Rhogar still seemed somewhat unconvinced of Krom's assertions, but held his tongue following the accord to wait. As for Gorrah, she hadn't needed to be told twice, as she'd happily zip from the Dragonborn's cloak to that of the Tabaxi just before Chill makes his move. It's from her new perch that she barely pokes out a head from time to time to help keep an eye out or trouble or for anything of interest along the way.

-Gorrah's Perception: 16.

"Stay out of the sight for the night?" Rhogar parrots, only then fully registering Kazri's words. Before the paladin can then wandered too far out of ear shot, the dragonborn promptly adds, "I hate to say it, Lady Karzi, but I don't think we'll be 'staying the night'." He said with a chuckle to his voice. "We've delayed enough as-is, and any more can only spell doom for the ten towns. But if you mean to find shelter to wait until Chill returns, now /that/ is a different story." With that, he made to follow after her, offering what assistance he could in the endeavor. Yet so alien is the environment that he soon quiets down upon realizing his own assistance would be for naught.

"Rhogar is right, we can not rest, not until we have taken care of the duergar and their dragon." says Krom as he walks behind Kazri "The Frostmaiden is a mighty foe and her winter is crippling the ten towns, but if the duergar unleash their dragon on the region it will be much worse." the dwarf continues as he too searches for a suitable shelter.
Perception 20

(Sorry guys. I thought we taking a long rest before Krom does his thing? My bad.)

As Chill moves forward to start up the stairs, and the rest find a place of shelter to wait, from high above comes a loud grinding noise as large sheets of ice break off the fortress walls and tumble down the mountainside. Suddenly, great doors of ice previously hidden under snow stand open more than three hundred feet above you, and from between them flies a huge dragon made of dark ice. Its eyes glow with a bright golden light as it lets out a terrible roar, hurls itself into the air, and glides away from the fortress, then turns and heads north toward Ten-Towns.

It is 300 feet away and out of reach.

As soon as he notices the dragon, Krom takes a few steps forward following with his eyes the creature's flying path. "The duergar unleashed their dragon, we arrived too late to stop this attack, but if we act swiftly we may be able to stop future incursions. The duergar created that creature, maybe there is a way to destroy it before it reaches the first town."

"I'll inform Speaker Shane of the imminent dragon's attack, hopefully they may be able to hide while we take care of the duergar." says Krom turning towards the rest of the group.

The dwarf chants an hymn of sending addressing Speaker Shane: "Reached the duergar's Fortress. A huge dragon is flying North towards Ten-Towns. Hide while you can. We will try to stop the duergar. "

Kazri's heart sinks, but she knows that there is little she can do directly to help the town. At the very least Krom was able to warn Bryn Shander. "Master Krom, are we able to get into the fortress now?" She draws her sword, and asks Oli to stay close.

"We should wait for Chill and Gorrah to return." replies Krom "They should not be far now and they may have found a safe entry point for us." The dwarf taps his holy symbol "If not, I'll open us a door."

Seeing the dragon leave, Chill rushed back down the stairs that he had already climbed and returned to the others. 

"What now?  Chase the dragon or continue here?  I'll go back up if that's the plan."

"You are fast Chill, but even you my friend can not run faster than a flying dragon." says Krom shaking his head as he replies to the Tabaxi "I have informed the Speaker of Bryn Shander of the dragon, more than that, for now, we can not do against that dragon." The dwarf takes out from the belt clip his war hammer and slamming it into the snow says "But we can do much against those duergar. They created the dragon, maybe we can find in their fortress a way to undone the enchantment that animates it. If not the dragon will face the Fellowship of the White Cloaks when it returns to this place. We faced and killed a dragon once, we can do it again."

"Well said Master Krom. I am ready." Kazri is ready to enter the fortress. "Stay close to me, for I grant some protection from Helm." She says to the party.

(FYI. Staying within 10 ft of Kazri grants +3 to all saving throws, and resistance to damage from spell. I am taking that we are going to be spelunking in tight spaces.)

(@DM. Is Oli still a medium creature?)

"... But not before it has laid waste to ten towns, if we are to be proven wrong in finding what we need to stop it from afar." Rhogar said grimly. "By which point, we'd at best only be avenging ten towns more than anything if or when it returns."  He added with a bit of angry growl building up in the back of his voice. He then whips around snarling seemingly at Chill, before Gorrah's poking her head out from his hood clear things up. 

After the two silently stare at one another, the Dragonborn lets out a defeated sounding exhale that stunk of ozone and began patting his head. "... Sorry... I didn't... *sigh*.... Either way, I don't disagree with Master Krom. But the time for caution has largely passed. For we either throw much caution to the wind, climb those steps together now, and do whatever it takes to break into the fortress and get at the mastermind to all of this quickly... or we give chase."

"Dougan's Hole however is the closest settlement, and all too likely to fall before we arrive... the same perhaps can be said of Good Mead should it seek to strike there next as the closest town to the Hole. But after that, we know not which direction it is to go to even try and cut it off, let alone catch mid-terrorizing of any town. And we can only push our mounts so much before they collapse, hampering any attempt of ours to make up the lost ground." At that point he looks almost sorrowfully to Krom. "Though what I ask would go against all wisdom, send word to Sky so she may notify her people. For news travels too slowly among the towns these days to trust that Bryn Shander's speaker alone will be able to deliver news to the others swift enough." 

Krom nods at Rhogar's suggestion "I will do that immediately Rhogar." The dwarf as the group walks chants an hymn of sending addressing Sky "A huge dragon just left the duergar fortress and it's flying in your direction. Too fast for us. Hide in the caves."

"It is done Rhogar, Sky has been informed. Hopefully they will have time to hide in the caves nearby before the dragon arrives." says Krom keeping walking towards the staircase.

"Not fast, I just didn't get far.  I'll head back up.  If you can send more of the messages you should warn any other town you can as well if there are people we have met.  One per town to warn as many as possible."

With that said he went back up the stairs.

Stealth 24

Perception 24 (with advantage due to help from Gorrah)

"As it's a very taxing hymn and we do not know the strength of the resitance that we will face inside I was saving some of my power, but you are right Chill, we have to inform as many people as possible. I'll contact Speaker Nimsy. News of the dragon may not reach Lonelywood in time." replies Krom before starting once again the hymn of sending.
"Speaker Nimsy, a huge dragon is flying from the Spine of the World towards the Ten-Towns. Find shelter."
The dwarf pauses for a few moments before adding "Targos and Bremen are close enough to Bryn Shander, I trust that the Speaker has means of to deliver our warning to them."

Kazri stays with the group, but tries to keep an eye on Chill as much as she is able.

Krom sends his messages to those he know can make a difference in the Ten-Towns.  While the messages he receives in return are brief and fearful they all echo the same sentiment; we understand and will take action.

Chill has again headed up the stairs to the fortress.  The steps leading up to it are barely 5 feet wide and climb 150 feet to a frost-covered shelf that adjoins the main entrance. Moving east from the top of the stairs leads Chill to the entrance of the fortress: a ten-foot-high double door of featureless stone. An arrow slit facing in your direction guards the approach.

Nothing moves on the stairs and Chill is hidden from view in the dim darkness. Making his way to the arrow slit Chill can see that this room is illuminated by braziers of glowing-hot coals. Warmth emanates from the open arrow slit. 

A floor-to-ceiling iron cage in the middle of the room contains an elevator shaft with chains running up and down away from it. The chains are in constant motion, and you hear loud mechanical noises. A double door is embedded in the middle of the east wall. Air enters the room through a row of four arrow slits in the south wall.

Chill can report back to the others, through Gorrah what he has found and that the way up is clear and safe.

While it hadn't quite been Rhogar's intentions to wait, especially after having claimed the time for caution to have passed with the Dragon being on the move, the dragonborn is yet given pause after taking the first step. Whether it be a look or gesture from the others, some telepathic message from Gorrah, or even a combination of both, the fact remained Rhogar pensive, and even a tidbit aggravated ever since. Even the busy work that came with making sure their collective mounts were settled and relatively safe failed to set him at ease.

But the moment news is shared one way or another, the Dragonborn growls out a "Finally!" and immediately began marching up the path; his remembering to pass along the news only come into play after making it up the first few steps, before calling back to the others the all clear. Stealth is not embraced even the slightest along the way. And if able to get to the window slit, without much complication, he'd say to the others, "Master Krom. If you would. Otherwise, I'll simply 'step in' myself and see if I can get those doors open."

As the group climbs the stairs behind Chill, Krom shares the replies he received. "May the All-Father protect them all." murmurs to himself.
The dwarf walks closer to the arrow slit and nodding to the dragonborn says "Allow me to open us a way Rhogar. We may need Brother Vixix's aid as we move forward."
Krom takes with one hand his holy symbol and placing the other hand on the stones surrounding the arrow slit chants an hymn of transmutation.
As the dwarf chants, the stones slowly rearrange themself creating a passage into the wall. "Here we go my friends." says the dwarf as he walks inside, shield and hammer at the ready.

Once Krom has opened the "alternate" entrance, Kazri goes in first (or after Chill if he's going scouting). She puts her shield in front, and slowly enters the first area.

Perception: 7

Chill moves in with the others if Krom's action doesn't alert anyone.

He immediately moves to the doorway in the wall to the north.

Perception 17