>>6170318The halls of the dwarven stronghold echoed with the frenetic energy of a settlement mobilized for war.
Every dwarf, from the youngest apprentice to the eldest craftsman, was drawn into the effort.
Plans had been laid with grim determination, a four-step strategy that would leverage every available resource and every willing hand.
It was an all-or-nothing gambit, for leaving the settlement unattended carried grave risks—but the stakes demanded nothing less.
The first step was to buy precious time by collapsing key tunnels, forcing the orcs to funnel their forces into more predictable paths.
As the explosions echoed through the labyrinthine passages, hopes were high, but the dwarves’ timing faltered.
While some tunnels fell as intended, many orcs surged forward before the stone could trap them.
The enemy numbers swelled in the passages ahead, and the dwarves braced themselves for a harder fight.
The failure weighed heavily, raising the difficulty of the steps yet to come.
The elders took command of the frightened civilians, organizing them into a militia and bolstering their spirits with impassioned speeches.
Tools of trade—pickaxes, hammers, even cooking implements—became weapons in the hands of the desperate but determined.
The sight of their revered council standing shoulder to shoulder with them stiffened their resolve.
By the time the militia stood ready, their ranks bristled with defiance, their fear transformed into a hard-edged courage.
The horns were brought to the front, their deafening roar intended to disorient and demoralize the enemy.
The blasts shook the very stone, a cacophony that reverberated through the tunnels.
But the orcs, unflinching and resolute, pressed on with an unshaken ferocity.
Their guttural war cries answered the dwarves' horns, a grim reminder that this foe was far from broken.
With everything prepared, the dwarves launched their final assault.
The tunnels roared with the clash of steel and the battle cries of a people fighting for their home.
Axemen charged at the fore, shields raised and weapons gleaming, while the militia surged behind them, their improvised weapons striking with desperate fury.
Though the orcs fought fiercely, the unity and determination of the dwarves proved unbreakable.
Inch by bloody inch, the tide turned.
The orcs faltered, then broke, retreating in disarray as the dwarves reclaimed the Gates of Karadur.
The victory was hard-fought and costly, but the Gates are ours once more.
After driving the orcs out, we must decide what to do next.
> Lock the gates of Karadur again and leave some patrols there> Push our advantage and chase the orcs outside> Rush back to our settlement to see if it is still in one piece> Write in 
