Adventurers
- Carbel Sweetleaf (Halfing 3)
- Elixabete (Dwarf 3)
- Firstleaf (Elf 2)
- Jebediah "Grits" Calloway (Ranger 1)
- Kelro Mist (Elf 1)
- Maistlyn Rajare (Magic User 1)
- Mike (Cleric 1)
- Assorted NPCs: Gutxi (C), Negu (H)
After another week of rest and preparation, the adventurers gathered together again and made their way to the gatehouse, the size of their party ensuring their passage was untroubled.
Descending back down to the ogre level, they peeked around to see that the furnace room was operational again with a pair of fur-less feline bipeds overseeing several slaves. Believing their best bet for a surprise attack would be from the south, they crept back through the webbed cavern – delighted to find that the small tunnel they’d dug through the collapsed ceiling remained – and past the large walking skeleton collage.
They snuck along to where they could see torchlight from the slavedrivers watching over a pit, two more cat-headed figures and two foot-high humanoids casually holding weapons far too large for them, one of which was driving on an owlbear lashed to a grinding wheel. A series of squeals, yelps and cries came from another tunnel to the party’s flank, but they decided to deal with the initial, known enemies before them first.
Carbel crept forward and loosed an arrow at the whip-wielder, striking and throwing it off-balance. The owlbear needed no second chance and strained at its shackles to wolf down its tormentor. The other three spun round and charged in rage at the halfling. He scurried back, and as the trio gave chase, Mike and Grits pulled taut a trip rope to send all three tumbling to the ground.
The rest of the party fell upon them and cut them down, but were caught off-guard by three battlecries coming from the west as more of the foot-high figures charged out, their enormous clubs raised. They sprang into the air and rained down blows with animalistic ferocity, pulverising Gutxi before the adventurers could turn their attention upon this new threat. The cleric was holding onto the magical warhammer of spiteful vengeance, however, having newly taken it from Alerich for this expedition, and Gutxi’s spectral form rose up to sap the life force from her killer.
With Firstleaf magically blinding one of the remaining attackers, the party were able to crush the remaining assailants. They threw down ropes to the six slaves they found in the pit and brought the mix of humans and hairy ones up. Another hairy one lay quivering on the ground from where the second wave of little aggressors had emerged.
The party started helping these weakened figures back the way they had come while Kelro, having pacified the owlbear with some rations, hacked at its bonds. Released, the hulking monster paused for a moment, then sniffed the air and with a roar charged down another passageway. Screams echoed off the rocky walls.
Using the distraction, the adventurers hurriedly ushered the freed humans and hairy ones up the stairs back to the dwarven level.