We arrive at Redlarch to find the town under attack by trolls and
bugbears.  The villagers are behaving oddly and putting up quite an
effective defense.  As we move to help out, we can't help but notice
that they're talking in dwarven.  Larak and a stone-armored knight join
the fight as well, and two vultures fly off with villagers before we
finally drive off the attackers.  5750/6.5 xp.

It turns out the villagers have made an arrangement with the dwarven
spirits released during the fight in the dwarven crypts some time ago
(16_12_04).  For fights, and for training, the dwarven spirits possess
the villagers so that they can fight like an effective dwarven fighting
force, which turns out to be pretty effective.  In return, the villagers
are cleaning up and repairing the dwarven ruins below the village.

After that explanation, and a short rest, we head off to the Spire,
which is presumably where the villagers were taken by those vultures.
Once close, we sneak until we're spotted then charge, somehow managing
to prevent the alarm from being sounded (Mika's silence ability comes
in quite handy in close quarters fighting).  After a couple of combats
cleaning out the inside of the tower, no captives are found, so we head up
top for the final fight, with the captives being suspended by rope from
the castle battlements.  All are eventually rescued, and the attackers
taken captive, dead (from falling), or driven off.  3600/6.5 xp, +200
xp each for the rescue.

We return to Redlarch with the rescued villagers.