PREVIOUSLY - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 52 - FLIGHT FROM FIREHAMMER 

4 Uktar - Day 127 - 6:30AM - Daggerford

5 Uktar - Day 128 - Harpshield Castle

The League and the 24 soldiers they are following had an uneventful night camped near the Floshin estate and spent the next day marching in the bright, unseasonably warm day. By late afternoon, they had arrived at the southern edge of the Ardeep forsest, and had a decision to make: follow the path into the woods, or take the long way round, skirting the edge to the east. They make the decision to follow the path, taking the lead and proceeding cautiously.

Immeral realizes that this is almost the place where the succubus had ordered Immeral to remove his cloak, so he knows there is a ruins on the other side of the woods.

They think about sending a message to Isteval, but the urchins have the message box and may not be monitoring it. K'ronk uses a sending spell to communicate to Isteval.  "We are at Harpshield, how far out are you? Should we wait? All else well?" his response is "Unavoidably delayed. Proceed if you are able. Strange goings on with Duke."

Nowhere travels off path, using her ranger skills in this favored terrain of forest to move effortlessly, and brings them to the treeline. Orryn holds them back and spends a few minutes inspiring his companions for the battle ahead. He talks about the threat to Daggerford and the Sword Coast, and their responsibility to fight evil. His rousing speech appears to bolster his friends with some temporary vitality.

5 Uktar - Day 128, 5PM - Harpshield Castle

The League and company now sees there are 18 orcs and 4 orogs. 

Nowhere tries a couple shots with her sling, but the stones glance off their armor. Seraphina tries sacred flame, but the running orog dodges the spell. Orryn uses wand of magic missiles and he lets five 6 bolts of violet magical energy that fly across the field, slamming into the orogs, but they shake off their wounds and continue closing the distance.

Atlas decides to meet the enemy in the field, she races from the cover of the tree line at one of the orcs. She uses her ki energy to perform a step of the wind to dash out into the field with incredible speed, then launches unarmed strikes at the orc, which he deflects with his armor. She then tries a flurry of blows, but that too is ineffective.

Dain throws a javelin into the squad of orcs and he hits one with a glancing blow on the orc's side.

K'ronk steps forward and gesturing towards the closing enemies, casts fireball, causing a firey mote to fly from his finger and explode in the midst of the charging orcs, targeting ten of the orcs and two of the orogs sending them burning and howling and falling. About four dive out of the way to minimize the damage, but eight orcs die immediately from the blast.  Two orcs and two orogs manage to get to their feet, still smoldering. 

Next, the Archers go and they launch a volley of arrows at the remaining enemies. Four orcs die from the hail of arrows, four stagger with arrows that strike it, but still races on to fight, and one of the orogs fall unconscious from their wounds.

The first orog goes after Immeral who is tucked behind a tree, but misses and chops a great hunk of wood out of the tree.  A second swings his great axe at Lady D, striking a glancing blow upon the owlbear who bleeds from the wound and roars. 

Nowhere runs up to the orog with Icerazor and stabs into the creature right through a joint in the armor. The orog roars and she swing again, cutting his throat, and he bleeds out into the field.

Seraphina swings Lightbringer at another orog and bashes the enemy in the hip, twisting him in pain, but he still stands to fight.

Orryn dives at one of the three remaining orcs and stabs him with his rapier, staggering his step and surprising him from around Lady D, but the orc fights on, bleeding profusely.

Lady D. bites and claws at one of the orcs, but misses the dodgy villain. 

Atlas charges another orc and releases a flurry of blows which hurts the orc badly, and while it is reeling, she hits it with an unarmed strike to knock the orc out.

Dain screams in rage at the orc forces and swinging Bloodstorm at one of them, beheads the orc as it seems to suck drops of blood from the air. The orc falls in pieces. The barbarian turns and tries to get another orc, but his swing misses.

K'ronk casts fire bolt and sends another orc to the ground with a mote of fiery magic which kills him and leaves him smoldering.

Immeral tries a ray of frost on the last standing orc, but the beam misses. The orc charges Immeral, and right as he is about to swing and kill the elven wizard, a salvo of arrows pincushion the orc and he dies at Immeral's feet. The archers of the Lords Alliance nod in satisfaction.

5 Uktar - Day 128, 5:30 PM - Harpshield Castle

Just as he is breathing a sigh of relief, Immeral looks up to see two new squads of orcs racing over the hill, one from the castle, another from what must be the second camp that Syldan spotted when flying overhead. 

Immeral shouts "Incoming!" pointing to the onrushing orcs, and the archers return to their defensive positions behind the trees.

The League turns and sees there are about double the amount of orcs and orogs - maybe forty of them, about 300 yards out and rushing in quickly.

One of the archers yells "This doesn't look good!" with fear in his voice.

"Hold the line!" Atlas commands him and Jidjack nods as The League steps together. Immeral says to K'ronk "Fireball, lightning" again?  K'ronk nods.

K'ronk and Immeral ready some spells, as the sergeants of the Lords Alliance command their men "Steady, hold your fire!" 

Within seconds the orc forces are just a hundred feet away and unleash a volley of javelins while on the run, but most miss, only two of the archers are wounded, but they stand their ground. As the screaming cursing orcs close.

Immeral's spell releases lightning bolt, striking a beam hitting seven of the orcs and one of the orogs. The seven orcs fall to the ground either or unconscious or dead. The orog howls in pain from the lightning attack, but he gathers himself and races on to fight.

K'ronk casts fireball and the spell explodes in a cluster of the oncoming horde, knocking one orc unconscious and outright burning eight to death, leaving their smoldering corpses burning in the grass. The blasts badly scorches three orogs as well, but the hearty warriors shake off the blast and stumble on. Some orcs look concerned, but they are too close now to run, and there are still twenty four of them.

Dain throws one javelin after another, but neither hits at this distance.

Atlas moves out of the treeline for a clear shot and fires her short bow into the crowd of orcs. One bolt misses, but she rapidly loads and fires a second to strike one of the orcs in the shoulder, the fast moving monk races back in to the treeline.

CAPTURE 1:55:10

Orryn uses a short bow too, firing at the bigger orogs, but the bolt glances off the orog armor.

Nowhere considers running out to meet the line of orcs on the battlefield, but even for her bold attack style, there are too many. Instead, she yells "stay within the trees!" as she casts spike growth.  Orryn communicates the same to Lady D. The ground in a 20 foot radius centered on the thickest group of charging orcs twists and sprouts hard spikes and thorns. The transformation of the ground is camouflaged to look natural, and the orcs immediately have their feet and legs torn apart. Several stumble and many start bleeding from the slices on their legs, unsure of the cause.

Seraphina casts sacred flame on one of the orogs and the radiant energy peels the flesh from his skin, and it belows but continues to charge.

Immeral, Dain are struck by attacks from orcs, and Nowhere takes a brutal attack from an orc, which is cushioned again by Orryn's inspiring leadership.  Nowhere is surrounded by the oncoming orcs and kills the first by slicing open his abdomen, his guts spilling on the ground. She pivots to a second and strikes with Icerazor, skewering a second, but he still fights on.

Seraphina tries sacred flame on an orog, but the enemy dodges the radiant spell and rushes forward.

Orryn slashes with his rapier at one of the orogs, surprising the orc as he strikes from behind K'ronk. The orc falls unconscious and is bleeding out in the ground.

Lady D attacks one of the orogs approaching Orryn and gets in a beak bite which tears the flesh and armor of the orog and it grunts as her claws rake through their armor and gut the orog, sending it dead to the ground over their own intestines.

Atlas races up to a orc near Orryn and unleashes a flurry of blows which batters the enemy. She also unleashes a pair of unarmed strikes, but the orc successfully defends from them.

Dain hits an orc with his new favorite axe Bloodstorm, and is covered in a splash of blood from the slash, the orc is scrorched with necromantic enery, but it still stands and the Dain's second attack does not hit.

K'ronk casts a fire bolt and kills another orc with the burning spell.

Two orogs close in on Immeral and he casts misty step, appearing 30 feet back into the forest, where he tears off a star from his cloak of stars and sends three magic missiles at each of the orogs. They blast the first orog and knock him unconscious, but the second survives the blast and races towards Immeral.

The archers of the Lords Alliance launch arrows, striking down five of the orcs and wounding a few others.

Ten orcs and three orogs remain.

One misses Dain, a second misses an archer, the third misses another archer, the forth attacks Atlas and hits with their battle axes, drawing blood from the fast-moving monk. The fifth misses Seraphina, the sixth misses Nowhere and the seventh misses Immeral, the blow glancing off his mage armor. The eighth remaining orcs manages to strike one of the soldiers and he cries out for help as he backpedals. The last few swing at the archers, but they dodge out of the way.

The first orog swings at Orryn who dodges the blow, but a second swing by the orog lands and slashes the nimble gnome. The second orog after Immeral and stumbles over some roots as it swings at him. The third pivots towards Dain and hits with two vicious attacks, cutting into his arm and side, but Dain still stands.

Nowhere swings Icerazor and strikes down an orc with a devastating slash and stab.

Seraphina casts sacred flame, but the charging orc dodges.

Orryn faces his orog attacker and stabs with his rapier, stabbing the great orc, severely wounding it.

Lady D. goes after the large orog attacking Dain, slashing with her claws and slicing across his back. The orog howls and arches backwards and Lady D. uses the moment to chomp off its head in mid-scream.

Atlas unleashes another flurry of blows at an orog, missing the first time, but pressing the attack and striking a few blows which fail to take down the enemy.

Dain swings Bloodstorm at the orc facing off with Immeral, and although his first swing is blocked, his second strikes true and he severely wounds the orc, and although Bloodstorm adds necrotic damage to the slice, the orc still has some life in him.

K'ronk uses a fire bolt on one of the two remaining orogs and the firey blasts hit squarely, burning and knocking out the orog.  K'ronk finishes the orog's life with a blow from his goat staff.

Immeral casts shocking grasp on the orog fighting Atlas, and it jolts the great orc, but the orog still stands and turns menacingly at Immeral.

The archers of the Lord's Alliance unleash another volley of arrows at their orcish enemies, hitting six of them.  Three regular orcs die from arrow hits, and two more are wounded.  Two arrows strike the orog about to smash Immeral, felling the brute.

Six regular orcs still stand, and seeing how the battle has gone, they turn and run.

Atlas is close to one, and seeing the opportunity, hits with a flurry of blows, but the orc still escapes.

Seraphina swings at another but misses.

Nowhere chops down the third with Icerazor.

Immeral draws his rarely used longsword, but fails to connect.

There are five orcs that escape, running across the field.

Nowhere swings her sling and takes one down, yelling "Come back and fight you cowardly bastards!"

Seraphina casts sacred flame and misses the dodgy orcs.

Orryn lets an arrow fly from his short bow and takes down a second.

Lady D. charges into the field and strikes down a third, clawing his back apart.

Atlas dashes out into the field and although some of her blows miss, she knocks out a forth orc with her powerful punches as it retreats.

Dain runs after the final orc, and while screaming berserker howls, kills the last of the orcs.

5 Uktar - Day 128, 6:00 PM - Harpshield Castle

The Owlbear League and companions are victorious. The sun is falling on the ruins of Harpshield castle. What remains within? What foes will they face? What secrets will be revealed? What is the nature of their enemy? 

NEXT - CAMPAIGN JOURNAL 54 - SIEGE OF HARPSHIELD