Arkesh smiles slightly at Bane. "I trust Thrash about as much as a Tarrasque in a china shop. I fully expect him to turn on us again, if he gets the chance. So, here's my plan.
First, we need to know how many of those things he brought. We'll see how many he uses to create the tunnels, and add a few to that.
Second, anything that's eating rock for the tunnels will hopefully be less hungry when it comes time to try and eat us. Worth a shot, right?
Third... is complicated."
Arkesh sighs, seeming troubled. "It seems more and more clear to me that Gruumsh One-Eye is trying to extend His influence beyond Acheron, starting with this deal with the Great One. But Gruumsh is the mold from which all Orcs are made, so we can expect Him to be the ultimate double-crosser. I have to warn you, we may have a very big problem after we're done here on this job. We may have to stick together for a while longer to make sure we all survive whatever comes next, because if Gruumsh One-Eye is behind it, it won't be healthy. While He may be stupider than many of the other gods, He's still divine, and has had an eternity to nurse his hatred and plan.
I told you there is a lot going on, a lot more than you know. I don't want to distract you from this job, but we may have to talk more afterward. There is one other thing that I will tell you now, though.
I think the Great One brought Thrash in specifically to kill Star Feather, and that Thrash believes he'll succeed... right after he kills me, of course. But the scum has no idea how far out of his depth he is with that mage. Star Feather is probably the most unpredictable enemy any of you will probably ever face, and she can do things he can't begin to imagine. She holds power over countless Elven worlds all across the Multiverse. Even the Illithids are terrified of her -- why do you think they hired you instead of facing her themselves? Why else would the Great One would risk bringing in the Marauders?
So if something strange is happening, it's probably her. Unless you want to get your head handed to you, you'd better leave Star Feather to me. You don't want to get hit by the sunsword she carries... it's not like a regular sunsword, it's made from the core of a sun. She went inside one to get it.
So the last wrinkle of the plan is this: once I 'take care' of Thrash, I'll draw Feather to me and then I can finish this, face to face."
Then Arkesh suddenly grins, wild and bloodthirsty. She seems more dangerous and unpredictable in this moment than she ever has before. "And as for cleaning up the Marauders afterward... well, that'll be fun. We'll still have all our defenses, and I'm sure the enemy will probably destroy several of them for us during the attack. Besides, we have a crack team of elves stashed in a portable hole. We'll point them at the Marauders and pick up the pieces afterward."