Perrin looks back and forth between the three others, then finally speaks up. "I thought we might try to find Ukar's campsite. Even if there aren't any messages there now, there might be strange animal tracks we can follow or some other sign of where to go next." His eyes scan the crowd until he spots the riders from Astin, and he calls out to their leader. "What do you think, Captain Hannady? I'm sure you're much more experienced with this sort of thing than we are."
The captain shrugs. I'm more accustomed to dealing with orcs than shadow puppeteers. Did you say there were different kinds of animals? They sound like they come from different kinds of places. There were maybe some forest animals? What else? And sure, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check Ukar's camp. Probably some useful stuff there at least.
Perrin nods. "There were a deer and squirrel that would make sense for these woods, but also some animals that sound like they need more space, like a pony and a young bison. Oh, and there were a frog and otter that probably came from the river!" He pauses, considering. "Do you think we should start our search there? But it's such a large area, and they could have just found the animals and left right away..." He trails off, lost in thought as he concentrates on this slippery problem.
"It was pony, otter, frog, bison, in that order. Nothing strikes me as particularly unusual, unless it's the bison," Mel says. "But aren't there some grasslands south of the forest but north of the desert? It would be most peculiar if the terrain went straight from forest to sand dunes."
"We can probably follow the tracks Ukar's tribe left on their way here back to their camp," she adds. "It's been a couple days, but there were a lot of them, so the signs are still probably reasonably clear."
Hirda is standing quietly at the back of the crowd, having come straight from her overnight vigil watching the ashes of her family cool. She is haggard, filthy, and emits a pungent dwarfish odor. After the others have spoken, she makes her way through the crowd to join them.
I'll go witcha. There's nuthin' left 'ere in Brookside fer me now, n' if I kin 'elp t' bring justice t' anyone responsible fer what's 'appened, I'm bound t' do it. Jus' be sure t' keep that orc outta me reach. When d'we leave?
The captain nods at Perrin and Mel's words. Aye. There's no guarantee that whoever did this is in one place. But it does seem like there were animals from plains, forest, and river. I'd start by checking one spot if I were you.
Mel looks doubtfully at the crowd, trying to assess their response to Vors' change of plans for Halak.
Mel, less familiar with the people of Brookside, has some trouble reading them. But she can tell that they aren't rioting. Nor are they particularly happy.
She looks at the riders from Astin. "Gentlemen, thank you so, so much. If you hadn't shown up when you did, well ... things would have gone very differently."
"Well, if we're going to investigate, let's get going before the trail gets any colder," Mel says. Fortunately, she had brought her gear, anticipating something of the sort.
The riders from Astin nod. You did plenty, yourselves. If not for you folk, this town would have been ash before we got here and we would have been facing a full raiding party without any other distractions. I doubt we would have made it back alive. With that, the captain and his two remaining scouts head back to Astin with their fallen comrade.
Mel starts at the edge of the woods and begins following the tracks, having little difficulty given the large number of big footprints. She leads the group through the woods for a little over a mile before coming on some rough tents and carts.
After searching around carefully, you are fairly certain the orcs did not leave any lookouts behind during their full assault.
There are three mules tied up and three carts. There's also a cache of extra weapons and armor, food stores, and various camping supplies (total value 2000 gp, could be sold for 1000 gp).
In a main tent, you find some parchment with orcish writing on it.
Ukar seems to have written bison from plains... otter from river... where Gornak sending letters from?
Mel checks carefully, but no orcs remain. "No one here," she says. "Except these poor mules! They've been tied up without water for three days! Why don't the rest of you have a look about -- I'll take care of them."
Mel moves forward to the mules slowly, making soft clicking noises with her mouth, hand extended.
"There, good," she murmurs to them, untying them. "Come on, let's get you some water."
Mel leads the mules to a nearby spring. They drink gratefully.
While Mel leads the animals away, Perrin walks through the camp slowly, concentrating as he scans for magical auras.
When he comes across the parchment, he passes it to Halak. "Could you tell us what this says, please?"
Halak translates for you (you can read the spoiler). Halak grunts
Seem Ukar trying to find where letters coming from too. Where one spot around here could all types of animals come from?
Halak looks to you, not knowing the region around Brookside as well as you all.
You don't detect any magical auras. It seems that whatever would have proved very helpful in a fight, they brought with them and you probably already found.
Perrin looks up excitedly. "Huh! Since the orcs were traveling north I assumed whoever was writing these was moving around as well, finding animals as they went. But what if they stayed in one spot?" He addresses the other Brooksiders: "Isn't there a place a few miles south of here where the woods and the plains meet, right by the river? They could have found all the animals they needed without moving an inch."
"That sounds right," Mel says as she rejoins the group. "Though geography was never my strong point. If only my atlas hadn't been burned!"
She looks around. "We can come back and get this stuff later. Let's go look for this spot while there's daylight. But maybe we should take the mules. We can't let them run loose, but it'd be cruel to leave them here tied up again."
Taking the mules with you, you head to the junction of river, woods, and plains on the map. You walk through hilly terrain interspersed with copies of trees before reaching the area.
Looking around, you notice that part of the hillside near you seems odd. It's almost transparent. Upon closer examination, you see that the hillside here is illusory, disguising a small earthen tunnel just large enough for a human crouching slightly and leading into the hill.
The old warrior looks about, but sees nothing out of the ordinary. Never came past here, eh, Halak?
Hirda says her final farewells to her daughter-in-law and grandson, and shares a few words of sympathy with Widow Higgins and some other villagers. She rejoins with the others and walks out of town without a glance back. I won't be coming back. Still, this week's tragedies can't erase the years and years of peaceful contentment we all enjoyed. I may be agitated now, but in time I will know peace again.
She attempts to stay as far from Halak as possible as they hike through the countryside, occasionally finding herself seething at his presence. She doesn't talk much and has little to offer as they search the orc encampment.
Something odd catches Hirda's eye as they approcah the river. A patch of grass that seems to shimmer slightly and waves out of sync with the wind. She ahs to stare for a good two minutes before being convinced of what she's seeing. Oy, 'old up then! Someat strange 'ere. Taint no grass, 'tis some sorta magical spell, it is. She ambles up and thrusts the end of her polearm into the shrouded opening to demonstrate the illusion. Then she stands aside, waiting for someone else to investigate further.
Mel blanches as Hirda reveals the hidden entrance. She stares into the tiny opening. "No," she says. "No, no no ..."
She stumbles rapidly back, avoiding tree roots and uneven bits of ground completely by instinct, for her gaze is riveted on the portal in the hillside. She comes to a halt only when she backs into a tree some fifteen feet away with jarring thud. She presses herself back against it, trembling and pale.
At first Perrin peers at the opening with excited curiosity, watching as Hirda passes her weapon through the gap. But at Mel's reaction he whirls in panic, rushing after her with a look of concern. "Mel, are you okay? What is it? What's wrong?"
He looks between her and the entrance, bites his lip, and then shuts his eyes tight as he mutters arcane words under his breath. When they open again, his eyes are an inky black, and they fix on the tunnel with an unyielding stare.
Mel just shakes her head and trembles.
Mel is very upset.
Perrin peers into the tunnel and senses a single faint aura of evil.
Vors reaches out a steadying hand towards Mel and ties his best to keep a level voice. Mel, calm down. I need you thinking clearly and staying with me. What's wrong? Tell me, please.
The contact shakes Mel back from the brink. Tearing her eyes away from the hole, she takes a deep, shuddering breath.
"Sorry," she says. She keeps her eyes to the ground.
After a few breaths more, she speaks in a toneless voice. "I was just a child, playing hide and seek in the woods. I ran away from the others and ... there was a sinkhole. I didn't see it. I fell in. Sprained my ankle. It ... wasn't empty. There was a small cave underneath, and ... things in it. Worms. Orange and black, covered in slime, and moving towards me."
"I froze and got lucky -- a rock fell from the ceiling. Just a small one, but it caused a racket on the other side of the cavern. And they all turned away from me, and went for it instead. They were blind. Couldn't see me."
"I tried to get up, but my ankle wouldn't hold me, and as soon as I started moving the worms turned back to me again. I threw another rock to distract them. They go for motion or sound."
"I couldn't move, or they would get me. I couldn't call for help, or they would get me! I was trapped. So I just sat there, not moving, not making any noise even though I wanted so badly to scream."
"My playmates couldn't find me. I could hear them calling me, but I couldn't answer. The adults came, and couldn't find me, but I couldn't answer."
Her eyes are wide and staring at the dirt, but it's clear she's not seeing anything in front of her.
"I stayed there all night. My ankle hurt. It was cold, and I spent the whole night shivering -- and terrified that the motion of my shivering would bring the worms to kill me in the dark. But they didn't. Dawn came, and most of the morning."
"The found me with dogs. Tracked my scent. I could hear them coming, the hounds baying in the distance, closer, closer, and all I could think was 'They're going to find me, but they're making so much noise!' The worms started stirring in the shadows away from the light coming through the hole above me."
"Then a dog appeared at the hole above me, barking, and barking, and barking. I could hear the adults exclaiming. They were here! It was now or never. 'OUT! GET ME OUT!' I screamed, and scrambled back against the wall. It hurt so much -- I could barely move after eighteen hours of tense sitting."
"The worms reacted instantly, turning towards me and encroaching on the small circle of light. They were coming. The grownups weren't going to be fast enough. I scrambled back away from them as far as I could, but it wasn't going to be enough."
Mel starts weeping openly. "And then there was a flash of grey fur before me. That dog launched itself down into the hole and charged in amongst the worms, snarling and biting. And it was enough -- just enough. They dropped a rope and got me out. But Blue -- the dog's name was Blue ... I'd never even met that dog, but he died to save me. He was a Brookside dog, actually -- the forester, Varen, told me he got him here."
She takes a few deep, centering breaths, and looks up at Vors. "I ... talk a lot. Now. Probably because I didn't say anything at all, not one word, for years after that. And I get ... panicky around small enclosed spaces like caverns." She nods towards the opening in the hillside. "Places just like that."
All right then, Vors claps her on the shoulder once more. Thanks for telling us. Just keep talking, you hear? We need your ideas and insights.
Straightening, he steps toward Perrin. Now, good doctor, I can't help but notice a strangeness to your eyes. Give me good news, I hope, and let me know if I should go in first, or if you want another to take the lead.
There there dear, no doubt we kin 'andle this lil cave betwixt the rest of us. Jus stay on yer guard out 'ere. Me, I hain't got no discomfert goin' unnergroun, an' most like I kin see better'n youall. I'll take the honors.
Hirda readies her dagger and a small candle and waits for advice from Perrin.
Perrin listens to Mel's story in a sad silence, then gives her a serious look. "Just remember you're not alone this time. You've got us." He turns back to the tunnel opening. "And none of us is going in there until we figure out what we're dealing with."
The doctor sighs in response to Vors' question. "News is not so good, I'm afraid. There's a faint aura of evil coming from the tunnel, because... well, because of course there is. It might be a person or a creature - I'd see anything invisible, but there could still be other illusions going on. Or it could be some sort of spell or magical device." He brushes a strand of hair out of his face absently. "Anyway, it's coming from somewhere within sixty feet - hold on, let me see if I can figure out where."
Perrin starts to slowly back away from the opening, sometimes stepping a few feet side to side, but with a deliberation that makes his movements seem much more purposeful than his usual pacing. His strange eyes stay firmly fixed on the entrance.
Perrin divines that the source within the tunnel is not too far away, approximately 20 feet.
The worms Mel is describing aren't from around here. They sound like something from Elven lands.
Varen sounds like an Elven name.
There haven't been any notable dog breeders in Brookside for at least 60 years. Old Man Jenkins is the last you can remember and he died a LONG time ago.
"Thanks," Mel says, getting hold of herself. "Don't leave me out here -- I'll come in. I am not a child any more! I can master myself."
She deliberately looks back at the entrance, her expression a mixture of determination and reluctance.
Halak glares at the cave entrance and in a low growl asks What me do?
Perrin shoots Mel an odd glance as the details of her story sink in, but quickly shakes his head and returns his focus to the task at hand. Sticking out his thumb and closing each eye in turn to estimate the distance, the doctor walks back up to the group. "It looks like the evil aura is coming from about twenty feet down the tunnel." He twists the amulet around his neck absently. "I really don't like the idea of going in blind. If only Pebbles were here, he could have burrowed straight through that hill and felt anything inside."
He turns to Halak at his question. "Could you maybe summon an animal to lead the way, in case it's an ambush or trap of some sort?"
Mel bites her lip and peers intently into the tunnel. For those paying close attention, the green drains from her eyes, leaving them steely grey.
You detect 8 magic auras, 1 moderate and 7 faint.
Halak nods at Perrin's request. Can. Tell me when.
"There's magic in there," Mel whispers. "I count ... eight sources. At least. But I can't tell what they are."
She gets out her bow.
Hirda, you briefly saw a humanoid shape when you first looked into the tunnel but it ducked quickly to one side almost immediately. Right now, you see an earthen tunnel leading into a small chamber. All you can see in the chamber are a couple of small sacks.
Hirda's grim expression is unchanged as the conversation unfolds.
Switching to common, she whispers to the others: "There's definitely someone in there -- Hirda saw motion. They know we're here. If we go in we're fighting on their terrain. Vors, you want to try talking? We've already lost the element of surprise, I doubt we'll lose anything else by trying."
You hear some sounds come from the cave. Words you can't quite understand are spoken.
You're fairly certain a spell was cast inside the cave.
You whirl around at the crunch of twigs and see that an entire war band of orcs has managed to get into position behind you without you noticing until now. Their bulging muscles and bodies covered in scars lead you to believe they are far tougher than the orcs you have encountered until now. You also notice glowing runes engraved in their great-axes and various bejeweled amulets around their necks and wrists.
[
A 7-foot tall orc in the middle growls at you. Puny idiots. Leave now and we let live. Some of his warriors chuckle and make jests at you in Orcish.
The orcs have a strange accent that doesn't fit with that you have heard coming from the wastelands to the south.
When the orcs first show up Perrin is completely oblivious to them, instead peering intently down the tunnel. "Listen!" he whispers, "I think whoever's in there is casting some sort of spell. We should-"
His words are cut short by the tall orc's threat, and he spins around to face the sudden army. "Oh." He looks between the others nervously. "Maybe they summoned them? Or given what we've seen so far, I guess it might be an illusion..."
He concentrates on his spell, directing it toward the wall of orcs.
Although still slightly panicky, something seems off. "Wait. You've got us surrounded and outnumbered two to one ... and you're letting us go? That ... doesn't sound very much like the orcs I've read about. Or the ones I've fought, for that matter."
Mel stares pointedly at the orcs.
Well whoever is in there is casting a spell to make these orcs appear. But does that mean they're just fake, or can they hurt us? I'm out of my league here. Hirda addresses Halak: Orc! What clan they be from? Ye'd fer sure know of a band this mighty.
Hirda sets her glaive and prepares to strike.
You don't detect any evil auras from the orcs.
You detect a single, faint magical aura coming from the orcs. You can't determine what school it is. Currently, you believe these orcs are threatening you into leaving for reasons you don't understand.
Halak stares at the sudden orcs with fury and confusion. In a low tone, he replies Me not know... strange...
The heavy, aggressive breathing of the orc warriors, the crunch of sticks underneath their hide boots as they take a step forward, and the rank, musky smell of unwashed orc conspire to drive fear into your minds.
Vors is about to call something into the cave when the new orc band appears. Whirling about, shock and fear definitely strikes at his mind as he sees them. Couldn't have just stayed home, could I... he thinks, as he grasps at what to say to them, hoping desperately that Perrin is right about it being an illusion.
Stand down, he calls out. You're facing the Defenders of Brookside, and we've just cut down your number of orcs not a day past. This is a fight you can't win without serious loss. Are you prepared for that?
The tall orc laughs at Vors. Brookside small place. Orcs there weak. Nothing like us. Leave now or die pathetic.
Perrin's eyes widen at the orc's threat, but his frightened expression remains tinged with confusion as he notes the conspicuous lack of an aura. Something isn't right here.
Inching forward, he pokes his head around Mel and flashes the tall orc a nervous smile. "Really sorry about that! We'll go right away. In fact, I'd even like to pay you for any trouble we've caused." Hand dipping into his pocket, Perrin pulls out a silver piece and gently tosses it to the orc in front of him.
Well Halak probably doesn't know every orc in the damn barbarian lands. They seem real enough. Still, they could have hacked us to pieces already if they wanted to, and why wouldn't they want to?
Unsure what to do, and with visions of her and her companions being mercilessly slaughtered, Hirda backs away a few steps, still ready to strike with her glaive. Pausing as the others hesitate, she waits to take her cue from one of them on how to proceed.
Mel watches Perrin's silver coin.
Perrin's silver coin falls to the ground. The orc grunts at it in disdain.
You're sure that the orc chieftain just chose to let the coin drop to the ground.
You see the coin fall straight through the orc chieftain's leg. Your vision re-focuses through an effort of will and you find yourself able to see through these illusory orcs.
"Illusions! Thought so," Mel says, though in all honesty her heart was still racing.
She turns back to the tunnel. "That's right!" she yells into it. "Hide behind shadows and tricks! I wasn't sure before, but that confirms it -- you're the äpärä who set up Ukar and Gornak to attack Brookside! Who are you? What are you playing at? Why have you done this?"