A raging inferno roared once more at the base of the stone precipice as the creatures below clamored up their ladders. The three surviving siege towers now stood against the fortress' walls and the mammoth ramps pressed hard against the restraining poles of the defenders. Arrows thudded into uplifted shields, occasionally finding flesh and toppling an attacker into its companions. The ogres climbed inexorably upward, some with five missiles buried in their flesh. Crossbowmen, however, were more effective as their steel quarrels passed through shields and the bodies beneath, sometimes piercing two creatures with one bolt. Again the enemy gained a foothold on the lower battlements but these were not so easily dislodged. Hand to hand fighting was becoming more prevalent. Aaren watched with growing concern but Prince Baden's dwarves were proving extremely effective against the giant goblins and ogres in individual combat. The archers on the secondary tier were accurately directing their withering fire into the small but growing sections of the enemy successfully scaling the ladders. The holocaust of fire had all but ceased and the besiegers below awaited their chance to storm the wall. Through sheer numbers the enemy had succeeded in establishing a position atop the southern battlements and was forcing the defenders on the lower passage slowly back into the two corner towers. Aaren saw ropes and short ladders being used to scale the remaining twelve hands to the topmost defense. The dark army, despite massive losses, was beginning to turn the tide of battle against the defenders of Castle Montgard. Then the poles holding closed the huge bridge of the siege tower against the southern wall snapped and the massive gate thundered down to smash into the middle of the dwarven defenders. The tower disgorged a flood of death into the valiant dwarves as cudgel swinging ogres swarmed from its gaping mouth.