[IC] WD's Against the Orcs

[Walking Dad]

This is the IC thread for my 'Against the Orcs' game.

B'n'B Against the Orcs Recruiting RG IC OCC

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A Lord is Hiring
You have each responded to posters placed around the area by Baron Loxlyn, the local landowner, for worthy adventurers. The posters were vague, failing to describe the baron’s need in any detail, but the rich reward promised, 100 pieces of gold, drew your attention.
On arriving at the baron’s keep, you were shown into an audience room and asked to wait while the baron finished with urgent business. You are the only people present.

'You are' means the PCs. Post a short visual description in your first post, please.

The doors at the end of the chamber open. A middle-aged man dressed in chainmail and robes of ermine walks into the room flanked by two guards. Judging by his face he has not slept in many days, though his eyes burn with a fierce passion. He takes a seat at the end of the high table and bids you to sit. “I am Baron Loxlyn,” he begins, “lord of this domain. I thank you for attending my call. Time is pressing, so I shall get straight to the details. Orcs are once more harassing the Eastern Marches. Many villages have fallen to their swords and the king has failed to act. Our people are being butchered while he attends court functions.
Three days to the east of here lies the village of Roxbury. It’s a small settlement of just 30 souls built around a temple to the god of civilisation, but it lies in the orcs’ path. I need you to travel to Roxbury and help defend the settlement. My army is mustering, but by the time it gathers it may be too late to save the village.
The headman is a priest by the name of Adelmar. He served my father before founding Roxbury after the orcs were driven back. When the Marches were settled the king ordered all the villagers to erect stout wooden palisades. Should orc scouts attack, the wall will give you some protection.
I shall provide you with provisions for the trip, as well as detailed maps. If you accept, you must leave within the hour. Any delay could be fatal.”

 

[Niehaus]

A halfling wearing plate stands towards the front of the group. As the baron speaks he rocks on the balls of is feet teeming with excitement. The shoulder length braids of his brown hair brush against his armor has he fervently nods his head in agreement with the barons plan. As soon as the haggard man finishes speaking he blurts out "If the king is not willing to help his people his people will help themselves!" His blue eyes burn with passion as he speaks. "We will gladly except this mission. Er... I mean that is I will gladly accept this mission I don't know about them." Shrugging and pointing behind him at the rest of the group.

"But my lord, please forgive me if I missed it, you made no mention of when we would be paid. Not that I need financial motivation to slave orcs but unfortunately money is needed to survive in our society." He adds with some regret clearly ashamed that he brought up the subject.

 

[Insight]

"I am ready to go now, Baron," Paranthraxus declares. "Do we have additional intelligence in terms of the strength and number of forces around Roxbury?"

The dragonborn looks at the rest of the adventurers who have assembled. "If it is to be, it is up to us," he says. "The king has abandoned his duty towards his people. He cares not for the impending loss of the heartlands. He drinks wine and rubs elbows with the wealthy while villages fall beneath the orcish scourge. We cannot allow this indignity to stand. I can tell just by looking at you that you are eager to right this wrong."

He turns back towards Baron Loxlyn. "We are ready. Point us towards this village of Roxbury and we'll take care of this nasty business."

 

[Padreigh]

A tall Eladrin clears his throat. He is clad in well-worn but immaculately clean black leather and a grey travelling cloak. He holds an iron-shod staff and wears a longsword on his side.
His hair is a pale blond, almost white, and rather short for an Eladrin. A small scar on his left cheek and another one on the left corner of his mouth leave the impression of a permanent sneer.

He turns towards Paranthraxus:
"I do not care about righting wrongs", he says in precise, but oddly accentuated, common. "Or about what your king should or should not do.
But I do care about being paid. I also care about clear terms of contract."

He turns his icy-blue gaze towards the baron. "Your Lordship, what exactly are we supossed to do? Hold the village until reinforcements arrive? When will this be? In a week? Two?
And what is more important to you? The live of the villagers or holding the village, no matter the cost?
Will we recieve reimbursement for ritual materials used?
How about battlefield salvage rights?
Do not get me wrong, Your Lordship. I am willing to participate in this mission. But I would prefer to clarify those things beforehand."

 

[Lord Sessadore]

A slim elf with dark green, almost black hair leans against the wall in the back corner of the room, arms crossed. He wears leather and a great fur cloak, with a rapier on his hip and a bow and quiver leans against the wall beside him. He is calm and collected, seeming not to react to anything occurring around him. Sometimes he is so still he seems to be a statue instead of a living person.

The elf raises his head slightly to look directly at the faces of the other adventurers and the Baron. "The orcs are a menace, and must be stopped. They kill the people and lay waste to the land for no reason other than to do so. Paranthraxus, Mordok, William, and Argivion", looking at each in turn, "are worthy to the task at hand. I will assist." His words seem to flow together subtly, but his speech is very brief. His expression never changes, and once he is done speaking he lowers his head slightly again, and waits. The other adventurers haven't met him before ... how does he know their names?

 

[renau1g]

The other dragonborn sitting at the table looks over at his companion and shakes his head derisively and sighs "Paranthraxus , how many times do I have to tell you, leave your excitement till after we negotiate our fee" Mordok thinks to himself.

The black-scaled dragonborn stretches his bulging muscles, and it's difficult to tell where his scaled armour ends as it nearly matches his scale colouration. A large shield is slung over his back, and a large sword hangs at his hip, one that a lesser man would require two hands to wield. His red pupils scan the room with the look of a predator, his numerous scars denote a lifetime of battle.

He looks over at the Eladrin and smiles. "Now that's my kind of guy. Name's Mordok, it's nice to see someone here who ain't a goody-two-shoes" Mordok says in a deep, gravely voice.

 

[Insight]

The elf raises his head slightly to look directly at the faces of the other adventurers and the Baron. "The orcs are a menace, and must be stopped. They kill the people and lay waste to the land for no reason other than to do so. Paranthraxus, Mordok, William, and Argivion", looking at each in turn, "are worthy to the task at hand. I will assist." His words seem to flow together subtly, but his speech is very brief. His expression never changes, and once he is done speaking he lowers his head slightly again, and waits. The other adventurers haven't met him before ... how does he know their names?

Paranthraxus cocks his head in the elf's direction. "Finally, someone with some sense," he says. "Baron Loxlyn will not renege on his word. We will be paid -- if that's all that concerns you. We must make haste to Roxbury before yet another village falls beneath the orcs' axehead."

 

[Padreigh]

Argivion inclines his head curtly in Mordok's direction.
"Argivion of Frosty Glade".

He then turns back to the baron.
"Worthy? Might I ask Your Lordship who this person is and why he considers himself capable of judging my ... "worthiness"? "

 

[Niehaus]

The Halfling looks around the room while rolling his shoulders to adjust the plate armor he's wearing. He fidgets with the hilt of the short sword at his side as he turns to address the mysterious elf at the back. "I am indeed called William. William Oaknob the second. But I have no memory of you."

 

[Walking Dad]

...

"But my lord, please forgive me if I missed it, you made no mention of when we would be paid. Not that I need financial motivation to slave orcs but unfortunately money is needed to survive in our society." He adds with some regret clearly ashamed that he brought up the subject.

"50gp now, the rest after the mission. And perhaps other profitable assignments in the future."

"I am ready to go now, Baron," Paranthraxus declares. "Do we have additional intelligence in terms of the strength and number of forces around Roxbury?"
...

"At least three tribes combined there strength for this big raid. The Flesheater tribe is the biggest of them. I send my best scouts to find their homebase, but they haven't returned, yet."

...

He turns his icy-blue gaze towards the baron. "Your Lordship, what exactly are we supossed to do? Hold the village until reinforcements arrive? When will this be? In a week? Two?
And what is more important to you? The live of the villagers or holding the village, no matter the cost?
Will we recieve reimbursement for ritual materials used?
How about battlefield salvage rights?
Do not get me wrong, Your Lordship. I am willing to participate in this mission. But I would prefer to clarify those things beforehand."

"You should hold it at most three days after your arrival.
There should be enough villagers left, that it is still a village, not a ruin with widows and orphans.
If the ritual was indeed needed for succeeding, I'm willing to pay for it.
Salvage what you want from the orc army, it is yours. But obviously stolen goods are not inevitably part of this."

...

He then turns back to the baron.
"Worthy? Might I ask Your Lordship who this person is and why he considers himself capable of judging my ... "worthiness"? "

"Just another soul that answered my call for help. Please save the village first. You can kill each other later, if you insist.

If you all have no further question, I will summon my seneshal to hand out the gold and the maps."