Area H - Cellar

The oppressively sweet smell of the underground drains gives way to the pleasantly musty scent of wood and ****. The stairs are barely illuminated by dim torches, but at the top of the stairs a bright, warm light shines down towards you. You try to keep a low profile as you finally reach the top of the stairs and peer out.

The room ahead is a cellar, stocked from floor to ceiling with barrels of beer - almost 10 barrels high at its tallest point! The barrels are piled up so high, there are wooden scaffolds and ladders threading between them to give access to some higher piles. The huge stacks form narrow aisles between them, while others are stacked low enough to scramble over if needed. Many of them seem to be overfilled to the point that they're leaking a thick, foamy brew onto the stone floor. The comforting warmth that fills the entire place is a welcome change of pace from the clammy tunnels below - more oddly though, the kegs seem to have an arcane aura lingering around them - definitely an erotic effect of some kind.

Slowly stepping out of the shadows, you can get a better view of the room. The slowly fading daylight filters in from a row of view-port at the top of the walls on your left. If you've managed to keep your bearings properly, that light is shining in from the rear half of the courtyard. There's also an open door on the other side of the cellar - likely leading up into the fortress. Just as you're considering going towards it however, you hear heavy footsteps echo from behind a pile of kegs. You quickly duck back into the shadows; without Strokmier, you can't risk challenging anything head-on.

A large humanoid creature emerges, carrying one of the large wooden barrels with ease. Its entire body is covered in fluffy cream-colored fur, contrasted sharply by its tanned skin - by your guess it's a beastman summoned by the succubus. Or a beastwoman rather - the creature seems to be female, judging by her huge breasts and prominent lips.

She sets the keg down and pries off its lid with a loud grunt, then fishes a vial of oily liquid from her satchel while humming quietly. She seems to be distracted ... now is probably a good time to make a break for it. You quietly consider your options - you could sneak through the kegs to the door, or try climbing up the stacked kegs towards the view port.