Storming the Gates

One hundred plus archers lined the walls of the island keep.  Through the adamantine portcullis a large stone giant lumbered with shackles attached to his wrists.  Attached to the shackles were large snarling beasts.  The only thing protecting them from the onslaught of a hundred arrows was two oversized boulders which the troupe huddled behind.
     "I could smash through the door and kill them all." Groth shouted.
     "Are you crazy?"  Raddick asked.  "That will never work, I will ride on your back and you can hoist me onto the wall."
     "But what of the arrows?"  cried Groth.
     "They won't bother me if I'm on your back."  snickered Raddick.
     "I will take care of the arrows."  replied auren as he leaned out from behind his boulder and loosed three arrows.  Three archers fell from the wall, screaming to their ends in the misty sea below.  Two dozen arrows were returned in his direction clangin on the boulder and sticking in the surrounding ground. 
     It was clear that a tactic other than brute force would be needed to breech the walls of the keep.  After a timely shouting match the group decided to attempt to appeal to the keeps master and parlay their way through. 
     Acheiving contact Auren and Fox stated that the group was of a particular skill set and looking for work.  The portcullis lifted slowly and steadily.  They cautiously made their way across the bridge and through the entrance.  Once inside the vast task ahead revealed itself.  Along with a hundred archers manning the wall there were equal that inside the walls.  The portcullis slammed to the ground and a resounding echo clattered between the walls.
      Pas gulped hard and surveyed his flanks.  Batallions of men lined both sides almost forming a gauntlet.  Their eyes burned through him and their chests heaved.  He could sense their rage and fury.  If given the signal they would all converge live bees on a hive. 
     The grey stone giant stood in the center of the keep bordered by a cave.  His arms stretched outward in a sign of welcoming but his expression said otherwise.  A tabard unfurled behind him.  A large black spider suspended over a red background haunted the group.
     He led them through a chamber guarded by a hayloft and wagon.
     "My name is Maul!"  the stone giant rumbled with intent.


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