Finally recovering, the trapdoor is pressed open and a guard tries to push his way through to your floor, Aiden is however ready and waiting forcing him back down the stairs. Aiden smiles as he sees his companion below scramble out of the way of the falling guardsman.

Ambush is mostly irrelevant, combat effectively started when they took poison, however they spend 2 rounds grabbing gear, and recovering from chaos, if anyone wants to do anything in those 2 rounds then feel free.

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One of the keys does in fact open the drawer in the other room, and you're rewarded by a tome wrapped in a velvet cloth. It looks like it will take some time to study properly.

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Bull Rush (1d20+6=10, 1d6+2=8)
Dodge falling Guard (1d20+2=16)
Falling Damage (1d6=6, 1d20=18)

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Guard 1: 6 damage
Guard 2:
Guard 3:
Guard 4:
Guard 5:
Blackerley: 6 wounds (Fatigued)

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Rampart:Initiative (1d20+8=20)
Lars:  Initiative (1d20+1=19)
Aiden: Initiative (1d20+1=13)
Guards:Initiative (1d20+1=12)
Janus: Initiative (1d20+3=7)
Otto:  Initiative (1d20+2=5)
SergeantInitiative (1d20+2=4)

Well we've no duplicate 1st choices, apart from possibly Brand, who hasn't posted. If everyone takes their 1st choice and leaves Brand with the regeneration stone? (who'd have thought that would be last to pick).

By that logic, a standard attack isn't that great because it's only likely to take some vitality away and not do anything permanent, or Taunt's not that great because they just have to spend a 1/2 action to attack you.
Pretty much every action (Well bar some of the special ones granted by feats or tricks) is fairly lackluster taken by themselves in a vacuum. Almost every action in the game requires some thought about when to use it. Of course Disarming shouldn't be your default action, but it doesn't need to be, it's useful at times when it's useful.

If we're giving preference order then I'll go with
1. Bag of Holding
2. Compass
3. Tiny Shelter
4. Stone of TOngues
5. Short Sword
6. Necklace

Signey will defer to more experienced travellers though (though without looking at sheets, she's almost certainly the best crafter, though her Medicine and lockpicking could do with some polish)

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Just wanted to check you wanted to open the containers.
You feel a slight surge of magic as you open the box, but it doesn't appear to have done anything, inside is a bunch of keys, a signet ring, a couple of eyepatches (one plain, though well made the other with some sort of noble crest on it) and finally a locket, containing a painting of a pretty young 20-something woman.
The chest is locked, though one of the keys opens it, it contains an impressive array of alchemist's gear and tools (Chemistry Kit, Smiths Kit and around 200 silver worth of materials of chemistry)

Spellcasting Check (1d20+7=16)

Since he's never actually given the rest of you a name, it's mostly academic anyway.

Done, Another Keeper, +1 Int, Skill Mastery & unarmed proficiency (I always pick up unarmed eventually, it feels weird without it)

"Well, I'm not sure I was any help there, but it could have been worse."
Signey mumbles to herself for a moment, before remembering she's not alone and quiets down and tucks into some food.

Sorry about the delay, been a bit under the weather lately.

Regarding contacts I'm inclined to be flexible up until the point where they seem like they're being abused. So provided you have an hour and a space to setup some obviously infernal summoning circles and other ritual trappings you can call him.

Also it's a contact not a follower/PL, so it generally only helps you if it's in its interest and will usually flee rather than fight.

Janus!Servant returns to the rest of the group waiting outside, listening at the entry she soon hears the commotion of the table upending and vomiting in the game room, followed by the sound of them
It sounds like some of them are coming to you, preparations?

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Heading back across the hall, you enter the wizards bedchamber, it's rather lavishly appointed, and you dimly recall Richter is actually from a noble family. A quick root through finds several thousand silver in furnishings (good luck getting it out though), on the more transportable side, several noble outfits hang in the wardrobe, a sturdy chest is pushed into one corner
The dressing table also has a decorated wooden box inside.

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1d20+2=17, 1d20+2=20, 1d20+2=9, 1d20+2=21, 1d20+2=9
2 of the guards drop, clutching their stomachs.
Blackerley
Poison Save (1d20+4=9)
Poison Save (1d20+4=10)
Poison Save (1d20+4=5)
Poison Save (1d20+4=21)
Blackerley loses 6 wounds before making a save
Janus Notice:
Notice (1d20+6=21)

Janus, heading ahead.
Aiden, Gatehouse Backup
Lars, Gatehouse Backup
Rampart, Gatehouse Backup?

Drin, Wizards Tower

Otto, Gatehouse Backup?

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You slip into the wardens' Office, it's not locked, a search around reveals a potentially useful looking map of the surrounding area laid out on the desk.
Said desk also has a locked drawer, it doesn't open with your attempts at picking the lock, but the desk doesn't look that sturdy - as long as the contents aren't too breakable.

NB: Used your craft check to pick the doors lock, since it wasn't required for that.

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Sergeant Blackerley eyes you up as you enter the gatehouse, his eyes narrow for a moment, but then they flick down your body, lingering for a moment at temporary body's ample chest,
"Put them on the bench girl, we'll eat when the game's finished

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Making your way up into the apparrently empty side of the of the Gatehouse, Aiden smirks slightly, it would have been almost impossible to execute your plan if the guards had been halfway competent and had someone stationed in the gatehouse, it's got a view of almost the entire grounds through it's numerous arrow slits.
Waiting for Janus to signal you for aid, or return with information you settle in to wait

Sorry, real life getting in the way, I'll crash you forward a bit later today.

Fighting in water is not Signey's forte (fighting at all isn't actually - she'd rather be sat with a book, or a relic to study), she moves near the edge of the water and draws her dagger. Maybe if it surfaces she might be able to hit it with a throw.

Hmmm, for some reason I'd assumed there was another door when I looked through before...
To confirm, you have to go into 3b, up to 3d then across to get down to 3c.
Also of note when you go around the front 7 is an animal pen containing several mean looking dogs.

Can I have a quick note as to where you'll all be when Janus heads across.

Janus is headling over.
Drin is staying the wizards tower.

Anyone moving across the courtyard will need either a disguise check or stealth check to look the part or sneak across (DC 12) a team check using lowest skill will suffice if you're all moving together.


Regarding Ritual Weapons, for the purposes of this setting/campaign and the more limited options for alignmnets, I'm inclined to be flexible regarding Mitra and Asmodeus. I'm going to ponder a little bit more but I think I'll do one or both of the following:
a) Separate both religions into loose "orders" (i.e. Asmodean Martial, Asmodean Infiltrator, Asmodean Devoted) each effectively being an offshoot of the main religion?
b) Allow an upgrade to weapons "Icon" which allows a weapon to be used as a ritual weapon, at the cost of being obviously tied to the religion (a potentially significant cost in the setting), it'll probably

Trying to maintain a small degree of dignity after being dragged across the room by Killishandra but not entirely sure what Dolmen's going to do, or what she should be doing, Signey scampers to take cover beneath the mighty granite form.