[AP] Curse of the Crimson Throne by GMs Rutseg, Zek and Snowheart (Inactive)

Game Master Balacertar

Infused the Oathbow.

Once they got the non-brainwashed maidens back together and out, she retrieved the decanter and spoon, and using her father's contacts, helped them get out of town with the resistance until it was safe to come back, or according to each individual's preference, got them back home. She also restocked her blankets.

Are we taking all the brainwashed ones to the Shoanti, or only Mirya?

When they are asked about a seance, Zamanda nods, but doesn't add any additional commentary.

Chapter 5: Skeletons of Scarwall by Greg A. Vaughan

The Shaman of the Sun begins the seance and Zellara is brought out of your harrowing deck. "Greetings my heroes. Let me help by reading your fate, and let this fate help you on this quest"

One by one Zellara takes a harrowing on you while the Shoantis observe attentively, first drawing your role from the Wisdom cards, then shuffling and placing 9 cards in a matrix. She unveils first the initial column, your past, and after her insights proceeds with the central, your present, and the last one, your future, summarizing all with an overall reading.

Each of the Wisdom cards, including the role one first unveiled, provide you with harrowing strength, and for those whose role appears in the harrowing, there is even extra strength to support you on Scarwall.

Bashiel
-------
Role: The Carnival
I see your past has been marked by The Desert, Bashiel. It tells me you have had to be strong by your own as you have not had aid to survive in such a bleak environment. It tells me you have had to count on yoursef to fight the strong disease that plagued Korvosa. Yet do not be too much confident on this, as such a hard environment often requires of aid to survive.
As for the present, it is currently marked by The Cyclone, a force that tears through whatever it meets. This disaster does not come from the course of natural order but it does from the plots of intelligent beings. It signifies you are faced with war at the current time, yet do not lose hope, as misaligned as it appears in your had, it indicates the coming of renewal after the fight ends.
The Carnival is the card of illusions and false dreams, yet for this is your role and will have a great influence in your future. As only the imprudent can achieve success against unthinkable odds. Believe in the spirits Bashiel, for they will make you succeed on what seems only a crazy suicide right now.
All in all, your hand is very clear to me Bashiel, it all means you should be trustful to yourself, for your self-sacrifice has helped many in the past and brought goodness to you, and this same self-sacrifice is the force that will allow your group to succeed against unthinkable odds on the current doom that devastates Korvosa. Let your strength of heart shine at Fortress Scarwall, for it will carry over your group even at the worst of moments. Do not lose hope to darkness, for darkness you will face, and you will triumph in this quest.
Harrowing Points: 4

Ilsa
----
Role: The Midwife
Look at this Ilsa, The Trumpet is aligned! This archon is the witness of an aggressive force that has marked your past. You should not be shameful Ilsa, for the card is aligned, it is telling us, this has been a rightful force put to use for good for more violent it might have seemed.
The Midwife is the card that most influence your hand Ilsa, it has a great strength on you, as it is your chosen role but also it appears trully aligned with your present. It does mean a conduit of creation, your presence is of most importance to unveil a present piece of information, perhaps about Serithtial's true location, or might be it foresees the arrival of a new life, mmm... on any case, you should embrace this new arrival with joy as it is good even if it might not seem right now.
Here, The Vision, it is aligned with your future. It represents the arcane knowledge. This is coming to you Ilsa, you should embrace it even if at times it takes the form of madness or cryptic words. But it will be benefitial to your goals if you take it. A brush with genius...
I think your hand means you should embrace the aggressive force that reigns your fate, as it will give life to something new, powerful and good, you will have to embrace that power and face the madness Ilsa, only facing the madness and destroying it forever will open the way to Serithtial.
Harrowing Points: 4

Kalem
-----
Role: The Queen Mother
The image of your past is not clear Kalem. There is some influence from both The Vision and The Forge, althouth they are only partially aligned. It means knowledge has not always come in the usual way for you, but instead it has been a trial of strength and flames to reach this satate of elignthement for you Kalem.
Your present is at odds, Kalem. It is marked by The Betrayal. Look, it is misaligned for you, that means something good. It means your self-sacrifice or turning away from the material world and its temptations is bringing you to the good side Kalem. But take also attemption to The Teamster, Kalem, you are being driven by an external force that exhorts to continue when there is no more strength to give. Be cautious with this external force Kalem, for it is bringing ill to you.
Your future is as well undecesive Kalem. Look at the Waxworks and The Eclipse, both only partially matching. I foresee a loose of purpose, a crisis of faith Kalem, the mind might be willing but you will face a place of horror, an horror that will bring you to paralysis for more than your mind tells otherwise.
Yours is the most blurry hand Kalem, both your past and future are marked by contradicting forces. I think it means only your self-sacrifice can safe you from the fury that is consuming you. Embrace the gods, prepare against fear and paralysis, protect yourself with the faith of the gods, for otherwise this external force is going to bring your end.
Harrowing Points: 2

Malen
-----
Role: The Midwife
Be not scared by The Liar, for it is opposite aligned, it just means in your case a new relationship is beginning from a meeting that came disguised in something much less beautiful. The Desert has also influenced your past, it is opposite aligned, that means survival has depended on you and you only, in the past you have not counted by much help.
Look, The Cricket has aligned for you Malen! This is good, it represents speed and quick passage, it means you are facing travel at present, and the peach it sits by represents treasure at the end. Be aware of The Lost though, for this is a card of Wisdom, which shall influence your future, I think it means the treasure you seek might come with some lose for you.
The future is not clear for you Malen. I see only some partial influence from The Twin, The Mountain Man and The Betrayal ensemble. It seems to forsee the encounter with a physical power outside your control. Acceding to the force might be wise, but surviving it is paramount, you should renunce to this force if you want to survive Malen. Be aware of the twins, for their presence and their betrayal might be the key for you to survive this force.
I think your hand means the survival of your party will depend on how well you prepare Malen. Be thoughtful, for your preparation on facing this enchanted ancient fortress will be the difference on your groups survival. I see success at the end of your travel, this sure means you are to find Serithtial, but finding the sword will come with a loss. Someone will be lost before the way is openned. Mmm... it seems in this future a couple of twins will be key, and it seems you might have already met them, or perhaps one of them, it seems you have not liked this person before, but there is goodness if you see pass the first appearance. The betrayal of these twins seems the key on this future, be prepared, and let it happen, for otherwise you would be the sacrified one.
Harrowing Points: 2

Zamanda
-------
Role: The Lost
See that Zamanda, your role has appeared in your hand! The Lost marked your past... it is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence, the world makes no sense. It evokes times where all is babble, as when meeting someone who speaks only in another tongue. But your past has been also influenced by The Demon's Lantern, missaligned, it means tricks and sleight of hand has comen as an opportunity or a guide arrived at a perfect moment for you Zamanda.
Your present is not as clear... it seems your way forward is marked by the need of aid to navigate, for The Desert points your direction, but you should be aware of those who pose a face that is not true in front of you, as The Liar warns you here.
And your future is even more open to you Zamanda, as no card strongly influences your future. Only The Mute Hag, for being this a reading of Wisdom, might be pointing something to us. She might both be pointing that for more silent it is, she sees into the hearts of men, it might be warning us against poisonous secrets that make brother against brother, but it might as well pointing some unshakable loyalty and lucidity of speech.
I think all this means you should not be scared about past traps and secrets, they might have come with a lost of identity for you, but they have also probably saved many in your life. The cards are not clear, but they seem to point out you should let yourself be aided in your present time, for although things might seem a web of lies, there is the opportunity of loyalty in between.
Harrowing Points: 4

In “Skeletons of Scarwall,” the PCs are faced with situations where faith, perception, and willpower determine destiny. During this adventure, a character can spend his Harrow Points in the following ways:
Divine Wrath: A PC with levels in a class that grants bonus spells based on his Wisdom score can spend a Harrow Point to increase the power of a spell from that class’s spell list as he casts it. He increases the DC of that spell by 2 and gains both a +4 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance and a +2 bonus on attack rolls
for that spell.
Greater Channeling: A PC can spend a Harrow Point to enhance his channeled energy; his effective level for determining the effects of his channeled energy increases by 2, and the save DC to resist its effects increases by 2. He doesn’t expend one of his daily uses of channeled energy when he spends a Harrow Point to enhance it.
Wisdom Rerolls: A PC can spend a Harrow Point to reroll one Wisdom-based check or Will saving throw. He must abide by the new result (although if he has additional Harrow Points remaining, he can use them to attempt additional rerolls).

After the Harrowing is complete, Ilsa thanks the strange spirit apparition.

Somehow, she seems a sister to me. Though I never knew her alive, I've felt a portion of her--spirit-- with me.

The predictions did not give her the fear they once did, but filled her with strength.

"We will put your blessing to good use," she promises. "We will see this through to the end, and your death will be for a purpose."

Kalem lay on a shoanti table with naught but the ceiling above him. He could hear the shoanti artisan rummaging around for his tools. With a sigh he closed his eyes. A swirl of emotions rampaged within him. It was a fair assessment to say that he did not know himself. Or, to put it differently, he did not know how he saw himself. At times he felt powerful. Powerful enough to laugh at demons and to spit in the face of all authority. It was an intoxicating rush of blood and flame where nothing mattered but the thrill of the moment and the joy of crushing everyone and everything beneath his feet. But the rush always came to an end, and with it the hard truth that he was not powerful. He was not strong. Deep down he was scared, insecure, and above all else, hated himself. He enjoyed the feeling of strength because he was powerless. At first he had thought that he could fill that hole in his heart with coin, but that had proved disastrous. He had spent all he had on magical bracers that could change his clothing...but eventually had to sell it to cure himself of lycanthropy. The bigotry that he had experienced throughout the ordeal wasn't new, but it still stuck with him. Following that he had turned to the pursuit of power. He had thrown himself into the pursuit of unlocking the mystery of his bloodline, as if though that alone would fill the void in his heart. But through it all he was just left feeling fatigued, and with the nagging feeling that it wasn't even his strength that he was pursuing. It sat ill with him, and in the quiet moments just made him feel all the smaller.

And that was how he ended up on the table, staring at the ceiling. Once again he was blowing through all of the gold that he had earned because he didn't have a plan. He didn't have a future. There really wasn't anything to look forward to, besides for the next thrill and the promise of it all ending on the blade of someone stronger and more skilled than him. But this time...this time it would be different. The shoanti man was saying something, but he wasn't listening. He just closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain. The procedure was not a short one. The artisan, who truly was a master in his craft, was covering Kalem's face with an intricate tattoo made up of thousands of hair-fine lines of ink and carefully incised scars. He didn't know how long it took, but it felt like an eternity. And when the man was done, it was nearly impossible to see. For Kalem's skin was jet black, a clear sign of his ancestry, and the tattoo mirrored that color.

"...and all you have to do is say 'mar'ah.' It means mirror. Try it."

The artisan held a mirror up and Kalem repeated the word. And before his eyes he saw the fruit of his hard earned gold. His features shimmered, and before him was...himself. Absent of his infernal heritage. He looked exactly like how he would have looked if he were born a normal man. Silent tears rolled down his face. The artisan smiled, mistaking them for tears of joy. "Satisfied? Good! But remember, it only lasts for five hours a day. And like any illusion someone could see through it by looking close enough. But you look handsome, no?"

Kalem did what he did best. He lied. An easy going smile crept onto his handsome face and he nodded. Empty platitudes spilled forth. But inside all he could think about was that he had put the bracers which created clothing onto his skin. He wished that he could lie to himself as easily as he lied to others so that he wouldn't feel so pathetic.

"The image of your past is not clear Kalem. There is some influence from both The Vision and The Forge, although they are only partially aligned. It means knowledge has not always come in the usual way for you, but instead it has been a trial of strength and flames to reach this state of enlightenment for you Kalem.

Kalem sat patiently as he listened to his fortune. He had learned to take such words to heart, for time and time again the prophecies had proven true. And this one worried him. The seer spoke true. Far too true for his taste. But he wondered what gods would possibly have him? Only those below, he thought. Though he had to be honest with himself, in that he knew next to nothing about the divine. It had never seemed that important to him. But if the seer said that he had to keep the faith...though he didn't even know how to do that. Was he supposed to talk to Bashiel's ancestors? or Malen's divine mistress? Neither seemed right. Those were their paths, not his. And who was driving him? He thought that all of his decisions were his own. Was he being guided? The tiefling wanted to frown, but kept his face carefully neutral as he thanked the seer. He had many, many questions, but he knew better than to ask them. He knew that he had gotten all of the information that he was going to get, and that it was his job to figure it all out.

Zamanda listens to the fortune teller, somewhat skeptical of what she is saying. These types of people usually said things so generic that your brain could connect it to your past easily.

Yes, she had been lost in a way... madness though? Demons and tricks... sure, that made a sort of sense.

Warned about navigation, that I might be misled...? Wait, am I wrong about how to get to Scarwall? It doesn't show in her face, but she starts to get nervous.

I rolled a 20 on my geography check about Scarwall on 7/22/2020, after which Zek said I was confident I could get there... not saying that you can't do whatever you want to do, of course, but just throwing that in as a factoid.

... Snapping her attention back to Zellara after her attention drifting away in pointless worry for a moment, she hears her mention loyalty. Well, that was something she could definitely get behind. As long as she could rely on her friends, they would get through this.

When Zellara is done, Zamanda smiles and thanks her for her time.

After the reading, Zamanda sits down with her maps and consults with the Shoanti, making sure she absolutely knows where she is going, as her friends are counting on her.

Malen listened attentively as the dead Varisian seer divined their fortunes, prophecy being the portfolio of Pharasma. The priest didn't know of most of what Zellara spoke of, but that was typically the way of foretelling. You didn't know what they were telling you until it actually occurred. The cleric was happy that most of the portents seemed to indicate success and good results, though Kalem's and his own worried him. He determined to prepare as best he could for the horrors that awaited them in Scarwall.

Bashiel listens in silence as Zellara speaks to each of the group's members. Inside his head, his ancestors comment on the fortune teller's Harrowing, drawing different conclusions from the turning of each of the cards. It was something they'd done before, and it was difficult to say which reading ended up being the correct one. Regardless, it was disorienting. Voices overlaid on voices.

He pushes through the noise and focuses first on Zellara's words. His past and present seemed clear enough, and Zellara's overall message was one intended to bolster and strengthen. But he couldn't help but run 'The Carnival' through in his mind. It represented both his future and his role, a card of illusions and false dreams.

His ancestors had read it as a warning against overconfidence, of wrapping oneself in comforting illusions. And as a warning of deceptions and false hope at Scarwall. The opposite of comforting, but an important message nonetheless.

Bowing his head, Bashiel murmurs "Thank you Zellara. May we be successful, so that your lingering attachment to this world is finally resolved and you can go on to your rightful rest."

You spend some days with the Shoanti, finishing your preparations and perhaps crafting some more items. Eventually, a day comes you decide to begin your trip to Scarwall Castle. All the shoanti of your tribe gather to give you farewell and their blessings. The gathering is tense, as you know this might well be the last time you see each other, but eventually you leave resolved, becoming one with the wind thanks to Malen's prayers to Pharasma, and well guided by the Zamanda who has studied the maps of the Hold of Belkzen.

You have a last opportunity to prepare and buy stuff (even finish sorting out your purchases at Korvosa) or follow other personal goals.
Those of you with prepared spells, it would be nice if you can post a spoilered copy of your prepared spells in Gameplay

---------------------

For some hours you fly as a cloud over the plains of the Storval plateau, then along the edge of the Mindspin Mountains until you enter the territory of the Hold of Belkzen. From your exceptional point of view, you sight some of the shoanti Quah placed by the patch of scrubland and desert that constitutes the Urglin Gap. They are in a defensive point just a few miles from the lines of the orcs who also seem to hold a defensive position against the mutual frequent raids.

Some miles afterwards you spot a large stone cairn that marks the location of the Battle of the Shadefields, one of the fiercest clashes ever fought between the orcs of Belkzen and the Shoanti.

Quickly continuing your flight over the territory of the orcs, soon you spot the westernmost orcish settlement, Blisterwell. It rests atop an ancient dwarven mine in the southern foothills of the Kodar Mountains. The settlement is built within seven vertical mine shafts that vary from 120 to 200 feet in depth. The walls between the shafts are littered with hundreds of crisscrossing tunnels and hollowed-out chambers that serve as the living quarters for most of the city's population.

From that point on, you start to follow the Kodar Mountains southern edge, until Zamanda starts to diminish the groups speed to better observe the evironment. Finally you spot your destination.

Castle Scarwall looms at the eastern tip of the Kodar Mountains in the northern part of the Hold of Belkzen. Once an active volcanic range, the volcanoes here have long since gone dormant. Nonetheless, the volcanic activity left behind some truly remarkable terrain features, and Scarwall was build among one of these. The castle sits atop a small island in a crater lake—the caldera of a dormant volcano at an elevation of 1,500 feet over the surrounding terrain. These barren hills are desolate, with little more than isolated scrub trees and lichens growing here and there.

You spot wyverns, chimeras, and other flying predators as you advance, but as the party approaches Scarwall, even these mighty beasts become scarce, as if the very air around the ruined castle were poisoned.

Scarwall is an imposing collection of towers and fortifications. Clouds of dark carrion birds ride the winds above its heights, yet none dare perch atop them. A single span connects the castle to a small peninsula on the lake’s southern edge, where a crumbling barbican still stands.

Unwilling to be catch off-guard in mist form and unable to talk or use your magic or weapons, Zamanda quickly leads your descend into this peninsula where you slowly shift back to humanoid form. That way you can better decide how you will approach the castle, and perhaps fill your hungry and thirsty guts before getting into the real work.

Guarding the only land approach to Castle Scarwall is a defensive gatehouse that stands at the tip of a small peninsula. This barbican consists of a crumbling curtain wall flanking the remains of two gatehouse towers, the western one of which has collapsed. The other tower, though battered, still stands and supports a ramshackle lean-to built against it.

Just to clarify, you are before the bridge that covers the lake and leads to the castle entrance. This half-ruined barbican/gatehouse guards the access to the bridge. And you are in the land a few hundred of meters from the ruins.
I made you to land because you cannot discuss in mist-form and taking 5 rounds to transform you would be defenseless if attacked while trying to approach the castle entrance.

Malen was taken aback at how truly wild this part of the world was. While he considered himself a well-traveled individual, he had mainly stuck to paths that had been worn by human feet, no matter how lightly traveled they may be. Looking at all the terrifying creatures they quickly passed by, the priest was amazed that humanity had managed to become so dominant on Golarion. The cleric gave thanks go Pharasma and all the deities for blessing humans with such gifts.

As the group descended near the bridge leading to the entrance to Scarwall, Malen looked around to make sure the group was alone before turning to his fellows as they rematerialized beside him. Taking a swallow of water from his skin, he said, "Shall we scout ahead first before we cross the bridge and begin our quest?"

Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25

Spell List Updated

Zamanda takes some time to eat something, also offering the sustaining spoon to other party members and Cinnabar if they want some (cleaning it in between with prestidigitation of course).

She also takes a long drink, and then says

Solid plan, Malen. I'll see if I can find out anything.

Zamanda casts invisibility on herself, then walks towards the entrance stealthily, keeping her eyes open for danger.

Stealth: 1d20 + 21 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 21 + 20 = 55

Ilsa watches as Zamanda sneaks ahead to scout.

"Did we ever decide what we're going to encounter here?" she asks in hushed tones. "If this place were just full of orcs, I don't think nature itself would reject the keep as she has. There must be something much more fearsome than orcs living here."

"Yeah. Us." Kalem said with a smile. He had enjoyed the flight over to the citadel. He didn't really understand what he had been seeing (orcs did NOT look anything like he had imagined) but it had been new, and that was fun. And now they were once again about to descend into some gods forsaken hellhole in search of ancient magic, which he, again, wouldn't understand. But he had confidence that they were all going to be walking out again, because thus far they had slaughtered anything and anyone that had gotten in their way.

----
Taking a brief meal after landing in front of the castle, Bashiel eyes the bridge and the guardhouse somewhat skeptically. "Considering that even wyverns were keeping away from this place, I don't think we're going to see it full of orcs, no. The question's more what kinds of undead lie inside. Or stand inside... I guess."

He looks over at the lean-to, but doesn't approaching, trusting that Zamanda will be able to more adeptly scout it out. (Does the lean-to look like a recent addition?) While she's gone, he also comments "This place is massive. I don't think we'll be finding Serithial today. I can't imagine how we'll find a single sword in this place, actually."

The ramshackle lean-to definetely looks more recent to Bashiel's eyes.

Turning invisible, Zamanda goes into the gatehouse as less than a shadow.

A1. Forecourt
A cleared area sprawls before the barbican gate. Fragments of ancient bone and broken weaponry from ancient battles still clutter the thin soil.

Approaching to the entrance to the gatehouse, she quickly finds out it is guarded.

A2. Entryway
Two sets of gates once blocked the ends of this entryway, but they are long since gone. The surrounding structure is mostly intact to the southeast, but lies in ruins to the northwest.

A single orc stands here. His face and arms are covered with ritual white tattoo symbols.

It seems the orc has not noticed Zamanda but it would be extremely difficult to squeeze through without touching him.
Escape artist DC 25

New Scarwall Barbicain map is available!

Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Surprisingly, Zamanda recognizes the orc's markings as being of the Deathwatcher tribe.

She doesn't particularly want to try her luck scooting around the orc on the main path so she takes a moment to consider other possibilities like climbing the wall or moving stealthily through the rubble in order to scout further.

Perception: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (7) + 27 = 34

If she thinks that she can move forward to evaluate the bridge and see beyond it, she does.

In either case, whether she is able to get a little farther or not, she returns to the group before her invisibility runs out and lets them know the situation.

Ilsa breathes a sigh of relief after Zamanda returns.

"This--Deathwatcher tribe--you seem to know about them. What can you tell us?"

"Deathwatcher? Sounds like the kind of tribe that would be interested in making sure no undead escape this place. I can imagine that even orcs would be interested in making sure the undead don't get free." Bashiel crosses his arms as he thinks "Maybe we can talk to them."

Cinnabar Will: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 4 = 17
Cinnabar Will: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 4 = 17
Back at the Shoanti, Ilsa renews her domination over Cinnabar and commands her to generally help the party "Hmmm... I guess I have no other option but to help you until I am no more of use to you..."

---

Looking for an alternative Zamanda explores the walls north and east. She determines the walls would be difficult to climb DC 20 but she finds a section at the east that has collapsed.

Although with some difficulty she climbs through the rubble and reaches the interior of the gatehouse.

There is a wooden structure 10 feet high in the courtyard and she hears the noise of some orcs chip-chatting and laughing. It is not possible to tell how much of them, but at least more than two.

Keeping her eyes open, Zamanda moves forward to the bridge to see if she can tell what is on the other side. Then she returns to the party to report back.

She also tells them about the Deathwatch tribe... that they are dedicated to not let anyone into Scarwall.

Bashiel shakes his head in resignation "Would have been too easy to find allies out here. And in any case, the language barrier would have been difficult."

"I'd like to avoid fighting any people we don't need to, but I don't like the idea of them being behind us if we need to beat a retreat while inside. Do we have dimension door spells available to bypass them?"

I can do it about twice a day, I can take three people with me, and my range is about 840 feet. Ilsa can probably do better than that.

"Hmm, far, but not very far." He shrugs "No easy way around then."

If we have time: Prior to entering, Bashiel takes an hour to commune with his ancestors, calling once more upon Phiatep for her skill at stealth and subterfuge. (Using Spirit Ridden to pick up stealth as a skill) Afterward, he suggests "Lets try to sneak by. If it doesn't work out, we'll probably have to fight them. But we would have had to fight them either way. We can take the entrance you found Zamanda."

"I do have dimension door," Ilsa confirms. "But like you said, that would leave them behind us. From what Zamanda says, we may not be able to get past them if they are committed to keeping everyone out."

"I suppose not. Ready then? Lets get through this. The real challenge lies inside." Bashiel waits for Malen and Kalem to voice their thoughts and otherwise follows after the sneakier members of the group.

If needed:
Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

Malen shook his head at the prospect of sneaking past the orc(s). "I wear armor and am not the least bit proficient in moving quietly in it. I'm afraid I won't be able to successfully participate in this endeavor unless someone can do something about that."

Still, Malen isn't particularly keen to fight, and will attempt to sneak if the group consensus is that this was the best way to try to gain access past the orc guard.

Still waiting on what there was to see across the bridge, but I think dimension door might be a good option here.

Zamanda can easily see the bridge crosses the vast expanse of black water between the barbican gate and the entrance to Castle Scarwall. The bridge is ornate and in excellent condition, with only a few tenacious patches of moss and lichen clinging to it here and there. High arching columns reaching from the waters below support the broad span, each marked by a pair of sinister gargoyles that stare out over the dark lake. A larger pair of these statues flanks a great archway that encompasses the near end of the bridge.

The causeway is 20 feet wide with a low, 3-foot balustrade on each side. Its entire length is smoothly cobbled. It stands 80 feet above the surface of the lake and is 400 feet long. The gargoyles along its length are stationed in pairs every 40 feet.

Although very far, Zamanda's fine aasimar eyes are able to grasp the finest details of the entrance. Castle Scarwall’s front gate looms at the end of the long causeway, flanked by twin statues of warriors standing at attention. Pale flames rise from the tips of their spears 30 feet above. Torches are set into the entryway tunnel leading to the main gates themselves, providing illumination. The massive gates are closed, and a lowered iron portcullis further bars unauthorized entrance.

Zamanda describes the bridge and the entrance to the group.

We could just dimension door all the way to the main gates. They might not notice, or pursue, if we go that far... and if they are all we have to worry about, then that might be the best thing, but I'm a little worried that those gargoyles are alive rather than stone, and maybe those statues of warriors too.

Should we do this quick or paranoid? I don't think it is likely that we are all going to make it past the orcs with stealth. If we're going to fight them, we should just take that first guy right off before we attempt the bridge.

On the other hand... what if we dimension door PAST the locked gates? That way they won't see us at all, and we theoretically bypass all of the dangers at the entrance. Down side, we won't know exact positioning, but if we just aim for like 60 feet past the main gate or something? Probably have to deal with something inside, but might be easier than fighting our way in? ... I don't know? Good idea or bad idea?

Ilsa squints at the castle, trying to see if there are any other entrances, aside from the front gate.

"If we use dimension door, we could try to get on the battlements, or sneak in from above, perhaps," she observes, looking for anything higher than the main level they might access with the spell.

perception: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (10) + 22 = 32

Malen relaxed somewhat as Azarra mentioned a possibility besides sneaking. Dimensional travel to the other side seemed promising, but rushing in blindly might be unwise. Still, the fight they would possibly be avoiding might be worth the rash decision. "The battlements seem a good target, if that's the direction we're going."

"Agreed, the battlements seem like a good compromise between keeping away from the Deathwatchers, and not placing ourselves in too much immediate harm. If there's no easy entrance to the Fort proper from the battlements, it shouldn't be too difficult to climb down, out of sight of the bridge." Bashiel squints at the castle in the distance "Not that we can tell too much about the details of any defenses from over here."

Turning to Ilsa he says "That said, you're the one who'll be teleporting us in, and you've never teleported us wrong before. I'll leave it up to you."
(To avoid hemming and hawing over options too long, I'm going with whatever Ilsa decides.)

"Well, either walking in or teleporting, just tell me when. I'll get my defenses up and running once the decision is made."

Will cast heroism, see invisibility, and infuse self, and shield right before we go in

GM, am I able to see any places, aside from the main entrance, we might attempt to teleport to?

Ilsa is able to spot many places in the castle. Speaking generally, there is the entrance, there is a thin section of ground between the walls of the castle and the cliffs that descend into the water. This section of ground is larger at the western side of the castle.

Ilsa is able to see also the western wing of the castle is lower and has a roof more plain. On the main section of the castle, there are two octagonal towers guarding the entrance, two rounded ones at the eastern side, and one large tower with a star shape at the other side of the castle. At the center, the castle is higher, there seem to be some sections of battlements in there or at least plain roof, and there is another circular tower on that central section.

If you try to teleport to a point you do not see, please tell me distance, angle and point of origin to calculate where you do land.

Ilsa purses her lips in thought as she stares at the fortress ahead.

"There don't seem to be a lot of good options, but I do think that at least attempting to teleport in will give us the best chance the entire alarm isn't raised."

She points at the center section of the castle with a bare section of battlements or plan roof.

"What about right there?" she asks.

If anyone wants to second this, let's try it. I can bring 4 with me.

Okay, even though we are still open to flying defenses, your way is safer than mine in terms of being able to see where we're going. I'm in. Just tell me who you are taking and I'll bring whoever is left.

Ilsa smiles at Zamanda. "I can take everyone but you," Ilsa says.

"Do you want to go first--stealthy--and make sure the way is clear?"

There's only 5 of us total, so Ilsa can take us all in one go, right?

Bashiel nods "Lets do it. If all goes well, they'll never even know we were here."

Remember we have Cinnabar...so 6.

I'm good with the teleport option

Before the group tried to teleport inside, Malen called upon Pharasma for several prepared blessings. Touching Bashiel's shoulder, he imparted the ability to see through any kind of magical disguise or form. For Kalem, he passed on the Lady of Graves' blessing to not be stopped by anything. For Ilsa and Zamanda, he offered a simple protection against those of evil intent. For himself, he called an invisible shield of force to help protect against what defenses might be inside.

True Seeing on Bashiel, Freedom of Movement on Kalem, Protection from Evil on Ilsa and Zamanda, Shield of Faith for Malen

Bashiel takes a moment to apply the magics of his helm and sheath. (Keen on rapier, See Invisibility from mantis helm)

Won't help, because it would waste spells to come back and tell you whether it was clear or not. We should just all go at once.

"Fortune favors the foolish. Let's just go and damn whatever gets in our way." Kalem said.

"Let's go then," Ilsa says, preparing her spell and casting it.

Zamanda follows.

Ilsa and Zamanda start casting ensemble and when they finish their magic words they teleport with all of you over the balcony at the center of the castle.

The balcony where you appear overlooks the castle and surrounding area. Unlike the lower parapets, they have no railings to prevent falls, but serve as excellent landing platforms for flying steeds.

In front of you, surrounding the structure over the entrance to the castle, two sections of battlements are occupied by large minotaur skeletons equipped with large crossbows.

On the level over your balcony, the roof is crowned by a small cupola made of glass surrounded by two small towers without apparent entrances or windows. Inside the glass cupola you spot a beautiful, ghostly elven woman gliding through the air, her long hair flowing around a face knotted into a mask of rage.

Behind the cupola an even taller and larger stone tower looms over the whole castle.

Bashiel: true seeing 13 min, keen 50 min, see invisibility 30 min
Ilsa: protection from evil 13 min
Kalem: freedom of movement 130 min
Malen: shield of faith 13 min
Zamanda: invisibility 3 min, protection from evil 13 min
Round 1: Kalem, Elven woman, Bashiel, Invisible creatures, Malen, Zamanda, Minotaurs, Ilsa

New Scarwall battlements map available!
The right side is just on top of the left side of the map.

Kalem can act!

Note: Kalem has see invisibility, heroism, infuse self, and shield active, in addition to freedom of movement

"Bash, Malen. Attack the undead, or do you want to talk first?" Kalem asked as he saw the (potentially) hostile undead around them.

With 60ft fly speed, can Kalem reach the banshee?

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 (fail)
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Zamanda realizes that the skeletons are created from minotaur bodies... but says nothing about that because it seems obvious. In fact, she is a little ashamed that it took her a moment to get it.

Bashiel murmurs "There's nothing to talk about. It's time to put them to rest." Spotting the invisible skeletal creatures to the north, he adds "We may want to stay away from that highest tower for now; invisible, spectral skeletons hiding there."

KN Religion vs spoiler 1: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21
KN Religion vs spoiler 2: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Forcefully Malen says, "The undead are an abomination against the natural order. We should put them down so that their souls can go to the Boneyard to be judged and sent to their final destination."