"It doesn't seem likely that these trolls are members of an undeath cult. I would hazard a guess that whoever wore this uniform was a member of the Whispering Way." Silas says.
"If it happens that there are more of them here, we must root them out."
"Never a simple hi, how are you, why yes you can come for tea." He stalked towards the hound, waiting for it to either lunge or move out of the way. "Always has to be unnatural death cults and people playing with the natural order."
Gur approaches the hound, and the creature starts barking loudly, but with a set, unnatural cadence. It sounds...odd...perfectly timed and very loud, even over the rushing of the water below the bridge. When Gur gets closer, the hound...predictably, rushes to attack!
"The polite ones are worse - at least here they're upfront about their motives. It makes killing them easier." Cassidia states as she moves forward with Gur and prepares for the hound to attack.
The hound emits no roar, bark, or sound at all as it bounds in to bite at Gur, seemingly not considering anything but the enemy before it.
At the same time, you hear a roar to the west - at the very same tower from which the bolts came previously. You turn to see another troll - this one more massive than the rest and armed with an equally powerful looking crossbow. He levels it at Smaranda and fires!
Seeing the crossbow bolt flash past, Brother Silas turns and re-enters the gatehouse. He moves to the base of the sniper's tower and casts Divine Favor on himself before he proceeds upwards.
Gur roared as he struck at the beast, slabs of muscle rippling as he sought to end it before it ended him. Blood streamed from multiple wounds and glistened sickly upon his flesh and armor. He fought on with increased ferocity as his life slowly ebbed away.
The orc fighting for his life was something to behold, and as he seemed on the verge of collapsing Smaranda pushes past to engage the trollhound, fists smoking and sizzling.
"Make way for me."
She then raises her head to look directly at the troll in the tower, death in her glare.
Gur slams his axe down twice, cutting this beast into pieces. As he does, he can see what look like some fresh wounds on it - as if it were fighting the troll and hounds out here as well. It dies soundlessly.
Silas rushes to the base of the tower, intent upon facing this new threat. As he does, Smaranda moves towards the door.
The arched bridge ends at a small cobbled terrace with a curious-looking iron door depicting a scowling sun being devoured by ravenous clouds. To the left, two hundred feet below, a huge waterfal plunges into the depths.
Smaranda sees a hidden bell pull hanging by the eastern side of the door
"Something here! A bell!" Smaranda shouts, then throws a shoulder against the door to try and open it.
As soon as Smaranda tries the door, which is apparently locked, there's a strange "woosh" sound of sucking air. Immediately after, a massive creature of swirling air appears above her head, looking down at her from twenty feet above the bridge surface.
Cassidia looks back to call on Silas again and is about to turn to Gur and determine what -if anything- she can do when the loud rushing of air whips at her and pulls her attention towards Smaranda and the massive swirling maelstrom that had suddenly appeared.
She's only mostly certain, and rather than risk her companions on a guess instead plants her feet and watches the swirling thing, sword up in what she assumes could be a threatening gesture to the thing.
"Smaranda, we're coming to you." She says in an even tone over the whistling wind, unsure if the creature can understand her but having to take the risk for Smaranda's sake.
The gatehouse is quiet...probably as the troll up there reloads his massive crossbow.
On the bridge, though, the massive air creature begins to spin, faster and faster, making itself into a massive air funnel! It moves to Smaranda and attempts to sweep her up!
Smaranda gets buffeted by the sudden winds as her hair and clothing whip around her. She squeezes her eyes almost shut against the gale as it slams her into the door and she loses her footing.
Smaranda is battered by the winds as they lift her up in the air, removing her from the surface of the bridge!
Silas lifts his mace and takes a move action up the stairs to find the crossbowman.
Silas opens the door, looking for the source of the crossbow fire.
Silas opens the door to see a very narrow corridor that heads to the north...and ends at another door.
"Must be more goblins. It would have to be a skinny troll to fit up in this tower." Brother Silas says to himself as the shoulder-plates of his armor scrape against the walls of the corridor.
Smaranda flails in the air, scrabbling for purchase along the tower wall.
From her new vantage point above the bridge, Smaranda tries to discern the location of the crossbow-shooter and any other important features.
From the new vantage point, Smaranda can see that there is, indeed, a massive troll torso standing on the northeast tower, reloading a massive crossbow. He's so large that he takes up the majority of the top corner.
"Troll in the northeastern tower! Watch out!" Smaranda shouts to those below, struggling to make herself heard over the rushing air of the whirlwind.
She thinks for a brief moment and adds. "Very big troll!"
As he is facing against a ranged opponent, hard run strait back towards the building.
Gur rushes back to the cover of the building and waits there in frustration. Cassidia rushes back towards him and focuses her magics to try and heal the mighty orc.
The pair can hear a snarl of anger from above, and then the stomping of huge feet as the beast comes down from above. It squeezes its body down the stairwell and sets up in the main room of the gatehouse, leveling the massive crossbow through the door at Gur.
The whirlwind streaks to the south, carrying the helpless Smaranda in its clutches as it continues to batter her body.
As it approaches Gur and Cassidia, it attempts to sweep them up into its whirling form!
Silas moves back down to the main floor of the gatehouse.
Smaranda's fingers scrabble at the wall, trying to find purchase.
...... well.....