"The barricade is soaked in oil. I can smell it."

Replies only go to her, unfortunately. "Tomas smells oil, definitely prepared for something. I can send Lhín up for an angle on the inside but she might be spotted. Options I see: if they're clustered enough, I might be able to go in invisibly and get them all in one Color Spray or just Burst them from out here. If not, we need to get them all at once to avoid an alarm or the barricade being lit. Again, invisibility helps, but that costs many casts and my casts are limited. Tomas, Yanor, I know not if you have anything available for this purpose today."

A pause, to let people consider that idea. "Alternatively we can attempt to exhaust their alarms. A Silent Image of a boggard will likely trigger whatever defenses they have, and I can make it flee very quickly out of sight and into the rock. One spell could ring the alarm ten times in an hour, if I can maintain my focus and a decent perspective on it. After that, any alarms in response to our entrance would be less notable, and the barricade's oil most likely depleted. This alerts them to the presence of something in the area, but may be worthwhile."

Another pause. "I am certain there are more options I have not thought of, if any of you wish to propose something or note a flaw in some proposed approach."

"I could infuse disguise self and enter surreptitiously as one of the troglodytes. I might have trouble leaving without arousing suspicion."

"Every invisibility you spend is one less burst of radiance later. I prefer the illusion plan."

"As do I, and the both are preferable to simply charging in. Falsify, then? Image has war range, it is best cast from a few hundred feet in the other direction and behind something to minimize the risk of them spotting me and charging out. That would draw them from their defenses but I would much prefer to do better, doubly so as they may have bows in there."

"That sounds good to me."

Tomas nods in agreement.

All good, then. "I'll need to be able to see clearly enough to guide my spell..." She thinks for a moment before nodding. "I can handle that."

Back, back, back. By the time she's done walking in the other direction, they're five hundred feet from the cave, which is just visible around the undergrowth. Making anything out at this distance is impossible — she could cast from this far, but it would be impossible to expect any accuracy. Then she gets the Anytool out of her backpack, and unfolds it this way, that way, again and again, expanding into something clealry heavier than it started as...

By the time she's done, she has a small, low-quality, but definitely functional telescope in front of her, peeking out of the scrubby plants and brush. She aims it towards the cave and gazes through.

Can she successfully see the cave entrance?

She can see the cave entrance through the telescope. It looks the same as before.

Perfect. And... Silent Image, infusing one side of the entryway to a depth of about twenty feet plus a route around the side and into the rock with the potential to hold her image. Within that space, to the side of the cave, there appears a boggard, large and threatening, holding an impressively spiky weapon in one hand, its tongue flicking out in the air. With a gesture from her, it leaps in, bounding powerfully onto the oil-soaked barricade.

Something flies out from within the cave. Roaring flames engulf the barricade.

A javelin streaks across the air and passes through the illusory boggard. No more javelins follow.

"They spotted the illusion as soon as a weapon went through. Javelins. I'll drop this image. Something incorporeal could work better. Do you recall where the battlefield was? A ghost might work, especially if they believe themselves able to harm it slightly with weapons."

"The battlefield is a little over a thousand feet east of the cave entrance."

She turns the telescope.

"...Ah. So it is. Julen, then, would you mind hauling a boggard corpse which looks dangerous and isn't too mutilated over? I do apologize for the necessity, but I suspect a ghost they have recently slain will be a more productive weapon than an arbitrary imagined boggard."

Julen puts on a cloth mask and walks over the hills to the east. He leaves most of the cargo with the party.

The fire at the barricade burns itself out in five minutes. There's nothing left of it.

A few troglodytes poke their heads out of the cave and look around. They retreat once they confirm the lack of immediate hostiles.

Julen is back within a few minutes, a rotting corpse lugged over his shoulder.

"The fire is burnt out, so I think this a good trade even if we make no further progress. However, let me see what I can do."

Same targeting, same area, but this time the Image is of the boggard corpse next to them, with its eyes open and its colors faded. The lethal wounds are still fully visible on its form, and it trails small wisps of fog in its wake. This time, it passes through the wall as it enters, turning to look at the solid object momentarily before returning to its path.

A javelin flies through the supposed ghost boggard. More follow it.

It flinches and drifts upward, apparently reacting poorly to the javelins. It reaches for one, and looks confused as its hand passes through pointlessly, then turns to the troglodytes (or at least to her guess of where they are and floats forward aggressively, its hand extended.

A more impressive troglodyte leaps at the ghostly boggard and slams a heavy mace through them. They don't react. He looks around and sighs and walks back into the cave.

"Someone is convinced their mace should harm even ghosts, every time. The entire group seems to agree. Do magic weapons not have some chance to fail against ghosts?"

"Magic weapons work against ghosts. They're not very effective without ghost touch but they do function at all."

"Ah. In that case I believe I have nothing else I can effectively do. I could wait some time and send a new ghost illusion, this one fleeing as soon as they call for the magic weapon, but that may be of limited effectiveness. Of course, the barricade is now burnt to a crisp, and I have several more Images. We could simply go in, cover the cave with an Image of fog or similar, and attempt to slay them with simple force. Given time, they will eventually dismiss it as false, but it will take time. I could also cast one from closer by and wait to see if they call for aid or not and strike only if they do not, or simply cast one from here and attempt to repeatedly make them call until they assume it nothing. In enough time, though, they will see through it. I have six first circle spells remaining for the day."