Tunnel Blockage is a Real Pain

The Party draws near to the northern entrance of the Stonefang Pass as dusk falls on the late winter day. Torches alight they enter and pass-by numerous signs of recent battles and attacks. Numerous dead stirges and a few disemboweled giant spiders told that the dwarves had a rougher time exiting their once glorious trade road than expected. But all stories have their truths as sooner than they party thought, they had arrived at the large stone blocking the rest of the tunnel.

The doorway to the gate house was left ajar and the Party filed in, unbeknown to them the dwarves of old still had their defenses in order as a handful of crossbow quarrels shot out from hidden compartments in the walls and a trio of steel snake-like constructs made their way to protect the gate mechanism.

The Party, made decent work of the constructs and avoided the magical crossbows with all haste. Only to find two minor stone golems awaiting them in the gatehouse proper, whose floor was gravely gouged by earthquakes that ravaged the tunnel on a near constant state.

Avoiding the small gorge, and taking care of the golems, our heroes reactivated the gate keeper, a large mechanical construct, appearing to be a metallic dwarf the size of a hill giant. With the assistance of the gate keeper the party was able to open the stone blockade and allow the small force of Orc that lay in wait on the other side of the stone wall...

Orcs of the Bane-ish Persuasion

Thoughts from the DM

Apologies for the tardiness of this story up-date.

Life has reared its nasty head and summoned me away from such things as these.

Lets hope I can get everything up to date before our next game.

...And now back to the action!

The PCs have received the ledger of St. Nicoli and, as per a specific vision by Nameless (possibly imparted by The Power), have decided to keep it (The Grandmother Witch is not pleased). They have returned to Fallcrest and with their arrival, came upon a young squire from The College of Warfare, with a request of aid.

The dwarves of the Glintshield clan, heralding from beyond the western mountains, have been chased from their recently re-opened trade rout. Though cunningly sealing the pass behind them, as is normal for dwarven security, they seek able bodied men and women to expel the orcish threat that are trapped on the other side of the barricade. Interestingly enough the orcs fly the banner of Bane not Gruumish One-Eye as would be expected.

Our heroes fly fast to be-rid of any worshiper of Bane and find if this has anything to do with their current affairs with Banites and, more importantly, the Blackguard Barrick.