Raner asks the human guards about the gate to the south guarded by the gnolls.
A grizzled guard with an eyepatch responds,
"Dark Majesty, on the other side of that locked and warded gate are ancient dwarven death traps. Traps that still defend that area to this day. Anyone that enters that area dies.
"There are rumors of dwarven gold locked away beyond those traps, but every rogue that has tried to take the treasure has died.
"The Destroyer offered the wealth that lay there to a group of rebellious orcs, if they could take the treasure. After the orcs entered the area to try their luck with the traps, the Destroyer ordered the gate sealed beyond them. 'Let them out if they find the treasure, and not before' he commanded.
"If you avoid the death traps and deal with the surviving orcs, there is a path that leads further south to the Air Temple. The Air Temple also has orders to keep the orcs locked in, so you'd have to get past the guards they are using to keep the orcs locked in.
"Personally, if I wanted to visit the Air Temple, I'd go out the West Gate and circle around the mountain and enter through the South Gate. The South Gate will let you directly into the Air Temple and you avoid all the death traps and orcs."