After the unsightly ordeal with the knaves at the top of the tower I was beginning to doubt the soundness of our plan, and the ordeal with the ogres was a close call to be sure. Luckily however that stout pikeman with his dashing head adornment came through, and allies on heel. After we descended the tower we met up with our allies and found a court of harry beasts and bandits shouting and hooting without a lick of sense between them. We decided to cause a small distraction by collapsing a nearby floor and drawing them away before charging and breaking them. The plan worked perfectly, half left to investigate the noise while the other half remained behind to guard the courtyard. Now severely short on harry arm power we were able to route the ones who stayed behind and give pursuit to those inside.
Strange blessings shone in that keep because when we confronted the second half they raised not a blade in anger, but dropped their weapons and surrendered. Rarder wanted to cut them down and claim the bounty but my merciful nature got the best of me and I talked us into letting them go after we got some more information about the castle. With the creatures spared we went to where they had warned us of, a dungeon below infested with the ranks of undead. Axe in hand I and Rarder chopped through the horde and began liberating the keep from the horrors that had festered so long below.