SESSION 9
The party brought Talgor back to the inn to get Talgor in bed. They knew that if Talgor was to be seen in this shape, that it would not be a good idea. Agatsu went off to find Talgor's master. Anson had told him that Talgor he was last seen at the Blue Inn. Anson went with Arik to the mayor and conferred with him about what they found out. The mayor read the note and agreed with Anson that the town needs to be fortified. Anson got with the Acting Captain of the guard and started preparations for fortification. First and foremost, they closed down the tunnels from the jail and the mayors house. With those two avenues cut off, they proceeded to get the women and children onto the waiting ships and then out to sea. Merchants boarded up the houses, Closed down their shops, did what they had to do. The Inns stayed open to allow the men the ability to take a break and down a cold one.
Denal decided it would be best if he could get outside the town and contact his brethren about the attack. He threw up his hood and went to the docks and hoped to get out. Lt. Phannos stopped Denal and asked him to help. Denal helped move a blockade into place. As he began to move away, Phannos stopped him.
"Thanks for the help friend." He said as he extended his hand. Denal cautiously took the offering and shook it. Phannos looked at Denal's hand and noticed the strange pasty gray coloring of it. Denal had forgotten to put on gloves! "Where are you going friend?" he asked. Denal muttered something about an Inn, and turned back to the Boars Nest.
As preparations ran through the night, the town bustled. Activity was everywhere. Most of the guards were up on the walls, with what few townsfolk they could find that could use a bow. They kept a lookout for the orcs, should they attack at any time. Anson conferred with the Captain and they both decided to make rotating shifts. No sense in having everyone stay up. So rotating shifts were implemented and half of the force went to bed. Anson went back to the Inn to catch himself a bit of sleep. There was nothing he could do at the moment, so it was best to be fresh when the orcs arrived.
The next day, The party members got up and milled about the town, making sure that fortifications were set, and to get more done. Arik had gone off to the three towers guild earlier the previous night and had not been seen since. Talgor rested at the inn with his mentor. After the near-death experience, he had changed slightly.
Anson came up with an idea and went to the captain of the guard. He instructed the guards on making bonfires in front of the town using pitch. They could be lit off from a distance to light up the area at night and make it so that the orcs would be hindered. Also, they made sharp wood spears that they shoved into the ground at an angle, pointing away from the town to stop any charges that got through the bonfires.
Later that day, Agatsu went over to the three Towers guild to get Arik. He had been gone for a while and the the group needed his input. Agatsu brought Arik back to the Boars Nest and they sat down with Anson and the rest. For the next couple hours they racked their brains about how to find the orcs. Patrols had revealed nothing.
"What about Scrying?" Arik asked. "We could scry on your old armor, at least to see where it is. Anson agreed and Arik went back to the guild and got the materials for doing so. The group came with him. While they awaited Arik's word on the armor, they asked a passing wizard to identify their stuff. They had acquired a couple really nice magic items while down in the catacombs beneath the town.
Denal was up on the wall watching that night, when he saw movement from the tree line. He Yelled at the guards that there was movement and to light the fires. The guards lit arrows and lit off all of the bonfires. Whoever was in the forest had moved back into the tree line and hid. Denal could see the movement and the archers fired away. They fired a second volley into the tree line. All they heard from the tree line was a "Yo!" in common.
"Hello in there!" a voice cried out. "We've come to help."
Anson came up on the wall to see what the commotion was about. He peered out into the light of the bonfires to see what was there. He saw that there was two figures standing there waving at the town. One looked human, with two large cats, and the other looked also human, Anson could not tell, he was shrouded by his cloak.
Anson looked at Denal and said; "Did you have to light all of them?" He looked down at the raging bonfires and shook his head. They would have to be rebuilt in the morning.
"Come closer!" Anson yelled. The two people moved a bit closer, tentative because the archers on the walls had their bows trained on them. Denal yelled out one word in elvish. The cloaked figure nodded.
"They are ok, I sent for them." Denal told Anson. Anson lowered a rope over the side and the hauled the two up onto the wall. Denal grabbed for the cloaked figure and helped him up. The cloaked figure pulled Denal close and whispered in elvish that his note was received. The two panthers paced outside the wall, looking for a spot to climb. Once finding a spot, then leapt up and went over to their master.
"I am Gamaliel Nightshade, a druid. This is my companion Cyrian. We have heard about your problem and have come to see what we can do to help." the druid said.
Denal and Anson led the two to the Boars Nest so they could talk and find out what the people know. The two new people could not give much information, except that they did find tracks, but they seemed to double back onto themselves. They had seen no orcs. The new acquaintances chatted through the evening about the fortifications and the eventual attack and what kind of plans they could come up with in defense of the town, should all hell break loose.
On the second day of fortifications, the mayor was getting irritated. Nothing had happened yet. The towns folk were getting irritated, they had upheaved their lives for nothing. The mayor called for Anson. The Captain of the Guard came into the Boars nest and rousted Anson. He told him to come to the mayors house for a meeting. Once there the mayor started questioning things.
"Anson, I've put my town on alert. This note you gave me must be old! Do you even know it is for here?" The mayor asked.
"Yes, I know it is. As for the age, do you remember the orcs hitting anything with that kind of force since Csighd has been here? The attack a few days ago must have been an advance party." He said.
"I'm losing business! Being shut in like this is going to turn away trade, and I cannot have it. I have 2 ships coming in at 3pm today. I must get those supplies in." The mayor said.
"I know that this does not look good. Something has got to be holding the orcs back. Tracks have been seen in the area. We need to find out what's going on. Do not let those ships in."
"Anson, I trust you, but those ships are crucial to the trade. I have to open the place up for that. What if I post heavy guards at the docks and get the supplies in as quick as possible?"
"Okay, but you have to make it quick. The orcs could be waiting for something like this." Anson said.
"I am reasonable but this is a trading town, people will go elsewhere for the trade. If nothing happens in the next 24 hours, I have to re-open my town. I cannot sit here bottled up like this forever."
"Mayor, I will take out a patrol and scout the area on horseback. We will find the evidence of the orcs and their army." Anson told him.
Anson gathered up the party and they left through the entrance inside the Merchants Mall. They Rode out into the woods to find the enemy. The last time they were seen, they were heading east of the town. So Anson and company rode along the waters edge. They saw the boats coming in. being that they moved against the current, it would take them many still an hour to get to Csighd. They road out to where the hawk last saw evidence of the army. Once there, they checked the immediate area for the orcs. Nothing was evident, until they heard a noise coming from a nearby small grove of trees. Denal hopped off his horse and went over to the grove. He peered in and saw two orcs trying to hide. They saw him and bolted.
Quick as a flash, the two panthers bolted and leapt on the orcs, pinning them down. Once surrounded, the elf wizard stayed with one of the orcs, while the rest of the group parleyed with the other.
Talgor stood in front of the orc. "Where is your army?" he said to the orc. The orc looked at him and spit onto Talgor's Holy symbol. Talgor got enraged and pulled out his hammer. He brought it down on the orc's head and caved it in.
"Nice going Talgor. Way to go." Anson said.
Talgor turned towards the other orc. He grabbed the slain orc and started to drag him over.
Cyrian was standing behind the other orc. "You almost gave me away." he said in orcish.
"I did not know you were with them." the orc said.
"Chief Borul will be angry." The elf said.
"No, not him! Anything but him. don't tell him.. Please!" the orc cried.
At that moment, Talgor came up and dropped the lifeless body on the ground. "You can end up like him, or tell us what you know." The orc saw the holy symbol of Cord, not Grummish around Talgor's neck and spit." Talgor raised up his hammer, but Denal stopped him.
"Let me try." Anson pulled out a dagger and thrust it into the thigh of the orc. The orc screamed. Anson twisted it around a bit. Talgor asked the same question again. The orc replied in same. He scored a direct hit on the center of the holy symbol. Denal pulled out his sap and clocked the orc. The orc went limp.
"We don't have time for this, let's get out of here and back to the mayor with him and his buddy." Denal said.
They loaded the two orcs onto the horses and got back to town as fast as they could. Denal stopped at the gate to drop off the dead orc as a symbol of what the town will do to orcs if they come knocking. He posted the body on a spike and let it flap in the wind.
Anson took the Captain and told him to get the mayor. Him and the mayor met the party at the Boars Nest. The party sat the orc down at a table and then the druid sat in front of him. The druid looked at the orc and smiled. he waved his hand and cast a spell.
"Friend! it has been a while! Do you want a drink?" he asked.
"Yes! Me love to drink! You drink with?" The orc replied.
The elf, Cyrian piped up, "I'll drink with you. I've not seen you in ages, Gorash isn't it?"
"That my uncle. Grothmuck my name! Me good! Ha!" The orc took a long swig from his mug.
Cyrian sat with the orc drinking. The druid's spell was working perfectly. The orc kept boasting about how his brethren were going to take this town for their own.
"How many are with us in the grand event?" Cyrian asked.
"400! Ha! Good number!" The orc said as he toasted to himself.
"And our allied brethren? I can never remember who they were." Cyrian said.
"The Clan Oogashna! You should remember that! Even I know of them. Strong allies they are." The orc said.
"If we are 400, is the other clan bigger than ours?" the elf asked.
"They are more. Bigger allies they are. But not as good as us right! Ha!" the orc boasted.
The elf toasted to the orc. "So... Chief Borul, of Clan Oogashna, he a good leader?"
"I don't know, I've not met him, but I bet Borag can beat him." the orc said.
"Borag?"
"Our leader! He is the one that has brought us together." the orc commented.
"He is a good orc?" Cyrian asked.
"Yes! He a great orc. Nothing stands in his way." the orc said. "More ale!" he cried out.
Cyrian got him more ale to drink. The orc clapped him on his back. "Good! Drink! Ha!"
"So, we attack real soon right?" Cyrian asked.
"From what I hear, tonight, but they not tell me much. Should have been days ago." The orc said between gulps.
"Days ago? What happened?" Cyrian asked.
"You not remember? you stupid orc. Everyone knows we lost our support." the orc said.
"Support?" the elf said.
"Yea, supposed to be momma dragon helping us attack town. But baby get away." The orc said flatly.
Denal and Anson sat upright and looked at one another, their eyes wide. They smiled, knowing something good did come of this.
Anson looked over at the mayor and said; "There you go. all the proof you need."
The mayor looked grim. "I see. Well, best we get things ready..."
Just then, a runner came bursting into the Boars Nest. "They're here!" He yelled. The group burst out of the Boars nest at a sprint for the main gate. When they got there, the bonfires were already lit. A couple orc bodies lay on the ground. everyone went to their assigned posts. The orc sat at the table while everyone rushed out. "Humans not know what they in for." he said as he grabbed the drinks that were left behind. "No need for these to go to waste."
"Here they come again!" The captain cried out. The archers let loose a volley of arrows into the orc horde coming at the gate. The orcs pulled back again, with several more of their number lying dead. Cyrian came up with a great idea. he went over to the human Wizard that was on this side of the gate and asked him for an illusion of a red dragon.
The human wizard, Halco conjured up a Red Dragon behind the gate. He waited for the next advance of orcs. As they came in, he made the dragon come up over the wall and drop down in front of the gate. Then he made the illusion move towards the bonfires and then hop up and float back down to rest in front of the gates. The orcs saw this and scurried back to the tree line, most had probably wet their pants, had they been wearing any.
The next push came with the ogres and Ettins leading the charge. Halco looked over at his counterpart and he brought the dragon up in a hover maneuver, and the wizard on the other side of the gate fired off a fireball, making it look like it had come out of the dragons mouth. The fireball exploded amidst the orcs and scattered them. Several ogres lay dead, and an ettin. Cheers rang up from the people on the wall. Halco, being tired from the massive illusion he was projecting, brought it back over the wall and dropped it down so he could dissipate it.
The orcs fanned out around the town, leaving the gate alone because of the dragon guarding it. they then attacked both sides. Before the party had time to react to this next push, a runner came up the alleyway, towards a dwarf that was wandering around. He was yelling that the orcs had broken through. The dwarf turned around and saw three orcs and an ogre coming at him, angry spittle flying from their mouths as they yelled their war cry.
The dwarf set for the charge and swung, felling one orc. He stepped over the body and engaged the other orcs. Denal hopped down from the wall and threw back his hood, showing all of his true nature, of an elven bladesinger. He came on the orcs with a fury. The druid picked up a couple good rocks and started swinging his sling around to hit the orcs. The wizard brought his bow in line with an orc and fired. The orc died on the spot from an arrow sticking out his brain. Agatsu came off his perch on the stables to help out the dwarf.
One of the orcs swung at the dwarf and nailed him. The dwarf stumbled back and fell, bleeding to death. Denal stepped up and attacked the Ogre. The ogre, unfazed by Denal's attack, swung at him and hit hard. Denal stumbled back. "Not again." he thought.
Two more projectiles were launched into the ogre, making it more angry. Denal scored another hit on the ogre, but did not kill it. The ogre swung at Denal and dropped him. He looked up from the dying elf and saw the monk rushing in. A swift kick and a punch brought the ogre down. Talgor came off the wall and went over to the dwarf. He used his divine power of healing to bring the dwarf back to consciousness. He then turned on the elf, which the druid had already helped. Talgor used another spell to bring Denal back to full fighting power.
