"Don't forget Hoff!" Kraygan's voice calls after Wren. "He needs to get to the dam unseen!"
"Torgan. Jorgan. Get the yaks. You, manticore, get to the ledge and ready those spikes o' yers." The chest of loot rattles as a potion and the vials of alchemist fire rise up, then vanish into Kraygan's pack. A moment later the sound of his rattling armor and heavy boots recede down the steps.
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Kraygan quickly gathers what he needs as he rushes off towards the sound of dwarven battlecry's as his body and belongings rapidly vanish from sight. Quickly Wren also turns himself invisible as he rushes up the battlement to keep an eye on the situation below. Wren's keen eyes watch for Kraygan but the dwarf quickly leaves his view
As Kraygan rushes about the orc camp he hears a few bits of information as he hears some of the orcs talking in each of the tents that he passes past.
“If those stinkin’ ogrekin take any more pot shots at us from that wall, I’m gonna kill ’em all myself. Ain’t fair that they get to stay inside the fort while we live down here like rats.”
“You hear about Grash? Poor bastard met the wrong end of one of them ogre ’ooks. They caught ’im sneakin’ into their territory. He said he got lost, but the ogres didn’t buy his story. Cooked ’im right up and ate ’im, they did, and they’re drinkin’ grog out of ’is skull now. If I get my hands on the ogre who did that, I’m gonna use ’is head as a chamber pot.”
“Our fearless leader ain’t so tough after all, I hear. She’s holed up in her room crying like a whelp. Something ‘bout her true love don’t feel the same for her Never thought that oversized beast would be so feeble.”
“I swear I saw that ghost again last night, up in that bell tower. It ain’t those dimwitted ogrekin neither, they leave at sundown. It can fly, and makes a horrible scream that chills yer blood. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it for myself!”
“Ha! Looks like Karrguk’s woman has something for our bear bait. Must be her human blood that makes her so kind to that dwarf. I say let the bears eat him. We can always put those stupid ogres in the bear pit instead.”
“There’s a reason we been drilling so much lately. The general wasn’t just training us to fight giants for nothing. He’s found a secret way into the fort. We’re gonna hit those ogres hard, and when we’re done, we’re gonna take that blubbering giant’s stash for ourselves.”
The orcs seem to pay little mid to the sounds of armor creaking about their camp as the majority are in their tent's, shielding them from the sun's scorching rays. Kraygan eventually makes it to a large set of double doors. Listening over the orcs he hears what sounds like a dwarf yelling from the other side of the massive doors. Looking up Kraygan sees six orcs pointing longbows down into the pit, sporadically taking pot shots into it. Further north Kraygan hears the roar of multiple hungry animals. Kraygan watches the six orcs laugh in the barbican as he hears another large door creak open and the sounds of multiple sets of heavy paws pounding into the ground. The dwarf sighs as Kraygan hears Torag's Beard here we go again! AHHHHHHHHHThe screams of both dwarf and animal mix into the air.
Curse of Melancholy- Wren and Torgan -2 to att; weapon damage; saves; skill checks; ability checks.
Kraygan (R)(54/56)
Wren (Cursed)
Jorgan (B)(56/57)
Torgan (Y) (56/58; cursed)
Vanderhoff (G)(45/45)
Manticore (Red -3; cursed)
Kraygan examines the doors, trying to look through cracks in the palisade to catch a glimpse of the dwarf beyond.
"Alright, sounds like a fair enough plan. Be careful. If things go bad and we can't meet up, everyone should rendezvous at our first campsite." Vanderhoff nods to Kraygan and lets himself be wanded by Wren.
Once invisible, Vanderhoff rushes toward the dam, getting himself into position. Checking over the hatches, he makes sure he can operate the hatches and tries to place the grenades in a position to disable the hatches and keeps them from being closed.
He then climbs up near the top and carefully peeks over, looking for some kind of sign.
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Looking at the door Kraygan sees that the large double doors are currently barred with a large piece of lumber from the side he is currently on.
Looking further up Kraygan determines that the palisade is roughly 10 feet tall, constructed of 2 foot thick logs lashed together. Kraygan does not see much lying around the orc encampment, it seems that the Giant's are getting the better end of this deal. Though Kraygan does eventually see a nearby barrel with a couple of spears and falchions sticking out of the open top near a tent further north.
Kraygan looks about for the groups constructed yak but sees little sign of it from his vantage point. Wren is too focused watching for the dwarf as he looks back into the fort he sees a few more sights. Straight below him seems to be a large kennel containing a pack of dire wolves. The wolves seem to be going frantic as they jump at the back wall towards Wren, their sound muffled by the ringing bell.
Just north of the wolf kennel is the Outer Bailey. This open courtyard is littered with dead brown weeds and prickly thistles. To the south of the courtyard is a lowered portcullis separating the outer bailey from the inner ward. Sitting right in the center of the courtyard is Jorgan's constructed yak. Squinting his eyes a bit Wren sees that it has been damaged. One of the barrels below the yak seems to have been torn free. Three Ogrekin scamper about the yakmobile, investigating the strange structure. A large hill giant pushes them aside and tears the last barrel free from the underside of the yak, leaving a gaping hole below. He hurls the barrel to the ground, causing some of the contents to slop about in the weeds. Cautiously peering over the Ogrekin taste the contents by dipping a dirty finger into the split cask. One grabs a small handful and quickly spits it back into the ground as it cringes backwards.
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Looking back to the mission at hand Wren walks further down the walkway until he comes to a doorway. He is unable to see past the room into the moat to see what is going on.
Taking his time Vanderhoff makes his way down to the dam where he easily finds a latch. Looking it over it does seem a bit rusted but overall it looks as if it should still operate with little effort. Carefully Vanderhoff begins to place the grenades in small crevices all about the gate.
Kraygan glances around, hoping no orcs are looking his way before he lifts the lumber barring the doors and sets it aside. He then cracks them open just enough to peer through.
With the bar apparently set at a height not meant for dwarves, Kraygan has trouble getting a good grip on it.
Torgan will go off in search of the yaks around the southern edge of the fortress, knowing that they might be close by to the impromptu entrance created by his brother. "Aye, I'll return shortly. Don't get in trouble!" he warns.
Torgan and Malt edge closer to Kraygan's position, but try to avoid being seen by any orcs in the towers, keeping close to the wall.
"Moooo..." utters Malt but Torgan quickly shushes him. [smaller]"We have t' be quiet!"[/smaller[
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Did the yaks hear my whistle and come running to us?
As Kraygan messes with the gate Torgan takes off following the southern edge of the moat. After just a moment Torgan finds the entrance from the torn grate. Inside he hears the yaks eagerly playing in the raw sewage. Giving a sharp whistle the bile covered yaks stampede out of the sewer, nearly toppling Torgan in their wake as the lick him all over. Feces and other unmentionables fling in all directions as Torgan grabs at their reins, leading the yaks back along to the group.
Kraygan grasps the board and attempts to lift it. His eyes bulge as the board seems heavier than he though and it slams back into the metal rack with a heavy dull thud.
The tent next to Kraygan suddenly goes quiet. You hear noishe?
Kraygan slams the board once again as he curses to himself.
You hearing thingsh Grak....*hic* Another orc responds as Kraygan hears what sounds like an orc shoving another. The tents sides begin to bulge in odd directions as the two orcs break into a small fight within the tent.
Spitting on his hands Kraygan is finally able to lift the board off of the metal hooks and drop it to the ground. Grabbing the handle Kraygan pulls the door open just enough to see through.
Inside Kraygan sees that the dry moat wraps around the barbican, creating a U-shaped path that has been partitioned off to create a pen and run area for several large animals. Sun-bleached bones and excrement litter the run amid large swatches of coarse fur. Inside is a reluctant male dwarven combatant, armed only with a masterwork skillet. The dwarf's beard in hacked off in a crude fasion leaving only small tufts of hair on his cheeks and chin. His clothes are little more than torn and bloody rags as he fends for his life against three hungry grizzly bears and a much larger dire bear that take large swipes at him.
Pulling the doors open enough for the skillet-master to get through, Kraygan calls to the dwarf in their own language.
"Brother! I'm Kraygan o' clan Steelkeg! I've come to rescue you! The doors 'r open. Ye won't see me, but I'll lead the way out!"
Kraygan moves to let the dwarf past but prepares to stand in the doorway to hold up the bears for a moment if pursued.
Jorgan is unsure where to go and even more lost without his yak to keep him company so he follows Wren on the reconnaissance without saying more than a word to the elf. Seeing the wolves though, Jorgan strikes up an idea. "What if we let those fellas out to cause all sorts o' terror? Maybe they'd be friendly to us."
Jorgan gets down on one knee to look at the wolves better. He lets out a soft whistle and starts speaking under his breath to the wolves. "There's a good boy, calm down now, calm down. If I let you out now, you'll get plenty of orc fer supper, eh? Would you like that?"
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Jorgan moves up the stairs. Seeing the open door he peeks his head out just enough to see the mass of ogrekin and Hill Giants messing around with Torgan's brew. Looking down, Jorgan becomes all misty eyed as he notices the wolves. Fearful that they will attract attention to Wren Jorgan lies down on his stomach in the doorway and begins to make kissing noises and teasing at the wolves, which doesn't seem to help at all.
The Manticore remains on the perch as it's head snaps left and right.
Why is all of my food going in different directions?
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Kraygan shouts out to the dwarf, who jumps with a start. His head turns about in all directions as he notices the door. Carefully the dwarf holds the skillet in a grizzled and bloodied hand as he swats one of the grizzly bears paws to the side and backs through the slightly ajar doorway.
The orc's above, that were previously taking pot shots at the dwarf, notice the dwarf go through the doorway with wide eyes and begin to yell loud curses.
THE DWARF! GET THE DAMNED DWARF! HE IS GETTING OUT!
Within seconds a few of the tents behinds Kraygan begin to rustle as dozens of semi-drunk orcs begin to pour out of them.
Fear in his eyes the dwarf looks left, then right. Where to now? You still there Steelkeg?
A crash sounds behind the battered dwarf as the bears batter at the door, swinging it wide open. following the dwarf!
Vanderhoff's eyes light up as he sees a dwarf exit the door but rapidly turns to worry as he also sees a mass of bears quickly follow him out along with dozens of orcs.
Keeping himself between the bears and the dwarf, Kraygan takes out the potion of invisibility and continues calling out instructions.
"Hold out yer hand! I got a potion that'll turn ye invis'ble! Drink it and run that way.. uhh.. west, past the dam! Stop when ye get past the tents!"
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"I'm coming Kraygan!" the yellow-haired dwarf bellows as he leads the yaksbrigade, passing by his brother on the ledge. As he and the three yaks round the corner, he is greeted by a dwarf surrounded by orcs with dire bears peeking their heads out of a makeshift arena.
"RETREAT!" he yells as he starts to turn.
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The orcs seems slow to react. It seems that Torgan's brew had an ill effect on them making them a bit confused a quite groggy. A few of the orcs look about at the dwarf, confusion first sets in on how he got out, quickly beset by anger that their plaything is escaping, turns back to confusion again as he suddenly disappears before their eyes.
The southern orcs scramble about with spears where the dwarf once stood. They begin to poke around in the dirt, their spears leaving little poke marks in the soil but little else.
He wash here a minute ago! Find him!
Turning their back to begin hunting for the dwarf the group of orcs commands spill out into frantic screams of pain as the hungry bears leave their pen and begin to feast on the orcs. The four bears spill out of their containment in all directions. Their heavy paws swipe at the unsuspecting orcs with ferocity. Their sharp claws rake into the orcs flesh, ripping them wide open. Pieces of orc fly into the air causing the orcs to fly into a panicked frenzy.
Kraygan urges the dwarf further south past Vanderhoff.
Hearing the orcs call to arms Torgan takes off at a mad dash towards the frey. That is until he sees the amount of orcs pouring forth from the tents, and then the bears. Skidding to a halt Torgan falls in the dirt as he turns around. Kicking his feet frantically he makes for a mad dash towards the stampeding yaks. As he runs past Torgan grabs the reins, yanking their necks, he spins the yaks back around with him, making for the stone steps. Barbed thorns whip past Torgan as the Manticore releases waves of spikes from it's tail.
Run faster fresh meat! It smiles devilishly.
While still invisible the two dwarves easily dodge around the scattering orcs just enough to pass Vanderhoff's position.
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Back up top Wren hears the plan semi-unfold. As the entire orc camp comes alive Wren sees that the ogrekin messing with yak-mobile jerk their heads in the direction. The Hill Giant calls up above to the Giant scratching himself near the pyramid of boulders.
What going on Pappy?
Pappy covers his eyes from the sun's rays. Stoopid greenskins playing with stuntyrunt again.
Shrugging his shoulders the large Hill giant goes back to inspecting the yak-mobile.
Wren moves to grab Jorgan and move down the stairs.
"C'mon, Jorgan! You can't stay here! I'm not even sure that I can stay here. Get downstairs and to your yak! We're blowing this place."
Wren sends Jorgan running and stand by the door, debating what to do. He has no desire to be the target for the be-bouldered hill giant, but knows he might need to act soon.
"Well this is workin out better then I hoped." Kraygan chuckles softly to himself as the dwarf escapes invisibly and the bears begin to attack the orc camp. He's tempted to stay and watch, but the plan has not yet all come together. Turning away from the entertainment, he runs by the dam and calls out the signal for Hoff.
Jorgan nods to Wren and rushes back down the stairs. "Ya gotta help me carry 'im though." Jorgan runs back to the yakoffin and hefts up one side, waiting for Wren and/or another dwarf to grab the other.
Hearing Kraygan yell, Van hops down to the dam, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. First he yanks open the hatches, letting the water flow, then activates the fuse grenades.
Oh boy, this is gonna be hilarious!
Once the fuses are set, Van begins running as fast as he can back to his cousins, though he contiues looking back over his shoulder so as to not miss the show.
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Wren looks at Jorgan and scoffs.
"Jorgan, there is no way I can lift this. Maybe if I had weeks of magical preparation, but you might as well ask a yak not to stink. I cannot do what I cannot do," Wren says incredulously rejecting the idea.
"I might be able to drag it a few feet, but if we are running from orcs and giants hurling stones, that isn't much good. Think, dwarf. THINK!"
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Hearing Kraygan yell the safety word Vanderhoff quickly sets the fuse grenades and pulls the lever to the makeshift dam. The hatch quickly opens allowing water to freely flow back into the moat.
Vanderhoff takes off running, behind what he assumes is his cousin, back to the safety of the stairs.
While the eastern camp of orcs fend off the attack from the bears the southern camp begin to hurl their spears in the area that Kraygan was yelling just a moment before. One of the orc's tilts his head as he notices water coming in from the dam.
That didn't do that....
He is cut short as the air is rocked by the sound of multiple explosions from the dam, leaving a gaping hole in it's wake. A torrent of water gushes into the once dry moat. The river slams into the southern orcs first, ripping the ground right out from underneath them as it slams them into the rocky wall behind them.
Vanderhoff's legs pump as fast as they can as the raging waters lap right at his heels. He makes it to the stone steps just in time to fall to his knees catching his breath as the invisibility charges wear off of the dwarves one by one.
Looking back the group sees a large portion of the orc community being dragged along the stormy waters, slammed into walls and impaled on tent stakes. A small group of orcs sputter for breath as they cling to the walls for safety.
"HAR!" Kraygan laughs from his perch on the general's ledge. Grabbing his keg he celebrates with a toast to the orcs being swept by. "There goes the neighborhood!"
After a swig, he turns and offers it to the rescued dwarf. "I'm Kraygan. That's me cousins Torgan and Vanderhoff. Got another cousin, Jorgan, somewhere around here too. And an elf by the name o' Wren. The manticore's with us too, but can't recall if it ever told us its name. So, who're ye, and how'd ye end up down with them bears?"
"Aye, I'm Torgan an' who would ye..." he asks as Kraygan starts talking. "Ah well, Kraygan has it in hand. Tell 'im yer story."
Turning to Wren, Torgan asks the elf. "We should clear this fort of its... infestation." Torgan says. "Ye feel like killin' more orcs an' giants?"
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Wren nods at the dwarf by way of introduction, happy to have the others about in case Jorgan was serious about taking the yak with him.
"You got a name, dwarf? Or should I just call you 'dwarf' like the rest?" Wren asks politely in the moments of calm before more disaster. "Also, it's possible that our clever blowing of the damn dam, damnit has made escape back through the sewer a bit more difficult if you cannot swim."
Wren's eyes flicker to Vanderhoff.
"And I'm sure that I've seen some of you sink like my hopes when I saw that skull, so maybe we'll need to find another way out."
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The dwarf wheezes as he catches his breath. Holding a grizzled hand to his chest he turns and pumps a fist into the air, letting out a loud cheer.
Torag bless you all. Name is Umlo Nagrymkin. Droja foretold of eroes arriving to liberate us.
The dwarves eyes go wide and he places a hand over his mouth. His eyes begin to become moist.
Oh Gods..... Droja....... I hope she is ok. She was in a tent to the north.
Omlo falls to his knees. This is all my fault. I just wanted a simple life......just wanted to be a cook and stop adventuring. My sister became fascinated with finding our long lost ancestor's tomb (Nargrym Steelhand) though. I couldn't talk her out of it so I had to come along to keep an eye on her, at least to make sure she ate well on the road. Last thing I remember is we stumbled upon a hag coven in the marsh. Droja.......
....Draja filled me in on the rest. She said the orcs found me wandering the Marsh, alone and brought me here. The bastards pitted me daily against those bears, armed with nothing but a damned skillet. He says with a sneer.
It didn't take long for me to become overrun. Droja said that their leader ordered her to heal me each day so that their spectacle could resume. She helped me so much...... She recognized what the hag's did to me immediately and healed me. She opened my eyes again. She was a prisoner just as much as I am....
"so maybe we'll need to find another way out."
Jorgan shakes his head. "I don't think I'm up for any more door-making today. But the first door I made should still be there if we can get across the moat...."
Name is Umlo Nagrymkin.
Jorgan raises his eyebrows and looks at the others but lets the lad finish his story before clearing his throat. "Droja? Don't recall that she ever used her name-she wasn't quite right in the head when we found her-but she certainly was still set on finding and rescuing you. Yes, we found her and she kept on about poor Umlo. Well, it looks like we've found you and now a reunion is in order."
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Umlo looks at Jorgan with confusion. No, my sister's name is Ingrahild. Droja was a half-orc oracle here in the camp. Their leader would use her as his concubine.
Umlo slams his fist down on the ledge of the wall. The poor girl....
His shaggy head lifts with a jerk as he looks up at Jorgan. You say you have seen Ingrahild though? He stands, placing a hand on Jorgan's shoulder. She is alive and well?
"Aye, Umlo." Kraygan answers the dwarf's last question. "We came across Ingrahild in the swamps a few days ago." He backhands Jorgan's shoulder to get his attention. "Don't ye remember her? Kept goin on 'bout Umlo?" Turning back to said name, he explains. "She were cursed with a madness, but even so helped us defeat the last hag in that coven that attacked you both. She couldn't remember much, and thought ye must be dead. We took her ta Castle Fer'een and had her curse lifted. She mentioned maybe headin back to the Mindspins, but might still be there. We'd take ye there, but we gotta finish givin this fort an enema first. If yer up for some payback, we got plenty extra armor and weapons."
Changing the subject, Kraygan looks to the refilled moat. "'Bout yer friend now. Maybe we could rescue her too. Haggis received hostile environment trainin in the Janderhoff Cavalry..."
He backhands Jorgan's shoulder to get his attention. "Don't ye remember her? Kept goin on 'bout Umlo?"
"How could I forget her? Course I remember her! But I hadn't heard the name Droja before is all."
Jorgan shrugs this off and nods. "The Mindspins and your sis will have to wait. We've got business to finish here and I'm sure you're eager to take part in the retaliation."
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Changing the subject, Kraygan looks to the refilled moat. "'Bout yer friend now. Maybe we could rescue her too. Haggis received hostile environment trainin in the Janderhoff Cavalry..."
Umlo's face grows somber at Kraygan's words. She lived in the moat and her vision was not the greatest.....
She mentioned maybe headin back to the Mindspins, but might still be there.
The Mindspan Mountains! Why would she head there? That is in the opposite direction of the rumors she heard.
Jorgan shrugs this off and nods. "The Mindspins and your sis will have to wait. We've got business to finish here and I'm sure you're eager to take part in the retaliation."
The dwarf smiles a toothy smile, with more than a few missing from the bears. It seems that no matter how much I run from the adventuring life, it still seems to find me. No matter how much I would though, they took my gear and left me with a damned skillet. Didn't happen to find me magical breastplate and warhammer lying about did ye?
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Wren double takes.
"You're Umlo?" Wren sputters, shaking his head. "Your sister...your piddlespotting sister...she's a piece of work."
Wren wants to be disappointed, but realizes that the dwarf who was holding off bears with a skillet deserves some respect.
"Well, we'll get you outta here. We're just not sure how yet."
"Umlo, what do you know of the church place? Where the orcs fear to tread?"
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Umlo dons his armor as best he can. His hands crinkle around the handle of the warhammer. If I only had these weeks ago. Those bears wouldn't have stood a chance.
Shaking his head. No matter, Droja was right. The heroes she foretold arrived! He holds his arms wide to encompass the group.
The manticore sniffs Umlo. Just another meat snack for me when these Giants kill you all. The manticore grins wickedly as it brushes up against Jorgan.
The church? Orcs fear to tread? Hmm. That must be what Droja was talking about. hard to tell as I was in and out of it when I was with her. She said the heroes destiny lies in the Fort's haunted chapel, should they be brave enough to accept the challenge. He shrugs his shoulders. I kind of stopped listening as I thought she was speaking nonsense.
Umlo looks to Wren. I am well aware of the trouble my sister gets into. He says waving an arm about to the Fort and Giants.
"So this Droja knew we were comin?" Kraygan ponders A moment. "Maybe she knew we'd flood the place too and got herself to safety. S'pose that's the best ye could hope fer, 'cause lookin at the waters here I'm not sure Haggis could mount a rescue."
To the group, Kraygan says, "So, sounds like we're talkin 'bout goin to the Haunted Chapel. Place is barricaded up good. We should take out those ogrekin above it first, then take their bows and shoot up the hill giant from that vantage point."
Looking at the Orc general's corpse, Kraygan smiles. "Let me drag this one up to the parapets, prop him up on the wall, and put an arrow or two in the giant with the boulders. Might keep his attention long enough fer some of ye to cross to the section under the ogrekin and get inside."
"I say we just bum rush th' bastard." Torgan counters. "No need t' distract when most are dead."
Kraygan opens his mouth as if to protest, then reconsiders with a shrug. "Or we could just bum rush th' bastard."
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"I will go to this chapel. I would see it for myself," Wren says. "I don't think we need a plan. We can just walk across that eastern walkway and walk right up to them If any of you are afraid of an arrow or two, there is a potion for that."
Wren proposes a straight walk across to the Belltower .
"You all take too long to make plans. Let's go." Wren goes to the doorway, ready to dash across.
Torgan readies his weapons and follows Wren. "Aye, quick decisions from th' long-toothed elf. Quite odd, but it is said th' dwarves took two millenia t' decided t' come t' th' surface. Can't expect more from yerself than what yer ancestors gave ye."
"I'm good with the elf's idea. Lead on Cap'n Wren." Kraygan follows.
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Wren leads the group of dwarves back through the secret passage to the ladder. Realization sets in as the dwarves realize that they are unable to get the yaks back up the secret passage.
The manticore sheepishly volunteers. Don't worry. I will keep an eye on them. You have nothing to worry about.
Without a second though Wren leads the way to the belltower by the western walkway.
The hill giant on the far end still seems to be preoccupied with the yak-mobile as Torgan slowly creaks the door open.
Several decrepit bunks rot in this neglected room. The tracks of numerous footprints have cleared a visible path between the room's three doors in the thick layer of dust coating the floor. To the west is a large spiral staircase leading up.