"We strongarm some kobolds inta tellin' Dusky there that they ran inta a group o' hapless adventurers an' killed 'em good.  Dusk met us before already, it ain't so far-fetched.  They kin say they forked some healin' things off o' our bodies but they're scared o' bringin' 'em inta the water or something like.  Get the dragon ta come ta us."  Chrys shrugs.  "Yeah yeah, it's a plan full o' holes, but I'm listenin' fer better ideas if ya got 'em! 'Sides, we ain't sure the dragon IS there after all.  Everythin' seems ta start an' end with questionin' them kobolds from my point o' view."

"Agreed," Kess chimed in, nodding to Chrys (who suddenly seemed MUCH more vocal for some reason), pondering the scenario. "I don't much relish the idea of fighting Duskbringer in a flooded cavern, myself... who knows what else could be lurking there...?"

((I'm alive! SORRY!))

"We need more information to do anything, so we might as well go upstairs in that building and try the kobolds," Lumen says.

He's ready to head back up and can scout around invisibly up those stairs.

"Alright," says Silver, attempting a brave smile. "I am with you all. Let us get Fivin and the children to their hiding place, then... back up the stair," she says with a sigh.

With the decision to return to the keep, the six of you leave Faen and Syllan behind in the care of Fivin and head back to the base of the cliff. Having gone up and come down once before already, and having repaired most of the damaged bridges, the route is fresh in your minds, and so you begin the long climb back up the Sky's Ascend. It's still a bit of a challenge to navigate past the obstacles, but with experience, determination, deft rope work and good climbing skills, you're able to move quickly and efficiently past each of the difficult sections.

At one point, you find yourselves traversing along the wet ledge that passes behind the waterfalls, which allows for that magnificent, surreal view of the landscape below, as seen behind the glittering mist and sparkling water droplets that cascade down past you. Moving on, you continue along the stone pathway and climb higher on the stone steps, navigate past the other damaged bridges, once again, seeing that little red finch as it flitters around the rock wall in front of you. 

Then, in less than an hour after you started, you climb the last section of stairs and reach the top of the butte at the edge of the brilliantly green grassy plateau that's set halfway up the enormous cliff face. You now have a full closeup view of the loch, the magnificent fortress and the small chapel that sits just below it. 

Chrys takes a moment to scan the horizon.  Of course, it's beautiful, and a sudden wave of homesickness comes over her.  "I miss my goat," she mumbles, crossing her arms and squinting.  Shaking her head to clear it, she looks again, more critically this time, searching the clear sky for any evidence of the dragon - or other dangers - approaching from afar.

Perception: 16

Kess did not know Chrys had a goat or a fondness for them.

She did her best not to think of a bad memory involving a mountain goat as a young girl, where she had been chased by the beast all the way back to her mother's home in Lonelywood during one particularly lengthy summer.

That, and not look down at the VERY LONG DROP behind them all.

"What do you see, Chrys?"

As she scans the skies and the beautiful, rocky meadow around the keep, and the massive cliff that lies beyond, where the waterfall drops hundreds of feet into the river that passes beneath Ravensglade and fills the Loch, before spilling over the edge of the butte you just ascended, she doesn’t see any dragons in the air, or on the ground.

Nor does she see any kobolds; just small birds that flitter around and the occasional marmot that pops its head up out of a hole in the ground, or perches itself on one of the small boulders. 

"Nothin' but the vista," Chrys grunts, wondering silently about the strange look that passed over Kess's face when Chrys mentioned her pet goat.  Gotta ask her 'bout that later.  Maybe she likes goats too! 

"Ain't no dragons nor kobolds about.  Means they're all inside, I'm guessin'.  Dang."  She stomps her foot a bit in frustration.  "That means yer theory 'bout Duskbringer bein' hiding inside, lickin' her wounds, is probably right.  Guess we better find us some kobolds ta start with."

Lumen offers to go ahead to scout, become invisible, and go up the stairs to look for kobolds and dragons. Unless someone who speaks draconic wants to go instead...

"I believe we heard some kobolds upstairs from the library," Silver suggests. "Perhaps that might be a good place to start? If we find any I am happy to translate." A smile beams across her broad face, happy that she might be of some help besides in battle. Suddenly, an idea strikes her.

"Oh, let me see if the locals can help." She calls towards one of the little birds that flitter around nearby. "My friends! Thank you for keeping us company in this lonely place. Would you perhaps be able to guide us to some kobolds? They are lizard people, around this big." She holds her hands apart to the approximate size of a kobold.

The bright yellow warbler that Silver speaks to whistles with apparent excitement at the prospect of helping the firbolg. He then flies up towards the top of the keep, where you see the damage form the hole in the roof and hovers around that area for a few seconds before flying back down to where you are. 

(Is the library at the top of the keep?)

The library was in the first floor of the keep. The damaged roof is in the area above the stairs where you killed the other kobolds, and where you heard some noises up above. You remember hearing from Fivin that the upper area is called the Raven's Council.

Nym frowned sympathetically at Chrys' forlorn expression as she expressed her feelings, but after a moment she leaned towards Kess to whisper, "...What's a goat?" 

The drow was pensive as they discussed a plan of action and while she wasn't very good at coming up with ideas she had become fair with risk assessment over the years. One had to living in the Underdark. So as they began getting closer to reaching the Kobolds, Nym brought up, "Let's prepare for the worst. These creatures seem extremely loyal to this dragon. Even worshipful if that altar we found is any indication. What do we do if they play along with us but then alert Duskbringer? We could send the stealthiest of us to see if there are any kobolds between us and her. Though even if there aren't, once we begin fighting her, the noise is bound to draw their attention and we'll be flanked..." She brought a hand up to run through her hair, lilac eyes unfocused now as she attempted to play out variations of their plan in her mind. "....It's an underwater cavern. So the water has to come from somewhere. Unless it's an underground spring. Perhaps we could swim up and surprise her?" 

Silver points to the water cascading from the top of the butte, down past and beneath the keep into the loch. "The water comes from the waterfall, does it not? Though how there is a fall of such volume without input from a river is beyond me. Perhaps it has a magical source."

Following the bird's demonstrative flight to the keep and back, Silver gives it a smile. "Thank you little friend, we are very grateful." To the others she says "It would seem we were right below the kobolds earlier. Our way seems clear - back into the keep, and up the stairs by the library. If you are all in agreement?"

(The water is coming from a river at the top of the massive cliff that sits behind Ravensglade Keep.)

"Water can come outta the depths o' the mountain.  Sometimes, it bubbles up ta the surface high on a mountainside.  Then it gotta run down, 'fore it becomes a river," Chrys explains, remembering the few waterfalls that were on the hillsides next to Twilight Tor.  None were quite as impressive as the one framing the elven fortress, of course -- this one was in fact downright intimidating, and it really was more water than she'd ever hoped to see in her entire life.  Still, as impressive and terrifying as the waterfall was, she guessed it was the same principle as the more sedate ones back home.

"As for convincin' the kobolds..."   Chrys smacks a fist into a palm.  "I wasn't thinkin' 'bout bein' diplomatic 'bout it, ta be honest.  Still... gettin' ta the library's a good start."  She gives an appreciative nod to Silver.  "An' we got Lumen, too -- he can near talk anyone outta anythin', if needs be.  I'm kinda thinkin' my way would be a last resort."

Lumen nods. "We're likely to get some answers at the keep. Might as well try it."

With the plan set, you skirt by the loch, hurry up the path past the chapel and arrive back at the entrance to Ravensglade Keep. The towering, ornately etched oaken doors are still open, as they were when you left after bringing the children out a few hours ago.

Peering inside, you don't see or hear anything in the huge entry chamber. Once again, you see the impressive, but now defaced mosaic on the floor in the middle of the room. (Again, the huge disk, surrounded by flames, with a crescent moon and two stars set in shimmering stone has been painted over with tar in the shape of a crudely drawn dragon head.)