Chapter 17 - Delve Deux into the Orcless Orc Stronghold

[Zhym]

I’d suggest Figgis and Galan again for invisibly scouting, if both are still with us.

[tkrexx]

I’d suggest Figgis and Galan again for invisibly scouting, if both are still with us.

These 2 make sense.

[enn.in.me]

Agreed

[Nuke66]

Galen is here, in spirit and physically, just not in the visual spectrum.

[AleBelly]

OK, let me finalize some housekeeping here.

All party members are at full health. Figgis has slipped away, so that leaves the party at:

Angus
Dandelion
Yenny
Hyde
Galan
Kablamicus and his sidekick

>>I'm sorry, but as I've said from the beginning I won't NPC previous PCs once an adventure is over.

>>I've posted the pretty uninformative map in the appropriate section in the forum.

>>As I understand it, Galan and Yenny will be invisible. Please let me know if this needs to change.

>>Stairs: From the orc's map, you realize that the stairs heading down from the area you've explored take you right outsize the wizard's area. The stairs leading down from there to the third level are in the top left corner of the map...but the orc is fuzzy on exactly what's there. He is almost never allowed to go there. This is the area marked 'slaves.'

For clarification on the map, remember that the orc drew this rather hastily, and they aren't exactly of the highest intelligence. So it may not be exact. But you have reasonable confidence that the layout is somewhat accurate. As you explore, I'll post a higher quality map as I did on the first level.

I think we can get started, but I know that Bluehorse has been pretty busy. I'm waiting on a d100 from him to see if he can learn the magic mouth spell, but that shouldn't hold things up. Let me know if you want a third invisible person to join you, or if you want to try to recruit a local NPC or a new player from the forum.

Things have settled down a bit on my end now, so the game should run a bit more smoothly...

[Zhym]

I'm sorry to be so dense about this, but I can't tell if I'm misreading the map or if it's just the way the map is. Does the map show any way to get from the wizard's area to the rest of the level? My reading of the map is that it shows stairs to the wizard's area, then a whole bunch of other stuff with no clear way to access it. Is that right, or am I missing something?

[AleBelly]

Yes, there is. It's an imperfect map to be sure, but it was drawn from memory. I don't think you'd get a perfect 10' grid map from a distressed orc, and the map reflects that...

[Zhym]

I know. I'm not expecting a perfect map. But when the map came up, we were all pretty busy, and I for one didn't have a chance to give the map a good look-over until the orc was gone. So I'm just hoping I can get some clarification of things we would have asked when the orc drew the map—like, "how do we go to all this stuff over here, because it doesn't look like it's connected to anything?"

I'd also like to know if we're not supposed to see where the wizard room connects to everything else, or if it's just me misreading the map. And if there is a connection between the wizard room and everything else, it would be nice to know where it is, because I don't see it.

[AleBelly]

After coming down the stairs, you could either go straight and enter the "wizard area" or turn right into the room with the two doors. To the orc, the "wizard area" is off by itself. He doesn't like to be disturbed.

[Zhym]

Ohhhhhhh! That's the problem—I wasn't seeing an entry from the stairs into the room with two doors. Thanks.

So the question for the group is now: do we try to scoot past the wizard, leaving him alone, or confront him straight out? This is probably the same guy who left us a note saying he was totally going to kill us, right? It didn't sounds like the orc chief to me.

[onlyme]

Might as well go for the gusto... while we have our health...

[AleBelly]

It's neither here nor there, but I tried to simulate the orc's state of mind. That is, I tried to memorize the map for 15 minutes, then drew it without referring to the map any longer. That's how that phantom wall ended up there. Of course my performance would be much better in a place where I have lived for years (like the orc potentially had), but I rationalized the discount by the fact that the orc had never drawn a map in its life, and I hope I'm smarter than an orc.

Nonetheless, I then tried drawing a map of my house from memory. It turned out worse than expected!

[enn.in.me]

That's cool stuff Alebelly!

I would like to avoid fighting the wizard. I would not be against talking to him if that comes as a likely outcome. Surely there is something we could say that would allow us to deal with the orcs without upsetting his personal applecart, unless of course he is directly benefiting from them, which is possible.

[Zhym]

After the bickering subsides, Kablamicus unpins the note from the ripe-smelling humanoid. He immediately recognizes the script on the outside of the note as Elven, spelling out a few words.

Not for orcs!

The mage, not being an orc, flips open the paper. The script, written in very fine ink, shows an elegant penmanship that is in sharp contrast to the crude message within. The mage's brow furrows...not that anyone can tell under his ridiculous floppy hat.

You DICKS!

Do you have ANY appreciate for how hard it was to get those four here - and keep them here? I'm like totally pissed, man!

Whatever - or whoever you are, you're fucked! I'm going to find out whatever you are and I will make a totally great plan to kill you all. Your only hope to survive is to blow on out of here. Or come down and parley with yours truly. And maybe if the vibes are right we could become buds. But I don't know...I'm overamped still.

Kished,
Renald

Sounds like he might be willing to talk, if he isn't still totally overamped.

Why am I thinking this wizard is about 15?

[Bluehorse]

Kablambicus

so sorry! I honestly thought i had rolled for this already and posted it. Will try to be a better teammate in the future!

[1d100] = 85

[AleBelly]

Kablamicus pulls his floppy hat low and concentrates mightily on the scroll before him. Hours he spends poring over the shimmering ink. Perhaps it's the constant distraction of Sophomore's squawking, but he just cannot work out how to combine the gesticulations, the language, the intonations into success. He could transcribe the spell into his book anyway, but that is frowned upon ever since Aphoz caused the great fire of 18 that burned a tenth of Alleborg to the ground.

The mage admits defeat and pockets the scroll. He'll be able to cast Magic Mouth once at least...but he cannot add it to his repertoire.

Sorry Bluehorse! I think I have enough to go on for the next foray. I will kick this off tomorrow!