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Campaign Journal 54 -
PREVIOUSLY - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 53 - APPROACHING THE RUINS
Having defeated the outer forces of Harpshield castle, the Owlbear League and the four squads of soldiers take stock of their situation. Although they have not lost a single ally in their battles with the orcs and orogs holding Harpshield, they are depleted and worn a bit from the battle. They have lost the element of surprise now, and the forces holding the castle proper watch from atop the parapets and the rubble of a collapsed wall. The League and the four squads stand in the camp of the former Jagged Scythe Orcs.
Nowhere says "Let's attack."
Immeral replies "They know we are coming."
"And..." Nowhere flippantly adds.
K'ronk says "We could go back into the woods, make them think they scared us off, then hit them tonight after a rest."
Orryn replies "That's a good plan." The squad leaders of the Lords Alliance
Nowhere mutters "Weak", but says nothing louder.
K'ronk asks Immeral. "Can you send Syldan to see what the ruins looks like?"
The wizard nods, and Syldan flies off from a nearby perch and flies a half-mile to fly over the ruins, attracting no appreciable attention. Immeral closes his eyes describes what he sees in his mind's eye.
"There's another camp inside, maybe a dozen orcs visible. Some might be inside or in tents. The orcs have good armor and weapons. They have archers at stations along the wall, but there is no full parapet, and there are entry doors to the west at the end of the road which curves around the castle. That road has a trail off to the west."
The others take a good look at the castle.
The rising path to Harpshield passes under a great stone arch that connects the foundations of the crumbling battle wall of the castle with the base of a detached tower to the south. A roofed wooden structure with several windows stands above the arch. North of the arch, a sizeable portion of the foundation wall has collapsed, leaving a gap partially obstructed by a heap of rubble.
Several orcs now stand on the rubble pile, watching The League.
K'ronk says "Excellent, let's discuss in the woods."
The party leads the four squads of Alliance forces back into the woods, and Nowhere, using her prowess for forest travel, finds them a refuge far off the path where they can get some rest.
K'ronk takes the lead forming a plan. They decide with the help of the Alliance sergeants Kirlad, Danjem, Tennom and Jidjak to split the party. The spellcasters will approach from the west, Nowhere leading them through the forest. They will wait until the others attack from the east, entering over the rubble pile which does not look easily defendable. When the sounds of battle can be heard, the spellcasters will attack through the western gate. Each group will take two squads of the six soldiers of the Lord's Alliance.
The group likes the plan, and they head off to wait for nightfall and rest for the battle ahead. Seraphina casts prayer of healing on her companions, restoring most of them to full health, including Lady D. although Dain is still a bit battered and bloody, but most of the blood on him is likely orcish, but he seems to like it.
SOUND BITE at 12:25.
Sunset comes and the group camps down in a small clearing out of eyeshot of the castle. During the early hours of the night, wild gricks attack, but there is a watch and the gricks are easy turned away in a volley of arrows.
They keep the fires small and shielded, not to draw attention from any scounts from the castle.
Nothing else disturbs the group, and as midnight approaches, the group reassembles and splits into two forces, the first group is predominantly spellcasters with Nowhere easily leading them through the dark cold forest. They round the castle and approach from the west, taking two squads of the allied soldiers.
The other group is composed mostly of the Owlbear League fighters and the two remaining squads of soldiers, and they go directly up the road to the castle entrance, using the cover of night to get close. As they approach, they can see that the orcs have put out torches, and several orcs stand on top of the pile of rubble keeping watch.
As the parties get in position, they use their magical message boxes to communicate with each other and begin the assault.
Immeral casts mage armor on himself for extra protection.
The western group approaches on a small trail and sees the main road is lit with torches, and sees there are two archers looking out at the top of the wall. The League and allies pause and use the trees for cover.
To their surprise, just before they move into the light of the torches, five gricks ascend from a hole in the ground an attack. They make a horrible warbling screeching sound as they approach with snapping beaks in their tentacled maw.
Nowhere attacks ferociously with Icerazor and batters one of the monsters with two slashes of her icy blade. Immeral casts shocking grasp at the same one and electrifies the grick, crisping a tentacle that withers under the attack.
K'ronk misses one with a fire bolt, then swings with his goat staff, but he misses and pulls a shoulder, wrenching it badly.
Hearing the noise of the fight and seeing the fire bolt, the orc archers on the wall start yelling "Intruders on this side!"
Nowhere yells in orcish "No!."
The orcs pause in confusing for a moment and yells "Who's out there?"
"We're not intruders." Nowhere replies. Some of the soldiers snicker despite the attacking gricks.
Seraphina ignores the banter and casts sacred flame, blasting a grick with radiant energy.
One of the orc archers yells "The enemy is over here!"
"No." Nowhere yells, and now the soldiers laugh, but one of the archers yells. "Ignore that voice, defend the gate!"
Squad A led by Tennom takes out one of the gricks with a volley of arrows, and Squad B led by Danjem kills another with arrows and swords.
The western team approaches from the east, and at the last moment, just before reaching the torchlight of the castle, they hear a commotion and orcs saying something about intuders to the west. The lone bowman atop the parapet to the east turns and looks within the castle and the League and friends charge towards the pile of rubble and the distracted guards on top.
Atlas launches a flurry of blows at the first orc standing atop the rubble pile, avoiding his armor and battering his face. She kicks him down the pile of rubble and he gets battered during the fall and lands prone at the bottom of the pile.
Dain scrambles up and swings his great axe, but the dwarf stumbles on the rubble and misses. He swings again and this time connects and slices one of the orc's legs.
Orryn rides in on Lady D who easily scrambles up the rock pile while Orryn shoots an arrow at the third orc, striking through his armor, and sending him back a step with an arrow protruding from him. Orryn slips off Lady D. to fight from the ground.
Squads C and D of the Lords Alliance charge up the pile behind the heroes.
Back to the west, the first grick attacks Nowhere and not only tears her flesh with clawed tentacles, but also tears at her arm with a beak attack while in its grasp. She is hurt badly. Furious at the attack, the tieflinr ranger launches a hellish rebuke at the grick and the monster is wrapped in hellish flames which roasts the creature, killing it. It's grip on Nowhere releases.
One of the gricks attacks Squad C and grabs onto one of the archers bites down on it with its central beak, hurting the man badly.
CAPTURE 1:11
Another grick goes to grab K'ronk, but the nimble dragonborn dives out of the way.
Nowhere swings Icerazor at one of the gricks and chops off a tentacle. The creature cries out as Nowhere swings again and slices off another appendage, but the monster still stands.
Seraphina casts sacred flame, but misses the grick.
K'ronk casts fire bolt at the same, but the spell fizzles out. Frustrated K'ronk swings his goat staff and activates its necrotic energy, he smashes the oncoming grick in the beak and the creature falls unconscious.
Immeral casts ray of frost at the grick fighting Nowhere, and blasts the beast with a crackling beam of magical cold air, killing it.
Squad C and D send a hail of arrows into the remaining grick, felling it.
As they commend themselves for the win, an arrow shoots right by Immeral's face.
Nowhere yells (in orcish) "Why are you shooting at us, we're killing the gricks?"
The orcs at the wall answer with more arrows in the darkness.
Back in the castle, one of the orcs racing from the camp swings at Orryn, but misses as the fallen orc that Atlas hit scrambles to its feet. As the orcs yell out, more orcs emerge from bonfire and tents in the courtyard of the castle and start running towards the rubble pile and the fight.
Orcs wound one of the soldiers from Squad A, but others race to defend him.
Another slashes at Orryn and the orc connects, wounding the rogue gnome, but it is absorbed by the magical protection offered by Orryn's earlier rousing speech.
Other orcs race to the base of the rubble pile, but are too far back to attack. Still more emerge from their tends and start shooting arrows.
Dain is struck by an arrow which he angrily rips from his side. A soldier of squad B takes an arrow in the face and falls dead upon the rockpile.
"Babro!" one of his companions calls out, but Jidjack calls to him "Squad B, remember your fight, take down the orcs!"
Lady D. takes an arrow from the camp, but it's barely a scratch for the burly creature.
Another arrow strikes one of the soldiers of squad B, but he is still in the fight.
One more strikes Atlas, but the monk is unaffected by the glancing blow.
The west group moves through the woods, trying to keep cover from the orc archers atop the parapet of Harpshield castle. They seem to be successful as the arrows fall behind them in the darkness as they make their way to the courtyard gate.
Near the gate, they disassemble some of the barricaded road while out of sight of the enemy and creeps along the wall to the gate.
Orryn slides off Lady D and stabs at a surprised orc with his dagger of venom, driving it deep into the enemy's throat and killing him.
Lady D. bites at an orc and tears the orc open, slashing him while he's bleeding from the first wound, and the orc falls unconscious as the owlbear tosses him onto the rubble pile.
Atlas squeezes past Lady D. and unleashes a flurry of blows at a charging orc who takes blistering hits and goes tumbling down the rubble pile and lands unconscious. Atlas races down the rubble pile towards more foes.
Dain races in as well, but can't reach an orc just yet.
Squad A and B run into the courtyard, as Jidjack yells "CHARGE!" another yells "For Babro!" with fury in his voice.
The west team is spied by an orc on the wall and it yells in orcish "They're coming to the gates!"
"No they're not!" yells Nowhere in orcish.
"Don't listen to that female, it's a trick!" another orc cries.
Several arrows fly towards the group from the top of the wall, but miss.
The orcs in the courtyard let loose a volley of arrows at The League and their companions.
A soldier from squad C takes an arrow to the leg. Lady D. takes two arrows to the side, and releases an screeching owl cry at the orcs as she rushes forward. Atlas takes an arrow to the shoulder, slowing her down a hair, but she rushes forward.
A soldier for squad D takes an arrow to the side, as dies Orryn, but the team fights on.
Atlas runs up to an orc, unleashing a hail of punches powered by gauntlets of ogre power but the orc takes the battering. She hammers on him more, but the bloody orc still stands.
Lady D. tears into the crowd of orcs, slashing and biting one in particular, and she claws one into unconsciousness.
Orryn fires his short bow at the onrushing orcs and puts an arrow in one, but it fails to die.
Dain rushes up to the closest orc swinging Bloodstorm, cutting him open and sending gouts of blood into the air. The axe seems to absorb the blood as the barbarian swings hits again and the orc falls to the ground.
Squad C of the Lords Alliance soldiers kills a single orcs with swords, and Squad D does the same.
At the gates of the castle, Nowhere finds the door locked. She calls out "Open up, we have prisoners!" but the door does not open.
K'ronk yells "get back" and releases a fireball at the door. The spell explodes, the orcs on the other side and on the parapet yelling in fright. Although not completely destroyed, the doors are battered and on fire.
Seraphina swings her mace Lightbringer and bashes the burning door and splinters apart more of the burning wood, but it still stands true.
Nowhere yells at the door, swinging her flail which breaks through the door and a second attack shatters the door panel. Four orc defenders can be seen within the hole, and Nowhere quickly yanks up on the burning crossbeam and unbars the door, much to the surprise of the orcs.
Orryn rushes over to Atlas's side near the tents to the west of the rockpile, and the rogue attacks the closest orc with a sneak attack and takes it down with his dagger of venom.
Atlas turns to him and says "You stole my target."
"There are plenty more." he replies, nodding at the onrushing orcs.
Atlas moves north near Lady D. and unleashes a flurry of blows on an orc and batters him unconscious. She strikes a killing blow to his skull while he lays on the ground.
Dain yells "slice and dice!" swinging his greataxe Bloodstorm and indeed strikes an orc with a slashing blow. Pressing the attack, Dain lands a second blow and nearly fells the enemy, but it still stands to fight back.
Squad C launches arrows into the orcs, squad D under JidJak rushes in to help in close combat.
A door opens in the southern building and more orcs and orog emerge to fight.
Blows strike against Dain and Atlas and Nowhere, but they fend off the attack although one of Squad C takes an arrow to a leg and stumbles on the rock pile. Lady D. takes another arrow to her side, and seems to barely notices as she crunches on her kill.
One of the orcs stumbles near Dain and he manages to strike it on the head with the handle of his axe. Another stabs at Orryn, but he dodges and evades. An orc brutally stabs one of the soldiers of squad D, sending him unconscious to the ground. Jidjak yells "Defend Pilor!" and his companions surround the attacker and end him. Jidjak pulls the wounded man back from the fight.
Ferocious orcs leer on the other side of the burning door, but Nowhere kicks the bar off the door and they swing loose. They launch arrows at the west team, one striking Nowhere in the arm and one striking Seraphina, but it is just a scratch.
She stabs with Icerazor, hitting one of the orcs with two brutal stabs and the orc falls.
Seraphina casts sacred flame, but the orc she targets dodges the radiant glow of the spell.
K'ronk pulls Seraphina back away from the four remaining orcs and casts fireball through the now open doorway and erupts in a massive blaze against the wall behind the enemies at the gates.
Nowhere has her eyebrows singed off in the blast which knocks out two of the orcs and sends two diving off to the side, smoldering and blasted nearly apart as the west team enters the courtyard.
Immeral moves around the protective corner and casts chill touch on one of the orcs and wounds it with necromantic energy, but it still stands to fight after howling out "the gates are breached!"
Squad A of the Lords soldiers rushes in to take positions against the orcs as Dain rushes in and swings at an orc. It scrambles out of the way of his swings.
Squad B of the soldiers takes down one of the orcs beyond the gates and the battle is fully joined by the West team.
Lady D chomps at another orc which ducks out of the way, but a swing of her claws catches the orc, knocking it unconscious.
The fireball from the west team goes off on the northwest side of the courtyard.
Orryn activates his wand of magic missiles towards one of the orogs, and the magical purple beams of energy rip through his armor and knocking him unconscious.
Suddenly a weirdly gravelly, high-pitched voice exclaims from somewhere to the northeast "Don't you hurt my Seezy!"
Out of an open building charges a massive ogre with pendulous breasts and a ferocious face wielding some sort of broken weapon. "Lutha!" one of the orcs yell out, but the crazed creature charges on, breaking a chain that must have held the wild ogre at bay.
"I'll kill you!" she screams in the same gravely voice, charging at Nowhere.
Squad C takes two hits by arrows from the orcs, one hitting sergeant Danjem, but it is only is a flesh wound.
An orog swings at Lady D, but misses.
Nowhere drives into charging orcs with Icerazor and cuts him down. Swinging back the other way she connects with a second orc and knocks him out. She charges on with her companions and squads A and B behind.
From the building north of the camp, a door swings open and out piles five more orogs to join the fight, and they look west towards Nowhere and charge.
Orryn, being run down by the mad lady-ogre Lutha stabs at her with his dagger of venom and drives a knife-full of poison into the side of her in a critical blow. Lutha staggers and screams in her raspy high-pitched wail. Black poison oozes from the wound.
Atlas runs towards Lutha and unleashes a flurry of blows, but the mad orge knocks her to the side. Atlas attacks again, and this time, with the help of her ki, the monk batters the powerful female with a blows and strikes. The ogre reels from the attacks
Squad C takes out an orc, Squad D takes out and orc and they press deeper into the courtyard to continue to meet the enemy.
An orog dives into squad C under Danjem, wounding one of their number with a great axe, and the man is wounded, but still fighting.
Another orog attacks squad C, hitting another man with a swing of its great axe, and he is hurt, but still fights on.
An orc throws a javelin at squad C, wounding one of the men. Another two at squad D, missing one, but another is wounded in the arm.
CAPTURE 2:28:33
Arrows fly into squad D, striking one of the men, who breaks it off and fights on. Another orc shoots into Squad C and hits another soldier takes an arrow, but is not mortally wounded.
The orog charging out of the southern room swings its great axe at Dain and hits the dwarf with one glancing blow.
Lutha swings her massive club at Orryn and hits the gnome and sends him flying, and lands nearly unconscious two yards from where he stood. Orryn wheezes.
Immeral spies the massive ogre attacking Orryn and realizes he is too far away to help, so moves forward into the midst of squad A at the northwest corner of the courtyard as the orogs from the northern building pile out. He casts lightning bolt and hits four of the attacking orogs. Two dodge out of the way to minimize the damage they take, but two are hit soundly by the crackling bolt of energy. Immeral slips back behind the squad who glance open-eyed at the spellcaster.
K'ronk casts fireball again and hits five in the firey blast of the spell. Four smoldering orogs still stand to fight, but they are blistered and wounded, and one lays unconscious as the smoke clears.
CAPTURE 2:41:30
Seraphina casts burning hands at the orogs and burns the closest orog to death, cutting off his screams. The second and third orogs are burned more and howl in agony. The fourth orog in this area is further scorched and falls unconscious to the ground.
Squad A takes down one of the smoldering orogs with a flurry of arrows and Squad B targets the second orog, taking him down with swords, leaving none standing in this area.
Nowhere turns look at the female ogre attacking her friends across the camp, and she presses forward through the tents towards the opponent and Orryn, who may have smashed ribs. The ranger considers hunters mark to target Lutha, but the ogre seems already badly hurt, so she merely slings the brute and hits, breaking skin and drawing blood, momentarily distracting the ogre from Orryn, although she misses with a second slinged stone.
Squad D takes down another orc with their arrows, as Dain and Lady D focus on the remaining ogre. With a swing and a bite, the orog falls as Lady D chomps on its skull.
Orryn dusts off and attacks Lutha with the dagger of venom again, but she knocks his attack aside, although the poison from his previous attack has her looking grayer and wincing in pain.
Atlas moves in towards the ogre to unleash a flurry of blows, but she misses badly and her fist strikes the club, nearly breaking her hand and delivering no damage. She strikes again, reaching into her ki for extra speed and the rain of blows renders Lutha unconscious. Atlas uses her gauntlets of ogre power to smash in her opponents skull, ending her fight forever.
A ferocious cry echos in the courtyard "Lutha!" from the doorway of the northeastern tower. There, a massive orc warrior, larger than any previous orc, flanked by a few more orc defenders, stands. "You fatherless scum!" he screams in orcish and he runs towards the heroes.
Atlas chops off the head of Lutha and holds it up, enraging him further, tears of rage running down his face as he charges. The orcs which followed him, seeing the battle is lost, yell "Seizibel, No!" but seeing the orc is enraged, retreat. They rush over to the northern building where there is a door in the eastern side and they enter to take cover.
The squads of the Lord's Alliance finish the remaining orcs in the battlefield with swords and arrows.
As the great orc reaches Atlas, stabbing with a massive spear, she lets loose another flurry of blows and lands a few punches, but it barely seems to scratch him.
Orryn dives at the brute with his rapier, but he misses.
Nowhere closes the distance, but does not quite get there. Neither does Dain. Seraphina rushes toward the orc too, but she is still far away, and Lady D. rushes to defend Orryn.
The orc stabs at Atlas with the spear and the monk nimbly dodges. He howls and presses the attack again, but his furious stabs are not accurate and he misses again.
Nowhere swings Icerazor, but the orc knocks the swing aside.
Atlas unleashes more punches, but the huge orc knocks them aside.
Being careful not to hit The League, the squads put two arrows in the great orc, but it does not faze it.
Seraphina closes and casts sacred flame, but the flames go wide and the mad orc Seizibul fights on.
Nowhere runs north to try to cut off the two fleeing orcs, slinging a rock at one as they dive into the building, hitting it fiercely in its side.
Lady D. slashes at Seizibul, clawing him open and biting him on the arm, tearing his arm off!
Immeral moves towards the battle, casting ray of frost, but the beam misses the one-armed orc.
K'ronk steps up and casts fire bolt at the one Nowhere was chasing and hits the orc with a powerful burning blast, setting the orcs clothes aflame.
Dain uses his ring of jumping to leap over Atlas, swinging Bloodstorm, bringing the mighty axe down right on the skull of his enemy, spiltting his skull apart and a fountain of blood flying into the air which seems to get sucked into the axe.
The remaining two orcs slam the door behind them, escaping for the moment, and the battle is over.
The squads of the Lords Alliance cheer as the last enemies fall, and with The Owlbear League they dispatch any unconscious enemies and make sure they are dead. The squads tend to their wounded and search the tents of their enemies, but they wonder, what other evil lies within the ruins of Harpshield Castle and the rooms within and below?
NEXT - CAMPAIGN JOURNAL 55 - MYSTERIES REVEALED
This adventure used material from the D&D Module "Scourge of the Sword Coast".
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