Pressing further into the natural caves the party heard a puzzling cacaphony of chittering coming from the chamber ahead. As the party peered by torchlight into the darkness a wave of disease ridden rats swarmed along the dungeon floor and attacked the party. Despite a few nasty scratches and bites, the party was able to kill enough of the foul rodents to drive them away.
Exploring further, the party passed through a few chambers and, as luck would have it, discovered a secret door hidden a rough hewn passageway. Sliding the stone out of the way, the party pressed down the secret passage and 70' down the tunnel they opened another secret door and emerged briefly into another passage, this one with a mildly detectable flow of fresh air.
Consulting their map the party deduced that this secret passage linked back up with the middle passage they had not yet explored. The intrepid members took a vote and decided to go back the way they came first, silently shutting the secret door behind them.
Upon their return the party crept forward into the next chamber where they found 3 humans standing like statues in the room. As the party began to creep forward the "humans" revealed themselves to be ragged zombies that still possessed the shiver inducing ability to scream in alarm. While the melee was short and sweet, the zombie's warning drew the attention of large hairy humanoid guard from the next room!
The strange giant managed to inflict some pain before finally being cut down. The party studied the creature but none had any experience with such a foul-smelling creature and could not name it. It was covered in matted fur and humanoid face that was equal parts feral and intelligent. Considering it also wore (ill maintained) armor and a (filthy) tabard of Baron Gorgon's forces, the creature was obviously on the Fort's payroll.
The stinking corpse was examined and a key procurred. Moving into the next chamber the party found the guard's quarters and quickly rifled the chest within. In the center of the room an iron rung ladder rose to the ceiling. Oberlind the elven ranger ascended the ladder and found a locked trapdoor. Fortuitously, the key from around the strange guard's neck worked and Oberlind found himself in a dank but used storage room.
Feeling ill-prepared for any further dangers, the party locked the trapdoor again and set camp in the guard's chambers. The rest passed uneventfully and the party again snuck forward. Emerging from the storeroom the party found itself in a worked stone dungeon, obviously the Fort's prison based on the easily identified cells lining the corridors.
As the party explored the level a number of small skirmishes erupted, notably against the prison's torturer and a carrion crawler in its slop room. After the battle with the torturer, a dying halfling in one of the cells whispered a strange message about a corner cell before expiring. Other cells revealed more treasures. In addition to a large number of prisoners who were freed, the party also discovered Maks' original companions, Leraith, a holy man of some manner and Karza, a hillman from the North. They quickly explained how they had been captured whilst trying to recover the items stolen from them (which had been originally stolen from the Baron's forces to be fair) by the Fort's soldiers. In addition to the map leading to the Tomb of Valdaron, there was a small hollow demonic statue that had been fractured into some pieces and coated in a strange black substance.
After rescuing Maks' companions and swelling the party's size, their continued explorations led to a pitched battle with a room full of the prison's guards. While nearly deadly, the party did discover the missing equipment of their new friends. Checking down one final passage with a large set of cell doors, the party suddenly found itself staring at a heavily chained ogre. While the language barrier could not be breached, through gestures the ogre indicated that it wished to be set free. The ranger, taking pity on it, unlocked the shackles and directed the ogre towards a locked door they hadn't yet penetrated past.
The ogre seized it's opportunity and made for freedom, sundering the door in two slams of its mighty fists and proceeding onward. As the party approached the passage they suddenly heard an alarm being sounded up above, the sounds of combat, men screaming, ogre roaring, and an alarm going off. At the close of the session the party realized they had directed the ogre into the center of the keep compound above them. While a great distraction, the party will have to think fast to take advantage of the confusion that is going on. The element of surprise will last only so long...
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