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<blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1693" data-attributes="member: 202"><p><strong>Keep of the Borderlands -part fourteen (session 3)</strong></p><p></p><p>Milo and Brigit readied their oil bombs and sneaked up the northern passage. Jeremiah and Mazi would wait for the chaos from the oil to break out before they'd rush in from the eastern passage. Just as Milo suspected the tunnel to the east of the second intersection came back down into the fortified orc cavern. Brigit was surprisingly quiet in her full plate, but they both knew that the orcs would hear them coming. </p><p></p><p>They burst into the room and tossed their flaming oil. Milo's oil broke on the center orc behind the northern table before the creature could react. The oil spread from the glass flask and caught fire immediately. The room was filled with the scent of burning orc flesh. Brigit's toss was hampered by her armor, the oil fell to the side of the table, inadvertently causing a flaming barrier between the orcs and the group. Mazi and Jeremiah made their entrance with their bow's firing. The general confusion caused by the flames allowed Mazi to pick an easy target. Her arrow flew into one of the orcs behind the southern table, killing it immediately. Jeremiah's own arrow made a dull "thunk" as it sunk into the wood of the table. </p><p></p><p>The orcs behind the front lines were in confusion, their leader tried to rally them. The flaming orc behind the table had the presence of mind to drop onto the ground in an attempt to put itself out. The five other porcine beasts behind the tables lobbed their spears at the adventurers. The missile intended for Brigit fell pitifully short, the orc throwing it was still distracted by its burning compatriot. Three spears were aimed at Jeremiah. Two of the missiles struck him. He grunted at the impact and took a moment to pull the spears out. Milo winced inwardly when he saw the wounds that were left. Mazi dodged the spear meant for her as she drew another arrow from her quiver. Two more spears flew towards the elf, catching her by surprise. She cried out involuntarily as the short spears struck her. One grazed her side but the other pierced her shoulder. She pulled the spear out and readied her bow again. Two spears each flew at Brigit and Jeremiah. The metal spear-tips clanked harmlessly off Brigit's armor. Jeremiah was hit again, taking another spear in his thigh. He roared as he pulled the spear from his flesh, yet he continued to advance.</p><p></p><p>Brigit was near the northern table and figured that if the orcs could take advantage of cover, she could too. She dropped her bow and slid out her ax, the head glinted in the firelight. Brigit moved next to the table and used the partial cover to ready her next attack against her hated enemy. Jeremiah strode forward, also dropping his bow. His greatsword made an audible scrape as he drew it out of the scabbard on his back. Milo fired off the crossbow that he had switched from his offhand. The bolt struck the closest orc behind the table, causing it to gurgle as it slumped forward over the side of its protective barrier. Mazithra let her arrow fly at another orc behind the southern table. Her aim remained true as the arrow created a nasty chest wound in her target. It gurgled as it slumped to the floor, dead.</p><p></p><p>The party's fierce assault had momentarily confused the orcs. Only one combatant lay in reach due to the burning oil on the ground though. Three orcs attacked Jeremiah. One of them was the slightly burnt orc from behind the table. Growling in rage it hurled its spear at the hulking barbarian. The flying missile shattered on the far wall, the force behind it immense, but poorly aimed. Two of the orcs from the group beyond the tables pressed in to attack Jeremiah. His swinging sword repelled them. It almost seemed thirsty for orc blood. One more spear flew through the air, this one aimed at the elf. Mazi neatly sidestepped the weapon as it slowly arced through the air to clatter to the floor. She had reached the relative cover of the table.</p><p></p><p>Jeremiah was filled with an inner fire. His rage was building slowly from the wound he received and it finally broke through the surface. He roared a loud battle cry, almost causing the orcs before him to cower. Jer swung his sword with such blind ferocity that the blade could be heard to slice through the air. Unfortunately no orcs felt its bite, but chunks of stone flew from the impact it made in the floor. Jeremiah was forced to pause in his berserk, recovering his tenuous grasp of the hilt from the vibrations caused by the blow. By then the fire had died down and Brigit moved into the gap. She attacked the orc closest to her. The huge waraxe easily found purchase in the orc's body, spilling its lifeblood. Milo took careful aim at the blackened orc from his earlier attack. His quarrel pierced its flesh, causing it enough damage to fall. On the south side of the room Mazi pulled her bowstring taut, another arrow knocked. The missile whistled through the air before sinking deep between the eyes of her enemy. The orc fell without a sound from the critical attack.</p><p></p><p>The two orcs facing Jeremiah attacked again. One made it past his rage-weakened defense and inflicted a horrible wound with its spear. Jeremiah bellowed at the beast, not even showing his pain. This seemed to cause a reaction in the rear of the orcs. The orc leader bellowed a similar shout, almost as if in challenge of the raging barbarian. Milo noticed quite a bit of frothy spittle beginning to drip from the orc's mouth. He worried for Jeremiah, the orc leader appeared to be a berserker as well! To Jeremiah's right Brigit blocked a spear thrust with her shield and pulled her axe back for a vicious blow. To the left of the barbarian Mazi used the cover of the table to defend herself from the spear thrusts of the orc beyond her. More of the orcs pressed in, as well as the raging leader and his concubine.</p><p></p><p>Milo found another target past the table, his bolt grazing the orc's face. It didn't seem to notice, focusing solely on the berserker attacking its tribe. Mazi fired her arrow at her would-be attacker, making the point blank shot look easy. The orc was thrown back a foot or so from the force of the arrow before it fell to the ground. Brigit completed her back swing and carried straight through the orc before her. The ax bit through the air mere centimeters before the next orc's nose. It caused the beast to pause in its advance for a moment. Milo shouted at Jeremiah, trying to penetrate the battle-induced haze that had come over him. "Step back and drink a potion Jeremiah! You're bleeding to death!" He could only hope the barbarian understood him. Jeremiah looked slightly dazed, his arms still quivering slightly from the vibrations of his earlier fumble.</p><p></p><p>Only two orcs were within range of the party now. One thrust its spear at Brigit, finding nothing but shield. The other attempted to take advantage of Jeremiah's hesitation. Jeremiah wasn't too dazed to dodge the clumsy attack. He took a half step back as the spear came at him, arching his back so it fell short of his stomach. The shouted warning from Milo seemed to have sunk in. The berserking orc and its concubines moved to the front of the battle but were unable to quite reach the combatants. The raging orc bellowed again, completely unintelligible to even Brigit, who understood their guttural language.</p><p></p><p>Jeremiah fished into his pack as he completed his wary retreat. In a second he had quaffed a healing draught. He then made to pick up his discarded bow. Milo was amazed at his friend's self-control. He knew what the battle lust did to Jeremiah. It was impressive to see the barbarian withdraw to fight from a distance. Milo fired off his own ranged attack, aiming for the orc he had already wounded. The bolt flew with precision, scoring a similar mark to Mazithra's earlier arrow between the eyes. Milo grinned over to her in satisfaction. He watched as she released her bowstring. Her arrow soared towards the raging orc. It passed by, ricocheting off the wall to fall unnoticed at the floor. The angry beast didn't even realize it had been attacked. One of the orcs approached the table Milo was hiding behind as he loaded his crossbow. He was unaware of the danger as he crouched behind the barrier. Brigit attempted to end the threat but her ax swing was dodged by the wary orc at the last moment.</p><p></p><p>The raging orc reached Brigit and brought its longsword to bear. The massive orc made a huge vertical blow cutting through the air as Jeremiah had moments ago. Brigit was not there, she moved swiftly despite her heavy armor. More chunks of stone flew up from the impact of the orc's blow. This time the blade was stuck in a crack on the stone floor. The berserking orc wrenched at the sword, attempting to dislodge it. Near the orc leader the beast behind the table stabbed its spear over the top. Milo didn't see the blow coming as it pierced his shoulder deeply. His instincts reacted immediately and he dropped down further before rolling to the side away from his enemy. He left a red smudge on the ground where his wound came in contact with the stone. Milo nearly rolled into the attack of one of the orc leader's concubines. He narrowly dodged the female orc's spear thrust, swearing at his inattentiveness.</p><p></p><p>Milo quickly fired off a shot at the female. He was surprised by her agility as she dodged the bolt. A smile spread across her grotesque features. Jeremiah had reached his bow and he picked it up while drawing an arrow from his quiver. He looked up to chose a target, his eyes falling to rest on the leader. As he watched, the berserking orc pulled its sword from the ground and jumped back right before Brigit's ax made contact with its torso. On the other side of Brigit was Mazi, aiming her bow now at the orc leader. Her arrow missed its mark however, the orc once again displaying remarkable speed as it dodged the missile.</p><p></p><p>All three orc concubines had made it to the front. All three attacked different combatants. One focused on Milo along with the last remaining orc guard. Milo moved nimbly, avoiding their spear thrusts with halfling grace. The other two focused on Brigit and Mazi, neither landing their blows. The leader started forward again. It roared a challenging war cry as it lifted its sword above its head. </p><p></p><p>Jeremiah switched targets, realizing that the orc leader could be taken down easier without its concubines cluttering the battlefield. His arrow pierced the concubine attacking Milo, almost running straight through. The orc concubine died before it hit the floor. Brigit attacked the approaching berserker, her ax finally biting into its skin. The orc bellowed again and continued its approach. Mazi and Milo were unsuccessful in their attacks, both of their missiles flying past the intended targets to shatter or ricochet off the far wall. Halfling and elven curses could be heard as they drew more shafts to reload.</p><p></p><p>The orc leader completed its swing at Brigit, somehow clearing her shield. The blow struck her hard, inflicting great pain to the dwarf. Brigit gritted her teeth and set her shield before her, preparing to swing her own blow at the raging beast. The last concubine attacked Mazithra past the table, but was unable to get past the cover of the table. The orc attacking Milo had a similar problem. Its spear didn't have enough reach to tag him as he moved swiftly around the table.</p><p></p><p>Mazithra pulled back her bowstring and let an arrow fly at the concubine facing her. She scored a glancing hit as the arrow sliced past the orc. Near her Brigit swung her ax at the orc leader, again biting into the beast's flesh. The orc raged on, almost oblivious to the pain. Behind Brigit, Jeremiah loosed his own arrow at the last orc facing Milo. The arrowhead sunk deep into its chest and Milo was no longer threatened. He decided to take advantage of the gap created by the dead orc. Milo tumbled past the raging leader and spun about to fire his crossbow. He may have landed a bolt if the weapon did not snag on a rock protrusion. The crossbow was ripped out of his hand as he spun about. Milo cursed again. </p><p></p><p>Now only two orcs remained, the raging leader and his last concubine. The orc female thrust her spear at Mazi. She used the partial cover of the table to her extreme advantage, ducking and weaving around the orc's thrusts. The leader put all its force behind a thrust of its sword at Brigit. The point pierced a thin portion of her armor, wounding her badly. Brigit did not cry out though, she reached down with a gauntleted hand and forcefully withdrew the blade from the joint in her shoulder where the orc found a weakness. Her strength was impressive as she pushed the orc back a fraction while removing the blade. </p><p></p><p>Brigit was furious, nearly raging herself. She brought her dwarven waraxe around in a horizontal slash, nearly laying the orc leader's belly open. She could tell the ax met muscle though, and a grim smile spread across her face. Mazithra and Jeremiah let their arrows fly almost simultaneously. Mazi found that the partial cover that served her so well worked in reverse too. Her arrow missed the bobbing and weaving orc concubine. Jeremiah's arrow flew past the wounded orc leader, barely missing the beast's shoulder. Milo had finally recovered his crossbow and finished reloading it, he took a moment to aim at the back of the raging orc.</p><p></p><p>The concubine thrust its spear at Mazi again. The orc was unable to overcome the table and Mazi's graceful dodging. Mazi was in rare form as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and knocked it to the string, all the while avoiding the spear aimed at her. The orc leader took another swing at the stout dwarf. It was obvious that it was weakening as its blow fell short of Brigit. The dwarf's grim smile widened as she gripped the haft of her ax, preparing to cut down the berserking leader.</p><p></p><p>She didn't get the chance as Milo's careful aim paid off. His crossbow bolt punctured the orc leader's lung from behind. It rasped a weak sound before toppling to the ground. The orc's concubine wailed before it was cut short by Mazithra's arrow, silencing the grotesque female forever. Milo stood from his stable crouch and let out a ragged sigh. Even with tactics and strategy this battle was close. All four of them had taken a lot of punishment, but they were all standing and none of the orcs lived. </p><p></p><p>Milo surveyed the damage to his companions. Wounds greeted him everywhere he looked. He was grateful for his healing spells. He used all of them in a short space and stopped most of the bleeding. Milo was unable to bring any of them back up to complete health, but they all looked much better than they had a few moments before he started. </p><p></p><p>The group set about the corpses, looking for valuables. Quite a bit of silver was found on many of the bodies, over ninety pieces all told. The orc leader also carried a ring and some gold in a pouch at its belt. They stowed the ring for future examination. Two passages led out the back of the room. The party decided to investigate further. The fight had exhilarated them and Milo's healing bolstered their morale. They were also eager to find the cups before the undead army reached the Keep. Milo hated undead, really.</p><p></p><p>A short tunnel led to the orc's warrens. The leader's brood was here, along with smaller females. Brigit wasted no time in dispatching the evil spawn. She worked methodically, ridding the caves of one orc at a time. Once she was finished the group set about searching the room. Nothing was found in the warrens so they decided to check down the other passages.</p><p></p><p>Milo led them to the second intersection and they moved cautiously down the passage to the west. No reinforcements came during the battle, but they weren't going to assume that no orcs were left. After a few paces past the intersection another hallway branched to the south. Milo investigated it quickly. It ended in a curtained opening. He drew the curtain to the side carefully and found an empty alcove. A hole in the wall was all that he could see. Jeremiah looked through the hole and found that he could see the entrance to the cavern. He related the fact to the others. They deduced that they were on the other side of the grisly display of heads. If one were to put his or her head through the hole no one would be able to pick it out easily, making it a perfect vantagepoint for spying. It was no wonder to the adventurers that the orcs knew they were coming so quickly.</p><p></p><p>The group returned to the main passage and followed it up a slope to another intersection. They decided to continue on through the main passage before investigating the northern branch. The tunnel ended in a stout wooden door. Milo motioned the others back and checked the portal for traps. There were none he could detect and the door was unlocked. He signaled Jeremiah to move up and kick in the door, making sure that all had their weapons ready. The room was devoid of life, but was full of supplies. They found spears and other weapons as well as crossbow bolts. Milo picked out enough to restock his supply and the party finished searching the room. Besides some mediocre weapons there was nothing of value there. </p><p></p><p>The group made there way back to the northern branch of the last intersection and found a shallow alcove. Brigit ran expert fingers over the stone, sensing something different about a portion of the wall. She found a loose stone that covered a sizable niche. Inside was a small flask of liquid and what appeared to be a parchment tube. Milo inspected the flask and determined it to be a healing draught. Brigit took the potion back from him and downed it in one gulp. Her wounds were still the most severe and none in the party argued with her. She sighed contentedly as the potion restored even more strength to her limbs. Meanwhile Mazi was inspecting the contents of the tube. She declared the scroll inside to be a powerful fire spell. She stowed the scroll in her pack while mumbling something about "To cast or scribe, that is the question."</p><p></p><p>Mazi decided that the shield that the orc leader had used would serve her well. She told the others that she'd like to go back and retrieve the large metal shield before they explored any more of the cavern. They trooped back into the main room, the bodies of the orcs still lie where they left them. For some reason that comforted the group. At least none were shambling about undead or worse yet, disappeared completely. Mazi lifted the shield from where it fell after the berserker's death. She remarked on how light and easy to wield the shield was. </p><p></p><p>Milo reminded them that there was one more passage to investigate. The four headed back to the cavern entrance and continued past to the west. This tunnel ended in another alcove, this one with furniture and tapestries. One thing caught Milo's eye though, a chest in the corner. He moved quickly to its location and immediately set about searching it for traps. After he found none he used his small lock picks to work the lock. With a satisfying click the lid opened and a mass of coins greeted his eyes. Another good haul, he thought to himself before motioning the others over to see. While he was working on the chest they had found two suits of chainmail. One was dwarven sized while the other would fit a human. Consideration was given to equipping Jeremiah with the chain, but the decision was put off until later.</p><p></p><p>The group was exhausted. By then the excitement from the battle had worn off and the pain from their wounds had hit. It didn't take long for them to agree to find a camping ground and rest for the night. They were slightly disappointed in the fact that the cups were still at large, but mostly heartened by their hard won victory over the orcs. Especially Brigit, once they trooped out of the cavern and found a clearing in the forest nearby, she could be found carving small tick marks in the back of her shield. Milo guessed she was tallying off the body count from their most recent battle. </p><p></p><p>The adventurers set up watch with Brigit first, Milo second, Jeremiah third, and Mazithra last. Before they slept Milo asked Mazi to cast her magic detection cantrip on the items they had found. To their surprise her shield glowed with a similar light to his magic dagger. They figured that this explained its uncharacteristic lightness. Mazi was even more pleased with her decision to keep the shield. Night fell uneventfully as they settled down to rest.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Milo Windby, post: 1693, member: 202"] [b]Keep of the Borderlands -part fourteen (session 3)[/b] Milo and Brigit readied their oil bombs and sneaked up the northern passage. Jeremiah and Mazi would wait for the chaos from the oil to break out before they'd rush in from the eastern passage. Just as Milo suspected the tunnel to the east of the second intersection came back down into the fortified orc cavern. Brigit was surprisingly quiet in her full plate, but they both knew that the orcs would hear them coming. They burst into the room and tossed their flaming oil. Milo's oil broke on the center orc behind the northern table before the creature could react. The oil spread from the glass flask and caught fire immediately. The room was filled with the scent of burning orc flesh. Brigit's toss was hampered by her armor, the oil fell to the side of the table, inadvertently causing a flaming barrier between the orcs and the group. Mazi and Jeremiah made their entrance with their bow's firing. The general confusion caused by the flames allowed Mazi to pick an easy target. Her arrow flew into one of the orcs behind the southern table, killing it immediately. Jeremiah's own arrow made a dull "thunk" as it sunk into the wood of the table. The orcs behind the front lines were in confusion, their leader tried to rally them. The flaming orc behind the table had the presence of mind to drop onto the ground in an attempt to put itself out. The five other porcine beasts behind the tables lobbed their spears at the adventurers. The missile intended for Brigit fell pitifully short, the orc throwing it was still distracted by its burning compatriot. Three spears were aimed at Jeremiah. Two of the missiles struck him. He grunted at the impact and took a moment to pull the spears out. Milo winced inwardly when he saw the wounds that were left. Mazi dodged the spear meant for her as she drew another arrow from her quiver. Two more spears flew towards the elf, catching her by surprise. She cried out involuntarily as the short spears struck her. One grazed her side but the other pierced her shoulder. She pulled the spear out and readied her bow again. Two spears each flew at Brigit and Jeremiah. The metal spear-tips clanked harmlessly off Brigit's armor. Jeremiah was hit again, taking another spear in his thigh. He roared as he pulled the spear from his flesh, yet he continued to advance. Brigit was near the northern table and figured that if the orcs could take advantage of cover, she could too. She dropped her bow and slid out her ax, the head glinted in the firelight. Brigit moved next to the table and used the partial cover to ready her next attack against her hated enemy. Jeremiah strode forward, also dropping his bow. His greatsword made an audible scrape as he drew it out of the scabbard on his back. Milo fired off the crossbow that he had switched from his offhand. The bolt struck the closest orc behind the table, causing it to gurgle as it slumped forward over the side of its protective barrier. Mazithra let her arrow fly at another orc behind the southern table. Her aim remained true as the arrow created a nasty chest wound in her target. It gurgled as it slumped to the floor, dead. The party's fierce assault had momentarily confused the orcs. Only one combatant lay in reach due to the burning oil on the ground though. Three orcs attacked Jeremiah. One of them was the slightly burnt orc from behind the table. Growling in rage it hurled its spear at the hulking barbarian. The flying missile shattered on the far wall, the force behind it immense, but poorly aimed. Two of the orcs from the group beyond the tables pressed in to attack Jeremiah. His swinging sword repelled them. It almost seemed thirsty for orc blood. One more spear flew through the air, this one aimed at the elf. Mazi neatly sidestepped the weapon as it slowly arced through the air to clatter to the floor. She had reached the relative cover of the table. Jeremiah was filled with an inner fire. His rage was building slowly from the wound he received and it finally broke through the surface. He roared a loud battle cry, almost causing the orcs before him to cower. Jer swung his sword with such blind ferocity that the blade could be heard to slice through the air. Unfortunately no orcs felt its bite, but chunks of stone flew from the impact it made in the floor. Jeremiah was forced to pause in his berserk, recovering his tenuous grasp of the hilt from the vibrations caused by the blow. By then the fire had died down and Brigit moved into the gap. She attacked the orc closest to her. The huge waraxe easily found purchase in the orc's body, spilling its lifeblood. Milo took careful aim at the blackened orc from his earlier attack. His quarrel pierced its flesh, causing it enough damage to fall. On the south side of the room Mazi pulled her bowstring taut, another arrow knocked. The missile whistled through the air before sinking deep between the eyes of her enemy. The orc fell without a sound from the critical attack. The two orcs facing Jeremiah attacked again. One made it past his rage-weakened defense and inflicted a horrible wound with its spear. Jeremiah bellowed at the beast, not even showing his pain. This seemed to cause a reaction in the rear of the orcs. The orc leader bellowed a similar shout, almost as if in challenge of the raging barbarian. Milo noticed quite a bit of frothy spittle beginning to drip from the orc's mouth. He worried for Jeremiah, the orc leader appeared to be a berserker as well! To Jeremiah's right Brigit blocked a spear thrust with her shield and pulled her axe back for a vicious blow. To the left of the barbarian Mazi used the cover of the table to defend herself from the spear thrusts of the orc beyond her. More of the orcs pressed in, as well as the raging leader and his concubine. Milo found another target past the table, his bolt grazing the orc's face. It didn't seem to notice, focusing solely on the berserker attacking its tribe. Mazi fired her arrow at her would-be attacker, making the point blank shot look easy. The orc was thrown back a foot or so from the force of the arrow before it fell to the ground. Brigit completed her back swing and carried straight through the orc before her. The ax bit through the air mere centimeters before the next orc's nose. It caused the beast to pause in its advance for a moment. Milo shouted at Jeremiah, trying to penetrate the battle-induced haze that had come over him. "Step back and drink a potion Jeremiah! You're bleeding to death!" He could only hope the barbarian understood him. Jeremiah looked slightly dazed, his arms still quivering slightly from the vibrations of his earlier fumble. Only two orcs were within range of the party now. One thrust its spear at Brigit, finding nothing but shield. The other attempted to take advantage of Jeremiah's hesitation. Jeremiah wasn't too dazed to dodge the clumsy attack. He took a half step back as the spear came at him, arching his back so it fell short of his stomach. The shouted warning from Milo seemed to have sunk in. The berserking orc and its concubines moved to the front of the battle but were unable to quite reach the combatants. The raging orc bellowed again, completely unintelligible to even Brigit, who understood their guttural language. Jeremiah fished into his pack as he completed his wary retreat. In a second he had quaffed a healing draught. He then made to pick up his discarded bow. Milo was amazed at his friend's self-control. He knew what the battle lust did to Jeremiah. It was impressive to see the barbarian withdraw to fight from a distance. Milo fired off his own ranged attack, aiming for the orc he had already wounded. The bolt flew with precision, scoring a similar mark to Mazithra's earlier arrow between the eyes. Milo grinned over to her in satisfaction. He watched as she released her bowstring. Her arrow soared towards the raging orc. It passed by, ricocheting off the wall to fall unnoticed at the floor. The angry beast didn't even realize it had been attacked. One of the orcs approached the table Milo was hiding behind as he loaded his crossbow. He was unaware of the danger as he crouched behind the barrier. Brigit attempted to end the threat but her ax swing was dodged by the wary orc at the last moment. The raging orc reached Brigit and brought its longsword to bear. The massive orc made a huge vertical blow cutting through the air as Jeremiah had moments ago. Brigit was not there, she moved swiftly despite her heavy armor. More chunks of stone flew up from the impact of the orc's blow. This time the blade was stuck in a crack on the stone floor. The berserking orc wrenched at the sword, attempting to dislodge it. Near the orc leader the beast behind the table stabbed its spear over the top. Milo didn't see the blow coming as it pierced his shoulder deeply. His instincts reacted immediately and he dropped down further before rolling to the side away from his enemy. He left a red smudge on the ground where his wound came in contact with the stone. Milo nearly rolled into the attack of one of the orc leader's concubines. He narrowly dodged the female orc's spear thrust, swearing at his inattentiveness. Milo quickly fired off a shot at the female. He was surprised by her agility as she dodged the bolt. A smile spread across her grotesque features. Jeremiah had reached his bow and he picked it up while drawing an arrow from his quiver. He looked up to chose a target, his eyes falling to rest on the leader. As he watched, the berserking orc pulled its sword from the ground and jumped back right before Brigit's ax made contact with its torso. On the other side of Brigit was Mazi, aiming her bow now at the orc leader. Her arrow missed its mark however, the orc once again displaying remarkable speed as it dodged the missile. All three orc concubines had made it to the front. All three attacked different combatants. One focused on Milo along with the last remaining orc guard. Milo moved nimbly, avoiding their spear thrusts with halfling grace. The other two focused on Brigit and Mazi, neither landing their blows. The leader started forward again. It roared a challenging war cry as it lifted its sword above its head. Jeremiah switched targets, realizing that the orc leader could be taken down easier without its concubines cluttering the battlefield. His arrow pierced the concubine attacking Milo, almost running straight through. The orc concubine died before it hit the floor. Brigit attacked the approaching berserker, her ax finally biting into its skin. The orc bellowed again and continued its approach. Mazi and Milo were unsuccessful in their attacks, both of their missiles flying past the intended targets to shatter or ricochet off the far wall. Halfling and elven curses could be heard as they drew more shafts to reload. The orc leader completed its swing at Brigit, somehow clearing her shield. The blow struck her hard, inflicting great pain to the dwarf. Brigit gritted her teeth and set her shield before her, preparing to swing her own blow at the raging beast. The last concubine attacked Mazithra past the table, but was unable to get past the cover of the table. The orc attacking Milo had a similar problem. Its spear didn't have enough reach to tag him as he moved swiftly around the table. Mazithra pulled back her bowstring and let an arrow fly at the concubine facing her. She scored a glancing hit as the arrow sliced past the orc. Near her Brigit swung her ax at the orc leader, again biting into the beast's flesh. The orc raged on, almost oblivious to the pain. Behind Brigit, Jeremiah loosed his own arrow at the last orc facing Milo. The arrowhead sunk deep into its chest and Milo was no longer threatened. He decided to take advantage of the gap created by the dead orc. Milo tumbled past the raging leader and spun about to fire his crossbow. He may have landed a bolt if the weapon did not snag on a rock protrusion. The crossbow was ripped out of his hand as he spun about. Milo cursed again. Now only two orcs remained, the raging leader and his last concubine. The orc female thrust her spear at Mazi. She used the partial cover of the table to her extreme advantage, ducking and weaving around the orc's thrusts. The leader put all its force behind a thrust of its sword at Brigit. The point pierced a thin portion of her armor, wounding her badly. Brigit did not cry out though, she reached down with a gauntleted hand and forcefully withdrew the blade from the joint in her shoulder where the orc found a weakness. Her strength was impressive as she pushed the orc back a fraction while removing the blade. Brigit was furious, nearly raging herself. She brought her dwarven waraxe around in a horizontal slash, nearly laying the orc leader's belly open. She could tell the ax met muscle though, and a grim smile spread across her face. Mazithra and Jeremiah let their arrows fly almost simultaneously. Mazi found that the partial cover that served her so well worked in reverse too. Her arrow missed the bobbing and weaving orc concubine. Jeremiah's arrow flew past the wounded orc leader, barely missing the beast's shoulder. Milo had finally recovered his crossbow and finished reloading it, he took a moment to aim at the back of the raging orc. The concubine thrust its spear at Mazi again. The orc was unable to overcome the table and Mazi's graceful dodging. Mazi was in rare form as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and knocked it to the string, all the while avoiding the spear aimed at her. The orc leader took another swing at the stout dwarf. It was obvious that it was weakening as its blow fell short of Brigit. The dwarf's grim smile widened as she gripped the haft of her ax, preparing to cut down the berserking leader. She didn't get the chance as Milo's careful aim paid off. His crossbow bolt punctured the orc leader's lung from behind. It rasped a weak sound before toppling to the ground. The orc's concubine wailed before it was cut short by Mazithra's arrow, silencing the grotesque female forever. Milo stood from his stable crouch and let out a ragged sigh. Even with tactics and strategy this battle was close. All four of them had taken a lot of punishment, but they were all standing and none of the orcs lived. Milo surveyed the damage to his companions. Wounds greeted him everywhere he looked. He was grateful for his healing spells. He used all of them in a short space and stopped most of the bleeding. Milo was unable to bring any of them back up to complete health, but they all looked much better than they had a few moments before he started. The group set about the corpses, looking for valuables. Quite a bit of silver was found on many of the bodies, over ninety pieces all told. The orc leader also carried a ring and some gold in a pouch at its belt. They stowed the ring for future examination. Two passages led out the back of the room. The party decided to investigate further. The fight had exhilarated them and Milo's healing bolstered their morale. They were also eager to find the cups before the undead army reached the Keep. Milo hated undead, really. A short tunnel led to the orc's warrens. The leader's brood was here, along with smaller females. Brigit wasted no time in dispatching the evil spawn. She worked methodically, ridding the caves of one orc at a time. Once she was finished the group set about searching the room. Nothing was found in the warrens so they decided to check down the other passages. Milo led them to the second intersection and they moved cautiously down the passage to the west. No reinforcements came during the battle, but they weren't going to assume that no orcs were left. After a few paces past the intersection another hallway branched to the south. Milo investigated it quickly. It ended in a curtained opening. He drew the curtain to the side carefully and found an empty alcove. A hole in the wall was all that he could see. Jeremiah looked through the hole and found that he could see the entrance to the cavern. He related the fact to the others. They deduced that they were on the other side of the grisly display of heads. If one were to put his or her head through the hole no one would be able to pick it out easily, making it a perfect vantagepoint for spying. It was no wonder to the adventurers that the orcs knew they were coming so quickly. The group returned to the main passage and followed it up a slope to another intersection. They decided to continue on through the main passage before investigating the northern branch. The tunnel ended in a stout wooden door. Milo motioned the others back and checked the portal for traps. There were none he could detect and the door was unlocked. He signaled Jeremiah to move up and kick in the door, making sure that all had their weapons ready. The room was devoid of life, but was full of supplies. They found spears and other weapons as well as crossbow bolts. Milo picked out enough to restock his supply and the party finished searching the room. Besides some mediocre weapons there was nothing of value there. The group made there way back to the northern branch of the last intersection and found a shallow alcove. Brigit ran expert fingers over the stone, sensing something different about a portion of the wall. She found a loose stone that covered a sizable niche. Inside was a small flask of liquid and what appeared to be a parchment tube. Milo inspected the flask and determined it to be a healing draught. Brigit took the potion back from him and downed it in one gulp. Her wounds were still the most severe and none in the party argued with her. She sighed contentedly as the potion restored even more strength to her limbs. Meanwhile Mazi was inspecting the contents of the tube. She declared the scroll inside to be a powerful fire spell. She stowed the scroll in her pack while mumbling something about "To cast or scribe, that is the question." Mazi decided that the shield that the orc leader had used would serve her well. She told the others that she'd like to go back and retrieve the large metal shield before they explored any more of the cavern. They trooped back into the main room, the bodies of the orcs still lie where they left them. For some reason that comforted the group. At least none were shambling about undead or worse yet, disappeared completely. Mazi lifted the shield from where it fell after the berserker's death. She remarked on how light and easy to wield the shield was. Milo reminded them that there was one more passage to investigate. The four headed back to the cavern entrance and continued past to the west. This tunnel ended in another alcove, this one with furniture and tapestries. One thing caught Milo's eye though, a chest in the corner. He moved quickly to its location and immediately set about searching it for traps. After he found none he used his small lock picks to work the lock. With a satisfying click the lid opened and a mass of coins greeted his eyes. Another good haul, he thought to himself before motioning the others over to see. While he was working on the chest they had found two suits of chainmail. One was dwarven sized while the other would fit a human. Consideration was given to equipping Jeremiah with the chain, but the decision was put off until later. The group was exhausted. By then the excitement from the battle had worn off and the pain from their wounds had hit. It didn't take long for them to agree to find a camping ground and rest for the night. They were slightly disappointed in the fact that the cups were still at large, but mostly heartened by their hard won victory over the orcs. Especially Brigit, once they trooped out of the cavern and found a clearing in the forest nearby, she could be found carving small tick marks in the back of her shield. Milo guessed she was tallying off the body count from their most recent battle. The adventurers set up watch with Brigit first, Milo second, Jeremiah third, and Mazithra last. Before they slept Milo asked Mazi to cast her magic detection cantrip on the items they had found. To their surprise her shield glowed with a similar light to his magic dagger. They figured that this explained its uncharacteristic lightness. Mazi was even more pleased with her decision to keep the shield. Night fell uneventfully as they settled down to rest. [/QUOTE]
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Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour
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