From my professional journal during the Keep on the Shadowfell missions, entry four, part one:

We had gathered enough information by this time that it became apparent that our next step was to stop the summoning of the Demon Lord Orcus, which we all agreed would probably not end well for us if he managed to enter this realm. We gathered provisions and set out on the trail to the keep, but unfortunately Valthren insisted on joining us. I can only hope that he ends up being more helpful than he appears to be, but in the end I guess it doesn't matter to me either way, as long as he doesn't get underfoot.

The trail started out rather easily, but became more and more overgrown the further we traveled, although there were plain signs of recent use. Lodi and I eventually took up outrider positions, scouting ahead as necessary. Things went fairly uneventful until I suddenly realized that with Valthren here, no one was guarding the rib. After some discussion and Valthren's persuasion we decided that it was safe enough back at his tower, and we continued on. The more I thought about it, though, the more convinced I was that something wasn't right. I wasn't able to put my finger on it, and so I kept my peace. It was something of a comfort that Zar'za and Lars had taken such a great interest in keeping an eye on the old man, however.

We eventually came to a place where the forest simply stopped, giving way to a withered and blighted area that emitted such malice and evil that it was obvious where we were even before spotting the entrance to the ruins. Our first steps into this blackened land chilled us to the bone, and a weight settled down on us like a mountain of despair.

I don't know if it was paranoia magnified by the area or if my hunch had had enough and would no longer be ignored, but either way I decided I would go no further until I could satisfy at least some of my concern toward Valthren. I convinced the party to take a quick rest before continuing, and we eased back into the forest at the edge of the corruption. As soon as we left the blighted area the intense cold and foreboding lifted, and we all breathed a little easier.

Resting was, of course, a ploy to have a chance to examine Valthrens pack. I was able to get a quick look at it with Zar'za's help, but my hands were still a bit numb from the cold and I wasn't able to examine the pack as thoroughly as I wanted in the time available. So much for satisfying my hunch.

The keep was even more oppressive than the surrounding lands, it's entryway reminiscent of a gaping maw leading into the black abyss. It was with much trepidation that Lodi and I silently crept down the stairs, once again taking up outrider positions.

The room at the bottom of the stairs was fairly large, and I could only dimly make out the guards at the far end. I signaled to Lodi and we immediately took the initiative, sending arrows down range. My arrows found their mark but Lodi wasn't as lucky, and the guard survived long enough to sound the alarm. I took a javelin to the thigh before the group had a chance to react, and then all hell broke loose.

Krova charged into battle as only the Dragonborn can, and Lars lit the room up to show us just what we were facing. Zar'za drug the useless sage down the stairs to the rest of us, and Lodi fell into a hole. I swear he must have been a Pit Dweller in another life, but judging by the girlish screeches he emitted when the rats went after him, maybe not.

Krova charged down the left side of the pit, and his weapon sang the song of death. I took the right side, putting arrows to flight as fast as I could identify targets. At one point I pushed a goblin into the pit Lodi found, and ended him with an arrow.

The dust soon settled and the rest of the group finished exterminating Lodi's pets, and we took stock of the current situation. We were a bit tired, a little nicked up, and we were babysitting a completely worthless old man, but all in all we were doing fine. We continued on.

We explored the area for a bit, and other than an odd tapestry hanging right in the middle of the hallway, which Lars gleefully set on fire, things were pretty quiet.

Eventually we came to a place where we could hear what sounded like excavation ahead of us a little ways, and to our right stairs again led down into total darkness. While we were trying to figure out which direction to go first Lars attached light to a rock and sent it bouncing down the stairs and into the room. We immediately heard a slow shuffling sound, but the light illuminated nothing. I tried to convince the group that we needed to deal with this threat or risk being flanked if we continued on, but apparently sound tactics are lost on this group. The best I could get was that those in the back would keep an eye behind us, but that was little consolation. There was nothing I could do, though, I had been out voted.

Continuing on, Lodi and I snuck ahead to scout the area the sounds of work emanated from, and discovered it was indeed an excavation site. There were trenches dug into the floor here and there, with a dirt ramp going down from the hallway we were in, and board walkways spanning the trenches in spots. There was a goblin across the room from us spouting orders down to whatever was working in the trenches, and there were lizards patrolling below. Lodi and I crept back to the group and shared this information, and the group agreed on a plan of attack.

Lodi and I snuck back up to the rooms entrance, and my two arrows took the goblin in the throat. With the element of surprise maintained, the group descended on the trenches like retribution, and the fight was short and bloody. I did manage to get myself bit by one of those damned lizards, but at least it wasn't in the same leg that took the javelin.

We took a short rest and patched ourselves up, preparing to continue on.