16.3.4.6 clearing the first floor of the forge

Military action

The next minute and half was.. intense. We went into the next chamber it was the former Chapter House.

A huge stone bench carved with strings of runes runs along the circumference of this circular chamber. A narrow ledge along the back of the bench holds several dozen stone busts of stern looking giants. To the southeast, a high-backed granite throne sits atop a small platform overlooking the room. To the west and northwest, six tall stained-glass windows covered with iron grates line the wall. The glass is nearly opaque from centuries of dusty mountain winds. Numerous panes have cracked or blown out completely; the holes have been sloppily patched with wads of clay and dung. A number of tree trunks are propped against the bench above large piles of wood shavings—each is in the process of being reshaped and bound into an iron banded club. Open crates packed with tools, rope, wood, chunks of coal and iron ore, and other objects are piled everywhere throughout the room. Dozens of broken or rusted weapons and shields have been haphazardly thrown into a scrap pile nearby. Near the throne, two dozen Human and Elven corpses have been stacked liked cordwood.   Daemon spoke a prayer, i had only heard rumors of. Sarenrae had granted him the ability to raise the recently dead back to life. It took a full minute for him to speak the prayer. Over that minute two things happened. He stood crouched over one of the elves, slowly his amulet began to glow.. brighter as the sun that is the symbol of his deity. the light filled the chamber, and begain to coaliess as a warm golden glow around the body of the fallen elf, knitting together the spear thrust to the heart that killed him. for just a second a small portal opened up in the air revealing a vision of Pharasma's boneyard. we see the elf walking in a slow spiral with thousands if not millions of dead waiting to be weighed and judged by the goddess pharasma. He is pulled upwards into the portal on the boneyard side and his soul is sent back into his body here in the forge. a few seconds latter his body shudders and he starts to breathe on his own.   During that minute.. other things happened as well.   Adler slips up to the door out of the chamber and listens.. holding up five fingers and the hand sign for silence he backs up a couple steps.. as zaxel runs up to him with a brilliant idea.. thankfully zaxel remembered to whisper and suggested that he create a series of stone spikes within the next chamber to trap the ogres outside the door ( that rolled a 1 on their stealth checks) within.   I position myself at the end of the piles of supplies, deploying the tower shield for full cover towards the door i take aim with the ancient reliable seed pepperbox rifle. Luna prepairs to jump at the door and open it, Adler steps up behind me so he can also have cover from my shield and shoot his bow over my head. Since im smaller, but much broader then him.. he has only partial cover from the tower shield.. but its alot better then nothing!   Luna leaps at the door knocking it open. Zaxel lets loose his prepaired spikes of stone. he catches four ogres and four hill giants..and something else that we were not aware of just yet.   Volleys of arrows from adler and rifle shots from both zaxel and myself start to drop the ogres, and the giants behind them. Adler tears through the first rank of ogres almost dropping the hill giant behind it. fierce the battle is with a giant being hurled into our chamber.. soon however the smoke clears and we advance to the next chamber. Zaxel on point, releasing the spikes of stone as we round the corner.   The curved outer wall of this spacious chamber is set with tall, arched windows blacked out with mud and dung. The patchwork of hides stretched across the floor is stitched together with gut and sinew to form a makeshift rug, but is heavily trampled and caked with mud. A steep stone staircase climbs through a darkened arch in the eastern wall next to a wide-mouthed stone well. Crude doors fashioned from raw planks bound with hammered iron bands hang in archways to the north and south. The south doors were open, we saw another unit of ogre soldiers advancing towards us. one of the hill giants had made it upstairs.   We advance into the chamber. the ogres charge, from the one section of chamber two headed Ettin joins us in battle. Unfortunatly for the giants, Daemon has finished his prayer and joins us casting a confusion spell onto the ogres.. affecting all of them. we made short work.. and dragged the bodies to secure the southern doorway.. The ground floor being secured with a few thousand pounds of dead giants piled up by the doors.   We take a deep breath, our initial blessings and prayers still have about 3 minutes remaining before they fade, and sneak up the stairwell and we see...   An immense L-shaped table, carved of black walnut and polished until it gleams, serves as the centerpiece of this large circular chamber, surrounded by several destroyed wooden chairs. Numerous arched windows look out over the surrounding countryside. Between the windows,a variety of maps, drawings, and diagrams have been tacked to the walls. A line of severed heads skewered upon long iron pikes runs around the perimeter of the room. Interspersed among the pikes are six large iron perches. To the East, a flight of stairs descends out of the room. On the opposite side of the chamber to the west, a second set of stairs curves upward along the wall.   Standing behind the table ready for us are some kind of huge one eyed giants, a cyclops. also the hill giant that got away from us is up here. On the perches surrounding the chamber are six Rhuk's that leap into the air to attack us.   Zaxel lets loose a barrier of whirling gears filling the western half of the chamber harming the hill giant greatly but Surog is untouched. I remember to reload the rifle and dismount Luna, She prepares to leap up at the Rhuks as they swoop in. Adler and Daemon take ready. It will come down to the wire, who among us is able to act first.