Chapter III: The Crucible Stolen
General Summary
The town bell continued to ring as Theolin Windsplitter and Eisenheim grabbed their weapons and exited the Drunken Cockatrice. Fairhill was lit by an eerie glow as the temple to the alien goddess Freya burned on the north end of town. Eiesenheim noticed the shadowy figures leaving the burning building, their brutish figures backlit by the temple's inferno. The Catfolk summoner also spied dead and wounded guardsmen lying outside the perimiter of the blaze. Shandrill and the magistrate to the Fairhill, Arlen, ran towards the adventurers and the elven cleric implored them for aid in recovering the town's religious artifact, while Arlen barked orders to the townsfolk to begin a fire brigade and his guard to help restore order.
The adventurers accepted the plea for help, and Baran the captain of the guard, explained that he could only spare a few members of the guard to accompany the two on their chase to catch what must have been orcs and recover the crucible. He ordered Lieutenant of the Fairhill Guard Lauriel to fetch horses for the hastily assembeled group to rude in pursuit of the marauders, and ordered the elven warrior and two guardfol, Linnor and Havlor accompany them.
Shandrill then offered her sword, that she called "Valkyria", to Eisenheim and requestes he use the blade to aid them in their quest to bring the orc bandits to justice. Upon removing the simple looking sword from it's scabbard, Eisenheim felt the presence of the goddess Freya, and then realized that was no ordinary ceremonial blade. Lauriel seemed shocked that the preistess offered the sword to the Catfolk and vowed to never let the blade, or Eisenhei, out of her sight.
The five sped off on the loaned steeds and rode off the northeast road into the night. The road took the pursuers into a forest when Eisenheim, riding his summoned serpentine eidolon, spotted a small sack laying on the ground at the opening of what appeared to be a small trail leading deep into the thick of the forest trees. Everyone stopped and Eishenheim grabbed the leather pouch. Inside were three figurines carved out of bone which Lauriel identified as the "Aesir," the gods of the North.
Eisenheim and Theolin wanted to take the overgrown path on foot hoping to catch up with the orcs, but Lauriel wanted to stay on the road so they may utilize the speed of the horses. Lauriel's stubborness gave way to Theolin reminding her that she was ordered by Baran to follow their lead, and that mean being led down this makeshift path. Lauriel ordered Linnor to stay at the path's entrance with the horses, and if they had not returned by sunrise, to ride back to Fairhill and report to Baran immediately.
The four moved along the overgrown trail, stepping as quietly as they could manage. An hour or so later, Eisenheim's keen senses heard the sounds of grunts and roars a hundred feet ahead. Lauriel moved ahead, scouting the area alone. She returned and reported that seven Orc warriors seemed to be celebrating a premature victory as a rather large one was desecrating the crucible with its own urine.
The band came up with a plan to sneak towards the clearing where the orcs were enjoying their spoils and surround the savage beings. The battle began with Eisenheim announcing himself to surprise the orcs, while Theolin hurled a bottle of lamp oil stuffed with a lit cloth at the band of marauders. The oil burst into flame and splattered on the seven orcs and the fight was on. Lauriel fell to an orc's sword, but otherwise the fight was over almost as quickly as it had began. It ended when the flames that were lightly burning the orcs furs and hide armor burst into a full on fire, engulfing the remaining four, including the band's barabric leader. Their bodies fell to the ground aflame.
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