S2: War in Vastermarch - Completed

OK. I'd like to retcon just a bit. Remember those two merchants who were sharing your common room at the inn when the orcs first attacked? Well, I'd forgotten about them, but they were supposed to stay in the adventure. Please assume they were hiding outside the fort during the fight with the minotaur and the orc leaders. They then entered and took shelter there for the night, and are now part of the retinue traveling to Braeholl. The younger one is called Sangster. The older one, who is maimed on the left side, is named Lothar. Both are armed and seem somewhat experienced in combat. Thus the caravan contains:
4 PCs - all mounted(?)
3 soldiers (Hugh, S1, & S2)
2 Merchants (L & S)
18 commoners
1 wagon
2 horses pulling the wagon

The group camps in a grove of trees, and the night passes largely without incident. In the morning, everyone eats a light, cold breakfast, and gets back on the road. By this point, however, the group is confident that they are being observed. Behind them on the road, about a mile away, is a group of figures, probably orcs. In the fields around there are several clusters of horsemen. Also probably orcs.

The morning seems somewhat ominous. The sky is overcast, and flocks of birds spiral about. The crows and ravens seem to have been feasting on the dead, and follow the little caravan, as though expecting further food. At least the potions and another night's rest have left Talbin and Ogrin feeling completely healed. Razh still carries some wounds, but feels a lot better than he did right after the first battle.

HP summary - feel free to double check me!
Nodis (31/31 HPs 35/35 PP; orc count 9)
Talbin (18/18 HPs; orc count 1.5)
Ogrin (40/40 HPs; orc count 1.5)
Razh (53/61 HPs; orc count 6)

Rasereit looks hungrily at the various figures following the caravan. "Whatever they are, they can't be worse than that bull bloke. Let 'em come, then, me blades still thirst.". A fierce, savage expression shrouds his face. "Another of these wouldn't' hurt, though." He pops the cork out of another vial from his chest-belt (CLW) and downs the contents. (2 damage healed) One tiny scratch on his right arm turns from red to pink. "Bah! Garbage!" he scoffs as he tosses the empty vial aside. His anger increases as he fumes silently over his ineffective potions.

"What else can we do but continue our way? With a group this large, we don't have a chance of sneaking our way into Braeholl - we have to force our way!" says Nodis. "So let's continue and let them come!"

Ogrin nods at Nodis. "Aye. Let's be wary, and scout for ambushes on the way. Perhaps we should prepare one of our own, to dissuade any followers?"

Ogrin rides in the front, scouting for places where he'd place an ambush. He occasionally rides perhaps fifty yards ahead, but never out of sight from the rest of the group.

Talbin pulls up with Ogrin "I'm pretty good at this scoutiong business, you know. I could move ahead by myself and take a look."

rln said:

Ogrin nods at Nodis. "Aye. Let's be wary, and scout for ambushes on the way. Perhaps we should prepare one of our own, to dissuade any followers?"

Click to expand...

"I could also do the clairvoyant thing again, and watch the contryside from a bird's point of view" says Nodis "But not right now, we can see the orcs quite well. But yes, ig they come for us we could ambush them before they reach the caravan - but being cautious to not be too far away from it, or another orc group could kill them."

"Should I have a look at Braeholl? does anyone have a good idea of how far is it, exactly?"

It is about 12 miles to Braeholl when the party gets started in the morning. The group moves along carefully, and no combat is intiated the first couple hours.

At this point, I'd like to wait on something. Sorry to delay this, but it shouldn't be much longer. Any day, or hour, now...

The group continues down the road, urging the villagers to haste. The road now is hemmed in on both sides by thick trees, and the terrain becomes hilly.

Suddenly, about a quarter-mile ahead a small party emerges from the woods on one side. It consists of 2 mounted humans, a wagon pulled by two horses, and what appears to be two mounted children or halflings.

(Is the wagon moving toward Braeholl or away?)

Razh raises a fist to halt the caravan and squints ahead. "Looks like humans an' halflings, up ahead. Someone want t'go check 'em out? Could be a trap, so more than one should go, Ah think. Who's up fer it?"

"I'll go. Talbin, want to join? Someone with good eyesight could be useful."

[SBLOCK=Manzanita]If the people ahead are the ones I think, I'd just like to mention that Ogrin & Razh has adventured with one of them before.[/SBLOCK]