Then fly we do! Moses is able to bring you to the top of the wall for a better view. Just need Elon's scouting plan and I'll post the findings.

Elon will make his way to the edge of the tree line to watch for anything on the ground.

From the ground, Elon sees only a dark, silent gatehouse and an uninhabited stretch of wall.

When Evelyn reaches the top of the wall, there isn't a soul to be founs patrolling thethe rampart. A look inside the gatehouse reveals the same. There are signs of activity from hours ago, but any food found is cold and fires have long since died out.

Elon signals the others to let them know all is clear from his perspective, but feels nervous. Something isn’t right. There should at least be guards out.

Talvus rushes ahead of Solomon and Rex to Elon. He spools out a rope studded with knots and ties the end off into a large lasso. When the others catch up, he addresses them in a small huddle, "I'll tie this off, then you climb up."

He rushes forward, rope over one shoulder, greatsword over the other. As it occurs to you that it seems odd for the rope to lack a hook or weight, the bull leaps at the base of the wall and sails clear to the base of the low protective wall of the ramparts. He hauls himself up and over, then a minute passes before the rope tumbles back over, secured on a stone outcropping atop the wall.

Once the party scales the wall, Scalebane Keep stretches out like a ghost town. The name is slightly deceptive as it is more of a small town rather than a singular seat of power. At least a half mile wide on each side, it easily houses a population of several hundred in addition to a distinctive military compound at the center connected to the main keep. Stretching from the nearby gate is one of the four main streets Talvus indicated previously. The street stands 40 feet wide and runs along the perimeter with the walls, directly to the central keep from each gate, and in a circle around the keep itself.

Across the city, only a few smoking chimneys give any indication of life.

Evelyn while at the gate house will attempt to look for any kind of traps or magical runes.

Investigation:14

Solomon thinks for a moment, preparing a new spell (Prodigious Inspiration: Swaps a prepared spell for a different one.) and will cast Arcane Eye to help scan the area.

Rex stands ready

 Evelyn peers around the room and notices a few minor details: Half-eaten food, scuffs in the dust, a few dusty weapon racks. Possibly suspicious, but not out of the ordinary either.

As Solomon's eye hovers and scans, it passes over a strange figure emerging from the gatehouse. It stands the same height as an elf or human, but its form is hazy, as if even the air avoided it. Solomon's human eyes showed him a shifting, humanoid shadow approaching. It stopped fourty feet short of those on the wall, "Talvus, it's good to see you again." The voice was disjointed, as though your mind had developed a new ego that spoke to you.

Talvus raised his blade to the shadow, "I wish I could say the same. I can only assume the others are here as well?"

"Yes, and no," the shadow replied, "Please allow me to say - to you and your new comrades - that I am truly sorry for what follows." From within the city, in the nearest cluster of houses, a flaming arrow sails to the sky. At it's signal, a massive pyre alights at the eastern gate. Talvus seems equally panicked and angered.

"Run...to the gate" is all that Talvus seems to mutter as he takes in the situation.

“What? We can’t leave you behind here. What’s happening Talvus? We need some context here!” 

The spectre raises a hand and the form of its arm seems to extend until it is doubled in length. The opposite arm follows suit from resting at its hip until the extension almost reaches the stone ground, "Tsk. You always were bad about keeping secrets from people, Talvus."

The minotaur stands resolute, as though ready to slice the shadow from fourty feet away, "There are things I leave in the past for a reason," he turns over his shoulder briefly, "This one is called Tadriel the Wraith. He's a ghost from my past that I'm not entirely surpised to see here."

When Talvus turns back, the shadowy figure is gone. With a momentary sigh of relief, Talvus continues, "Get to the gate, I'll expl-" his words are cut short when he fully turns to the party and sees the black-cloaked form of Tadriel standing just behind everyone else.

"As I said, friend, I am truly sorry for what follows," Tadriel raises a shadowy appendage and the area turns to impregnable blackness.

(So! Need initiative from everyone. Talvus, Rex, Solomon, and Elon are in the center of a 30' wide cloud of Darkness that foils even Darkvision. Evelyn is still polymorphed as a spider in the gatehouse and witnessed this transpire, but cannot see through the cloud. Everyone within the cloud is effectively Blinded.)

Initiative:7

Solomon would like to Counterspell the darkness as the wraith casts it

Initiative: 17

Initiative 19

The darkness falters for a moment, but Tadriel's voice pierces the veil into your mind, "Can't beat it that easily. This is no simple spell or illusion."

(Tadriel initiative: 23 modified to 16. I had forgotten to mention Talvus making use of an ability which grants initiative bonuses to allies. I'll just factor it into Tadriel's initiative as a penalty instead.)

Initiative: 4

(Forgot Talvus too: 10)

So! Here we are with Elon and Solomon up first:

Elon19, Solomon17, Tadriel(135)16, Talvus(262)14, Evelyn7, Rex4

Solomon will try to move out of the darkness, if he can, then... Seeing his counter fail, Solomon braces for combat. Solomon levels his wand toward the wraith with a focused glade. “I’m assuming that you’re some kind of undead, and that it’s not just a name. With that in mind, I’m sending you back to wherever you came from!” Solomon quickly traces a rune into the air and extends it out toward the wraith like a net, “Banishment!” Solomon casts Banishment, DC 17 Cha Save.

Elon pulled his sword and using his ki (step of the wind) to dash and jump clear of the darkness in the direction of the wraith.

As Elon leaps clear of the blackness, a pair of glowing, red eyes look back at him from the darkness. The disembodied voice calls out once more from his mind, "Impressive. You'd do well to heed Talvus' advice now."

It turns back into darkness only to be struck by a brief flash from within. Solomon's spell strikes true, but Tadriel stands unaffected. In Solomon's moment of blind disbelief, Tadriel's red eyes flash and he rushes forward to lash out with his spectral appendages. "This is our world; not by our choice, but the will of another. Even in exile, our existence was an afront. What was seen as abomination, though, was actually apotheosis. Tell them, Talvus, of our people's fall and how the Ascended will come once more."

(Enhancement to attack and damage for next 10min. Attacks: 19 for 7, 25 for 8 against Solomon)