of the tower

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Helaku strains to hear the command being issued from up above as he rushes into the room. He gets ready to rush up the stairs.
Perception to hear command 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Spellcraft if command was a command word 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Helaku will follow Ambrose or Shaylar if either head up the stairs.

Ambrose lets out a grunt as he breaks the door open, catching himself on his feet as he lurches forward. As soon as the portal is loose, he turns and nods to his companions while raising up his axe and shield, ready for the final push. "I'll lead." If there are no objections, Ambrose moves to the stairs and goes up.

Double move up the steps. Also, just a reminder, I can grant any adjacent allies without a shield bonus a +2 bonus to AC as an immediate action anytime they are subject to an attack.

Ambrose:
HP 21/52
AC 21

Leonar follows on Amrose's heels, trying to catch up to the bugbear. "Hurry everyone...we've got him cornered!"

Unless he can fly...

With a look of gratitude, I nod at the shaman, seeing the most grievous of my wounds close as the magic runs through my body. Though still weakened, I follow behind Ambrose, my sword in hand as he moves up the stairs.

Round 9 continued
You follow behind Ambrose as he leads the way up the stairs. You are wary for traps or ambushes, but you don't find any as you climb upwards to the tower's upper room. At the top of the stairs, you find the door is open. Leonar helps to heal some of Shaylar's wounds on the way up.

As you enter, you find the roof of this circular chamber has partially collapsed, in the southeast. Massive timbers slump against the floor, fallen from the rafters above. A huge gap in the tower's east wall allows a brisk breeze into the chamber, which has four windows in the remaining walls. Three large boulders lie on the floor amid a halo of fractures and cracks.

Mounted about ten feet from the hole in the wall is what looks like a humanoid figure, lashed to a framework of wooden beams, arms upraised. A faint glow from beneath it illuminates the figure in a pale light - you imagine it must appear quite ghostly at night, from afar. The reek of rotting flesh fills the room. The room is otherwise empty.

Looking out through the gap you see the spellcaster bugbear, drifting through the sky over the wall of the keep. He sniggers as he sees you watching, and starts to pull another wand from his belt before turning north over the courtyard.

The bugbear is about 30feet away and 30feet higher up than where you are in the tower. I'll update a new battlemap, but probably won't be until Thursday as I have a couple family things on the next few days.

Round 10

"Nuts, he can fly. Wand. Shoot for the center of the target." Helaku draws his wand of silent image and focuses on summoning the image of a giant target that blocks the bugbear's view, but whose bullseye is right where his body was.

Leonar casts one of his last remaining spells, trying to create an enemy the bugbear can't outfly. We aren't done yet, fellas."

Convert Resist Energy to Summon Monster 2 and conjure a small air elemental with 100' flight speed.

I stamp my foot in frustration, "Come back here, coward!"

Then I drop my knife and try to shoot him with my bow.

attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

As Ambrose and his companions reach the top of the tower, he grimaces as he sees the bugbear in flight. Claiming no great skill with his crossbow, he looks left and right as his companions let fly with their ranged attacks. He puts himself in their midst and raises his shield, watchful for coming attacks.

Total defense, use Saving Shield to grant any adjacent allies +2 AC if they are attacked.

HP 21/52
AC 25

Round 9 continued
Seeing the bugbear escaping, Leonar begins to cast a summoning spell. Aleste tries to shoot the bugbear leader with his bow, but the shot misses in the gathering gloom, and Shaylar has similar luck.

Helaku draws out a wand, conjuring an image of a giant target looming in front of the bugbear. His eyes widen at the sight of it and spins out of control as he tries to avoid what looks like a solid object in front of him. He is unable to avoid it, and since he thinks he hit it, takes damage as he plummets down and skiffs off the parapets of the keep. The target remains in the air. Helaku, did I understand the image correctly? In any case, the bugbear failed his save to disbelieve the image, failed Fly check to avoid "collision", and took 12 points damage after falling 30-feet and hitting the top of the keep.

Alert to any counterattacks, Ambrose readies his shield to protect the rest of the party, especially archers like Aleste and Shaylar, standing near the gap in the roof to try and take down the bugbear.

Round 10
The bugbear doesn't look so confident now, and quickly speeds off curving north over the keep. He quaffs a potion, returning some of his vigor. [ooc] Apologies, in last post I mentioned he was pulling out a wand, I meant to say potion. This is the second time I've done this; Helaku, when I said that you heard him speak a command word for a wand of fly, I should have said he used a potion. As he passes over the front entrance, you see an arrow arc up and hit the bugbear - Jorr must still be keeping an eye out for attacks! Jorr hits for 5 hit points.

Enter Leonar's elemental!

Updated Map

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The elemental pops into the air, close behind the bugbear. Receiving its directions to attack, the creature turns into a whirlwind and flies directly at the bugbear, attempting to engulf the Mage in the whirlwind.

Whirlwind special attack doesn't provoke an AoO. DC 12 Reflex save to avoid taking 1d4+1points of damage. Needs a second Reflex save to avoid Being suspended in the whirlwind and taking that damage each round and cannot move except to try and escape or where the whirlwind takes the creature. Creature must succeed on a Concentration check to cast a spell. Also takes a minus four to Dex and a minus two to attack.

I think that's everything, lol.

You understood correctly and it worked better than I could have imagined! Bring on the elemental!

"Good work, Helaku!"

I aim once more for the bugbear.
attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Wanting to aid in bringing down the final enemy, Ambrose drops axe and shield in favor of his light crossbow, which he loads and prepares to fire.

Round 11

"May as well try again to keep him in range." Helaku again speaks the command word for his wand and envisions a dense flock of birds rising from the treetops just in front of the bugbear that swoop up into his path.

Round 10 continued
With a gust of wind, Leonar's summoned air elemental pops into existence, and mentally registering Leonar's enemy leaps to the attack. It turns itself into a powerful whirlwind, approximately the same size as the white-furred bugbear, enveloping the spellcaster and holding him fast. The bugbear failed both his Reflex saves, taking 2 points of damage in the process and is now held in place.

With the bugbear held in place and unable to escape, the rest of you have an easier time of targeting your enemy with ranged fire. Aleste hits with one arrow, and the bugbear is beginning to look terrifed now. To cow him further, Helaku uses his wand to create the illusion of a flock of birds rising up from the trees to block the bugbear's path of escape, though he seems unable to go anywhere, at the moment.

Not wanting to miss out on taking down the leader of the forces at the keep, Ambrose switches weapons to get his crossbow, loading and getting ready to fire. The bugbear, finally seeing that he has no more options, puts his arms up and growls, "I surrender! I surrender! Just don't kill me!"

Congratulations! Your enemies are defeated. I'll let you have an opportunity to talk with the bugbear, but in the meantime once you've secured the keep and realize no one else is going to be approaching the keep, you have time to rest up, recovering and regaining spells. I'll go ahead and post below some of what you find around the keep, but if there are any other actions your characters are wanting to do, just let me know. By the way, totalling up your XP gained so far, you each of 21,680XP, just shy of 6th level.

With the bugbear's surrender, the air elemental lowers him to the keep's courtyard, holding him fast long enough for you to take the bugbear into custody before the elemental fades away.

Afterwards, though you keep a sharp eye out for any more goblins returning to the keep, and conduct searches of the rest of the keep to ensure there are no more enemies lurking, you find yourself with time to recover from your wounds, recover your spells, and explore the keep.

A quick search of the bugbear's quarters (section 10 on the map) doesn't reveal much, most of the bugbear's treasure must already be on his person. Likewise, a search of the large ground floor area reveals it to be used as a rough barracks. There is not much here but for a truly massive bed, damaged during the battle, that must have belonged to the minotaur. Stashed underneath, you find a bag containing 351gp.

Of more interest is the side room that you find, which seems to be some sort of war room (section 9 on the map). A large table fills the room, barely leaving enough room for the half-dozen chairs arrayed around its edge. Pinned to the table's surface by daggers is a massive map of the region. Numerous notes in Goblin have been scrawled on the map. However, after several minutes study Shaylar and Jorr are able to translate the map: The goblins' map There are also copious notes, reports, maps, and other documents spread out in the room, though mostly they are in language you have difficulty in decophering.

From appearances, a large group of hobgoblins seems to be massing to the north at a location called Cinder Hill. Numerous spies have been scouting out the region, and they've determined that Drellin's Ferry should be easy to take. The number and strength of the hobgoblin forces at Cinder Hill are not indicated on the map, but htey do hint that the horde is large enough that the invaders don't anticipate any major resistance once they march on Drellin's Ferry.

Another point of information you are able to decipher from the Goblin writings is that the goblins have identified a bottleneck in the horde's approach to Drellin's Ferry. With troops massed near Cinder Hill, the easiest route down from the mountains to Drellin's Ferry is by way of an old bridge that spans Skull Gorge. The goblins appear to have placed a guard contingent at the bridge to make sure that it stays out of enemy hands.

I'll continue the rest of the description on another post.

Map of Vraath's Keep

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The Keep's contents, continued
Across the courtyard is a squat building ( section 7 on the map). Its original purpose is unclear, but it seems to have since been used as a nest for the manticore that fled from the battle. All the furniture has been crushed into rubble, and a large nestlike mound of tree branches, bones, bits and pieces of foul-smelling animal parts, and long, thin spikes of some sort of black material fills the northwest corner of the room. A gaping hole in the roof to the northeast corner provides a view of the ky above. Here, you find quite a bit of treasure: 216gp, 8pp, a gold necklace, and a filthy silk cload embroidered with silver and gold thread.

At the north end of the courtyard are stables (section 6), and outside the entrance is a decrepit old gardener's shack (section 2). Nothing holds much of interest for you, however.

Let me know if you are looting the bodies, and I'll post up that as well. You can still have a look around the keep, and make any rolls you feel may be necessary: search checks, decipher script, etc.)

I'm no linguist, I leave the others to the map for now.

Instead I start checking out the keep.

Is it sound? Should we worry about walls collapsing or anything like that?
knowledge(engineering): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

If things are safe, I begin a methodical search of the keep.

"Hey, anyone want to give me a hand here?"

I'll ask if anyone is willing to help me out (they can take 10 to aid another)and work through the building, starting with 2 (is that a cottage?) and going from room to room in numerical order, searching everything.
With the place secured, I'll take 20 in each room: that gives 29, so with another's help we can have a 31 in every room...

"I'll take care of reading the notes if someone else can help Aleste. We'd better make sure someone secures the bugbear and searches the bodies too." Helaku gathers up all of the notes and then reaches into his backpack and draws out a scroll case. "Just the sort of situation I carry this around for." Helaku reads his scroll of comprehend languages and reads the notes as thoroughly as possible, paying particular attention to trying to uncover specific dates and information about this plan.