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FR - 5E - Orcs Not United

Page history last edited by Jon Goranson 3 years, 1 month ago

Orcs Not United

 

January 28, 2020

 

While Gorstag and Rolen went back into the cave, Kaji stayed with Dio, as Dio tried to dispel whatever magical effect was on Rikard.  Kaji could kinda see the magic threads but not as clearly as Dio and let him do it.  Dio flinched a little at one point and Kaji decided to move off a ways.  Then he saw the movement and recognized Hannah.

 

"What do you want?  Can you fix Rikard," demanded Kaji.  

 

"I came to talk.  My sisters arrived and they don't like undead the same as my brother doesn't like orcs.  I managed to convince them to merely use the obsession magic on him instead of trying to destroy him."

 

"And that should give you points?"

 

"Really?  Yes, it should.  I agree Rikard, right now, isn't a problem but a hundred years from now?  Three hundred?  Then what?"

 

"By that logic, elves, dragons, dwarves, and other races should be killed as well.  And you blame me for humans short sightedness."  

 

Hannah took a breath.  Kaji smiled that he was getting under her skin.  He didn't trust Hannah, that's for sure.  He didn't like that she disappeared and now admits more of her friends are here and they did something to Rikard?  

 

"Look," Hannah said, slowly, trying to contain her emotion.  "My sisters caught up to us.  They don't like undead and no matter how much I spoke for him, they didn't want to talk to Rikard.  I think there is something more there but we haven't talked about it or I haven't heard that story.  I hope that we could talk more about what we found."

 

Dio has been making progress with Rikard and has stripped half the spell hurting him off but it's getting more difficult.  It's as if some threads are cut, the remaining ones get more powerful.  He knows if he activates that rage thread, things will not go well.  

 

Gorstag hung back as Rolen stepped out of the cave.  They had found a secret area where a book used to be and were convinced the sacrifice had opened the secret area.  They were hoping to see if Rikard, Dio, or Kaji agreed.  When they heard the voices, and Gorstag recognized Hannah's voice, he looked over at Rolen.  Rolen's face grew into stone.  He strode forward and Gorstage made sure his weapon was loose.  

 

"So, come back, huh?  How long are you going to stick around this time?"  

 

Hannah spun on her brother.  "Don't start with me!  I have already been explaining to Kaji what happened.  How many stories have I heard in the short time we traveled together about how often they had to stop you from doing something rash around orcs?  And just recently at the hunting village near your village?  Can you really blame my friends for not immediately trusting undead?"  

 

"I don't know.  I don't know your friends.  But if they come down and answer our questions, then maybe."

 

"What kind of questions," asked Hannah.  

 

"How long they have been following us?  Did they know about the secret room?  Are they working with the orcs?"  Hannah's face got more and more annoyed as Rolen added more and more questions.  She finally interrupted him.

 

"How much would you let some strangers interrogate your friends?  Gods, this is just like you!  I'm not your kid sister anymore.  My friends just arrived and we haven't been in the caves.  So, no, we didn't know about some secret area."  She held up her hand to forestall him saying anything then took a breath.  "Look, we can talk, talk," she emphasized loudly, "but not interrogate or we can split ways.  Which do you prefer?"

 

"They have to answer our questions," retorted Rolen.  

 

"Figures," Hannah said.  "Good bye."  She moved into the darkness and Rolen could see her meet up with some other figures before moving off.  They moved back to the group.  

 

"She'll be back," he said.  "Now, let's get back to camp and check on Rikard."  

 

Dio finished cutting the threads he could and fortunately, Rikard resisted the ones that got away from him or out of control.  Rikard was back to himself and annoyed at having been caught off guard like that.  Rolen and Gorstage explained what they saw in a secret room.  Then Rolen and Kaji told them what happened with Hannah and her sisters.  

 

"She'll be back," Rolen repeated.  "What can we do to keep busy?"  

 

"We cold harvest the dragon?"  "Put the runes on weapons?"  "Identify the weapons?"  Soon, they had a plan and over the next few days, worked on it.  

 

Dio kept the camp going as Rolen, Kaji, and Gorstag harvested several things from the dragon.  Rikard set up his portable alchemy lab and distilled the dragon's healing potion out for them.  He also identified the weapons they found and installed the striking rune on Dio's weapon.  The night of the third day they were all talking when Rolen spoke up.

 

"I guess she's not coming.  We might as well head back.  Now what?"  They talk ideas and then get some rest.  The next morning, their plans evaporated like morning dew when they found the tracks of orcs.  A large warband of orcs had emerged from caves at some point while they had been further north.  Now all of their previous info was invalid!  They couldn't go back without finding more about what this new band of orcs was doing.  And with the crowns they found, was it worth it to go back to Kilgulg?  Eventually, they decided they needed to know more.  Rolen tried to summon a bird to send to his village but none came.  He wondered at that.  

 

Mid day, they caught up to a smaller scouting party of orcs.  These orcs were different from the other tribes.  Olive green skin, and bigger teeth jutting out from the bottom jaw.  Plus, they had chain mail, boots, and crossbows.  Again, the group talked about it but decided that Rikard would cast a spell to let Dio talk to the orcs and Dio would talk to them.  

 

As the group listened, they heard the name Kilgulg a few times and looked to Dio but he motioned for them to wait.  Dio was surprised at how smooth some lies came out but then he did falter when they asked for more details.  At least he could do some level of white lie, if needed.  

 

"Come on down, guys," said Dio.  Part of the group had gone up to a copse of trees on a hill but Dio waved them down.  "They knew you were there anyway.  So, here's the thing," Dio continued when the others joined Gorstag and himself.  "These orcs are here to take out Kilgulg."  Questions barrage Dio but he holds up his hands for silence.  "I don't know the full extent of it.  They used the word usurper?"  He looked to Rolen.  

 

"Well," said Rolen slowly, "that word can mean a lot of things, from traiter, to non orc, depending on context."  

 

"They basically say they were promised, by their one eyed god, this land and that Kilgulg took it from them.  They plan on taking it from him.  They don't want trouble for anyone else.  I said we want to go elsewhere and they are fine with that."

 

"What about Lady Reva and her people," asked Rikard.  "If they are with Kilgulg for protection, will they hurt them?"  

 

"Um, good point."  Dio went over to speak more to the leader and Rolen moved close enough to hear.  A few minutes later, both returned.  

 

"Okay, we have three days to get her out of there and then anyone remaining is, um, orc.  At least, as far as they are concerned."  

 

The group pushed on instead of staying with the orcs, as generous as the orcs were with sharing food.  They slept that night then kept going, reaching Kilgulgs mid afternoon.  They found Lady Reva and told her she needs to leave.  She understood.  Lady Reva didn't like leaving behind the wagons and some supplies but since she had sold a lot, she had a fair amount of coin to take back.  She had them start unhitching the horses and assigning people to them.  Dio brought a note for her to take to Lady Sara.  

 

They had been surprised as Kilgulg town?  Fort Kilgulg? had grown in their absense and what they thought would be a slaughter might be equal.  There were hundreds of orcs and lots of goblins, not to mention tanarruks.  The group wasn't sure how this conflict was going to go.  But they couldn't stay to find out and be dragged into it.  Once they warned Lady Reva, the group had decided to continue to Silverymoon and finish seeing how well the pass was.  They moved off down the trail to do so.  They camped that night miles away and kept going the next morning.  

 

Rolen tried again to call a bird to take a message to his village.  When one appeared this time, after not coming to him at Kilgulg, he got the sense that all of the orcs made calling any birds unlikely!  They aren't going to show up where they might be hunted.  He attached his note, thanked the hawk, and sent it on its mission.  

 

The group kept moving on the road to Silverymoon.  Late morning, some ogres and hill giants demanded money and would not talk about anything but getting money.  The group gave them their weapons instead, pointy ends first!  

 

3300 xp

 

GM Notes

  • Really like the orcish and the different orc clans and types.  
    • I like making non standard races and having surprises. 
    • I used google translate so I would be consistent and picked a language for orcish. 
    • It also kept names untranslated, so the others would hear Kilgulg in the midst of the orcish.  (I sent translations via Hangouts to those who could understand it.) 
  • I do like having an NPC to bring up things they might not have thought about, in this case Lady Reva.
  • I also am glad I learned to keep quiet, knowing that time made them forget details that they missed now.
  • The final fight wasn't that close.  Fireball really does even things out against large groups.  From fresh ogres to hurt enough that Gorstag and Dio can run around and take them out with a single hit, killing many per round. 
  • A good mix of role playing, story, and some fun combat at the end.   

 

 

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