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Message: <blockquote data-quote="silentspace" data-source="post: 1711239" data-attributes="member: 14316">The warriors settle in and continue lifting the portcullis.  Meanwhile the sounds of the half-orcs' footfalls continue to recede.  Then you hear noises, as of large things moving, some screams, and the sound of hooves in the distance.Opening the portcullis, and keeping it open prove to be difficult [DC 25 Strength check required to open, and DC 23 required to hold it up once open].  But the party decides to rush through, letting the portcullis crash down behind them.Moving relatively quickly, the party moves through the rest of the dungeon, in close pursuit.Beyond the portcullis is a pressure plate on the floor that seems to do nothing.Beyond the hallway with the portcullis is a roughly-carved chamber full of crates.The chamber opens up into another chamber, appearing to be a natural cavern that has been widened in places.  Wooden fences close off an area.  Chained to a wall are two humans and a halfling, dead, covered in fresh blood.  There are also large canvases covering bulky objects.  On the far wall is a large opening to the outside.  Next to the opening is a large structure of wood and canvas, the opposite side of which is painted and finished to look like natural stone and brush.  It slides across the cave opening to conceal it.  Outside the cave opening you see the snake pit.  Beyond the snake pit, outside, is a wooden structure you realize is a portable bridge that the half-orcs must have used to traverse the snake pit, and then pulled away once they got to the other side.The pit is 20 ft wide.  In the distance Alyssa and Filbert can see dust a few hundred yards away... the half-orcs retreating on horseback.--Deciding the pit is too wide to jump in a rush, and not having horses with which to pursue, the party takes a few minutes exploring the cave system.The humans and halfling are wearing tattered rags, and appear to have been slaves, freshly killed.  The area closed off by wooden fences have all the signs of having stabled horses kept there.  The canvases cover several wagons, ballistae and catapults, and rack of weapons and armor, of the sort used by light foot soldiers and light skirmishers.  There are also several burlap sacks filled with miscellaneous objects, perhaps captured loot.The crates in the next cavern are filled with more weapons, armor, and provisions.The pressure plate in the hallway triggers the portcullis.The 5 ft corridor that the half-orcs came out of (the corridor leading to the leader's office), contains a secret door which leads to a short corridor with the winch to raise and lower the portcullis.  The winch has been sabotaged so that it will no longer lift the portcullis.</blockquote>

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