Chapter 8 - Orc Recon

[Marullus]

. Hellebore, you think you might talk the spiders into letting us pass unhindered?"

Hellebore nods. "I intend to try, but that is a choice they'll have to make. I suspect that there are no adults at present, if our ruckus last night didn't draw them forth. It might be a few more weeks before the younglings hatch and negotiating with them is a different matter. I'll have a poison remedy ready in case... negotiations are short."

[Inferno]

Khahl-Ehl, elven archer:

Thanks for the info, Marullus!

The lifelong citizen of Alleborg looked at the map of The Outer World and his mouth parted slightly but no sound left it.
...Ogres. Orcs. Frogmen. Strohd...
His once sedate eyes were now filled with astonishment and yearning.

"I have no problem with being part of the scouting party.", Lorilee says to the assembled group.

"And I would be humbled and proud to count myself among the other armored warriors and spellcasters," the elven warrior softly said in earnest. "Thank you."

I'll have a poison remedy ready in case... negotiations are short."

Khahl-Ehl hesitantly offered with deferential respect: "If it comes to that... might we not burn out the spiders' egg sacks and webs? If we choose a time when there is no wind, the smoke might rise and drive out the stirges."

[Storm11]

It is the spiders home, I don't think that would be wise. Perhaps mistress, I should try and persuade the spiders. I have not mastered the poison antidote enchantment, thus if things go pair shaped you would still be able to remove or slow the venom saving me?" Tempus suggests deferentially to the initiate.

[Zorroroaster]

Arnulf waits for an appropriate break in the conversation to speak.

"Lorilee, Khahl-Ehl. Super to meet you." He waves a hand around at the crumbling stone walls. "I suspect this will be our crib tonight." He waggles his eyebrows a little.

Looking at Yenny, he takes a deep, shuddering breath and speaks more softly.

"You know... I never saw Strod, for all they talked about it. When I wasn't being ...disciplined or humiliated I managed to speak to some of the others, though many of their minds were more or less broken by that point. I can tell you what I heard."

He casts sad eyes in Hyde's direction, and a single fat tear rolls down his cheek. "The women were used. I think you can guess how. Incubators, really. The half-Orc children that I saw were taunted for being weak and impure, though those with evident skill were well regarded. Even the fully grown ones were often the brunt of a joke, though that ended in bloodshed more often than not. When not with child, women were forced to work alongside men."

"Men were worked like farm animals. Once they failed to keep up or got sick they were discarded. No sense in wasting food on something that isn't...useful."

Arnulf stops a moment, his difficulty in continuing evident on his face.

"Now imagine a fat city kid gets dumped in their laps. What good was he to them? Sport, pure and simple. I, um...that's about what I know. If you all hadn't come and found me when you did I would be rotting in a drainage ditch somewhere west of here."

He thinks a moment.

"Guards were rotated every two weeks with fresh patrols. They fight amongst each other constantly, but obey their commander with such fervent energy I have no doubt he was the meanest and most depraved of them all. Fucking assholes, if you ask me."

"Anyway. Welcome to our happy little gang. You gotta laugh, right? It's that or cry."

[Zhym]

Angus listens soberly to Arnulf's tale. "We're gonna make us some corpses of them orcs," he says. "Still ain't keen on walking right into their city, though. You got any notion whether the orcs have other outposts we could hit?"

[AleBelly]

The pair of newcomers integrate into the group. Arnulf shares, with difficulty, his awful experiences at the hands of the orcs. The resolve to dispatch them only increases.

Hellebore, Galan, and Tempus inform others they found spider eggs on the second floor, but no active spiders.

Two fires are kindled in the narrow corridors of the first floor of the tower. Chet and Hyde's wounds are revealed by the soft firelight. Shielded from the freezing rain, the party enjoys a cold but dry night in the edifice. The sun rises, but its rays are blocked by grey clouds. At least they bring no rain. As the party rises, they consider next steps.

Casters, please select spells. If those with healing spells want to retroactively use them before nightfall on Chet and Hyde, that's fine.

Date: 18 Hewing, Year 42
Time: 06:15
Conditions: 33F, damp and grey, west wind at 10 mph, 6 inches of snow on the ground
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun
Direction of Travel: tbd
Injury Status: Chet lightly wounded, Hyde moderately wounded

[Marullus]

Hellebore nods at Tempus' suggestion. "Agreed." Looking to Angus and Hyde. "Tomorrow we secure the tower, one way or another. Then we scout to find what lies in the forests beyond. We find the outposts then make more plans."

With the tales told, the fires built, and all safely returned with firewood, Hellebore prepares to settle in for the evening. The tiny eldritch woman excuses herself, saying she'll see to a few things, and advising the others to not venture forth from the hallway err they be snared in her ensorcelments. Some evidence, however, they can see through the windows and hallways where they prepare their own camps.

She first ventures to the center of the courtyard within the tower. Her huge eagle descends, its nine foot wingspan filling a quarter of the courtyard as it lands near her for conversation. She croons at it in shrill tones for some time, then it departs, flapping over and taking a place at the interior courtyard window closest to the fires. Standing nigh three feet, it fills the window-frame and glares at any that come close, clearly desiring to gain some warmth in the chill night as well. For those who's eyes can pierce the darkness, Hellebore remains in the midst of the courtyard, chanting in her lyrical language and then turning very slowly around in circles, her arms outstretched as she stares into the darkness. After a quarter hour she stops, then departs silently, her hair dripping with the cold rain.

She walks outside the tower, pausing at the archway with caution for a moment before stepping into the blackness. In the space beyond, she chants once more. There is a strange noise around the tower a growing, creaking, muffling sort of sound with strange play of shadows around the windows.

As she re-enters the hallway with the others, she pulls the end of a supple silk rope from her pack. Whispering it and rubbing a spring of mistletoe, she points to the tower's entryway. The rope slithers from her bag, coiled like a serpent, and disappears from sight.

Finally, she steps to Hyde and Chet, laying her hands on any injuries that remain. Using mistletoe berries on the open wounds and conjuring a smell of a spring morning, she mends them.
CLW [1d8] = 8
CLW [1d8] = 3

Completing her work, she settles back in with the group mutely. Without ceremony, she beds down with the wolf for warmth, the raven quorking and ruffling its feathers, and is soon asleep.

[enn.in.me]

healing from Yenny as needed:
Cure light [1d8] = 5
Cure light [1d8] = 8

[Inferno]

Khahl-Ehl, elf:

Khahl-Ehl's resolve is hardened when he hears Arnulf's story.

Arnulf
"Anyway. Welcome to our happy little gang. You gotta laugh, right? It's that or cry."

The young elf does neither. Rather, he tentatively places a hand on Arnulf's shoulder for just a moment.

Khahl-Ehl takes his turn on watch, and is up with the grey dawn, silently praying to his fourth-hand notions of the Elven gods of nature.
He reverently cares for and dons his weapons, armor and shield, honoring them for what they are, and for all that they represent.
Then, his mind at peace, he quietly joins the others and listens to their plans for the new day.

[tkrexx]

Hyde has remained pretty much silent for a while, knowing full well how most Elves react to his presence. He produces his vast smile at Hellebore and Yenny as they apply their healing, keeping him from whining about his wounds. At Arnulf's tale, he nods and finally speaks up as normal, much louder than necessary. Hey, yous two, you be Elves. You got a problem serving with Half-Orcs, hah? Elves don't like me much mostly, no, but my best pal was an Elf. That be Eduard, and what Hellebore said about him, it all be true, yeahh. She don't give herself enough credit tho, no, she taken up the leader reins good, yeahh, real good. And when she ain't around, we look to Yenny. I had an old Half-Elf looking out for me when I was younga, showed me we don't gotta hate each other for an accident of birth. He was a Rainja, like my good pal Angus here, meaning he had no reason to like me much at all.

We all be here to kill them Orcs, yeahh. We all got our reasons. Me, I don't like what they did to my Mama, no, and the life of someone like me ain't easy. I'm strong, yeahh, real strong. The short, shaggy Half-Orc again smiles, revealing the tusks he calls teeth. That means I gotta protect them not so strong, hah? That's kinda everyone. Alleborg is my hometown, for good and for bad. The Law of Alleborg protected me growing up, so I gotta pass that protection forward. We all be good pals here, He waves his long arm around at all gathered for reference, If yous two are prepared to bleed for Alleborg, like us, I think maybe yous be our good pals, too, hah? Yeahh.

I don't know when I'll be on grid again, so I tried to include ALL possible Hyde-isms in this post to welcome Inferno and media_junkie to the game!

[onlyme]

Dandelion spends a few moments making sure her hair is fixed correctly. She listens to the bravado as she silently prepares for a trip to the orcs' village.

[media_junkie]

"I believe the measure in a man or half-breed, is in his actions, not those of his fore fathers.", Lorilee says while looking up at the half-orc. "One cannot be beholden to his or her lineage, they can become shackles if we let them."

Lorilee then starts to go through her gear and gets it ready for the day ahead.

[AleBelly]

Over breakfast in the morning, the party discusses next steps. Spider webs and eggs were found on the second floor. Naturally, they want to explore.

As grey sunlight fills the sky, they are able to see grasses and shrubs blocking the light trying to come through the first floor windows on the canal side of the tower. Hellebore's enchantments, no doubt.

The narrow corridors mean that the party can only walk single file. They gear up and prepare to head out.

Actions? Please check marching order and switch if desired. I made some major changes...

[AleBelly]

Also, please deduct a day's rations - those with canines deduct 1.5.

[enn.in.me]

Yenny is so short she doesn't appear in the marching order. "Don't forget me! I'm here!" When two abreast, she can go single file between ranks 4 and 5, or when single file she can go after Galan. Yenny wakes well refreshed, prays and puts on her armor. She is not particularly interested in messing with spiders or stirges. "I think we have a rough day ahead of us, but we have a tough party behind us. Let's see what sort of go-go we can sow in no-go!"

[Zorroroaster]

Arnulf wakes abruptly and sits bolt upright.

"Did I smell bacon? I'm sure I did. Damn. Now I want bacon. And eggs. Scones with clotted cream. Some fresh berries. What have I got? Hardtack. Remind me why I came out here again?"

After gnawing on his rations for a while Arnulf stands and wanders over to a window, massaging his jaw. He spends a little while poring over his spell book and then returns to the group, stowing his book in his satchel.

"Well?"

I'm ok with the MO.

[Storm11]

Am cool about the new marching order and Yenny's placements where she wants.

Tempus, halfling aspirant gathers the day before him upon waking, taking Fluffy out for a pee and then feeding them both. He performs daily ablutions (hahahahaha iPhone correction turned that into BJs ) and gathers his spells within him, connecting with the Earth and air.

When ready the halfling druid will take his place in the marching order, calling fluffy to his side.

[Inferno]

Khahl-Ehl, elf:

Khahl-Ehl greets Hyde warmly and without reservation.

"One cannot be beholden to his or her lineage, they can become shackles if we let them."

The young, armored elf is struck silent by Lorilee's words. He spends the morning deep in introspective contemplation.


Re: rations: Did K-E catch anything to eat yesterday?
Marching order is fine. K-E would be happier to move closer to the front, of course. Maybe the 3rd or 4th rank. But his manners will prevent him from presuming or insisting.

[media_junkie]

Lorilee starts to look around at the others as we form up to see what type of weapons they have so she knows best how to fit and to fight next to them. She then checks her short sword to make sure it is loose and can easily be accessed from the scabbard it rests in. Finally she checks the drawstring on her shortbow, flexing a few times and nods to herself.

Looking at the others, she grins and announces she is ready.

[AleBelly]

Am cool about the new marching order and Yenny's placements where she wants.

Tempus, halfling aspirant gathers the day before him upon waking, taking Fluffy out for a pee and then feeding them both. He performs daily ablutions (hahahahaha iPhone correction turned that into BJs )

no wonder he's so popular!