Moar Orcs
As you travel through the Mythwood devastation is everywhere. It's clear that several bands of forest-destroying orcs have been through the border, chewing their way in with axes and knives. Trees lay strewn over, dead and dying. Bushes are simply tossed about like bits of broccoli by some toddlers hand. The weather doesn't help. There's a dark fog everywhere. It smells like smoke, as if somewhere the forest is burning too and the smoke is mingling with the mist. It's warm and nothing moves. No birds or mice or squirrels show their faces or chitter in the background. Here and there there are real bodies lying on the forest floor. Deer caught unaware by the orcish bands never knowing that they should flee. None of them show signs of being harvested. Everything is just... dead.
Erakirak blinks, puzzled. "I... thought oruch -ate- their kills," he observes uncertainly.
Morgan looks to the destroyed trees and with the acrid smell of smoke. "Bloody prats can’t leave things alone... destroying things that lived longer than them." she is getting very mad at what she sees
An uncharacteristic scowl twists Lucy's features. "If that's true then they're not the only ones. I've come across some adventurers who aren't too picky..." she looks at some of the animals. "It's also possible they -did- eat some of these...just not all?"
"Oi! Wasteful sods all of 'em!" Ilmig spits, then rehydrates with a gulp from his travelling mug. "Ain' no need ta be chopping without planting 'r huntin without eatin! What madness is this?!"
Traveling with the group is a squat figure moving around in mechanical pitch black steel armor with a helmet over their head. She looks around at all the ruin, the bodies, everything. She has a strange sort of cannon device planted on top of her shoulder, at the ready, gripping it with both her hands... "What a horrible waste of good life..." She says, her voice a bit muddled by the helm...
GAME: Erakirak rolls survival+1: (16)+7+1: 24 GAME: Pyre rolls perception: (15)+9: 24 GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (15)+11: 26 GAME: Ilmig rolls survival: (14)+12: 26
Erakirak nods. "Much as the last time... half a dozen oruch, two larger than the others, destroying everything, travelling with some urgency."
"Oi! Eyes'nears up!" Ilmig gulps down the last of the ale to empty his mug before dropping it to his side and drawing his axe. "Sounds like we be meetin the earth-scorchers timely-like." He points his axe to the trees rustling ahead.
Pyre stops for a moment, and glances to where she hears something... "Shit, shit, shit. I hear drums. This is not good. If there is a horde of them, I am going to stick out like a sore thumb if we need to hide." Her two titan fists come out of their ports and start to get stuff organized for easy grabbing should she need to use some contraptions…
Morgan points to northish way and say "They are coming for seconds." she then says a spell something in the arcane language summoning a blue field around her that looks like armor "stay near me for the next spell.
GAME: Morgan casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17
Lucy checks her swordbelt for her rapier and a small dagger she wears at the small of her back. Then she draws the rapier and whips it through the air a few times, loosening her wrist. "Hiding? It won't come to that - as long as we stay together." She runs her gaze over the rest of the party. "If anyone needs to stay out of the thick of it to shoot arrows or cast spells or anything, please let us know now!"
"That would be me," Rak observes, getting his bow ready.
Kore has been here, quietly sticking among the crowd as they examine their surroundings. The diminutive Monk is dressed in dark clothes as always, often simply going unnoticed. She hasn't deigned to speak as of yet other than the occasional murmur or a few chants to Vardama.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
There's a crash in the trees; a swaying and the trees come down. Bushes are trampled on and the last wall between you and this group of the orcs is brought down. There are seven of them, all dressed to the teeth for war. Two of these orcs however look to have Jotun blood or something because they're easily a half foot and some spare change taller than their companions. It's them that carry the huge drums you heard, banging on them as they walk along with their heavy fists as they bash aside the plants with the huge clubs they wield.
GAME: Pyre rolls ranged: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+6: (3)+6: 9
When Pyre sees the first ones busting from the trees, the twitchy Goblin is quick to act! The Cannon like weapon on her shoulder spins up with power, but when she pulls the trigger, it sputters and spits out smoke, but no beams of anything! She quickly smacks the thing, and digs in it with a screwdriver handed to her by one of the arms on her backpack…
Erakirak fires two arrows into the dirt at the same oruch's feet.
GAME: Kore rolls weapon14+2: (6)+9+2: 17 GAME: Kore rolls weapon14+2: (4)+9+2: 15
"Oi! Leave the trees'n squirrels 'lone 'n pick on somehin yer own size, ye bloody rhythmless brutes!" Ilmig steps up to put himself between the rhythmically-impaired and the group, smacking the flat of his ax on his shield.
Kore watches as the Orcs are approaching, her eyes going wide as she does so.. She quickly reaches into her belt, planting her feet as she moves up not too far behind Ilmig. "They at least brought the correct instruments?" She opines, throwing a couple of the shuriken... And bouncing them off of the heavy drums. "...I wish they hadn't."
GAME: Morgan casts Haste. Caster Level: 7 DC: 19
Morgan arms extends as she says in a strong hollowed voice "zhaan temep lirolic." she sends out a energy that flows over the ones she is working with making them faster.
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9: (9)+13: 22 GAME: Lucy rolls 1d3+3+6: (3)+3+6: 12
Lucy moves forward. She gauges the distance to the Orcs. She gauges how far ahead of Ilmig if the heavy armor and large shield she is getting. Then pulls her dagger out and casts it underhanded, aiming just right to hit the nearest orc in an empty space in its armor. The dagger suddenly appears once more in her hand.
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 <OOC> Razen says, "No confirm" GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14
The front line of orcs rush forward swinging their weapons wildly. They hit nothing but Ilmig once, but the rage in their eyes bespeaks the damage that they intend to do.
GAME: Razen rolls 1d10+6: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (15)+14: 29 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (7)+14: 21 GAME: Razen rolls 2d8+10: (11)+10: 21
The second wave is much bigger, targeting Ilmig and Kore with their heavy clubs. Ilmig's giant-orc hits him hard, but Kore's foe misses her like the smaller orc before it had.
GAME: Pyre rolls ranged: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10
The Goblin again attempts to fire the Death Ray, only finding it jamming... She huffs and jiggles it around. "Fire! Fire you stupid thing!"
Erakirak calmly steps away from his attacker and continues to methodically -- almost mechanically -- plant arrows in the ground. Maybe it's some kind of Egalrin ritual. Hard to say.
GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (1)+10+2+1+1: 15 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (20)+10+2+1+1: 34 (THREAT) GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (17)+10+2+1+1: 31 GAME: Kore rolls 2d8+strength+strength+2+2d6: (8)+2+2+2+(4): 18
Kore is a tiny blur. Axes thud all around her as she leaps and and ducks and sldies about, dodging among the many blades flying back and forth. She lunges and plants her fist directly into the drum-wielding Orc's abdomen, following with a couple quick kicks to the shin, and then a quick leap backward as he tries to come to bear on her. She's keeping quite busy but so far doesn't appear to be in any real danger.
GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (8)+14+1+1+-4: 20 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (19)+14+1+1+-4: 31 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4-5: (11)+14+1+1+-4+-5: 18 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (9)+7: 16 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Morgan casts Ray of Enfeeblement. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged+1: (9)+6+1: 16 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+11: (3)+11: 14
"Ha! That all ye got ye li'l bugger!" Ilmig calls up to the giant oruch. "Me great great grangran hits hard'n ye!" He swings his trust axe about, slashing into oruch more often than not. "'N she's been passed a decade!"
GAME: Morgan rolls 1d6+3: (2)+3: 5 GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (11)+14+1: 26 GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (18)+14+1: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1-5: (13)+14+1+-5: 23 <OOC> Razen says, "Confirm" GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (10)+14+1: 25 GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+14: (3)+14: 17 <OOC> Pyre says, "R I P" GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+14: (1)+14: 15 GAME: Lucy rolls 2d4+22: (3)+22: 25
Morgan says "plythu." as she sends a black ray at one of the large orcs, it sends black vains on his arm that weakens him nicely.
Lucy sizes up the Orc that steps to her. She sidesteps a blow and then stabs him in return. She begins to circle to one side and stabs again, then reverses direction, her last stab aimed upwards to pass beneath the ribs and into the heart. She yanks her blade free and the steps to the side one last time as the Orc stumbles and collapses in the spot Lucy was standing a moment before.
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Razen rolls 1d10+8: (4)+8: 12 GAME: Razen rolls 1d10+8: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Razen rolls 1d10+8: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Razen rolls 1d10+8: (9)+8: 17 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (2)+14: 16 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (6)+14: 20 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+9: (12)+9: 21 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+9: (5)+9: 14
The orcs attack almost in unison, perhaps the drums have given them a measure of coordination. The one on Erakirak manages to break his defenses and smack him with a heavy blow while Ilmig... suffers an even greater one that surely leaves his head ringing. The orc attacking him spits something out in orcish which needs no translation. Clearly the orc is insulting /his/ hits and comparing them to /his/ great-grandmother.
GAME: Pyre rolls ranged: (9)+4: 13 GAME: Pyre rolls 1d6 + 4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9
The Goblin just huffs at this thing, and it not wanting to work now of all times. She feels like she might need to get in there and start punching things... When, she sees something. It starts to glow and get filled with energy. Something is working! She shoulders the ray yet again, and fires it at the orc she has been trying to hit this entire time! The beam of electricity SLAMS into his chest, leaving a charred flesh in it's wake while the Goblin cackles like a mad woman!
Three more arrows hit the dirt! There is a nice little pattern forming, which when translated from the Language of Fired Arrows into Trade roughly means "Need to practice your bow skills, dude!" Alas, nobody here can read the Language of Fired Arrows.
GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (5)+10+2+1+1: 19 GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (11)+10+2+1+1: 25 GAME: Kore rolls 1d8+2d6+2+1+1: (4)+(10)+2+1+1: 18 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (7)+14+1+1+-4: 19 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (11)+14+1+1+-4: 23 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4-5: (12)+14+1+1+-4+-5: 19 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (3)+7: 10
A few more quick kicks leave bruises on Kore's largest opponent, while others flail all around her. She uses every bit of the terrain around her to avoid being struck, involving elbows and fists in her strikes as well. Once she actually bounces herself off of a tree, flitting between two axes. It doesn't leave a great deal of time for precise return blows. "So," Kore continues, breathing in puffs. "They seem to be... a little slow on the uptake." Kicks follow. "Those axes are as big as I am, though. If they ever land."
Ilmig is rocked by the axe to the chest. Not enough to unbalance his khazadi-low center of gravity, but he felt that. Not that he'd let on. "Aye, and blrblblablblatherblitter back atcha!" His balance is still off, though, and most of his swings are, well, short.
GAME: Morgan rolls 4d4+4: (8)+4: 12 GAME: Morgan casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17
Morgan makes a few arcane words as 4 bolts appear around her "wow I got one more." said before she sends them slamming right into the big orc doing some good damage for the spell.
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon9: (4)+13: 17 GAME: Lucy spends ONE point of PANACHE. GAME: Lucy rolls 1d3+3+12: (1)+3+12: 16 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (8)+7: 15
Lucy's gaze darts back and forth between the Orcs and party members. She notices Illmig drawing the attention of no less than three enemies - something tells Lucy he wouldn't have it any other way - and the persistent Orc that seems to be stalking Erakirak. She flips her knife over and throws it left-handed at one of Illmig's assailants, scoring a lucky hit that drops her target. Then she skitters over to head off the Orc chasing Rak. She takes up a fencing stance. "You'll have to go through me first!" She hops up and down and stands on her toes. "Down here! Me! Right here!!
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (20)+14: 34 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (6)+14: 20 <OOC> Razen says, "Does not confirm" GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (10)+14: 24 GAME: Razen rolls 2d8+10: (9)+10: 19 GAME: Kore rolls sense motive: (1)+20: 21 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Razen rolls 2d8+10: (14)+10: 24
The orcs attack viciously, and few are spared this time with both Kore and Ilmig taking heavy hits from the larger two. It looks as though the orcs are finally starting to get the upper hand on the adventurers!
GAME: Pyre rolls ranged: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Pyre rolls 1d6 + 4: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(4): 8 GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(5): 9
Once more, the Goblin hears and feels the hum of the cannon on her shoulder. She looks at her companions, and the damage they are taking. There is not much she can do for them at this time. With a sigh, she takes aim, and unleashes a second bolt of energy from her gun and smacks into the same orc again.
Erakirak continues to fire off arrows, one after the other. This time two of them strike true, damaging the big orc. He hopes that taking the big ones down will demoralize the others.
And to his amazement, the orc goes down finally with a cumbersome tilt before it hits the ground like a huge felled tree.
Erakirak gives a heartfelt shriek of victory.
GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (15)+10+2+1+1: 29 GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (11)+10+2+1+1: 25 GAME: Kore rolls weapon0+2+1+1: (15)+10+2+1+1: 29 GAME: Kore rolls 1d8+2d6+1+1+strength: (5)+(6)+1+1+2: 15 GAME: Kore rolls 1d8+2d6+1+1+strength: (6)+(4)+1+1+2: 14 GAME: Kore rolls 1d8+2d6+1+1+strength: (7)+(3)+1+1+2: 14 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (18)+14+1+1+-4: 30 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4: (19)+14+1+1+-4: 31 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-4-5: (4)+14+1+1+-4+-5: 11 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (1)+7: 8 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (5)+7: 12
"Gettin tired yet?! Give up!" Ilmig spits at the big one that seems very good at smacking him. Too bad Ilmig is really bad at falling down. The spit is mostly blood, but it's better out than on his beard! He follows the demand with more stable swings of trusty axe #7, cutting into some more oruch-flesh. Bigger they are, the harder the get missed!
Kore is knocked out of the air by colliding with the flat of an axe. "Oof...!" She hits the ground with a thump. Unfortunately for the Orc in question the elf kicks him in the groin, hard, now that she's on her back. As he staggers she kips easily to her feet and starts to pummel him with a flurry of stiff punches that quickly ruin his otherwise only mostly objectionable face in short order.
GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (2)+6: 8 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Morgan rolls 4d6: (16): 16 GAME: Morgan casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 7 DC: 18 GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (14)+14+1: 29 GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (8)+14+1: 23 GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1-5: (18)+14+1+-5: 28 (THREAT) GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1-5: (14)+14+1+-5: 24
Morgan looks to the last big one as she brings holds her palm out sending two crackling red rays at the last large orc, one missed but the other one hits hard but not killing it.
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+14: (1)+14: 15 GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+14: (1)+14: 15 GAME: Lucy rolls 2d4+22: (5)+22: 27 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28 GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+9: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Razen rolls 2d8+10: (12)+10: 22
Lucy, the Little Reaper, the Gnome Ranger, lines up her rapier to point at the Orc's face. When she moves it's a frenzied series of stabs that move so fast they're practically a blur. You might even wonder if she was really attacking at all, and not just feinting. Except for the spots of blood that slowly spread on each of the Orc's legs, with one more on its chest. A moment later this Orc collapses as well.
One might expect the orcs to be demoralized by the loss of their comrades, but like machines they continue to attack Ilmig, and the larger of the two manages to connect yet another heavy blow on the smaller man. So many blows have to have taken their toll.
GAME: Pyre casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15 GAME: Pyre rolls 1d8: (5): 5 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12
Erakirak continues firing arrows into the dead oruch, for no obvious reason. He gets a little single-minded, sometimes.
The goblin watches as her friends fight on, and how they are taking on far more damage than her small frame could ever DREAM of taking! Ilmig, she can just see how badly he is hurting from all of this. She reaches behind herself and grabs a vial of... something. It has greenish fluid inside. With the other hand, she grabs this strange looking gun and she plugs that vial in a hole at the top. "Hey stuntie! Here!" She runs forwards and into the man, jabbing that gun into his back and pulls the trigger. First he feels a thick something going into his back, slipping past his armor. It's a sharp pain at first, but it quickly dies down and it starts making him feel just... good. There is pain from the other wounds, but some of the weight has been lifted.
GAME: Kore rolls weapon14+2+1+1: (13)+9+2+1+1: 26 GAME: Kore rolls weapon14+2+1+1: (12)+9+2+1+1: 25 GAME: Kore rolls weapon14+2+1+1: (8)+9+2+1+1: 21 GAME: Kore rolls 1d2+2d6+strength+1: (2)+(10)+2+1: 15 GAME: Kore rolls 1d2+2d6+strength+1: (1)+(8)+2+1: 12 GAME: Kore rolls 1d2+2d6+strength+1: (1)+(6)+2+1: 10 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1: (15)+14+1+1: 31 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1: (13)+14+1+1: 29 GAME: Ilmig rolls weapon7+1+1-5: (10)+14+1+1+-5: 21 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (1)+7: 8 GAME: Ilmig rolls damage7: aliased to 1D10+7: (3)+7: 10
Kore takes a deep breath and then reaches into her pouch. She's studying the largest of the orcs carefully for a second and then raises the weapons. With a couple quick flicks of the wrist she buries the small star-shaped knives into the larger orc's neck. He gurgles, wobbles, then topples to the ground.
"Oi!" Ilmig wasn't expecting a stab in the back. "What in The Mountain's Beard... Oh... That ain't half bad..." Ilmig gets his fifth wind, maybe then some when the big one falls. "Ha! There'e goes!" He grins bloodily at the last not so big one and energeticly hacks at him until he goes down. "Don' wantcha feelin left out."
Once the final orc goes down there's a heavy silence left in the wake of their deaths. The realization that they nearly won, and also that you killed them. Why were they attacking, what was their purpose? None of these questions are answered by their corpses.
Morgan grabs on of the drums and says "I live near annoying people, so I think I will learn how to play this at 3 am."
Ilmig stops to take a breather and rehydrate, wiping and stowing his axe and refilling his travel mug to gulp down some ale. Sweatin and bleedin makes a khazad thirsty. "Thinkin they be the ones doing this, but they weren' too keen on talkin as to why."
The goblin would've stepped back once she dosed the dwarf, giving them ample space to finish off the stragglers from that fight. She returns to her death ray, and sticks it back into its slot in her backpack with the aid of her second set of arms located on the same backpack. "Wow. That was quite a fight!" The goblin says, walking up to the ones who took the brunt of it. "Drink?" She says, am arm handing the khazad a waterskin filled with... something.
Lucy holds up her rapier and concentrates, blood disappearing with a shimmer to leave it gleaming once more. "Perhaps we can search the body for clues." She walks towards one the bodies of the big orcs and the pauses at the sight of the drum. "Does anyone remember what they were playing?" She concentrates again, and an invisible drum sounds. "Was it something like that? Maybe if we described it to an expert on Oruch, they could tell us if it has any significance."
GAME: Lucy rolls knowledge/local: (15)+6: 21
Lucy goes to inspect the body now, struggling to turn it on its side. She uses a handkerchief to tug at its armor and shirt before settling back, leaving the bloodied cloth where it is. "Or...maybe I'm an expert on Oruch, and I just never knew it. I think these were from Bludgun."
The goblin just stands there, watching Lucy handle those dead bodies like it is nothing. "Ewww, careful Lucy! You don't know what sort of sicknesses these guys may have in their blood! I only had enough juice to dose there big guy here!" She pats the khazad while saying that last part. "Bludgun? Where is that?"
Lucy looks around to get her bearings. "If I remember the map...north!" She points. Then she considers before turning her hand to point in a slightly different direction. "North!"
North indeed.
-End-