Hess squeezes along the wall behind his compatriots to try and reach a spot to release another Eldritch Blast.
Eldritch
Blast
|
The orc leader falls before the overwhelming onslaught of power that is arrayed against him.
Besides his plate armor and shield, the leader has a longsword and the handaxe that he hurled earlier. His belt is made of silver, with a gold buckle, and there is a gem set in the pommel of his longsword. He also carries a leather purse and his mate wears an ivory bracelet.
The 20-foot-square chamber is comfortable with a stained but plush carpet on the floor. Along the back wall (west) is a sturdy wooden bed, a small table holding a tarnished copper bowl, and a mismatched chest of drawers.
"And that is how we deal with orcs! And look at this armor...such a waste of good steel. I should do something about that..."
Brunhild’s Hammer glowed as she went to work. She spoke in Dwarven, extolling Moradin to aid her in making the armor suitable for a dwarf to wear. When she was done the plate armor had become resized to fit a Dwarven build. The armor itself was inscribed with runes, each a prayer to the Father of the Forge. The armor looked as such.
Smiling she said to Rurik ”We could both use this. Shall we leave it to fate as to who wears it?”
While the dwarf prays to the plate armor after removing all its orc gore, Landau spends his time looking for anything hidden in the room.
"It seems blasphemous to test fate against a Cleric, But no less then giving up a good set of armor without a fight, let's cut for it."
"Aye, lets...ach that was close"
"Shodding yourself in steel cuts off your connection to the spirit of nature."
”How so? Steel’s from nature. And the creation of it is a gift from my god.”
"Damn cards"
"Nature is often trying to rend my flesh, I like to have some steel between me and it."
The warrior begins to help the bard search the room.
”Take heart, cousin. Where there is one orc there is bound to be two. We’ll get ye outfitted soon enough.”
Hoddy just shakes his head at the antics of the dwarves and continues to watch over the party, making sure nothing sneaks up on them while they are searching and hammering the heck out of the armor.
Search the rooms for secrets...
Investigation
"Well back out the way we came"?
"Burnished steel is the artifice of man, not nature." says Shianni, who then nods at Hess.
”Bah. Steel is just Iron mined from the ground and then smelted. Everything about it is natural. Just because a squirrel only knows how to shyt in the forest doesn’t make it any more natural than ye or me. The only way something isn’t in touch with nature is if magic is involved. Otherwise, it’s just fooking gobbly-gook. And now! Now I’m in mind to naturally kill some more orcs. Let’s keep going.”
|
|
Faced with no other way out, the group turns to go back the way they came. They emerge into a corridor going right and left. To the left lies the secret door that they used to enter the complex. To the right, the corridor goes a short distance and then turns to the left. You follow the corridor around until you come to a four-way intersection.
Directly across from you is the cavern entrance. To your left, the corridor turns, then goes a little further, opening into another room. To the right opens a chamber full of orcs! They let out a howl of rage as they spot you!
Picking the largest, most heavily armored orc possible, Brunhild ran forward and with a wordless battlecry brought her hammer down onto it’s shoulder.
"This could be bad! Make them come to us so we can fight in this confined space".
Hess casts Armor of Agathys on himself.
"I think this might be to many for us to take on at this time. We should retreat".
Landau pulls out his rapier and taunts the orc in front,
"Hey, more orcs! You guys are so dead. Especially, that one in front. Yeah you. The ugly one. No, I mean the uglier one. No, I'm sorry, the ugliest one. Yeah, you!"
Taking aim, Hoddy fires on one of the orcs in the frontline.
Attack:
Damage:
|
|
The party surges forward, despite Hess' warning. Both Rurik and Brunhild savagely attack the foe. Rurik drops his opponent, a female orc, while Brunhild leaves a lasting impression on a male. The females seem content not to fight, but the males are spoiling for battle! Landau mocks one of the orcs just before Hoddy's bolt slams home in its chest, but the dim-witted creatures press forward! Shianni wildshapes into the form of a wolf!
The orcs form a solid line before the two dwarves, each striking at one of them. Each dwarf is hit twice by the orc horde!
Brunhild grunted as the blows slammed into her armor. Roaring the name Moradin she bashed the orc in front of her with her shield and then put her hammer right into it’s head. Even as the orc fell dead she channeled the last of her power into Rurik, closing his wounds. She wouldn’t allow an ally to fall when she could help it!
"Come on! Back the way we came!
Hess moves down the passageway a bit, and holds action. If his companions start down the corridor he will use minor image to create the image of either bars or a stone barrier blocking the passage behind them.
"And leave the dwarves to the orcs?" Landau moves up. "Hey you, big ugly pig! Pick on someone taller."
"It is foolish to throw away you life against unbeatable odds, when you can live to fight another day. To get more experienced and stronger, and use better strategy. They can still escape. We can use distraction to help them. Perhaps the Orcs will not chase us once we leave their home. I do know we will probably die if we try to stand our ground here. We don't even know if this is all of them. There are other passages we haven't explored yet. Let's all live another day"!
Hess will stay until there is no other choice, and help the others to make their exit, but will not give his life without cause.
”Rurik is bleeding out and they’re faster than us. Flee if ye want! I know where I’ll go after I die. ‘Tis a place without cowards!”
Brunhild blocked a blow with her shield as she yelled this, with all of the fervor of a zealot.
Hoddy continues to lay down fire at the approaching orcs. He targets the one battling Brunhild next.
Attack:
Damage:
Hess moves down the passageway opposite the room to see if there is a better escape route, and hears the snores before he sees the occupants of the other room. He rushes back to his party.
"There are more in the passage behind us. If we're determined to throw our lives away, at least let's do it on our own terms. Let's try to lure them into the passageway North of us so that only two at a time can engage us".
”Get Rurik then! I’m not leaving him.”
”Alright! Disengage, to the hallway. Shieldwall. Rurik, get in the back.”
Rurik digs down deep to the bones of the earth.
He stands Smashing the Orc in-front of him in the knee.
He digs even deeper to to step infront of Brunhild with his shield up. "Back in the hall"
|
|
Brunhild smashes one of the orcs with her hammer before giving a healing word to Rurik, who staggers to his feet and refocuses himself, giving his limbs more strength. He slams the orc before him in the knee and then raises his shield. Forming a shield wall, the two dwarves make a tactical withdrawal from the melee. As the go, Hoddy and Landau offer support with spell and bolt. Hess, meanwhile, uses an illusion to close off the corridor to the east, lest any orcs come from there.
Predictably, the orcs follow the group into the corridor, swinging as they come. Brunhild is missed, but again Rurik takes a wound from the onslaught.
Completley out of healing, Brunhild could but swing her hammer.
It was a solid blow. ”Anyone able to see to Rurik’s sounds?” She said with gritted teeth.
Landau commands the wounded dwarf, "Rurik, right? You hang in there."
Hoddy continues to fire at the oncoming orcs.
Attack:
Damage:
Hess joins Hoddy to provide covering fire, as the team tries to escape their dangerous predicament.
Eldritch Blast
Eldritch energy
"No! No! This way! out of the caves"!
Hess dashes out of the dangerous caves, and immediately turns around to wait for his friends to emerge. He checks the entrance above the cave entrance to see if there is any way to cause a blockage to help them escape.
Perception
"A fighting withdraw, make them pay to follow and they will stop eventually"
"Wow. That was a horde of orcs! Like a hive of wasps. What now?" Landau asks.
"From the rumors I hear there are perhaps less powerful beings inhabiting these caves as well. Perhaps we should find one of these, and practice our techniques and battle tactics, before taking on a tribe of powerful orcs".
Hess exclaims, keeping a close eye on the cave entrance.
Hoddy covers the cave entrance as the others talk.
"Maybe we should move further from these caves before formulating our next move, yeah?"
I think we where exploring B, I suggest D
As Rurik discusses their next destination Hess nods in agreement. "That way looks as good as any. Perhaps we should scout it out before entering".