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While the rest of the party look on troubled by Jutiapa’s appetite Thanodel moves to the corridor so that he can see what’s next. As he looks down it he sees a barricade and a volley of arrows shoot from it piercing his armour. He jumps across the crossfire and again is hit. He calls across to the others relaying what he sees. A shimmering image coalesces amongst the party; a wizened man appears and says, "My forces have you outnumber. If you surrender I will spare your lives. You must give up your weapons and belongings but this is a small price to pay I would say. An orc will be with you shortly bearing a white flag, you will give him your answer." The image shimmers again and is gone.
Behind Thanodel the door opens and a white flag on a pole is pushed through the gap, an orc follows and demands their decision. Vildar goes to attack but Braylec calls for him to hold. Vildar shouts $^&*. The orc smiles and steps back out the door then it slams open and out pours seven orcs with a troll and three more orcs waiting to engage. They quickly surround Thanodel cutting off his escape. Braylec steps forwards ignoring the arrows from the corridor and cuts a swath allowing Thanodel to tumble to safety. Vildar attacks the orc to the left of Braylec but isn’t able to cause the massive injuries that Braylec seems to inflict. Jutiapa manoeuvres so she has a line of sight on the troll but curses when it moves forwards and puts Braylec in her way as it rakes his face with it’s clawed hand. Thanodel’s bow makes the first mark in its hide and after the orcs flail ineffectually at him Braylec cuts a much larger chunk from it. Braylec’s armour causes a wave of good feeling amongst his teammates and they all feel better able to battle the numerous adversaries. Jutiapa runs round to face it but unwittingly puts herself in the path of the archers. Braylec and Thanodel both wear down troll but its wounds quickly start to regenerate. While Vildar flails at his orc Jutiapa manages to cast a lightning bolt at the troll and reduces it to ashes. She sees that the barricade is being moved to make a gap. Braylec downs another couple of orc and Vildar finally runs the orc though in front of him. Thanodel kills the orc at the rear with his bow then Braylec and Vildar quickly finish of the last three. Jutiapa casts a spell that makes the barricade burst into flame and the archers scream in pain.
Garguth sets the worg stables alight and out to view the panic. Worgs flee the flames and snap at the orcs running to dowse the file. Black smoke fills the courtyard as Garguth slays a guard and drags his body to the temple shouting "This man is hurt, I take him for help."
Inside he sees an armoured man who demands what is going on. Garguth eloquently relays his ruse that the body he is dragging needs to be healed and as the dark paladin bends to lay on hands Garguth erupts in a flurry of slashes with sword that takes the paladin off guard. He responds and hits Garguth, wounding him badly but with his last strength Garguth manages to make his strike count and the paladin falls to the ground seeping blood. Looking around he sees that the temple font has a crucified elven woman above it. The font is full of her blood but there is too much for it all to have come for her. She is dead so Garguth staggers to the nearest door but inside is a slavering beast that whimpers and growls. Not feeling up to a fight with mages experiment, he hauls the body that the dragged into the temple and throws it into the room for it to feed on and closes the door.
Jutiapa whelps and collapses a gash appearing in her furry side to join the numerous arrows already there. She collapses and reverts back to her human form. Thanodel pulls her out of the firing line shouting about invisible foes and Vildar pours a healing potion down her throat. Braylec causes an obscuring mist to appear in the room as an unseen enemy stabs Thanodel in the back. While Thanodel flails about with his arms trying to find his attacker Jutiapa dispels the magic causing the mist to clear revealing two swarthy looking dark cloaked me wield short swords that drip with ichor. Braylec and Vildar quickly cut their nearest to pieces as Thanodel grapples with the one he can get to. Vildar caves the head in of the man Thanodel is struggling with that covers his face in brain goo.
Braylec walks to the stairs and calls for Granthsos and fire rains town the stairs instead of the ex-captain walking up.
A female voice comes from behind them saying, "Follow me if you want to live!"
Jutiapa runs towards the sound but is peppered with arrows again as she makes her way past the barricaded corridor. As Braylec stoops to pour another healing potion into her a female halfelf runs in and assists. Thanodel and Vildar join them on that side of the room. Sireen is offering the group a way out, all they have to do is trust her…