“A rather unpleasant race full of rather unpleasant humanoids...”
"Hmph," grunts Izússavar. "Where I came from, we used to say the same things about humans."
Izússavar chuckles. "No offense," he adds.
"Can you negotiate with them? Do they trade with you? Or are they just savages to be fought?"
"Whatever the case, a good defensive position will be valuable. If the orcs stay here then they know its value, and may hesitate to attack while we are in it."
Izússavar looks around.
"Or not. If they attack, we fight and earn our pay."
"They tend not to be the negotiating sort, I suppose there's always exceptions to the rule, but I doubt there's much point in hoping that we run into the one group of civilized orcs up here. But, yes, we'll likely be better off here, than out in the open," Ulmarr stated.
"We'll sleep in shifts. Two people on watch at all times while the rest of us set up camp." Artemis said as she fully stood and pointed to two guards. "Set up a small perimeter, we'll begin setting up camp." She instructed.
The orc tracks look 3-4 days old, with several sets of tracks older still. The orcs clearly come here frequently.
The two guards climb onto the roof of one of the more intact buildings, giving them a clear view of the area. Gear is pulled from the pack animals and the tents are set up.
"Are we to set up a fire tonight?" One of the other guards asks.
"Looks like the orcs have been gone a few days, though they clearly pass through here often," Ulmarr concluded from the tracks, "We may have to do without a fire, unless we can ensure that it won't alert every nearby orc and monster of our presence," he stated.
"But Orcs can see in the dark." Artemis reminded him. "While I do agree that a fire all night is a poor idea, I think while we still have light we should make several smaller piles of wood to light if something goes wrong. That way if we must fight all will be able to see what they're swinging at."
"Fair enough, lets get some wood ready then,just in case," Ulmarr agreed.
"Perhaps there is some way we can conceal a fire? If there is a hearth in one of these buildings the building will shield the light. We just make sure to block the windows and doors."
As you debate what to do about the fire, the other expedition members set up the camp. As they finish the cartographer calls out, "I found a stash of supplies, looks like dried meat, some water skins, rope and arrows."
"Sounds like the Orcs left some of their stuff behind. Likely, we can expect them to return for it at some point. Any idea how much food they left?" Ulmarr inquired, trying to gauge how many orcs there might have been.
"Looks like enough to feed us all for a couple of days."
"Sounds like there's a fair few of them, then," Ulmarr mused, "Well, if there are orcs wandering about, here's as good a place to meet them as any. And, if they do not show themselves tonight, we can at least deprive them of their supplies while bolstering our own for the journey ahead," Ulmarr stated.
"It also gives us a notion of their numbers based on how much supplies they left behind."
Izússavar looks at the meat dubiously. Do orcs eat humans?
"Ah... what kind of meat do orcs eat, anyhow? What do you think this is?"
Ulmarr examines the meat to determine what sort it was.
"Ulmarr, could this be a base they use for raiding?" Artemis asked as she came up next to him. "Have your people been having trouble with the lately?"
"There's always some low level raiding along the border from orcs and the like," Ulmarr said, "Considering the supplies, I'd say that this is one of their bases, yes."
Ulmarr examines the meat to determine what sort it was.
[dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20 + 8
It appears to be boar/ dire boar meat.
"Then we will need to be extra careful. Maybe even putting three people on watch at once." Artemis suggested.
"Indeed," Ulmarr agreed, before looking up from the meat and to Izússavar, "It's just boar meat, he stated.
"All right, let's get bedded down and assign watches."
The night passes uneventfully, but as you head out in the morning you notice fresh orc tracks approximately half a mile north of the ruins you spent the night in. The tracks are going east to west and seem to indicate that they stopped for a short time.
"Well, at least they did not disturb our sleep," Ulmarr commented, after he finished preparing his spells as he did every morning, "Sounds like they weren't too far from us, but, with luck, we hopefully shan't run into them on the trail." After all, the north was a big, empty place, and the orcs seemed to be headed west, while they were going north.
"Let us hope our luck holds out." Artemis said. "Quickly, let us get moving, I don't want to wait and see if they are still around!"
"Indeed," Ulmarr agreed. Not that he'd mind too much if they ran into some orcs, after all, the creatures were such terrible pests, getting rid of them would likely make life easier for plenty of Aricians. But, it would hardly do to come off as bloodthirsty here either. And so, he quickly moved to pack his things and to get ready to move out once more.
"Can you tell how many there were?" asks Izússavar.
"If there aren't too many, perhaps we should give chase. It sounds like we will have to fight them sooner or later."
"If we're lucky we never will." Artemis said. "Our task is not to hunt down orcs, but to get to those ruins. We shouldn't waist time with things such as this."
"Agreed," Ulmarr said, though rather reluctantly, "It would be risky and time consuming to try and pursue the orcs on their own territory, especially when there could easily be far more enemies out there in addition to the ones that left these tracks. I'd rather not deplete our strength on such side ventures unless it is actually necessary."
As you keep heading north the trail becomes more established and several side trails feed into it. About an hour after you stop for lunch you crest a hill and see clear signs that a merchant was attacked. A wagon is tipped over on the side of the track, a dead donkey is still attached to the wagon tangled up in it's tackle. A mercenary or guard is face down in a small pool of blood, another is in a half sitting position against the wagon. He clearly dragged himself several feet to get there and an arrow is buried in his gut. A heavy mace is still gasped in the dead man's hand a shield dropped beside him, a heavy crossbow lies beside the other guard clearly having slipped from his hands, a short sword is stabbed into the ground within reach. Two lines of blood drops head west into the woodline and several other paths have been broken through the undergrowth and branches.
"Well, you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you," Ulmarr muttered, as he scanned the area with Detect Magic, before approaching to further examine the corpses.
Artemis stepped up and looked the scene over, trying to see if it was indeed orcs that attacked these people.
You detect no magic while looking.
It is unclear if this attack was orcs or other uncivilized humanoids, it could just as easily be on of the human tribes of the area. Regardless they didn't leave any weapons or wounded behind.
It is clear at this point that the guard against the wagon is still alive, though unconscious and likely to die without medical attention.
Artemis gasped as her going through the paces of what happened lead her to the guard against the wagon. "Ulmarr... he's still alive!" She said, though really it was for those around them. She was sure that Ulmarr knew before she did. "Can you heal him?"
"Well, let's find out," Ulmarr said, taking out a wand of Cure Light Wounds, approaching the man, and attempting to heal him.
Izússavar steps forward, and watches Ulmarr heal the man with a wand. If the man is still badly injured, Izússavar adds some healing of his own.
"Who would they be trading with out here? The orcs? Why would they come this far?"
The wounded man groans as his wounds seal and he regains consciousness.
"Whe...Where are the bandits? And Ulrik and Varin?"
"Gone." Artemis said with a nod. "Ulrik? Varin? Where they fellow guards?" She asked.
As the healing took affect, Ulmarr stepped back from the wounded man, giving him some room and leaving the talking to Artemis for now, as she was likely better at that sort of thing than he was.
"Gone." Artemis said with a nod. "Ulrik? Varin? Where they fellow guards?" She asked.
"Ulrik yes, Varin is the merchant who hired us. Said he had imperial goods to sell, said they were worth a lot to the villages up here."
Artemis looked around before she sighed. "I don't think they made it...What is your name?" She asked.
Artemis looked around before she sighed. "I don't think they made it...What is your name?" She asked.
"My name is Svafar. If they didn't make it where are their bodies?"
"This is a body there." Artemis said as she pointed to the fallen man. "But I am unsure if it is either of your friends." She honestly told him. "What did they look like?"
"This is a body there." Artemis said as she pointed to the fallen man. "But I am unsure if it is either of your friends." She honestly told him. "What did they look like?"
"That is Harlug, I saw him fall in the fight. There was no need to ask about him. Ulrik is armoured like me, and has a warhammer, Varin has leather armour and a small crossbow. Ulrik is tall, broad of shoulder and has dark hair. Varin is round with a mop of blond hair."
Izússavar looks around.
"There is a blood trail here and several other paths... perhaps they thought you were dead, and fled into the woods?"
Izússavar examines the tracks around the wagon, trying to deduce what sort of creature went where.
Izússavar turns back to the others. "What do you think? Do we try and find this man's friends?"
Ulmarr looked off in the direction of the tracks before looking back at the man and finally speaking up, "So, these bandits, what were they like? Were they human? How many of them were there?" he asked.
It is clear from the tracks that 2 groups headed into the woods approximately an hour ago. The first 2 individuals moving quite quickly, one bleeding, likely both human. Second group of 4 individuals, at least one bleeding, humanoid likely elf.
"Unnaturally pale elves, 2 pairs of them."
"If that's so then your companions may yet live, though these elves look to be giving chase. If we hurry we may be able to come to their aid!"
"Get him up." Artemis ordered the group. "Give him some water and something to eat." She told them before she looked to Ulmarr. "Izússavar is correct, there might be a chance still. Think you can track them down Ulmarr?" Artemis asked.
Ulmarr looked back to the tracks, and nodded, "Best be ready for trouble," he said.
The remainder of your party stays on the track to guard your animals with your supplies.
As you head into the woods you can follow the path the others have taken quite easily and about half a mile in see a larger pool of blood and a bloody arrow. As you keep advancing you see a small clearing about 100ft away, there appears to be movement.
"Though I saw movement up ahead. Let's keep going!"