Turn 84 -- Into the Lair Turn 84 -- Into the Lair Gnore whips his head around to stare dumbfounded into the chamber where the orcish voice originated from. "I guess if we can learn its tongue..." The fiery dwarf calmly lifts his bastard sword and walks to the front of the group to get a better view of what is going on.
Not quite knowing what is happening in the doorway from his position near the back of the party, Talimar's hand goes straight to his sword, but he refrains from drawing it, waiting to see how those near the front handle the situation before charging in with sword swinging. He is really surprised at the actions of the dwarves thus far, fully expecting them to be through the door at the first sound of the orc, hacking at it before it could finish the sentence!
Druckner hears the orc guards challenge and says, "Grmmmmmbl! OOORCS!" He grips his axe tightly as he turns dark red. He decides to wait to hear what happens before charging through the doorway.
From the front, Kre hisses to the others, "Let me handle it..." He steps into the doorway, letting the shadows fall over his face before responding in a rasping voice, "I have come to give a gift to your master, these," Kre gestures to the party and at the same time, allows a dagger to fall from his sleeve to his hands, "are my prisoners, have a look at them, I think they are the ones your master wanted."
The only sound coming from the cave beyond are a few guttural noises as the first orc apparently converses with another of its kin. Apparently after coming to some sort of consensus, the first orc speaks again, this time in orcish, demanding the password again. The orc rises slightly from its crouch behind a stalactite and shows its longsword.
"Damn it all," curses Kre as he spins and throws the two daggers at the orc. Not nearly surprised by the attack from Kre, the orc ducks back down behind the stalactite as the daggers bounce off the rock. Kre jumps inside the chamber and rolls to take a defensive position behind a stalactite of his own as the familiar sound of the recoil of a crossbow greets the companions and five bolts thud into the oak of the large door.
Druckner watches the attack from Kre and the resulting retaliation from the orcs, gripping his axe tightly. Raising the weapon before him, he yells his rage at the orcs and bursts through the door and into the chamber. Following Druckner's lead, Garth lurches into action as well. Hefting his shield and mace, he runs through the doorway with a furious cry, "Get thee gone to hell, ye evil spawn!"
Kersath turns around quickly to see what Kre has done. Although generally in favor of stealthier tactics, he realizes that there's no point in trying to hide now. Drawing his twin sword, he rushes through the chamber and positions himself between the orcs and any of the others that might follow who need protection.
As everybody else tries to cram themselves through the too-narrow door, Ortho calmly leans on one hand against the cavern wall, whistling a light tune while he recovers from his spellcasting. Now that the mess at the door has sorted itself out, he grabs his axe, pats his helmet atop his head and confidently strides through the door.
As he steps into the chamber, Ortho instantly realizes that the party has entered the guard chamber of an orcan lair. The party has fanned out in a semi-circle around the doorway with shields before them or crouched behind stalactites for protection. Facing the party are sixteen very mean and heavily armed orcs taking up defensive positions themselves. There are a few cookfires lit that cast eerie shadows throughout the chamber but thankfully allow the human companions to see in the chamber. There are also three large cave lizards to the rear of the two hundred foot long by hundred foot wide chamber. The beasts are over eighteen feet in length and several hands high. To the south of the chamber is another passage that is separated by a large rock face. Several orcs move behind that rock face hoping to outflank the party. The only exit to the chamber besides the door the party just came through is a passageway to the east.
Taking stock of the situation quickly, Druckner realizes that the RFC is outnumbered and not knowing exactly what to make of the cave lizards, he decides that falling back to the door will give a better fighting position. "Fall back! Fall back!" he yells as he takes a defensive position and backpedaling.
"I tend to agree..." Gnore says as he glares at the orcs and their filthy pets. Gnore positions himself on Druckners left flank and tries to keep a barrier between the door and any orcs that advance on them.
Following the lead of his dwarven companions, Garth begins to back up as well. Gripping his pendant to Selune, he calls forth a prayer, "Oh beneficent Selune, cloak us from the eyes of our enemies in the mists of the moon." So saying this a mist springs up in the center of the chamber centered around the first orc who issued the challenge to the party. The mist continues to grow to a height of ten feet and spreading out forty feet to the sides and deeper into the chamber. Garth stumbles after completing the spell as he is momentarily weakened from the casting. A dull ache begins at the front of his head but he ignores the pain, hefting his shield and mace and awaiting the advance of the orcs.
In the center of the group Brother Randor finishes a prayer to Tyr asking for his presence and protection over the group. As he completes the prayer the members of the group feel momentarily refreshed and their spirits lifted despite the odds before them. Randor checks his shield and warhammer as he readies himself for the coming battle.
As the dwarves make steps to retreat from the chamber, Talimar is lifted by the prayer from Randor and the power of his god. Speaking a few arcane words of power, he tosses an unidentifiable object to the air and points to a point several feet in front of him. Speaking the trigger word, a large magical web shoots forth from his hand. The web flies perhaps thirty feet before the elven mage as it slowly expands, blocking off a small section of the chamber. A couple of orcs barely manage to scramble out of the way of the web but two unfortunate beasts are snared in it. Shaking off the loss of energy from the casting, Talimar draws his longsword and turns to face the remaining orcs.
"Ya DAMN FOOL ELF!!!" screams Gnore at Talimar as he sees the grey elf stop retreating. "Even I know the odds piss on us!!" Gnore vents and shakes a fist at Talimar. Still, Talimar is his chosen leader and Gnore is a true warrior, at least in his own eyes. Raising his mighty bastard sword, he stops his retreat and charges the nearest orc to him. "BAH!!! You excrements are not fit to speak our tongue!!! I'll silence your rot ridden carcasses with my wicked steel!!!" Gnore screams as he wades into battle.
By now the battle erupts in full force, half the orcs charging through to engage the halted party while the other half prepares to rain missile fire on them. No longer seeing retreat as a possibility, the party turns full force to engage the orcs. As the companions meet the evil creatures head on, a large colorful spray erupts from the hand of Dain in the center of the group. The five foot wide spray of light continues forward for perhaps twenty feet or so, totally engulfing one of the orcs. The orc screams momentarily before collapsing to the ground unconscious. None of the other orcs are caught in its path as they spread out to try and circle the party.
Druckner is the first of the party to engage one of the orcs in melee combat as he meets with a snarling orc. Swinging his axe over his head, the viciousness of Druckner's attack is too much for the small creature. Completely ignoring its short sword, Druckner's axe falls heavily to slice open the orcs right thigh. Carrying the hefty axe on through and around for another sweep before the orc can even raise its sword, Druckner finally brings the axe home to crush into the orcs chest. Ribs crack, blood and guts spill out of the hole left as the axe carries on down. The orc falls silently to its knees where Druckner contemptuously kicks it from his path.
To Druckner's far right, Ortho sings a lusty drinking song as he charges into the battle himself. His shield absorbs the weak blow of a cowardly orc that steps from around a stalactite to attack him. With surprising speed, Ortho brings his mighty axe around striking the orc across his neck and shoulder, carrying down into its chest. Blood squirts once again onto Ortho's cloak and mail as he pulls his axe from the dead orcs chest cavity.
Following along behind his dwarven companion, Kersath enters the fray with his twin longswords carving a path of destruction wherever he moves. The first to fall to his skill is a rather brave but stupid, large orc with a snarling boar-like head. The dark elf easily dodges a clumsy attack from the beast's large axe, spins around and brings his right hand sword crashing into the beast's skull. The leather skullcap splits as its skull does moments after. Kersath smiles as the beast falls to the ground in a lump, its small brain spilling to the ground.
Back at the group's defensive center, Ras takes off his backpack and drops it to the ground before him. Reaching inside, he pulls forth one of the magically enchanted flasks given to him by Ortho. Spotting out an orc that just narrowly missed Gnore with a thrown spear, Ras throws his own missile weapon at the beast. The flask strikes the orc full in its chest, shattering as it does so sending oil spraying across the orc and around him. As the flask shatters, the enchantment on it charges and the entire thing explodes in flame. The orc shrieks as its entire body is engulfed in flames. Running around momentarily, it finally falls to the ground in a heap, its clothes and body still flaming. Other small fires dot the cavern as bed pallets and clothing ignite.
Taking inspiration from Ras' feat, Randor closes his eyes and begins concentrating on yet another spell. As he draws in the power needed, he speaks the necessary words of power and points to a pair of orcs in the center of the chamber. "Burn!" he yells and the two orcs instantly become engulfed in a very strange blue glow across their entire bodies. The orcs shriek at first thinking they are about to be engulfed in flames but they quickly realize that all the enchantment does is outline them in the blue glow. They grab their weapons once again and charge the companions.
Kre steps from around his stalactite and throws a pair of daggers at an advancing orc. The first flies harmlessly by the orcs head while the second finds its mark in the right shoulder of the beast. The orc howls in rage but continues forward. Having moved to the groups left flank and near Talimar, Gnore howls in rage at an oncoming orc, his bastard sword lifted before him. The orc does not stop its advance and Gnore sidesteps its awkward sword thrust. Turning on his heel, the stout dwarf lowers his sword quickly striking the orc across its back. Gnore can feel the sword slice through the tough hides the orc wore for protection and finally snap the beast's spine. The orc falls to the ground in an awkward heap.
Mayhem breaks out in the cavern as now all the orcs are up and engaged with the companions. A thrown spear grazes Gnore's left leg and he can feel the blood from the wound flow down his leg. Ignoring the pain, he turns from the orcs to face the first of the cave lizards to confront the group. With an accurate thrust, his sword slides through two of the beast's thick scales and into the beast's belly. The lizard hisses in rage as Gnore smiles and yanks the blade free, the beast's thick blood trailing down it. Gnore dodges a bite from the beast and circles around waiting for another opening as he hears two whispers of air from thrown daggers of Ras. Both blades strike the lizard, the first striking just above its nose while the second buries deep in the right eye of the beast. With a loud crash, the lizard's lifeless body falls to the ground.
Garth lets his shield absorb a blow from one orc as he sees one of Kre's daggers lodge in the back of the creature's right shoulder. Momentarily distracted by the blade in its shoulder, Garth brings his mace around to smack the creature on its head. Its eyes roll back into its head as blood spurts from its nose and ears as it falls to the ground dead.
Druckner and Talimar are each hit by a flying spear and axe respectively as some of the orcs abandon the worry of hitting their comrades and throw their weapons at the battling companions. Both ignore the minor wounds though as they try and focus on the orcs before them. Druckner trades ineffectual blows with one of the beasts before him as he slowly begins to tire. Talimar is also unable to land a blow to any of the beasts as he is forced to fight a defensive battle.
To the south Ortho doesn't fair much better as he steps forward to engage the second of the cave lizards. The dwarven priest is unable to find a place to penetrate the beast's tough hide but the creature cannot get past Ortho's quick shield to bite him. Seeing the lizard distracted trying to bite the dwarf, Kersath springs onto a nearby boulder and then to the back of the beast, his thighs applying pressure to keep him on the lizard's back. Turning his blades in his hands point down, he plunges them into the back of the creature. Both blades bury hilt deep into the lizard. A spasm of nerves racks the body of the lizard as it settles to the cavern floor. With a smile, Kersath retrieves his weapons from the beast's back and slowly slides down from its back. He is quickly greeted with curses from Ortho.
"Stay away from me foes!" he shouts at the dark elf. "Ah saw 'im first. Ah'll not 'ave anyone interferin' with me fun!" he says as he turns away from Kersath, his axe before him and seeking out an orc to kill.
At the party's front line, Druckner and Garth are quickly surrounded by foes; Druckner himself fending off four orcs at once. One longsword sneaks under his defense to open a deep gash in his left side, the warm blood quickly spilling down his leg. Druckner hasn't time to consider the wound though as a hard blow from the side of an orcan axe blade catches him full to his head. His woolen cap goes flying from his head as blood spurts from above his right ear. Stars appear before his eyes and Druckner wobbles on his feet as he fights to maintain consciousness. Another orc moves forward to finish off the dwarf, but seeing his companion in need, Kre launches a pair of daggers at the beast. Both blades find their mark as they quickly protrude from each of the orcs eyes, the force of them knocking the orc from its feet to land dead on its back.
Garth's mace slams into the sword arm of the orc before him but the beast shakes it off and continues its attack on the priest. Easily avoiding the blow of the orc, Garth shoves his shield into it, knocking him backward to stumble on a rock. Quickly seizing the opening, Garth steps forward to bring his mace crashing down on the orcs chest. A gasp escapes the orcs hideous mouth as its ribs break, one of which pierces its lungs.
"So this is how it all ends?" Druckner thinks to himself as he momentarily recovers his senses. Taking stock of the orcs moving to surround him and the severity of his wounds, he realizes that his end is near. With his strength failing him, he knows that he cannot last long, the blood of his wounds staining his clothing and spilling to the floor around him. With pride he knows that that blood is mixed with that of several of his enemies that he has slain this day. "Well if this be the day, then the bards will sing of it for a long time," he thinks as he draws in the remainder of his strength. "Brombreath!" he shouts finally in dwarven. "Glory to Moraddin!" he rages as a short sword slices through to pierce the right side of his abdomen. Grasping the exposed blade of the sword, Druckner holds it tight so that the orc cannot remove it. A look of horror crosses the face of the orc as its lets go of the blade, too late though as Druckner's axe falls to split its skull open. Druckner's hands fall from the handle as his strength fails him and he falls to the ground. A smile crosses his face as he realizes that the last thing he will see is the image of his enemies crushed skull.
The remaining orcs move forward hoping to quickly put an end to the fallen dwarf but Druckner's companions step forward to stop them. Dain speaks a word of power and points to one of the orcs, two missiles crackling with energy materialize from thin air and fly at the beasts chest. A smoking hole is all that remains of the orcs chest as it falls to the ground. Garth silences another orc with his mighty mace just as Kersath steps from the shadows to quickly dispatch another, his twin swords opening first the beast's jugular followed by its exposed belly. Gnore also steps forward sending another of the beasts to the afterlife as Kre and Ras make a dagger pincushion out of the last of the orcs advancing on Druckner.
Randor receives a knock to his head from an orc sword, his helmet the only thing saving him from his skull being sliced open. The shock leaves him stumbling around as the orc smiles and moves in for the kill. Talimar intercepts though and guts the orc, smiling himself as the orcs smile leaves its face.
Across the chamber, Ortho's axe comes crashing down to the bridge of the nose of the last lizard as it bent to try and bite the armored dwarf. The axe-head splits the beasts nose and creates what could be viewed as another mouth for the beast. The lizard thrashes around in pain as blood flies throughout the chamber before Ortho steps forward to silence the beast forever with another well placed blow.
As the lizard crashes to the ground, the companions look around to see that there are no more orcs in the cavern, save of course the two that Talimar ensnared in the web and still vainly try to escape. A silence falls over the cavern as the battle comes to an end and the companions rush forward to the form of Druckner. Dain is quickly kneeling beside him, his hands pulling bandages from his pack and quickly binding the many wounds of the fiery dwarf.
"He lives still?" asks Gnore of his friend.
"Yes, but just barely," replies Dain as he continues to work on the dwarf. His pulse is remarkably strong but his breathing is ragged.
Seeing that all is being done for Druckner, Talimar takes out his bow and stands behind a stalactite with an arrow pointed to the passageway to the east, the only other exit from the chamber. Kersath also moves about the chamber making sure that all the orcs are truly dead. All the companions are covered in blood, some from wounds of their own while others are coated in the blood of their enemies.