Since few adventurers will ever attempt to enter this dwarve-carved corridor from the outside, high up on the northeast flank of the Orcrag (simply reaching this spot overland would be a major campaign for a large war party), this description of the tunnel begins from its junction deep beneath the Orcrag with the Temple Gallery. That long underground passage, running all the way from the ruined Temple to its terminus beneath the Orcrag, meets a side passage directly beneath the pinnacle of Orcrag--roughly a thousand lengths west of the Dwarf Tombs.
This side tunnel is none other than the Spiral Gallery itself, which immediately begins to climb steeply upward, circling round and round as it rises more than a hundred lengths vertically inside the Orcrag. You are almost certain to attract "companions" on this climb, usually from below and behind, in the form of orcs or goblins or both. There will be more of these awful creatures waiting for you above, as well, when you emerge high on the mountainside into the clear light of the outside world.
If you have the leisure from swordplay to look about you in that lofty place, you will discover a stylishly ornate Sky Palace where the Dwarf Kings of old liked to watch the sunrise, and to have festive gatherings of their folk on the mountainside in the warmer seasons when snow receded higher on the peak. It can be a bit tricky to move around this palace, as all the surfaces seem to be nearly vertical, but a little exploration may bring you to the former feasting-hall, now converted to a bloody Sacrificial Altar by the abominable orcs--try not to be sacrificed on it!
Generally, of course, there will be little or no time to admire what is left of that ancient seat of kings, for even if you manage to fight off all the orcish vermin that assail you, you and your party are likely to be so exhausted and replete with wounds that your only choice is to beat a hasty retreat in whatever direction seems least threatening. Unfortunately, all paths to and from this spot in reality are extremely dangerous, and there is no safe retreat except perhaps up along the razor-sharp peaks and ridges at the top of the Orcrag, and so westward along the ridge of the world where slightly fewer of the evil kindred usually prowl.
