diaglo
Adventurer
Netherese Ruins of a Fortress
The party retired early. Not even Alya could get the Purple Dragons to open up much. The next morning after a hearty breakfast and morning prays Fiddle led them on the path to the Ruins. He would check the map and the surrounding features every so many minutes. It was a comfortable ride. Everyone watched for trouble. None came. Within a couple miles of the Ruins Vlad and Erin noticed vultures circling. Fiddle checked the map.
"Looks like someone or something has already been to the Ruins," Fiddle remarked. "The vultures haven't landed so I'm guessing the victors are still there. Be wary."
Fiddle found a path that led up the ridge to the Ruins. The party armed themselves, but didn't dismount. They were almost to the entrance when Erin leapt off his horse. He mumbled a word or two of magic and was covered. Darian likewise dismounted, but he used his horse for cover. He also cast a form of protective magic. Three figures rose up from behind what remained of the Ruin's wall. Orcs of the Thunder Peaks. They fired arrows at Fiddle, Alya, and Erin. They must have been startled because they missed their targets completely.
Fiddle fired an arrow over the wall hitting one of the orcs. He urged his horse to the doorway. Two wolves were on guard. Erin moved up the hill and kicked out. His foot struck the orc Fiddle had injured. Darian led his horse up the path to get closer to the orcs. He kept his horse as cover. Alya dismounted behind her mount. She sang out in a very high pitch. One of the orcs struggled but shook off the effects. The wolves grabbed Fiddle's horse. Fiddle tumbled free. The horse went down hard. Two orcs fired another volley. Alya and Darian's horses were struck. The injured one dropped his bow and drew his greataxe. He missed Erin. Vlad urged his horse up the path. He joined Fiddle.
Fiddle sank Lightning Strike into one of the wolves. It yelped. Erin struck again at the orc. Pieces of rock scattered as Erin kicked the wall instead. Darian remounted and urged his horse over the wall. He cleared it with ease. Alya moved closer and sang out again in the same high pitch. This time her target's armor shattered into many worthless scraps. One wolf attacked Fiddle's horse as the other tried for Fiddle. Three more orcs appeared from a ramp going into a mound ahead. They were still too far away. The two archers threw down their bows and drew great axes. The orcs attacked Darian and Erin with gusto. Vlad stabbed down on the injured wolf. It yelped again.
Fiddle defensively poked his sword and dagger at the wolf. His horse rose and prepared to depart. Erin punched out again. Darian dismounted and clobbered the orc fighting Erin. This put his horse at his back and the other two orcs out of reach. Alya edged a little closer and sang a different tune. The orc moved aside. A blob of grease sailed into the background. Some of it did splatter the greataxe. The injured wolf turned to flee. Both Vlad and Fiddle stabbed it. The other wolf closed on Fiddle along with 2 axe wielding orcs. The third orc took a swing at Vlad. The other orcs took a swing at Darian's horse. Vlad rode his horse into combat opposite Fiddle. He used some fancy maneuvering to stab down on his opponent's back. The orc collapsed.
Fiddle defensively rolled to his right. He buried Lightning Strike into the wolf's chest. The creature died. Erin circled around the wall to flank Darian's orcs. He leapt the wall, almost. He caught his foot on the uneven battlements. He landed softly and tumbled. Darian waded into combat. He struck the unarmored orc. Alya finally decided to join the fracas. She fired an arrow into the naked orc. The combination of mace and arrow ended its life. One orc attacked Darian as the others attacked Fiddle. So far Fiddle was untouched. Darian had a deep gash. Vlad dismounted behind Darian's orc. Down went another one.
"I know how to stick you pigfaces," Vlad cried out.
Fiddle tumbled behind one of his orcs. Fighting was so close that the orc felt threaten by Darian also. It turned to watch Darian and missed Fiddle rolling past. Too late. Lightning Strike gutted him. Erin closed on the last orc and leapt into the air. From Fiddle's angle it looked like Erin had leapt over Vlad's horse. A flying kick landed squarely on the orc's jaw. It was just shaking it off when Darian struck it with his mace. Followed by an arrow in its chest from Alya. Nothing else stirred. Darian broke out the wand of healing from Lord Hawklin. He cast a few spells to heal the wounded. The others started to gather the coins, arms, and armor from the dead. Erin found a trail of blood from the mound entrance to the other side of a wall. Two naked mutilated humans with tattoos lay on the hillside. The tattoos stirred memories in Fiddle.
"They were Dragon Cultists," Fiddle said.
"What is the Cult of the Dragon?" Erin asked.
"Something we don't want to mess with," Darian answered. "They pervert Dragons and make them into Dracoliches."
Darian said a prayer over the slain. Fiddle examined the entrance to the mound. He pulled out a potion and downed it. He vanished almost from plain sight.
"Where'd he go?" Darian asked as he finished preparing the bodies.
The party retired early. Not even Alya could get the Purple Dragons to open up much. The next morning after a hearty breakfast and morning prays Fiddle led them on the path to the Ruins. He would check the map and the surrounding features every so many minutes. It was a comfortable ride. Everyone watched for trouble. None came. Within a couple miles of the Ruins Vlad and Erin noticed vultures circling. Fiddle checked the map.
"Looks like someone or something has already been to the Ruins," Fiddle remarked. "The vultures haven't landed so I'm guessing the victors are still there. Be wary."
Fiddle found a path that led up the ridge to the Ruins. The party armed themselves, but didn't dismount. They were almost to the entrance when Erin leapt off his horse. He mumbled a word or two of magic and was covered. Darian likewise dismounted, but he used his horse for cover. He also cast a form of protective magic. Three figures rose up from behind what remained of the Ruin's wall. Orcs of the Thunder Peaks. They fired arrows at Fiddle, Alya, and Erin. They must have been startled because they missed their targets completely.
Fiddle fired an arrow over the wall hitting one of the orcs. He urged his horse to the doorway. Two wolves were on guard. Erin moved up the hill and kicked out. His foot struck the orc Fiddle had injured. Darian led his horse up the path to get closer to the orcs. He kept his horse as cover. Alya dismounted behind her mount. She sang out in a very high pitch. One of the orcs struggled but shook off the effects. The wolves grabbed Fiddle's horse. Fiddle tumbled free. The horse went down hard. Two orcs fired another volley. Alya and Darian's horses were struck. The injured one dropped his bow and drew his greataxe. He missed Erin. Vlad urged his horse up the path. He joined Fiddle.
Fiddle sank Lightning Strike into one of the wolves. It yelped. Erin struck again at the orc. Pieces of rock scattered as Erin kicked the wall instead. Darian remounted and urged his horse over the wall. He cleared it with ease. Alya moved closer and sang out again in the same high pitch. This time her target's armor shattered into many worthless scraps. One wolf attacked Fiddle's horse as the other tried for Fiddle. Three more orcs appeared from a ramp going into a mound ahead. They were still too far away. The two archers threw down their bows and drew great axes. The orcs attacked Darian and Erin with gusto. Vlad stabbed down on the injured wolf. It yelped again.
Fiddle defensively poked his sword and dagger at the wolf. His horse rose and prepared to depart. Erin punched out again. Darian dismounted and clobbered the orc fighting Erin. This put his horse at his back and the other two orcs out of reach. Alya edged a little closer and sang a different tune. The orc moved aside. A blob of grease sailed into the background. Some of it did splatter the greataxe. The injured wolf turned to flee. Both Vlad and Fiddle stabbed it. The other wolf closed on Fiddle along with 2 axe wielding orcs. The third orc took a swing at Vlad. The other orcs took a swing at Darian's horse. Vlad rode his horse into combat opposite Fiddle. He used some fancy maneuvering to stab down on his opponent's back. The orc collapsed.
Fiddle defensively rolled to his right. He buried Lightning Strike into the wolf's chest. The creature died. Erin circled around the wall to flank Darian's orcs. He leapt the wall, almost. He caught his foot on the uneven battlements. He landed softly and tumbled. Darian waded into combat. He struck the unarmored orc. Alya finally decided to join the fracas. She fired an arrow into the naked orc. The combination of mace and arrow ended its life. One orc attacked Darian as the others attacked Fiddle. So far Fiddle was untouched. Darian had a deep gash. Vlad dismounted behind Darian's orc. Down went another one.
"I know how to stick you pigfaces," Vlad cried out.
Fiddle tumbled behind one of his orcs. Fighting was so close that the orc felt threaten by Darian also. It turned to watch Darian and missed Fiddle rolling past. Too late. Lightning Strike gutted him. Erin closed on the last orc and leapt into the air. From Fiddle's angle it looked like Erin had leapt over Vlad's horse. A flying kick landed squarely on the orc's jaw. It was just shaking it off when Darian struck it with his mace. Followed by an arrow in its chest from Alya. Nothing else stirred. Darian broke out the wand of healing from Lord Hawklin. He cast a few spells to heal the wounded. The others started to gather the coins, arms, and armor from the dead. Erin found a trail of blood from the mound entrance to the other side of a wall. Two naked mutilated humans with tattoos lay on the hillside. The tattoos stirred memories in Fiddle.
"They were Dragon Cultists," Fiddle said.
"What is the Cult of the Dragon?" Erin asked.
"Something we don't want to mess with," Darian answered. "They pervert Dragons and make them into Dracoliches."
Darian said a prayer over the slain. Fiddle examined the entrance to the mound. He pulled out a potion and downed it. He vanished almost from plain sight.
"Where'd he go?" Darian asked as he finished preparing the bodies.