The Roake Campaign
Session Recaps
"Too many Orcs?" - Part 2
The next day dawns much colder; well below zero and with a light chilling breeze from the north. Still, it's bright and clear and Dizmo doesn't mind the crunch of the newly frozen puddles as he makes his morning rounds, doing whatever Gnomes do. Ronak the Barbarian is out about, paying particular attention to signs of new growth and animal traffic. Eduardo, no doubt somewhat hung over, is on his knees in the Hall of Hearth and Home. He prays quietly.
Over breakfast Ralston and Laika rehash the previous night's activity. Ralston reveals that the gang has decided to pursue the Goblin trail from Derik's farm, to see what they might discover. Rather than being protective, Laika tells him she is quite pleased that he and his friends have stepped to offer help to a member of the community, unasked and unprompted. She says it's a sign they are becoming mature enough to be figures in the village.
Dizmo is absorbed in something when a quiet female voice bids him a Good Morning and asks after his well being. He looks up and greets the local Wizard, willowy, silver haired half-elf Amber Thorne. She is a friend of Laika Frost but the steady gaze of her violet eyes and always serious demeanour makes her less loved than Laika. After some chit chat about a dead sheep and what's being done about it, Amber invites Dizmo to tea. She says she has something important to discuss with him, but would prefer not to talk in the open. Dizmo agrees to visit later in the day.
It seems Laika is well pleased with Ralston as she excuses him from morning chores and soon afterwards the friends-four are marching the road to Derik's farm. Despite the icy temperatures, farmer Derik is in front of his modest home, cleaning his plow and other farming tools. An ox is nearby munching on some fresh hay. The farmer confirms that he barred the door and windows as instructed and had a pleasant and restful night. He thanks the group for being so helpful.
The group find it's sheep and heads into the woods. Tracks are found and followed. Shortly, the tracks branch out but continue to follow a mostly northward direction. The tracks themselves have changed too - the goblins no longer seem to be in a big rush. As they continue on it dawns on the party that the woods have been dead silent since they left the dead sheep behind. Then they hear a low and throaty wolf-howl from several hundred yards ahead.
Suspecting a trap or ambush the party splits, with two getting off into the thick forest while Ronak the Barbarian and Dizmo follow the tracks a bit further with weapons drawn and senses straining. The overgrowth and forest is starting to thin now, the hillside becoming a little rougher and more rolling. They come to a bump in the ground and see through the trees ahead, a large drooling Worg, majestically posed on top of a rock and a wicked goblin archer on it's back.
Fortunately, the lads go unseen as they pull back to report to their friends. As they retreat the worg howls again and is quickly answered from much further beyond. And then small yips and howls respond from off to the east and west of them.
Dizmo considers setting a trap, Ronak is finding suitable cover with a vantage point. They discuss how they will lure the goblins into this place and deal with them there. Ralston volunteers to act as bait to lure in the first goblin victim. He proceeds up the path hand axe drawn and ready for anything. He gets to where the worg was sighted and.....there is nothing there. Waiting and listening Ralston can make out the fading chit chat of howls between the worgs as it fades off into the northern distance. Cautiously creeping up to the worg's perch, Ralston discovers...nothing. No encampment, no goblins or worgs. Okay, there is one goblin, lying dead on the ground.
Ralston reports back down the trail and soon the group stands around the brutalized body of the dead goblin. The body is examined closely; the face is very puffy and already showing massive bruises. The creatures' jaw doesn't quite look right and at least one limb has an extra bend. Yet no weapon wound can be observed and it appears this being was literally beaten to death. There is a rusty knife lying on the ground and an unpilfered pouch at it's waist containing a gold tooth still adorned with a bit of dental tissue and dried blood.
Ronak scouts further up the hillside eventually breaking through the tree line and getting a spectacular view of the area. There is nary a sign of worgs or goblins. Not even a wisp of smoke from a campfire or movement disturbing the woods below.
Ronak returns to the group, his hopes of violence and bloodshed unsatisfied. The look on his face tells all. The group spends time trying to figure out what has happened. Perhaps it's time to seek council back in Roake.
It's mid-lunchtime when they get back to the village and immediately notice three large warhorses outside of Laika's home. As the group heads over, Dizmo splits off to have his visit with Amber Thorne.
Ralston leads them through the back door of Laika's kitchen and proceeds into the dining room where he discovers three orcs who apparently have stopped for tea with Laika. The orc rider from the day before - Skelp - is quietly standing against the wall with another orc. Across the table is Amber Thorne, the local wizard and a friend of Laika's. Sitting at the table, carefully balanced on a chair and supporting a tea cup and saucer in his hands, is an extremely impressive orc. His has a confident bearing and the typical athlete's build - barrel chested, wide in the shoulders, slim at the hips. He wears ordinary clothes under an odd garment - an open arm less vest that falls to his ankles, crimson in colour with heavy gold coloured trim.
Meanwhile, Dizmo is knocking on the front door of Amber Thorne's home, but there is no answer. He starts to prowl the town looking for her. Asking a villager if she has been seen, he is reminded that Amber and Laika are close friends and perhaps he would find them together. Dizmo heads off to the home of Laika Frost.
Laika rises to make introductions. She introduces Ralston to Gohlruhg, the Speaker of Agravaine's Rest, a small orc garrison to the west. Ralston responds by introducing his companions Ronak and Eduardo. There is a slight twinkle of recognition in Gohlruhg's eye. Bows are exchanged and seats are taken as Gohlruhg asks Laika if their current conversation is suited to these young ears. Laika, to the surprise of Ralston, Ronak, and Eduardo, confirms to the huge orc that indeed, these are the youngsters she has mentioned to him over the past few years.
Laika turns to Ralston and tells him that Gohlruhg also has an interest in recent events and she bids he report on the day's romp in the hills. Ralston takes care to neither embellish or edit his tale in any way. Gohlruhg is impressed with the account. He addresses the new arrivals and re-speaks the reason he is visiting. Golhruhg: "It was a harder than expected winter in the far north. Goblins and Wild Orcs are on the prowl. How many there are and exactly what is their purpose has been unclear. Your sighting of Worgs is dismaying. It suggests these hungry goblins are more than a few." There is no discussion of the dead goblin.
Dizmo quietly enters through the backdoor and listens with Ronak and Eduardo.
Gohlruhg: "I will Speak that these goblins are merely hunting for food and nothing more. We will increase our watching and patrolling so we can know more." He turns to Laika and offers to send workers to build a wooden palisade and armed guards. He says he wants to avoid the sort of event that happened 14 years ago in Roake's past.
Laika suddenly remembers to thank the giant orc for the Cockatrice Egg, a treasure that must have been hard to part with and comments that it was a clever way to warn her that he was visiting. He apologizes as he doesn't knows if it is actually fertile. Laika refuses the offer of builders and guards saying it might be premature and she doesn't want the villagers to get needlessly frightened. Our adventurers are now bubbling with questions!
Business having been concluded, Gohlruhg admits he is anxious to get back to Agravaine's Rest. His comrades can sometime get out of hand in his absence and he dislikes returning home to find a valued soldier dead after a knife fight. Amber also rises to leave and Dizmo leaves with her for the promised spot of tea and a chitchat.
Amber invites Dizmo into her home and settles him at a table. She brings a basket to the table and opens the cloth lining to reveal several yummy looking honey cakes, made from oats and nuts and some dried fruit. A pitcher of water is poured and then Amber sits and gets right to business.
Amber: "I've been watching you. Prowling early in the morning and then again quietly as dusk falls. Oh yes, searching for poison frogs, right out in the open and with no shame! And not only me that has noticed. There have been some quiet questions, some pointed inquiries and now I feel obliged to speak to you."
"Every skill set and profession encompasses activities that are not always pleasant and sometimes raise moral questions. I have definitely cast spells I wish I could take back. Laika has had to put down animals not because they were bad but because they were doing their natural thing in a way that was dangerous to citizens. Gohlruhg has taken many lives in his day, including lives that he wished he could have preserved instead. A skill used appropriately, for instance concocting poisons, may easily have a good use and yet still be criticized because poison is considered evil and immoral. I would not choose to bar you from you pursuits. In fact, I think your skills will be crucial to your group's success. All I ask is that you be a bit more discreet while in public."
Amber beckons Dizmo to follow, leading him to a pair of double doors across the hall that open into a small and crowded library.
The walls are floor to ceiling bookshelves crammed with books, stacks of paper, and scrolls. In one end of the room is a heavy wooden table with a scarred and stained top, covered in experimental glassware, scales, incense burners, candles, bits of feather, multi-coloured sands and lumps of questionable origin. In the centre of the room is a large and roomy table covered in more stacks of books and paper, as is almost every bare spot on the floor.
From amidst the mess on the table, Amber draws forth a slim tattered volume. The cover is black and worn and the front bears several faded words. She hands it to Dizmo "This is a LOAN. I expect to have it back, no worse for wear." Peering closely at the cover, Dizmo reads the faded gold leaf title "Poisons for Pissants." He asks Amber, "What's a pissant?" to which Amber tartly replies, "You sir are a pissant! A troublemaker, a stirrer of worried pots! So, I offer this to you to encourage you to continue your studies but also to bribe you to be discreet! These recipes won't kill anyone, but they will disable an opponent with non-fatal effects." As Dizmo clutches the book and prepares to take his leave, Amber offers the use of her library to him and any of his friends who might be interested.
The Orcs depart and the group settles in to ask Laika many questions. Over the years, they have asked their parents about the half orc children in their community. Each time they were deflected, diverted or outright forbidden to mention it further. After all, these events are in the past, the village is safe and everyone is living a contented life. Ralston is particularly curious as he has noticed there are no adult orcs in town. Together the group applies enough pressure (and two out of 4 successful Charisma checks) and Laika relents. Dizmo rejoins his friends in time for an important history lesson.
Laika orates: "14 years ago, the village was attacked by wild orc raiders and partially burned down. Many villagers were taken hostage. Some were killed and all of the women were ravaged. 9 months later a lot of half-orc babies were born. Adults of the village vowed to not reveal the children's' tragic conception and instead decided to turn away the questions as long as they could. They hoped that their beloved half-orc children would be old enough to understand, by time they forced their parents to answer their questions."
"Those children have grown up in a nurturing community where their difference have never excluded them. Most are well adjusted, but they are now coming of age and experiencing emotions and drives that they don't understand. Barran, (his parents own the general store) has revealed to his friends that lately he feels angry and prone to violence all the time. Some of that comes from his parents' refusal to answer his questions. Barran admits that recently when he gets upset his immediate desire is to hit or break something. Or someone. He's been caught many times trying to double charge customers and while he doesn't want to do it he feels a certain compulsion to do so, which scares him. As angry as his parents make him he's very afraid he might hurt them."
Laika looks troubled and swears the group to confidence, pointing out the possible troubles that might befall the younger half orcs if they're not prepared to receive the news of their hidden past.
As for the egg, Laika explains that Gohlruhg always sends something ahead to warn that he is coming. Laika assesses the mood of the village and if all is calm he meets her at her home. If Laika thinks it necessary, she meets him the next day on the road just out of town. Laika says Gohlruhg's physical stature can be very frightening for the villagers.
Laika also reveals that she, Amber and Gohlruhg used to adventure together. They enjoyed many exploits in this area which they all chose for retirement. Laika liked the wilds, Amber liked the quiet and isolation. Living here allowed them both to be close to their good friend Gohlruhg who eventually was named a Speaker. In fact, she notes that these old companions have had their eye on the up and comers of Roake, hoping that they eventually would grow into power and become the new guardians of the village and local interests. Once again, Laika expresses her joy that Ralston, Ronak, Dizmo, and Eduardo are doing just that!
The meeting breaks up and our intrepid group now seems resolved to take further measures to determine what the goblins are up to. They have even mentioned a suspicion that something other than hungry goblins, might be afoot. Some planning lies ahead.