Post by hubertbartels on Jan 9, 2021 15:40:19 GMT -5
It took a few hours of following their tracks but we found the orc encampment. Their presence was broadcast to the Rift by the loud beating of their drums. Gideon and Wolfram were sent in closer to scout. The two scouts had to kill two orc lookouts but one had a chance to blow his horn before dying.
Gideon and Wolfram returned to the party with Wolfram explaining that the alarm might have been raised. We decided to advance. As we close in on the encampment, we meet a dozen or so orcs. They raised a yell and charged, getting among us and in our faces. In the fight, the orcs got the worst of it so they backed off to run back to the encampment. Aerwyn tossed a fireball into their group and then Sir Thabo, Gideon and Sathy ran up and finished off any survivors.
Sneaking quietly, we were able to approach their camp. We could see the prisoners, tied up close to a large bonfire. A huge orc in half-plate was waiting impatiently while a orc priest was staring at the sky and counting down. Surrounding the prisoners and the bonfire were a large group of orcs. And the whole time, their drums were beating out their deafening thunder.
Gideon placed a wall of fire around the prisoners to guard them against the orcs. Sir Thabo and Wolfram go after the orc warlord while Dunkin harries the priest. Aerwyn waited until the mass of orc came around the ring of fire before launching a fireball in their midst. A second grouping of orcs coming around the other side of the wall of fire was also met with a fireball.
With the priest dead on his rock, the warlord slain by Sir Thabo, Gideon dropped the wall of fire and we rescued the prisoners. There were six of them, all partisans hoping to join Scardos’ forces. One of the partisans recognized Dunkin and told him that his family is still alive and that his sister is with Scardos. Scardos has been recruiting heavily in the area with tales of attacks on Iuz’s troops.
Waylon, the druid who was guiding us to Scardos’ camp, led us into the cave system. He warned us about a roper known to inhabit this part of the cave. Carefully, we entered the cave, keeping a sharp eye on the cave walls and ceilings.
The ropers were lurking in a short side cavern but we spotted them first. Gideon cast faerie fire and Aerwyn threw Ray of Sickness on another one. Then their tentacles flew out, grabbing at us and our companions.
When the last roper perished, we continued. At a bend in the cavern, Waylon stopped, telling us that Scardos’ encampment was just beyond. We thanked him for his guidance and he left, taking with him, the seven warhorses we had found among the orcs.
On the other side of the bend, the cave opened up into a vast chamber. Tents and equipment covered the chamber floor while lights on the stalactites lit up the area. One large tent bore Scardos’ emblem – a smiley face. As we descended, guards stepped out to greet us. We tell them that we’re here to sign up with the great Scardos. They turn us over to Captain Milani.
Captain Milani was happy to see us. Scardos was about to undertake a major operation soon. She assigned us a place to spread our tents and told us about the camp’s food supply. They have a large magical cauldron that either produces an infinite supply of gruel or an infinite supply of soup.
As we prepare to set up our camp, we noticed a group of people entering Scardos’ tent. Aerwyn mentioned that she had checked for magic in the camp and the tent was magic. Something about Scardos’ emblem bothered her – but Dunkin remembers that a very similar symbol was used by Jovian, a powerful wizard in the Bandit Kingdoms. He’s now supposedly Scardos’ right-hand man,
The people entering Scardos’ tent included Jovian, a pleasant looking older man in robes, adorned with more smiley faces, Scardos himself, a man in his 40s, armed with a sword and a bandoleer filled with daggers, another man in dark leathers and a short sword, a woman with a walking lute, and finally, a heavily armored woman with a shield and a sword.
Although no one had approached the tent while we were setting up our own camp, now a large number of servants left Scardos’ tent and walked up to the cauldron. Each bore a large bowl which they filled up with gruel before returning to the tent.