The problem with helping the dwarves is that they sap our magical and healing supplies if we go out of out way to protect them. It is a group of extra 10 people that are not properly equipped to deal with epic dungeons - we may even not have enough food to accomodate them all. Personally, I'd rather move them back to the tower and leave them there to pick them up and escort them to the surface once we are done (and loot the quarter in the meantime), but they won't accept that, would they? Though if it is a choice between life and death for them...
The only
useful role they can play in our party is meatshields and bait for bigger targets, but people are intent to spend their dwindling resourses on them as if it is our fault they didn't prepare for the expedition.
And of course, where there are dwarves, there is always a potential for TPK.
Always. The more dwarves flinging explosive cocktails we have, the higher the probability.
Fangshi, is it possible to convince them to abandon their idea that they can not accomplish on their own anyway, escort them to the tower, and either let them find their own way to the surface (can they pass the way we did? is the runeway safe, or does it still require mage presence to pass safely?), or have them wait there for our return. If Eris survived there for a hundred of years, a party of 10 can manage 2 months.
Come to think of it, what happened to the shadows? Not that Eris isn't there, shouldn't they switch their attention to the creatures that guard the Lovecraftian horror? What else is there to do for them?
Perhaps it is possible to only take the best dwarven fighters with us to complete the mission? Have them give all the cocktails/satchel charges/other useful supplies to a pair of people that will come with us. I just have a feeling that most of them are dead weight. To be overrun by spiders in a matter of minutes, pffft.
I want to give our party the best chance at survival down there. Because if we won't survive, they won't, either.
On the other hand, our party is small and is in need of reinforcements, but how good are those dwarves as reinforcements if they can't take care of themselves?
Is there a reason the 4th vote is limited to only 3 people? Why can't we fit all the dwarves through there if we so choose? They have sword-dwarves, do they? Have them go first, of course. If they want our help, let them work for it.
How long is the tunnel? Since dwarves are demolition experts, is there a way to use satchel charges to expand the tunnel without collapsing it or the whole basement complex? Do we even have enough explosives? The roots are not growing in the tunnel itself, are they?
I am not keen on simply going there, it has 'schmuck bait' written all over it.