Fire!

Sireen explains that she has seen a few too many things being part of the invading force that didn’t site well with her. She offers to point the group in the right direction from the back. Everyone files into the kitchen that Sireen had entered from and Jutiapa casts hold portal on the door behind them. Blaylec tries the only other door but it is locked. Sireen explains that her captain locked it behind her. He tries to break it down but it takes Vildar to split it in two. Vildar enters the corridor first and notices a draught. Braylec notices it too but it takes Jutiapa to point out that the wall to their right is made of painted wood and not stone like the others. Swords are suddenly being thrust through the wall at them. Thanodel looses a couple of arrows through the wall and satisfactorily hears the last cry of an orc on the other side. Vildar tries to open the door at the end of the corridor but it is also locked and he fails to break this one down as he did the last. Braylec copies his attackers and thrusts his flame sword through the wall and he hears his strike find its mark as the wall catches fire. Jutiapa retreats back to the kitchen as Thanodel sends more arrows through the wall. Braylec charges back towards the kitchen but instead of entering he continues through the wall at the end of the corridor. Seeing his example Vildar breaks through the wall next to him but as it is on fire he is badly burned. Jutiapa re-enters the corridor and is also burned as she waits for Braylec to move further into the room. This trashed gymnasium is full of orcs and they attack Vildar with their swords and Braylec with their bows. Braylec steps forward and slices the nearest orc while Vildar dices the one in front of him. Jutiapa moves into the room and commanding the others to follow him he too enters the gym. Next to enter through the Braylec shaped hole is Sireen but Granthsos fails to appear. Thanodel waits for the warriors to finish the orcs off but Braylec goes back into the burning corridor and retrieves Granthsos who has been overcome with fire and smoke. Vildar hacks down orcs while Braylec lays healing hands on the unconscious Granthsos. The remaining orc flees to the far door but his comrades have locked it and Thanodel embeds an arrow in his back while he squeals to be let out.

Garguth goes over to the reinforced metal door and sees that it not only has a sturdy lock but a knocker and a bell. He tries looking for evidence of use on these but cannot tell so tries the knocker. The floor beneath him falls away and he drops into a well. Somehow surfacing and managing to tread water in full plate armour he contemplates how to gain the 15' to the top again.

Braylec takes a couple of orc great axes and jams one between doorframe and the door that the orc was banking on making it very difficult to open. Vildar opens the double doors and rummages around the dining table taking an opportunity to tear a bird leg for himself he sits down leaving the other to consider their next move. Braylec attempts the same axe trick on the door opposite so Thanodel goes to see what Vildar is doing. As he is sitting at the table taking little interest in the peril at hand Thanodel listens at the door and hears orcs on the other side. The gym fills with smoke from the burning wall so Sireen starts to pull the unconscious has stopped breathing and thought Thanodel tries vainly to revive him he slips away. Vildar tries the only other door but it is locked as he takes a couple of steps back to break it down there is a knocking at it. "Who's there?" he shouts.

"I come in peace with a message from my master." a scared orc voice shouts back "May I enter?"

"You have the key!" There is a click as the door unlocks and the door opens to reveal a lone orc waving a white flag. He places a large conical gem on the floor in front of him and a now familiar image of a wizened man forms in the air. "Ha, ha, ha, you are far too trusting!" The gem explodes in a small ball of fire that incinerates the orc and catches Vildar, Thanodel and the table. Vildar, Thanodel and Jutiapa all receive a gulp of healing potion from Braylec before they venture into the corridor beyond. Jutiapa goes first but only mentally as she sends out her arcane eye. It races ahead looking through keyholes. She reports no activity apart from a cart being loaded outside. Thanodel takes position in the corridor ready to aid the fighters. Braylec enters the room across the way while Vildar tries kicking in the door down the corridor. Braylec passes him and enters the next empty room. Vildar cannot seem to force this door so Thanodel comes to his aid and kicks it inwards bowing to Vildar and waving him in. Everyone seems to have forgotten Jutiapa who still in her trace is exploring the upper floor and roof with her magical censor. Thanodel falls foul to a fireball trap on the main door as he cracks it open to look out. The whole floor is filling with smoke from the various fires that have been started. Braylec opens the last door on this floor and discovering the larder he helps himself to the foodstuffs. Vildar dodges a poison dart as he smashes open the chest he has found in the room he is searching and takes more treasure for himself. Jutiapa’s invisible eye races across the roof seeing that many archers on both the barracks and keep roofs are covering the courtyard. Thanodel checks that the girls are OK in the dining room and enters the empty room across the way that Braylec has already looked into and takes a look out of the arrow slits seeing the cart that Jutiapa described. He calls for Sireen and hears arrows clattering around the slits outside. Everyone regroups in the room with Thanodel except Jutiapa who is near the limit of her trance.

Garguth manages to climb out of the well by taking his time about it. Cold, wet and severely hurt he examines the life size golden statue. Pressing it's nose and such does not seem to have any effect on the door so he vents his frustration by taking a great axe from the weapon rack and hacking at the statues arm. He dents the gold and it turns frosty. He stows it for later use and repeats the process for the other weapons in the rack. None of the others have a similar effect but he eventually breaks off the arm and it clangs to the floor. He continues dismantling it until he is sure that there are no secret devices hidden in it that will open the door for him. A bonus is that he has many large chunks of gold for the taking. Being unable to get any further in the temple he steps outside and sees that the barracks door is aflame.