While gathering themselves the adventurers search the room. Auidar finds a valuable holy symbol and some silver candelabras. He sticks them in his bag of holding as they all head through the western door. The corridor banks to the right ands ends abruptly in a cave-in.

The party turns around and goes out of the eastern door. This corridor twists and turns and then there is a passage heading off to the right. Donaar peers around the corner to see a huge circular room with a high ceiling. The northern part of the room is littered with mechanical parts. The gears, levers and pulleys are from the destruction of huge ballistae. They are old and look beyond repair.

There is also a large metal vat near the rubble with a rickety ladder running up the side of it. Auidar climbs up the ladder and looks over the edge of the vat. At the bottom there are some coins. Thinking it might be a trap Auidar looks suspiciously at the vat and the coins. After some inspection all seems normal and he jumps in to gather the cash. As he bends over to pick up the new-found treasure, he feels a burning sensation on his back. A large blob of green jelly seeps from the ceiling and into the vat.  He grabs the money and quickly climbs out of the vat. A search of the room reveals nothing and the party moves on down the previous corridor.

The heroes come to a crossroads and head toward a door they see down the passage to the right. Donaar kicks in the door, but inside the room there are only crates and piles of weapons. The party enters the room and finds about two dozen bedrolls scattered between the clutter. Searching the room Auidar finds two maps in a pile of daggers. One shows the locations of the rest of the Gloomeye Goblin Tribe and the other looks like the fortress they are currently in…only not quite accurate.

After a couple more dead ends the players arrive at a door. Again Donaar kicks it in. This time however the room has occupants. Just beyond some large statues of drow sits a large throne. In front of the throne are two tables piled with books and scrolls. Studying the scrolls are four goblins and a large ogre. At the bashing of the door a fight commences.

Auidar acts quickly and casts call lightning on the majority of the group. Tony begins launching arrows at the ogre and Donaar charges in and uses his breath attack on the group and follows up with an attack on one of the closest of the goblins. Render joins Donaar on the frontline and attacks the same goblin. The goblins retaliate at attempt to hit Donaar but miss. The ogre slams his huge flail into Donaar twice and knocks him prone. Orsik charges at a goblin that has split from the group and began launching spears at the party.

The ogre continues to slam Donaar to the ground while the party chews through the goblins in front of him. Orsik leaves the lone goblin to Auidar and offers Donaar and inspiring word that heal him…a bit. Tony continues to move into position to make the ogre his quarry and critically hits him in the process. Render and Donaar drop the goblins in front of the ogre and are finally able to take swings at him. The ogre swings his heavy flail around his head and hits everyone nearby knocking them to the ground.

The adventurers continue to go swing for swing with the ogre, but he eventually knocks Donaar and Render unconscious.  The heroes are tempted to run, but know that would mean death for their friends. Auidar realizes that without their heavy-hitters the group doesn’t stand a chance. He wisely opens his bag of holding and pulls out a healing potion. Quickly he runs to Render and dumps it down his throat and does the same with Donaar.

During this time Tony continues to snipe at the ogre, but one of the last goblins charges at him. Tony not only avoids being hit he also is able to shift away and keeps firing arrows at the ogre. After getting back on his feet Render rages and hits the ogre who retaliates and knocks Render prone again. Auidar casts chill wind on the ogre and Donaar drinks two of his own healing potions. Refreshed he hits the ogre as Orsik moves into a favorable position and lands the killing blow. Finally the ogre is dead. The last goblin falls quickly and the party breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that this battle was very close to a losing one.

DM Notes:
Since my PCs are a bit higher than the level of this module. I have started upgrading the encounters as suggested at the beginning of the module. That meant taking the elite ogre skirmisher and making him a ogre warhulk. This was a big challenge and both the players and I were a bit worried about a TPK. The druid’s unselfish use of a couple healing potions saved the entire party.