Knowing that this likely isn’t the way towards the ghouls, Kwisatz goes just a bit further in to see where the gap in the bottom right leads, before heading back to report.

Listening to what Kwisatz saw, it confirmed her own thoughts on what little she could see of the room. Moving toward the door to the North West, Andrømeda, same as with the previous door, slowly opened it, peaking through to see what lay beyond.

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Knowing that this likely isn’t the way towards the ghouls, Kwisatz goes just a bit further in to see where the gap in the bottom right leads, before heading back to report.

Kwiz goes in and can see that the tunnel twists around and it looks like it heads down. 

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Listening to what Kwisatz saw, it confirmed her own thoughts on what little she could see of the room. Moving toward the door to the North West, Andrømeda, same as with the previous door, slowly opened it, peaking through to see what lay beyond.

You can tell that this is a very large room. there is ambient light coming in from arrow slits to the north. You have started to see that the room contains many of the former defensive measures. 

Since you haven't completely walked through the door, though, you can't really see much more than that.

Andrømeda carefully makes her way out of the room looking around as she enters the hallway trying to see if there are any signs of life (Perception: 6 and Stealth in case I need to re-roll: 15 )

Andrømeda walks slowly into the room and sees how huge it is. Thick webs are strung between the walls and pillars that are in the middle. Lurking among them are several giant spiders. They haven't noticed her, you, though. Andrømeda counts 5 spiders. Other defenses include two fireplaces, which were used to heat cauldrons full of oil that the dwarves likely poured through narrow slits in the floor. Three empty cauldrons are lined up along one of these slits.

Backing into the room slowly, Andrømeda looks to Kwiz and shakes her head. "Giant spiders. Several. Am think den's time to return to de others and take dis to dem from de front."

Kwisatz sighs and nods, whispering “This certainly is more complicated than what we’d been expecting. Let us return to the others then. You should climb up the rope first and pull me up. I wouldn’t want to fall and cause a ruckus down here before we’re even out...”

"Pah. No net for det." She says waving her hand dismissively, before reaching out and lifting him up to her shoulders. Walking over to the chimney, she says, "Hold tight, and do not fear pulling meg hair, ja?" Then she begins to ascend back up the chimney using the tight space and rope to assist her. (Athletics just in case: 17 )

Andrømeda is able to climb up he rope just fine without falling. And, climbing back down is easier than climbing up was (no roll needed). You make it back down to Rush and Sael at the front. You can hear Sael's voice getting hoarse and she's lazily banging against the door that she's sitting against. 

"Hels, friends." Andrømeda says as she approaches. "Dir seems to be many dangers inside. Vi vil be doing dis in meg vay, ja?"

“If we’re bursting through, at least attempt to create a choke point from which they all must go. They will be easier to handle that way.” Kwisatz says, backing up to watch the stronger members do their work. Depending on how long it takes he’ll spend the first 10 minutes ritual casting his servant, as you never know when that will come in handy, and the next 10 casting detect magic, so that once they enter it will be active.

Andrømeda nods, holding a hand out for Sael to stand from where she'd been sitting. "Apologies for de long vait, but now de time to act has kom, ja?" She grins and winks at Sael before squaring up in front of the door.

Sael clears her throat, nods and stands, and squares up right next to Andrømeda with weapons at the ready, to help break in the door.  She looks back at Kwis, "So keep it a narrow opening?"

Rush nods and uses shape water to create a narrow opening at the door. “I’ll keep the ice up for only so long. Get the door open.”

"Vell, here vi go." With that, Andrømeda raises her boot and once again slams it into the door.

Sael kicks at the same time as Andrømeda, ensuring her foot falls close to but not on her friends foot.

With the two of you pounding on the door, it takes another 30 minutes to get the door down, but when Andrømeda gets that final kick in, the wooden doors finally burst and the timbers fall back into the foyer of the fortress. As they do, you see 10... 11?...no - 15 dwarven ghouls all look at the front door that was just knocked down trying to figure out whatever had been making the noise.

Initiative time

• Andrømeda (AC14, HP55): 19
• Kwisatz (AC15, HP32): 12 
• Rush (AC18, HP38): 16
• Sael (AC13, HP44): 24
• Dwarven Ghouls: 16

Initiative Order:

1. Sael
2. Kwisatz
3. Rush
4. Ghouls
5. Andrømeda

Sael is up first!

Round 1, Turn 1 - Sael's Turn

Kwisatz pull his waterskin around his body, unpops the cork, and a small drop of water floats up and out of it, slowly frosting over. He then furrows his brow a bit, strengthening the spell causing more drops come out and as the frost forms you see a small spearhead shape of ice floating above his hand. Corking the skin, he takes a step back as the spear strikes out towards g5 ((the one completely surrounded)). Impacting, it sends out shards of ice at all eight of the ghouls around the target.

Sael immediately extends her handaxes for two-weapon fighting and attacks the closest ghoul.

Attack: 18 Damage: 5

Attack: 23 Damage: 1