You wisely give the tree a wide berth and camp somewhere else nearby. The next morning, you set out on what should be the final day of your journey to Cleft Head Hold. Rain continues to fall, drenching the ground and turning dust to mud. The path seems to grasp at the feet of travelers, sucking every footstep deeper and deeper into the mire. Rivulets of water stream down hills in the east, carving new paths and pooling around their bases. To the west, the flat plains seem to be soaking up the water rapidly, transforming into sodden expanses of silt and sludge.
Feet sink into mud and curses pierce the air as members of the caravan struggle against their surroundings. There is a sudden cry of terror that echoes amongst the caravan as dark shapes approach, undeterred by the rain and muck. Undead orcs with bloated dead faces and wide, cold eyes lumber forward with an unrelenting determination to kill!
As the enemies swarm the caravan, three of them make a beeline for you. They fall upon Njinga, swinging their fists! Fortunately, her armor wards off their blows.
"You like rain huh?" Skaytar mutters at the attacks. "Cover your ears, Njinga."
He follows up the blast of lightning with a gout of searing flame.
and
for
Njinga falls easily into her Everstand Stance, slamming one of the oncoming undead with the boss of her shield as she hunkers down behind it.
"Just pick them apart, I'll hold them fast."
Melor hunts one of the undead orcs, shooting it with his gun. Njinga bonks it with her shield, then Skaytar zaps and burns it. The sodden creature is resistant to fire, so it does not fall. Qisik slips behind it and tries to finish it off, but he is unable to land a hit.
All three foes continue to batter at Njinga, a few hits getting past her defenses. At their touch, the warpriest's lungs begin to fill with water!
Success: The creature is slowed 1 for 1 round.
Failure: The creature is slowed 2 for 1 round.
Critical Failure: The creature is slowed 2 and drowning.
A target affected by Drowning Touch can spend a single action coughing in an attempt to recover, which immediately lets them attempt a new Fortitude save against the effect. A success improves the previous result by 1 step. A critical success improves the previous result by 2, and a critical failure decreases it by 1.
Njinga bows but does not break against the wave of drowned orcs, meeting their relentless force with an unbending determination that sees her restored nearly to the whole of her being!
Seeing Njinga heal herself, Skaytar nods in approval at her self-reliance. He fires a blast of positive energy at the undead orc.
Though the orc resists Skaytar's spell, it's enough to destroy the damaged undead. Melor misses twice and Njinga heals herself as Qisik moves to flank another foe and attacks, stabbing it twice.
That orc whirls on the hobgoblin and attacks him while the other tries and fails to pummel Njinga again.
"Keep at them, Njinga. I'll help Qisik."
Skaytar unleashes a burst of healing that washes over the battlefield.
Njinga crashes her shield into Qisik's assailant with a sickening crunch before hauling it back into line against the last zombie.
Both undead orcs resist Skaytar's healing, but Njinga is able to take one down with a pair of brutal blows from her shield. Melor shoots the final foe twice, but Qisik only lands a glancing strike.
The sodden orc swings wildly at Njinga but fails to hit.
You are able to finish off the final foe before it can retaliate again!
Skaytar pulls a foot out of the muck with a slurk. "Let's get the caravan out of here. No telling what might see us as easy prey."
Njinga quickly hurries back along the line, looking for anywhere the caravan's defenses faltered.
You continue on past the muddy fields. Late in the afternoon, after a 60-mile journey, you finally arrive at the lands of the Cleft Head Hold. The lands controlled by the Cleft Head lie on the border with Ustalav, and their fortress of Splitskull is the easternmost fortress in Belkzen.
***
Chapter 3: Splitskull Siege
Several hundred adobe houses surround the base of a large hill, atop which towers a stone fortress. Though built for at least a thousand residents, the town appears nearly abandoned, with smoke from only a dozen hearths wafting skyward. As the town comes into view, the caravan’s surviving members begin muttering worriedly. Splitskull was supposed to be their haven, yet it seems almost vacant. Ardax’s guards share a worried look before urging the group onward.
While passing through the town, you see small groups of orcs packing up their belongings, salvaging abandoned properties, or reinforcing homes to create makeshift forts. They aren’t eager to chat, acknowledging the new arrivals with grim humor. If pressed, one of the residents summarizes recent events.
"When the Deluge clouds appeared, the dead rose in small numbers. The hold crushed those easily, so we assumed it was over. Then scouts came, warning of even more undead closing in. And what did K’zaard do? He took his favorite warriors into the fortress and closed the gates! We called on him to let us in, yet he scoffed and told us there wasn’t enough room or food for everyone. Folks tried reasoning with him and his guards—our neighbors! But they told us to scatter and come back with reinforcements." The orc pauses, giving the caravan a disapproving look. "I’m guessing you aren’t the reinforcements."
Most inhabitants took K’zaard’s taunting advice to heart and retreated into the wilderness. Only about a hundred orcs occupy the town now, uncertain whether to flee, barricade themselves in their homes, or hope that K’zaard shows mercy once the undead arrive.
Worried, Ardax’s guards ask you to oversee setting up camp in several abandoned buildings so the group can rest. The guards then split up, with some gathering information around town and others demanding an audience with K’zaard the Drover, the Cleft Head Hold’s leader. For the next several hours, you are free to rest or explore as you like.