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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DM-Rocco" data-source="post: 1679560" data-attributes="member: 14451">session 2 Module A2 Secret of the Slaver Stockade“The road to the north is clear of anyone or anything,” said Zimbar, as she paced about the encampment, her long flowing silver shimmering hair reflecting the moon’s light about the trees. “The slave girl lies, or else the whole truth is not known to her. If the slave girl is telling the truth about the remainder of the slaves being sold and moved at dawns first light, then there is no sign of buyers on the northern road or off of any of the game trails.” “Perhaps there is an entrance that we have missed, another way into the keep,” stated kheal matter-of-factly, not every entrance can be gained through foot wear or horse hoof.  “Something is not right, but I can’t put my finger on it,” declared Zimbar. “Do you hear that?” Kheal and the others strained to hear anything over the chirping of birds and the symphony of the night. They heard nothing but soon they would, soon one would return. Zimbar’s keen ears picked up the sound long before the others. “Relax, Gren approaches,” stated Zimbar, a mask of emotion. Out the shadow Gren emerged, slightly dusty and worn from his scouting mission. “Speak Gren, we have much to do and have lost so much time,” commented Delvin. Gren wasted no time in his scouting report.  “The fort is situated atop a high, steep hill that surveys the countryside. A warding ditch 20' wide and 10' deep surrounds the fort. The only access road winds down from the north, through a narrow valley, up to the drawbridge that spans the ditch. The hill fort is a combination of recent construction and the remains of an older stone fortress. The outer wall of the hill fort is an earthen rampart topped by a wooden stackade. However, the curtain wall containing the drawbridge is made of stone. The wall is 35' high and is topped by a stone parapet which is constantly manned. The curtain wall is connected to the rest of the fort by the rampart and stockade. “The ground slopes upward from the curtain wall, and some distance back, across an open courtyard, is the gatehouse. This is of massive construction, four stories high, with a stone parapet atop it, so that all sides can be defended. The rampart and stockade connect to the gatehouse and surround the fort keep. The keep abuts the rampart on three sides, with a parade grout to the north between the main building and the gatehouse. The fort was originally a single story stone building, but the slaves have added a wooden guard post as a partial second story. The entrance to the main building is recessed back and an enclosed garden leads from the building's entrance to the parade ground. “The rampart and stockade surround the fort on the west, south and east sides and join the curtain wall to the north. The out face of the walls and stockade are fitted with downward sloping rows of spikes, one foot apart in three offsetting patterns, to prevent attackers from scaling the walls. The stockade has a walkway on all sides, the walkway being 15' above the main building's first floor. Guards patrol the walkway, and the top of the gatehouse and curtain wall, but it is impossible to estimate from a distance. “The curtain wall, the gatehouse, and the main building are all built of stone. The ceilings and walls of rooms and corridors are made of stone. The ceilings in the east and west wings, however, are made of plaster over wood hung on wooden rafters. The floors are wooden. Wooden beams are used to reinforce weak sections of the stone buildings. The stockade is wooden, as is the wall walk and the pavilion overhang in the open garden section of the U-shaped main building. The inner courtyards are nothing but rock-strewn mud flats. The only vegetation (besides mold and mildew) are the trees in the garden surrounded by the main building. “The hill fort shows signs that it has been sacked in the past. Some of the stones are blackened as though by fire. Some areas of stonework shows signs of ancient destruction from catapult and trebuchet attacks. These holes have been crudely repaired. The stockade is of more recent construction than the rest of the hill fort. Close examination shows that the stockade has been built directly behind the remains of a stone foundation where an outer perimeter wall once stood. “The humanoids in the hill fort do not care whether it is clean or not. As a result, both the fort and the dungeon are filthy. The floors are covered with dust, and trash is scattered about the rooms and corridors. The walls are covered with grime, mildew, and cobwebs. Broken or rotted furniture is thrown into corners rather than repaired. The entire place is infested with rats, spiders, and other foul vermin.  “I have found and tested the rope that the slave girl had used, it is sound and can even handle the heaviest of us,” concluded Gren in his report of the Hill fort. “Then it is settled, we must blindly ascend to the tower to free the slaves,” chimed in Thorin. From the Journal of Zimbar. After breaking camp we struck out for the rope that the slave girl had left behind. The rope was almost as easy to find as the climb was to make. When we entered the second story of the guard tower it was an entrance to a room of choking dust. The window had, apparently in the not to distant past judging by the smell, been used as a dump for slops and nightsoil out into the warding ditch. Cobwebs covered the ceiling and walls. There was a single line of footprints in the dust, made by a naked human foot. They led from the east and end at this window. When I entered this room I had an uneasy feeling come over me. I fear nothing of this world, but still, something put the willies in me. Ghen opened the opposing door and we were on our way. The next room was much like the other, a thick pasting of dust covered the floor and human foot prints lead from the door we stood at to the stair to our right. White pieces of a marble like substance line the floor and brown stains too. I looked closer and to my horror, the brown stains were of dried blood and the white flakes of marble, bone chips. Ghen, while walking down the stairs, tripped an alarm and a marble ball fell from the ceiling and shattered into a blinding explosion of light and released thousands of smaller marbles that covered the floor. Unfortunately Thorin, while momentarily blinded, slipped on the small balls and fell down the stairs, narrowly missing Ghen in the process. The others went down the stairs but I felt compelled to wander and explore. There was an uneasiness about this guard tower and something that bothered me in the pit of my stomach. I opened the door on the far wall which lead into a room that must have once been used for warding off invaders who had broken through the gate and were pouring through the passage below, for there are murder holes in the floor, for pouring oil on invaders. I had the strangest feeling that something, or someone, was watching me.  I was alone, yet I felt that I must go on, but why? What did I have to prove? Yet, go on I did and I moved to the next door. The chirping of crickets stopped and the shadows seemed to move. A flickering light played on the wall at the end of the passage yet in spite of the many arrow slits, the room remained dark. I used some of my magic to shed light upon the room but the light came to life and died with in the span of a heart beat. I am no coward, but I know when I should walk away, and this was the time. To bad I waited so long to follow my comrades. A ghostly apparition materialized before me, his face a shock of terror. He reached for my throat with ghostly hands and I could feel him siphon my strength from my body. Chills swept through my arms and legs and soon the chills became an overwhelming dread of frigid torment. As soon as it started it stopped and I knew why. Why this spirit was stuck in this level of the tower. Years ago, before the slavers had taken control of the keep, this man was assigned to guard the tower. In his death throws his spirit was bound to this hall for all time, less someone would come along and help him in his dieing quest to free the filth from the keep. As the light of Zackera watches over her faithful, I shall help this wretched man complete his quest. I rejoined the others.  My companions had been attempting to gain the advantage of higher ground by finding a way to scale the wall. Razor sharp spikes lined the inner walls too so climbing the wall in the traditional way was out of the question. The idea of teleporting to the top of the battlement had merit, but the advantage of surprise would be lost with one look at Thorin. It was soon agreed that Ghen would use his rope to scale the wall, with a telekinetic assist from Thorin. Ghen tried to climb the rope, but he fell twice and a third attempt was not given since we finally were discovered, the wall guards had made our position. We dispatched them quickly but was it quick enough. The earth began to rumble and from the ground sprung an Anhkeg. In spite of his massive size and a luck strike to Thorin, we dispatched this beast in mere moments with a mighty swing from my faithful blade. There was no choice now, we had to go through the mud filled parade grounds. Thanks to Delvin’s casting of the floating disk of magical energy we crossed the mud in good time and avoided most of the arrow fire from above. Just in time too, as the alarm had been tripped and the whole fort was searching for our presence. We quickly made our way across the inner grounds to the make shift garden where Thorin and Delvin washed the mud from there bodies.  The attack came quickly and with precision. I have not ever seen Hobgoblins this organized and disciplined. Some other force must be at work here, but what? After dispatching the hobgoblins on the wall and the Carnivorous apes in the trees we made our way into the main body of the keep. We sent Gren ahead to scout and good thing too, he found a most puzzling pit, whenever the far door would open, the floor would flip over and send those that had been standing there into the spiked pit below. The room beyond was of little interest to us, just a room used for paying the troops, but the doors to the north and south, they held interest. The southern door gave way to a long hall way so we decided to wait before going down that hall. The northern door was very strong and stubborn, proof came in the way of Thorin as he failed in his attempt to smash the door down. He was about to try again but the door opened on its own and from the shadows stepped an Ogre and a hoard of hobgoblins. Perhaps we should have stayed to stealth, perhaps, but whatever, it is to late to dwell on the past and the spirit within is calling to me, we have a fight to fight. </blockquote>

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