The Waterfall

• Rainier (Fab): The eagle riders drop the party off at the back of the ranged archers area, and some turn their attention to us and change their targets to the party
  • Brath (Joe): Brath, knowing orc tactics and knowing how easily scattered they can be, realizes these ranged attacks are from too far away, leading the group deeper into the forest out of range of the attackers, able to cover our tracks quickly enough that the orcs wouldn’t be able to follow
• Brath (Joe): Unfortunately, we came upon a peripheral group of orcs, presently unaware of the party’s presence, but most certainly in their way if we wish to avoid the ranged attackers
  • Astrid (Eric): The orcs are facing away, and to our benefit, the forest floor is covered with pine needles, softening the party’s path.  Brath quickly assumes the form of an aargwolf, and is able to perfectly imitate their call, drawing the orcs’ attention away, allowing the party to sneak past, undetected.
• Astrid (Eric): Heading in the direction of the waterfall, the party comes across the path of a huge, white bear… it’s territory clearly invaded and protective of her young
  • Ereveron (Dave L.): has a few words with Brath and Astrid and they are both able to communicate with the bear, convincing it that we mean no harm, and that we need to pass by.  The bear seems to listen to them, and we are able to pass without incident.
• Ereveron (Dave L.): Heading towards the banners further, we come upon the river, and the orcs have clearly destroyed the bridge so that none can follow them across
  • Gallydyn (Max): Deciding to use what rope we have handy, Gallydyn starts making a line for Brath to carry across the river, so that the rest of the party can follow.
• Gallydyn (Max): However, there are still some signs of orc traffic, their makeshift tents left abandoned and carelessly ruined
  • Magnus (Robert0): Seeing the size of the encampment being relatively small, the hunters all having set off into the forest, Magnus (rambo-style!) through stealth and dexterity is able to pick them off one at a time.
• Magnus (Roberto): What later we learned however, is that their camp wasn’t purely incidental – they were guarding prisoners captured along the way, heavily shackled
  • Rainier (Fab): Breaking the shackles, the party can now see the prisoners were poorly-fed and exhausted, is able to conjure some food and use his magic and the druid’s talents to refresh them and send them off away from the orc armies to nearby safe haven

Once More into the Breach

The heroes have ducked and weaved their way through the massive battle. As they reach the crest of a small hill they find a space free of living combatants. At that moment like the tide changing, the dwarves and elves pour out of the castle, pushing the orcs back from Scarsdale Fort. A whole wing of the orc army pours around the hillock like a sea of evil. The retreating orcs ignore the heroes, at least until some ridiculously huge half-orcs step out of the flow of bodies and walk menacingly towards the heroes. The half-orcs grin, because they know that the adventurers have nowhere to flee to.

Half-Orc Champion, Argwolf, Orc Shaman

ENGAGE!

General Gul’s Banner

The orc army is in retreat, but the Starport heroes spy General Gul. She is holding aloft a red banner from which radiates waves of magic. Brath, Ranier, and Ereveron instantly become more orcish, growing tusks and developing swine-like snouts. The rest of the heroes feel themselves filled with sudden orcish brutality. The heroes do all they can to fight off the urge to run back and attack Scarsdale Fort. Magnus has to be restrained by his companions as his savagery overtakes him and he tries to join the orc army. The magic passes and the heroes revert back to normal, but the effect on the Red Flag Army is startling. The vast orc horde has stopped in its tracks, and with a mighty roar like a thousand earthquakes turns and runs towards the castle once more. The orcs are mesmerized, those who don’t move fast enough are simply cut down by the rank behind them! The good news is that the orcs are, for now, ignoring the heroes. Provided the heroes do not get too close to an orc, the orcs are too fixated on Scarsdale Fort to even notice them. It requires three skill rolls to get close to General Gul. It is up to the players how their characters try to get close: disguised as orcs, running really fast and hoping for the best, a magical ritual, etc. The first roll is DC 15, the next DC 20, the next DC 25. Every time an adventurer fails a roll they get stabbed for 4d4 damage by a passing orc (or a goblin pack knocks them down and takes all their stuff – players choice).

General Gul’s Honor Guard

The rogue general has retreated to a hilltop near a cliff. It is a perfect defensive position: high ground, water on one side, and a cliff on the other. The cliff has a waterfall. All the Starport heroes have to do is get past General Gul’s personal honor guard and they can fight the renegade warlord. Her honor guard is trolls. General Gul towers over the trolls – she stands over three orcs high.

Trolls

ENGAGE!

GENERAL GUL

General Gul is nearby but has not noticed the fight with the trolls. Her entire attention is given to the battle. If the Starport heroes wish to grab a quick rest in one of the tents they may do so, but due to the situation, they only gain their normal recovery values (healing potions work fine though). The orcs inside the tents are dead, General Gul bit their heads off in a fit of rage when the battle briefly turned against her. General Gul comes out of the battle-trance that the magical standard she was holding induced, and notices the adventurers for the first time…

• Astrid: My friends, this may be the last time we do battle together.  I want you to know, I could not have found a finer fighting force to die beside
• Brath: if we rid this world of this orc abomination we’ll have done what most could not in their entire lifetime
• Rainier: We will prevail
• Gallydyn nods at Rainier as his eyes spark with energy
• GG: So, you’re the ones … I don’t know if I’ll kill you right away… especially a girl.  I think I’ll fuck you first… she licks her lips, I’ve never fucked an elf before… as she smashes her axes together
• Brath chugs what’s left of his fizzly bubbleh from Candlefen and charges the orc general

General Gul

ENGAGE!

When the orc army see that she is no longer leading them they panic and the fight goes out of them. Though it takes another hour of fighting the elves and dwarves win the day, and the Red Flag Army is pushed back to the cliff. Those few orcs who escape flee back to Ironvale. That night in Ironvale the Orc Lord himself descends upon the settlement.

By morning no member of the traitorous Red Flag Army is left alive.

Hailed as heroes by the Elf Queen and Dwarf King’s emissaries alike, the heroes discover the General’s treasure hoard – thousands of gp worth of jewellery and gems, most of which are blood-stained and clearly of dwarven craftsmanship.  Offering it back to those from whom it had been stolen as a means of rebuilding in the aftermath, the heroes’ generosity will not soon be forgotten.

Invitations to the court of The Elf Queen, the great halls of The Dwarf King, and even The Orc Lord himself, the heroes will have their dinner cards filled as long as the wish.

After consulting with the elven wizards, it is decided to keep the Crimson Banner at Scarsdale Fort, which the heroes are now being asked to run – trusted by elves and dwarves alike.