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The encounter is swift and the orc, refusing to give his name for safety but clearly an agent for the Mayor of Galent, ugly, battle-scarred and with a two-headed axe across his back leads the party into the valley. It’s discomfortingly obvious that this would be an easy place for an ambush but none comes.

After a couple of hundred yards, the orc comes to a halt by a small stream that runs along part of the valley before disappearing underground, presumably joining the main tributary, and turns to face the party but seemingly only looking at Morin and Darius.

"You're on your own from here. It's a short hike up to there...."

He points uphill along the route of the stream. Some 20 yards up there is a short waterfall, heaped with moss and slippy stones, where the stream has momentarily widened to drop over a hard ledge. It wouldn't be obvious unless you were looking for it but, assuming that a lot of the moss is either removable or quite pliable, there would seem to be a small recess behind the water.

"Step through the water and tread carefully a couple of feet behind it; there's a pothole that leads down and that will get you inside the stronghold. As long as you're sure-footed.

With that, the unnamed orc guide leaves; his words prove true: Morin and Jarek lead the reconnaisance and Morin returns after an almost agonising half hour. Behind the waterfall is a small recess from which a hole in the floor leads down (a rope has been set to make the descent into the tunnel - and swift escape! - easier). From there a tunnel runs directly towards the stronghold, ending in a trap door in the tunnel roof that opens into a small room. Curiosly perhaps, for an ogre strongold, the trapdoor is not big enough for an ogre.

Jarek is waiting there in the quiet, a torch lit to fend off the darkness, and the party soon approach, led by Dalrylshana’s Illumintus’ light. A rope remains fixed for swift egress, should it become necessary and Jarek has laready discovered a door in the small room, hidden more by dust than design. It seems quiet beyond the door, so, with the party assembled, he pushes it slowly open to reveal a larger room, dark and damp. The opposite side of the door looks just like the wall, so it's a safe bet that this passage was meant to be secret.

There are barrels, many of which are damaged, and boxes dotted about. A mouldy smell permeates the silent air and a door opposite beckons – Jarek and Morin head onwards to investigate as Kin voices concern about carrion crawlers and Jiriki’s curiosity has him opening a couple of the barrels (but finding nought of interest).

The door leads into a corridor running roughly north and south - Jarek puts out his torch and Dalrylshana hands him the Illuminatus to lead the way; the party moves out of the musty room and turns left (south) into the corridor. Jarek moves a few steps ahead, the better to scout and check, and is followed by Darius and Jiriki, Dalrylshana and Suva, Kin and Balin and finally Morin, a rearguard, and somewhat blind this far from the Illuminatus but reliant upon his ears and Balin’s darkvision.

All move as quietly as they can and advance along the corridor. Jarek can detect no sound at the first door but it seems wise to get a slightly better overview of your situation before trying all the doors.

He advances a little farther as Darius and Jiriki silently ready themselves in case of trouble but all is quiet.

There are two nearby, quiet-seeming doors to try and the corridor moves south and then begins to turn west where at least one other door is. The first reveals a hideous stench and a charnel house – blood and entrails, severed limbs and body parts litter the room. It is deemed not worth entering and the next door is approached – this one reveals, once the lock is picked, another small room stinking of faeces. Chained to the wall is a battered orc. The slight flinch of movement as the party enter the room is testament to the fact that he does yet live.

Jarek, the front man and only person with a light source is into the room before anybody can easily stop him, sword drawn and threatening the chained orc.

"Well,well,what have we here.You speak common?If so I suggest you tell me what you are doing here - and be quick about it."

Suva, Kin, Balin, Dalrylshana and Morin are momentarily plunged into darkness but Dalrylshana quickly casts light onto a coin and mutters something quite unladylike under her breath.

Jiriki stands at the end of the coin-light's range, south of the rest of the party, listening and looking hard for any activity from the western corridor.

The orc's face is bruised and one eye swollen so much that it can no longer open. Lacerations cover its back and its right ankle is snapped at a horrific angle. Its one good eye moves constantly in its socket and the dry, cracked lips open lightly as it speaks hoarsely, a hint of madness clearly evident.

"Fuck you. I die at the hands of the Ghull. He'll be reading your entrails soon enough...."

Jarek reacts with a kick to the orc’s genitals, “Where is the prisoner taken in the caravan raid?”

The kick produces little sound from the orc, who is clearly very weak, but his body jerks slightly and splinters of bone crack in his ruined ankle. The one good eye flits with madness and fatigue and the wracked body coughs out a defiant laugh: "The dead aren't afraid of death".

Jarek is unmoved by an orc's plight and merely answers, "happy to oblige" before running him through with his longsword. The body stiffens slightly and then sags on its chains, silent oblivion finally reached.

Meanwhile, outside the room the corridor remains empty and watchful Jiriki has nothing to report. Neither has Balin at the north of the group, although he is now straining his darkvision after Morin's warning of some barking coming from that direction.

Dalrylshana has pushed to the front near Darius as Jarek comes out of the room to move on and try the first door in the west passage. She's fuming.

"Plunging us unannounced into darkness is forgiveable, Jarek but that was not. This is the sort of unilateral action that Balin was reprimanded for! I don't care that the orc is dead, before you get smart-mouthed, but do you think we can sneak around in here much longer unnoticed if somebody comes to tend the prisoner?

"I should have gone with my gut and left this bloody party in the City-Between-Places!"

The outburst says a lot about her recent moods and provokes first further argument and discussion in the party about the rights and wrongs of Jarek’s actions and then finally the decision to split the party into two groups to better and quicker search the stronghold. Dalrylshana’s motives seem as much about stepping away from Jarek as anything but valid reasons are put forth, too. By now, Jarek has checked the door on the western corridor and heard snoring somewhere beyond it but there is Morin’s barking sound to the north to investigate, too.

This seems as good a time as any if the party are to split up so Jarek, Kin, Darius and Balin pause a while witht the glowing coin whilst Suva, Jiriki, Morin and Dalrylshana head off north with the Illuminatus.......