Reuniting the Band

Starker:”I fear they are hopelessly lost and that we are as or more likely to find Hoid anywhere else than where they are headed. I suggest we head to the tower.”

Kragen moves to follow the mercenaries of The Shining Steel company.  He gets to the top of the rise they walked past.  Looking about he sees only more of the shimmery landscape.  No sign of the men or their passage.  The next hills are too far for them to have made it before Kragen topped the hill he stands upon.

Acquiescing to Erbert and Starker's greater wisdom, Kragen returns to the group.  The journey to the ruins and tower is not long from where you are.  The ruins of Kellistor's Keep have changed a bit since your last visit.  The walls have a brownish-red substance covering them now.  The barricades put in place by the orcs have deteriorated and partially collapsed.  You can 'feel' something radiating from the ruins, like a wave that gently laps against the hull of a boat on a lake.  A subtle force is felt, pulsing from the buildings ahead.  The main building has collapsed a bit more.  But, there are areas that seem to be covered with the same brownish-red substance where repairs seem to have been made.

The tower is unchanged.  It is constructed of tightly fitting stone blocks and well made.  There is an open top with battlements.  You can see gutters running down the tower to direct water from the roof away from the tower at the base through buried drains.  There is a large double door solidly made of oak with iron bands. You can see small windows on the upper levels that have solid stone shutters blocking them.  The tower appears unaffected by the time that has led to the collapse of the keep walls and the manor house.  You do remember that the orcs had placed stout wooden posts in front of the tower doors with leather restraints.  None of those are present now.

As you survey the ruins from a distance, Kragen sees movement in the ruins of the manor house.  His Eyes of the Eagle reveal a humanoid moving through the ruins.

The day is calm.  The sun is high in the sky.  Brilliant streaks radiate from it in a stellate pattern.  These streaks oscillate through the spectrum, slowly fading into new hues.  No clouds are in the sky, or birds.  It is quiet.  Only your heartbeats in your ears can be heard.  The guards accompanying Erbert are restless.  All seem to be nervously fidgeting with their gear and checking their weapons.

"I would advise against touching the weird substance.

I wonder how long those men have been wandering and out of sync with time? In hindsight we should have asked them what day they thought it was."

Erbert scratches his chin, saying “They are probably all mixed up and don’t know what time or day it is.  Who knows what is affecting them.  But I have a feeling that past that wall, we will learn of it.”  He turns to Kragen, saying “You see something, Kragen?  Someone, or something that is maintaining this wall of force?  If we can find that and disrupt it, that would be just peachy.  Are we ready for the spell?  Should we do the dimension door and try to get past that wall, go inside?”  Erbert looks to everyone for consensus.

"Master Erbert, i see a humanoid creature in what was the Manor. Let me see if i can concentrate on it and get more specifics. Last we were here, everything was hostile!"

"The events with the party from the Shinning Steel company has me confused. At the next opportune time, i will Send to Hoid and let him know of our encounter."

Chuckles, thinking its always safety first with Chadwick

Good point about not touching things, Chadwick. 
Illandial's tomb had some odd resin throughout the lower levels. Can you tell if this substance looks similar to that Kragen?

From this distance, it is difficult to get more detail that color and superficial appearance of the substance on the walls.  Even with Kragen’s bionic vision.  It is a similar color to what you saw in Illiandil’s tomb.

Starker:”I am ready to Dimension Door past the Wall of Force, though I do not recall how much space there is to appear in. Let us go closer and look before we leap. “

Xymox studies the ruins with visible unease. “The tower remains untouched, but everything around it is changing to accommodate it. That concerns me far more than broken stone. And I would strongly advise no one touches that red-brown substance until we understand what it is.”

He glances toward the strange sky and silent landscape. “Even nature avoids this place. That should tell us something.” Looking toward where the Shining Steel mercenaries vanished, he folds his arms thoughtfully. “Those men were confused, but not lying. I suspect this place is affecting memory, direction… perhaps reality itself.”

Turning to Erbert and Starker, his tone sharpens. “If we breach the tower, we assume we are expected and that retreat may not be simple. Establish contingencies now, not after we step through the veil.” Finally, his eyes settle on the moving figure in the manor ruins. “And before we blindly enter the tower, I would very much like to know what is still walking freely through these ruins.”

Starker takes out his notebook, tears out a blank page, divides it into 6 pieces and write on each: 

“You are attempting to reach, investigate, and enter Kellistor’s Tower. It’s defenses may affect your thoughts and memories.”

Starker keeps one and gives one each to his companions. 

Starker:”Put this somewhere you will easily find it if you get lost or confused.”

Starker sends Cyrus Magnus XVIII to his familiar pocket dimension.

With a wicked grin on his face, Cyrus XVIII fades into nothingness…

Ervert nods and folds the paper, stuffing it in his pocket.  "Good idea.  Who knows how this will affect us.  Let's go closer and see if we can get a look and estimate of distance.  Also, with that keen vision that you have, any optimal spot within reach that is not covered in resin.  Perhaps an area destroyed before, or where those gutters are draining away rain, anywhere that rain might have washed that resin away - that should be our target, I think."  

The walls of the tower are unaffected by the reddish-brown covering.  That is only on the outer walls of the former keep and the manor house.