The party meets a new companion, and they head out to The Scarlet Citadel, but they are waylaid by a severe storm. While looking for shelter they find a ruined fort with a single tower on a hillside, as this is the only shelter in sight they decide to investigate. As they approach, they hear a faint cry echoing from inside the structure and pass a wooden signpost that says, “Not Welcome!”. A large open door stands slightly a jar, Zofi approaches the door and hears some voices coming from inside the entrance hall. Although the door is slightly cracked open the Kobolds cannot fit through, they are able to see an unlit chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Scorch uses the flat of his great axe to pound on the door. The voices inside stop and a voice yells “Who goes there?” Scorch replies “weary travelers seeking shelter from the storm.” The voice bids them to come in. As they enter Zofi casts mage armor, and they find a solo human “adventurer” by himself. Zofi asks where his friends are, states that we heard multiple voices and know others are present. He signals his friends to join them, two other “adventurers” come out of the room to the left of the entrance. All three are wearing armor and carrying clubs and invite our party to sit down and share a meal. Everyone sits near the fireplace in the side room and begins to prepare food for the night. The “leader” question Zofi why she is with two Kobolds and if we have had any large scores lately. Zofi relates our last adventure as caravan guards and how the boss was a cheapskate, the “adventurers” agree that they have had similar experiences.
As the meal winds down the three “adventurers” invite us to bed down for the night in the side room. As they are a little shifty our party starts to question them about the rest of the fortress and says they would like to check out the second floor. The adventurers reluctantly consent and insist on escorting our party to investigate, stating they wouldn’t want us to fall off the stairs. Zofi talks them down to only one person coming with us and we start up the stairs. As Zofi’s head crests the second floor two crossbow bolts fire at them from the 2nd floor. On the 2nd floor there are two additional “adventurers” hiding behind rubble with crossbows. They also see there are a couple sleeping bags near a fire and an additional door.
They search bodies and find: