"Sorry young lady. I didn't see you. Jawarl Avignon, or Alhurmus, as the orcs called it, was conqured by orcs three hundred years ago by the orcish hero Mondru IV, said to be the son of a god. His victory was not least because of the great weapon he wielded, a terrible spear made by orcish shamans of ages unknown, that burned elves when it struck them and made its user invulnerable in battle. Its name was Alkarg."
"But only a decade later disaster struck. A great plague struck the brave defenders of Alhurmus and ravaged them without mercy. It is said that the plague was unleashed by a dying curse of the last elf to fall in Jawarl Avignon. Only a handful of the orcs survived and the citadel has been abandoned ever since."
"You understand of course that a place like this is like a dream come true to any archaeologist. I was lucky to find in Sethus a friend who shared my passion and who was able to finance the expedition. Not everyone appreciates orcish pottery, you know."
"Interesting. I actually had no idea orcs had a sophisticated culture so close to this place. So your friend decided to finance this dangerous expedition in the hopes of finding the Alkarg spear or some other treasure? or was he just a collector of orcish pottery?"
"Now that you mention it, Sethus always was very enthusiastic about the old spear, although it is quite normal for us scholars to be carried away at times. Not that it matters now."
I assume that you have bought everything that you need, and you have no trouble getting to the Bloodstone mine. Crommard can show the spot where Sethus staggered off to die. You can make some Survival or Perception checks to follow the tracks.
Survival: (no ranks, untrained)
Perception: (no ranks)
"I thin'the tracks go thissway."
You have no great difficulty in finding Sethus's tracks. For several hundred yards his route zigzags as though he is staggering, and he seems to have walked with great effort. Then suddenly (out of sight from the mine) the footprints change. They become more even and his path more direct. The prints are deeper and the distance between them greater, as if he had broken into a run.
Following his trail you find that it leads straight towards the old fortress, eventually following an old and partially overgrown path. After the better part of a day's walk you approach the citadel.
Around it are the foundations of many homes, but the area seems to have been abandoned for a long time. The citadel itself is situated on a high cliff next to the sea. Only the 10 foot high walls remain, and the citadel is much smaller than you might have imagined.
As you get closer you notice unmistakeable orc foot prints around the area.
Crommard expresses puzzlement as to why his friend would pretend to be sick and proposes to run up to the citadel and call for him.
"Hold it old man, it seems like orcs still like this place so unless you want to be killed you'd have to stay with us. We'll have to be more careful".
"Tiana perhaps you would like to quietly scout ahead?"
"I'll try. Wait here"
Tiana moves on, sneaking carefully and looking around.
Sneaking ahead, Tiana notices a single orc posted as a guard to the only obvious entrance there is into the citadel.
To his left there is a large pile of equipment, including clothes, sleeping bags, eating utensils and so on, tossed carelessly into a heap.
The orc doesn't appear to have noticed you. He's about 50 feet away.
(whispering) D'ya thin'kiss safe'r the lass ta go out there by herrself? Tha' pasty-white devil, Kullen's onlya half-orc'n he's meaner'n a pit-hound wit'a mouth full'o blood. I cannnimagine the temper of a full-blood orckisslike."
(Broccan reaches for his sword, gripping the hilt tightly)
(Whispering) "Well we can't go in there without seeing what we're up against first, and shes least likely to be seen."
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Canvy adjusts his armor, and finally places the gauntlets quietly on his hands. A large and deadly looking weapon is gently and lovingly held in both his hands. Its edge is sharp, yet it is rusty with what looks like the remains of dried blood and skin, it hasn't been cleaned in a while. Canvy doesn't say a word, but you faintly hear him groan under his breath. Canvy kisses the blade.
(shifts restlessly)
(quietly) "Thissisit, then. A real fight wit' swords, agn'st orcs, n'less."
(sighs)
(quietly to himself) "Well, thissis whatcha wanted, Brocco-boy, ye wanned t'beeya hero. Time t'see if yer bing'r spoil."
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Canvy hisses at his blade, "Tis just the one, let the others take his blood, we can wait for the blood of many." Turning to the remaining members of the party his eyes seem to clear and focus, he says quietly "Who has skill with silent ranged weapons? Anyone? For now it is the time to for you to show your prowess and take this guard out without raising the alarm. If we cannot do that then we need a diversion to get him to come to us, when we can take him out." His eyes glaze again, they seem to turn back from the steel blue to a purple haze that you have seen in his eyes before. He continues, "The bringer of death is amongst us, I can feel his presence. We must strike."
Tiana decides that discretion is better than trying to dispatch the orc by herself in this situation, and retreats back to the rest of the group, describing the single sentry's position up ahead. When discussing the better solution to the problem, she comes up with the idea of everyone firing their ranged weapons at the same time.
(sheathing his sword and pulling out his shortbow)
"I knew I'dnee'oneofthese. Ol' Tyrol sniff'dat me when I ass'd him. (Nocking an arrow) "I'm readay."
Erine looks at Goat desperately. "I don't have a weapon. I'm a caster, not a warrior. Why would I have a weapon? Perhaps I misheard and she said...no, nothing really rhymes. I guess I could throw a stone, but I'm a lousy shot. Maybe I'll cast a spell. Seems overkill, though. Spells are of a limited supply. I could bribe him, I guess, bloodless way about it. Maybe he'd just take it and kill me, though. Yes, bribery doesn't work very well on orcs. Perhaps somebody who knows people better than I do could try and convince him that he's at great risk if he remains. He might sound the alarm, though. I hope we don't have to kill him, that'd be awful. Why am I here, again?"
"Maaaaaaaaa."
"Maaaaaaaaa."
"Calm down. We'll find a way around this before these brutes go and kill somebody without provocation. Perhaps a sleep spell? That's one of my more important ones, though. Maybe..." She perks up. "I've got it! Should I tell them, or just go ahead?
(to Erine)
"D'ya havva spel'itl make'em sleep, or wattl make'm unnablt'yell? That'ud be a great help, wee-lass."
(to Erine)
"D'ya havva spel'itl make'em sleep, or wattl make'm unnablt'yell? That'ud be a great help, wee-lass."
Erine looks at him and hesitates. "Should I--alright, alright!" she says to Goat. "Human, I can make him fall asleep, or I can put him in a temporary daze, or I can try to make him friendlier through magic. Or I could try and distract him so he follows my jack o' lanterns."
(Broccan's eyes bulge at the litany of powers)
"Ach, I thot we'were jus' killin' e'm and be done wi'it. Iss'n orc smart'enuf to tellus any'thin we c'n use?"
"Keeping him alive would be dangerous. What would we do with him after we finish questioning him? I certainly don't want an orc walking next to us. Also, whatever we do, we must do it quick enough to prevent him to raise the alarm".
daze should do
save mightier magic when the odds are again us"
"Go wit' day-zin 'em, wee-lass, wat'evr it does, it seems'tl make 't eas'yr to kill 'em."
(whispering to Sanstree, looking sidelong at Canvy) "D'ya thin'kissword tawks back to'em?"
"Go wit' day-zin 'em, wee-lass, wat'evr it does, it seems'tl make 't eas'yr to kill 'em."
(whispering to Sanstree, looking sidelong at Canvy) "D'ya thin'kissword tawks back to'em?"
"These people are mad, talking to inanamate objects," Erine says to Goat. "I'm going to go ahead and cast the lanterns forth. If it's dark enough, I'll make them look like torches, otherwise he'll just see some wills o' the wisp. Will o' the wisps? Wills o' the wisps? Doesn't matter. Tell them to follow close behind." She starts sneaking forth, trying to get her target in her sights.
(following Erine, bow ready)
"'Ere we go then."
Tiana walks to Goat and asks: "Maybe you know... what will we do when the orc sees the wisps?"
Tiana walks to Goat and asks: "Maybe you know... what will we do when the orc sees the wisps?"
The goat glances at her. "Maaaaa," he brays quietly. He gets down on his knees and shuffles a bit, then gets back up.
Garron sits down on a nearby log and quietly waits.
(stops, as he realizes that no one else seems to be going anywhere)
So arewe'gonnakilltha'bloodyorcornot?
Garron shrugs at Broccan.
"All this talk of casting spells or shooting arrows makes no difference to me. My style of combat is a little out of range here, so I'll sit and wait out of sight. If I'm not needed no point risking getting seen. If you plan on luring the brute into a trap let me know. I'll happily take part in an ambush."
(Broccan thinking hard)
"I could, ahh, err, weyl...mmm...I could pretendt'a be wunna tha crew an' walkin ta tha openlike'I'm hurt, sayin' "helpme, helpme" 'n when tha orc comes runnin' t'kill me, you lot could ambush'em."
(Broccan smiles at his own cleverness)
"Hows'at fer a plan, Old Man?"
(Broccan thinking hard)
"I could, ahh, err, weyl...mmm...I could pretendt'a be wunna tha crew an' walkin ta tha openlike'I'm hurt, sayin' "helpme, helpme" 'n when tha orc comes runnin' t'kill me, you lot could ambush'em."
(Broccan smiles at his own cleverness)
"Hows'at fer a plan, Old Man?"
"Or he could stand and pretend not to notice them. That way they might not realize what he's planning. Then the dwarf knocks him out, and we move along. The trouble with that is, he might sound the alarm if he sees somebody, while four shiny lights don't seem worth it."
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With his eyes almost glowing purple, Carny turns to Erine, "Quick my lovely, use your magic to bring our enemy closer to us, that we might surprise him and smite him down." Carny settles behind what ever cover is available, or lies prone on the ground, blending into the background as much as possible. "For if he alerts others, we will be at a big disadvantage, and could pay for it with our lives. For inglorious death does not a fitting end make and we will not be remembered."
Stealth
(looking sideways at Canvy's "hiding")
"Err, righ'then...
(looking towards the rest of the group)
Less'jus' go wit' th'first plan. Wee-lass can daisy th'orc an' we'll shoot'em fulla arrows."
(looking sideways at Canvy's "hiding")
"Err, righ'then...
(looking towards the rest of the group)
Less'jus' go wit' th'first plan. Wee-lass can daisy th'orc an' we'll shoot'em fulla arrows."
"We'll, um, try a more peaceful approach first," Erine says to Goat. She waves a hand and casts a spell. Four bright lights appear a short ways away. They start moving, slowly, bobbing in the air.
"boccan, not fer vertain whose atalkin to whom in the case o the wee lass
mighten be werea followin tha plan o the goat"
(to Sanstree)
"Well, if i'tis tha goat's plan, annit don'involve killin', I hope't includes tha goat butt'n th'orc in 'is chiblies."
(mutters to himself)
"Peaceful means (pronounced slowly and deliberately), issa bloody black'arted orc, innit?"
Four bright lights appear a short ways away. They start moving, slowly, bobbing in the air.
They will come to a stop a few meters ahead of the orc. They will make sure to remain out of his reach, though, and will try and lead him away.
Tiana vanishes into the surroundings, trying to hide herself and surprise the orc, when it comes.
Ready my staff and watch for reinforcements.
"here's to hopen we can do this without mor acomin down Omer heds"
initiative total 7
(aside to broccan)
I've a bit o'magic waitin to see how it goes fer our favor!