Jalt looks up presumably to the heavens, closes his eyes and whispers Bahamut majak ve wer dastudr vur onelka ve. He looks ahead... Tiamat...our.... mother......and strength.
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Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
(Soar's faith is more contentedly mundane, and her aversion to the cult a bit more cheerfully detached, that saying the words doesn't honestly mean very much to her...)
As Jalt says the words, the sound of movement stops. You never actually saw the statues move, but you somehow know that you only had seconds to spare...
You continue. Now that you are passing through the walls, you can see that they are not made of stone, but of ice. It is opaque and somehow must be magically enhanced; the ice is as hard as stone and is opaque, and does not melt even through the temperature is above freezing. The castle is still chilly inside though, perhaps a couple of degrees colder than the air in the surrounding countryside.
You enter a wide courtyard, perhaps a hundred feet square. Walls of solid ice enclose it, and you see that another courtyard partially overhangs this one. It is held aloft by sweeping arches of ice that soar to a height of over 100 feet. Doors of sculpted ice fitted with iron hinges lead to various outbuildings and main keep on the far side of the courtyard from the gate towers. In the courtyard near the gate, you see a group of men and women wearing clothes and armour adorned with symbols of Tiamat; they look over towards your group as you pass through the gate, but don't seem unfriendly or particularly bothered to see you. They are sitting and standing in a group, talking together; you see crates piled up near them. Hail friends, one woman calls over. You haven't seen a wagon have you? Last delivery for the day, you know?
"Just behind us, actually," Soar says, semi-amiably, as she folds up the banner, continuing to walk inside, but not close enough to the group by the crates that they can make out details of our faces. "We're new here, but we have business with the lord of this castle. Tall fellow, fond of clouds. Could you point us to where we might find him? There I assume..."
She points vaguely toward the keep with some confidence.
With Blagothkus? The cultist seems surprised. He doesn't come out of his tower much. She waves towards the castle. You can't see it from here, but you can get there from the upper courtyard. But... I'd go speak to Lady Rezmir first, if I were you. She doesn't like folks coming and going with her knowing about it.
Nate, you don't see anyone else in the courtyard, no. However, you do now have a clearer view of the walls, and you now have a good view of a large creature, an ogre, standing on one of the gate towers and looking down at your group. You see him snort, and turn away to continue patrolling.
Soar and Nate (and anyone else who is looking around), you can make a Perception check.
Nate, you see very clearly to the far eastern side of the castle where a spiral staircase ascends to the upper courtyard. There are several doors leading to buildings around the lower courtyard; at the moment, all seem to be closed.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Blagokthus, yes! And that's good to know our old friend Rezmir has arrived, we'll check in with her. Thanks!"Soar nods and then walks forward more. She asks quietly, without moving her lips, "okay, anyone see where we should go? I'd like to see if we can get to the giant first, without running into anyone we recognize. But we should prepare to surprise, or be surprised by, our old friends, so if we can walk to this tower right now, let's do that. If it looks, to that group by the crates, like we're also headed to Rezmir, that'll make them forget us. But the minute we're out of sight of anyone, feel free to cast anything to prepare for a fight. Could be sudden."
(Yes, Nate would've told the others in a quiet voice everything that he has seen with the staircase that leads to the upper courtyard)
Even Nate knows realistically that we can't just go barreling through each room of this castle expecting to fight everyone we see and not get either killed or captured in the process. He feels his revenge is near, and doesn't want to blow this opportunity. He also knows that if Rezmir or Jos see us they will likely recognize us and then call reinforcements, and then we're dead.
"Ok, so I see a spiral staircase that goes up to the upper courtyard which those people over there said leads to the giant's tower. I am guessing it is going to be quite obvious once we go up that staircase where the giant's tower is. That being said, I don't think we can afford to have Rezmir see us in here."
"Why don't we go up closer to the staircase, head up to the upper courtyard and see who's there. I have some magic that can really help with our creeping around, although I am not sure if we will be able to hide anywhere given the open space of this place. But might be worth it. Maybe even for later after we meet with the giant. Let me know if you want me to cast it."
Soar keeps her easy walking pace, targeting the staircase Nate pointed out. "Let's go up the stairs, and slow as we get to the top. Nate, maybe you can just poke your head up into view before we all walk up, and just let us know if we're walking into an empty area or if you see a big half dragon or a red robed wizard. Then we can either prepare, or keep walking up and head for the tower. Sound good?"
You walk together through the lower courtyard; you see no-one other than the initial group of cultists and a few more ogres patrolling the walls. The ogres' attention is outwards, and the behind you the wagon pulls into the castle and the cultists begin to talk to the driver, berating them for being late, as they begin to carry the heavy wooden boxes towards one of the side buildings.
You reach the stairs, having passed by several large closed doors, and make your way up the spiral staircase. Nate, you reach the top and peek out. You see a large courtyard, similar to below with a few massive ice doors leading to rooms around the area. However, more immediately you see six ogres engaged in combat training in the centre of the area.
"....wait....."
*lightbulb goes on*
"JALT! SAY IT TOO! HURRY!"
Jalt looks up presumably to the heavens, closes his eyes and whispers Bahamut majak ve wer dastudr vur onelka ve. He looks ahead... Tiamat...our.... mother......and strength.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
(Soar's faith is more contentedly mundane, and her aversion to the cult a bit more cheerfully detached, that saying the words doesn't honestly mean very much to her...)
As Jalt says the words, the sound of movement stops. You never actually saw the statues move, but you somehow know that you only had seconds to spare...
You continue. Now that you are passing through the walls, you can see that they are not made of stone, but of ice. It is opaque and somehow must be magically enhanced; the ice is as hard as stone and is opaque, and does not melt even through the temperature is above freezing. The castle is still chilly inside though, perhaps a couple of degrees colder than the air in the surrounding countryside.
You enter a wide courtyard, perhaps a hundred feet square. Walls of solid ice enclose it, and you see that another courtyard partially overhangs this one. It is held aloft by sweeping arches of ice that soar to a height of over 100 feet. Doors of sculpted ice fitted with iron hinges lead to various outbuildings and main keep on the far side of the courtyard from the gate towers. In the courtyard near the gate, you see a group of men and women wearing clothes and armour adorned with symbols of Tiamat; they look over towards your group as you pass through the gate, but don't seem unfriendly or particularly bothered to see you. They are sitting and standing in a group, talking together; you see crates piled up near them. Hail friends, one woman calls over. You haven't seen a wagon have you? Last delivery for the day, you know?
To give a sense of scale:

"Just behind us, actually," Soar says, semi-amiably, as she folds up the banner, continuing to walk inside, but not close enough to the group by the crates that they can make out details of our faces. "We're new here, but we have business with the lord of this castle. Tall fellow, fond of clouds. Could you point us to where we might find him? There I assume..."
She points vaguely toward the keep with some confidence.
Nate whispers a 'phew' when Jalt says the passphrase and the apparent statues stop moving.
He again is in awe of this place as well as he looks around and up at the huge ice walls and doors.
He then wheels in behind Soar, not making eye contact with the group of men and women, but listening to their response to Soar's question.
Can Nate see anyone else in this courtyard that we are currently in?
With Blagothkus? The cultist seems surprised. He doesn't come out of his tower much. She waves towards the castle. You can't see it from here, but you can get there from the upper courtyard. But... I'd go speak to Lady Rezmir first, if I were you. She doesn't like folks coming and going with her knowing about it.
Nate, you don't see anyone else in the courtyard, no. However, you do now have a clearer view of the walls, and you now have a good view of a large creature, an ogre, standing on one of the gate towers and looking down at your group. You see him snort, and turn away to continue patrolling.
Soar and Nate (and anyone else who is looking around), you can make a Perception check.
Nate perception 27
Nate, you see very clearly to the far eastern side of the castle where a spiral staircase ascends to the upper courtyard. There are several doors leading to buildings around the lower courtyard; at the moment, all seem to be closed.
Jalt perception: 21
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
"Blagokthus, yes! And that's good to know our old friend Rezmir has arrived, we'll check in with her. Thanks!" Soar nods and then walks forward more. She asks quietly, without moving her lips, "okay, anyone see where we should go? I'd like to see if we can get to the giant first, without running into anyone we recognize. But we should prepare to surprise, or be surprised by, our old friends, so if we can walk to this tower right now, let's do that. If it looks, to that group by the crates, like we're also headed to Rezmir, that'll make them forget us. But the minute we're out of sight of anyone, feel free to cast anything to prepare for a fight. Could be sudden."
Soar perception: 6
Soar, you don't see anything in particular. Jalt, you see what Nate did - closed doors and a spiral staircase leading up.
(Yes, Nate would've told the others in a quiet voice everything that he has seen with the staircase that leads to the upper courtyard)
Even Nate knows realistically that we can't just go barreling through each room of this castle expecting to fight everyone we see and not get either killed or captured in the process. He feels his revenge is near, and doesn't want to blow this opportunity. He also knows that if Rezmir or Jos see us they will likely recognize us and then call reinforcements, and then we're dead.
"Ok, so I see a spiral staircase that goes up to the upper courtyard which those people over there said leads to the giant's tower. I am guessing it is going to be quite obvious once we go up that staircase where the giant's tower is. That being said, I don't think we can afford to have Rezmir see us in here."
"Why don't we go up closer to the staircase, head up to the upper courtyard and see who's there. I have some magic that can really help with our creeping around, although I am not sure if we will be able to hide anywhere given the open space of this place. But might be worth it. Maybe even for later after we meet with the giant. Let me know if you want me to cast it."
Soar keeps her easy walking pace, targeting the staircase Nate pointed out. "Let's go up the stairs, and slow as we get to the top. Nate, maybe you can just poke your head up into view before we all walk up, and just let us know if we're walking into an empty area or if you see a big half dragon or a red robed wizard. Then we can either prepare, or keep walking up and head for the tower. Sound good?"
"Yup. Sounds good."
Nate will do that. Once they get close to the top of the staircase, Nate will go first at that point and peep his head up to see what is up there.
You walk together through the lower courtyard; you see no-one other than the initial group of cultists and a few more ogres patrolling the walls. The ogres' attention is outwards, and the behind you the wagon pulls into the castle and the cultists begin to talk to the driver, berating them for being late, as they begin to carry the heavy wooden boxes towards one of the side buildings.
You reach the stairs, having passed by several large closed doors, and make your way up the spiral staircase. Nate, you reach the top and peek out. You see a large courtyard, similar to below with a few massive ice doors leading to rooms around the area. However, more immediately you see six ogres engaged in combat training in the centre of the area.
Nate, make a Stealth check.

Do we see where the tower's base is?
You do see a tower (in the top left of the map above).
Nate's eyes widen as he sees the ogres training....
stealth 8