Tyde prepares for a nighttime swim to gain access via the water gate.

"Let's hope most of them are sleeping." Tyde whispers as they near the entrance.

Rubin can see in darkness as well, and is invisible to anyone else using darkvision to boot.

Please all roll stealth checks.  There's no time for anyone to help unless someone isn't hiding.

((Just as a brief update, the various home repairs are ongoing which has been extremely hectic, took time away from work and now I am playing catch up on work things while the home remains a construction zone.  Still not sure on my ETA of when I'll have time to return to regular posting, but the game is not forgotten, just extremely busy and stressed at the moment.  Again, apologies.  I don't want to slow progress of the game for everyone involved, so feel free to do whatever is needed for the story - bot my character, create a scenario where they are pulled away temporarily, whatever you feel is best to progress the game.  I am hopeful all this will pass and things will return to normal.))

Rubin stealth: 16

Tyde stealth: 21

Kethra's stealth roll: 16

Not really one who knows how to swim stealthily, Kethra splashes a bit on the swim across the water gate.

(We'll wait a little longer for Damian and Jairus.  I'll roll for them if I have to.)

Davian stealth: 20

Jairus stealth: 23

Guard perception: 11 2

You hear a cough from the wall, and a voice barely carrying to you.

"Huh?  Is anyone there?  I swear I just saw someone in the water."

He doesn't appear to have fully noticed you.

Tyde will remain quiet and float silently by for a few moments until the guard chalks it up to his imagination and moves on.

Rubin would do the same, though he would be tensed for an alarm to be sounded.

Both embarrassed and hopped up on adrenaline, Kethra calls upon her training to manage to stay still, following Mr. Tyde's lead.

You all lie still in the water, hardly daring to breathe.  Eventually the sentry shrugs, and goes back to pacing the wall.

"Must have been the wind."

Tyde waits a moment more to make sure and then continues on.

The keep’s eastern wall juts out into the river, forming a good-sized basin in which a couple of keelboats float. A wide gap in the southeast wall provides access to the river, although it is blocked by a heavy chain. A twenty-foot tall bluff of rock and earth separates the landing and a nearby tower from the rest of the castle grounds. To the north, a wide stream flows out of a cave mouth into the boat basin. An iron grate blocks access to the stream.

You see two sets of staircases ahead of you as you pull yourselves out of the water.  One leads up the bluff, and the other leads onto the walls.

Rubin pauses, looking to the others to see which stairs they wish to head up.

"Who knows for sure where those lead?" Tyde gestures to the bluffs.

"These go up to the walls. We know there is only one guard per wall. Perhaps we should start there?" Tyde now gestures toward the stairs leading up to the walls. "Plus we could probably get a better look at the complex from up there."

Kethra encourages the party to take cover by the keelboats, to hide their conversation away with the lapping of waves and the creaking of wood. "That's a really good plan, Mr. Tyde. We don't know how much is in here, but even if we do find ourselves being overwhelmed by numbers, it would narrow how many of them at a time can rush us at a time!"

"Rubin, can I count on you to take the lead with me? You've got eyes, then I can wrestle them down...or push them down the wall if it has to come to that, heh."

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

The keep’s eastern wall juts out into the river, forming a good-sized basin in which a couple of keelboats float. A wide gap in the southeast wall provides access to the river, although it is blocked by a heavy chain.

Still using the natural noise of the boats and water as cover, she jams her shortsword into one of the boat's hull, making a hole. It's just above the water so that it won't leak unless people get in it.

"Just in case."

(Are you all decided on going up the wall staircase?)