Orcish Diplomacy

General Summary

Dazmeat had the news: construction on the keep was proceeding, but the workers were getting nervous. A clan of orcs had moved closer and closer to the edges of the Hel Mountains, and his folks weren't comfortable approaching them when they went into the mountains for building materials. He wanted Axelrod to deal with the issue so construction wouldn't be interrupted. He also wanted a lot of ale.
After assembling their ever-growing caravan, the Party moved out of Rybury. Before too long, they noticed an elf and a black bear camped outside the city walls. Bartimus and Hobart moved off to greet the stranger. Soon, everyone was acquainted with Shizen Moonwhisper and his bear friend, Kuro. He said he had been tracking some troubling signs all the way from the High Forest and was (shockingly) heading toward the Hel Mountains. What was two more in the caravan?
Five days later, the train finally reached its destination. They were happy to see most of the rubble had been cleared and the foundation was being prepared for new construction. Dazmeat greeted Axelrod, giving him another update and arranging for the unloading of the ale. Everyone settled in for the night.
The next morning, Axelrod set up the greenhorns to help with the keep, and the heroes headed into the mountains. Despite the rough terrain, Shizen guided them deftly up the slopes. Before long, everyone heard the heavy sounds of footsteps and grunts, and the stealthier Party members moved ahead to spot a good-sized patrol of orcs. The Party set up in a shallow valley in the line of the orcs' travel, and they attempted to parlay with them rather than fight. The orcs were cautious, but the silver tongue of Bartimus Codswallop convinced them not to attack. After a brief discussion, the orcs invited them to speak with their elder. The Party followed the orcs back to a massive war party and the rest of the orc clan.
The shaman of the Rising Earth Clan explained that their village had been overcome by a strange, foreboding mist. It eventually corrupted the land itself. Strange monsters and evil sprites began terrorizing them, driving the orcs out into the mountains. (Offhandedly, the shaman mentioned this began around the time of the Midnight Mountain Incident, though he knew nothing of those events and drew no conclusions about it. This was just a coincidence.) He came to an agreement with the Party: if they could restore the village, the orcs would return there and never show aggression toward the keep, its workers, or its locals. The Party agreed.
When they reached the village, they found the dark mist casting a pall over the settlement. It obscured their vision as they investigated the area. Without warning, two small fey and a large ooze attacked them. They withstood the assault and continued to explore. They came upon a place where the mist had coalesced so densely that it seemed to have substance. One by one, they walked into the shadow gate, soon emerging in another realm. They stood in darkness, collected at the end of a road flanked by massive trees. As they progressed, the trees thinned and showed signs of blight.
The Party came upon a group of shadow fey, elves that had been transformed by some dark force. They stood in front of another shadow gate, and they would not allow the Party to progress. The two largest guardians wielded enormous pikes, and they lunged at the heroes. The battle was difficult, but they held firm. The Party was both surprised and excited to see the mighty Kuro swipe away chunks of their enemies. Having cleared the road, they entered the shadow gate.
A massive, fey-like creature stood before them, though they all felt a more sinister energy from her. Her dark armor and massive sword appeared to be made of shadow in solid form. She insisted the Party had no place here, that this was her domain, her launching site to enter the Material Plane. She and her shadow fey attacked. As more and more of their efforts fell short, the fiend unleashed her rage at the expense of her servants, blasting everyone with necrotic energy. This frightened some heroes and blinded others. As she moved in for her kills, it was the mighty Kuro, swiping with rage despite his blinded condition, who felled the evil creature. When she fell dead, five shadow gates opened around her lair. With their master dead, the remaining shadow fey fled for the gates; thanks to Hobart, one made his trip post-mortem.
The Party collected the spoils of their victory and then discussed how they would leave this place. One shadow gate was oriented toward the direction they entered the herald's lair, but Bartimus chose another gate. The rest lined up to follow, but after all the others had entered, Hobart chose another gate...
Bartimus, Axelrod, Shizen, Kuro, and Emmalyn found themselves outside a small cave, standing on the banks of a massive river. Judging by the sun, the climate, and the surroundings, they determined they were looking at the Midnight River, somewhere in western Winderia. Meanwhile, Hobart emerged from a giant tree in a dense forest, alone. No one saw a gate behind them. They were where they were.
Will our heroes reunite? What troubles will they face along the way? Find out next time...

Report Date

31 Jul 2021

Primary Location

The Hel Mountains

Secondary Location

Mistglide Ruins