Session 8 - Attacking by Surprise

General Summary

From Hassan's Journal The Orc Tower
We came upon the tower occupied by Orcs, and decided to scope out the area. If it's one thing Eris taught me, it was to always know what you're getting into, and how to get out of it. That's not to say she really knew those things -- she'd just walk into something crazy, and made it crazier. No, I had to learn how to have some sense of caution, and if it came down to it, a bit of luck to keep us alive.
So..my new friends and I first found an empty barn-house, looked around a bit, then skirted around the tower. All was clear except for a couple of Orcs behind the tower that didn't prove to be a problem. We went around to the tower's entrance which had a few more guards that we quickly dispatched. Then the moment of truth: inside we went, and I prayed not to our deaths.
Turns out...almost. I think I tripped, not sure, and not really sure it was me..maybe it was. I don't know why Goblins and Orcs have to keep things so dark. But the Orcs heard us, and came at us from a guard room. Didn't look too bad, but soon after we started fighting, more Orcs from further in must have heard the ruckus. I started to sweat as I knew we were going to be pinned, and Kleeck and Laura were already inside the guardroom. I looked over at Bandua, he just swore something in Dwarven and rushed the far door just before the other Orcs burst through. Damn, that was brave! I don't know how he thought he was going to hold them all back. But he gave us precious moments for Kleeck and Laura to finish off the Orc guards and rejoin us. Laura looked like she was wounded, and so did her new panther "friend". Kleeck continues to amaze me as he summoned some sort of glowing sword inside the hall that Bandua was blocking, and began hacking the Orcs with it (he later told me it was the "sword of Apollo's grace" or something..I don't know). Between that, some fire, a vicious cat, well-placed arrows, and dwarven brute strength, we managed to kill them all, including this nasty-looking Orc who just didn't want to go down. I think he may have been one of their leaders.
Suffice to say, after that we were pretty wrecked, so I recommended we barricade ourselves in the same chamber those Orcs came from, catch our breaths, and tend our wounds. The only problem with that idea, was that those weren't the only Orcs in the tower. We heard more emerging from the nearby stairs, and they tried to force their way in. So I had another idea, hopefully a bit better this time, but probably just crazy. But, hey, sometimes you need to take a chance to stay alive. I suggested we escape from the back doorway (*always* know where the backdoor is...), run around to the entrance, and surprise those Orcs with their backs turned to us. As soon as I said it, Bandua's eyes lit up with glee, and I guess I had a winner.
Around we went, and when we quietly came upon the Orcs, it was time for me to harness fire in a way I've only been able to do a couple of times before (and one of those I had no idea what had happened). A gout, a fan of fire spread from my hands, and engulfed the Orcs. But Kleeck was right there beside me, shining the light of Apollo on them, just like he did with those Goblins back at the mine. They didn't stand a chance, especially when Laura and Bandua picked off the rest. Afterwards, we explored the upper level of the tower without incident. The Orcs must have come from upstairs. So that leaves the lower level....
I think we might be starting to work well together. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but at least I know that, right now, someone has my back, and I will have theirs.

Rewards Granted

525 Experience Points

Missions/Quests Completed

• Major Milestone - Get inside the tower
• Major Milestone - Defeat Shagrat
• Minor Milestone - Reach tower level 2

Report Date

27 Jun 2020

Primary Location

Rhodanensis