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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gina" data-source="post: 1640509" data-attributes="member: 10990">Rescuing the Farmer's WifeAugust 3rdMorning and again we were at the Longwood’s. Again, we were to be delayed in moving on toward Eaglesford and then Alder’s Look. Still, after a bit of discussion, we realized that we all were of one mind. The farmer’s wife DID need to be rescued and we were the only ones up to the task right now. So, we went to Jeren Elgon’s farm, leaving its owner in the care of Torsten’s mother and aunts. On our way to the farm, Thaile and Tieran noticed something odd about Mor’Elandi. He had a distortion of some sort above his head. After a few moments (during which none of US could see whatever they were discussing) they determined that it was a scrying sensor. Someone was watching us. Mor’Elandi was singularly unconcerned and pointed out that there was little we could do about it in any case. So, we moved on toward the farm where Mor’Elandi could pick up the trail of the orcs. He did pick up the trail in short order, determining that there had been five or six regular orcs, two or three ogres, and a few bugbears, but no more than three. They had taken many things from the house and the largest of the group had left carrying the woman, most likely. So, knowing that they had a good start on us, we moved on, following the trail. As we moved on we paused occasionally to let Mor’Elandi ensure that we were following the trail accurately. We felt that we were getting close, when out of nowhere, I felt a tremendous whoosh of wind hit me. It staggered me, doing a lot of damage in one strike! Tieran activated the orcish brooch and helpfully informed us that our windy friend was back. Lovely. I moved away and it hit me again. Between us, we managed to drive it off again. Well, more accurately, I looked for a place to hide while the others drove it off. After it was gone, we worked on getting me healed again and discussed the creature. It had said nothing to me, but then, it WAS pretty busy trying to reduce my new body to a paste. We wondered though if it is a wandering creature or if it has been summoned. We came to no conclusions and moved on, feeling an urgency to complete this mission before moving on. As we moved, we noted a few corpse ravens circling in the sky, very high. There were only two to be seen though and they were quite far away. Mor’Elandi moved forward, ahead of us to scout. He found the orcish raiders, about 300 yards ahead, camped in a clearing. He could hear them talking and laughing. Mor'Elandi gave us a description of where they were and a general layout of the camp after we moved back to prepare ourselves for battle. I gave myself and Torsten each a Bull’s Strength spell, then gave myself a call lightning and a magic whacking stick, deciding to wait to enlarge until we were closer to the fight. Then, we began to sneak toward the encampment. We managed to get pretty close before we were noticed by one of their patrols. Mor’Elandi threw out an Entangle spell, while I sent a Briar Web to another small group of them. Tieran augmented the Briar Web with a Black Tenticles spell, effectively taking three of the orcs out of the battle. Torsten rushed in to engage the two enormous ogres. One of them began singing as he moved toward the fray. A singing ogre, well, that was JUST what we needed to make our day complete! Mor’Elandi and Thaile set themselves up to pick the orcs off with arrows. Torsten had rushed into battle with the two ogres, one of the guards was moving toward Tieran who was off by himself somewhere in the back and I was moving forward, preparing to move into battle. Kytum-up moved forward to engage the patrolling orc, intercepting him before he got too close to Tieran.  Tieran got the two large ogres and part of the tent in a fireball. A moment later, the singing mercifully stopped as Torsten took down the orcish bard. The other was still there though and he looked injured, but still menacing. He took a lightning bolt and looked a little worse after that. The flap of the now-burning tent opened and a dog came running out. It looked rather fiendish and it went straight for Mor’Elandi, but was unable to attack him as he had the foresight to have a Protection from Evil active upon himself. So, the dog followed him, snapping and snarling, but unable to attack. The large ogre was hard to take down and it took some time. During the battle, once things were under control, I espied a figure exiting the tent, carrying a human shaped bundle. It was the farmer’s wife, still struggling feebly. I moved closer, being able to move through the forest more easily than the others and nearly caught up to him. He kept running, I pursued, reaching him and whacking him a good one. He dropped the woman and tried to flee. Lightning bolts dropped him soon enough. The woman was injured and had been abused most horribly. The orcs had raped her, repeatedly it seemed. As I looked at her, I understood more than I had before why Reena’s mother cannot bear to look at her. The poor woman’s clothing was in tatters, most of it gone. I pulled out some clothing for her to dress in as Thaile and Mor’Elandi arrived to help tend to her, the rest of the orcs dispatched. Her eyes were awful to look at, quiet sobbing the only sound she made. We burned the orc bodies and got the farmer’s wife and ourselves healed as much as we could. I wonder at her mental state, she doesn’t speak, doesn’t seem to react to anything. I worry about her and what will happen to her. I feel terribly sorry for her and her ordeal. If we had gone after her last night, perhaps we might have saved her this horror. We traveled back to the Longwood’s, intending to go on to Eaglesford the next day. When we arrived at the farm, Thaile stayed with the woman and I went to speak to her husband, trying to explain what had happened to her, asking that he be gentle and patient with her. When she went to him, he patted her awkwardly. I still fear for her sanity. I wish there was something I could do for her. That evening, we saw corpse ravens flying above. None were directly above the farm. James Longwood thinks that they were near Keproc. I wonder if Keproc is part of the “Orcish Homeland”.</blockquote>

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