Morag runs to a nearby window and seeing the large ogre leading the assault, squints as him and directs her arcane energy at him!
A momentary shadow passes over the large brigand...
"LOOK OUT!" Barked Antonio in fake alarm as he tossed his light crossbow in orc yellow's face.
vs. enemy sense motive or cmd.
As the orc reacted, he swept his rapier out and lunged at him!
for a possible piercing and precision damage.
AoO
Antonio strikes the orc, and he breaks into a run and the second strike leaves him bleeding on the ground. He sees Emerald's head pop over the tower and yell "Good job"
Edoom shoots an arrow at an orc as he charges him. Edoom deftly dodges the charging orc and prepares to do some spellstriking.
The other orcs continue to run except the orc Antonio demolished with two amazing rapier thrusts.
Party up again
Linnes steps out and moves towards a closer orc; hoping that her training pays off.
Seeing one orc occupied by his companions, Antonio charged up to the second Orc Red and lunged at him!
for a possible piercing damage.
Maria continues her sermon for all those can hear it, deciding to take her glaive and join her sudden compatriots. If there was to be battle, she would head in face first into danger.
Morag steps outside behind Maria, and tosses a handful of sand into the air towards the southern orc and ogre...
Edoom hits with a ray of frost, but his rapier misses the orc.
Linnes hits the same orc, and Antonio another.
Morag casts and the org and an orc fall into a slumber. one of the orcs circles back to help his friends.
Antonio notes the orc at his feet is now injured and asleep.
ORDER
Party to go in any order
The orcs had yet to harm anyone, they seemed content to avoid fighting as much as possible.
Peeking around Maria, Morag smiles as her enchantment takes effect. But then she notices that one of the orcs wasn't affected. Frowning, she stretches out her arm, hand flexed in a claw-like fashion, towards the still awake orc.
We will move along the story.
The orc circles back and is upset about the hex, but they seem to want to escape. The hexed orc rouses the orog from slumber. "We need to go."
The orog gets to his feet and runs off. Attacking the gate forces and driving them back.
The heroes finish off the sleeping orc and rally around the caravan as it comes out of the stables.
The caravan begins to ride out of the fort, and Emerald calls to you to join. The entire group jumps in the caravan and heads to Willip, the next meeting point.
Out of Combat
Jasper speaks to all of you at the first break "I have been withdrawn and secretive, but I had my reasons. The death of my brother and other events have force my hand--and I reveal myself. My brother was Jasmalus and he was a merchant. I am a special Brevan agent reporting directly to the king. I was to pose as my brother and secretly scout the borderlands and track orc movements.
In my small book here, I have all my military notes. It points to one conclusion: Moving troops and supplies in the dead of night our enemies have set up a secret base within these lands. The raids have covered up the plot to set up a strong point in our very lands.
Someone has betrayed my position with the Brevan command, and the orcs attacked my brother SPECIFICALLY. Only a few knew of my ruse, and it means a TRAITOR IS IN OUR MIDST!!
I cannot deliver this book myself. You must visit one of the king's scouts in the area named Jeremiah at the Willip sanctuary and deliver this book to him."
The caravan heads out to the sanctuary immediately before the end of the twilight.
The caravan makes a detour to get to forest of incredibly high redwood trees with dense foliage surrounding it. You arrive at huge lodge made from once was a large tree that resembles an over 100 foot diameter tower that tapers as you go up the massive length. The caravan stops at the large clearing in front as you meet Sarah Jean, a very old dwarf with a large twisted redwood staff. Children of many exotic races play everywhere including kobolds, goblins, orcs, avian, catlike, and emaciated humans that look undead.
Jasper let's Emerald do the introductions, but points on his journal map to a site with six trees in a "v" to meet the agent.
You enter a large comfortable room with much natural light from many windows. The inside walls are smooth and made of tree wood. The dwarf invites you to sit. "I have been running this orphanage for so many years. I take the children society cast out. I also deal with the darker agents of nature, and they have been active. The forces against you have set up a secret base in an abondoned mine not far from here."
You enter a clearing, and Jasper has his weapon drawn. Expecting to see an agent he sees a six year old girl that is scared. The bushes rustle and a lizardman appears with a nasty bow.
"I'll go with you Jasper!" Called out Antonio.
Crossbow casually over his shoulder, he went with Jasper to the clearing.
When the lizardman pops up, he hit the dirt (prone) and leveled his crossbow at him.
"Freeze rabbit!" He called out sternly.
Edoom nods at Antonio, and begins to follow Emerald into the tree. "I don't like us splitting up but we're here now".
Edoom nods at the information provided by Sarah. "Could you provide a map showing the location you might be talking about? I can come back later and pick it up, but fear some of our party might be in danger".
Though she was a midwife, Morag had a poor tolerance of children, and therefore accompanies Edoom to the meetup with the agent with Jasper.
She frowns when all they see is another child. Her hand raises, ready to cast a spell or bring a hex down on the lizardman. But she waits to see if it was friend or foe....
Linnes decides to go with Antonio. She simply waits for the orders to act... her tension obvious.
Maria takes the unusual approach, splitting from the group and heading towards the tree with Emerald, "I'll catch you all later, I think we should be all fine if anything" she says, taking the strange choice to leave the party.
The meet at the marked spot revealed a scared 6 year old girl and a lizard man in the bushed. Then the girl jumps in the lizard man arms and says "Mister Iggy save me."
Your calming actions deescalate the situation and lizardman speak with lots of sibilant sounds like a snake:
"I am the agent of the royal house, long live the Swan. I am supposed to take whatever package you deliver up the river to Brevoy immediately."
The young girl reveals she wasn't supposed to be leavesdropping in the forest, but she overheard agents talking with a man with a scar. The description perfectly matches Sergeant Krayquer's description, and Iggy agrees to stop at Greatwall to make sure the captain there knows and reporting to him before personally going to House Lebeda.
Those entering the house sit in the parlor while two large gorillas bring in a large steaming kettle of tea and cakes baked with honey and some wrapped blue-grean paper thin layers that are quite crunchy.
Sarah Jean explains:
"I have set up a sanctuary where those not accepted by polite society can have a place to grow up free. I also send those unhappy with their current body or have fatally exhausted their current body to an appropriate vessel. In this way I provide a pathway for that spirit to be in touch with the natural forces and learn valuable life lessons not possible with a single body experience."
"I have not been happy with Brevoy's encroachment on the wildlands and the resultant counter forces put the wildlands in the middle between the fey and Pitax. Nevertheless, I continue to help those in need when I can."
Sarah Jean explains:
"I am in my sixth body, and I now share my enlightenment by offering renewal to Emerald and her friends. Would anyone like to leave their body and find another?"
"I can understand. Pitax doesn't very seem like the nicest of Governments when it comes to these lands, and I had to go through Cheliax to get to Absalom during some of my training as clergy," Maria says, "I can understand such, the Shelyn from what I have been taught, preaches we must find out inner beauty, regardless of our current form. I guess one could say that you bring them some form to accommodate that. Sadly, I am fine with my body, but thank you for the offer."
"The living do not always change a perfectly good body for another. Some druidic orders encourage it to learn how others behave."
Sarah Jean the druid explains.
Edoom listens to Sarah Jean explain what she does wondering why anyone would want to do this, but who is he to judge.
"Okaaaay! Thanks for the hospitality... and if I ever need a new body I know where to go. Maria... should we go check on the others"?
With the caravan having completed its deliveries of critical supplies to the outposts and settlements and the documents to detail all the movements within of the enemy near the trade route safely on the way along the river to Brevoy by lizardman courier, you have completed your mission.
Jasper and Emerald congratulate you on your success and wagons are disassembled somewhat and placed on rafts pulled by domesticated alligators to travel the last week back to Greatwall without event.
END OF BOOK 0