Chapter 2 - The Fortress

"What have we missed? Where are we to go next?"

"We know there are more prisoners stored in the tower, my troupe may be there."

"Ah, yes, of course. Lead the way!" I stay in the back and wait for the others to get ahead of me.

As the group goes up the spiraling stairs they find themselves on the main floor of the keep. There is another staircase here going further up this tower you are in on the front corner of the keep, but you know you need to be at the back left (if you were to enter in the front door of this keep) tower.

The room you see is a massive open room almost like a church of sorts. There are no pews, just crates of supplies. Normally this room would probably be abuzz with goblins moving things too and fro, but now it is abuzz with goblins rushing outside to help figure out what is going on. The main keep is almost completely empty save for a few straggling goblins.

Daylight filters in through the massive hole that has been opened by the collapse of the front right tower (looking at the front entrance of the building again). You see black smoke filling the sky outside, no doubt from the aftermath of the blast. You hear one more blast go off outside. Not all of the barrels must have gone up at first.

Looking at the hole Ramas says, "I don't know how long this place may stand." Looking around you indeed see other bricks and sections of the wall near the missing tower are crumbling and breaking apart. Of the twelve support columns inside this large open cathedral the front right two have crumbled, the building is weakening.

What do you do?

"Move quickly, don't stop to fight unless they engage us first," Aelar says, and then rushes forward to find the correct tower.

Realizing that they may be close to finding Aelar's troupe Ütés falls in right behind the bard. "We're with you."

"Oh dear, they're aware of our presence! What should we do?" I look around for a place to hide, or for some sort of cover.

"I'm guessing we're not going to be able to reason with someone called 'Gasher'"

Drawing her sword Ütés prepares to make entrance into the room.

I follow behind Aelar, muttering for a few moments before a magical field surrounds a protective barrier around me.

Aelar sighs and draws his rapier and dagger, prepared to fight.

Ramas draws his swords, seeing the obvious cues where this is going from everyone else. Do we go in or wait for them to come out?"

From inside the room you hear a loud booming voice, "What!? In my keep? Looks like we will eat good tonight, boys! But first...". What follows is a high piercing scream punctuated by a loud SHUNK sound.

Hearing the sound from within the room Ütés answers Ramas without even turning to face him. "We go in!"

Shield in hand and sword drawn she'll approach the door and swing it open.

Aelar follows right behind Utes, "That's the spirit!"

Aelar narrows his eyes and growls in anger, "You're dead, fool."

Aelar...oh..., Ramas says not sure on the status of the woman but hoping there is still time.

I stare at the Orc, then at the woman, then back at Orc.

Enraged at the sight before her Ütés loses all focus on anything in the room other than the giant Orc. Throwing her shield to the side she grabs her sword with both hands.