Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)
Year 781 of the founding of the City
6th Day of Meloramensis – Part III
Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, Entrance
Charrak's map was good and I was able to lead us to the Hold with few mishaps. After about half a day the oppressive tunnels turned into a series of large caverns, criss-crossed by deep gorges that disappear to unknown depths. Shortly thereafter we were confronted by the front of a formidable fortress sitting on the other side of and surrounded by a particularly wide gorge.
We crept from rock to rock gradually getting closer to the stronghold. From our hiding place we could see a gated and crenulated wall, accessible only by crossing a narrow causeway. This was not the main part of the Hold however. Behind the gated wall we could see in the distance a bridge leading to the centre of the Hold on the other side of the gorge. To access the Hold we had to cross the causeway with a sheer drop to our right and a cliff face extending up into darkness to our left. We then had to negotiate our way through the small gate sealed by a portcullis, all the while being overlooked by a series of small windows perfect for sheltering snipers. Should we make it through the gate we had no idea what lay inside between us and the bridge.
I then noticed two orcs standing behind the portcullis and felt a cold fury spread through my bones and bloodlust cloud my vision. Vic stayed my hand however, deciding that we should attempt to gain entrance by subterfuge rather than break ourselves upon the walls of the fortress. He instructed Rodney to hide his weapons and strode forward towards the portcullis with the human mage in tow.
After the pair had covered roughly half the distance from our hiding place to the gate they were challenged by the orcs. Vic declared that he had been sent by Kediri with this human to sell. After a brief discussion between themselves the orcs sent out a halfling to collect them. As the halfling met our companions he produced a rope to tie Rodney's hands. As Rodney put his hands forward to be bound the Halfling spotted his magic orb concealed up his sleeve and asked loudly what it was.
Vic and Rodney cut their losses. Rodney charged the gate and cast a thunderous wave of energy at the orcs behind it. Vic drew his sabre to stab the incredulous halfling. The rest of us broke cover to rush to their aid. Despite Rodney's thunderwave the orcs managed to seal the portcullis and began to jab at the mage through the gaps with their spears. More orcs appeared behind the gates and three more halflings armed with slings appeared in the windows above to pelt Vic with shot, quickly knocking him out.
Glen and Eligos charged the gate in an attempt to force it open but found their efforts foiled by the strength of the lock. Glen took to returning the stabs of the orcs through the gaps in the portcullis with the spear end of his ugrosh but Eligos was too hampered by it to have much effect with her flail.
As this was happening I was so consumed with rage that I could do nothing other than send shaft after shaft at the orcs behind the gate. I was concerned with nothing other than the destruction of these foul beasts, though I had little success. Minron had rushed to the aid of our stricken leader. He easily killed the halfling that had left the safety of the hold and revived Old Vic. Having thus saved the day he charged to join the others at the gate and in a feat of strength only possible from a battle crazed Minotaur, ripped the portcullis from its housing, shattering the lock as he did so.
The gate now removed Glen, Eligos and Minron pressed into the hold to attack the orcs, killing them all with relative ease. Vic and Rodney cleared the halflings from the windows with projectiles, killing all except one who ran down a ladder and managed to escape through a double door on the other side of the courtyard.
The disappearance of the last halfling brought quiet to the courtyard. After allowing Vic a moment to clear his head and catch his breath we all followed the fleeing halfling.
6th Day of Meloramensis – Part IV
Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, Armoury
I crept ahead of the rest of the party and moved through the doors where the halfling slinger had fled. I emerged into a small corridor with several rooms leading from it in all directions. As I searched the rooms one by one my companions followed a short distance behind. Close enough to come to my aid if needed but far enough away to avoid drawing attention to us by their noisy footfall.
After searching two bedrooms and a storeroom the clash of metal being wrought and the roar of forges being stoked became apparent from behind doors at the end of the corridor. A quick search revealed that there was another route into what was obviously a smithy. The route passed through a small antechamber with a water trough in it, probably used to cool hot iron.
Peeking around the door I could see two orcs and a duergar being told by the halfling that enemies have breached the gate. I quickly called everyone forward to rush in through the two doors and capture them in a pincer. As we were organising ourselves into two groups the muffled voice of the halfling could be made out through the door.
"they're right outside the door" He cried, his voice followed by the sound of quick scuttling footsteps.
The element of surprise gone we burst through the doors as one and noticed a third orc in the room. Eligos and Glen formed a barrier in the main entrance backed up by Vic. Myself, Rodney and Minron charged in through the second door to catch them on two sides.
The three orcs quickly went up against Glen and Eligos forming a shield-wall in the doorway. Vic cast a spell on the duergar which seemed to allow him to control the dark dwarf's mind. Whatever the cause the duergar quickly fell upon his orc comrades rather than us.
Charging in through the second door we quickly dealt with the halfling and turned our attention on the confused duergar. We seemed to be gaining the upper hand when two spectral forms appeared through a wall behind Vic, leaving him horribly exposed all of a sudden. Looking back these last minute reinforcements making life difficult for us seems to be a recurring theme of the last few days.
Vic quickly ran away from this new threat but not before taking a few swipes from spectral claws. The distraction allowed the duergar to recover from Vic's domination and cast one of those infernal columns of light, blinding Vic, Minron, Rodney and myself.
The enemy pressed their attack whilst half of the party was incapacitated but Glen was up to the task. He adopted a ready posture and struck with unerring accuracy and ferocity at any opponent who found itself within his range.
Slowly my vision cleared. Once it had I wasted no time in putting arrow after arrow into the orcs killing two of them before turning on the duergar and wounding him. I finished off the duergar by interrupting him as he attempted to blind us again, as he fell to the ground I saw Glen dispatch the last orc.
We all turned on the wraiths but they seemed to be partially unaffected by our weapons. Glen and Minron set about knocking them to the ground to leave them at our mercy as we finished them off.
Vic has taken a severe beating since we arrived at the Hold so we have decided to hole up in one of the bedrooms for the night.
7th Day of Meloramensis – Part I
Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, The Great Hall
I stood watch last and took advantage of the opportunity to scout out our surroundings, with a view to figuring out our next move. The building we occupied had two possible exits, to the north-west a narrow doorway leading to an equally narrow bridge crossing the deep gorge that so terrified Vic on our initial approach to the hold. To the south-east a set of double doors leading into a narrow tunnel hewn out of the mountain itself.
Standing on the bridge I could see another wider bridge off to the left perhaps 70 or 80 feet away. Both bridges lead to a bastion forming the central stronghold of this fortress. The wider bridge emerged from another building further along from the one we find ourselves in and must be accessible via the tunnel to the south east.
There appears to be no other method of crossing to the central portion of the Hold. As I roused the others ready to move on I suggested that by travelling through the tunnel to the second bridge it may be possible to eliminate all enemies on this side of the gorge and prevent an attack from our rear when assaulting over the bridge.
The party agreed and we travelled though what turned out to be a relatively short tunnel into hallway with three rooms leading from it. It was at this point that I learned that Rodney has a spectral rat as a pet, named Hawkeye. He sent the rat underneath the three doors to see what lay beyond them. However after disappearing under the third door the rat did not return. After a little while Eligos peered under the door herself and could see several pairs of boots milling around, at least one pair of which were very grand indeed.
We pushed through the door to find ourselves in a Great Hall confronted with yet more duergar. Three large tables dominated the room and a roaring fire crackled and snapped behind our adversaries. These duergar were keeping company with some re-animated skeletons, which makes a nice change from the orcs their comrades have been spending their time with in this place. They screamed their challenge and we charged them. They gave us little trouble and the fight was notable for only two things. Firstly my inability to hit anything or anyone with an arrow and secondly that one of the duergar quadrupled in size mid way through the fight. Quite a sight but it availed him of nothing as we cut him down regardless.
We killed them all. As we closed in on the last duergar he screamed at us that Mirklemoor is in the western fortress and will kill us all. He would tell us no more and refused to surrender. I disarmed the wretch and forced him back against the wall at the point of my sword.
"My mother was taken by slavers like you." I snarled at him. "One day I will send them where I'm sending you. This Mirklemoor will not stop me." With that I drove the point of my sword through his throat. Bathed in his own blood he slid to the floor looking upon the world for the last time.
With the duergar dispatched we searched the rooms of this new building and discovered three human slaves, timid filthy wretches who looked like they hadn't eaten properly in some time. We gave them some weapons and provisions and offered to pick them up on the way back or give them directions back to the Seven Pillared Hall. They are going to wait for us.