No need to come to the party lad Ulark says with a grim smile at the advancing orc. Brought a gift for you where you are.
for
for
Birdzar continues to circle overhead, keeping an eye out for anything that might disrupt their efforts. First these fools, then the fort!
________
Ingrahilde finally puts purple out of his misery, as Ulark and Belir draw blood from the remaining two.
Belir - HP 36/57 AC 24/11/23 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 18
Gundar - HP 45/58 AC 22/12/20 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 19
Ingrahild - HP 57/57 AC 19/18/17 (+2 barkskin +4 giants) CMD ?
Thozar - HP 51/51 AC 18/12/16 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 15
Ulark - HP 60/60 AC 23/10/19 (+2 barkskin +4 vs Giants) CMD 18
Gundar-bot swings his flaming scimitar at the pink one.
The orc sizzles as the dwarf ranger cuts him in half, cauterizing the wound as he does so!
The last orc, entangled, outnumbered, and having just witnessed that, falls on his knees and begs for mercy!
Having not seen anything interesting, Birdzar flutters back down to the ground and hops over to each corpse, attempting to rummage through a pocket or two.
________
Ingrahild walked through the carnage, recovering her arrows and making sure every foe was dead.
”Well done lads. That’s a mite bit fewer for us to kill later. Now, let’s go scout that fort out. See how we can sneak in.”
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Belir, not realizing that the enemy is down continues to cut at the weeds and flowers. His complex of the druidic domain increasing further. "Blasted druid plants escaped with us!" He cuts and cuts until the spell ends leaving him gasping for breath.
"Where to now? Storm the front gates lads?"
Gundar utters a roar as he bisects the orc through the middle, his blade catching only a little on spine and rib. As the two pieces topple to the ground reeking of burnt flesh and gore, Gundar notes that the heat of the blade self-cleans it, all blood quickly turning to ash and falling away.
"Aye. That blade'll cut," he says as he sheathes it once again.
"Seems more prudent to come at them sideways," he responds to Belir. "We have information on how to sneak in and gut them from the inside, after all."
Agreed. Ulark says at Gundar's suggestion.
He then stands and looks at the fallen orc's axes. Though speaking of gutting from the side...
The warrior picks up and hefts the orc's dropped weapon, then trudges over towards the dead giant. He *chops* *chops* *Chops* away at the fallen giant, then brings the orc back near where he got it and heads towards the next orc.
Doubt even a toother won't smell something a bit fishy when they find this. But anything that might make it seem they turned on each other could put a flaw in whatever pairing the tusks and the big'uns have going on.
"CaaaaWWW!" Birdzar calls in agreement to the sideways plan and again at Ulark's deviousness. he then takes flight, indicating that he is eager to crush this orcish and giant menace at the root.
Among a variety of more useless items, the hill giant's bag contains a gnarled looking walking stick that radiates faint transmutation properties, and a rough brown rock that is actually a mud-caked emerald worth 1,000 gp, easily noticed by a band of dwarves.
You decided to scout out the fort next.
Originally part of Harchist’s Blockade, the second line of strongholds defending Lastwall’s retreating northern border with Belkzen, Redlake Fort (named for a variety of crimson algae that grew within its moat) was abandoned in 4482 AR when the Blockade fell and a new border, the Hordeline, was established farther south. The fall of Redlake Fort was more than just a military defeat, however, or in the face of an orc siege, the human garrison resorted to cannibalism under the influence of their desperate castellan.
Built from reddish stone (which also contributed to its name), Redlake Fort was originally surrounded by a water-filled moat fed by a nameless tributary of the River Esk, but after the construction of the dam at area K8, the water eventually evaporated, leaving the fort sitting atop a rocky outcrop 20 feet above a wide, dry trench. The bottom of this dry moat is 15 feet below the level of the surrounding land, encircled by a 10-foot-high wooden palisade constructed of 2-foot-thick logs lashed together The only gaps in the palisade are where a stone bridge leads to the fort’s barbican (area K1), and where the wall butts up against the old dam that separates the moat from the Esk’s side channel (area K8). The outer wall of the fort itself is 15 feet high Several arrow slits pierce this wall and can be squeezed through .
The grate is located on the Lower Levels on the western side (at K6 ). The moat has clearly been emptied, and you see a number of tents erected throughout. You also see a large number of orcs among them.
"I can make the climb easy enough, and put down a rope for you to follow, but where's this hidden sewer that lass told us about? Somewhere about the moat, I imagine..." Gundar mutters to himself as he checks for likely areas.
”Right! Good thinking. Why go over when we can do as our ancestors intended and go under?”
Gundar notices that even though there are orc tents all around the moat, the ones in the back, near the sewer grate, appear to be just for show. No orcs ever seem to wander back there, and clearly no one is living in them like they do the ones near the entrance.
After giving the fort a good look over, Birdzar does his best to follow Gundar's lead to the sewer entrance. Filthy tuskers won't know what hit them!
”A gift from Angradd! Let’s move. The longer we tarry the greater the chance of discovery.”
Aye. Up and over fast. Ulark agrees.
The weight of his armor however, has him awaiting Gundar's rope.
You all manage to make your way to the sewer grate without notice.
Barred with an iron grate (hardness 10, hp 30, break DC 24), a narrow sewer tunnel only 4 feet in diameter opens into the fort’s outer wall.
With Dwarven stubbornness and a complete lack of imagination, Ingrahild took hold of the bars and strained to bend them.
”Some...help...!” She said with gritted teeth.
Birdzar waits patiently as his companions remind the iron bars of just how mighty the Dwarven race is.
________
Gundar cringes at the racket they make forcing their way into the sewers, but it's too late to stop it. Blade and shield in hand, he leads the way into the sewers.
With a creak and a pop, the grate pulls free!
While it was certainly not quiet, it does not appear that anyone has taken notice. It isn't like the orcs are a quiet bunch to begin with, and they aren't particularly expecting trouble, it seems.
The opening smells like sewage, but is about 4' diameter, so you can easily crawl in.
”Smells like orcs.” Ingrahild said as she went in.
More like orc s$*~, but no sense in splitting hairs, haha! Birdzar chuckles to himself, but otherwise remains alert for any unexpected guests in the sewers.
Ulark stands by nervously as the others head forwards through the cramped space. As the last of the others move through, he squeezes after them, trying to prop the grate at least slightly upright behind them.
Gundar notices just in time that he is about to walk into a transparent gooey mass... or are there two??
Spying the blobs on the floor, Birdzar spits acid at the nearest one before flying straight out of the sewer. Hopefully they get the message!
________
Retreat or power through is right. Ulark hisses as he draws out his longaxe and tries to move forwards in the cramped space. But if you're not scared of a few puddles let me through to the second rank!
Gundar gives quick thanks to Trudd that he didn't end up stepping in the whatever-they-were. He can't imagine how that would end well. He hopes that fire and steel will do for them.
Unable to get into the hallway to see the foes, Ingrahild had to content herself with delaying
Slinking their way through cold swamps and bleary marshlands, or sometimes even dungeons and caverns, gray oozes consume any organic materials they encounter. Despite its lack of intelligence, the gray ooze is a most problematic creature due to its transparency. While the ooze cannot easily climb walls or swim, its habit of lurking in the thick mud that lines the banks of marsh pools or lying in harmless-looking pools on dull-colored dungeon floors makes it dangerously easy to overlook and step on.
Some sages believe that the gray ooze is the result of a failed alchemical experiment, while others postulate that the first gray oozes spontaneously arose from a cesspit of magical detritus. Of course, these theories that gray oozes are not living organisms, but rather the alchemical result of an unfortunate mixture of rare caustic fluids and magical waste, are derided by many who dwell in areas plagued by the creatures but which do not have a long history of magical pollution.
Special Attacks acid, constrict (1d6+1 plus 1d6 acid) (free grab attempt on slam attack)
Thozar strikes first with a bolt of acid, which does hit the creature and seems to have the desired effect.
Gundar strikes the creature and the scimitar sizzles as the flames practically go out. The ooze seems to be somewhat acidic as well, trying to eat away at the scimitar.
Everyone else just tries to find a way to be useful.
The closer ooze creates a pseudopod and strikes at Gundar. Luckily it misjudges the armored dwarf and fails to do any damage.
Belir - HP 57/57 AC 24/11/23 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 18
Gundar - HP 58/58 AC 22/12/20 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 19
Ingrahild - HP 57/57 AC 19/18/17 (+4 giants) CMD ?
Thozar - HP 51/51 AC 18/12/16 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 15
Ulark - HP 60/60 AC 23/10/19 (+4 vs Giants) CMD 18
"Ack! The flames aren't doin' a thing! And the blasted blob is made a' acid!"
Gundar sheathes his blade rather than let the blob do any more damage to it - it was far to valuable to risk against such a foe. "Back down the tunnel! We'll draw them out an surround 'em!"
”Good thinking!” Ingrahild backed up to let the dwarves out.
Birdzar puts even more space between him and the sewer entrance before waiting to trap the oozes in the very earth.
________
You back out of the tunnel and Thozar opens up a pit for them to drop into. From there, these are pretty easy to deal with as he planned.
With the threat dealth with, you proceed into the sewage drain. A 3-foot-deep pool of foul water fills this circular room, slowly draining through the 4-foot-diameter sewer tunnel (area K6) that slopes downward to the north. Ten feet above the water, a hole in the ceiling opens into the latrine. The roughly hewn stone walls of the cesspool can be climbed with a successful DC 15 Climb check to reach area K30.
A skeleton slumps awkwardly against the wall, half-submerged in the cesspool. Its twisted neck and smashed skull hint at its demise. The skeleton still wears an ornate signet ring on its finger.
Whoever it is, deserve better than that. Ulark says. The dwarf crouches down and pulls, dragging the body as carefully as he can out of the sewage and onto the stone.
Need to bury him. Once enough orcs're cleared out, give him a good cairn.
”Aye. And let’s take the ring. Return it to his clan. Seems like the right thing to do.”
Birdzar bobs his head in agreement to the burial plan while waiting for the Dwarves to climb, before then flying up the hole. Not the most glorious entrance, but hopefully it turns out more effective than a frontal assault!
Alternating tiles of pale blue and white, several of which are cracked or missing, cover the walls and floor of this circular chamber. An open hole gapes in the center of the floor. (You just came through it.)
Peeking out the doors, you see a hall that leads either north or east.
Peering through the cracked open door and seeing no one immeadiately there, Ulark turns back.
May be best to go east. the dwarf whispers.
From where we came in, north seems like a wall. Which means out in the open. Less exposure to open air, likely the better.