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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quasqueton" data-source="post: 856370" data-attributes="member: 3854">Fiendish Oerth Game Story - part 2dThey each heard it. An anxious growling noise from behind those bushes, just ahead on the left of the road. They stopped and waited, weapons ready.The creatures trying to hide themselves for an ambush were too excited to be patient, so they leapt out of their concealment and charged forward. Three small, feral, gray-skinned . . . things . . . shouted and growled as they each tried to be the first to attack the party.But the group was ready for them. The three bestial, halfling-sized creatures clawed and bit to little effect. Their bodies resisted much of the damage the party's swords, whip, and hammer tried to deal, but Cedrin's great strength and bastard sword managed to slay one immediately. As its head fell off, its body exploded in a spray of acid, stinging everyone nearby."What the hell was that!" someone shouted.In several more moments, the other two creatures were struck down, and more acid sprayed about. Though no one was seriously injured, in fact the adventurers found out that their bodies had a bit of resistance to the acid, everyone was rather annoyed by the explosive deaths of these unknown creatures."These must be some of the 'minor demons' Rayson mentioned," Salem commented."Not fun," Cedrin said."Agreed," said Simon, "but let's move on."They followed the necromancer's and zombies' tracks along the road some more. A trail turned off the road and lead up hill to the fort. "They went up to the fort, looks like," said Simon, examining the foot and staff prints in the dirt.Some trees and brush along the road gave the group a little cover from the fort, about two hundred yards up the low hill. The hill had been long ago cleared of vegetation to make a clear view of the area from the fort. They could see the front gate looked to be destroyed, and a ten-foot section of the wall on this side was collapsed. The only movement they could spot was a lone figure standing at what had been the front entrance."Should we just go up to the front?""Let's walk around and check out the other sides first."It was agreed that the Simon and Salem would scout around, and Lorgard and Cedrin would wait at the road as they had done at the bridge. The ranger and halfling cleric left the fighter and dwarf mage.This time, though, both returned. "There's another hole in the wall on the other side, and there's a hole in the keep itself at the back," explained Salem. "And the one tower at the corner of the wall looks to have collapsed on the inside. It has a hole in the other side, and it looks like only the outer shell is still standing.""Any guards?" asked Lorgard."None that we could see," said Simon. "And the windows at the top of the central keep are shuttered.""Where do we go in?""Let's go straight in the keep part, in the back hole."It was agreed that they'd sneak around to the "back" of the fort and enter through that hole. The entire group this time sneaked around through the trees and brush at the bottom of the hill. They then hustled up to the stone wall. The hole was an almost perfect circle, and only a little debris covered the ground. They approached the hole from one side and carefully looked in.The chamber the hole gave access to was once very elaborate, but was now demolished and gruesome. The tile floor was shattered and scarred, torn tapestries hung in shreds, and six columns lining the length of the hall had bodies tied around them. The corpses had been cut open at their abdomens and their gore was hanging to the floor. At the far end of the chamber were half a dozen orcs."Orcs?" said Lorgard when Salem mentioned what he saw. "Great. Let's get the fight on." The dwarf mage immediately cast a shield spell on himself, then stepped into the hole and charged forward. Simon, Salem, and Cedrin looked back and forth at each other, then moved in to the fight. The dwarf did well against the orcs; he felled two by himself. Cedrin slew two others, and Simon and Salem handled what seemed to be two sergeants of more experience than the base grunts.There were two doors off either side of the chamber, and the party immediately moved to be prepared for reinforcements. They realized at this point that their vision was odd. The only light in the room was the red glow of the sky through the hole to the outside. At the back of the room, where they all were now, they could see in a strange black-and-white. Lorgard noticed nothing new, and commented that the humans and halfling were seeing with darkvision. Another surprising "power" they all seemed to have. But they didn't have time to think on it long. . ."My spell will wear off quickly," said the dwarf, "I don't want to wait." He went to open one of the doors, but Cedrin grabbed him about the collar of his robes and kept him from moving forward.The dwarf complained, but Simon and Salem urged him to wait, as they didn't want to fight on two fronts if someone came in the other door. But after several moments of no surprises, they listened at the doors. Nothing. Lorgard wrenched his robe from Cedrin's grip and opened his door. He rushed into what was apparently a small dining area. Scattered dishes and unfinished food sat on a few tables, but there was no enemies. The dwarf moved through the room to the only other door. He opened it and moved into a pillaged pantry. He didn't bother looking around the small room, he just went to the next door and listened just a moment. Upon hearing orc voices he smiled and opened the door. His companions sighed and followed him through the rooms. Someone commented, "We probably need to take a prisoner."A pair of orcs stood surprised in the kitchen. They had been leaning on their axes talking when the battle-hungry dwarf barged in with a warhammer held high. The first orc was felled in one blow. Lorgard spun on the second and shouted, "Give up!"The stunned orc released his weapon and raised his hands to ward off an attack. The dwarf's comrades filed into the small kitchen and back up the dwarf mage. "Get down on the floor," the dwarf ordered. The orc did as instructed, and Salem pulled out rope to tie the orc up. Simon checked the only other door from the room and found a quiet interior hallway with other doors. He closed the kitchen door and stood listening at it.Lorgard knelt at the prone orc's head, "Where's your chief?""Down in the basement," was the answer.Further questioning revealed the stairs down were on the other side of the main hall where they entered. They left the now hog-tied and gagged orc on the kitchen floor, and backtracked to the main hall where they had entered.To be continued . . .</blockquote>

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