Three Worlds #11

(photo from: link) 

Our heroes limped back into Obanhold four days after their confrontation with the villagers of Yngley, keeping off the roads to avoid pursuit, only to find that Saulinus, Remunas and Elze (see PC and NPC profiles here) were already there.

Elze had revealed her story to the Castellan: upon suggestion from Enree during his first visit to Yngley, she had left home to try to join the service of the Castellan, but when she deviated from the road to avoid Gatton (fearing that the villagers there would force her to return home) she became lost and came upon Spring Lake, near the source of the Rhodophine River, where she met the Great Horned Water Serpent. Through psychic communication, the serpent learned about the orcs, and promised her powers and protection against the orcs, if she would serve it and lead it to her home. Elze pledged her service to the serpent, and when she returned home tried to convince her father and the other villagers to do the same. The villagers were initially skeptical, but then the soldiers reported finding more than twenty dead orcs by the shore of the lake, they and also the soldiers became convinced of the serpent's power to protect them. Word spread to the villagers of Gatton, who likewise became converts. The villagers had wanted to keep the matter secret, but when our heroes arrived at Yngley the serpent demanded that Rokas be sacrificed, and matters came to a head.

The Castellan was displeased that Rokas, an orc under his service, had been attacked, but he knew he needed allies in the upcoming war with the orcs. He warned Remunas that if any of the villagers of Gatton or Yngley dared harmed Rokas, it would be as though they had harmed the Castellan himself; at the same time, he considered that the death of the villagers slain by our heroes meant that the matter was closed. Our heroes grudgingly agreed to a truce with the villagers.

Elze then told those present that the serpent would slay the leader of the orcs and end the orc threat, if he could be brought close to the lake, where the power of the serpent was strongest. The Castellan then ordered Enree, Mala, Malkam, Melig, and Rokas to travel to the north to make an offer of peace, and if that was not accepted, to try to lure their leader to the lake.

Our heroes once more visited Bruthalan, where they asked him about the serpent. Bruthalan scoffed at the mention of the serpent, claiming that the Thunderbird had defeated the evil creature countless times, and would no doubt do so again.

The next day our heroes set forth once more to the north, bearing a flag with the sigil given by Bruthalan painted upon it, and after three days they were intercepted by an orc patrol. Our heroes dismounted and gave up their arms, but refused to be bound, and were led northeast, towards a forest. As they traveled north, they noticed that storm clouds gathered on the horizon.

As evening came the party arrived at an orc encampment at the edge of the forest. Their arrival caused a stir, and not long afterwards Chogan appeared. Chogan was at first angry at our heroes for not heeding his advice and leaving the plains, but when he saw the sigil and learned that Bruthalan lived and that our heroes came to offer peace, he agreed to lead them to meet Agh'hkan, the prophet of the Thunderbird and the leader of the orcs.

The next day Chogan and a party of orc warriors led our heroes north, through the Sword Belt Forest and crossing the Rhodophine River. As they emerged from the forest they found that they were at the foot of a ridge, where a path led further northwards; the storm clouds that they had seen the day before now loomed larger and nearer above them. As they trekked north they noticed dozens of clusters of tents on either side of the path - hundreds, if not thousands of orcs were gathering. When they neared the crest of the ridge they saw that the path led into a large crater a mile across in the side of the ridge: Maut'hgar, the Thunderbird's Nest; above it was the centre of the whirling storm cloud.

Inside the crater there were hundreds of orc warriors. The sound of drums could be heard as everywhere clusters of warriors danced in circles as they cut symmetrical wounds in their faces and limbs. Chogan led our heroes to near the centre of the crater, where he approached a large orc warrior: Agh'khan, Prophet of the Thunderbird.

Agh'hkan spoke to our heroes haltingly in the Northern Tongue, demanding to know why they had come. Our heroes presented the Castellan's terms: the Plains Orcs would quit the lands they now held, and be given land south of Obandhold, where Men would not enter. But Agh'hkan knew that the lands promised them were too small to house his peoples, and that the beasts there would not be enough to feed them. He dismissed the Castellan's terms, and asked our heroes to bring a message to the Castellan instead: send all the women and children away from these lands, and let the battle be that between only warriors. They were then escorted out of Maut'hgar.

Our heroes knew that their quest was unsuccessful, but they had learned much: that the orcs were more numerous than they had expected, and that among them were warriors from the other tribes: Coastal Orcs, Canyon Orcs, and Woodlands Orcs - Agh'khan's message had been brought to the other lands, and many had joined his cause.

Prepping and Running the Game

This was another combat-less session, and one with the most number of players yet, with all five active players present.

While there were plenty of role-playing between me and the players, probably about half of the session had them discussing what to do between themselves. The players are divided at first in whether to work with the villagers and their serpent patron, and later in their support of the orcs and the humans, and the events unfolded with them not having a clear common objective between them.

While the session ended in what seemed like failure (or at least a lack of success), I believe that the players left with food for thought.

On my part I have to decide how the Castellan will respond to the rejection of the peace offer -I do not envy the man's position.