Chapter 2 - The Exodus from Mywick

General Summary

Uhtric, concerned for the safety of Beton with the encounter with the Sons of Ormulf, departed from the party with Aethelflaed and Olof. Thus, the remainder group was left with Captain Roderick helping them lead the people. Caoimhe provided food for the party and Ardor's parents with goodberry, while the rest built a fire and shelter. Eogun suggested putting the remaining carts the people of Mywick took with them into a circle to create a safe perimeter. This lasted the night, and during the shift of Ardor and Caoimhe, one of the rangers for the city returned. Herman reported that his fellow ranger, Cydric, was killed by orcs patrolling in the night, and reported that more may come soon.
By morning time, Roderick and the party decided to continue to move the people of Mywick (a population of 2500 people) down the road to Bexton. Caoimhe worried about stragglers behind, as she knew orcs liked to prey on the weak. Thus a patrol was sent to the back. Still, the party searched for orcs, and found some following the group behind. They went into the treeline near the road and slew the orcs, but not without Herman the Ranger being injured. The party spotted a map on one of the orcs, showing detailed instructions and movements for them to go. The orcs of the region were apparently to cross the Silver River and join up to attack the Mywickians.
Roderick was concerned with this information. Eogun devised a strategy: take off the orcs as small groups through the woods and destroy their numbers slowly. Ardor suggested using flames to scare them off, but Caoimhe objected, fearing for the forest animals. She was angered when John showed apathy for the animals while supporting Ardor's plan. Ultimately the party agreed with Eogun's strategy, and also sent a dispatch ahead of the Mywickian exodus to warn the Earl of Bexton they were coming. Roderick opted to stay with the Mywickians, for his 30 remaining men needed leadership. So the four adventurers, Ardor, Eogun, John, and Caoimhe, set forth into the woods to berid of the raiding orcs.
John experienced a strange feeling as they delved further into the woods. A sense of spiritual belonging, one opted by the presence of the feylord he worshipped, Bghonah. But the moral feeling of spiritual hope and renewal was not felt, and instead his methodical mind was reminded of what the feylord did to him, feeling a part of him missing. He hid his feelings from the rest of the party.
Eventually the players followed a map to a shallow part of the Silver River. They saw the orcs had not yet come, and so Ardor devised a plan: take some of the fallen tree trunks around the river and dam it to make the water even more shallow. Caoimhe transformed into a beaver to help this effort, and the rest of the party took axes to take down the wood off trees and build the quick dam.
Eventually they heard a band of five orcs coming and hid. The orcs spotted Eogun and began to cross the river. In a split second, Ardor blasted the dam, and water spurted out from the broken dam and drowned two of the orcs. The rest remained their footing but were angered. Eogun used his giant magic and grew around 10 feet tall, took one of the tree trunks as a weapon, and fought off the remaining orcs with the trunk. The orcs were bruised and drowned from Eogun's beat down. With that victory, the party crossed the river and took a rest in a dry grass patch under the trees.
The next plan was thus: try and find the Orc encampment and set their supplies ablaze. Fenrir, Caoimhe's wolf companion, was sent to track the remaining orcs, and led them to the camp. Eogun and Caoimhe built an ineffective screen to try and spy on the orcs. Then, Ardor sent fire to the orc camp, but was spotted. Five orcs and their warleader piled out of the camp. At first the adventurers wanted to run, but Eogun got surrounded by orcs, and he once again used his giant magic to fend for himself. John invoked duplicity, creating a perfect illusion of himself to distract the orcs. Caoimhe used spells, and Ardor used his Tides of Chaos to send fire bolts at the orcs with pristine accuracy, but as he surged with his magic, his body went out of control with the spells coming from his body.
The rest of the orcs were slain by Caoimhe's vine whips, John's holy radiance, and Eogun's axe while Ardor blasted his fire bolts and magic missiles while butterflies sprouted around himself, he got surrounded by fog, his hair went away, and he shrunk five inches! After killing the remaining orcs, Eogun picked up the orc leader and slammed him into the ground, and John commanded him to sleep. Ardor slipped on a greese spell and nearly turned into a sheep, but thankfully the wild magic eventually subsided.
The party then looted the orc camp, and found gold, as well as a handaxe emanating electricity. Eogun took the axe, and the rest of the party took the gold. Then, they questioned the orc leader, Dirg, who finally woke up, tied up by the adventurers. Dirg admitted that he was working for a witch named Morgainne, who ordered him to track down the fleeing Mywickians and raid them. John used the law of the orcs (strength above all) to make him submit to him, and so Dirg swore fealty to the adventurers. They then looted the orc camp, got the gold, and Eogun collected a
Hours passed and the party met up with Sir Roderick again, giving Dirg over as a prisoner and reporting that the orcs would no longer be an issue. After five more days, the people of Mywick safely made it into Bexton, but the town became crowded. The adventurers presented themselves before Earl Edwin Swansong (remaining heir of Queen Edith as her nephew), who was overwhelmed with the exiles. Ardor pointed out that, with the death of Queen Edith, he was now the king to these exiled people, which made him more stressed. The exhausted earl knew not how to house and feed the refugees, and mentioned a kobold problem in their mines which usually supports them economically. Eogun suggested clearing the mines to pay for food, which Earl Edwin agreed to. With that, the party settled down in Mywick, planning their next moves...

Date (in world)

Nilhestra 24th-31st, 4350

Report Date

18 Oct 2021

Player Characters

Ardor Pelota, dark elf Wild Mage and Wizard. He is a prolific student of evocation magic (especially fire) and a bit of a prodigy. He is joined by his familiar Ash, who has a bad attitude.

John Harvard-Hemming, half-elf Trickery Cleric. A very logical man, John has been seen as a nihilist, having little moral sense yet devoted to his mysterious god.

Caoimhe Kirkpatrick, human Shepherd Druid. Caoimhe is fanatical about myths and legend, but has been sent on a quest by the Ents of Kirk to stop a legend from being created. She is joined by her wolf ally, Fenrir.

Eogun MacOncett, human Rune Knight. Eogun comes from a clan with no claim to fame in the lands of Keller. Armed with Giant runic magic, Eogun seeks to make a name for his family within the lands of Albion.