Retreating briefly, the group regroups and plots the hallway assault.
Invisibly, and silenced, the group creeps to within 20 feet then bursts from concealment. Reza wields the Justicar with deadly skill, slaying four guards in the first few seconds then assisting the group in slaying the rest before they can flee and spread the alarm. Under cover of the silence spell, the group opens a door that eventually leads to storage cellars, a huge slithery thing, and flaming skeletons serving soup to emaciated prisoners. Hmm. Does the lord of the fortress live here in the cellars? ‘Prolly not, so back up the stairs they go, with Bud Fester yammering on about how he would live in the top of the fortress if he were in charge...

A hasty consult with the local druid representative reveals the possibility of additional allies to be recruited to the cause. In particular, the wolves of the frozen northern wilds might be persuaded to aid if the pack leader can be defeated in single combat.
Additionally, the faerie folk of the woods will aid the rebellion if the group can defeat a monster that terrorizes the crossroads – a series of linked portals that can be used to travel great distances in a short time.

Leaving their de facto headquarters, the group uses one of the crossroads to reach the northern foothills where it is decided that Reza will represent the party in single combat against Frostbite – a hulking, elephant-sized, ancient dire winter wolf...

Taking a look around the lich’s chambers the group does a quick assessment of the situation. A hasty bit of plundering follows while the group tries to orient themselves. Several doors lead to more secret peepholes and passages and one os followed into a strange cavern…complete with hexagonal rite pit, chained and caged corpses/wights a strange knot of living darkness and a brace of shadowspawn guards with wicked flails of electrical blasting. The pit is also home to a strainge and regal woman clad in armor and bearing a snake headed mace.
The group rolls up and attacks…Reza engages a guard, takes a wicked blow and then fells him with a smash from the Mace of Disruption. As he advances, the woman blasts him with a bolt of dark energy – slaying him immediately...

Exploring the ledges near the edge of the vast cavern reveals some footprints that lead off into the darkness. A lit path seems to pass directly through the boulder field. Investigation reveals that the boulders behave as normal rocks _except_ for the part where they whiz about in space as though unaffected by gravity. Arrows and coins that are projected into the area behave as expected, falling into the vast chasm. There is a brief amount of head scratching and some calls to ‘sleep on the matter’, but in the end it is decided that hanging about on the ledges is probably not conducive to continued drawing of breath and the decision is made to cross the chasm.
Dalliance wishes a bridge into existence and the group readies itself for a brief transit that skirts the edge of one of the boulder...

After plundering the room of all its secrets, the party hurries upstairs and starts systematically emptying rooms of all that they can find that retains any value, while keeping an eye out for any guards or forces of the Baneites. A few hours later they conclude that any remaining forces must have fled along with the priest – probably to raise the alarm. Nonetheless, for the moment – their work at Castle Krag is done. Rounding up the locals, they set off on a day’s march to the nearest thorp in the shadow of the Krag. There they tell their tales, try to inspire the populace a bit, set tongues-a-wagging, and redistribute 1000 gold coins to the elders, This prompts a small celebration, and the group (except for Bud, because he is still stone) enjoys themselves.

The following day, the castle...