"We should help" - Hedrak offered, while he tentatively patted the dog - Raziel seemed to be purposefully ignoring this new acquaintance...
"One day in our lives, might make the difference in theirs"
Norde moved up to Zordt and planted his hands on his hips, with a huge grin on his face. "So if we run into innocent people in need of help, that's just supposed to be "not our problem"? Where would YOU be if someone hadn't helped you when you need it?" He jabbed a finger at Willie and Tom. "Why even bother helping them, why not just turn tail and get so far away it's "not your problem"?"
Zordt raised his eyebrows and gave an impressed nod. "Impressive recollection given the fact you can't even remember more than five people at once."
Tom continued to be confused by Norde, he looked like he was about to say something before Zordt shot back. He kept his mouth shut, and Willie followed his lead.
"One day in our lives, might make the difference in theirs"
"Yes," said Tom quietly, "it would make all the difference in the world to us."
"Ah, well then it is settled! My heart was cold and hard to their plight, but my good friend Norde here convinced me with his very wise words that we should help." Zordt grinned and threw an arm around Norde.
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Gitana listened sympathetically to the villagers' pleas for help. Her earlier reservations were based on the lack of information about what enemies were afoot and where. With two more fighters and a better idea of the enemy numbers, she was willing to delay their journey a day to help. She nodded when Hedrak and Zordt threw their support to the project.
She pulled a card out of her Harrow deck, something she often did to get a quick clue about what the immediate future might hold.
The Uprising
Strength CN
The card showed a mob of peasants on the move against a background of a burning field. It represented forces greater than oneself which had to be respected. She slipped the card back into her deck without comment.
"my good friend Norde here convinced me with his very wise words that we should help." Zordt grinned and threw an arm around Norde.
"Very wise words indeed," observed Willie. People called him a cynic and mocked him for his lonely ways, but they never called him stupid.
Tom was confused. He rolled his shoulders experimentally, settling into new clothes that, despite the huge orcish frame they had come off, seemed to fit him quite well. "Very well. Let's grab some weapons and be off."
The morning was well underway by then, as you returned to the camp you raided earlier. "That's not your dog, is it?" Tom asked Hedrak.
"No," said Willie, "he's the orc dog."
"Doesn't sound good. What if he sides against us when we attack them? What if he barks and gives us away?"
When you arrived at the camp, Tom collected a mail hauberk and steel helm from one of the orcs, also taking it's sword and shield. He looked half like an orc himself, though too much of his face was visible to pass a close look. Willie chose the bow you'd found, whispering a prayer not to run out of arrows. The hauberk he took off the second orc hung loosely on him, and he had to cinch it to his chest as well as his waist with a belt. He also took the orc's curved sword, hanging it from his waist.
After they had girt themselves, you gathered together to plan your next attack. "I believe some of us would have fled to a hunting lodge, just a mile and a half from here," began Willie, "there is always food and arrows there, and it would be a good place to meet other folk. Either they were taken by orcs or they made it there and are long gone by now. Either way, I think we should go there first."
"You are the experts of the area, lead on. Let us know when we are close and I will scout ahead."
Willie led on, taking you first downhill and then up. After about 15 minutes, you came to a path, fresh indentations on the snow revealing that people had gone by recently. Your furry friend sniffed at the track and yipped quietly.
A closer examination determined that these were orc-prints. There must have been at least two orcs and a half dozen goblins, though there could have been one or two more. You also noticed quite a few human prints, at least three distinctive gaits. There was no blood.
”Yes,” said Tom, ”this is good.”
”They must be holed up in the lodge for the day,” began Willie, ”it’ll be a trick to sneak up on them, and we’d better hope they don’t think to kill their prisoners before we kill all of them.”
"Hmm..." Prisoners complicated things. Based on how everybody handled themselves Zordt was confident in being able to take down this group, but he wanted to make sure the hostages lived.
"Hedrak...want to play some imposter with me?" Zordt said with a mischievous grin.
Zordt squatted down in the snow and waved the others closer. "Here's what I'm thinking. We find a spot out here that has some good cover. Hedrak and I go in, use our green skin to get them to trust us, and see if we can split off some of them to come and help us. When we bring them to the spot, we all ambush them. That way we don't have to fight them all at once. We can go from there."
”A daring plan,” said Tom, ”but I am sure they will recognize you as not of their band. You would need to explain who you are and where you come from.”
”What about the dog?” Asked Willie? ”They might not recognize him, though they might. Will you leave her with us?”
"Will they? I suppose it depends on how large the band of orcs was. I suppose...I call to them from a distance, with my hood up. They will see my skin and hear my orcish language, and I will have details about the campsite we attacked, so they will know there is at least some truth to what I say. Even if they all come, at least we get them out of their fortified position."
Gitana walked with the group, letting the wilderness types take the lead. She kept as quiet as possible and made frequent checks on what was going on behind the group. She loaded a bolt into her crossbow to be ready for an ambush.
Norde listened to the planning, however the plan worked, he was ready to kill some more orcs and goblins.
The group walked on, slowly approaching the top of the hill, where Willie said you would find the lodge. As you walked, he described the interior of the lodge. The first floor included a common area with some tables, a kitchen, a pantry, and stairs that led up and down. The cellar was mostly for storage, and the second floor was divided into three rooms, each with several beds.
You noticed little change in the trail your quarry had left, and no sentries. Soon the lodge came into view a hundred feet away, a two story structure of rough timber and wattle and daub. It was large, at least forty feet wide, and in good repair. The shutters were all drawn and you could not see inside, but smoke rose from a brick chimney poking out of the thatch roof.
As you drew closer still, you heard a loud crashing noise and a sound like breaking pottery from inside. Someone swore loudly in orcish.
"Doesn't sound good. What if he sides against us when we attack them? What if he barks and gives us away?"
"Naaah, he's a good boy" - Hedrak nodded, and spoke to the dog, gave him some dried meat and patted him.
"Do not let me down ok boy?! Behave!"
-----
"That is the craziest plan you have ever come up with Zordt, and it will surely get us both killed" - the half-orc chuckled - "So why the hell not?"
”What about the dog?” Asked Willie? ”They might not recognize him, though they might. Will you leave her with us?”
"We take him, might lend some extra credibility to the ruse"
Zordt grinned to Hedrak. "Well if we go out at least it will be a good story."
"Hedrak, let me take the lead here."
Zordt placed himself so he could be distantly seen from the windows; enough to make it clear he was of orcish descent, but far enough away to obscure any details. He also made sure Hedrak and the dog were visible alongside him. Then he took a deep breath of the frigid air and bellowed out.
Gitana positioned herself behind a tree and held her loaded crossbow in front of herself, hoping she was hidden from eyes looking out of the lodge.
She understood Orcish and listened carefully, hoping to learn from the sounds alone when to look around the tree and try to contribute to the battle. She hoped Zort's words did not bring the entire group out to join in the battle, but if there were hostages alive, it would give them a chance to survive. Her heart began to race until she took a moment to breath in and out slowly, bringing her fears under control. She hated fights. The image of The Uprising Harrow card floated in her memory, which did not help to calm herself.
”Awake! awake! leav uuk go avo win meaav agh glory!“ Cried a booming voice from within.
”Awake! Awake! Let us go to win meat and glory!“
There was a loud whistle from within, followed by banging and swearing. They emerged shockingly quickly, after less than fifteen seconds an orc and four goblins came rushing out the door, clad in armor and bearing weapons.
”Nalkramal ayh avhey, agh nalkren did lat know avo look for uuk katu?“ Bellowed the orc, running towards you. He carried a long light axe and no shield, but wore the same style of mail hauberk that you had seen the others wearing.
”Where are they, and how did you know to look for us here?”
He seemed suspicious, but didn’t want to stop and interrogate you if doing so would slow him down and make him miss his human prey.
Ah orcs. Always quick to bloodshed. Some things never change.
"Towarduk avhiuk fushaum! Ppunausan bleedaumn bur avell uuk lat were katu. Now najor bleeduk no ma!" Zordt chuckled and gestured for them to follow, then took off into the woods. He made sure they could still see him but didn't let them get close.
The orc raced along heedlessly behind Zordt. ”hah, lat finiukhun naj-ri avhen! buav jiak ukhall claim avheuke nexav killuk for myukelf.”
”Hah, you finished him then! But I shall claim these next kills for myself.”
One of the goblins seemed a bit more suspicious. ”buav nalkroro have lat flun katu, abandonaumn your goblinuk? do lat have ukome ukorav ro foravifiun poukiavion nalkramal avheausan waiav, or have lat flun agh lefav avhem gith avo mat? agh nalkramal did lat geav avhaav guntak?”
”But why have you fled here, abandoning your goblins? Do you have some sort of fortified position where they wait, or have you fled and left them all to die? And where did you get that cloak?”
Zordt understood that this goblin was behaving in a particularly rude way by implying that he was such a coward. Normally, an orc would punish a goblin for speaking like that, though in this circumstance you might not due to the imminent combat.
You were almost at the ambush spot, if you could just keep them talking a little longer...
Zordt turned with an annoyed growl, and addressed the orc. "Nalkroro do lat leav your kupal ukpeak shal ukuch ij way? Jiak evinaj ukkin ni ro uorkormajal for avhaav." There was a veiled threat there; that Zordt would do the goblin harm for his insolence, but did not want to challenge the authority of the orc if he is capable of handling it.
The orc turned and sliced a chunk of ear off his goblin wordlessly, not bothering to chastise him verbally. The goblin cried out in pain, but then fell into a sullen silence. You kept running, snowshoes crunching steadily.
You were approaching the ambush spot, a slope where you could lead them between a thick stand of pines and a large boulder that would provide cover. It was hard not be nervous, would one of them get away and warn those still at the lodge to kill the prisoners?
Willie saw them first, readying his bow and waiting for someone to charge out.
Norde comes from behind the concealment and ambushes the nearest goblin.
x3
As Norde came out of the trees and attacked, Zordt jumped in the air with surprise. "An ambuukh, drepa avhem gith!"
Zordt began a deep battle hymn, then waved a hand over his bow. "Versvesh vaex!" He moved around to surround Norde and pointed his bow at the large man's back.
Hedrak zapped himself with the wand of Shield, then moved off to the side - "Come Wolf!" - he grunted, then turned to Norde as he circled - "Time avo mat. Lat ayh ukurrounded!"
"Time to die. You are surrounded!"
Norde's blow split the goblin's skull, and it crumpled. At the same moment, Willie ran out from behind his rock, firing an arrow at the northmost goblin.
It hit, passing through thick layers of cloth armor and sinking in several inches. The goblin stayed standing, giving out a defiant cry. Tom charged forward and swung his stolen blade at the same goblin.
He landed a solid cut to the upper arm. The goblin dropped it's blade and fell in shock.
The orcish dog stayed close to Hedrak, barking repeatedly. It didn't attack anyone yet.
Gitana stepped out from behind the trees and let her first crossbow bolt fly when the ambush started.
(Range = 80 ft)
She tromped awkwardly through the snow to a point next to Norde. She had a great spell for pummeling a closely bunched group such as this with snow and ice, but with the group's human ally in the frey, she scaled back to one. She placed her hands together as if holding a ball between them, said, "letalis pila glacies," and a white ball of ice and snow formed. She hurled it at the orc.
Gitana's crossbow bolt struck one of the goblins straight in the chest. The bolt didn't pierce it's cloth armor, but it made a heavy thudding noise and the goblin let out a pained cough. A moment later, her snowball struck the orc full in the face, dissipating quickly. His nose and ears turned black, and he bellowed with rage. "Lat ukhould have uklunk inavo avhe wooduk agh leav your frienduk mat, pale-ukkinuk!"
"You should have slunk into the woods and let your friends die, pale-skins!"
He stepped forward towards Gitana, feigning high and then slashing low with axe.
His vengeful blade left a cruel wound from hip to midthigh, hot red blood steaming in the cold air. One of the goblins pushed itself into the trees, the other running around to flank Norde. In doing so, it left itself exposed to an attack from Hedrak.
Although they got into position successfully, the goblin who pushed his way into the trees was off balance when he launched his first attack. This allowed Norde to parry the blow from the second goblin.
Alone and unsupported, the last remaining goblin was unable to land a blow on the huge barbarian.
Willie moved forward and took another shot at the orc.
The arrow flew true, passing through the orc's neck and thudding lightly against Norde's chainmail. Tom also came charging forward, curved sword flashing.
He landed a solid blow to the one of the orc's unarmored arms. Now bloody and covered with wounds, the orc still stood tall.
The dog barked first at Hedrak, then at the orc, then at Norde, then turned and backed up several feet.
Norde looks the orc in the eyes...
x3
Crit confirm...
x3
... as he cuts it in half with his blade.
Norde is currently adjacent to both of the surviving goblins, assuming they are actually alive. Between "Step Up" and "No Escape" he will stick with whichever of them tries getting away!
Gitana made an attempt to avoid the axe blow, but got faked out by the orc. She gritted her teeth against the pain, and then watched as Norde divided and conquered the orc. She shot him a glance and nodded thanks. That simplified her options.
Gitana drew a Harrow card from her pack and held it ready to throw at a retreating goblin.
Range 20 ft.
A savage overhanded chop from the barbarian tore the orc asunder.
Hedrak was able to dispatch one of the goblins before it could outflank Norde. Gitana, Zordt, and Hedrak were able to finish off the last one before it could run away.
"Always wondered what half a chin would look like, if it had been split," remarked Willie, looking down at the fallen orc.
Tom prowled around, finishing off those who had merely fallen and were still alive. "That was a neat bit of work, only took one wound. Nasty blow, though." He squinted at Gitana, "Can you heal it?"
"Let's drag the bodies into the trees," said Willie. "That way any of them that happen to pass by in a few days, once the snow's settled a bit," he gestured at the clear signs of battle presently written on the snow, "maybe heading home, maybe looking for their missing, won't find them. And who knows, maybe they'll be less on their guard than they would be if they knew exactly what happened."
After you secured Will once again, he looked at the corpses sadly. "Why did they come here?"
-----
You left the site of the ambush and headed back towards the lodge. It looked no different than it had before, though now far fewer foes awaited you. Based on your earlier estimate, there were probably just an orc and two goblins inside, along with at least three human prisoners. At the moment, you could hear no noises from inside. There were thickly shuttered windows on both the first and second floors on all sides.
"Well, it worked once. Why not again? Hedrak and I walk in casual as can be, say the fight went well, and that the others will be along shortly. Give us about 30s to put ourselves between them and the hostages and then you guys come in hard. Savvy?"
We absolutely searched the bodies, although I'm not the one to look for magic stuff.
Norde cleaned his blade on what remained of the orc's clothes and made sure the fight was over before he dropped out of rage and became fatigued.
Norde checked on Will. "Want to learn to fight boy? I'll be glad to help you learn." Norde checked to see if any of the orc or goblin weapons were things the boy could wield.
Hedrak used a magical spell to go over the orc and goblin possessions before they left - more out of habit, than hope of finding anything interesting.
"Well, it worked once. Why not again? Hedrak and I walk in casual as can be, say the fight went well, and that the others will be along shortly. Give us about 30s to put ourselves between them and the hostages and then you guys come in hard. Savvy?"
"Sounds like a solid enough plan to me" - he agreed - "We can also use the horn to try and draw them out, after we are in there. But it may draw unwanted attention from other groups"
The party found nothing magical on the corpses. You did find a pair of platinum coins on each goblin and ten platinum coins on the orc. That kind of wealth was rare to find in these parts. "Looks like they found my stash," said Willie. "Five years of selling pelts to the dwarves..." he looked sad. "There should be more though, I had near fifty of those coins. One day I was going to move to Khel Zhad, I hear they have hot springs where people bathe naked all year round." He frowned, playing with his fingers. "I suppose my life's worth that much."
Norde checked on Will. "Want to learn to fight boy? I'll be glad to help you learn." Norde checked to see if any of the orc or goblin weapons were things the boy could wield.
Will looked around at the strewn corpses. "I don't want to end up like them." He thought for a moment, head tilting to one side. "Yes, I would like to learn. Maybe after...after all of this is over." He gripped his horse's mane for a moment, then let go. "Maybe then I could learn to be like you."
------
Zordt and Hedrak walked up to the front door, opened it, and went inside. There was no wind within the trees, and in the still air the soft noise of the door closing carried out to the others.
You entered into a small, well kept room with two tables. The air was warm and pleasant. A once fine rug stretched across the wood-planked floor, along with a pair of bear pelts. In the far corner of the room, a gentle fire burned softly.
The inhabitants were much less pleasant.
A man and woman were tied down on top of each table. The left arm of each looked as though it had been bitten repeatedly, and hard. Blood dripped down the side of each table, slowly collecting in small pools on the floor. The man had a bad burn mark on his face, as though someone had heated an iron and pressed it against his cheek. The woman looked like she had taken a bad cut to the chest, and was wrapped in light brown bandages. A pair of goblins sat beside the man. "Yes my new friend, Grik and Gorp are very good company, as you have found. We keep you entertained all day long, so when the dark falls you are in good spirits, and behave well."
"Good spirits," echoed the other goblin, "behave well."
"We had a man once who just wouldn't listen, not till all his ears and all his fingers were gone."
"Tasty," said the other one, "tasty treat."
"Hello, blooded ones," said the first goblin, looking up at Hedrak and Zordt. "You are strangers." He looked suspicious, and his hand went to his sword on the table, dangerously close to the man's face.
"Strangers! Strange!" Cried the second goblin.
The orc and other human you were expecting were nowhere in sight, but the door leading down to the cellar was open.
Gitana drew her healing wand and applied it to her own leg first.
When Tom asked for healing, she sheathed the wand and drew healing energy to her hand and applied a touch near the wound, using her healing hex.
"That should hold you for now," she said as the hex provided a very strong surge of healing.
Then she put a gentle hand on Norde's shoulder. "Once again, my friend, thanks for having my back."
She checked on Will and offered the healing of her wand or hex to Hedrak, Zordt, and Norde before retrieving her crossbow, loading another arrow into and waiting to set out for the lodge to take care of the rest of the scourge.
"I am not hurt Gitana, but I am sure you will get the chance to heal me soon enough. I will keep them off you, and you heal me. A fair trade!"
---------
To Will, Norde responded, "I will teach you to fight boy, but you do not want to be like me. I don't even know who me is."
From inside the others could hear Zordt yell loudly in common. "WHY ARE YOU NOT MOVING, TWO GOBLINS GET OUTSIDE NOW!"
”Spoils!” cried out the second goblin. ”Lazy,” it added, sneering at the first goblin.
”Lazy yourself,” said the first goblin, kicking at the second. They got up and moved towards the door.
came a booming voice from beneath the floorboards. There was a thudding noise and a whimpering cry, then the sound of stomping footsteps on the stairs.
Came a booming voice from the bowels of the lodge. Will’s horse pricked it’s ears nervously.
Gitana waited until Zordt and Hedrak had gone inside the lodge and then crept up to a large tree nearby to wait and listen. Her loaded crossbow was at the ready.
"I will teach you to fight boy, but you do not want to be like me. I don't even know who me is."
"Whoever you are, you are strong and you feel no fear," said Will. "I wish to be like that."
Norde moved to the corner of the building, and placed Will behind him, ready to come out and start killing the enemy.
The sound of footsteps grew closer as a huge orc shoved his human captive through the door. She was a broad, powerfully built woman of impressive height, but she was in bad shape. One of her ears was sliced in half, her left eye was swollen and dark, and her teeth were visibly red with blood. Beneath her woolen tunic you could see the same light brown bandages that the other woman had. In her hands was an iron pot filled with leafy greens and a winter squash. The huge orc behind her held a sharply pointed sword at the small of her back, prodding her forward. She walked with a heavy limp, as though her right leg wasn't working properly. She looked up at you silently, face empty of emotion.
"Where's Azbar and the others?" Demanded the orc. He gestured at you with a dead chicken held in his free hand, it's head flopping crazily. The goblins had reached the door, but hesitated before going outside, unsure who to listen to.
Hedrak wanted to rush the new arrival then and there, but he knew he had to pace himself. So he waited for Zordt to speak first, and create an opening.