Everyone was drinking and having a wonderful time. For the recently released newcomers this was an unbelievable paradise, a community that wasn't corrupted by the pervasiveness of the non-order races. A pure place, a safe place like in the old stories.
No needing to bribe anyone, no need to worry about anything you had to say, and no worry about people abusing the legal system to literally get away with murder, rape and theft.
The walls made them feel safe, the armoured dwarves made them feel really safe and the two Trolls in love really really made them feel safe… everything was owed to the trio.
Not one of them demanded loyalty or service. They just acted and became leaders of their respective races without anyone voting for them because it would have been unanimous anyways.
Maro didn't know if he enjoyed his session with the ladies… he got frostbite multiple times, pieces of his flesh torn off… thank goodness for the healing…
Kadrin had recounted his tale first… the dwarves and gnomes got stalled on sub floor 18…there were wayyy too many hobgoblins… they had started to experience severe injuries and the elf ladies had trouble keeping up. Luckily no deaths…
After going nowhere for a week, they retreated and created solid fortifications on floor 17 with a guard rotation.
Kadrin focused the rest of the men to do labour and start looting and clearing sub floors 1-16. They had enough armour and weapons to outfit a Thousand dwarf warriors in their ancestral armour, the ebony and ivory variant, they also found some ancient recipes for the long lost dwarven whiskey. It's said the only remaining specimens were some bottles in the older nobles' houses, not a barrel in existence.
If they could harvest all the ingredients for the beer and whiskey, the industrial brewery and distillery would be brewing 24 hours a day.
Not much else was found, however, to the dwarves any connection to their ancestors was worth more than any compensation. All the suits of armour would end up being passed down within the family, generation after generation.
Honestly Maro felt a kinship with the dwarves. His family had a set of samurai armour they had maintained for multiple generations… he also felt a connection to his ancestors… he especially liked the dwarf obsession with drink also… haha
Maro thought that recipe alone would be worth their troubles… he hadn't had much hard liquor since he came to this world… he was a whiskey man, he was excited!
After everything was locked down inside, they put their efforts into expanding the farming situation outside.
The most surprising part of his story was that a couple dozen people had arrived on their own. Word had spread about the reconquest efforts and their little rebellion against the Unity Kingdom.
A bunch of young dwarf males came out, and as soon as they heard someone was heading to reconquer the fortress they swore oaths to their ancestors and were duty bound to come. Kadrin welcomed them as young brothers.
The rest of the people were women, children and elderly of all order races, they had heard rumours of liberated work and prison camps… These people had everything taken away from them. They were welcome as well.
Despite how big of a degenerate Maro was… this was what warriors were meant to do… protect the people. Maro was happy at this new development, he wasn't that big of an asshole.
Gnarlo and Maro recounted their side of what happened…only the mission sensitive portions… no extra details to be mentioned…
Kadrin just went "aye"
I mean what could you possibly say…
"Amongst the 600, I've been watching them the last couple weeks… I'd take 300 for us… roughly 200 humans and 100 dwarves. The rest can go to general labour, farming whatever their expertise is"
They all chugged a beer.
Gnarlo was traumatized, didn't say much the entire night… and frankly no one wanted to know what he saw being that close to a Troll dance…
"I was thinking of moving the Gnomish crossbow team to more of a spy and scout network… what do you think Gnarlo"
"…sure…" Gnarlo chugged and chugged until he coughed up beer. His head plopped on the table, he was out… poor Jenny carried him home.
"I'll take a couple dozen of the best humans to be swordsmen and the rest I will make archers"
"Good thinking lad, we'll be at roughly 200 Spearmen, 50 of your swordsmen strikeforce and 150 bows… with this we can make good progress below".
"Kadrin… Katarina is an Ice mage, she can keep a blizzard going over enemy lines… slow, damage and weaken their on coming forces… also obscure the vision of any spell casters…she'll be our mvp"
Katarina quickly made a thumbs up Ice sculpture
Maro continued
"This is our final push, it will be done with this one… we'll seal all the mines. And open them up as we need in the future… it's the easiest and safest way… from what you said those mines can be tight… dwarf in heavy armour is a disadvantage in cramped quarters"
"We'll have deaths, tough to shake off a goblin on your back stabbing your neck when you can't even raise your arms"
Kadrin spat on the floor "Aye"
Kadrin raised his ale, "To reclaiming the fortress"
They all clinked their ale mugs.
They drank for a while… the entire time Katarina was whispering into his ear and tugging his sleeve to get him to come with her…
Be careful what you wish for… all three ladies had their class specialization unlocked… he couldn't overpower both the druids enhanced by their cat form, at the same time and his movement was limited by Katarina.
He thought about going to the sub-levels drunk to kill goblins… he would take less damage that way… until Katarina got fed up and whispered in his ear all the things the three ladies would do without him and how it was such a shame because she thought he was a real man.
They knew how he ticked, he immediately excused himself and picked Katarina up in his arms and walked off into the night…
"Kadrin" he yelled "we'll group up in the courtyard tomorrow, outfit everyone and head out asap…wish me luck"