9th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY FIVE
The Lands Of Floshin (4:00 pm):
Still on the lands of the Floshin estate Sir Ly, with Vicross on his War Horse, chases after the 2 Goblin Riders and the Orog carrying Kelson Darktreader. He finds the Orog on a hillock, holding Kelson and challenging the Paladin to a duel.
Sir Ly takes out his ‘Elven Long bow’ and the Orog hides behind the ridge. The 2 Goblin Riders appear from behind Sir Ly and attack. Sir Ly and his mighty War Horse kill all but one Worg.
Sir Ly rides around the hillock looking for the Orog; he is confronted by the reaming Worg and the Orog who attacks his War Horse. Sir Ly cuts down the solitary Orog while his War Horse kills the last Worg.
Vicross miraculously survives the whole ordeal.
The Farm House (4:45 pm):
Sir Ly then takes Vicross and Kelson Darktreader back to their Horses. Vicross rests but Kelson Darktreader does not wake. Vicross casts ‘Detect Magic’ on the items carried by the Cult of the Dragon Wizard and find that the ‘Dagger’, Potion’, ‘1 Ring’ and the ‘Bag of Powder’ radiate Magic.
The Dagger turns out to have 2 abilities and the blade is made from a ‘Dragons Fang’.
The Bag of powder contains 2 different types of powder, each emanating a different Magical Realm.
The Ring appears to be of Protection.
The Potion is Dark in colour but does not smell foul.
Vicross looks at Kelson Darktreader and can see speckles of faint Magic on the Rangers face, the same as one of the powder.
Sir Ly: “Use the other Powder on Kelson, maybe it will wake him. If not we must ride back to the Floshin estate”
Vicross: “I am unsure about that Paladin, I did not trust the Floshin Elves.”
Vicross does as instructed by Sir Ly and the Powder does in fact wake the Paladin.
Kelson Darktreader thanks his liberators and appears to be in great spirits as a result. A new comradery may have been forged.
Kelson Darktreader tell the 2 Heroes of his movements through the Floshin estate, capture and what he is looking for must lie within the walls of Harpshield Castle.
10th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY SIX
Moving South-West Through Floshin (12:45 am):
Harpshield Castle lies some 18 miles South-West of the Farm House, north of the Floshin estate and Kelson Darktreader take the party along paths seldom trodden by either good or ill folk.
The Ardeep Forest (5:00 pm):
Kelson Darktreader takes the party to the Northern edge of the Ardeep Forest which encircles the Hill on which stands the Ruins of Harpshield Castle, North of the Floshin estate. As the Adventurers near the forests edge they can clearly see several camp fires and tents, some 2000’ feet from the Hills summit and flying a Standard of a Bloody Maul.
Kelson Darktreader takes the route through the Ardeep Forest and the Heroes can see both moment within the Castle and more campfires and tents South of Harpshield Castle, these with a Standard of Death Holding a Jagged Scythe.
From concealment of the edge of the Ardeep Forest, the Heroes formulate a plan.
Vicross will ‘Fly’, ‘Invisible’, across the ruined Harpshield Castle to gather information on numbers of enemies and their locations.
Vicross fly’s over the Harpshield Arch and can see there are Orc guarding from an enclosed wooden building above the gates.
This elongated wooden room contains a couple stools. It has windows on the west and east walls, and a fireplace to the northeast. The southern wall has a wooden door in it.
The rising path to Harpshield Castle passes under a great stone arch that connects the foundations of the main curtain wall to the base of a detached tower to the south. The keystone of the arch is adorned with the eroded relief of a harp within a triangle of stars. A roofed wooden structure with several windows stands on the stones of the arch. North of the arch, a sizeable portion of the foundation wall has collapsed, leaving a gap partially obstructed by a heap of rubble.
Vicross spots an Orc Camp, flying a standard depicting a Fanged Moon.
Once paved in stone, the castle courtyard is now overgrown with weeds. A cluster of crude hide tents stand around a campfire in the southwestern part. In the middle, next to a circular stone well, a standard depicting an upturned crescent moon crossed by two slashes hangs from a pole topped with a human skull. A crude wooden hall stands against the northern stretch of the curtain wall. A 40-foot-high tower stands in the northeast, and other wooden buildings stand toward the south. East of the well, a gap in the foundation wall leads to the base of what was once a large rectangular tower.
2 Orcs on Patrol several Orcs entering and exiting a large building with a smoking chimney and an Ogre attached by the neck to a long chain.
Vicross fly’s around a solitary round tower and can spot tables, candles and other alchemical looking items on the top floor.
Vicross decides to cast ‘Knock’ on the Ogre’s chains, hoping that it would cause a distraction when it attacked the Orcs, who Vicross noticed looked at the creature suspiciously every time it came out of its building.
The Spell is cast and the Ogre walks out of its building and began to meu, causing the Orcs to become agitated but none drew their weapons. The leather curtain of the window overlooking the courtyard is drawn back and Vicross can see an aged Orc, with bones in his hair, look out of the window and then calls down to the Ogre it its own tongue.
Orc Cleric: “What is it my dear Lutha, why do you call out so?”
Ogre: ”Luuuuuuu….taaaaaaa…..gggggoooo.”
Orc Cleric: “How have you become loose? Stay there I am coming down.”
Vicross waits and changes the plan, which is now to cast a ‘Lightning Bolt’ at the Cleric as soon as he steps out.
Meanwhile, Kelson Darktreader decides to stealthily move up the steep hillside as is the skill of the Rangers.
Sir Ly chooses to use the ‘Dimension Door’ Spell from his Two-Handed Sword to transport himself to one of the turrets that are devoid of enemies, as the Paladin will be disoriented by the Spell for a couple of minutes.
Vicross casts his ‘Lightning Bolt’ at the Orc Cleric, not waiting for the Ogre to be close, and kills the Orc Cleric at the door to his Tower.
Panic and chaos insures, Vicross is now visible and the Fanged Moon Orcs attempt to hit the Wizard with their Short Bows, Kelson Darktreader has climbed to the turret adjacent to the Harpshield Arch, some of the Fanged Moon Orcs run over to pick-up the body of the Orc Cleric, while some Fanged Moon Orcs rush back into the large main building and Sir Ly uses his ‘Dimension Door’ Spell to transport to the empty turret adjacent to the one Kelson Darktreader was on. Vicross casts ‘Shield’ on himself.
Vicross, un-hit by the Fanged Moon Orc Arrows, fly’s over to join Kelson Darktreader who in turn is firing upon the Fanged Moon Orcs by the camp and taking out their archers. Sir Ly stands behind the wall of his turret and recovers from the effects of his ‘Dimension Door’ Spell.
Lutha runs into the tower followed by the Fanged Moon Orcs and the Dead Orc Cleric, not dead until he reaches -10, the other Fanged Moon Orcs close the door to the main building and the Fanged Moon Orc by the camp have 2 return fire on Kelson Darktreader while the rest run up the stairs to the door. Vicross spots more Fanged Moon Orcs in the guard building above the Harpshield Arch and a few pigs too.
Vicross activates the ‘Sending Stones’ so he and Sir Ly can communicate with each other in low whispers.