The stairs have very small risers and the whole thing resembles a ramp more than traditional stairs. Perfect for stubby legs, or the wheels of ore carts and whatever is extracted from the depths below. “Shiny things!”, insists Digin…”So many shiny things!”. The way ahead is probably untrapped, so Fingers ventures ahead, trusting in his silent tread and enhanced vision to carry the day. It appears the party has outpaced the alarm, for there are sounds of light kobold banter ahead.
Fingers spots a portcullis and arrow slits at the top of the ramp and correctly deduces that it would be best to avoid being trapped on the ramp while whatever dwarven defenses are unleashed upon the group. Still, time is of the essence if they wish to take advantage of their lead time. A plan is quickly developed and Fingers cover’s the group’s approach with an illusion while Bayga’s Silence spell covers the sounds. By the time the kobolds can smell the party it’ll be too late.
Indeed, it is so. The group bursts onto the scene and annihilates the relaxed defenders within seconds. Their passage is so swift that they are on a second set of ramps and climbing before any of the nearby guards determine what has happened. The sounds of falling portcullises echo behind them as they travel upwards towards the ramp’s end. Fingers warns of guards and the group decides that speed trumps finesse.
Again they announce their presence with much hacking and slashing though a few guards escape and sound the alarm. The sound of falling portcullises rings out ahead of the advancing group. Fingers does a quick recon and they collectively decide that the path to take is the one less traveled by mining carts. It turns out that a portcullis can be a trivial thing for a super strong dwarf, or it can be an insurmountable obstacle. Sprinkle in traps and murder holes and the portcullis thing feels decidedly unwelcoming.
Spells of various sorts are proposed, but in the end Kegdrain transforms into a rust monster and dissolves the bars. Problem solved; the party advances into an area that was clearly posh at one point. Ornate fountains are now cracked and broken. No water flows, but the area is quite tidy…which is a tiny bit strange given the general condition of the rest of the dwarven city under the mountain. There is little time for sightseeing as a swarm of large spiders takes an interest in the party’s presence and starts blasting them with psychic energy, causing Fingers to reboot and power off for a bit. Bayga – chosen of the Galchutt – is now immune to such shenanigans and there is a bit of frantic spider smashing before the threat is nullified.
Though there is an ornate area to be explored, the group advances towards an intriguing portcullis – yes, another one – that has a mysterious looking locking mechanism. Though the lock-looking reveals nothing, the might of the party is not might enough to lift the bars…but there’s a rust-monster form for that and Kegdrain goes to work. They gain access to a short tunnel that ends in…another portcullis.