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"Spake the dwarf." Kellek mutters to himself. "He's a half breed--part human, part ogre, and probably all dim."
"Why would... How would... Why!?!" Colvyn seems to be trying to figure out the mechanic of how a ogre and a human could mate. Giving up, he walks over to where the big ugly walked in the clearing and looks for tracks.
Among the fallen foes, Kellek locates a few objects of magical interest. Despite the ogrekin's fairly tattered attire, its well equipped with a +1 spear and a belt of giant strength +2. Tucked into its belt, you also find a (nonmagical) ratty, flea-infested blanket that has been decorated with several copies of the same insignia. The blanket and the insignia have been stained by blood, most of it quite old (some of it belonging to the ogrekin).
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Guiness doesn't spot any threats following the hunting party. In fact, the woods around seem quite calm and peaceful. To the north, Colvyn easily picks up the trail of the ogrekin. The hunter had not been making any effort to obscure his passage, and his large size and tendency to thrash about only makes his path through the woods clearer. The firepelt limps over and looks in the direction that the hunter came from and whines.
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When the feline approaches, Guiness carefully pours a dose of CLW from his holy symbol into a shallow bowl from his mess kit for the cat to drink. To Floredana, he says, "I'm no expert on animal handling, but it seems this creature wants something back the way the Ogrhuman (or is it Humorge) came from."
"I think you're right Guiness, wherever this grotesque creature came from is where this poor thing," Flo says, reaching out a hand cautiously to stroke the cougar's face, "Wants to go. Fortunately, it seems mostly in the direction we were headed anyways... Are we ready?"
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Nodding gratefully to Flo as his wounds heal up, Kargas wipes his falchion clean. "Ready when you are."
It's wounds healed, the firepelt bounds excitedly forwards, eager to lead the way that the ogrekin hunter came from. The moment you're back into the forest, it starts to stalk silently and carefully, moving with stealth through the brush. You follow along behind. Colvyn and Kargas are easily able to confirm that the firepelt is leading exactly along the trail that the ogrekin left behind.
You hike for about half a mile this way through the woods as the trees grow dense and the terrain underfoot gets rougher. Eventually you break out onto a narrow, muddy path, ground down by the passage of bare feet by the looks of it. You continue along it westward. Your first indication that you may be approaching something strange are "decorations" hanging from the trees along either side of the path. Cornhusk-and-leather humanoid-shaped fetishes, some almost the size of a small goblin, dangle from the gnarled branches of trees. Moss and mildew give off pungent, swampy aromas.
You note the trees ahead beginning to thin out slightly, by tall oily reeds take their place, blocking out the view ahead. You step carefully through them and suddenly the reeds give way to a large open (swampy) meadow. To the northwest, an massive but old and decrepit farmhouse stands unsteadily, while to the north, a large barn leans to one side.
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"Do you this Firepelt might be the animal companion of a Black Arrow ranger or druid here? Surely this isn't an outpost of theirs with all the strange fetishes along the way," comments Guiness, clearly uneasy.
"Floredana, do you think the feline can lead us to its master?" he asks as they come into view of the compound.
"I suspect as much, but I can't say for sure," Flo admits. "Woodsmen do have a knack for sharing a bond with animals, more than just the typical pet/master relationship though."
"Maybe we've come upon some hermits? If, as Kellek said, Ogrekin are half human and half Ogre, then this might just be some sort of backwoods, um, living arrangement for them?" she suggests uncomfortably. "Colvyn, are you comfortable scouting a little if we hang back in the brush? These are huge buildings, I don't think they're even meant for people our size!"
"Sure, be right back." Colvyn moves ahead toward the closest building and tries to see a way inside.
Colvyn makes it over to the barn, moving with incredible stealth. He moves into the lee of the sagging barn and peeks around the corner. The doors to the barn are about 10-ft wide and surprisingly stand intact. Right now, they've been left ajar and Colvyn hears the sound of multiple foul mouthed individuals drinking messily and making fun of each other. From the occasional cry of pain or nasty laugh, their "conversation" is heavy on roughhousing. A nauseating aroma of spoiled milk or something similar wafts from the open door, mixing with the scents of manure.
There are windows up on the sides of the barn, but they're all at the second level, 10ft up. Looking in the windows, the barn doesn't have much natural illumination inside, especially not in the eastern half.
You hike for about half a mile this way through the woods as the trees grow dense and the terrain underfoot gets rougher. Eventually you break out onto a narrow, muddy path, ground down by the passage of bare feet by the looks of it. You continue along it westward. Your first indication that you may be approaching something strange are "decorations" hanging from the trees along either side of the path. Cornhusk-and-leather humanoid-shaped fetishes, some almost the size of a small goblin, dangle from the gnarled branches of trees. Moss and mildew give off pungent, swampy aromas.
You note the trees ahead beginning to thin out slightly, by tall oily reeds take their place, blocking out the view ahead. You step carefully through them and suddenly the reeds give way to a large open (swampy) meadow. To the northwest, an massive but old and decrepit farmhouse stands unsteadily, while to the north, a large barn leans to one side.
Colvyn listens closely and thinks he can hear four distinct voices among the hubbub inside the barn. Sneaking all the way up to the door, he very carefully takes peek inside to see where the four might be in relation to the entrance. Among the shadows inside the barn, he sees large mounds of molding hay, barrels of some kind, and a large but crude still sitting in the center of the cavernous space. Four deformed humanoids of the right size and shape to be ogrekin, though with one larger than the rest, are standing near the still, buckets in hand. Though it may be possible to sneak past them to the cover of the hay piles, getting through the front door would put you in direct line of sight.
The only other potential way in, as visible from outside, would be to break the high up windows and find a way to fly or climb up to them.
Kellek didn't notice any magic associated with the fetishes or reed or anything else on the way in, and his detect magic doesn't register any auras here at the edge of the clearing either.
Taking mental note of what he sees, Colvyn turns and try to see if he can make it to one of the window of the house without being seen.
Colvyn slips from the barn to the farmhouse without more than a whisper. This moss-encrusted, decaying farmhouse slumps drunkenly at the edge of the swampy clearing. Its front entrance is a tall and slightly crooked door with the word "GRAUL" sloppily painted across it in whitewash. To the southern end of the house rickety steps crawl up to a porch covered by a huge eave held aloft by thick pillars of pine. These timbers are decorated with crude carvings of manticores impaling children with their tail spikes and women being ripped apart by wolves. The carvings look like a child’s work, but the subject matter grows more gruesome and depraved from one depiction to the next. An unsettlingly large rocking chair of lashed wood and bone sways erratically in the breeze at the far end of the porch under a vast menagerie of wind chimes composed of decidedly humanoid bones. A second entrance to the house sits right next to the rocking chair.
The scent of bad meat, urine, sweat and decay wafts now and then from between the cracks of the wooden walls. While the farmhouse once had many windows, it appears they were shattered or destroyed long ago and replaced by simple boards (now rotten) blocking rain from entering.
Colvyn quietly remove one of the boards so that he can peer inside the house. He tries to register as much information as he can. Once done, he walks back toward the group, trying to remain unseen all the way back.
Colvyn has no trouble silently removing a rotten plank. A horrible stench of rotting meat begins wafting from the open window and a thick cloud of flies escapes through the opening. Inside, he sees a musty chamber that looks like something out of a nightmare.
A crockery platter of severed human fingers and toes sits on a rickety old table next to a dried sinew basket overflowing with hacked-off hands and feet, all sporting bloody stumps where the digits once were. A family of rats gorge themselves on scraps that litter the floor.
The chamber has three exits, one to the east, one to the north and one to the west. All three are closed.
Once Colvyn's done, he's able to slip back to the party without any trouble at all. There's no sign from the farmhouse or barn that anyone or anything has detected him.
Back with the group, Colvyn share everything he saw. "So, since I didn't see or hear any movement in the house, should we attack the creatures in the barn?"
"If that's where the people are, I suppose that's where we should go, yeah. You wanna jump them in there or draw them out here? Your call, Colvyn, you've seen the layout."
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At Colvyn’s description, Guiness shudders at the fate of so many humans the body parts represent, agreeing that this lot of ogrekin must be destroyed. He suggests, ”If there are more hidden in the house, a full-scale battle in the barn would likely draw them in as reinforcements. In addition, I am horrible at sneaking, so if you bring them to us in the woods that is probably better than an assault on the barn.”
"I'm normally loathe to storm into a creature's home and assault them, but I think my conscious will rest easy on this one," Flo admits. Who knows how many travelers and townsfolk those things have slaughtered? I get the circle of life and all that, but this is something else entirely.
"I'll defer to Colvyn's assessment, of course, but drawing them out sounds better than walking into what may be a death trap..."
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"If you lot want to hide yourselves, I'll just bellow at them from here," Kargas offers. "Offer them a straight fight one-to-four, and if they bite the rest of you jump 'em from hiding." Kargas gives Guiness an appraising look. "Maybe you better stay with me, Guiness. Don't think you'd be very effective at hiding."
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"I could fire some arrows from the door and then lead them back here. The moment they are close enough, you could charge out of the forest and engage them in melee." Turning toward the wizard, Colvyn raises an eyebrow. "What do you have prepared Kellek? Any spells you want to use before the fight gets too chaotic?"
"Alright fine, but the ones in the barn will start yelling and bring whoever's inside out anyway," Kargas grumbles as he moves into the treeline.
"I could fire some arrows from the door and then lead them back here. The moment they are close enough, you could charge out of the forest and engage them in melee." Turning toward the wizard, Colvyn raises an eyebrow. "What do you have prepared Kellek? Any spells you want to use before the fight gets too chaotic?"
"Consider what you are saying though. 'Lead them back here' how many of 'them' is that exactly? Can we all outrun a group of degenerate monsters with the endurance, and stride near to that of an ogre?"
"Better we find out more, if we can, and then whittle them a bit first."
"Yes, Kellek, we already did the scouting thing while you were thinking wizard thoughts. Now comes the part where we kill the bastards. Even Guiness can outrun a corpse."
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Guiness steps a bit deeper back into the woods and lights his hammer on fire, saying, "Lure them out the best you can, Colvyn, and we'll be ready for them. If we can get them far enough from the house before the real noise begins, maybe we can deal with any reinforcements separately."
To Kargas, he says, "True enough, Stormscar. I am not quick on my feet, but I can usually outrun the dead--at least the ones that have enough sense to stay where they are planted."
"Yes, Kellek, we already did the scouting thing while you were thinking wizard thoughts. Now comes the part where we kill the bastards. Even Guiness can outrun a corpse."
"There was brutish grunting going on in the barn, and beware the abundance of wind chimes might qualify as intelligence to some," {looks meaningfully at Kargas} "but lacks a certain nuance to those of us who plan for things beyond hitting the enemy with a large object."
"I would suggest starting with barn. It might be easier to exit should the need arise and though noise might alert those within the house they are less likely to come out and investigate the remaining smoldering crater as quickly. Plus, it might allow me a look at the house close up. The noise will cover our approach, and with Guiness about most of us will not have to worry about outrunning any potentially murderous reprisal."
"So what's the plan then?" Flo whispers to the others. "We can't just stand here bickering."
"Kellek, what if you set one of your explosions off inside the barn? That would surely get them all running out into the open. Then Colvyn could fill them with feathers. Once they've realized where we are, they'll have been weakened severely and hopefully down a few in number," she suggests. "I'm open to more looking about, but the longer we wait, the greater the risk that we lose our advantage."
"Yes, Kellek, we already did the scouting thing while you were thinking wizard thoughts. Now comes the part where we kill the bastards. Even Guiness can outrun a corpse.""There was brutish grunting going on in the barn, and beware the abundance of wind chimes might qualify as intelligence to some," {looks meaningfully at Kargas} "but lacks a certain nuance to those of us who plan for things beyond hitting the enemy with a large object."
"I would suggest starting with barn. It might be easier to exit should the need arise and though noise might alert those within the house they are less likely to come out and investigate the remaining smoldering crater as quickly. Plus, it might allow me a look at the house close up. The noise will cover our approach, and with Guiness about most of us will not have to worry about outrunning any potentially murderous reprisal."
Colvyn's jaw drop open for a moment after what Keller just said. "I'm sorry, was that in common? Cause I didn't get anything of that. So, do you have a better plan, or should I go back out there and pick a fight?"
Colvyn's jaw drop open for a moment after what Keller just said. "I'm sorry, was that in common? Cause I didn't get anything of that. So, do you have a better plan, or should I go back out there and pick a fight?"
"Let's just go to the barn shall we?" Kellek says in low-key exasperation. "If the ruckus there is as you say, Colvyn, it should cover any noise we make upon our approach."
Kellek pulls his new, used bandoleer off his shoulder, and tosses it to Colvyn. "Here. Take this."
"Now you're talking sense, wizard! Let's go say hello." Kargas grins and strides towards the barn.
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While Colvyn sneaks back toward the barn, the rest of you settle in among the tall reeds at the edge of the swampy clearing. The reeds are tall enough that they reach just above Kargas' head, providing ample cover and concealment from wary eyes... but they also do an excellent job of blocking line of sight for people inside. Nevertheless, with less stealthy folks as part of your team, you keep to the reeds and wait for Colvyn to lure the ogrekin out.
At the barn, Colvyn sends a quick arrow sailing through the air to strike the side of the crude still in the center of the room. The four ogrekin are a little slow to realize what's happening, but when the largest one looks up and notices the arrow, he lets out a grumble. "Wots this?" He reaches up, pulls the arrow free "This ain't our one. Too fancy." He looks around, but by this point Colvyn is already out of line of sight. "Was that someone tryin'a shoot at ME? Awwww shiiit. 'ooever it is is gonna get it! Come on bruthers."
Colvyn hears the ogrekin getting to their feet and immediately starts heading back toward the group. He gets almost to the reeds before the ogrekin emerge from barn, each brandishing a weapon but otherwise looking rather unsteady on their feet. They stumble about for a few moments before one of them spots a retreating ratfolk. "Ouuuuaagh!" They raise a cry and start lumbering toward the reeds.
Those of you hidden in the reeds hear the ogrekin stumbling and grunting as they approach the reeds. You have the drop on them, but won't be able to see them until they get quite close , unless you choose to move out to strike. Either way, they're likely to respond as soon as you begin moving.
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Kargas
Kellek
Colvyn
Flo
Guiness
3x ogrekin
1x hulking ogrekin
Colvyn blesses his bow with green flame and gets in position behind the front liners.
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Nudging Guiness, Kargas points towards the approaching ogrekin with his chin and advances, the reeds swaying and rattling as he walks. Pulling a small vial from his belt pouch, he pops the cork with his thumb and tosses it back, throwing the empty vial away.
His last three steps seem him suddenly double in size, looming enormously out of the reeds. "Hello, fellas," the half-orc grins at them as his scars and eyes begin to glow.
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Nudging Guiness, Kargas points towards the approaching ogrekin with his chin and advances, the reeds swaying and rattling as he walks. Pulling a small vial from his belt pouch, he pops the cork with his thumb and tosses it back, throwing the empty vial away.
His last three steps seem him suddenly double in size, looming enormously out of the reeds. "Hello, fellas," the half-orc grins at them as his scars and eyes begin to glow.
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The three smaller ogrekin advance with their spears. One has a vestigal arm that twitches and spasms as he waddles forward. The second has overlarge, milky eyes that blink frequently but only one at a time. The third bounces and hops as he moves toward Kargas.
Up close, they try to stab the giant... but they're so bewildered by the situation that they merely stab at his armor or the nearby reeds. One says "IZ REAL!" when his spear pokes ineffectually against Kargas' side. The hulking ogrekin in the back hefts a massive meathook and sizes Kargas up with a bit more seriousness.
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Kargas
Kellek x2
Colvyn
Flo x2
Guiness
3x ogrekin
1x hulking ogrekin
Colvyn moves through the reeds so that he can attack their flank.
"Oh I'm real alright," the half-orc growls, delivering a vicious slash to the first ogrekin to step into his reach. Giving ground against the press of bodies, the half-orc focuses his lighting into his blade and redoubles his assault.