A Righteous Invasion

This recap explores the PC's return to Tonguescum's camp, and the dangers that wait for them there, and in the enigmatic Pinefore.

Recap: The PC's left off in the basement level, also known as "Tonguescum's Pokey". They scramble to open the iron portcullis holding nearly two-dozen Snoam-Schlabach/Schudlichton refugees against their will. In the process, after Ademar quickly and with little effort opens both locks, some get stuck between the narrow openings in the rush to flee. Cor'Nal uses his strength to pull some free from each side, easing the escape. The PC's wrangle the prisoners through the druid-created tunnel and take a quick inventory. Cor'Nal waits at the rear of the line to ensure none are left behind. He then casts a spell that softens the frozen earth, turning it to sand. The sand buries the tunnel created by his "Burrow" spell and ensures that a smoke trail will not give them away. After checking to make sure they haven't been spotted they flee west on foot, away from the burning tower that was Tonguescum's home and toward the horses they left waiting in the snow nearly three miles away.

The group has some trouble keeping the weak and terrified group of women and children in a tight formation as some seem to be taking a wider berth through the trees than others. Among them an eager and seemingly quite healthy and energetic little boy, about seven or eight years of age begins to move well ahead, though at first only a few feet. He looks back, smiling at the stragglers behind him and Ademar makes the observation that he thinks the boy believes their predicament to be a game, and does not discourage the boy from "racing" the others in the group. A short time later the boy's distance creeps further away, and once they reach an abnormally large, wide open clearing the boy is close to two dozen feet away, but is remarkably moving in the right direction.

Moving ever forward the group hears an impossibly loud, high-pitched screech from the north. The boy turns to the right and hesitates in the clearing for just a moment as a young white dragon swoops down from the camouflage of the tree canopy, and with outstretched talons, snatches the boy from the ground, as an eagle would a hare. In a single fluid motion the dragon glides vertically along the tree line on the south side, once reaching the canopy the dragon levels off and disappears above it. The boy hadn't time enough to scream.

Witnessing this, Luethar turns tail and dives into a snowbank along the eastern tree line.

Without hesitation, Cor'Nal and Ademar yell for the group to continue to the other side of the clearing, lest the dragon, or his family, decide to come back for another taste of human flesh. The logic is such that the boy is dead, and there is no sense in risking more lives to (possibly) recover a body. They reach the other side of the clearing without future casualties and without Luethar. They head on not noticing Luethar's absence and from this point on, avoid any and all forest clearings. Along the way, two other adult refugees are lost in the forest after drifting away from the herd. When he decides the coast is clear, Luethar chances a run across the clearing, following his new friends. He barely escapes as a white dragon, presumably the same as the first who took the boy, swoops down and nearly snatches him up. Luethar dives into the trees, just out of the reach of the dragon's snapping jaws.

They arrive at the horses with 20 out of the 23 they started with, they saddle up making sure to allow the weak and injured to ride, up to three a horse, while the rest of the group make the way on foot. They arrive at Whitewall after nightfall and negotiate a short term arrangement with the innkeeper to give the refugees shelter and food. He is reluctant at first, but Ademar persuades him to do the right thing. His bribe of 100 gold pieces worth of jewels helps. The PC's assign a watch on the roof, fearing orc retaliation. Ademar takes the first four hours and Cor'Nal follows up until daybreak. During Ademar's watch he hears what he at first mistakes to be falling trees coming from several miles to the east, but later realizes the sounds may come from a massive wild beast among them. After a short time the sounds dissipate the trees become still and all is quiet. After Cor'Nal relieves Ademar, the noises return but are much closer, far louder and nearer the treeline. Cor'Nal recognizes the noise immediately and his suspicions are confirmed as a massive bipedal beast covered in grungy white fur, his "Abominable Snowman", once again emerges from the treeline, walks around for a bit in the clearing apart from the trees seemingly in search of something and then reenters the Pinefore.

Cor'Nal decides against telling anyone about the Yeti this time, remembering the skepticism he was met with in the past. When Ademar tells Cor'Nal about the noises he heard, the druid dismisses him, insisting that he "must be hearing things".

The following morning they agree to finish what they've started and will invade Tonguescum's camp. While the discussion is going on, Luethar is approached by, and makes an arrangement with the innkeeper to liquidate the gems he received from Ademar at the rumored "mountain city": Henutsen. He takes the job for seven gold pieces, but only if a horse comes supplied by the innkeeper. The innkeeper agrees, pending the purchase of one of the group's surplus of horses.

The PC's saddle up and head back in the direction of the orc camp. This time they attempt to stay clear of uncharacteristically large clearings among the pines and hopefully hungry or sporting white dragons as well.

They reach the camp unscathed, a rarity in the Pinefore, and begin to scout. Cor'Nal does the scouting as an eagle, finds what he believes to be a chink in the camp's defense and heads back. Oddly, there is no sign of Tonguescum. Cor'Nal also notices the orc leader's home is still standing, though severely burned-out and unlivable (even by orc standards), a large hole has been formed at the one-time entry as a makeshift battering ram of pine lies near the broken stones.

The group begins the attack with a simultaneous barrage of arrows. The first kills the orc worg-trainer, the arrow which lights up in flame as Ademar finally figures out, by pure accident, how to utilize its magic by using "Masterwork" ammunition only, as apparently this magic bow is an elitist. The second arrow, hits the broad side of the worg stable. The intent is to draw the orcs toward the blaze away from whatever, or whomever, they're protecting.

The plan works as, after the PC's quickly dispatch the three worgs that attack them after they witness the fall of their master, all orcs who were paying tribute to Gruumsh at the shrine in the northeast corner of the camp come running. A strike team of three archers, three warriors and a sergeant spot the worg blood trail and head into the forest attempting to track them. They fail miserably and overshoot the hiding group by several dozen feet. The PC's use this to their advantage as they move to cut off the orc retreat. They are spotted, but it is too late as the strike team will have to go through the group in order to call for help. They attempt to do just that, but the PC's slaughter them to a man.

Watching from inside the thick cover of the pine forest, the PC's discover that more orcs have come to investigate. Figuring discretion to be the better part of valor the PC's scurry around the north end of the camp, sticking to the cover of the trees. They spot the now empty shrine and the small, rectory that flanks it on the west side. They decide to investigate before attacking further and Ademar volunteers to scope the rectory himself. After approaching the door and unlocking it without incident, he spies the tribe's holy-man standing, dressed only in a grungy pair of trousers and staring at the burning worg stable.

He nevers sees the elf come from behind.

Ademar slinks up to the orc's rear keeping low to the floor, then moves fluidly upward as he slips his left hand over the orcs mouth while simultaneously sliding his longsword into the flesh of his back. The silent, killing blow pierces the orc's heart and he dies in Ademar's grasp as he is gently lowered to the floor.

The rogue elf looks around quickly, looking for anything of value before setting the place alight. He then scampers back to the tree-line. When he arrives he and the others look back to the worg stable and can see more than a dozen assorted orc troops standing near the burning and near fully-involved wooden structure. It is now that the druid shines.

Calling forth the elemental powers granted him by the Nomad God, Kutenai, Cor'Nal rains down a storm of ice that wipes out all thirteen soldier-orcs. Pummeling them into bloody submission and bringing down one-half of the burning structure as well. The druid smiles and thanks his god, suspecting there are unseen orcish casualties on the other side of the stable.

Another orc strike team marches across the bridge toward the burning rectory. The PC's fire arrows while the orcs are crossing the bridge and nearly halve their number. When the orcs arrive at the tree-line the PC's are quickly spotted. A battle ensues which the PC's win easily, in fact they win so handily that the orc sergeant flees, fearing no chance for victory or glory in this slaughter.

After a short discussion concerning further strategy, they head around the outside of the camp again. First, moving westward at the north side of the camp and then south once reaching the west corner of the treeline. They observe orc women and children fleeing their homes, taking the camp roads presumably toward Tonguescum's compound. They choose to leave the "civilians" alone.

Once they reach an area close to the southwestern corner of the camp they spy another large, round one-story structure. Ademar unlocks the door, opens it and enters. The surviving orc shaman stands in the middle of a large room. The other PC's follow him inside and a long battle ensues, but the shaman is eventually cut down in his bedchamber despite casting his web spell which briefly confounds the PC's.

Another orc strike team consisting of eight orcs arrives outside of the shaman's home, and is the most successful yet. They start by ganging up on the druid who at first is alone outside. Cor'Nal turns the tide on them by shapeshifting into a bear. Ryan MacBrady Luethar and Ademar are held up inside the shaman's home because they are entangled by a web cast by the shaman before his death. Eventually they free themselves and join the fight but not before Cor'Nal and the wolf take some serious hits. Once all PC's can participate in the fight they win rather handily, although many of them are bloody and hurting.

With smoke risng from two ruined structures and what seems like most of Tonguescum's force lying dead, the PC's spy some remaining troops marching towards the orc chieftain's compund to make their final stand. They seem deliberate in their actions. As if they want to make sure the invading heroes see them retreat to the safety of the walls. The PC's do not follow, instead they decide to hole up momentarily inside the shaman's home to take status of their group and to do a quick sweep, looking for anything useful or of value. While doing so, Ademar opens a door to a room that contains two orcish women, both nursing young. As one of the women slowly, but deliberately reaches for a spear while lowering her infant charge to the floor Ademar slams the door shut. He turns to the group and tells them to avoid this room.

Luethar casts a detect magic spell and scans the massive bookshelf on the eastern wall. He sees two dusty tomes which light up a bright blue. One of them is titled "The Manual of Gainful Excercise", the other is titled "The Manual of Bodily Health". Inside the shaman's bedchamber, Ademar finds a small ringbox, but does not look inside.

It is here that the PC's heal themselves somewhat with a few spells and potions. It is also here that this recap ends...

Will the group continue to Tonguescum's compound to finish the fight and give MacBrady his revenge? If so, will they succeed or fall victim to the trap that they undoubtedly expect awaits them there? Perhaps they'll turn tail and run, figuring they've "done enough"?

What do you think?