The drawbridge is lowered and leads inside the dark interior of the building.
Menrozzar ends his rage as the second wolf falls, slightly fatigued from the exertion. Breathing more heavily than normal, he says, "Let's check inside the watchtower. We'll deal with the locked shed last." He stands there catching his breath, though.
Bupkis sneaks to the door and listens.
Daseem eyes the watchtower and the shed suspiciously, it seemed likely somebody or something was lurking within given the javelins.
Outside there is nothing happening, but it gets dark as even the last rays of the sun disappear and only the stars and the moon are left to light the scene.
”Orcs inside!”, Bupkis hisses.
Well then! Why don't we give 'em a night out eh? I got a plan, I'll do what I do best, be loud, make a ruckus, and when they all gawkin' at me ye lot catch 'em unawares.
Ivan's plan goes sour as the orcs hear him talk about it. They come out of the building, their falchions drawn.
Orcs! This had the makings of an interesting encounter. Daseem rushed towards one that come out of the door. His flashed as it descended towards the orc, who managed to step aside, evading his cut.
Ivan moves forward as well, Charing at the orc.
Bah! Let's get to it!
At the call of orcses, Scrabbler left his rope and trap hanging where it was, climbed back up the wall to the roof of the barn and dashed across it to see what was going on.
That's an uphill battle and Ivan as well as Daseem miss the orcs that stand on the higher ground.
But the orcs luck at attacking isn't any better. Daseem dodges the swing so it only slides over his armored shoulder and Ivan simply adds dents to the blade when attacked.
Bupkis moves around and sends a crossbow bolt hurtling at the orc fighting Ivan. "What wicked orcs do here?", he cries.
Menrozzar once again feels his blood pulse as battle begins, and he rushes forward behind Ivan, striking his foe.
But he misses completely.
Bupkis lands a solid hit, but these orcs are sturdy. The orc in the background finds no place to attack and waits.
Scrabbler scurried down the wall a few steps, then launched himself onto an Orc's back.
Ivan swings his hammer at the orc in front of him.
Scrabbler mounts the orc, but fails to hit him. Ivan finishes off the orc that was already weakened by Bupkis. Covered in blood he falls off the elevated platform.
Daseem easily sidesteps the Orc's pass, and in one fluid motion, brings his oversize sword up and round and down. The sword glinted as it descended with murderous speed towards the Orc in front of him!
Daseem deals the orc a gashing wound at the legs. The orc that fell off the platform gets up again. Swerving a little, but still ready to fight.
Bupkis steps forward to try a knockout blow on the staggered orc.
Seeing the Orc that fell off the platform, Menrozzar stepped into range and swung the Lucerne hammer at it.
Bupkis misses the staggered orc, but Menrozzar adds a solid blow that even that ferocious orc can't take anymore. The orc standing in the door moves inside again, out of sight.
Scrabbler clawed at the face of the orc he was climbing.
But his blows were ineffective.
Daseem was surprised yet gratified by the Orc's stubbornness. The cut he'd delivered seemed as if it was inevitably fatal yet it fought on! 'Well' thought Daseem, 'one good deed leads to another...' so with a flash of his bloodied blade, he bestowed upon the orc another one of Gorum's little blessings!
It is not Scrabbler's lucky day. Depite being such a nuissance to the orc he doesn't get a single hit in. Daseem on the other side gets his heroic fight. The orc takes another blow. He swerves, but he still stands, defying Daseem an easy victory.
Fighting from below isn't fun - even less if you're a dwarf. Ivan waits for the others to get the orc out of the way, so he can move up and inside.
The orc ignores the goblin on top of him and swings his falchion at Daseem.
Bupkis moves and shoots a bolt at the legs of Scrabbler's steed.
Menrozzar moves up and swings the lucerene hammer at the Orc Daseem is fighting, in his bloodrage not understanding that Daseem looks for challenging fights like this.
But he misses, not robbing Daseem of his kill.
When the orc lands a hit on Daseem he grins despite the pain (which was quite awful) to acknowledge a good move. A little awkwardly, Daseem tries to beat past the Orc's guard with main-strength.
Menrozzar and Daseem swing for mighty blows at the still standing orc, that carries Scrabbler, but Bupkis shoots the orc dead, before the weapons connect.
Rushing inside after the third orc, you find a hostage situation. The orc holds his blade at the neck of a woman in full plate that is tied to a chair.
"Kill that bastard!" the knight cries out.
Bupkis doesn't need to be told twice; he hurries forward and shoots a bullet at the orc, trying not to hit the knight.
Scrabbler subtly drew a flask.
Ivan sprints next to the orc, ready to strike should he attempt anything.
Menrozzar charges in and swings his hammer over the head of the woman in the chair, aiming for the Orc's head.
As the attacks start, the orc cuts the woman.
But it's the only thing he manages, before he is killed with two massive attacks. The knight is badly wounded, but it's not enough to take her out. She spits at the orc corpse.
Bupkis greets the knight, "Come on riverboat, see things not good here. Glad stop orcs before worse! Me Bupkis, come from Trunau." He takes out his knife and cuts her bonds.
Menrozzar's bloodrage ends, and he says, "Well met. We can take a look at your wounds. I am Menrozzar Vyrlock. As my companion Bupkis says, we come from Trunau, aboard Captain Raag Bloodtusk's boat. He expected to find trading here - I suspect there won't be any of that today, however."
"Just because those green bastards attacked us, doesn't mean we call of the delivery of the much needed weapons and armor." the woman replies rubbing her chafed hands as they are freed.
"I'm Calrianne Blix, leader of this outpost. You are most welcome guests in my humble abode."
Menrozzar smiles. "My apologies. I was under the impression that there were merchants here he was hoping to trade with. I thank you for your hospitality. Do you know if there are any other threats to be dealt with before we worry about unloading the boat?"
"My intel on the situation is very limited, but if you killed all orcs outside too, then I would assume, we're safe for now."
"How are the horses? Are they by any chance alive?" Blix asks.
Daseem was visibly disappointed when the orc died and he grumbled "It had spirit but it's flesh was w-weak."
Realizing he was hurt, he took his wand and busied himself with it - all the better to be ready should Gorum call upon him again today.
When the others talk to the freed captive, he glances at her and the wand and then back to the others with a quizzical look.
The little goblin shakes his head. ”Bupkis heals!”, he says, and puts his hand on the womans’ shoulder.
"Thank you." Blix tells Bupkis as her wounds close and her health is restored.
"What leads you this way? Usually Raag doesn't bring warriors along."
"We get ride from Raag to Redlake Fort.", Bukis explains. "Orcs attack Turnau, kill many. Twisted Hearts giant chieftain Grenseldek sends orcs, lives at Fort."
Aye, as they say. We're on something O' an excursion. Seems fotutiouos that we happened across ye when we did. Though, I've got a feelin' that this ain't entirely coincidence. Particularly the timing O' the attacks.
Ivan looks back out the door.
Was it just those lot? Wasn't many O them. Were there more?
Ivan face is set in a stony expression of thought.
As soon as the situation was handled, Scrabbler climbed back up on the roof and went from building to building doing a full scouting sweep, looking for more orcs.
Bupkis breaks the bad news about the beasts in the stables, "Very sorry, but orcses kill horses." He is still afraid of horses, but he knows they were probably important to the knight.
Blix sighs on the bad news. "That was to be expected."
"There were more, but you can believe, that I took a few down, before they got me." she answers Ivan.
Scrabbler finds no more orcs, but even if there were some, he wouldn't see then, now that it is dark outside.