In My Time of Troubles

by Crossposted

Crossposting of the TheIrishDreamer’s FanFiction on SpaceBattles all credit goes to the original author.

16. Entry 16

Journal of Loraatris Hollysword

--

Between the 23rd and 30th of Eleasis, 1354 Dale Reckoning

Mine fate hath been perhaps sealed as I hath meekly allowed mine-self in the darkness of the the night just gone to be taken from mine and Lua's abode with Karg's Tower to his bed-chambers. Not as before for to study tomes, or in one foolish moment of weakness, but as a concubine to a conquering orc; mine meager worldly possessions now adorning the walls of his abode. All the while mine helpless flesh is unclad before leering eyes; gazed upon, judged by those [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals] -- [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals] in that manner.

To greater heights of shame mine-self and fair Lua were obliged to prove our worth to stay with Karg in his room by his towering almost amazonesque Orc Wife and ruler of the Harem the other women tell us. Lua, perhaps due to her fearsome Drowish upbringing, to mine shock was unbothered by such. Indeed it was mine friend's...well mine more-than-friend...desire to be brought to this new abode; even saying that mine own was to be here in this den of inequity. Such wrong thoughts she has! Not at all! Well...just a little perhaps but doesn't mean what she says! Not at all. For there is no privacy in this new place and Lua is, well, Lua so it is mortifying and shameful. And she is completely wrong in what she says of this – mine mind knows mine own desires quite well thank thee to a fare-thee-well!

Still...one must admit it has been an interesting and not a change entirely for the worst all the same. Mine eyes get to see the inner workings of Kargs household and perhaps guide him towards the light of civilization. Mother may be have been correct, and this worthless body of mine suitable only to satisfy those of the wilds, but mine mind tells me to continue on this path. That good can be done by mine self however limited my abilities. So that is what mine self shall endeavor to achieve. For now all one can state is that Karg hath been distracted, why he did not even drag mine-self and Lua into his den in chains to [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals] or in the furs that covered us do more that pat my head! Not too [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals] or [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals, or even [Redacted for Reasons of Public Morals]! Even why mine-self and Lua...

Suffice to say mine eyes have have learned the inner workings of his harem. One must admit mine-self likes Karg's rambunctious child as she darts about within the rooms and plays with her 'Mamas' as she calls them. A strange matter of innocence mine eyes would never have expected to see from the young of such savage creatures, or from what the tales say of such. Many have claimed to have wiped out the dens of such to great cheers and yet seeking little Kargash, energetic and rough for a child but little more than those boys of the wilds, and now unease rises in my stomach at memories of such. Still away from this troublesome matter the hierarchy of this room is quite clear; at the summit of us women lies the towering female Ogrash, and just beneath her the absent warrior orc-woman Ghorza. Proof perhaps that Karg values women who are well endowed unlike mine-self. That magic with Doctor Ned appeals despite what Lua and Karg sayeth; his words sayeth one thing but his eyes sayeth another.

Beneath them is the scandalous 'slave', if one can call one with such powers and seeming freedom a slave, Missy. Who clings to Karg like a barnacle to a ship while we sleep yet seemingly hath not truly bedded him. Perhaps she hath cast some magic upon him to allow her to tease an orc and offer such scandalous behavior yet gain favor despite being untouched. That and mine Lua calls her a beauty and wished to caress her! What wicked powers does this fiend posses one wonders! The other two slaves, fair sisters who fawn upon Mistress Ogrash and Karg to mine shock, are Kethri and Mara and they hath said they have accepted their, and Missy's pace within the harem and that mine own place (and Lua's) is beneath them. Considering the younger, a fair beauty mine eyes must admit even in her enlarged form, cares Karg's child...and cares for his other child one must sadly admit that is likely the case. Mother it seems was prophetic in her abilities. Now I must rest as mine second night in mine new abode hath come.

--

Month of Eleint most likely, 1354 Dale Reckoning

The harvest hath come early mine ears hath heard these past few days, and very much confirmed on the dawn of this day by the arrival of those humans from the villages south of the stronghold an word from the kobold & goblin ones north of here. One can proudly state that mine eyes were the first of mine new household to view them and to bring word to Karg of the arrival of his 'apprentice' of sorts, the red-haired girl Rose and her matronly grandmother. Though mine eyes hath mistaken her for perhaps her mother, albeit having her late in life. Thankfully Karg and Kethri hath warned mine-self that Rose's mother and father hath been slain many years prior so mine lips did not offend the cheerful young woman as she hugged Karg happily upon arrival. After all these eyes of mine hath seen what that 'innocent girl' is capable of in the midst of battle.

This forewarning of mine is due to mine wise choice to begin singing in the local tavern for coin. Now this was a difficult decision to make one must say. Mine-self is uneasy of course as the owner of the Inn is a foul kobold and a woman and her daughter as his slaves. But he pays good coin though. Evil Kobold with slaves. Pays good coin and lets mine ears hear rumours. Evil Kobold with slaves. Pays good coin and lets mine ears hear rumours. Evil Kobold with slaves. Pays good coin and lets mine ears hear rumours. Hmmm. Twas a difficult and long decision in mine mind but mine decision was to take mine harp and voice to entertain these savages. Perhaps mine efforts can ease the savage heart and help the suffering of the slaves of this place. And fill my purse with coin too – that be great too ya know!

Soon though mine-self is to leave the confines of mine new home to traverse the roads in brief to the town of Longsaddle – only for a short trade visit it seems but still it will likely be a perilous journey with much alone time with Karg on the way. Why? Because Lua refuses to aid him in this journey (but volunteer mine-self in the matter) as she found the wizards of that village to be bothersome in their ways. One can agree with this fact sadly as they are bothersome and likely unsound of mind from what mine eyes hath seen and the rumours have spoken of them. Still mine-self is the best choice to aid Karg in the manner of dealing with traders as his ever present 'slave' Missy shan't be in attendance for this journey. No, rather than clinging to Karg's side like some limpet to him she shall be training with Doctor Ned and that awful Gnome Nimmil. Ha! Have at thee Missy!

Instead it shall be mine-self and the girl Rose who shall journey with Karg and these traders of his. Oh and the Alchemist Petra. One would forget the mousy woman exists in her little part of the tower below us and near the so-called Gods-slaves but evidently she is to journey with us for things and as like to seek items for her craft. One can understand as she seems to lead a lonely existence there this past year or two mine ears hath been told – her husband to be having been slain by Uthgarthers on their travels. Poor dear but one can see that she hath eked out a place here thanks to Kargs generosity and the protection of his wives Ogrash and Ghorza. Even if mine-self suspects Karg may forget the woman is there at times as she hath not magic beyond her potions and such. Still she hath been pleasant to talk too, albeit somewhat shy and unsure of matters beyond lore and her potion-making. Still a bard can never be sad at learning new things!

--

Month of Eleint (early), 1354 Dale Reckoning

No sooner than we hath taken to the road than the rain cometh. Thankfully these wagons are covered somewhat to protect the goods and currently I hath the chance to rest under the folds. Karg is annoyed by this, he muttered enough last night as we settled down for the night for that, but the guard leader, a half-orc knight named Krowluc, said it shouldn't slow us much on our journeys. Of course our journey moves through wild lands and this is not like having the wagons travel upon the roads between the civilized cities in these savages lands.

Mud tracks they maybe at times, but our route is merely over the best open ground that hath been cleared or can be found to travel over – at least once we hath left the crude roads that Karg's clan hath created. That of course hath been a curious thing to mine senses; to see orcs and kobolds an goblins building roads and watchtowers. While it was one thing to see it upon the march of the army to battle amidst the traitorous horde Karg had us fight with it is another to see the difference in ease of movement upon them versus upon these wild lands. Considering we hath been forced to stop twice already to unstick stuck wagon wheels its easy to see their benefit.

It has also been a chance to see the settlements of kobolds when not fighting to kill the beas...people inside. Though it was less see the entirety of their home than the above ground area where they were loading these barrels of fungus and some alcohol derived from some underground plant. Mine ears hath heart some will pay good coin to drink such a concoction but some people are just stupid mine lips would reply. Still while the little lizards are hardly mine favorite in the world...well one hath given coin for mine voice to entertain, and now others help guard this caravan alongside humans and orc. Somewhat ungrateful to hate upon them due to their horrid features.

--

NOTE - As requested a Tris POV chapter with her dirty mind, insecurities and the travels towards Longsaddle once again. Also the Alchemist woman is the fiancee of the guy that was paying Krowluc & Co. before getting dead. The SI...kinda doesn't talk to her much so tends not to mention her but she is still there (since broke and nowhere to go)

[Karguk 29]

Traveling, plains north-west of Longsaddle

Tris and Rose were snoring ever so faintly atop the goods in the back of the wagon behind me as our little armed caravan trundled across the grasslands and small hills. At long last I might add as I gave the reins a quick flick to keep the horses pulling the wagon at its current pace with the rest of the trade caravan. Not that we were going at any great speed of course, slow and steady most to avoid damaging the wheels or axles of said wagons but also allow those walking to keep an easy pace. Somewhat important when battle could occur at any moment out here in the wild lands with everything riled up by the all the warfare of late.

Since we'd left Sparta we'd suffer two wolf pack attacks and according to Krowluc's boys had been shadowed by a mountain lion or something similar sized for a few days. Thankfully we'd only suffered one dead, a goblin who'd gone off on his own to piss and whose screams alerted us to the wolf attack, and traveling with near a dozen acolytes, myself and Rose meant healing wasn't so much of an issue compared to most caravans in these parts. Or at least that's what Krowluc and band said and he seems to know his business so I'll listen to the expert on those matters. He'd done a good job so far after all as I nodded absently to three of his riders trotted past under the starlight.

"...bad as that...swear he'd, well not even he's that bad. I'd never..."

"...but a Gnoll? I heard he did though from the Boss..."

"...know him, course he did! I've it down in the pool he'll do a Minotaur nex..."

'Well at least we're past them at least' I thought to myself glancing up at the quarter moon in the sky above and stars twinkling around it. Traveling by night ironically suited us down to the ground with a primarily orcish component at the core of our force; and honestly just I'd drilled into my clans to operate under the bright sunlight so too had our non-orcs learned to cope in the hours of darkness. It offered a degree of cover from daylight dangers, and by and large night creatures tended to be attracted to campfires that could be seen in the distance.

Having raided before I can attest to that little detail – and its harder to see a campfire during the day undercover than in the darker hours of night. Still we moved through the daylight hours too, let everyone gather as much rest as they could like Tris and Rose currently were before settling into a defensible location for a few solid hours rest. Thankfully we weren't too far from Longsaddle so we could have the next rest stop there, or as near to there as we could manage. I yawned and rubbed at tired eyes. Something easier in theory than practice I found but safety first I say. Especially with the way thing were right now in the Crags.

'At least things are moving in a decent enough direction' I mused glancing back at the wagon just of to the right of mine, then at the ones just behind to see that they were all keeping pace. The Gnolls thankfully had been intimidated enough by our early actions and badly focused on settling into their new home that we 'welcome' trade partners and potential allies rather than a target. Though I suspected the fact the Moonblades beginning to arrive in force to their new home not too far off had likely been a contributing factor as well. I shrugged. Fear and greed were great motivators I suppose when heavily armed traders cross into recently acquired your lands. I'm fine with being friends for now since they did us a solid by killing off those elves and Icepeaks. Sure it was self-interest on their part but it doesn't mean we couldn't appreciate the indirect aid to our cause. Oh and them selling valuable stuff to us for trinkets and some healing potions also helped.

The increased noise of hoof-beats on ground to my other side cause me to glance in that direction and watch as the armoured form ofour escort Captain Krowluc came closer on his large stallion. I sighed softly at the look upon his face as he slowed his horse and began to trot alongside myself on the drivers seat of the wagon "Problems Captain?"

"Maybe Shaman, Kyras and her forward scout patrol just came back not a moment ago and they found something odd"

"Odd as in how odd?" I asked back cautiously. Because considering our current location, so near to a a village of Megumins and 'Oops is that what that spell does' people I really didn't want 'odd' things occurring. Or it could indicate one of Wyrmog's allied clans returning home, or Uthgarder tribesmen seeking to restore honour after their rather crushing defeat at the Field of Blood as everyone was calling it.

Krowluc waved the mercenary orc woman over to us "Ah, er sorry ta both Shaman Karguk Sir, but ah and me boys came and saw were near da Long Road bit further north than we'd thought. And ah figured we'd try for this farmer that has had..."

Her Captain's voice interrupted a moment as she glanced at him tiredly "Aye Shaman, not the nicest sort but he and his kin weren't too bad when we paid himto rest in his place few years back. Kyras here's gettin' bit ahead of herself checkin without orders but he'd be a good spot to rest up afore headin unto Longsaddle. Caravans do all the times even the place bit off the road itself"

I shrugged faintly. In fairness I'd rather not spread word around of our unusual procession but it wasn't like it was a super-secret considering heading to a large village to trade, nor did I want to discourage initatiave amongst the sensible units "Well okay, so what's the problem? He tell us to fuck off?"

'Because bit of difference between a adventuring band or caravan guards with some half-orcs in it and one like our own was' I mused to myself glancing at the two questioningly. Krowluc shook his head "No that's not the problem at all. Problem is no one was there"

"Well with all the warbands and monsters riled up they might have headed south to Longsaddl, gone north to Mirabar even, and try weather out the madness. Plenty of people doing that at the moment" I queried back. After all we'd come across a few abandoned huts and such out in the wilds on our campaign with the traitorous furry fucker, that big ass hunting lodge in the Neverwinter Woods a prime example.

"Kyras, explain" and a curt motion with a gauntleted hand and the armour clad woman rider nodded "Nah Shaman-Boss-man, what ah told the Boss here is that there was no one there, not that we could see. Was wagons an all there so we figures there was some stayin with'em, and bits of blood on the ground looks like. Couldn't know for sure though...err Bosses...didn't want to head inside since couldn't see nought stirrin' inside. Bit fuckin' creepy and was only the five of us after all"

I frowned. That wasn't good and memories of zombie chickens flashed through my mind for a moment. I whipped the reins again gently to keep up the pace before glancing back "Yeah best not head in anywhere you could get ambushed, how far away are we talking? And was it burned, or any noises from it? Tracks nearby?"

"Nah Shaman-Boss, rain could have cleared any obvious tracks and we didn't go inside the gates. Weren't anything burnt or that though, didn't look like any obvious signs ah battle there, or when looked at from the hilly area nearby. Everything look fine and dandy, colourful wagons sittin' there and fields all peaceful like. Only thing loud were all them farmers animals bealtin and such from the barns"

"As Kyras says Shaman its odd, and not more than an hour or two away at our current pace and then another hour or so unto the road itself. No guarantee though there isn't someones warband nearby who fell upon the place"

"Bollocks!" was my well thought out response "and can we avoid passing near the place?"

Knowluc nodded "Easy enough, ground here is pretty flat so we can turn not far up the trail and swing abit further southward and then turn back east towards Longsaddle and the road. I've got my riders push out a little further just in case anything followed Kyras and her boys back"

I chewed on my lip in thought. This was hardly ideal, blundering along in the dark with possible dangers nearby. Damn. But still we were forewarned and it was rare for raiders to try attack a well armed column after already making a big haul elsewhere "We'll do that then and turn southward in a little bit, we'll pick up the pace a little as well I guess. Rest more of the foot and archers in the wagons as we go?"

The plated armoured half-orc waved off his subordinate and shook his head "I think you forgetting the bigger problem Shaman from all this"

I frowned again "Hmmm?"

"Ain't gonna go down well if word of a raided farmstead reaches the ears of our planned trade partners Sir, we ain't to far from there in truth if we push the pace up. We keep goin' and don't stop we'll be there during the daylight hours. Won't look good havin' a raided farm and a band of orcs, goblins and kobolds havin' been nearby at the same time as it probably happened"

"Damn...fuck, yeah that'd be a problem. Bollocks..." tonight was the night for frowning and swearing it seemed. Shoulda copped that off the bat, but it'd been a long few days and the auld neurons weren't moving at full speed it looked like. It would be absolutely devastating to our prospective attempts at peacemaking and trading if they believed we were going around raiding nearby farmsteads and such. And absolutely fucking devastating held vastly more dangerous meaning when applied to a village of 'EXPLOSION!!!!' Wizards. I sighed. Nothing more to be done than act I guess "Right...okay...send three riders to Longsaddle, the better speakers like that half-elf on the swifter mounts. We sit down first and explain in detail what we know and what their to say...hell I'll write up a letter to with them..." I hummed in thought looking up at the moon above. How clear and fresh the sky looked on such a headache inducing night "...anywhere nearby we can fort up till we hear back? Not too close mind you but enough for quick stop..."

--

[Roland 01]

Near Rothervik Family Farmstead, North-West Longsaddle

This was hardly the ideal situation to be in he knew, near a superior number of armoured orc warriors and two members of the Harpell family out on an 'adventure' with them. From long experience with the family as Sherriff he could be reaonably sure the second were the greater danger by-and-large, even if only by accident. Or by constantly annoying the increasingly irritated seeming orc war-priest who he had tried to stop Harkle in particular pestering with pointless questions.

Questions that had nothing to do in the least with why he been forced to drag ten of his fellow militia members out here to the Rothervik Farmstead in the dawning hours of a chilly and damp morning with a bunch of heavily armed orcs. Mage-Lord Ardanac had been rather specfic in reducing this that could arise from either Harkle or Bella don Delroy and he truly had done his best to do so. But it was like herding cats by and large. Big, destructive and lacking in common sense magical cats. All while keeping order amongst his men and watching these orcs for both signs of them attacking but also at the Mage-Lord's orders to study them and report back to him.

'And they're as strange as it gets for orcs, and worrying strange at that' he mused to myself as the column of horsemen can to a halt in a position overlooking their intended destination.

Past the golden fields of corn the stone buildings of the Rothervik family stood proud behind stout log and mud walls; from here it seemed everything was perfectly fine as the sun began to rise and cast a warm orange glow upon the lands. Glancing back he almost expected their priestess Vartha to be spouting something about Lathander's gifts and such but was glad to see she was dismounting in silence like the rest of them. She had volunteered almost the moment the Mage-Lord had asked for volunteers and while she was a welcome addition with her healing magic the fact was she wasn't part of the militia. So in theory she didn't have to obey him and she was used to been the one leading things in the village temple. Thankfully so far she'd stayed quiet and had listened to warnings to not raise trouble with the priest(s) of the savage Orc Pantheon. Nor go near (or try rescue) the red-haired human girl priestess that was hopping off the back of the horse of the armoured orc war-priest. The strange war-priest who now turned his gaze towards himself and the two wizards who he had subtly interspersed himself between in a long learned movement.

"Okay we're here at least, we'll hold the horses here for the moment and survey the ground us first if that's acceptable to yourselves?" was asked calmly in that dandy and foppish accent of the common tongue that just seemed unnatural coming from an orcish mouth. What's worse near all the orcs seemed to have that same verbal oddness he'd discovered on the hours of riding. It was just Gods damned creepy it was!

He glanced back at his companions/problems and gestured at them to let him speak with a raised hand. Bad enough that the orcs were displaying martial discipline superior to his own unnerved militiamen without compounding it with a confused command structure "Aye, no point and rushing in case there's trouble about"

"Don't I know it, last time it the place was full of fucking undead livestock trying to eat my evidently delicious brains and I'd rather not a repeat of that..." Roland...did not want to enquire into that and shushed the Harpells who seemingly did as the Orc turned to gaze over at the farmstead on the hillside "...so is their anything you can tell us my good fellows on this farmstead and its inhabitants? Anything they've said of late that might have caused issues? Or if its built on ruins or a graveyard or some other possibly hazardous things we need to be made aware off?"

Roland shook his head in the negative. He'd visited the family once or twice over the years and the place was nothing special beyond the part-time inn they ran inside the farmhouse for traders seeking shelter from the night a little off the track of the Long Road "Nay Lord Orc, there ain't aught special about the place, they built the place themselves years back and only bit underground as far as ah know is that wine cellar and the storeroom they got. About dozen all told in the household including the farmhands and they've driven off...raiders afore without much trouble"

The orc war-priest nodded absently as he motioned at one of his minions, a male half-elf at that to add to the bizarre-ness of it all, to climb a tree likely to get a better view "Aye I can se from here. Good solid place to defend looks to be. We'll have to walk in I think and leave the horses under guard here or risk gettin' tangled on that track if there's something inside..." the orc stroked at his (surprisingly neat and trimmed) bearded chin "...hmmm, nothing strange though that'd explain this?"

'Other than your kind mayhaps?' he wanted to reply but stayed silent on that matter. It was plain that these orcs at least had not done such unless they were far stupider than they seemed, but the odds of some of their kind having done so was not as low as he'd like. Countryside was crawling with them and Uthgard savages of late as both groups seemed intent on slaughtering each other. So instead he himself shrugged "Nay, they were in town not too long ago to buy supplies and some weapons but..."

"Well actually they were seeking to talk to us at the Manor!" Harkle interrupted him, them, cheerfully looking thoughtful a moment "Yes, we we're having this fine discussion on Regwald's experiments into a horse crossed with a frog and the benefits of such as a steed! Why I remember telling him that..."

"Harkle focus. What did the farmer want? Sherriff Roland and our orcish friends are more interested in that I fear" the Harpell woman with the odd eyes stated with a bored sigh as she rested on her staff and waving at the other wizard to hurry it up perhaps. Roland nodded at the suddenly befuddled looking male wizard who merely stated "Huh? Oh the farmer..."

"Yes Harkle dear, the Farmer. What'd the old fellow want?"

"Hmmm...we we're discussing and...hmmm...oh yes! The Old Fellow, fine beard he had I'll say! If eveyone had such a beard...sigh...yes, yes, he was looking to purchase some magical items from Ardanac...or was it old Adanac...well wanted something to help make his home like ours was to help keep bandits and such out. Troubled times and all that what not. Anyway nothing could do to help really, not allowed hand out magic items out to farmers anymore since...the incidents...so there's that I guess"

"Hmmm..." was all that came back from the orc who was still staring out towards the farmhouse and stone fenced fields laid out before them. From here everything seemed so peaceful, the smell of fields in the air and the chirping of the birds as they greeted the dawn. In truth Roland suspected the orc was bothered as much by that as he himself was.

There was no sign of battle from here, the fields yet to harvested but untouched even down to the scarecrows in them, no signs of fire or burning on the buildings, and even from here the wagons of some travelers were just about visible sitting idly within the walls. Raiders would have left tracks, left fire or battle damage in their wake, or at the least taken the wagons to carry their loot away a place. Yet despite none of that been the case the whole place remained strangely quiet with gates slightly ajar down the track from them. For a few moments then they stood in silence as his own formed up to the left hand side, and the orcs to the right around their war-priest as they checked weapons, unpacked or secured horses to the rocks or small trees. Or at least as silent as they could as he shushed the wizards and motioned orders to his band of militia. Till the half-elf shimmied back down from the tree and strode over to their little group bow slung over his shoulder.

"Hey Boss, had a good look and can't any sign of anyone nearby other than those things scaring off the birds in the fields and and an empty farmyard with no lights or anything from the buildings. Only thing different is the animals don't seem be moving like they were when me and Kyras were here yesterday and can't hear them belatin'...well not from here anyway"

"Could be asleep, could be dead from starvation or thirst either...so I guess we have to go in then. Nothing else you saw Bareyaras that could aid us?"

"Nah Boss, nothing else to say other than it's a nice quiet farm. Bew-cool-ic lookin' or whatever they call it even"

'It's just creepy when the tribal orc speaks better than the half-elf. Even more-so than even the fact an orc tribe was working in tandem with humans and half-elves' Roland told himself silently then focused on the task at hand.

"Well we head down there an investigate Lord Orc and confirm what has occurred here. Once we have done such we can return to Mage-Lord Ardanac and confirm thy innocence to him. Is this agreeable to all?" in truth it was sufficient proof already in his mind of what these bizarre speaking and evidently literate orcs had reported. But it was also the truth that something problematic had occurred here and needed to be discovered – entering with a force of near thirty fighters rather than jus his own portion of the group was much more preferable. It could...a sign of good faith on the part of these orcs to help out. They just didn't have to know they were in the clear as yet is all he figured as the Orc war-priest sighed and nodded.

"Right, okay...okay you - back up the tree and watch for dangers! Rose your with me, Hreshgk your to keep her alive at all costs...you, you, you and you are staying here to guard the horses..."

Roland ignored the rapid fire orders being given out by the orc and motioned for his militia, the two wizards and the priestess too form a cluster just a little distance away. Really he had little choice in leaving the two Hapells behind judging from their faces so instead opted for the direct approach "Listen, Gunnar, Eldywn and...Yreth, your staying here with the horses. Guard them with your lives and watch for any sign of trouble. Everyone else is coming with me and..."

In truth organising two disparate and distrustful groups of fighters moving in an orderly column towards the farmstead was easier than he'd expected. Worryingly so in certain regards; these orcs formed up and move with far too much ease for his liking, nor the excited chatter between the two wizards about the handing out off scrolls between several of the orcs to place in satchels or stuff in belts. Or the fact they had thought to bring a mule with saddlebags full of...items unknown...with them as their band marched up the dirt track towards the gates of the farmstead. Still despite these concerns he kept scanning for trouble; within from trouble with the orcs, or from any dangers within the farmstead or maybe lurking nearby. So far it seemed to be just another beautiful morning in the harvest season despite the light misty rain drizzling down upon them and causing breaths to steam on the chilly air. Kept you awake and focused he found as he glanced out over the fields of golden corn and then bck over their band as they started to near the gate.

"Anyone else find this place feels..." the Orc war-priest muttered as the strode along a blade in hand. Yet another concern Roland had with these orcs; magic weapons, blessed weapons and armour in crude orc symbols and all of them well maintained. They were better equipped than his own militiamen were and that was a shock "...hmmm...I don't know how to say it...Odd maybe? Smell in the air..."

Priestess Vathra frowned "I do not smell anything unpleasant"

"Yeah...but there, that's blood splatter..." the the Orc war-priest mutter motioning with his hand at a bloody hand-print and streak of crimson on the fences near the gate as they all halted "...but this place doesn't smell like a battlefield or stink of death. I've seen enough to know..."

Roland nodded now, sniffing the air. Fresh and clear and smelling of the harvest "Aye and so have I while I don't your orc...senses this does seem off a little"

"Sorry...umm...bit of a question?" the voice of Harkle Harpell began to inquire but was ignored.

The red haired girl in armour who'd been walking beside the orc-warpriest a mace in one hand and a shield in the other looked happily at the orc "It smells like a garden, or after grandma has led the harvest casting on the fields. Maybe that's it Lord Karguk? I can feel the life here and it feels like that too!"

"Wasn't it supposed to be there. Sure I saw it there..."

The orc war-priest glanced at Roland and his group questioningly as the two Harpell's again veered off the topic at hand. Roland glanced at Priestess Vathra who shook her head in the negative and let him reply "None from the village, though perhaps one of the travelers from those may have done so in a trade of services for bed and rest"

"Um Sorry...but could you help me with something..."

Roland sighed. Okay what is it now he wanted to asked of the Harpell who was looking around curiously behind them "You wish to offer a suggestion Harkle my good man?"

"Well no, maybe...hmmm weren't there scarecrows over there?"

Roland blinked at the tangent "Scarecrows?"

"Hmmm? Well I believe that's what farmers call them. Scaring. Crows. Description and purpose all matching up nicely don't you think...well wasn't it over there..."

Before Roland had a chance to reply the Orc war-priest was already looking around frantically and his voice cut across his own as he drew breath "SHIELD-WALL NOW!"

--

[Karguk 30]

Outside Rothervik Farmstead

I'd been on edge since we'd started moving up the track between the fields towards the fortified farmstead. Then again most of my clan-orcs were as well, largely due to the same reasons as myself; the band of armed humans and crazy wizards with us and the odd tang in the air. As Rose had just said the place smelt like a garden, fresh and pungent, rather than smelling of death or even just normal medieval buildings. People smelled, orc, human, elf or other regardless, a cluster of us smelled. Often each in their individual ways due to diet and cleanliness but this place just didn't feel lived in to some tiny paranoid part of mind. Or smell, I wasn't really wasn't sure honestly, but something about this place just set my teeth on edge regardless of the humans and dwarves and wizards around me.

So 'Where are the Scarecrows' really was just the straw that broke the camels back in my mind as I started shouting out formation orders and glancing around for dangers. Danger that hadn't come as yet as I gazed out from a ring of shields and braced spears at empty and silent fields as the sun rose to greet another day. It'd been a few minutes now and...nothing. Was that good? Bad? At least the Harpell's had listened to the unhappy looking human fighter 'Sheriff' Roland and shushed for the moment. And kept between me and that damned Lathander worshiping woman of course - bloody bitch had been glaring at me when she thought I wasn't looking the entire time since she'd arrived. Of course most of these 'militia' had been glancing at us (and me of course) oddly and nervously all that time too so it could just be my own petty dislike of her patron at work in that regards.

'Okay. Nothing there, nothing there...gate's still open and no movement or sound..." I frowned at the still beautiful vista before all around us that hinted nothing of any danger beyond the faint taste of magic and plant life in the air. This was just creepy as fuck I found as I glanced back down the way we came as the only sound was that of shields and arms being braced or fighters shifting nervously. Everyone was uneasy right now "...what the fuck have we got going on here? Think Karguk, think!'

Pulling back slowly the way we came might be the best option. But that could allow whoever or whatever was evidently hiding in the corn to escape or circle around and attack us later when we're unready. Likewise it could be right now moving towards our rearguard and the horses so that was a good reason to move other than us being very exposed right here between two fields and crumbled stone fences. Then again advancing into the building would give a good choke-point with the gates...and from this short distance there was no movement indicating defence or ambush. I frowned even more deeply. Of course the fact we couldn't see anything dangerous was part of our current problem so there was that to consider. Well have wizards as a resource so may as well see if they are any use I guess...

"May I suggest if any of you have some capacity at divination or detecting illusions that thee cast them..." I stated politely turning to the human group's 'leaders' as I fished into my pockets for a certain scroll. No point in being offensive right now with everyone standing battle ready after all "...I'm intent upon casting a Detect Undead scroll unless there are objections to this?"

Because it was always fucking zombies and death knights and ghouls out to get me in this world. So I was properly prepared for handling such unnatural abominations thanks to having a Master Necromancer on the payroll to help prepare scrolls. I especially liked learning this spell as I drew out the scroll with the slightly surprised agreement of Sheriff Roland, their cleric and two wizards. It was sorta hard to tell where exactly authority lay in this group and that was not ideal in a likely combat situation. Still I had a spell to cast in armour so I carefully unrolled the scroll, chanting out the words and crumbling the graveyard dirt between my left hand's fingers. I felt the tingle of power a the Weave moved, my senses somehow seeming to expand outwards and...

...nothing. Not a hint of necromantic negative energy around us. Magic yes, but I could already feel the before casting so that didn't help anything much. I glanced around the empty fields unable to stop the urge of continuing to frown. Well this was...good, I guess?

Still didn't feel that way a I resisted the urge to draw the blade from its sheath behind my left shoulder – I wanted my hands free as the spell support rather than being just another blade in the battle-line. Beside me Rose was shifting uneasily and looking at me for direction as the three spell-casters from Longsaddle cast their own arcane or divine based spells it seemed. Before we did anything rash like breaking formation or moving best to get all the information on the battlefield while we'd a chance.

I hated not knowing what factors were in the balance after all. Unfortunately it seemed that the mystery would still continue as the others confirmed there weren't any invisible creatures within range, or were their any creatures of demonic origin, nor evil intention and alignment. Well beyond my merry little band of course, though I admit the priestess was giving me and and trainee Hreshgk some very odd looks despite the fact there were disappearing Scarecrows in the cornfields. And this was Faerun and there that was horror movie plot likely Gods dammit!

"Okay...I got nothing, anybody else?" I asked glancing around. Not exactly the most detailed explanation but time was running short right now and you didn't get too long to think in battle. Answers to the negative from just about everyone, on both sides, from the wizards down to the nervous shifting of warriors with ready shield and weapons sorted of made my mind up. Pull back and think time.

"I suggest we all pull back to..." was all I managed to get out before swearing and banging of shields to my right caused me to turn in that direction as more swearing and shouting erupted as I did so. By the the time I'd gotten turned in that direction, mere moments, the whole band on that seemed to be in confused motion fighting...nothing? Huh?

'No wait...' my brain alerted me to the fact the human, one of the Longsaddle group, seemed to be screaming and hacking at the...corn on his shield and flying all around him. As were the others nearest him as the group around me in the centre of the circle, myself included, just blinked in confusion at what was going on. Mere seconds of confusion but that could be fatal my brain desperately alerted me with a warning. Evidently we had a killer cornfield on our hands. Just roll with it Karguk I reminded myself even as my hands grabbed the shoulders of the twenty something odd human and yanked him back hard as his shield was dragged out of his grip by tendrils of gold and green. The sword and axe of his comrades on either side of him slashing at the...corn...till it broke and the shield seemed to fly back into the depths of the cornfield.

'Okay...killer cornfield. KILL IT WITH FIRE!' my mind ordered now shoving the human out of my way, hands beginning the gestures of one of the spells I did now well enough to have personally prepared. No asking for agreement this time as I practically snarled out the words and thrust hands forward into the gap between the two 'quasi-allied' Longsaddle dudes. Thankfully my 'Fire in the Hole' warning and likely life long experience with wizards had both moving out of the magical destruction zone even before I finished the warning. And then a blaze of fire erupted from my outstretched hands into the evident Man-eating Cornfield of Doom – incinerating the golden stalks nearest to them and illuminating a large man-shaped...thing...that fell back before the burning hands as I pressed forward and used my magic a temporary flamethrower. Within moments a nice sized area of cornfield on the other side of the stone fencing was ablaze in a rough line along with the Longsaddle dudes (now aflame) stolen shield and glove evidently. He though was still screaming loudly while Rose and the Lathander worshiper alternated between holding him down and trying to heal him.

"Okay, Okay what the fuck!" I managed to get out in line with Sheriff Roland and several of the others around me wo were edging back away from the fences on either side of the dirt track...well that and the blaze I'd just ignited. Thankfully one of my warriors had the good sense to hold unto the mule firmly so as to stop it panicking and disrupt the crappy formation we were in right now.

"Is the cornfield trying to eat us? What a fascinating enchantment..."

"Hold him still! Boy I need you to let me heal you..."

"Movement at the gates!" cut through the voices for, just as the female Harpell evidently decided setting fire to the other side of us was a good idea. After all we were edging back down the track as a rough group and therefore away from where the flames were. I didn't disagree as I focused now on the gates thanks to the mercenary woman from Krowluc's group. And...

...there were the zombies as if by some cosmic cue. Shambling and moaning forward from where the wagons had been it seemed inside the farmstead. Slowly thankfully rather than dashing forward, several in armour though two appeared to have been in a state of undress from some reason when they'd be raised...

...wait magic detect undead not triggering. What that fuck? And why are there flowers growing out of their heads?

Thankfully someone was thinking clearly as a vial of fire oil made by our resident Spartan alchemists before our journey soared through the air to explode just before the advancing...undead?

"Good girl Rose, quick thinking but we'll work on aim later on...Time to leave I think...agreed? Yes?...Grand, shields together and by the step withdraw! Hreshgk keep the mule with us and throw another fire oil at..."

Honestly I'm not entirely sure how we got from where we were to back out on the open ground beyond the fields of murderous crops. Or how we managed not to lose anyone in the...heroic advance to the rear...beyond the mule, though Hreshk saved the potions sacks so he's good. Just several wounded and a number of burning plant zombies and currently on fire man-eating cornfield. Or sort of on fire...ground was all damp so the flames hadn't spread much I noticed as I gasped for breath like those around me. After it isn't everyday that mother nature decides she wants to get you...as in you personally...and possibly eat you with killer crops. Because what the fuck?

'Forget that focus' I told myself pushing back up "Okay...we've discovered the source of the problem it seems. However absurd it might be in a mule and man eating cornfield"

"Indeed Milord Karguk we have discovered the source of the disturbances you hath reported. A fascinating and worrying find it seems. I would postulate a misdirected or empowered druidic ritual or possibly alteration spells that were miscast in some manner. Hmmm...I'm unsure it was the whole cornfield, or fields but rather Carnivorous plant-forms judging by the scarecrows we saw and the humanoid forms with your flame based spell. Amazing to see an orc with mastery of..."

"Harkle focus, magic orcs later, shambling mounds and plant zombies now..." the female wizard interrupted her kinsman "...I'm reasonably sure those were yellow musk zombies from the flowers. Which means creepers and those need to be killed off before we get an infestation in the area. Roland what do you suggest?"

"Haaahhhh...my apologies Milady Harpell but I can offer little suggestion but to fire what we can to ask yourself and your kinsman to aid us in the task. The priestess is healing as we we speak and attempting to push back into the farmstead on our own would be ill advise. Even with aid..."

I sighed at the indirect question to me as the humans glanced at me. No one dead but that was a close thing and Rose was busy healing so it wasn't a cost-less fight. So I knew what my automatic reply wanted to be 'Burn, Baby, Burn! Muhahahahaha!' and have a nice big bonfire when the rising sun dried the nights damp. Unfortunately there was one question nagging at my conscience and kinda needed to be asked, orc or no orc that I was.

"My suggestion is we have a grand experiment on the effects of fire and salt on magically enhanced plant-life...but I would question if anyone could be alive in there before we go ahead and do that. As well...I'm pretty sure with magical means and remaining fire oil we cam get a nice firestorm going down there but that's going to turn that into smoking ash-filled ruins"

Sheriff Roland sighed glancing down the track "If anyone got into the wine cellar they might be protected from those...things, at least for several days. But we'd have no way of knowing and trying to get back down there could merely cost us lives for false hope"

I shrugged, then glanced at the two wizards whispering to each other. Look I'd put it forward and these weren't my land or people "I'll take a bit for an burn, assuming nothing else comes out, so...can either of you fine wizards scry or divine the..."

--

When: 20th Day of Maponeth, Year of the Bow

Where: Just outside village (well town in my view otherwise Sparta is city by that rate) of Longsaddle

I may have, sorta, kinda...burned down another farmstead. So sadly the 'accident' counter for *Have burned down Farmstead* has been reset to Zero once again. The one for *Have not encountered zombie livestock since X* has also been set to Zero as well. This is a word of advice to would be adventurers – be wary, very wary, of bright sunny days with birds chirping and the smell of fresh grass but no farmers moving above. For that is when the zombies (undead, plant, whatever else can animate them) come to eat your delicious brains. On that note I really started to weigh the costs against the benefits of establishing an 'Zombie Chicken Prevention Department' – sadly the frequency of outbreaks may just be related to me according to word of mouth other than mine.

Thankfully fire seems to work just as well on the flower-power zombie variant as on the undead one so I have that option. Sadly another random human farmstead suffered the fate of being collateral damage in my most recent victory over the Legion of Zombie Livestock and their plant allies. Hey don't judge me. I had the support of the local authorities in my farm burning endeavors. And technically the first I merely convinced the local constabulary to burn down that farmstead. And I got reward both times thanks to my doing my civic duty. And my orcish duty oddly enough. Hmmm. I think I'll stop talking about it now as it makes me sound like a villain sent by the One Eye and the Boss to convince humanity to burn out their own farms for them.

Anywho, before (well during more accurately) the heroic farm burning and return to Longsaddle we had to rescue the survivors from the farmstead. See I'm being Good aligned here and not just burning down farmsteads for the jolly entertaining sound zombies make when being consumed. This was a complicated operation – or more accurately time consuming as we started controlled blazes in the fields so that our select team of elite hostage rescuers took to the track between them, burst into the cellar and saved the half-dozen people still alive in there. Or to be more accurate me, those crazy fucking Harpells, and my far to happy torch wielding minions burned everything between us and the cellar doors, burst through, and then dragged the terrified survivors out as the sreamed and sobbed. Mostly because when angry, searing orcs carrying torches and weapons break down the doors the first assumption is not 'thank the Gods we're saved' and more 'ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! ORCS come to kill us all'. Thankfully Sleep spells and a punch to the face work grand for make everything more sedate as we...um...helped them. Their alive aren't they?

And them seemed to have calmed down on the return trip too, and we got a reward for it. Though I may do something about not encouraging this behaviors amongst my clan – my lot seem far too happy with me and managing to let them burn down other peoples stuff. And then get rewarded for it. Surprised me that, but really orc; we love ourselves a fine big bonfire of things we don't like and then getting stuff afterwards. Me running around smashing plant zombies in the face and setting stuff on fire may also have helped kept everyone cheerful. That's what Rose says anyway. The only big problem with that is that these damned Harpells wouldn't leave me the fuck alone. It was bad enough when it was the bumbling but friendly Harkle, but now both of them want to 'talk' about stuff like magic and who thought me and I have Apprentices. Ugh. What's worse I fear that the peace I've achieved right now is but the eye of the storm as it's due to the duo being dragged back to the Ivy Mansion by their head of family along with said survivors. Probably something to do with promising magic wielding orcs a reward for burning down a farmstead I'd suspect. Now must go, encampment to help organise and nervous villagers to persuade to trade with my lot.

--

When: 22nd Day of Maponeth, 1354 Dale Reckoning

Where: Longsaddle

Well we've been here two whole days and

a) nobody (well my lot or villagers) has died despite my urge to occasionally want to punch a Harpell

b) no more farms (nor general village buildings) have been burned down (by us)

and

c) there has only been one arrest for petty thievery amongst my (technically Krowluc's) merry minions (that bribery & a few lashes solved)

Hurrah I say! Hurrah!

Now that isn't to say its been a fantastic welcome. Sadly we've not been allowed into the village proper. Then again thankfully my lot aren't let into the village proper. Having our own little area just outside the town has allowed me to control them much better than I otherwise would if they had free rein. That and I bought up half the produce of the local tavern to keep them all very happy and relaxed. And drunk. Though that usually leads to the first two as long as armed guards are on site to keep them all happy and relaxed and not committing rapine and pillage. Yay! (and yes I too am happy and relaxed right now!). Though most of the barrels will be traveling back full to Sparta proper. Along with those the kobold wagon is laden down with. Be good for the winter to have stores of decent ale, beer and such in our stronghold for feasting. Gotta keep the morale up and all that.

So unto more concrete things. Sorry...stone?

Bugger it. Concrete as I've invented it and will make it a common word too!

Like the Harpells are not our enemies, not our friends really either, but they fit into that happy category of 'guys who have something in common' or allies by default as I'll call it. Then again states don't have friends they have interests I guess. But right now we share a great degree of commonality of interests. Namely shattering the Orcish Horde of the Furry Fuckers and also doing bad, bad, things to the unfriendly Uthgard tribes wandering around being a major issue in the region. Long story short; the Long Road is Closed for Business. Likely for the foreseeable future (I wonder did those murder-hobos with Lord Fuzzywhatits Letters make it home) I'd expect as things are getting worse if anything.

Neverwinter's at war with Luskan (Woot!) and Mirabar are pissed off at Luskan (also Woot!) while evidently a Horde tried to take out the Ten Towns with mini-hordes raiding down southward. And that's without all the crap that's evidently been stirred up from the Lurkwood by Uthgard clans in motion – Trolls, Hags, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh and evil asshole elves in the woods. Basically whole region's gotten sorta chaotic. In part due to the craziness of canon, but also probably due to some Loremaster dude and his band of Harper agents who supposedly wrecked part of Luskan Harbour by unleashing an undead pirate attack upon them. At least that's what the stuck trade caravan here told us (boy it must be the first time traders were happy to see an orcish warband) about this dastardly villain/hero of the hero. Whoever he be.

Whelp. I'll have to make sure I don't hear of that name in my next travels amongst the human lands in disguise. Wouldn't want to meet this Harper fellow now would I?

--

When: 23rd Day of Maponeth, 1354 Dale Reckoning

Where: Village of Longsaddle

The Ivy Mansion is creepy. A creepy place filled with crazy people who have way too much power in their hands. Due to this I'm very much intent on making them the best-buddies of Sparta clan into the foreseeable future. So far, so good on that strategy. Friendly orcs are uncommon lets say and as yesterday – mutual interests right now in the area. Though of course the Harpell family really don't want to start patrolling outside the radius of their village demesne and Wyrmog has been evidently bright enough to give the place a wide berth since nearly every war-chief since the Harpells magic nuked a whole Horde a while back.

Though I don't think Ardanac and Malchor Harpell are overly happy that orcs give them said wide berth because all the clans think their crazy magic wielding lunatics. Not really a compliment when orcs think you aren't sound of mind I guess. On that note; yeah 20 billion questions has started again. Hiding, I mean...retiring to think...in my tent has earned me some respite but the truth is me and my lot have aroused far too much curiosity in the minds of these merry and crazy wizards.

Largely because arcane magic using orcs are basically unheard off in these here parts and that draws attention. Which mostly fits with the Holy Books been honest as there wasn't really an PC classes for half-orc wizards in 1e or 2e let alone full blooded ones, or our Orog member Banhultuk – though there were Ogre mages so maybe there were. Sorry past life. Whatever the case they want to know stuff and I don't want to tell them.

Worryingly I could end up with one coming back for the winter. Still I'd had considered that fact before we set out so...lets hope not but I'll pay the price if it secures our south-eastern flank and gets us more magic shinies. I have a Master Necromancer and Dread Gnome Illusionist on the payroll to try keep such a health hazard in line. And away from my underground R project as well if I can. On the flip side; who to send here as our 'Ambassador' or do I really want to send someone to the Tower of their less-crazy-but-still-dangerous Archmage?

Also what do I do about this village woman with her half-orc son and her wanting us to train him in magic and stuff?

That's just one of the weird issues that have cropped up. Sadly must go, Tris motioning that the Harpell Inquisition have arrived for their Treatise. Again.

--

[Vaerier 02]

Lower Slope, Stronghold of Sparta

She hugged the cloak tight around her frame to keep out the cold and rain as she trudged through the muddy streets of the stronghold. The weather had turned stormy over the course of the night and now the wind was slowly starting to pick up, while the rain seemed to thunder down all around her. Together with the angry grey clouds cover above it was almost impossible to tell that if it was early morning or just past thanks to the dark gloom that persisted in her new home. Despite this poor weather the streets were far from empty as a patrol of grumbling orcs stomped past her; likely the next guard shift for the gates or outer palisade walls she assumed. After all the big trade caravan the orc shaman that had taken off a fortnight ago to visit Longsaddle had been spotted entering the valley and would be soon to return to the stronghold it seemed. Master Menkin had been quite eager to get access to what goods his fellow kobolds had purchased for him and had talked of little else since word had arrived by an outrider from said caravan.

Still that was of little concern to her right now as she tugged forward the hood of the cloak and brushed the chilly water off her face at a sudden change in direction of the winds. In her mind all she viewed as important was that the sooner she was back in the nice warm tavern the better she'd feel. Sadly the belt around her waist with a host of small pouches, and the pack on her back full of similar, meant that desire would have to wait a little while to be sated. So instead she trudged on up the slope towards the stone castle above with the usual feeling of nervousness that came from being a lowly servant approaching a lord's fastness. Even without the added fact of said fastness being ruled over by grump orcs who towered over her and herself was just a mere slave. Still she quickened her pace towards the looming gate inside the stronghold and was almost relieved as she bowed deeply to the orc guard detail standing there and under shelter from the rain.

"This slave is sorry to disturb you mighty masters but her owner, Master Menkin, has sent her to deliver items to the Tower of the Shaman and the Wizards within" she stated in her best orcish keeping the bowed pose and staring at the ground. Showing obedience and submissiveness got you a long way with the Spartans she'd found when making deliveries and sped ones way through their various guard sections. A gruff orcish voice snorted back in a bored but 'friendly' tone to her as other interjected.

"Ehhhh...yeah, I know ye well from the tavern, damned good booze. Right I'll just check ye for weapons and such so no jumpin. What'ya got for'em?" came to her ears as the orc came over to her and rough hands ran over her body in a praticed motion. Thankfully it was a genuine check rather than an opportunity to just grope the barmaid, and she recognized the grumpy orc acolyte who came to the tavern every once and a while as she detailed what she was carrying and intending to collect in exchange. A grunt of some sort and a pat on the butt indicated she should stand and follow him as he grumbled out orders to the five other orcs standing under the gate's shelter in orcish to stay on duty while he escorted her to her destination.

Thankfully as she followed just behind him past the other guards she was glad to note crude log and board roof overhangs had been erected along the edge of the courtyard and so she got to avoid the pouring rain for the moment as she walked. Very much unlike the mock battle between two groups taking place in the centre of the castle's courtyard amidst the now pelting rain. There always seemed to such things going on within the town regardless of time of day or weather; older orc warriors screaming obscenities and whacking 'laggards' as two groups of younger ones battered away at each other as healers waited nearby. Truth be told it almost looked like a ferocious and very real fight from the blood and angry howls despite knowing it was just a practice session like normal as she turned back to the orc warrior she followed over to the Shaman's Tower section of the fortress. As usual guards stood at the doorway and, after a brief conversation with the orc in front of her, she was led inside the stone tower to the nice blast of warmth from within its confines.

Warmth and noise it seemed as various voices came from doorways as she was ushered into a side room annd shook off the soaked cloak at command told to wait as the gruff voiced orc warrior disappeared back the way he'd came. Idly she made mental note to be nice to him the next time he came to the tavern, and maybe to try get his name. Never hurt to have someone to ask for when having trouble with the guards, especially with these martial and discipline obsessed orcs. As for the moment she stood waiting near the merrily warm stove in the corner of the empty room as the water damp cloak dripped upon the surprisingly clean floor. From further on in the building she could here faint chanting mixed with someone loudly proclaiming some nonsense she couldn't understand even as she managed to grasp a few words. Wizards stuff she assumed as she heard such not-understandable talk every so often in her past life from rather more low life pond scum members of that profession that had frequented the inns she'd worked in back then.

"Greetings, Vaerier isn't it? That kobold sent you I assume?" a friendly, albeit somewhat dandyish, female voice asked from just behind her as she was warming her hands. Turning she saw a young human woman dressed in robes, a gold trimmed collar at her neck, glide into the room. Bowing to the Shaman's pet wizard slave seemed the best idea as she replied "Yes Mistress, my Master, Menkin, has send me with a delivery as agreed"

The woman in robes smiled and waved at the table off to the side with one hand while pulling out a small wooden box from her robes with the other "Okay just place the delivery on the table there and we can make the exchange. You can leave your cloak to dry by the stove if you want? I can have Targka use prestidigitation and clean it for you, and then let the fire warm it for you. It sounds to be getting somewhat wild out there"

"Thank you kindly Mistress" she replied and quickly shed the heavy cloak wrapped around her frame and rested it upon a wooden stand indicated by the robed woman. In truth she was wary of such 'helpful' magic as she stepped away from the cloak, but best not to turn down friendliness from one higher in station that herself and perhaps the clothing would be dried and cleaned by the young mage. Master might be mad for her losing the cloak, but he'd be even more so if she offended the Shaman's apprentices and household. So as the robed woman motioned the young but larger orc female standing at the door-frame to come forward and beginning to chant and wave her hands at her clothes. She herself glanced at it somewhat nervously, after all she had on now was a large under tunic down to her thighs and the pair of worn leather boots Master Menkin had provided so heavier work. The human woman smiled at her encouraging "Don't worry Targka just needs practice and it's perfectly safe"

Gutteral chanting finished and a faint light seemed to illuminate the room for a fraction of a second before ending and the robed woman nodded contentedly to the orc girl "Perfect Targa, perfect. We'll have you a lessons with Nimmil later as you asked, so go tell her that and that I shall deliver here delivers momentarily..." before turning back to Franja, now called Vaerier, as she placed the last of the items on the table "...all done, clean and dried. Now lets see what you have..."

In its own ways it felt comfortable talking to business to the other woman, her name was Missy evidently, as the orc girl strode out of the room past the guards. Master Menkin had given a reasonably detailed explanation of the various reagents and herbal doses he was giving, and the two he was unable to deliver, and the girl used inkwell, quill and parchment to write up a note on such things. The robed woman smiled faintly at her own remarking on this fact "Merchant's daughter, record everything in trade, and it's as much habit thanks to Master too I'll admit. Still we'll have to knock three gold coins off the agreed exchange without those items Nimmil wanted"

She herself nodded in agreement. Master Menkin had stated as such and had told her a minimum of the value of four gold coins off of the trade in exchange. By it been reduced by merely three he would be quite happy with such a thing, but still she had to try work at that "Apologies Mistress, but my Master would be displeased at this one if she were to accept without questioning. Master Menkin has had to struggle..."

Truth be told...barter with the woman Missy was fun in its own ways. Stressful too of course, but that was life in of itself even without having been enslaved. After all if she could achieve some measure of success, honest success as Master Menkin merely had to use magic to reveal a lie, then she might be able to earn a reward of some small sort for herself or her Katja. So for a few minutes she and Missy bartered back and forth till the robed woman gave a small chuckle and agreed to a slightly better price. Or at least the same price but with some parchment and ink supplies to be included in the exchange as the robed woman asked her to wait while she fetched these goods and the coin for the exchange. While she was gone Vaerier threw back on the heavy 'waterproof' cloak and rapid it securely around her as she heard the howl of winds outside the stone walls of the keep.

She smiled happily to herself. They were indeed fresh and dry, warm and fresh smelling in fact, as she sniffed at them. Not that they'd stay that way for long, but it had certainly kept her under-tunic and flesh dry beneath it despite the rain so she was happy enough for something that she and her daughter had stitched together from large scraps of leather and cloth Master Menkin had gathered. It would be quite important come the coming winter after all and they'd done their best to adjust the purchases their kobold owner made from the rough and tumble 'market' in the centre of the village area near the tavern. Of course Master Menkin himself wanted warm clothes for himself from these but he did make an effort to ensure she and her daughter stayed in good health so they had a small but decent wardrobe prepared for the freezing months ahead. Judging from the weather it wasn't too many ten-days away most likely she guessed. She bowed again politely as the robed woman re-entered the room holding a wooden rectangular box that rustled faintly as the contents inside moved as she walked.

"Now here is the..."

--

[Krowluc 11]

Northwestern-most watch-tower, Valley of Sparta

"Looks like their going to follow us home doesn't it?" the Shaman muttered to him unhappily, the rain pattering down around them as they gazed out over the lowlands beyond from the seats of their mounts. Still the rains and fog of the past few days had been a Gods-send in getting back to the valley without anymore trouble, especially when this large war-party began sniffing at the rear of the caravan's tracks. Of course the fog had made tracking them to their foes near impossible, just as it had made tracking the likely enemy war-party to them till the weather had cleared somewhat. That and the benefits of the high ground gave to tracking a large body of fighters in the distance despite their ant-like appearance. Glancing at the dark lump of said specks around flickers of light he assumed were fires he had to agree with the Shaman and his scouts opinions.

"Aye Shaman it looks at such, probably saw our wagon tracks and decided raiding after us would bring them to easy pickings with their numbers I'd expect. We're at the end of the raiding season, truth I'd say weather turning wintry early this year looks like, so their either very confident or looking for a big score from lean pickings"

"Hmmm...got any idea of how many of them that's in the mass off over there?" was the reply from the orc who he assumed was already trying to calculate that strength as well, to reduce it to numbers and odds and probabilities. Krowluc found the Shaman, well in truth Cleric, of Ilneval quite strange in his thoughts and he occasionally wondered if everything was just a turned into pieces on a game board in that mind. Not that he'd complain, having competent superiors, even if ruthless, who kept their word was far better than brave, noble...and following on from that often suicidally unthinking ones. When you fought, you won...and there was no pussy footing around about a fair fight when someone wanted you dead, and the coin was in the air before Tymora.

Still at this question he shook his helmeted head slowly in the negative "Sorry can't more than guess at least a few hundred at a guess, could be alot more, could be less if they're a clan with women and children...or at least fewer fighters than it'd seem. Truth, from here can't even tell if their orc or human or something else. Barbarian definitely, too messy and spread out for other, but can't tell ye anymore than that I'm afraid Shaman. Only think I'd be wary of his how easy their lettin' us see'em. Either their hidin' something else or they ain't takin us seriously...or don't know what sorta bees nest their stickin' their cocks into"

It was easy enough done after all out here in the savage frontier where territory could turn from somewhat safe to murderously dangerous in the beating of a dragon's wings. Still this was probably, judging from the ant-like specks in the far distance, a multi-clan orc war-party returning from the Horde that had turned on his employers, or a fairly impressive turnout from a single Uthgard tribe seeking revenge from said defeat. Or it could be someone else, though he couldn't think of any power locally that could afford to assemble such a large ground and send it off into the wild-lands like this. It'd be near a third or even half of the Axe of Mirabar or the Luskan Guards to be that visible - and even they'd likely be using magical concealment to shield an advance, at least in part. It raised some questions of course; were they clustered together for defensive purposes? Or just as a means to keep their warriors all point in the same direction? Did they have women or loot at the heart of the cluster? Did they know the stronghold was here, or that the Moonblade clan had migrated to a mere few days distance away? Smart or dumb?

"Hmmmm...hmmmmm...well we need to find out more than that before we start risking having blood spilled on our side..." the Shaman stated then sighed, breath steaming on the cold air "...at least the caravan can be sent on its way with the foot escort and whatever the kobolds can spare. Dang it all, this has not worked out as I'd have liked. Delayed gettin' a Harpell for a few months and instead get an enemy war-party following us home instead. Probably should taken'em from the looks of it..."

Krowluc nodded in vague agreement as the Shaman trailed off, looking up at the sky a moment before sighing again "...and we need to be extra wary. I'm pretty sure someone's been trying to scry us"

Well that was a concern "Can you tell who Shaman? That lot? Others?"

The Shaman snorted in annoyed amusement it seemed at that "Hard to say, let's just say the Boss, well, and Phargk of the Night-tombs & Doctor Ned as much, have given me some small knowledge on the subject. I'm slippery evidently and I can...feel such I guess. Most people can actually, like when someones staring at your back and you...just know some is doing it. Don't know who, or what. I'd assumed the Harpells as it started soon after we left the place. Not very polite but...well..." he finished with a shrugged of armoured shoulders.

"Aye, odd sorts they are" he replied with an equal snort at that massive understatement. Still the trip had been very useful in strengthening his band of cavalry. He's managed to get a new recruit Rhydyc, even if he was supposed to let him try at being a wizard with Krazy Karguk and his band of mad-magical-orcs that that little menace Nimmil and the Necromancer they'd found was training up.

"Powerful too, and that lets you be impolite I find. But the danger is it ain't them, but this lot instead. Or worse someone else nearby working with them. The Stronghold has wards against such but us out here...not so much even with..." the Shaman glanced back at the young human astride the horse on the other side of him "...Rose, cast Protection from Law, then from Chaos just like we practiced"

"Okay Master Karguk!" was the cheerful reply from the till now silent girl as she began to chant faintly and the tell-tale hints of divine magic manifest as she did so. As she did so the Shaman merely turned back to Krowluc while patting at his horse to stay calm. After all the Shaman might be powerful in certain regards, but a skilled rider he was not Krowluc had found in the past few journeys. The only reason he was uncomfortably astride the current mare was that the wagons had been sent onwards towards the Stronghold with his half-elf bard and the foot bound guard element.

"Not sure if it works with regular scrying but I'm sorta...odd...hmmmm...no lets go with 'blessed' instead. Yeah we'll go with that; Blessed by Ilneval. I'm sorta proof against easy scrying, slippery or something like that. That and I can feel it, so I reckon someone's scrying the general area or the wagons by that..." the Shaman gave a tired chuckle as the girl finished her first casting "...funny thing. Add magical protections atop magical protections and try shit like this...well people get headaches I've been told by your friend Nimmil"

Krowluc snorted at that "Nimmil usually gives everyone else headaches so I'd say it would be only fair"

"Perhaps, but for this it's the best I can do to disrupt any spying on us. Zah, I mean the Chiefs, will know in short what we're facing and I've sent word with Tris for him to come with a strong fighting force. And to check the with his other patrols and watch posts in the hills for other such groups of univited guests. If we're lucky the Moonblades will have warriors on the way as well. Their Chief and Shaman are suppose to winter with us so we can plan after all, so hopefully they're ready to move with a large enough guard force"

Krowluc nodded in deference "You plan to attack them quickly?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Honestly I'd prefer them to chase us in the valley after we know more of them and their disposition. Pull them in, ambush them, then trap them with high ground on their flanks and a solid line in the front of them...and then lots and lots of dead enemies in the aftermath. Or at least in a perfect world..." he hummed sadly "...unfortunately this ain't a perfect world so we'll see what we can do. The most important part for the moment is keeping track of them, and of course finding out what sort of a magical support they've got on their side. Once we know more for sure we can work on the best method to handle the problem of them being alive and on our land"

That was a plan Krowluc could get behind for the moment, and one he'd be fully behind once several hundred heavily armoured orcs joined his three dozen-odd cavalry force and assembling force of kobolds here at the tree and foliage hidden watch tower. The Shaman in the meanwhile just turned to the red haired human girl, who had finished her spell casting, and thanked her for doing so. She was another oddity of course from his new employers; an orcish war-priest taking a human cleric of another god (a heathen god to orc at that) as an apprentice? Something he'd never heard of before, even among the various priesthoods of the North. Still the girl, for all the smiles and short build, was a bloody little thing when battle had come. Much to his surprise when he himself had seen that mace of hers could do...and where the orc Shaman had evidently trained her to aim her blows at. As best Krowluc could tell the girl, Rose, much like the 'slave' Missy, operated almost like an assistant to the Shaman. While also being a immediate healer and quasi-bodyguard however absurd that thought sounded to him when contrasting the height and bulk of the two.

"Good job Rose, quick and steady without getting too loud in the cadence. Now I trust you listen to what we have been talking about?"

"Of course Master Karguk, and I stayed quiet as you asked" the girl replied with a nod as they began to trot the horse back to the rest of the company beneath the foliage up here on the heights. It seemed they were to discuss planning some more as the Shaman seemed intent on getting multiple opinions on that matter before formulating a plan. Now asking a tiny human girl for such opinions wouldn't have been Krowluc's second port of call as an orcish war-priest of Ilneval but then again...the Shaman was somewhat crazy everyone said. The good crazy of course, which was why Krowluc could see this place as decent spot to settle down and build up a position of power in it's growing population and hierarchy. It was slowly starting to have all the benefits of human settlements with out any of the crappy treatment he received as a half-orc there. Well assuming they survived of course. But that's where his own skills as a professional mercenary gave him a chance to rise through the ranks...

"Okay then, now what did you learn? And what do you think..."

--

[Karguk 31]

North-West area, Valley of Sparta

"Zah, you have no fucking idea how good it is to see you and that big damned axe of yours!" I greeted tiredly as we clasped hand to wrist as he arrived. Hugging in full armour really wasn't the best idea I'd found. Still I was really glad to see him and the marching war-party in column behind him arrive at such speed after sending off the messenger riders ahead of the wagons. Evidently our marching order speed had gotten much better or the crude roads (well dirt tracks) being cut into the woods and over broken ground were further ahead than I'd figured. Or letting reinforcements move faster than I had expected.

"Heh! Course you are Karg, ye always be needin' me to do all the real fightin after all!" he smirked back despite the rain starting to pour down around us. Not surprising, Zah had been annoyed at being kept at home through all my 'adventures' and fights and of course this had his blood up.

"Well in this case it seems I do. Need to give some uninvited guests a good thumpin' looks like. Or at the least discourage them from their destination of choice" I replied motioning him to follow me into the leaf and foliage covered 'command tent' of sorts I'd setup here on the valley wall. Wasn't much of anything, just a large crevice that'd been blocked off and roofed with branches to keep it dry from the rain while allowing a lantern to small fire to give some light and warmth. Rigging it up to not show said light, burn down the 'hut', or fill it with smoke had been a life skill well drilled into my in my second childhood. Visible raiders tended to dead raiders, but even raiding parties needed heat from time to time to stay warm, or cook things. Even orcish ones.

So, thanks to that fact, I'd managed to also rig up a rock 'table' in the centre of the hut. On which a crudely drawn map of the surrounding area had been drawn up with coins and pebbles placed upon it to show what tactical information we had at the moment. I'd been discussing with the gnome illusionist about a spell to create my 'virtual battlefield' along with familiars and such for scouting but sadly a number of casters cooperating and I, nor my clan, wasn't at that level yet. So shitty paper maps, mental calculations and imagination would have to do in creating that 'total war' battlefield in my mind and providing some sort of easy track of tactical data. Now that Zah had arrived it wasn't a bad picture as we entered and Rose stepped quietly to the side near me as Zah shook, wiped, off some of the damp from his cloak and plate armor. Outside the rumble of marching feet and metal could be heard over the loud pattering of the rain upon the green roof above, then rolling down in cascades on either side of the entrance. Zah had brought over nearly three hundred of the clan's warriors, along with a hundred of the female auxiliary archers, even if the forested ground around here and bad weather hid them from sight somewhat.

"Heh, yeah be a good fuckin bust up looks like. You know who they are Karg?"

I sighed "Well we know know their humans not some of Wyrmog's lot. Damned Uthgarders and if we...well...I'd guess Sky Pony tribe because a bunch of our kobold scouts, and two of acolytes as well, got made dead by what was basically a magic shadowy version of a winged flying horse before I managed to drive it off with my magic and our non-flying, and not winged, horses. Other than that...there's a goodly number of them we think, but can't tell how many bar they probably outnumber us by a little. Probably. We can't get scouts forward to check, they've pushed alot of their scouts forward and the weather has been shit. All we can say for sure is where most of them are and their a bunch of angry barbarian humans. Maybe a few murder-hobos thrown in the mix, hard to tell..."

And that throwing magic like that around to scout of all things. Magic that required them to blood sacrifice members of their own clan according to what my magical Tome of Wiki had brought up when I'd been reading during my...reading everything phase. Well that didn't exactly mean good things about how reasonable this lot were going to be in the days to come. Though at least it hinted at the fact it hadn't been this lot trying to scry me, us, whatever, in the previous week or so. The were acting aggressive but half-blind, while also rather ruthlessly throwing around dangerous rituals that wouldn't have been needed if they could magically have done so. I hoped that was the case at least. Still I had options to handle that possibility too.

"...so question. You brought Missy, Nimmil and Doctor Ned with you?"

Zah rolled his eyes and snorted in bemusement "Yes, yes, brought your death dealing slave and the crazy magic users you managed to gather up. Oh and half your lot of magic using warriors of course. That human who turned himself into a proper orc brought his dwarf bitch even. There a little back and should be here soon enough I reckon with the rest of our fighters. Ye picked an awkward fuckin spot Karg"

I shrugged "Had to fall back and this is good defensive terrain and harder for them to see you coming up from the stronghold"

"There was the Thunderblades old camp ya know?" he pointed out pointing at the crappy looking map laid out before us though his tone indicated he had guessed why I'd fallen back beyond that. I shrugged again and held my hands out in a 'what could I do' gesture.

"That place isn't defensible with maybe forty cavalry and a hundred odd kobolds, and certainly not where I'd want to take on several hundred barbarian warriors with them. Best fall back and wait for you lot to get here and fight when the odds are in our favour. Truth be told I'd wait till the Moonblades arrive in a few days if I could, or we could lure them where we like but that's your call Zah as the Big Chief of this here valley"

Honestly I was much more comfortable with that than me being the general in charge, I was cautious and defensive and Zah generally better at the tactics than I was. Logistics, organisation and grand strategy were my bailiwicks but Zah was a general at heart and understood things instinctively even when it came to magic and other variables that effected this damned death world. At best with me it was a learned skill, with him it came naturally and I'd done everything over the past years to 'train' up that ability as best I could, and then getting something resembling a command structure that would follow those orders in place.

"Not a bad idea to ambush'em. Nothing beats a good ambush I'll say, though it's just what to bait it with here that could be an problem. Hmmm...they been moving fast Karg?"

"Yes and No. When we first saw them, not a whole lot, trying to decide whether to chase or not probably. Or maybe the weather was bad, then cleared and they figured out where we were headed. Whatever it was they made bit of dash shortly I sent off the wagons and the first messanger to you. Once I withdrew to here about...oh say near a day now?...they sorted fucked around up on the slopes to the north-east. Now weather got fierce bad again so could be that, or they saw the stronghold off in the distance once they got up over the hills. Still they've been ranging forward all day, and that damn Pegasus-thing yesterday was a problem that could pop up again. I'd guess they thought that their was more of us there than actually was when they noticed the smoke from the kobold village...well...the above ground part behind us. Or the river in the way. But they've seemed to hold for the moment up on the hilly ground here" I pointed out the last sighting we'd seen of the Uthgardter war-party first on the map, then indicating off in that direction. Even if it wasn't visible from here throught the combination of forest, rain and mists. Late autumn weather and mountainous terrain did not make for ideal conditions for easy tracking of enemy movements lets say. On the bright side...it wasn't winter yet I guess.

"Be great if they went straight for the stronghold wouldn't it?" Zah mused motioning at the gap between us in our area near the kobold settlement and the stronghold. Oh and that lovely river in between before you even counted the rest of our strenght mustered there.

"Yeah, wouldn't it?" I replied with a sigh "Sadly they seem to not be doing that for the moment. No signs of other enemies near?"

"No, a few possible warbands either loyal to Wyrmog or neutral off south according to the runners the Moonblades sent us. Nothing of humans though in any great number"

"Hmmmm...that's what bothers me. This seems a bit small of a force to take us out in some attempt to get revenge for us whipping their asses before Wyrmog went all backstabby. Yeah they have some spell-casters or shamans, and maybe a few mercenaries, but with our auxlia we'll have numbers even without bringing up the rest of the clan or the Moonblades. Maybe they have werewolves or something else like that, something that makes them think they'll whup us with these numbers"

Which was my concern. Bold as brass these fuckers were, marching up to our valley like this after the defeat they'd been handed and in such numbers. Therefore my mind told me that they were planning something and here in greater strenght than it seem to me at the moment. In any standard engagement I was fairly confident our formations, discipline and squad fighting made our warriors a match on an individual basis for a number of Uthgarders or traditional orc barbarian warriors. That and we had more squad level clerical and mage support than any human militia or city guard would also helped. Yet here this lot were marching in confident in their ability to beat us for some reason. The full moon was only a few days away after all, so that could be behind that. Thankfully I did have both magical, blessed and silver weapons unlike many clans and they best clan squads wielded them. Like those with Zah right now. All I could do was hope it was enough if these barbarians did have a wunderwaffen of some sort to throw into the fray.

Zah nodded gazing down at the map "Aye could be, or could be you're overthinkin' again Karg. We might be able to kick their asses with these numbers...but has anyone told them that little fact?"

"Well I'd have guessed they'd noticed at the battle between us"

"Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Not everyone thinks like you do Karg. The Moonblades couldn't tell you what humans they fought that night I'd bet...just that it was humans and demons at first. And they'd care more than most. No...no...we rest here tonight, put up some defences and see what they do. Then we decide on a plan...hmmm...we'll hit them during daylight hours if we must as the moon grows. And then we'll what destruction you and your crazy collection of spell-casters can do to a..."

--

[Zahgorim 14]

Northwest Region of Valley

It was a miserable day for a battle he thought as the rain continued to thunder down from the dark cloudy skies above him. But then again that very miserable weather would hopefully help in the fighting to come; assuming things went as he'd liked of course. Or at least mostly went as he'd like once blades clashed and blood started flying – in a fight not everything would go your way after all. You just had to be strong enough or bloody minded enough to power through those setbacks that then gods threw around to test you. After all the bloody party had already begun so it was a bit late to change one's mind about attending. Pushing such thoughts away he slammed the enchanted steel helmet down unto his head and strode out into the rain and trees rustling from the winds his guards at his heels. It was time to start moving and killing.

"Well Karg ready to start?" he queried as he strode towards his friend and his gaggle of acolytes and magical slave. All around them amidst the rustling trees and falling rain that part of the clan's warriors he'd brought with him were formed up in battle ready blocks as best they could considering the broken up and wooded ground they were on.

His friend nodded "As we'll ever be I think, and since the Uthgarders have started moving towards us after our harassing attacks with the kobolds and goblins I guess I'd better be"

"Anything since the last scouts came back?" he asked back and Karg shook his head in the negative. Not really a surprise as the whole idea had been to irritate the humans enough to maybe lash out. Of course they'd lashed out somewhat more than he'd planned by throwing dozens of mounted humans to drive off the scaly little lord's commandos in a panicked rout. Thankfully Tucker had survived the debacle alive, albeit his forces in some chaos, and Zahgorim could still, sorta, count it as a success as the humans were coming down to fight as he'd wanted.

"Well then...let's get started then..." he grunted after a moment and glanced at the other senior squad leaders around them as the war host around them stood largely in silence "...keep them quiet till me or Karg tell ye lot otherwise. I'll fuckin kill the first on that does if anyone gets lippy. Understood?"

A round of nods from all of them "Good, get to your squads and be ready" he glanced at his friend "Get your lot to do your whole magic thing Karg...and then we wait"

Standing with his personal guard in the rain as the others moved away to their groups, or in Karg's a short distance away and he watched as the banner was raised, lowered and raised silently in the signal for the group a distance away from them. Really though it was three or four 'relays' as Karg explained to allow them to communicate through the trees without shouts, runners or magic. Truth be told it was strange to approach a coming battle in silence, none of glorious pomp or battle chants filling the air as yet to raise the bloodlust and strengthen your sword arm.

'Don't be bitchin' Zah, it was your stupid fuckin idea' he could almost hear Oggy's grumpy voice say as off in the distance he could start to hear the banging of weapons, the faintest sounds of many feet in motion and all the other signs of a host of warriors looking for his blood. Still it seemed they were a distance off, or at least that's what he hoped and they weren't trying to do to him what he wanted to do to them. Of course there was no point in worrying about things when he'd done his best to plan for if they did such a thing...so for the moment he stood calmly looking up the small slope just before him and his warriors, or glancing at Karg's acolytes starting to do the first part of the battle. And (of course) it was still weird as always to watch as dozens of them began to chant ever so softly, barely audible over the rain as more than a murmuring noise and faint wisp of what looked like fog began to appear in front of the warriors. First as faint outlines, then a growing misty whiteness like a morning mist that slowly started to thicken and roll forward slowly as it rose up at the peak of the slope, and all the way along a line right of him. Then spreading out along the path of where there battle line would be while the ground where they now stood, and behind them, remained clear...or at least as clear as the poor weather conditions allowed.

So he waited quietly as the deepening mist grew and spread, at least according to those laying down and watching from the top of the slope through the relayed hand gestures of success. Finally after a few minutes, or an hour, or an eternity, the casting of this spell was over and success was relayed from the scouts along with indications that the goblin skirmishers were starting to fall back to the prepared position. He turned in Karg's direction and made a cutting gesture for him to start the next part of his magic shaman activities. Not that his friend was casting here this time, instead motioning for the banner to raise and lower again in a different pattern and then checking it being relayed correctly to the next one along the line. For a few minutes nothing seemed to happen, just the continued rustling of trees, pattering of falling rain and sounds of battle chants and beaten shields growing. It was enough to make a chieftain be concerned as the silence persisted and what he was expecting hadn't occurred, but as he felt the urge to query Karg he heard noises growing below and off to the right of him. Weapons seemed to bang of shields and war crys uttered in glorious orcish in the distance. Faint, and sounding like individual shouts as if he was giving a rallying roar to build up for a charge or such, but slowly growing in intensity as time seemed to pass by, breath after breath steaming on the now drizzling rain.

'Even if it stops the ground is muddy as fuck don't forget or it'll cause a problem' he reminded himself as he glared up and down the lines before him to remind them of his threat of those not following his orders in this matter. Still that muddy and water logged ground could be worked both ways in deciding a battle, and at least where they were here wasn't too bad thanks to the scattered trees and patches of rocky ground like the one he was standing on right now. And as he stood he heard the sounds of two war-parties starting to converge on each other as the noise in the distance became a, still admittedly faint, cacophony of shouts, chants and other sundry indications to war-bands being riled up for glorious battle. Oh, and Karg coming back over to him as well of course.

"Well that's done as you can see..." his Shaman friend murmured back quietly while behind him his slave Missy stood with the human-turned-orc wizard "...and those over there just signaled scouts have the barbarian skirmish line and their exchanging arrows in the mist cover we cast. They should be starting to fall back now"

Zahgorim nodded his helmeted head "Good for now, and it sounds like they're coming forward. But right now, we wait and see what happens. And then we kill them all"

Everything they'd scouted out of them indicated they weren't that much more numerous than his Spartans, and his boys were better one on one for these humans anyway. But it was always a better idea to get the dangerous prey to fall into the pit of stakes if you could first rather than a go for the quicker, but less sure, kill. Unfortunately that meant yet more waiting and seeing what they did in response to all his stuff so far. Honestly he was a bit surprised they hadn't charged yet, especially as time slipped by and runner arrived from the smaller force off to the right indicating the humans weren't charging into them though they were only a short distance from them as best they could tell. As he turned to Karg to ask him his opinion on that, him being the human expert, he saw his friend looking up into the darkening sky and frowning slightly as was the human-turned-orc save for more a look of curiosity on his face than Karg's frown. Zahgorim glanced up and could little beyond the lessened amount of rain falling down to meet his face plus dark and angry seeming rain clouds. He looked back to Karg.

"Problem Karg..." came out before a flash of bright light from the heavens off to his right caused him to blink and bring up a gauntleted hand instinctively to shield his eyes. Blinking again to clear them he brought it down just in time to hear the resulting thunder rumble across where the light had flashed. Karg's voice followed on immediately after this as the wind, which had been quietening down suddenly began to pick up once again alongside heavier rainfall.

"Yeah there casting, not sure what..." another flash seemed to light up the gloomy overcast morning "...but I can guess. They'll be at..." and his voice was cut off by the loud rumbling that followed on after the light once again "...ope Nimmil thinks to do something about it. But looks like they were all over there as that's where the lighting is being called down. They obscuring mists won't last long under this tho..."

Of course for Karg was practically shouting now as the howling of the wind and rain grew. Well they'd have to do something if that was the case, but if the enemy were using their spells on where the distraction group was then they likely hadn't guessed he was on their flank. So as Karg loudly and rapidly detailed what he felt he himself waved at his host of warriors to rise up and make ready to charge in the coming moments. Off to the right another flash, then thunder and then...more thunder? No it was different somehow...

The wind and rain seemed to drop off as well suddenly, going in moments from a growing storm back to the merely miserable showers they'd suffered most of the night. To his surprising it was the voice of the human-turned-orc wizard that reached his ears as hundreds of weapons were readied before him by eager warriors.

"Quick thinking there on her part I'll say! And here is a fine example of the benefits of a good dispel spell and how..."

--

[Nedorious Illan Kline III 03]

Northwest Region of Spartan Valley

It felt surprisingly good to be back on the battlefield, almost nostalgic even thanks to the cold winds and rainy damp that covered the battlefield. Sadly the lack of that sea salt tang in that misty gloom did take away somewhat from the trip down memory road. Of course that good feeling largely came from the fact he was one side that was better prepared for said battle, and appeared to be winning as best he could tell, as was usual the case. After all one usually didn't feel all too good about oneself when you were losing a battle and angry vengeful people with swords were out for your blood. Why that situation could be quiet unhealthy he'd found in the past...especially when trying very quickly to get back on-board a ship as one was chased by unhappy wizards whose stuff you may have in your bags. At least this time he was surrounded a load of ever so helpful orcs in heavy armour to serve as meat-shields while he set about proving his worth to their clan and then convince them to wreck a terrible vengeance upon his enemies in the Host Tower. That would be justice...and would also be so, so, very satisfying when that time came.

'At least my good friend Karg's clan are shaping up quite bit better than one would normally expect of savages out in the wild...' he mused to himself as he watched the wave of armoured orc descend the slope nearby him in unison war chant barely missing a beat as the charged '...hmmmm...most interesting indeed. Quite the little setup my current employers have, at least they're as dangerous in battle as I'd expected from the stronghold day to day organisation. Excellent'

Sadly he didn't get to get to see the extent of the flank charge but the fact they'd drawn what seemed the majority of the Uthgardt charge, and initial magical attack to soften up the position, had gone towards the illusion pretending to be an army - and had now from the sounds of it promptly had their flank slammed into by a relatively disciplined heavy infantry. He cocked his head to the side 'listening' or perhaps 'feeling' to the tang of magic in the air as he walked away from that element of the battle at an angle. After a moment he decided with a contented nod that all the orcs with that party who he'd been teaching were in the midst of casting their spells, or had already cast them. It had quite an odd, very condensed and rather grueling (from the apprentices' position) method of teaching that this clan had established as a teaching method. Having so many healers also in need of training was a very useful thing. Idly, as he wandered off to commit helpful murdering, why more Master's didn't have a cleric on staff to handle all that wear and tear that happened with apprentices. He hummed to himself. Must likel because it was too costly on an individual basis?

Twang. Twang. Twang. Twang. Twang.

Echoed off in the distance his ears picked up. He wasn't worried at the familiar noise. Pre-battle preparation was always the key. Well that and Protection from Arrows being cast. That helped too.

"TESTUDO!" was roared out in a loud orcish voice and suddenly all around him was motion as he dropped to one knee in response thanks to an orcish hand on his shoulder indicating to drop. Suddenly the faint light from the gloomy sky above vanished as large tower shields suddenly slammed into place above him to for a wall of sorts above and too the sides. He frowned. Truly he didn't need such efforts, and the ground was damp and ruining his nice new trousers. Lucky height challenged Crue standing beside him not having to as he and several orcs were doing.

'Still this is jolly good having a nice sized force of meatshi...fighters to absorb these usual inconveniences of handling dangerous positions isn't it?' he mused as the thunk, thunk, thunk of arrows impacting the shields above hammered out around. And for a wonder none of them penetrated through the skyward shield-wall; it seemed that combination of strengthen hides and very basic magic enchantments on each shield had worked as intended. Ah it was nice to work with professionals again. It had been years since he as Dread Ned had helped Barty terrorise the seas. He sighed as the thunking noises ended. Good times those. It had paid well of course too.

'Much like this situation' he reminded himself as the defensive formation reopened, shields coming down and gloomy light mixed with cold raindrops came back unto his face. Rapid-fire orcish orders followed, which as best as Nedorious could identify was "You lot charge at that lot of archers over there!" as dozens of orcs formed up at an angle and charged off with Karg, burning sword in hand as it steamed in the rain, at the lead. Nedorious's new apprentice, and as best he could tell Karg's lover as well as personal slave-wizard (what a combo he idly thought at!) came over.

"Master is taking out the archers there..." she motioned off where the chanting orcs were charging at some hundred odd very unhappy looking Uthgardt rear elements "...and we are to hold this position as he thinks an enemy shaman is amongst those below"

Nedorious smiled friendlily, or at least as much as an orcish polymorph's facial features allowed and patted the woman happily on the shoulder. Ah it was nice being a bit taller than before. To his surprise this whole 'be-an-orc' plan had gone off without a hitch, and also to his surprise orcish women could be very pleasant in certain activities with a handsome man of their kind. There was much research to be done on the matter when he returned - despite Crue's and young Etlin's nay-sayery on the matter "Excellent! Excellent my dear! I can sense magic been cast in that direction...as well as approaching us from the front it seems. Now my dear, step aside and let Doctor Ned perform some of his surgical magic..."

He stepped forward, shushing his apprentice of sorts and orcs out of the way as he heard a noises approaching from the trees and bushes before them. Alot of noises and thundering hooves in fact as the orcish guard tensed up, starting to form up a solid wall of shields and spears. Still they left a game for him as he made his way through their lines. Truly being friends with the senior leadership of place, villages or cities in size, was the first rule of a successful businessman...well business-orc now he supposed...like him "Now Crue my dear, drink up your potions and lets increase the value of Doctor Nedorious Incorporated for these fine fellows!"

A grunting growl was his response, but her vanishing from his side moments later indicated she was following orders as he pushed to the front and gazed down this new slope. Hmmm. Cavalry charge it seemed and someone of his first career path in life with them even it seemed! He smiled faintly to himself at old memories as he bent down and placed a hand upon the damp mossy earth at his feet and felt the living breathing land beneath 'Ah well, time for the old classics I guess. Have to put on a show after all'

He could feel in the earth as well as hear with his, now orcish, ears, the thunder of hooves on broken earth. Good solid mountain ponies or maybe trained horses he guessed by the ease of movement as he chanted softly, imploring the earth for aid and encouraging the growth of new life at the extent of his 'senses' – a spot about four hundred feet away in a roughly patch of thirty to forty feet amidst the sparse trees. Timing, timing was always the key he found as he pushed himself back to stand as a the roar of battle off to his right was now joined by the fierce war-cries to the front as dozens of barbarian horsemen came screaming out of the mists...

...and came to a blundering halt as vines of greenery exploded at their feet and from the trees in front of them. He waved the orcs, and his escort happy would-be apprentice, back from himself as strode forward a few metres before them; watching as the charge of the barbarian horseman blundered around in confusion lashing out at the greenery with their weapons. Just as he'd guessed - unlike the orcs he was currently employed by the Uthgardters hadn't bothered with even the basest of magical resistances to such measures.

So with the evident leader of the horseman on the ground cursing, like a dozen of his fellows, the whole thing had fallen into confusion. Decades on and they still hadn't changed since his last killing of a war-party it seemed. But a thundering roaring sound and the feeling of his control over the foliage being ended alerted him that this wasn't exactly over yet. He cocked his head to the side in interest at the 'feel' of the powered used and watched as a hairy man?...woman?...riding a black furred bear erupted from behind the broken up horsemen; charging through them to stop at the base of the slope as the man/woman raised his/her spear and roared out something pity he guessed. He wasn't sure since he hadn't been listening to him/her. Instead he waved cheerfully and shouted out a greeting in the Common Tongue.

"HELLO THERE! I COULDN'T INTEREST YOU IN SURRENDERING NOW COULD I?"

A shouted insult in response indicated that this was in fact just a very hairy woman. He sighed, what was it his first profession and pour choices in hygiene. Still he watched as a familiar spell was cast and he gave a small, but understood gesture to his dwarf subordinate to be in readiness as the power he felt growing from the hairy druid woman grew and she pointed her spear at spot half-way between them. He hummed; evidently someone wasn't as proficient as she should be in her studies as silvery energy appeared, and then gave way too, an angry silver furred wolf or dire-wolf that howled as it appeared. Cheerfully he waved to his opponent and retorted in a friendly voice. Controlling the battlefield was the first part of seeming invincible, and that started with creating a certain level of pageantry of course as he made wild gesticulations almost like a smell.

"WE'RE HAVING A DRUID OFF EH? NICE SUMMONS! NOW I SUMMON INVISIBLE ANGRY ARMOURED DWARF!"

He pointed at a spot near the direwolf. Nothing happened as dozens, maybe hundreds of eyes of orcs and humans focused on him. His Druidic opened her nasty mouth and shouted insults at him as the direwolf snarled and seemingly made to charge at him...

...before its head exploded in a blow of blood and bone fragments as a suddenly visible dwarf in the best heavy plate, a two hand battle axe in her hands, materialised having evidently jumped through the air to deliver the killing blow. Crue, as ever, let out a blood curdling laugh at her current amusement. Nedorious of course smirked and projected his voice tauntingly "MY SUMMONS BETTER THAN YOUR SUMMONS! MY SUMMONS IS TWICE AS ALIVE AS YOURS IS!"

That of course earned him angry retorts from hairy, a sudden upsurge in her power as another spell manifested itself and a pillar of flame descended from the heavens upon him. An angry druid was a dangerous thing to provoke, even if he'd done it intentionally. Smiriking in victory the Druid raised her spear in triumph as the Uthgardters roared and started to reform. Before them the shaft of flame descended upon Nedorious. Burning and roaring it crisped, his flesh as it burned away his gaudily colour clothing. Turning him into a human...orc...screaming torch. He smiled darkly...

...well it would have he mused as he strode forward untouched as the flaming pillar broke against the invisible sphere of magic that surrounded him. Then he waved a finger at his opponent as if he were dealing with a naughty child and tsked. And in truth he was a bit disappointed – this was a poor showing for one who had evidently being calling lightening and performing weather control from the tang of her magic. Hadn't even penetrated the first level of his battlefield protections and she was assuming victory? How truly arrogant – even he wasn't going to assume victory till his enemies corpses were dancing for his amusement. One hand resting on the hilt of his cutlass he slowly strode forward into the silence. Then with his free hand, chanting softly as he did so, he pointed at the confused druid. Realising the danger she started to direct her mount...

Too late as he released the spell in a smooth hand gesture that slammed into her form as he continued to stroll forward at an easy pace. Her now rabbit form as the energies gripped her and transformed her. He almost glowered at her lack of preparation and a foe with this much respect – really he hadn't expected this to succeed and merely to test her defences. His current employer Karg after all would have been able to rest such he'd guessed judging from all the magic, crude yes, wards he used to build resistance. Well sadly this one wouldn't regret her behavior for long as he continued chanting and motioning gently at the bear the druid had ridden in on. While Rabbit Druid ran around in confusion after falling off her mount's back.

"HEY MISTER BEAR!" he said loudly but soothingly "LOOK I GOT YOU A NICE RABBIT AS A SIGN OF MY FRIENDSHIP! NOM! NOM! NOM!"

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