Jex shakes his head at Brundir's words, already lining up his next move. He nods to Vark and springs from the ground, the lingering flight spell still working, more used to it now though he springs up and uses the overhanging stonework from the tower to push back down, feeling Vark's magic behind him, adding to his speed with a sudden wind gusting behind him he falls like a cat, clawed daggers outstretched into the guards at the tower door. Both fall instantly without a sound. He scoops the keys from one, adding them to his belt. He pulls the helmets and cloaks and passes them back towards the others, indicating how he is wearing them himself. That done, he presses up against the wall and looks through the window. All around him the fog was clearing and he knew he had to get the others inside fast. He breathes a sigh of relief as he sees a conrete floor. He counts the guards and looks back. Holding up 4 fingers he nods, then holds up 2 and points to the far door, and 2 again pointing to the opposite one. He gestures for Vark to take his place and moves himself around to the far door, trusting the others understand their roles he gently and quietly tries the handle.

Vark smiles triumphantly as the pair successfully take down another pair of sentries. But it’s still far too early to celebrate, and Vark is quick to follow the rogues orders. He finds himself hovering in place in front of the door appointed to him, then readies Pathmaker in his hands.

Not even bothering in trying one of the capes on himself, he would need the dragonborn's cape to fit him, Thurston nods to Jex and, hugging the wall, moves into position at the other door. Ready to spring into action as soon as Jex makes his move. 

Bründir smiles in anticipation and places himself a few feet away from the door, Karakarin poised to ram the door before him at Jex's signal.

Val pushes her way towards the front of the group prepared to breach the door. "Ladies first."

Bründir turns a smile up to his statuesque companion, "Better be quick behind that hammer. Might be short, but I can be b'twe--er...through yer legs an' one ahead 'fore ye bring it back 'round."

To his relief, the door opens easily to Jex's touch, he strolls in quickly like he owns the place, relying on his disguise to avert immediate recognition.

"Sorry guys, have you seen..." He stumbles like he's laughing... "Walton just pissed himself..." He reaches out, quick as a flash to each side, driving a dagger into the back of the guard's either side of him as though slapping them on the back in laughter, the first immediately buckles at the knee, the second opens his mouth as though to join in the laughter, but the sound catches in his throat as the air just cannot release.

Right on cue Vark and the others burst inside and the interior of the tower erupts into chaos. Vark goes to discharge two bolts of lightning but as soon as the fight has begun the mage finds his targets are tangled up in melee with his companions. Not wanting to fry his friends he arcs both strikes away into the stone walls at the last second.

Val immediately slams the door open at the signal and her massive form stomps forward towards the nearest of the guards, swinging her massive hammer, Rook, to build up momentum and then slams it hard into guard's torso. There is a crunch of metal on metal and a wheezing cough that follows, indicating the amount of damage done to the guard's internal organs!

Thurston follows Val's lead and storms the room. He sees one of the guards looking around trying to figure out what’s happening and jumps towards the man, raising the hammer above his head and putting his own weight behind it. Miscalculating the distance, Thurston jumps a little short and the man, seeing the Norscan going directly at him, swings his chest back a few inches, saving his life.

Rikkazarik strikes the breastplate that the man is wearing, but neither flesh or bone. Thurston hits the man at a weird angle on the left shoulder. The breastplate’s leather straps can't hold under the impact and crack, leaving it hanging from one shoulder. The blow has rendered the piece of metal useless. The searing force of the hit and the guard's own movement make the man lose his balance and fall to the ground on one knee. That position grants him an unexpected advantage, for he still has his sword in the hand. His left shoulder left a little bit sore by the impact of the hammer, but nothing serious. He raises his weapon to cut the tendons at the Norscan’s knee.

Seeing the raised blade towards Thurston, Valaith kicks her foot out quickly against the weapon; however, the guard twists the edge in preparation to strike at Thurston and Val cuts the flesh of her foot slightly in the process of saving Thurston from being hamstringed. 

Aiden pushes into the tower behind Valaith and raises his sword above his head, bringing it down into the body of a prone guard like he was hitting a ball with a stick. The blade catches the man's side and the force of it is enough to spin the man about his middle, slamming his head into the wall of the tower with a sickening crunch. Aiden turns back to the other guards, lightning crackling from his eyes, down his arms, and lancing across his sword and shield. 

Amid the chaos, Bründir weaves through the melee, Karakarin raised high, Dumdrengi leveled. A guard staggered by the ambush is shocked to see an charging, armored assailant. His blade strikes Karakarin, but skids up the adamantine plate and ricochets off the dwarf's helm. Dumdrengi retaliates, burying itself in the man's stomach and up into his chest.

As Vark's lightening crackles around the man Jex still holds by the back, it seems to spurt him into action. He sucks in his breath, head spinning from the pain and watching his friends suddenly butchered where they stand around him he grabs out for the mace at his side, swinging it backwards at Jex who twists the knife into the man's shoulder, severing crucial ligaments and weakening the blow that now has little more than gravity behind it. He looks up, calling out incomprehensibly over the blood that has filled his mouth, sweat and tears in his eyes as he pleads. His eyes filled with the final sight they will ever see, the advancing priest, crackling with electric energy...

Thor's lightning lances out of Aiden's blade and envelops the remaining guard, turning him into a silhouette and skeleton for a brief moment as the energy shocks his soul from his corpse. The lightning begins to abate in its intensity as the tower falls still. Finally, his eyes clear of the crackling blue energy, Aiden looks at Thurston. "I think we owe Thor a sacrifice when this is done."

“Let’s keep moving.” Vark says as the last guard falls in a brilliant display of lightning. Still airborne, the mage makes to fly straight down the shaft of this tower, but as he soars over the edge of the walkway his body erupts in crackling energy as the crimson magic of the codex clashes with a sudden field of emerald green. “What the-!” he exclaims in shock and confusion as he is repelled. “It’s... it’s some sort of barrier. It’s almost like...” his hand trails down to the runestone at his side. Could this be the power of another codex? While the others begin jamming the locks of the doors, Vark takes a moment to extend his hand out towards the energy. Small sparks of red jump out to fizzle and crack against the field as he attunes to the magic. “Oh... that’s weird... this isn’t arcane it’s divine. The source is connected to the heavens and it’s... conjuration? Yes, mostly that with a little transmutation. But why would it be divine?” His eyes glance up to the vaulted ceiling as if the gods themselves would answer the question. “Ascension. Guys we should really hurry. I think the stairs are safe.” 

Jex looks up from where he has already taken the keys from the bodies and is using them with some putty to jam the locks behind them.

"We don't want to find our rear exposed. But you're right, let's move quickly here. Put on the cloaks, try to keep some element of surprise if we can."

The octagonal ring of flagstones on the level below is slightly more spacious than at the top of the tower, with passages leading north and south to other parts of the castle. On the eastern wall, the stairs continue downwards and on the western side the octagon is broken to allow for the large gate that opens from the outside onto the ground floor. A dragonborn warrior stands at each corner of the balcony, while another paces around the outside. One of each chromatic colour.

Seeing the sight below them, Jex pulls his bow from his quiver, removing a vial from his waist pouch he uncorks the lid and dunks a handful of arrows into the vial, spreading them between his fingers ready to fire.

"Ready?" He turns to Vark.

The stairs along the eastern wall are open with little to no cover. Jex lurks near the top, watching the dragonborn stand ready. They seem on edge. It's possible that they heard the last guard cry out and saw the flashes of the lightning, but they have not left their posts. As Vark slinks up behind the assassin, they notice the nose of the red dragonborn wrinkle. The Acharnost will not go undetected much longer.