April 15th starts out sunny, but the clouds start to build as the temperature increases in the afternoon. You set off again soon after first light and make good time in the morning, but after noon the trail begins to climb steeply, twisting and turning this way and that. Late in the afternoon you hear a roll of thunder, and not long after you find yourselves caught in a thunderstorm. Drenching rains pour down on you while the wind lashes you, and you are quickly drenched. But you are a tough lot of adventurers, and you plod on up the increasingly muddy trail.
At last, as evening again approaches, you step out onto the exposed ridge and see the fort a short distance away. It consists of a circular keep tower perhaps some 180' across at the base, encircled by a wall enclosing a courtyard perhaps 360' in diameter. The main tower is at the eastern side of the courtyard, and adjoins the wall at that point. Facing you to the west is a gate house in the wall, flanking a 10' wide door of stout oak. The side of the door facing you is covered in rusted iron spikes...their sharp ends pointing outwards. The door is closed.
The main tower is perhaps 50' high, the wall enclosing the courtyard maybe 25' high.
The place appears to be in surprisingly good repair, but for all that does not appear to be occupied...insofar that up to this point nothing has emerged to try and eat you.
"I don't have a knock spell memorized. Would anyone else like to do to the honors?" Logan asks.
"Umm, OK," Dor replies. He marches up tothe door and knocks on it as loudly as possible.
"Anyone home?" he calls out.
"If you're selling something we don't want any!" comes a muffled reply.
"Ha. That's funny," laughs Dor. "Open up so I can see who is so funny."
"Look in a mirror, wise guy!"
"Oh yeah, who's gonna make me?" Dor retorts.
"How about yer pointy-eared friend?"
"Why don't you open the door and we can all talk about it?" Logan asks, "Or are you afraid to?"
The door then does open, and you find yourselves confronting a big, ugly old orc. About a dozen of his friends are standing behind him, in a 10' wide, 30' long passage which runs to the east, ending at a second, spike covered door.
"Not likely, pointy," the orc replies in a gravelly voice in passable common. All orcs, you note, speak the common tongue with a New Jersey accent. "Youse guys lookin' t' buy a condo?"
"We are looking to clear the world of evil," replies Dor. "If you are on the side of evil, I give you one chance to clear out of here."
The old tusker grins.
"Har, now yer th' one makin' jokes, bud! What size place youse lookin' for?"
"What is this place?" Logan asks the old orc. "Dor, you command is subtley is extraordinary," the elf remarks as he shakes his head from side to side with a sigh.
"Thank you very much," Dor replies with no trace of irony.
"It's a monster condo," the old orc explains. "Me an' my buddies, we found dis place a few years ago, cleaned it up, and now we's sellin' condos here. Youse interested?"
"Perhaps to rent," Logan replies. "Actually we are on the lookout for some ancient items of legend. Any of you tough guys see anything in your condos? We have been hired to retrieve a few things and would be willing to cut you in for a piece if you are cooperative."
"Wow. That's not a bad idea, Logan," Dor remarks.
"Nothin' here that ain't already owned, pointy," the tusker replies, wrinkling his snout thoughtfully. "What sort o' ancient items you after? Fer a share o' da take I'm sure we could round up some lads to help ya."
"I don't believe this," mutters Callie.
"We have been hired to find the fabled tomb of Elminster, in his tomb are rumored to be jewels, gold, and a sword. Our benefactor wants the sword for his collection, while my band here seek the gold and jewels. You can have 10% if you and your boys help us find it!" Logan deals with the orc.
"Don't get too selfish, pointy! 50% or no deal!" replies the orc, and his companions nod and mumble their agreement.
Wizbang, meanwhile, has discreetly taken a pinch of sand out of her belt pouch.
"20%, tough guy, and no more.. you are lucky that we are only the advance party. A group of mages and clerics are less than a day behind looking for the same thing and you have seen what they did to the halflings of Hobbitown who were as uncooperative as you are being. Dust, my friend, dust...that's all that was left..." he says with a heavy sigh. "So, you can work with us or we will move along and then you will have to deal with them!"
He emphasizes the word them.
The orc snorts.
"You'd better move on, then, pointy. Threats is no way to make a good business relationship, ya know?"
He slams the door in your face.
"Well, that was productive," says Callie after a moment. "So, do we kill them or move on, and leave them to ransack the countryside?"
"I am ready to level this place, anyone else ?" Logan asks, as he mentally reviews the spells in his head.
"We should give them the option of converting to Forseti," says Umboth, "And if they refuse, then we kill them."
"Heh, alright, sure, give it a shot," Logan chuckles.
Dor attempts to kick in the door. Sword and shield are at the ready.
The door does not give.
Instead, the air is suddenly filled with arrows from above.
Wizbang is struck for 4 hit points, while the rest of the arrows miss or are deflected by your armour. Looking up, you see perhaps a dozen goblins on the battlement above the door, jeering at you and nocking more arrows in their bows.
"RRRRRRR!!!!" say Barker and Acorn, striding up to the door. Entwining their limbs around the iron spikes, they give a mighty pull, and suddenly the door is torn from its hinges, revealing the old orc and his friends, ready for battle.
Simultaneously, Wizbang releases her spell, and from above the jeering and insults cease, as the goblins drop with a loud clatter of armour and weapons, and start snoring.
"Healer, see to Wizbang!" Logan commands, "Attack !" he says as he tosses sand at the grizzled group of orcs in front of them and casts sleep on them.
Dor rushes forward into combat.
"Die evil scum!" he shouts.
"Whatever!" say the orcs, and charge you!
Suddenly twelve of the 14 orcs drop asleep, as Logan's spell takes them.
Logan and Dor tackle the last two, as Edelle climbs up the outer wall.
Logan faces the old tusker, who chops into the elf for 4 hit points. He replies in kind, and the orc drops dead with one last curse.
The last orc clangs his scimitar off of Dor's armour, and the warrior carves a chunk out of the monster. His second swing finishes him off.
All is quiet, but for the snoring of the remaining orcs. Umboth is curing Wizbang, who looks flushed with excitement. Edelle is not to be seen.
"Bastard," Logan swears as he gives the tusker a good kick after he falls down dead. "Told you not to mess with us," he replies.
"Let's tie these creatures up," Dor says, pointing at the sleeping Orcs.
"Let's tie up the sleeping beauties and search the place," Logan suggests. He looks around and notices that Edelle is gone. "Has anyone seen where she went? Also, can anyone help heal my cut?" he says, looking none too pleased at getting slashed by the orc.
"I'm up here!" calls Edelle from somewhere above you on the battlement.
"I can heal you," offers Melissa, and lays hands on the elf, curing his wound completely.
"My thanks, Melissa," he says, as he kisses her on the cheek. "Alright people, status?"
You tie the orcs up.
By the time you are done, Edelle joins you.
"Let's go do that again," Dor says, looking around for the next place to go.
"That would be the door," says Edelle, motioning to the portal at the end of the passage.
"What about these orcs?" asks Callie. "I'd like to kill them."
"Feel free," Logan says, "I won't do so when they are helpless like this. No honor in killing a defenseless enemy!"
"I don't think it's right, either" Dor replies. "They are tied up good and tight, so they can't cause us any harm."
"But then what?" asks the ranger. "Do we free them when we leave, or let them lie there to starve?"
Logan looks over the orcs and then slaps one of them awake.
He says, "You have a choice: answer my questions and live, or," he says, jerking his thumb at a lethal looking Callie, "She gets to play with you...from the inside out! What say you?"
"I don't thinks so," Dor interjects. "Torturing prisoners is wrong."
"I don't do torture," replies Callie. "I do kill orcs, though."
"@$$%#$%&^&%%^#%U**(*%%$!!!!!" the orc replies in orcish.
"I am sorry I don't think I heard you correctly," Logan says as he give him a hard kick to the gut. "Try that again," he says with obvious malice in his eyes. "Anyone hear speak Orcish?"
"Of course," says Windul. "All elves do...at least elves from Aldacan. He told you politely in orcish to go and rape your mother."
"Alas, before I came to Earth, I had never met an orc. There are none in Chult and the few non-humans that I had met in Calimport were either halfling or elf. I had met one half orc, but not as ugly as this group," he replies.
"Lovely," he says as he kicks the orc again, "and Dor, this is not torture. Stabbing him with my sword to let him die slowly is torture. I won't do that... just yet."
"Windul, please tell him that if he wants to live, he will tell us how many of his kin live here and how much of this place has been explored? I feel that one of the items we seek could be here!" Logan asks of Windul.
"What makes you think that?" asks Wizbang.
"^&$%%#$*(*(^%%%^^((@@#$??" Windul asks the orc in his own foul tongue.
"><:^*&^&@$%^%^&()^!!" he replies.
"He says, 'more than you can handle', and he adds that your father must have copulated with a sow to bring you into the world."
Meanwhile, Edelle and Vanadil have been inspecting the inner door, and have discovered that it is not locked.
Opening it, they look into a courtyard beyond. The entire courtyard is circular and must measure some 360' across. The wall is lined with various buildings, and you see several others in the courtyard as well. The main keep is also circular. Its western extremity lies some 150' away.
From where Edelle and Vanadil stand, a wall runs south for 80' (door in the 10' - 20' and 30' - 40' sections), east for 110' (doors in the 10' - 20', 40' - 50', 60' - 70' and 90' - 100' sections), then south and out of sight. Looking the other way from where they stand, a wall runs north for 30' (door in centre), northeast for 50' (double door in first 20' section), east for 10' (door), then north and out of sight.
"So be it, Windul, do what you want to him, he is of no more use to us!" Logan says. He takes a step back and chants a few mystical syllables as he casts Detect Magic. Once cast, he looks over the orcs to see if they carry an magical items.
He detects no magic.
"I won't do anything with them," says Windul with a shrug.
"I shall convert him to serve Forseti," says Umboth, and begins to preach a sermon at the orc.
Dor rolls his eyes and heads out into the courtyard.
The rest of you - excepting Umboth and Kadlian's creatures - follow.
You check out the flanking doors first.
The door to the left opens to reveal a 30' square room (10' north, 10' south, 30' west, stairs spiralling upwards in southwest corner through a hole in the ceiling). There are benches along the walls and a rickety table in the centre. Atop the table are some wooden plates containing gnawed bones, and some mugs made of dwarf skulls containing watery-looking beer. There are also several barrels in here.
The stairs lead up to the battlement above, which spans the entrance. Up here are more barrels, several braziers of hot coals and a dozen dead goblins, the latter with their throats slashed. Also here is a cauldron filled with oil, a stack of firewood and a light ballista.
A second flight of stairs heads down into another room below on the south side of the battlement.
"Going down?" the warrior mage asks with a smile. Armed with his enchanted sword, he slowly walks down the stairwell.
Dor continues down the stairs into the new room. Sword and shield are at the ready.
These stairs lead you down into the room on the south side of the entrance gate (roughly 30' square with a gently curving west wall; door in middle of east wall; the stairs come down in the northwest corner of the room). This place appears to be seldom used. There are many boxes and barrels in here. Searching, you find that the boxes contain arrows, crossbow bolts and spears; while the barrels contain water and oil.
You open the east door and find yourselves back in the courtyard. Looking about, you find another door located 20' to your right, so you go down and open that next.
This reveals what can only have once been an animal pen or kennel, but is now the home for a gang of perhaps a dozen dirty, scruffy men (odd shaped: right wall runs west for 30', left wall runs south for 40' then west for perhaps 15'; curving west wall).
You seem to have surprised them, but a lot of you are surprised as well. Birch, Vastelle, Dor, Wizbang, Melissa and Callie are surprised.
"Intruders! Kill 'em all!" shout the men, as they grab for their broadswords.
"Well, that's not very neighborly," says Dor as he prepares for the onslaught.
"No, we're not!" they reply.
"Dumb asses!" Logan says as he hurls a piece of rotten cabbage over their heads and intones a few arcane words. A billowing green cloud forms in the middle of the them.
While Logan casts, the bandits charge, and Vanadil, Windul and Edelle meet them.
Three bandits are cut down in short order.
Then, as the battle is joined, a foul cloud of greenish vapours rises from the rear of the room, catching four of the men and immobilising them.
The rest do battle with you.
Dor is slashed for 4 hit points before he kills his assailant.
Logan fans and is also then cut up for 6 hit points, which makes him mad enough to kill the man.
All of the bandits are dead, except for the four in the stinking cloud. You hear them coughing and vomiting.
"Ha," laughs Dor. "Lived through another battle. What a great adventure. I wonder what's next?"
"Kill them," Logan says as he looks for something hard and sharp to throw.
"I refuse to participate in the slaughter of innocents who cannot fight back," Dor responds. "And I am not sure I can trust those who do."
"Yeah," says Melissa.
"Alright, Dor, you stand here and wait 'til they are done choking and we'll see how innocent they are. Geez, some of you hero types are morons!" Logan says as he slaps his forehead. "Fine, get killed because you want to be a goody goody. Dor, are you a Paladin?"
"I'm a pal of Niko's, but I don't know no Din," Emm replies after a moment's thought.
The fumes gradually thin out, and Windul and Vanadil brave the stench to rush in and truss up the bandits before they recover.
"Now what?" asks the warrior, as she regards the four newest prisoners. "Consign them to the tender mercies of the Reverend Umboth?"
"Sure, Umboth would have a field day with them," the warrior/mage chuckles and then winces as he realizes after the battle that he was cut. "Can anyone take a look at this slash?"
"What do you suppose these guys were guarding?" Dor asks. He begins to poke around the room, looking for he knows not what.
In there he comes up with 120gp and a large diamond (1000gp).
"Wow," Dor exclaims. "Who's got a bag to keep all this loot in?"
"Oh, Logan, wouldn't that stone look nice set into an engagement ring..?" asks Edelle, casting a significant look at him.
"That it would, darlin'," he replies with a smile, "Alas, I don't think I can claim it, but I will keep my eyes open for something similar!" he says with raise of his eyebrows.
"And why not? I'm sure Dor wouldn't mind."
"Fine, Dor, may I claim the diamond? Seems we will be celebrating real soon!" Logan says with a wink to Edelle. "And Edelle, I accept !" he says with a wide smile as he walks up to her to kiss her firmly on the lips as he hugs her tightly.
She avoids his embrace and his lips, and dances away.
"I was just joking!" she says with a giggle.
"Your loss, sweetheart," he says with a smile and then lets out a "phew."
"Only bad girls joke about marriage. A good woman is loyal to her man, no matter what," Dor lectures sternly.
"Oh, screw yourself," Edelle replies lightly.
"Well, I am pretty gifted," he replies. "But not that gifted."
"Really?" asks Edelle, sounding a little interested.
Nuanna steps up and cures Logan for 2 hit points.
You half walk, half carry the four bandits back to the entrance tunnel where Umboth is sermonising the orcs. They are all awake, now, and are staring at him with glassy-eyed expressions on their faces.
"Good. More converts," he says, and directs you as to where to put them, before resuming his preaching.
You head back out into the courtyard and resume your explorations. It is early evening.
The next door past the bandit lair is in the south wall. It opens to reveal a roughly pie-shaped room (right wall runs west for about 25'; left wall runs east for 10', then south for 55'; back wall curves to join everything up). This place is filthy, littered with straw and bones, and deserted. Searching the place turns up nothing.
You head east to the next door and open it. Through it you see a large, odd shaped room (10' east, 10' west; west wall runs south for about 55'; east wall runs south for about 78'; curving back wall joins everything up; door in east wall 20' - 30' section). There are several dozen small pallets in here, sized for goblins. Each one has a small chest beside it. The place appears to be unoccupied at the moment.
Dor begins open the chests, a little treasure lust in his heart.
Logan begins to search through the chests and hopes to find a crossbow, to start training with.
You find little of interest in here, except for a few vials which sound like they contain liquids. Hoping for potions, you take them.
You open the door in the east wall,, and find yourselves looking into a mess hall...and it is truly a mess (20' X 40': 10' south, 20' north, 20' east; door in north wall west side). There are several long tables in here, with benches. Atop them are some dirty wooden plates and cutlery, filled with scraps of unwholesome looking food. Otherwise, the place is deserted, and after searching fruitlessly for loot you open the north door and find yourselves back in the courtyard.
You head to the last door to the east.
This door opens to reveal another barracks hall (30' X 80': 10' east, 10' west, 80' south; door in west wall 40' - 50' section). Once again, there are several dozen pallets in here, sized for human sized creatures. Each has a small chest beside it. Searching, you again find nothing, except for a few vials and a pouch which seems to contain some mysterious sort of dust or powder.
You open the west door.
This is a second mess hall (odd shaped: right wall runs west for 20', south for about 38'; left wall runs south for 30', then west for 15'; curving section of wall joins everything up; door in south wall east corner).
There are several long tables in here, with benches. Atop them are some dirty wooden plates and cutlery, filled with scraps of unwholesome looking food.
There are two ugly old women in here, attempting to clean the place up. They are dressed in voluminous, grease stained and patched cotton dresses and aprons - typical peasant garb - their greying hair tied back with kerchiefs.
They look up when you open the door, and scowl.
"'Ere now, wot you want?" asks one of them, irritably.
"Sorry about the intrusion, ladies, we are just wondering where exactly we are?" Logan asks as he nods to each of them.
"Good day, gentlewomen," Dor says by way of greeting. "Can you tell us what this place is?"
"Are ye blind? It's a blarsted mess 'all!" she says.
"'Ere, now, Gertie!" says the other. "Don't you go talkin' rude to that young lad. 'E just arsked a question, that's all."
"Millie, now is you tellin' me y'like 'im?"
"Well, what If I do?"
Dor laughs. "A mess hall. What a fine answer. And what army eats in this mess hall? Is there an officer in charge of the troops?"
"Bloody pigs eat in 'ere!" says Gertie. "This 'ere's where the gate guards eat, it is."
"If'n ye came in 'ere then ye'd have seem them," says Millie. "Pack o' bloomin' orcs, they is."
"Met them indeed," Dor responds. "Who else inhabits this place, good woman?"
"Aye, ogres and undead, some strange monsters wot with long tails," Millie replies. She walks over to Dor. "'Ow's about a kiss?"
"Millie!" exclaims Gertie.
"You flatter me greatly madam," Dor replies. "But I must finish my work, and must postpone more pleasurable pursuits. Perhaps after my business with the long tails is done."
Dor bows politely and departs from the dining hall.
"You come back 'ere when yer ready, pup!" Millie calls after Dor. "I'll teach ye things those young tarts h'an't a clue about!"
You depart, and, having finished this area, decide to go back and explore to the north of the gate house.
As you recall, north of the entrance gate the wall runs north for 30' (door in middle that you have already explored), then northeast for 50' (double doors in 0' - 20' section), east for 10' (door), and north around a corner and out of sight.
You proceed to the double doors and open them.
Revealed is a large room: a stable (left wall runs west for 30'; right wall runs northeast for 30', then northwest for 35' (door in 20' - 30' section); curved back wall closes everything up). This chamber is large, open and unlit. Shining your lights, you see many stalls in here, all empty. The air in here smells of straw and dung and rotting flesh.
There is a light shining under the door at the back of the stable, and through it you hear the sounds of hammering.
"Anyone know what kinda creatures might be these long tails?" Dor asks.
"Beats me," says Vanadil.
Logan follows the light and heads for the door, with sword in hand.
As you approach the door you hear a noise from the left, and suddenly two ghouls jump you!
"Hey, why don't you pick on somebody your own size," Dor yells, moving to intercept one of the foul creatures.
Logan, leading the crowd, reacts quickly by fanning with his glowing longsword. The ghoul scratches and bites him for 7 hit points of damage.
Dor is also quick on his feet, and connects with his longsword while dodging the teeth and filthy nails of the undead.
Nuanna calls on the power of Forseti.
"Scram!" she shouts.
The ghouls turn and flee into the dark extremities of the stable.
There is a creeking sound from before you, and the door that you were making for opens.
"Wot th' fuck is goin' on out 'ere?" asks a guttral voice, as an enormous form appears silhouetted in the doorway.
"Wo-ho!" exclaims Callie. "An ogre!"
"Hey, wait for me!" Dor yells as he charges the ogre.
"Damn," Logan replies. "Nuanna, dear, can you heal me once this ogre is done with?" he asks. Regardless of the answer, he casts magic missile at the ogre.
"Sure," she answers.
"Thanks, sweetheart," he says with a smile as he moves to attack the ogre.
The ogre leaps out through the doorway, and runs straight into Logan's magic missiles.
"YEEEEOW!" he bellows, as the three missiles pound into him.
Callie is nearest, so he swings his enormous hammer at her. The ranger ducks under his swing, giggles, and skewers him between his legs with her longsword. He yelps one last time - in a falsetto - then drops dead.
"You killed my damned boyfriend!" comes a new voice from the doorway, and a second big ugly ogre charges into the fray!
Dor is there to greet him. As he swings his sword the new ogre crunches him over the head with his hammer for 1 hit point, eliciting a hollow ringing sound from within the warrior's helmet. Dor swings his sword and fans.
Logan and everyone rush up to join in the fun.
Dor makes up for lost time by landing a solid hit. The ogre bellows furiously, swings his hammer, but misses Dor. Callie turns on him, and with one deft swing relieves the monster of both his manhood and his life.
She giggles again.
"Any other men want to hassle me?" she asks, throwing a glance at Logan.
"Maybe later," Logan says with a weak grin as he waits from Nuanna to heal him from his wounds. "Nice swingin' there, Callie!" he says with an impressed shake of his head.
Nuanna heals the elf for a grand total of 6 hit points.
"That's it for me," she says. "Maybe we should call it a night."
"I wonder what they were working on in here?" Dor asks as he enters the place formerly known as the ogres' room.
You enter the room and look around. It is a smithy (odd shaped: right wall runs southeast for 10', north for 40'; left wall runs northwest for 5'; curving outer wall joins everything up). In here are vats and barrels, a large anvil, a fire pit filled with glowing coals which throw off a ruddy glow and a lot of heat, a pile of unburned coal, and many tools.
Searching around, you find a total of 60gp on the ogres, and 2 gems (50gp ea.) plus a fancy looking buckler in the room.
Satisfied, you exit the smithy, and head back across the stables to the double doors leading to the courtyard.
You do not get too far, though, before the ghouls jump you again, hissing, clawing and biting.
"Bastards!" Logan swears as he slices the nearest one with his enchanted blade.
"I thought we scared you guys away," Dor bellows. "So take this!" he says as he swings at the nearest one.
"Pppppth!" replies the ghoul, making a face at Dor.
Logan again fans with his enchanted blade, and the ghoul laughs at him. The elf, though, manages to dodge all of the ghoul's attacks. Dor does better with his attack, though, and cuts down his foe.
Meanwhile, Vastelle, taking pity on poor hapless Logan, attacks the ghoul from the rear, but with the same result as Logan had. The ghoul moons Vastelle.
Logan tries his luck again, and this time has some luck. The undead drops dead at last.
This time you pause to search the stable but find nothing of interest or value.
You exit the stable and return to the entrance of the fort, where Umboth and some friends await you.
"FORSETI! FORSETI! FORSETI!" cry the orcs and bandits, shaking their fists in the air.
"I have converted them," says Umboth with a smile. "We have some new allies."
"FORSETI! FORSETI! FORSETI!"
"Good job," Dor greets Umboth. "Hey. What do your new friends know about some sort of long-tailed creatures living in this place?"
"SU MONSTERS! SU MONSTERS! SU MONSTERS!" they reply.
"Anybody know anything about a Su Monster?" Dor asks the party.
They all shake their heads.
"Perhaps the treants?" wonders Wizbang.
"Let's ask," Emm says as he heads off.
You find the treants outside.
"Su monsters?" says Barker, when Dor asks him. "Strange, ape like creatures. They can hang by their tails and claw at you with all of their legs,and they bite as well. Nasty and chaotic."
"Thanks for the heads up," Dor replies. "Ha ha ha, get it," he laughs, greatly amused at his pun. "Heads up. Hanging by their tails, we'll have to keep our heads up. That is sooo funny."
He takes a few minutes to get himself under control.
Barker regards Dor in silence.
"I will never understand humans," remarks Bigroot.
"Neither will I," agrees Vanadil.
"Been there, done that, best thing about humans, practice," Logan says with a chuckle.
"Great job, Umboth," Logan then says to the cleric. "Can you ask them if they know anything about an ancient scepter or sword?"
"NEVER HEARD OF THEM! NEVER HEARD OF THEM! NEVER HEARD OF THEM!" they chorus.
"So," Logan says, facing the group of converts, "What is left of this place that we have not explored or found?"
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Vanadil answers, "Looks like more buildings along the north wall, plus the keep itself to the east. I thought I saw a building in front of the keep, too."
"Shall we rest up tonight and then continue on our way in the morning?" asks Callie, "Or do you want to explore the fort some more?"
"Rest works well for me, sweetheart!" Logan says with a smile. "Let us get some rest and in the morning, begin fresh."
"I'll take first watch," Dor says.
The night passes not so quietly. This is because Umboth's followers keep up a constant din of shouting and preaching the glories of Forseti until dawn. You do not sleep well.