Uraks shift goes without incident - except a short "discussion" after waking up Uruk for the second watch where the two Orcs exchanges deadly gaces and some grunting.
Uruk's guard shift consinst's mostly of him keeping annoying little bugs from him, smashing them with his plane fist or throwing them in Urak's direction.
After his turn he wakes up Sona.
Mash takes her watch after waiking op from a soft hand on her shoulder and a very quiet play. "Good morning Mash. I have seen nothing unusual."
After some time - the first light of the coming day is already at the horizon - she notices that one of the dead Goblins they set up near the fire place is missing! As she takes a closer look through the dark forest it seems to her that the second Goblin is smaller than in her memories and that the forest floor near them seems to be in motion...
Mash wakes the others, as fast an quitet as she cans, then she uses stealth to get closer to the weird scene and tries to observe, what's going on.
Roll -> 20 rolled, second roll 10 + 14 = 24
Urak does not exactly wake quietly.
He groands loudly and stretches - just like any other day. When he finaly understands that there are enemies - or in his voice "Stuff to smash you say?" his expresion changes - on any other race it would've been a look of childish glee. On an ork it looks like a sadistic demon waking up
Uruk like always ready to smash and angry about the unbidden guest, who interrupted his sleep he rasing to his full size to get an overview.
As Mash gets closer to the camp she gets on the big stone near the hedge she also took position on their first ambush on the camp. As she takes in the scenery before her, a small gasp escapes her...
A great, quivering mass of freshly grown Fungal Grawler's has followed the smell of burning flesh and had begun to swallow the dead goblins to still its newborn-unsatisfiable hunger.
The unnatural quick an tiny creatures gave the group a hard time, especially since the brute force attempts did not work at all against the unending mass of tiny creatures. It was not before the group used burning torches, alchemists' fire and a burning goblin used as a improvised club, that they were able to inflict serious damage to the swarm.
After some time they were finally able to kill even the last of these disgusting bugs (with a huge smash of the still burning Goblin).
Mash remembers that she once heard a conversation of a group of wandering Gripplis adepts, that matured Grawlers let loose spores upon their dead, which will soon grow into new Grawlers, an ability which new-born Grawlers thankfully did not posses.
Urak stretches
"Nothing like good fight to start day."
He then takes a bite from the burnt goblin, chewing it a bit before spitting it out again. The next thing he grabs is one of the dead bugs, holding it over the fire by its leg for a few minutes before taking a bite.
He chews on it for a bit before spitting it back into the fire, letting go of the bug and letting it fall into the fire. He spits left and right while going down the dungeon, coming back up after a bit with proper meat and starts stuffing his face.
The bunch of bugs Urak eats tastes like a mixture of bare burnt wood and old, half-rotten mushrooms and after some moments his tongue began to get dumb of their poison - lasting for about one minute.
After this unfriendly start into the day you quickly left the now deserted base of the Orcs and Goblins, heading back to Gondolin - heavily loaded with looted gear and the three heavy chests.
After about three days of travel you reach the place were the trading group was ambushed. You notice two Elves in green and brown leather armor, which seems to investigate the place. All but two of the fallen bodies are gone, you are reminded of the bears and their fighting over the fallen body and suspect that they were eaten by the wildlife of the great forest. As get closer, the two Elves jump and draw their bows, but quickly stow them away as they seem to recognize you.
"Hello Travelers! My name is Fildin and this is Fenrod of house Indragal. We are members of Gondolins town guard and were sent to investigate the cause of banditry."
Both Elves make a quick bow as they introduce them self, then they seem to scan you, Sona and the three battered chests you carry with you.
"So it seems that you have found the bandits and already best them? Or were the bandits robbed them self?" Fildin show a wide smile after his last sentence. "Any way, I am sure that you want to get back to Gondolin quickly, to get your fair prize. Has you left some business undone or are the bandits dealt for good?"
"I'd say so. We killed the goblins, orcs and even that big thing ... I belive it was a troll. Yet we don't kow if this was only an outpost of the actual bandits.", Mash answers indicading a bow by herself. "Well on the other hand, those ones didn't seem to be too inteligent, so I'd suspect them to be smart enough to organize something bigger than robbery."
"Goblins, Orcs and even a Troll you say! This far in the north, inside of the great forest! But ... Mhh, it seems strange to me. The arrows that hit those brave guards, do not match the crude arrows those creatures typically use... They are well crafted and of a unknown design, very small and thin, as if they were designed not to kill the first place... But on the other side... The brutal wounds of clubs and spears do match indeed... I think you should talk to Félafrin about this when you return."
Both Elves seem to be worried about your explanations to say the least.
"Small and thin is what you long ears make. Long ears always use flimsy stuff because no muscle to use proper weapon. Orcs and goblins were at end of path and made good fight. No taking good death from them by saying they no fight here. Where do you find small arrows anyway? All dead here long eaten by bears."
"Not all of them were eaten...", Fildin points to the two remaining guards between the carts and the arrows sticking in their side and back. "... and for your information Orc: the arrows of us Elves are indeed well crafted and sleek but they are proven to be deadly. Just look at the arrowheads: Ours have sharpened edges and small grooves to let the blood flow quickly. Those used here have thin heads without grooves or sharp edges. I think one would survive a few of these arrows if they do not hit your head or heart directly. But talk to Félafrin about this. Maybe he can make more of it."
Urak walks over to the corpses and rips out two arrows
Fine we show 'im, where we find this falafel guy?
The two Elves exchange a look and Fenrod says some words in quick elfish to Fildin. "నేను నిజంగా లేదా అతను కొన్ని కారణాల వలన అది అప్ చేస్తుంది ఉంటే ఒక రకం తిమింగలం నిజానికి ఆ మూగ ఉంది వండర్ ..."
I really wonder if that Yrch is indeed that dumb or if he makes it up for some reason ...
Then, turning to Urak he tells him in a slow and accented voice, that Félafrin is back in Gondolin were you left him, at his room inside the guard palace.
Mash beams a smile towards the two elves, thanking them for their informations. Then, moving forward she signals Urak an Uruk to follow her, as she starts the journex back to the town.
"Farewell little one," Fildin says to Mash as they are about to leave, and adding after a quick glance to the two towering Orcs: "... and be careful about those two."
The Elf left open what exactly he meant with the last sentence. Should Mash take watch over the Orcs such that no harm will take them or should she stay at watch from the Orcs in case they become violent against her?
You continue your way back to Gondolin.
The days are passing by without trouble and after seven days (you are slower now because of all the loot and the three heavy chests) you left the forest and the mighty, white city of Gondolin lies before you again.
Urak first looks for a place for both wolves. Then he wants to go straight to the guard captain prompting his gold back and asking him where to find "That Falafel guy"
Uruk first wants to know what exactly is inside of chests bevor they will give them back. Maybe there is something of use inside or the dwarf maybe will give them more gold for the chests. He also is going to walk around the city maybe there is something new about his "orc-Friends" (old Clan members)
Befor parting, Mash smiles at the two town guards an answers: "Of course I will take care of them, just as they will care for me, since we're friends."
Mash herself has no desire to find out, what's inside the chests. Back in the dungeon she only tried out of curiosity an becoause her Orc friends themselfe tried to open the chests. Since she's kinda gifted, when it comes to locks she tryed to help her friends.
So if the Orcs ask her to try again, Mash will try to open the chests, otherwise she'd just finish her job, and return the chests as expected.
"Mash you've looked like you know how to open the chests, maybe you can open them I don't trust this dwarf. I think it is better to know what we safed for him."
After Uruk asks her to try and open the chests, she immediate sits down, one of the closed chests before her, the set of tools you found in the Orc smith beside her and starts her work on the very difficult lock. Both Orcs are amazed at her dexterous work and her persistency but soon they get bored, as it seems to take ages for her to finally understand and best the lock.
After about one hour you are finally able to open the first lock on one of the chests. As you are about to open it you detect a thin wire connecting the lid of the chest with the front. You are sure that this wire has to be some kind of trap to prevent unauthorized access.
You can open the lid for a few centimeter before the wire is fully tensioned. Through this gap you can see some metallic bars in a uncommon color, some finely crafted books and a letter signed with a artful sealing wax.
Disable Device: Rolled 20 -> next roll: 1 ...
Urak doesn't give a damn about the chests but if the others take the time to open them then he'll want a look whats inside too to make the time worthwhile
After finding the trap, Mash leaves the chests be. She tells the two Orcs, what she discovered and waits for their point aview
Don't give damn about chests but if protected that much then must be interesting inside. What do we get for chests anyway? Guard longear only said to beat s%!+ out of bandit guys.
If no good reward for chest then we just open from far away so no hurt us
"The dwarf woud give us 250gold per unopend chest, but I think there is more gold to get from him or someone else"
"Then that might just be to know if opened. Either way you want know then just cut with rope from long away"
"I'm afrait that won't work. If we don't do this skillfully, the whole thing might just blow up!", Mash trys to reason.
"Then make blow up without stuff inside we want. Take out letter like is now. And if you want rest then just make wire longer until we can take rest out."
"Maybe it is just a poison trap and nothing will blow up and if we don't want to risk anything we can tell the dwarf we know what is inside and he knows there is more gold to get he is a businessman."
Sona also takes a closer look at the chest.
After a few moments she takes a few steps back, taking out her book and quill and writing down some notes on it.
Sona then hands Mash the neatly written sheet of paper.
The paper is reading: "I sense some magic inside of those chests. If I am right there is at least one evocation spell stored inside but I cannot tell which one it is or if it is a trap or not. I do not like the idea of the Orcs ... it seems so unnecessary to me to open the chests as they do not belong to us, do they?"
Mash smiles: "I would agree with Sona! Those chests do not belong to us. We were asked to retun them, so I'd say we just return them! It was funny and quitet a Challange to open them, but this stuff does not belong to us!"
Urak rolls with his eyes an crosses his arms. He waits for the other 2 to discuss this.
"Like I said I have no problem with taking the chests to the dwarf maybe just ask for bonus."
After some discussion you finally make your way back into town. . As you reach the southern gate, four guards make you stop after noticing the three big chests on the wolves. The smallest of the guards steps to Sona, after a quick glance over your group, and tell her with the voice full of routine: "That makes five percent duty of your trade goods. Pay now or let some pledge of appropriate height here and pay after you sold your goods in town."
Sona looks surprised and quickly turns to the group, obviously uncomfortable with being addressed directly by the guard, playing a short tune which sounds like a question mark in your ears.
Urak takes a step forward and crosses his arms. He is looking slightly anoyed for an orc. For any non-orc that's more like slightly pissed. He focuses the eyes of the guard who spoke from his 2.2m height and growls in his usual bad common:
"Yeah... no. We no trade those boxes. We bring em back. So you let us through to your guardboy in chief or you be good longear tincan and bring 'im here to us."
"An Orcs brings back a box ... were you unable to open it after looting?" Then the guard takes a closer look at Urak and something like reorganization in his eyes. "Didn't I see you some days ago in our prison? Mhhh, so you are the group sent after the bandits?"
Another of elven guard begins to laugh out load: "Hahahahaha, Derlon, I think you owe me to barrels of best whine. They came back after all, and also with some missing treasure! Come in my friends, my name is Erlond. Get to Félafrin quickly and tell him everything. You sure want to get your money back Orc, don't you?
You make your way through Gondolin, heading straight to the guard post.
You notice that there a remarkably few merchants on the street. Maybe your first impression was false? Or is something going on?
The guard post is only guarded by one single elf, looking very tired. He lets you in without making a big fuzz about your arrival. You head down to Félafrins office … but it is empty. There are even more papers on his desk and on the floor.
You find a half finished letter at his desk, under a few dozen notes from daily duty reports. The unfinished Letter
Urak looks intensly at the laughing elf "Of course I want gold back, is my gold. Didn't I knock you out in brawl? Longears always look same but you better since eye was made better." then he starts marching into town.
Happily oblivious to anything interesting Urak takes a a look around in the office then turning around again
"Longear guardboy in chief not here, I go ask lazy guardboy outside"
Perception: 6 + 6 = 12
Perception: 5 + 6 = 11
Mash decides to rather be watching, for she doesn't realy like those elfes, because they don't seem very faithful and didn't trust her and her dear friends to return the chests!
Urak goes back out to the guard and knocks him on the shoulderarmor to wake him up(unless he visibly notices Urak before)
"Hey longear tincan, where is chief guardboy? He not in office"