Tunnels: intersection.
The group stand on guard at the junction of the two passages.
The NW-SE passage is more than 150'ft long. At its southern end, it opens into the guarded Aspis Cave with a giant ant tunnel opening a few yards before it on the left. The injured Giant Weasel retreated this way and has not returned. No Aspis warrior-drones are drawn to come and investigate the conflict that has taken place with you. The passage is dark and silent that way and as far as you know, there are no other exits bar returning through the Aspis territory.
The northern end of the passage has been
webbed by
Edel's spell. Caught in the web are two Orc guards and for this reason alone, the Orc reinforcements behind are trying to physically cut through the web strands as quickly burning them with open flames will surely burn their comrades too.
At the junction are the corpses of the three slain Orc guards, (one a Sgt ranked guard) and the carcasses of the Giant Weasel adult and the juvenile weasel.
I mentioned a bloody stain on the wall here, (at waist height or head height to a Halfling) and pointing this out to
Blodgett for comments, he will say,
"A Halfling I saw running through the passage here, pursued by the guards. He was injured severely and must have been taken or slain. I sneaked behind to aid him and came upon the Orc I slew in the tunnel."
He says the north end of the passage goes towards a Slave Market area, patrolled rigourously by well armed guards and Slaver officials.
"If your colleague was captured, they will either execute him or sell him to foreign bidders if he has any kind of ransom value or worth."
The sound of the guards cutting through web strands and summoning help only substantiates his assessment.
The adjoining passage curves northeast and forks after about 100'ft with another slim passage that turns to the left. It is towards this second passage that
Blodgett urges the group to retreat, reiterating what he said before to
Edel,
"There is a way up into a crypt. It may be safer there, these tunnels bleed Orcs and others have stirred the hornets nest."
.
Mortar joins in on the info-swap.
"Then you are Blodgett, I presume? We were kinda looking for you and your friends in here." He acknowledges his name and says he and his friends were scattered, the mission a failure.
(I will add his meeting with Elwita at the bottom.)
"We struck a deal for passage with the Aspis creatures, if that should change your mind." His knowledge of these creatures is very limited. Like yourselves, never encountering their like before. He says he tried to sneak that way but was rebuffed and says that the Aspis work in league with the Slavers by providing additional security and operatives in the Slave Pens. He doesn't know much about their culture or lifestyle beyond them being 'fanatically loyal' to a Queen figure and being master swordsmen. He asks,
"Negotiated safe passage? Perhaps we can go through there again?" intrigued that you could manage that.
"What can you tell us about this path you suggest? The ladder leading up has been broken off, you understand. Why do you suggest we head that way?" I think there is a bit of confusion here regarding passages. I am fine with you sharing that 'beyond the Aspis Cave is another caves with storage pits and a ladder leading up to a ceiling trapdoor that supposedly opens to a slave audience chamber. This ladder is broken in half'.
The path he suggests the group flee as he feels the mission fails and the guards are alerted, is through the adjoining passage and the next forked passage as explained above.
"Do you know where the others you came here with are currently?" No he does not. He says that after the Icon team entered the Temple complex, they were beset by a gang of undead who surprised ambushed them. The Icons were scattered,
Ogre making a 'last stand' so others could flee. He remembers running through internal corridors and being chased by Orc temple guards into a cemetery where he hid for two days before exploring further to try and locate others.
"I am called Mortar, and this motley crew you see before you were sent in here to finish what you started. Savvy?"
He greets everyone in turn and finally comes face to face (or face to skinned face) with
Elwita. He embraces her, grimacing at her misfortune, not having time to hear of her own testimony or discuss the fate of other Icons.
"They're cutting through!" interrupts
Jacupo & Rogger who watch the relentless progress of the Orc guards chopping the web strands at the top of the passage. It pushes the need for definitive action to either fight it out here or retreat elsewhere in the tunnel system.
Next Actions please
) and move toward the stairs pointed out by Blodgett.
