Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1799778" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 238Dannel continued his barrage against the orc archers along the ridge of cliffs that surrounded the plateau.  At that extreme range, and hindered by the bright light of the late afternoon sun, they had yet to score a hit.  But even though most of them had sought out cover, the elf continued to score hits.  But even though almost a half-dozen of them had been taken out by his shots, there were easily twice that number left along the ridge, and it was clear that many times more that number were coming through the defile.  Zenna watched the entrance of the defile intensely, wishing she could see what was happening.  She had a spell that could allow her to see across the intervening distance, but it would take a long time to cast, minutes that they just didn’t have.  Already the first orcs had emerged onto the plateau, and they were spreading out, some pausing to fire arrows uselessly at the dug-in companions.  Mole twisted back deeper into the crevice, trying to stay as clear as possible of the sticky strands that had penetrated back into her avenue of retreat.  The shaman had conjured up a web that had effectively defeated her ambush, forming a lattice that filled the defile from the tops of the cliffs down to about twenty feet above the ground.  Orcs now poured through the tunnel thus formed, the hulking ogres close behind, the noise of their progress echoing against the cliffs.  The companions watched as the orc horde poured out onto the open plain from the defile.  Clearly they already had orders from their commanders, for instead of rushing straight at the companions atop their impromptu fortress, they spread out to both sides, forming a ring whose obvious purpose was to surround the defenders, to prevent them from escape.  One or two fell here and there, a bolt jutting from one orc’s side, a long arrow stuck through the eye of another.  But by the time that the ogres appeared the ring was nearly complete, and behind them came a huge, muscular orc clad in a black steel breastplate, holding aloft a huge axe with a head surrounded by angry red flames.  “That’s the leader,” Dannel said. “Yer daft, elf,” Hodge growled.  “Of course that’s the damned leader!  What gave it away, the bloody flamin’ bloomin’ gods-damned flamin’ axe?”“Get ready,” Arun said simply, and Hodge turned to reloading his heavy bow. Behind the war leader Zenna saw several other figures, clad in hides and dark cloaks, that she figured were shamans.  Those had to be watched carefully, she thought. The din of the orcs filled the plateau, resounding off of the surrounding cliffs.  Damn, there’s over a hundred and fifty of them! Zenna thought grimly, surveying the gathered army that surrounded them.  They’d fought demons and survived, and orcs were individually no big threat, but so many...“We don’t want them to wait,” Arun said calmly.  “We want to provoke them to attack now, while the sun’s in their eyes.”“One provocation, coming right up,” Dannel said.  He bent his bow, and death began to spread again among the orcs.  He focused on the front ranks of the encircling ring, but sent a shaft almost incidentally toward the shamans.  Zenna observed that the arrow was turned at the last instant, confirming her suspicion that those orcs were magic-users.  They were too far to see clearly, but she suspected that they were using their spells to prepare the orc leaders for battle. Well, she could deal with that, if need be. “Come on then, you cowards!” Arun yelled, his stentorian voice overshadowing the raucous cries of the nearest orcs.  His holy sword was a bright shaft in his hand, gathering up the rays of the setting sun and reflecting them outward in a brilliant radiance. Zenna cast a minor spell, and a loud crashing noise echoed over the plateau.  It was followed by a rhythmic sound, a deep, challenging shout.  She didn’t know much of the guttural orcish tongue, but Lok had taught her a few curses, insults that would get the blood of the fiercest orc warrior boiling, and those words now sounded through the power of her ghost sound cantrip, taunting the gathered army. The orcs, already raging, were driven over the edge.  In a violent surge they came rushing forward, weapons aloft, shouting out a cry of doom and battle.</blockquote>

Verification