Rooms Full of Orcs

The thing Tassar had found was a room full of orcs apparently eating dinner. We caught them by surprise and things were going well until I saw 2 large ogres enter. I hit one 2 or 3 times with different spells before it got me. I stayed alert and watched Tassar finish it off. He hollered a number at Rosorc who yelled a higher number back. They really need to get over who kills more, but what can you expect from fighters. The room was cleared soon enough and we ventured further. A door on our right led to another door with the mentioning of drow on it so we decided to leave that alone and check the kitchen. We got there just in time to hear Tassar yell, “the stew is mine.” There apparently were only a couple of orcs coming because they were all dead before I entered the room. We followed the hall these orcs came from only to be ambushed by crossbow bolt. The battle was on again and all I had left was cantrips. Fortunately that was all I needed. Rosorc fell into the only pit and as I went forward to help him out I was hit by a flying orc.

The next thing I new Deitricha was helping me to my feet and we were talking about a large door. Being unable to open it we turned back to the great hall we found earlier that morning. Checking the different doors we eventually found an altar to one of the dwarven gods. On this altar was the most amazing war axe I’ve ever seen. We left Rosorc alone with it and after a bit he emerged with a new weapon; unfortunately Tassar was gone again. He came running back into his hall we are now in gasping for air. He attempted to explain what he saw, but no one understood him. Tassar and Rosorc then went to investigate, but Deitricha cut that short so we are resting here for now. I hope we find our way out soon; I’d like to see the sun again.

Orcs to Slay!

As I charged into the room, anger boiled in my blood. Visor dropped and axe drawn, I went into a frenzy of action. A heavy fore-swing with my axe quickly separated the first orc I encountered from his head. Still enraged, I reversed my axe and dropped an injured orc by Tassar.

Surveying the situation, it seemed we were in some sort of orc-ridden mess hall. As I looked about, I saw Areon jump on the table in front of me and join the fray. He dropped an orc with a mighty swing of his sword. Then four more orcs fell upon him with a vengeance. Two of them struck home with their spears. Blood was running freely down his side.

Rushing to his aid, I stepped between three of the uglier foes in the room. Here Clangeddin himself seemed to posess me. Placing my axe into motion, within seconds all three of them lay lifeless on the ground. Though my glee was quickly dispersed when four more orcs charged in! Two of them found gaps in my armour with their spears. Another hit me with his old rusty sword.

There was the sound of a horn being blown from across the room and then the twang of a bow. Halfway thru the note it altered. Seems Theona was putting her bow to very good use.

Tassar yelled something about numbers....and then my lady Theona was there. She quickly tossed me a potion of healing, which I tucked in my pouch. Was that a wink. I swear that was a wink. I wonder when I will get my new mug and chain back? Soon, I hope. Even in battle her beauty is unmatched....

Deitricha ran forward and healed Areon. He seemed to be in pretty rough shape. Then I noticed the ogres in the room. Brought to my attention by William’s magic missiles flying across the room at them. Followed by two huge javelins flying back the other way at him. Luckily for him they hit the stone wall by his head. From the amount of stone dislodged they surely would have ended his days in the Realms.

Then one of the ogres charged me. He swung his large club. Greatfully, he missed high. From behind me, I heard Tassar yell as he dropped the Ogre charging William. I then put my axe to work. I lunged in and dropped one of the orcs battering Areon. Then took a back swing at the ogre, hitting squarely in his side. He started to wobble just as a barrage of magic missles burnt into his chest. He fell unceremoniously to the floor.

Within seconds the room was silent. All the orcs were dead. The ogres, too. Theona quickly went to work collecting any loot that may lay about. Deitricha was busy healing us fighters, since all of us seemed worse for the wear.

I took a long draught from my ale flask. Killing orcs seems to make you very thirsty indeed. After I was healed up and refreshed I went over and gave the lady Theona her healing potion back. She tucked it away in her pack, and started to investigate up a small hallway leading out of the mess hall. Wanting to make sure she would be all right, I followed along.

We came to a corner about fifteen feet up the hall. Here Theona stopped and looked puzzled. Noticing Areon had followed along, I moved up so we could all get a look. There were a bunch of scratches and chips out of the floor. There was a lot of dried blood there, also. Thinking Areon or I might know what type of blood was on the floor, Lady Theona asked us if we knew. Neither of us could answer her.

She and Areon talked about the scratches and blood for a while. Sensing no major danger I decided to continue around the corner. As I stepped in the area of the blood I heard a sharp cracking sound. Then an iron rod shot down out of the ceiling toward me. Luckily I was nimble on my feet and managed to move mostly out of its way. I did receive a small cut on my arm. Mystery solved, the three of us continued down the hall.

It was a short distance later when we came to a bolted and barred door. On it was a bunch of orc runes and wards. Since neither of the elves could read orc I translated for them. Beware death ahead...Drow...
Realizing we were in no condition to deal with dark elves we left the door shut, and returned to the mess hall.

Upon arrival there was a clamour in the next room; what sounded like pots and pans being crashed about and Tassar yelling that this was his stew. Then the guttural speech of orcs set us into action. I charged around the corner. Running right up to a doorway that was spilling out orcs. With a mighty back handed swing I dropped the two that had entered the room.

Next a barrage of bolts and arrows flew up the hallway. Looking back it seemed everyone else in the party had let loose a round. Following Areon, I ran down the short hallway into the next chamber. It was long and wide. It had pillars every fifteen feet up each side along the walls. Everyone else followed us in.
Guess I was the only one who didn’t decide to hide behind a pillar.

Standing in the open, I let a crossbow bolt fly at the group of orcs, an ogre, and a cleric at the other end of the room. Hitting one, it winced in pain. Then the round of bolts flew both ways. A spear caught me in my thigh. Being a shallow wound I quickly pulled it out and charged across the room. I met the group of orcs with a flurry of blows.

Two orcs fell to thier deaths before I felt the world drop out beneath me. The floor dropped down into a twenty foot pit. I tried to dive for the edge, but I wasn’t fast enough. It is amazing how fast an armoured, equipped dwarf can fall twenty feet. As I landed, it momentarily knocked the wind out of me, and covered me in oil. I was standing in four inches of it from what I could tell. I recovered just in time to see a torch being tossed over the edge, down into the pit.

I lunged forward and caught the torch out of the air, saving myself a firey death. Though my arm did catch fire on my armour. Running towards the far wall of the pit near my comrades, I threw the torch up and out of the pit. Still on fire and no place to roll it out, I was pleased to see a rope tossed down to me. It was Deitricha yelling for me to climb up.

As the battle raged over head I slowly climbed up the rope. With a final pull Dietricha pulled me out. I immediatly began rolling until the flames were out on my arm. By the time I stood up, the battle was over. Orc bodies were flung all about on both sides of the pit. The ogre lay dead with a familiar green warfork in him, and somehow Tassar was down in the pit I had just escaped from.

After we pulled Tassar out of the pit, Theona pulled the lever to restore the floor. Then we looted the bodies, and set to figuring out how to open the door ahead of us. Much energy spent and time wasted, we (finally) gave up after every effort we tried, failed. The door just would not budge. Turning back, we followed Tassar back the way we had come.

Returning to the area we had rested in the night before we regrouped. Tassar continued to check doors out we had not opened, yet. In the second door he opened he found an amazing sight. It was obviously a holy site. Giant stone reliefs to Moradin with his hammer and Clangeddin with his axe adorned the walls. Underneath them was a pedestal with a large Mithril axe on it. Lying on the floor around it was a large group of charred dead orcs.

Motioning for the others not to touch the axe, I walked up and inspected it. It was beautiful. Exquisite dwarven craftsmanship. And if you looked at it just right, it seemed to have a dull glow. This was an axe of power. Fearing I may not be worthy of this weapon, I asked the others to leave the chamber and close the door behind them. Looking at all of the dead, burnt bodies all around me I closed my eyes and gave prayer.

With a swift motion I cried out my lady love’s name and pulled the axe from its resting place. A crackle of energy rushed up my arms and then it stopped as quick as it had started. I looked the axe over, and then hung it across my back. Exiting the room, I encountered a beat-up Tassar. He said that something had attacked him up in the ceiling of another room. Curious to see what my new weapon could do, I said I would help him take care of it.

Entering the room I saw a large hole in the ceiling. We fired some bolts at it but nothing came out. Seems the others wanted to rest. Dietricha got our attention with a couple of rocks fired from her sling.

Growing bored anyway, we obliged the others and joined the group. We made camp. The elves agreed to take watch so we could rest. Exhausted, I collapsed......