D&D 5E (IC) Scourge of Daggerford

[FitzTheRuke]

The group quickly said their farewells to friends old and new, and made their way northward at a brisk march. Escella led the group along old forgotten roads and trails. Late in the afternoon, they came to the edge of a forest. It was evident that the woods had once been cleared for a noble's hunting ground, but its upkeep had been abandoned long ago. Rising above the trees was a lonely round hill, with an old trail that passed through the forest and wound up the hill's southern side. On top of the hill, the crumbling outer wall and a forty-foot tall tower was all that remained of Harpshield Castle.

At the edge of the forest, garding the trail, was a trio of orcs, watching the way. They were not particularly attentive, and would be easy enough to avoid (or murder).

Spoiler: Harpshield Environs Map

OOC: Notes on the Map: "Handar Lodge" is actually Nandar Lodge - a ruin that Escella has sometimes used as a campsite. It's about 3 hours hike West. "To Daggerford" is also to Floshin Estate. The PCs are currently around the "500 feet" scale marker. The orc guards (which I won't run a combat - if you want to kill them or pass them by, you just do) are where the trail meets the forest. The "Orc Camps" you don't know about (yet) but you will as soon as you get near them, so I don't mind the spoiler here.

 

[jmucchiello]

Escella points out the orc guards. "I say we take them out so we don't encounter them later with a dozen of their friends."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Tommi draws his rusty blade from its sheath, and with a flourish, spining Gutter around his wrist, launches himself at the guards. He knows he's faster than any of them if one should run. He hopes to take one out quickly, and separate the others.

 

[Prickly Pear]

Lionel recalls the horrors from the earlier encounter with the orcs and readies the crossbow to assist Tommi.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The Daggerfordians made quick work of the three orc guards who watched the trail through the woods. When the distasteful work was done, they were free to move forward, and they did so cautiously. As the forest gave way to the clearer land around the hill, they spied the first orc camp.

In a low-lying gully between the woods and the hill, orcs had set up an encampment: A circle of tents surrounded by a murky ditch lined with spikes. The tents flew a banner depicting a jagged scythe. A crowd of orcs stood in the center of the tent-circle, shouting as they encouraged two orcs in the middle, who were engaged in a vicious unarmed fight. Both were covered in mud, blood, and saliva, and appeared to be in it until one was dead and the other victorious.

Nearby, three giant war-pigs slept lazily in the mid-afternoon sun, while a dirty human man in rags worked to clean and replace their armour.

OOC: Like I said, I doubt that the guards would be worthwhile running through round-by-round. We'll move up a bit.

 

[jmucchiello]

OOC: Crowd? 10? 50? Tents? 5? 100?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Escella took a moment to count the orcs. Including the combatants, there seemed to be twenty-one. Judging by the size of the tents, it was possible that the camp could hold nearly twice that many. Either the others were at the castle, out hunting, or had been lost in the siege on Floshin Manor. There was also the possibility that they were inside the tents, but it seemed unlikely that very many would miss out on watching this combat, unless they were badly injured or exhausted.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Tommi examines the crowd, taking his time, hoping to identify a leader among the group. "Look -- there, that one. Do you figure that's the one in charge?" he asks in a whisper to anyone who will listen. "We can strike, quickly -- as soon as a winner is decided in that fight. We'll have surprise, cover.

"I should be able get round unnoticed and be in a position to stop any messenger that flees up that road. I should get a few shots off before that happens."

OOC: Insight: 1d20+9=16 (or 26 if with advantage from help or extra time)

 

[MetaVoid]

"Tommi, how about you charge now and stab him? Worked with the guards...after all, you know we will come to get you out so you can be reckless regardless of whom your actions hurt."
The elven priest had enough of this young human 'I'll live through this somehow' attitude

"Remember at the estate you ran off alone. What would happen to you if the druids hadn't come?"
Motioning toward the camp
"Let's say we surprise them and kill the leader. Let's say they don't have anyone who will take charge immediately. Let's even assume we kill half of those visible here before they strike back. What then? Is this the only camp around? How many are hunting or just resting out of sight? And don't forget we still have more orcs than us even in this group."
The priest huffs
"You don't fight orcs on their terms in the open. We look around, find a good spot for an ambush. Then we approach quietly and snipe at the leader and retreat. If they come after us, we lead them into an ambush. If not, we repeat the process until they come. And by the time we find the spot we'll know if there are others around. Now with guards missing we have to do it quickly. We could have just gone around them and planned properly."
Ending with another sigh
"I'm new in your group, but we did fight together earlier. I can heal, but those are finite resources. And healing will not help you if you're out of range or dead. And dead is better than orc captive, trust me."

@Kobold Stew nothing against you or the way you play Tommi, this is strictly IC comment of the older character

 

[Kobold Stew]

Tommi is relieved that Vairar wants to take command. After all, it was Vairar who had said

it is a mistake to leave the orcs to organise again. We hit them hard here, we could try and root them out for good while they're still reeling.

and advised to

keep the pressure on the orcs.

It was clear Tommi had misunderstood what he had meant. After all, Tommi was a scout, used to working on his own, and knew he was in over his head. They were here, now, because of the advice Vairar had given:

"I don't care about gnolls one way or the other. But if the orcs are on the run I guess I can go with you and check that out.

and Tommi had supported that idea so that the group would stay together.

It sounded to Tommi like they had proposed more or less the same thing -- to catch the leader by surprise and take him out while others were distracted, but Tommi knew he didn't have a mind to ask for corrections.

"Whatever you suggest, Vairar. You, or someone else, can tell me what you want me to do."