((How far are we from the tower right now?))

Tor calls after Vandeyr, "Van! Don't wander off - we move together, safety in numbers."

Van wanders off anyway, eager to get this show on the road.

Rawlings looks to Vandeyr, then back to Tor then to Van again.  "Well, if we're going to stay together I guess we best get moving."  And she follows Vandeyr towards the tower.

Sigi had been rolling up his sleeves, preparing to examine this unusually large troll.  Perhaps there was some arcane or other experience lanation for what had made it so large.  Once the others start to  move, he stands back up and falls in line.

Tor mutters "Civilians. They'll be the death of me," under his breath, then stomps onward with the group towards the tower.

Quote from EMIW >>

((How far are we from the tower right now?))

Tor calls after Vandeyr, "Van! Don't wander off - we move together, safety in numbers."

 Just a couple hundred feet.

Once the group have all caught up, Tor says "Let's have a look at this damned tower then, try to get this thing over with. Everyone keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open."

Perception: 10

((Merge With Stone lasts for an hour so long as I concentrate, so we should be fine for Stealth for a while, I'm hoping.))

Van will let the others keep watch while he looks over the area for enchantment and illusion 

Investigation +5/arcana+8 16 

Quote from nschrock >>

Van will let the others keep watch while he looks over the area for enchantment and illusion 

Investigation +5/arcana+8 16 

 There does not appear to be any illusion that you can tell, though any can feel a foreboding that grows more powerful the closer they get. However, Van recognizes this feeling as a minor enchantment that would keep simple animals and monsters away, as well as all but the most foolhardy of adventures. (It has no mechanical effect, but gives a magically induced disquiet in your stomach).

Quote from EMIW >>

Once the group have all caught up, Tor says "Let's have a look at this damned tower then, try to get this thing over with. Everyone keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open."

Perception: 7

 Tor is too distracted by managing the group to get a good sense of the tower itself.

At the base of the tower, there is a large arched doorway, at least 15 feet high, and 10 feet wide. The area beyond is cloaked in shadow, and even those with darkvision struggle to see more than just a stone floor stretching off.

Van explains the tower's 'presence' as they catch up. "I sort of expected something more... Unless that's what it wants... That darkness looks unappealing."

"The illusion is odd, I wonder what secrets this tower holds." Rawlings checks around the door to make sure there aren't any traps and if not, she heads in through the archway as quietly as she can.

Investigation  3

"Hold fast to your courage, friends," Sigi implores.  "No matter how deep the darkness, nor how cold the grip of death, life... finds a way."

Quote from kqstark >>

"The illusion is odd, I wonder what secrets this tower holds." Rawlings checks around the door to make sure there aren't any traps and if not, she heads in through the archway as quietly as she can.

Investigation  12

 No traps seem evident.

As you enter the archway, it feels as though:

Everyone else sees Rawlings step through the archway. There's a moment where she seems sort of distorted before the darkness swallows her. You can still hear her steps on the stone floor though.

Vitha shakes her head at the archway. She turns to Tor and says in her halting common, "Will wait here one day. If not out by then, Vitha will assume death and return to tribe."

Vandeyr follows after Rawlings

Tor watches as Rawlings disappears into the gloom of the tower, far darker than it has any right to be. The strange distortion worries him, and he lets out an exasperated mutter, "Damn magic towers..."

He cocks an eyebrow at Vitha's comment. "A whole day? It's just one tower." Then he reminds himself "a magic tower... Alright, one day. Okay Brother, let's join the others in whatever the hell this place is."

And he too steps through the doorway.

As each person steps over the threshold of the tower they experience the same stretch. The first step seems to take longer than it should before landing.

It feels like reaching into a bag of holding or The extradimensional space at the top of a rope trick. After stepping through, the darkness doesn't seem as oppressive, but there's no source of light inside, so all the rays of light from the meager sun are further stretched by their entry through the archway, and seem to end sooner than they should. Those without darkvision can't see anything but vague shapes.

But those with darkvision find themselves in a wide square room stretching almost 50 feet across. The ceiling is over 20 feet tall, held up with 8 massive pillars (at least 3 feet in diameter) carved to look like giants struggling under the weight of the ceiling.

The walls are engraved with depictions of battle and conquest. Mostly humans fighting monsters, such as hydras, chromatic dragons, trolls, etc. There are places where tapestries once hung but they seem to have all either been stolen or rotten away long ago.

At the opposite end of the room from the entrance, a spiral stair leads both up and down.

“In my years as an acolyte, I neglected to learn the Light spell, relying on my dwarven senses.  Alas, I can’t shed this darkness magically.”

Brother Siegfried scans the room for any hidden dangers.  Liches are not known for being welcoming hosts.  He is concerned about possible traps, physical or magical.

Perception:  11  (I think the bonus is +5 but I can’t access the character sheet on mobile right now.)