The Black Shadow's page

Hello folks. Sorry for the slow response but I've had a hell of a busy week at work as well as dealing with a wide variety of things in real life and game running. Unfortunately I'm far too swamped to handle two play by posts at once. I've picked up yet another RL pathfinder campaign and I'm running three other games and playing three games as well. Handling one play by post is hard enough, but handling two at once is a hell of a chore as I've discovered. I need to cut down on my workload so unfortunately this game needs to get the axe. Thanks for playing the game and hopefully my idea as a Reverse Way of the Wicked can inspire others to give it a shot. Good luck and good gaming to all of you.

Earnan MacCathlain says to Sedelion, "Whatever you found at the prison you are free to distribute among yourselves, it is of no interest of mine. Also the equipment given to you to aid your escape are also yours to keep as well."

Earnan MacCathlain looks to Randu and says, "There is some code words and signals we use to keep our order from the prying eyes of the Asmodians while informing our allies of our affiliation. But now is not the time."

He looks back to the group and says, "First of all, as you have agreed to help me, there is one final test I wish to perform before I send you on this very important mission. Below this temple is a series of chambers that have been set up to test those wishing to enter our organization as well as root out possible infiltrators. While I do not believe any of you are spies of the Asmodians, I feel that this test will allow you to home your skills, teach you important lessons and help you work well as a team. There is seven chambers in all, one for each layer of the Seven Heavens. Each room will teach you a lesson of righteousness. The tests will challenge the Body, Mind and Spirit and there will be dangers to be faced. There will be combat involved so I would advise being armed and prepared for the journey. Speaking of which, I have arranged for each of you to have a stipend of 1000 Gold pieces each. This shall be delivered to your personal chests. If you have a request for equipment, put it forth and pay the equivalent funds and the stewards of the church will arrange for such items to be delivered. I would not advise leaving the cathedral though as all of you are wanted individuals and with your knowledge of this place, your capture could endanger us all. Is this acceptable to everyone?"

I will say you can bond with a new one without spending the cost. Your old familiar was probably killed off by those that captured you.

Earnan MacCathlain nods to Libis and says, "Indeed, those marks will be removed from you. As for gear, while we are not well funded, you will be given a stipend of equipment to aid you on your quest. Allow me to remove those marks now if you would allow me."

With that he goes to each of you and casts a Remove Curse on all of you. The marks vanish from your skin when he does so. You now all are free of the brands that could be used to track you.

Earnan MacCathlain says to Sedelion, "Such arrangements will be considered if the war does turn against us. But we of Talongarde have let this evil fester for far too long. It is time that we took the fight to the enemy and bring peace back to this land. We are not alone in our quest, for Mitra has sent his angels to aid us. He shall be with us and shall guide us to victory."

Alandriel says, "I look forward to face these devil worshipers in battle. Until there is a major engagement though I shall mainly be assigned to aid the various adventuring companies and maintain a line of communication. I have the power to travel vast distances in a blink of an eye and disguise myself in alternate forms. I also intend to do my part to spread hope among the people and free those under the oppression of the Barcan regime."

As for the Hound he looks at Alandriel and shrugs saying, "I care not for your cause Angel after I was abandoned to the tortures of these Devil-Worshipers and stripped of my immortality. Still, I shall not stand idly and let the forces of Hell have their way in this world. I shall fight in your war, not for heaven's sake, but to thwart the forces of Hell in their plans and in turn regain my Honor."

Earnan MacCathlain says in response to Sedelion, "It is true this land has seen its share of corruption, but the heart and soul of its people has yet to be broken completely. This land is the home of our people and our ancestors. Many have fought and died in the cause of creating a land free from oppression and evil. True the first war was lost but within many people lies the potential for righteousness and a desire to live a life free of Tyranny. I believe there is Hope for the future and by the grace of Mitra and all that is right we shall claim victory. You think that you can escape the hand of Hell just by running away? I believe Alandriel can explain in better terms than I."

Alandriel nods to the Cardinal and says to Sedelion, "Indeed Sedelion, running is not a solution in this case. You think the forces of Hell will be content with just one island? Have you not heard of the Worldwound on the other side of the world? Where the Demons and the corruption of the Abyss bleed into this realm and continually push against the forces of Lastwall? If Talongarde is ripped from the world, it will create a permanent connection to Hell on Golarion, in effect another Worldwound, except this one linking to Hell instead of the Abyss. Talongarde will be a nexus point to allow Hell even further influence in the world. Varisia and Andoran will be among their first targets."

Earnan MacCathlain says to Libris Mortis, "We do not expect you to fight an entire war good Aasmiar. What is needed however is heroes willing to quest for ways to aid our forces to victory. We have already secured an alliance with the Dwarves and Frost Elves of the north and are working to ally ourselves with the Naatanuk and the Yutak. Even with their aid however our forces will still be far less than what the Barcans and their allies can bring to the field. To even the odds we will need to foster rebellion, seek allies, find relics of magical power and undermine the forces of the enemy. We must do everything that we can to save Talongarde from the evil that we face. I have already recruited six groups of heroes to provide their aid. If you also agree to aid us, then you shall be the Seventh, the Chronias Company."

I have no objections to taking those clothes Sedelion.

You enter a large and well decorated office. A comphy looking fireplace burns in the room heating it to a good tempature. The walls are covered in decorations and symbols of Mitran orgion, items that have long been banned under the the Barcan control of Talongarde. There are also a number of display cases and shelves that also show a number of Mitran relics. The centerpeace of the room is a large desk with a muscular looking man probably in his 40's with brown hair, a brown well trimmed beard and expressive Grey eyes. He is dressed in very ornate Mitran robes, with whites, blues and highlights of gold and a polished holy symbol of Mitra across his chest. The man nonetheless has a friendly face and he gives a welcoming smile as you come into the room. Also in the room is Alandriel in her full angelic form as well as the Hound who looks like his crippling physical injuries have been healed and currently he is wearing a louse fitting tunic and pants and a pair of boots, quite conseratively dressed. Still by the Hound's eyes, the mental and spiritural scars still remain.

The man stands up and gives a respectful bow to the group and says to you, "Welcome to the Twilight Cathedral. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Cardinal Earnan MacCathlain, of the Sixth Tier of the Church of Mitra. I am glad that all of you were able to escape safely from that evil place known as Branderscar. Your actions have fulfilled the first part in a grand propecy that has been fortold by Lady Sambethe, the Oracle of Mitra. I know this is much of a surprise to all of you but you are destined to play a part in saving Talongarde from utter destruction."

If you have knowledge religion and worship Mitra you know that the Sixth Tier is a very high position in the church, one step down from the High Cardinal, the head of the church of Mitra.

After giving you a chance his words to sink in he continues, "The remains of house Darius and the Church of Mitra have not turned a blind eye to the suffering of those under the iron fisted rule of the Barcan Kings and the Church of Asmodeus. We did all we could to foster resistance and provide sanctuary to those who escaped across the wall. Unfortunately our numbers were decimated from the Battle of Tamberlyn and the purges that came afterwards. What more, we have been at constant conflict with the monsters of the north and thus lacked the manpower to mount a reclamation while we worked to increase our strength and influence. Now however, events have forced our hand it is time for our exile to come to an end. King Vastenous, High Cardinal Adrastus Thorn as well as others among the dark hierarchy that rule a majority of this island are involved in a conspiracy to bring Talongarde under direct rule from the forces of Hell. Throughout Talongarde on the backs of slave labour and through powerful Arcane and Divine magics, a number of infernal obsidian pillars are being raised. With each one that is built, the infernal powers of Hell grow stronger in Talongarde. The Oracle has warned us that if enough of these pillars are risen, Talongarde will fall into the very depths of Hell. Despite the odds we face we must work together and save Talongarde before all is lost and every soul in this land is claimed by the Great Enemy."

You will get some access to money and purchasing supplies but not until after you meet with the Cardinal.

As for the Hound he is quickly lead into the church and shown into the back rooms. Alandriel accompanies him as they head into the back rooms of the church.

As for your characters, you are given a choice of common or courtier outfits, or for Randu or those faithful to Mitra, priestly robes of Mitra. All your wounds are tended to by the clerics of the church and church servants tend to your needs, making sure you got a full belly. Still the meals are of the rather plain variety. Despite the opulence of the cathedral itself, it appears that they don't overly spoil the residents here with fineries. For those who go to the cleansing room, there is a beautiful pool of water, flawless and temperate and also magical to those who can detect magic. Dirt seems to wash off you and vanish when you bathe in this water and you feel refreshed afterwards.

It is some time before you're called to see the Cardinal. You're given an entire day and night of rest and then half the day to relax and admire the beauty of the temple but eventually you are approached by a church steward and told that the Cardinal is willing to meet with you. You are brought together as a group and lead through the cathedral and into the back rooms behind the main altar.

As you've gained enough experience to level up and you've had some time to rest up and recover, all of you can Level Up to level 2. As for Hitpoints, you roll as usual but always take at least 1/2 your hit dice. So if you have a HD of d8 and roll an 8, that's good. Otherwise if you roll a 1, you get a 4.

Alandriel says to Randu, "I am but a humble servant to the Divine Mitra. He has not turned a blind eye to the suffering of this land and now more than ever his light is needed to drive away the darkness. But all will be explained Brother Randu, but first let those who tend to this church see to your recovery. There is much that you must know, but it shall be revealed in good time."

Brother Tibolt says to Randu, "It is good to see another brother of the faith in these lands. I shall do all I can to show you the hospitality that Mitra's servants have to offer."

Alandriel says to Sedelion, "You shall have all you need Sedelion. Once you have recovered from your ordeal, the Cardinal will be ready to explain your place in the events to come."

With that you are all lead into the main church. Indeed this is a sizable building with a good number of staff. You enter the cathedral proper and see pews lain out, artistic depictions of angels and a large statue of the 6 armed god Mitra behind the altar. A number of people are engaged in prayer here although no services are currently in session at the moment.

The party is lead through the cathedral where you are each given individual rooms with standard, a bed, dresser, storage trunk, wash basin and a chamber pot. Those who are willing are offered either a private bath or admittance to the cleansing room, in other words the public bath as it appears that the people here try and keep themselves clean. Looking at the way this building was constructed, you suspect that it was not constructed completely by human hands. Detect magic allows you to see that this entire structure has a powerful magical aura, probably constructed with the aid of powerful divine magic. Indeed if they have an Angel in service here, the hands of Angels may also be involved in its architecture.

Alandriel says, "Follow me and stay close, I can only hide you if you remain within sight of myself. Once we reach the Sanctuary, the wards there will protect you from outside protection."

So with that you're all lead through the moors, the progress is slow going and you get the sense that you probably have purposely walked through some swampy sections to cover your trace. After hours of in the night you are utterly exhausted and you come to what looks like an empty island in the moors in the glittering light of dawn. Alandriel waves her hand at it and on the island appears to be for lack of a better term a church building. Its architecture is reminiscent what you have heard of the old cathedrals of Mitra with the blazing sun symbol of Mitra on the front. With but a gesture the gates slowly start to open on their own accord and Alandriel signals for you to follow.

As you step inside, you see there are two men dressed in armor bearing the symbol of the divine sun of Mitra. They are on guard but seeing Alandriel walk in they stand down and give a respectful bow to her. You are in an entry area it seems, a well decorated room probably built for defense and a double door probably leads into the cathedral proper. The doors on the other side of the room open and a young priest wearing the symbol of Mitra enters the room.

The priest says, "Thank Mitra you've arrived safely Alandriel. So these are the prophesied ones are they? Bless the light, our liberation is soon at hand!"

Alandriel raises her hand to the exuberant priest to calm him down and says, "Now now Brother Tibolt, we should not put too much pressure on our guests. Inform the Cardinal of their arrival and gather the servants of the church to provide them cleansing, healing as well as a place to stay to rest and recover. Also see to it they are given fresh clothing and sustenance."

Brother Tibolt bows and responds, "As you wish lady Alandriel."

Alandriel then looks to the party, "You will be safe here, for the wards and spells on this place will hide you from the sight of Asmodeus and his followers. You have been through much so I give you some time to recover your strength before I take you to meet the Cardinal. As we are now safely in the Cathedral, I will also now end my deceptive guise and show you my true form."

With that her form changes from a merely attractive human into a radiant angel with beautiful white wings, dressed in angelic armor with a sword and tome attached to her belt. The light of the radiance of her makes you squint at first but she quickly mutes the glow and thus making you able to look at her true form better. Her eyes have gone from a blue to a golden hue.

Alandriel Image

The hound gives a broken toothy grin to Libis and says, "A pleasure Liber Mortis. We hunt the same prey, once we have heard out what this "Cardinal" has to say, I would welcome your aid in seeing those who would use me like a puppet in their plans and drive me to the ways of sin. They will pay the price for their folly."

Alandriel looks to Sedelion and says, "You are free to do as you chose Sedelion but things are more dire than you realize. That mark you bear are more than a symbol that mark your condemnation, they are means where hell itself can track you. It is no small thing to escape Branderscar, for none has done so in the past and the powers that be will act swiftly to cover up such a folly. I would not doubt that the Asmodians will send devils to hunt you down. With me, I can keep you from being detected and once we reach the sanctuary I will see to it that the marks are removed from all of you. All I ask in return is that you hear our what the Cardinal has to say. Afterwards if you wish to travel another path, you are free to go as you will. Indeed aid will be given to you to return you across the wall."

Leaping into the ring you feel a sense of vertigo and a rush of magical power before you tumble to the ground roughly onto patches of wet earth. Looking around you can see little. Those with darkvision see various shapes that look like slimy looking trees and a large pond of filthy swamp water nearby. It is pitch dark out, there is no natural light sources other than some vague light from the moon and stars that peek through the thin fog that surrounds you. You quickly see that you are not alone though. Standing on the edge of the water is a figure dressed in a white robe. She has a beautiful looking flawless female face and a wisp of blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

When you've got your bearings you hear a beautiful female voice in that which the cleric knows "Thank Mitra you have all arrived safely from the grasp of evil. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Alandriel and I helped aid you escape from the foul prison, although in a different guise than I bear now. We have little time for pleasantries though as the Asmodians will be searching for you furiously. There is a place of sanctuary a number of miles from here there you will be safe from those that hunt you. Forgive me for pushing you farther than the trials you have already faced. Allow me to heal your wounds so you are hale for the journey ahead."

She utters a spell in a celestial tongue on her lips and everyone heals 1d8 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 damage.

The hound stands up and gives a seedy glare at Armenia and says to her, "Humph... so the Angels finally act openly against the evil that has infested this land. You may wear the form of a human woman but even cursed as I am, I know an angel when I see one."

Alandriel speaks in a celestial tongue back to the Hound, those who can understand celestial hear, "You should be grateful that Mitra has offered you a chance for redemption, Hundular for your wickedness is great and your sins have dammed you in this world and the next."

The hound growls back in Celestial angrily, "I have no right to that name Angel! Where was Mitra when the foul mages tore me from the Heavens and bound me with their infernal spells! What was I supposed to do? Take my own life and forsake a chance for Justice? You know well enough that in death is a fate our kind does not return from! What I did was to survive, for your ilk did nothing to aid in my rescue! I am the Hound now and I shall not rest until the wicked get the retribution they deserve!"

Alandriel looks compassionate but also not wanting to waste precious time with an argument, she speaks again in common, "We have much to discuss in the future... hound. For now, you have a choice. You may go your own way, or come with us."

The hound grunts still obviously angry but says, "I will... go with you... for now. For whatever good will come from."

The Hound also leaps through the portal, seeing it as the only way out of here without getting slaughtered by guards.

Mishap Check For Group: 1d100 ⇒ 15

Indeed this is a standard teleportation circle, probably part of some network of teleportation circles that allows rapid transit across Talongarde. The Warden was probably not powerful enough to cast a teleportation spell, but the circle itself has a trigger that actives a teleportation spell, although probably no more than once without some re-enchantment. Using these circles it allows for the use of teleportation spells without the risk of a mishap so long as one teleports to another circle in the network. The orb however now has redirected the teleporter temporarily to another location. You need to be quick though as it won't last very long. Still it means that you also have a chance for a mishap if you use this teleporter. Its a risk to be sure.

Ok the table will probably buy you another delay of a round or two. Using the key to the door across the hall you enter what looks like a Wizard's Laboratory. Inside the room what looks like a workbench, storage shelves with various reagents and recipe books, a caldron for mixing formulas as well as an arcane circle marked on the floor with various runic symbols.

You hear the voice of Blackary, "Keep pushing forward men! Move those barriers and up the stairs. The bastards are cornered in this tower and have no way to escape. I'll have their guts for garnishes soon enough!"

The hound still looks in bad shape but better than he was.

As for the ring, the ring itself is probably some kind of graduation ring from an arcane school, more likey the one in Jaaradin. It an Arcane Bonded item for the wizard. Magically it functions as a +1 ring of protection though as that was its enchantment at the time.

As for the chest inside you find some Alchemist supplies but also a sack with a pouch with 200 GP of Diamond Dust and probably about 300 GP in random coinage, probably his personal stash of funds.

He also has a desk in his room, where within it you find his spellbook, a red bound tome with an arcane symbol of the Wizards Academy of Jaradin or at least you can find the marking on the inside cover of the tome. You don't have time to look at what spells he has in it though as now you hear finally the shards of the door being pushed and the clumps of a lot of armored footsteps heading closer to you, probably hitting the pushed over bookshelf first. Also inside his desk other than a few papers and other random prison correspondence you find another key, probably to the door on the other side of the hall. The teleportation circle may well be in that other room.

Libris takes his weapon and strikes down the Warden with one cruel blow. He looks down at the massive wound across his chest and then collapses to the ground as his guts and blood spill out on the floor.

On him appears to be the following items. The ring he wears detects as magic. Otherwise you find a spell component pouch and a key to a chest near his bed. In his wardrobe you find 400 GP in fine clothing if you bother to take a look.

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

A second bang hits the door and there is a splintering of wood sound. The door has probably been forced open. What do you do?

As for the hound he moves to kill the last hound.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 4) + 6 = 15

He cleaves into the other one next to it as well.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 1) + 6 = 13

The summoned hound is shattered leaving the wizard without any meat shields left to defend him. He snarls at the Wizard, giving a hateful glare with one eye.

At the end of the round though....

Battering Ram: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

You hear a loud slam against the door downstairs. Fortunately this round the door has held but another bump or two like that will surely break open the door to the tower. While the door is sturdy, it can be overcome with enough application of force.

The Lemure goes first, it moves up to Libis and attacks with one of its hideous claws.

1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Fortunately that misses. Libris Mortis responds with a power attack with his greataxe that cuts into the creature, splattering some of greasy innards over the floor with a single powerful backblow. Unfortunately the blow isn't fatal to the creature as it resists some of the hit due to its spongy mass absorbing some of the damage.

DR 5 on the creature

However this is when the Hound steps out and takes a swing at the same monster with his own greatsword.

Hound greatsword attack: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 - 2 = 29
Hound greatsword Confirm: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 11 - 2 = 15
No critical

Damage: 2d6 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 + 6 = 17

The hound splatters the Lemure all over the floor which writhes and then promptly vanishes being a summoned creature.

Bron hits the dog, almost cutting it down but the wound is not enough to undo the magics that had summoned it.

16 will not be enough, remember its a +10 to CMD to move through an enemy square. Sedelion is stopped by a dog and bitten at.

Dog Bite AOO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Probably a miss.

You won't be able to reach him without an acrobatic stunt though an occupied square. The 3 dogs and the lemure have created a living wall against getting to him. The room is 20 feet wide and the dogs and the lemure each occupy a squire in the line. He was smart enough to use his summoned creatures to screen himself from attack.

Ok well his first act will be to conjure a Flaming Sphere. He'll drop it on the Hound

Reflex save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Unfortunately the flame of the sphere burns the hound for 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) = 7 damage. He growls in pain as the flames burn him.

Busting into the room you see what looks like a spare bedroom with a desk and chair, bookshelf with some books and reagents, chest, table as well as a nightstand next to the bed.

Also there is a man dressed in red robes with a tattoo on his forehead and intense brown eyes. He looks maybe in his early 50's with slightly greying hair. He wields in one hand a mace while the other hand he has ready moving his fingers ready to fling some spells. He is not alone though. '

See picture in NPC photo section

Also in the room are three bulldogs with slavering jaws and glowing red eyes (Fiendish Dogs) as well as a roiling wave of flesh and wreathing mass of fat, a fiendish creature known as a Lemure.

The man looks at you with extreme anger and says, "I don't know how you escaped your cells you dammed marked, but you now face the wrath of Luthor Creighton, binder of devils! If my summoned servants do not finish you my guards will arrive soon enough to bring you a swift decent into hell! Face my wrath interlopers!"

Combat begins. Initiatives.

Luthor Creighton: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Fiendish Dogs: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Lemure: 1d20 ⇒ 19
The Hound: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

The hound bull rushes the door with the help of Bron.

Bashing Door: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 17

The first hit buckles the door but does not dislodge it (Giving a +2 to further rolls)

Bashing Door: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 12

The second hit does not loosen the door any further.

Bashing Door: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 22

The Third Hit knocks the door off its hinges and causes it to fall inward into the room.

Unfortunately he does not have that much time with the lock. After 3 checks with no success, you hear a banging from on the door downstairs at the entrance. The guards have arrived and now hit the first barrier, the jury rigged door. You don't know how long the door is going to hold, especially if a larger number of guards work together on it.

The initial guards will not be able to break down the door with their bare hands. In 5 rounds though enough guards and a battering ram will arrive, then I'll start making rolls to see if they break through.

The Hound bellows, "Enough of this! We need to break down this door now before the guards break into the tower."

Ok Spellcraft, it appears to be a Monster summoning spell, more specifically Summon Monster 2.

As for the lock, that roll won't do it. The lock is pretty good quality, you need a DC 25 to pick it. The door is not trapped by the looks of it.

Going upstairs you see that there is a door off to the north and to the south. The south door has the plaque that says "Luthor Creighton, Warden of Branderscar". The door appears to be closed and more likely locked. To the north is a featureless looking door probably leading to some other room. In the room to the south you think you hear some muffled sounds. Those of arcane or spellcraft knowledge think it might be spells being cast.

Sedelion is able to jam the door lock to the front of the tower, locking the door on the inside and breaking the lock so that it can't be opened with a key. This should slow them down at least until they can break down the door. As for the book shelf, you can shove it in such a way to block the stairway going up. Once again it may only delay them a short time, it can be lifted out from the stairwell. What do you do next?

You look through the tomes on the shelves and end up finding a few that stand out as valuable. A book called Astra Mysterii looks to be interesting, a book on the various constellations of the sky of Golarion. This would probably be worth 75 GP to a collector. You also find a tome called "Theories of the Starstone", a treatise on scholastic theories on the nature of the starstone of Abaslon. This tome would probably be worth about 150 GP to a buyer. The third interesting tome is Avernus Infernus, a tome bearing some hellish markings and it may be worth some money but you fear to read its contents lest risk corruption. Other than that is another 50 so books worth between 5-10 GP each covering a mix of different subjects.

Unfortunately as you are wasting time looking at books you hear a horn intone from the top of the tower. It appears something alerted the Warden of your trespassing and an alert has been sent out. It is only a matter of time before the garrison arrives you suspect.

The second floor of the Warden's tower appears to be some kind of library and reading area. Numerous shelves line the walls filled with tomes covering numerous historical, geographical, informational and fictional tomes. In addition there appears to be a round table with some chairs and a lantern on the desk, probably an area used for reading and occasional meetings in case of larger conversations. There seems that another winding stairway leads to the 3rd floor. As for the books, some of them may be of value, a perception check followed by an appraise or relevant Knowledge check will let you find the books that are more valuable.

Lots of babies this weekend. The wife of a friend of mine also had a child this weekend.

The door is opened and you all rush inside before the guards can spot you. You find yourself in the tower landing and it seems to be a room commemorating the history of Castle Branding. A number of plaques line the walls bearing names and symbols of previous nobles and later wardens who tended the prison. The largest plaque in the room has the following words "The one truth is the letter of the law", probably some kind of motto for this prison. Other than that there is a winding stairway heading upward to another floor of the tower. In addition there is a large tapestry displaying the coat of arms for the prison that may be worth some money if sold but is probably too bulky to carry around with you easily.

Ok with the aid from Sedelion, Randu barely avoids getting spotted as a guard looks in his direction. You're able to sneak up to the door of the large tower without being spotted. Fortunately since it is night, hiding is easier than normal. Checking the door you can see that it is unlocked, probably because no one is expected to enter the tower without permission or business.

Hound Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

You find the hound is surprisingly stealthy as he follows the group without making even a whisper of noise.

You start following the trail around the wall of the inner keep.

Guard Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Unfortunately it seems that there is some wandering guards on the walls of the prison with bows. You see two of them on the path to the tower. Everyone will need to make a DC 12 stealth check or be spotted.

The Hound raises his hand for Bron to stop approaches the cage and growls at the dogs. (Giving him a +5 on this because he can speak dog)

Hound Intimidate: 1d20 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 10 + 5 = 20

The dogs silence themselves and whimper. Fortunately no one has responded to the barks yet, but may do so if you stay here.

They are about 30 feet away from you at the moment assuming you stepped out into the courtyard.

Heading out into the courtyard you see the rounded path around a central fountain that leads up to the inner gate of the outer walls of the prison. The fountain is plain but functional and is probably is a primary source of water for the prison itself. To the left there are door that leads into probably some other sections of the outer walls. A dirt path seems to surround the inner keep leading to the right and left and grass grows on the ground of the inner keep. Looking up from here you can see that the largest tower peaks over the top of the main inner keep, to the south and is probably where the Warden resides. Fortunately there are no guards currently watching the courtyard. Unfortunately to the eastern side of the door is a kennel where three hunting hounds reside. They sniff the air and then take notice of you and then start barking violently in your direction and battering themselves against the cages. How do you react to this?

Just so you know, I will be away at a gaming convention this weekend so I probably won't be posting until at least Monday the 23rd of May. Just a heads up in case you're looking for me.

So what's the plan, into the courtyard or further searches of other rooms int he keep?

The Hound says, "Ready to go now. We should head to tower with haste and see that that warden meets justice"

Well so happens I can adjust things in the room to fit people's needs

Checking the pile you actually find a light crossbow with a quiver of 20 bolts.

While the Armory door has a decent lock, Sedelion with his skill is able to pick it. Opening the door on the inside you see a room full of different sorts of weaponry and armor. Most of it looks like standard guardsman gear but others look to be items that were probably confiscated from convicts when they were brought to the prison.

Inside are six spare sets of gear for guards: chain shirt, heavy steel shield, long sword and longbow. There is also a rack holding a dozen more leather-wrapped clubs. Further, there is also a stock pile of 240 arrows in twelve quivers. These items (save for the arrows and the clubs) bear the mark of Talongarde somewhere on them.

As for the non-guarsman gear you find a dagger, a heavy mace, short spear, longspear, quarterstaff, battle axe, rapier, great sword, great axe, trident and a glaive.

The Hound looks at the weapons and then eyes the Greatsword. He moves over to the pile where it is and picks it up and takes a few swings with it. "Of human design but still well balanced for my needs."

The Courtyard door is not locked actually. Looks like as it is a main through-way for the guards they don't need to have it locked. It does look like the door can lock and there is a place for the door to be barred but currently it is unlocked, although closed.

Are you opening the door?