Getting to his feet groggily, Gilbert says, "Thank you, Amarisa. I will attempt to be more cautious for the rest of the day."
"Glad you're feeling better, Gilbert. Laro and I will move on ahead and see if we can get the jump on any more of them," Fernand suggests.
"We'll start with the north and see if we can surround whoever is here."
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"Yeah! You go high and I'll go low!"
Laro starts off with Fernand.
Led by Laro and Fernand, and backed up my the group in a solid formation, the adventures run into three groups of disorganized orcs. On an even playing field with cunning and surprise, the group dispatches the orcs, and, in the process, turn up more supplies and even find a payroll office set to pay the local rabble to fight for the orcs. Among the inferiors equipment, Fernand finds a magical scimitar sized for a medium person. +1 scimitar
The caves seem rather quiet and a general exodus of orcs after the defeat of their comrades leave little threats, until the adventurers run into the orcish elites and an ogre! The orcs stop their general route, as they see how the invaders fare against the clan leaders. Having just turned east from a north south passage, Laro and Fernand spot a war room full of the leaders of the invasion. The cunning uruks, the most cunning and martial of the orcs, seem prepared to fight.
Fernand
Kaelah
Dolleen
Amarisa
Thallan
Lorkan
Laro
Gilbert
Orc Elites+Ogre
Order
Dolleen
Laro
Bad guys
"Charge!"
Laro takes off down the hall and attacks the first uruk before it can react.
Dolleen moves up behind Laro, and loads her sling.
"Whoa-ho Laro!" She takes a moment to admire the halfling's bravado.
Recap: Discovering the secret base, the party has currently located the leadership of the resistance behind Taldan lines. Destroying this base will stabilize the front and give Taldor a chance to shore up defenses in the face of another threat in the east. With a desperate battle in the south, Taldor cannot afford a breakthrough in the east that this threat would provide if left unchecked!! With the ranger returning to Greatwall, the adventurers are the only chance to stop the ogre leader and his orc elites.
Laro stabs an elite orc and causes some damage as he slips into a chink in his suit of chain armor, narrowly missing vital organs. The orc gasps and retaliates with an swing of a battle axe and the halfling dances away.
The ogre bellows a challenge and charges to the halfling. The ogre misses the halfling hero!!!
The rest of the uruks rush to surround Dolleen and Laro, unable to do more than close the gap and move around.
The orogs see first blood from the halfling, and the uruk and ogre miss. The orogs take one look at the confidence in the halfling's eyes, and go running for the door. The uruks bellow curses in orcish, but it appears the orogs are not going to stick around. They are rushing for a tunnel exit out the back tunnel.
ORDER
Entire Party is UP!--many need to place themselves on the map
Orc elites and ogre
Standing behind the cover afforded by the corner in the tunnel, Kaelaah directs celestial energy against the approaching orc - although his shot is panicked and wild...
It is too late to repent, evil creatures! Prepare to meet your ultimate fate!
I advance upon the nearest Uruk (K-13), swinging my scimitar in righteous anger!
Attack:
Damage:
Having taken the magic scimitar, Amarisa delivers a hit to the uruk.
Amarisa has +1 scimitar!!
The evil ogre and orc have yet to strike a blow, when the Sergeant with the scar that hired you walks in through the rear tunnel and yells at the ogre to finish the job.
The ogre is about to turn and finish the job, when Jasper and Emerald stride in confidently behind Krayquer, and Jasper delivers a disemboweling stab with his rapier to the guard, and Emerald follows up with overhand stab to the thigh.
Seeing two competent adversaries at their rear and the primary agent hiring them bleeding out, the ogre and uruks turn to Laro.
"Let us walk, and we give you the papers that show who hired us from across the river."
You realize that detailed information about which agents are behind this would be quite valuable indeed.
As Krayquer is bleeding out, his final words are: "I hope you at least killed that F*&(^ lizardman!!!!"
"Tell me, Krayquer, just how much money did it take to buy treason from you?" Fernand asks, approaching the bleeding Sergeant.
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Laro yells to Krayquer as he dies, "We told him all about your orders to kill all lizard-men. Your treachery did no harm to him. DISPAIR and DIE!"
"That sounds fair to me big guy! Any objections you guys?", Laro says as he looks at Emerald, Jasper and the Sergeant.
Krayquer opens his mouth to speak again, but his eyes are lifeless and he slumps to the ground.
As Jasper and Emerald share a romantic moment, having bonded slicing open a traitor to Taldor and found true love, Laro makes an arrangement with the ogre and the uruks.
Not wanting to die as puppets in a doomed operation, they leave with a quick and respectful nod to Laro, Emerald, and Jasper.
Besides the promised gold, the party is presented rings from Captain of the Guard in Greatwall with the symbol of Greatwall upon them in fine, white gold. "Powerful rings that will protect you from all manners of harm."
Rings are +2 protection
As tempting as it was to pawn off the ring, Fernand ends up deciding to hang onto it. He had earned enough of a reputation to purchase some supplies and join up with another caravan heading westward, hoping to get away from the front and head home to Margeride, his family's estate on the Sellen River. As strange as it was, any of this ragtag band of adventurers, even Amarisa, priestess of the enemy's patron, would be welcome to ride with him.
Just where the road would end up taking them was a tale for another day.
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What a precious gift! I shall wear this ring proudly, on the same hand with which I bear this beautiful new sword!