Pathfinder: The Black Tower

[Part of the Party Time journal]

The party rushes the central pit ramp where Valeros and Razmus handle a dire bear trio while the everyone else slings spells and arrows at a four giant basket ball boulder throwing team, the captain of whom actually downs Ezren, but Kyra gets the mage right back up with a full heal and letting him disintegrate the giant captain in retaliation when he makes the mistake of advancing. 

Once clear the party poke their heads out in the courtyard. It is now dusk but due to watchful guards on the towers and another washing down a mammoth nearby, there doesn't seem to be a quiet way to their target: the Black Tower, so they opt to rush a lodge in the opposite direction first to get rooftop cover from any more thrown boulders. Inside is an ancient dire bear who is easily slain by a crit from Joe Gang, but its roar alerts the guards who are in no time trying to raid the place. Too bad for them they are funneled through the doors which negates their threat level as they are peppered with arrows, spells and other sharp objects.

With all the guards dead Kyra uses a wall of stone to help the team avoid the mammoth running laps around outside like a confused puppy, and they climb a tower to sneak a long way around - avoiding the gaze of the Rocs nestling high up in a central spire. A trio of harpies does spot them though, and their song convinces Valeros and the Shoanti Squad to walk off the wall and take what is insignificant fall damage (thanks to the dice roll). Apart from their opening song they aren't much of a threat, and the team reconvene (with some climbing) in the interior of a guard tower to rest undisturbed for a bit.

That's kind of weird, but the outer camps did seem busy and in disarray so maybe the forged letters Conna delivered were doing the trick! Another quick sneak lands them inside the Black Tower interior which is so cold it hurts. Kyra uses stone shape to make a vertical hole transform into rough steps and down below they awake an ancient mummy who focuses all its kung fu attacks (it must be Jet Li's mummy) on the cleric while freezing Merisiel, Ezren and Joe Gang with fear.

Ultimately its the combination of channeling positive energy, Kyra's flamestrike, Valeros' flamethrower and Razmus' blessed sledgehammer that smashes the undead thing back into dust, also smashing open a scroll case it was carrying. Among the contents is a paper with the passphrase to the shining door below.