[Dungeons & Dragons 3.5] Shadows of Greatness, parts 8-12

8. Camber

Our journey has taken a strange turn of events, and I have had little time for this journal of late.  I will do my best to bring my saga up to date. 

By some miracle Califax recovered his health and led us all to the stronghold of the wizard Gadron.  Gadron did not seem entirely pleased to see us, though this may be only because we were able to enter his sanctum without his leave.  He has agreed to do what he can to seek the fate of our missing companions.  Toward this end Califax has remained with the wizard. 

As for the rest of our party, we have taken up residence in the town of Camber which Havin pointed out to us before our companions departed to meet the dragon.  It is not a large town, but it is walled in defense against frequent orcish raids during the winter.  To combat the orcs and goblins the town maintains a militia, and as we will be dwelling here for several months it seemed as well that we offer our assistance in protecting our new home.  All of our group have joined the militia. 

Though I do not consider myself a great warrior, it seems that my training has put me ahead of most of the townsfolk in skill, and now that we have been here several months I find myself in a position of some small authority among the militia.  It is most interesting to me that the commander of the militia is a Halfling woman, Serrah Puffleweis.  She seems to be well experienced and knowledgeable, which I would not have expected from one of her folk.

Liadan has spent much of her free time working with Mistress Saffron, an aged gnome who is the head priestess in the local temple of Chauntea.  Mistress Saffron has been too ill to conduct her duties, and Liadan has been working with Nekaya and Phaele in an attempt to find a treatment for the lady’s illness.  She has also been helping the local blacksmith, whose son recently moved away leaving him without an assistant.  Nekaya has fit well into the militia, having been a temple guard previously, while Phaele has found some small success as an alchemist.

I see little of Rock of late, for he has volunteered to take night watches.  He has occupied himself much with repairing the house we have rented for our lodgings.  In fact, he has been so busy that he has entrusted the care of his mounts to me.  I have also taken responsibility for looking after all of our spare horses.  We decided to sell two of them to save expenses on their care, but we still must provide stabling and feed for the remaining animals as well as our own mounts. 

After we had been here some little while we received a package from Gadron, delivered by some magical means.  It pertained only to Sandrue and Erim, who were asked to translate some magical tomes for the wizard.  Thus far Gadron has not been able to provide any news regarding the whereabouts of our missing companions.

As winter set in the orcs began to raid outlying farms.  Many townsfolk brought their livestock into the town for safekeeping.  Strangely our patrols discovered three farms where everything had been taken, including apparently the people.  This is not typical of orcish raids.  We have not been able to determine what has becoming of the missing people.

Since all Liadan’s efforts to aid Mistress Saffron have been fruitless, Nekaya has volunteered to take a small group of militiamen to the town of Fort Arran to seek aid at the temple of Chauntea there.  Commander Serrah and Mayor Corwin Briar have approved this plan and taken up a collection of funds to pay for what may be needed.  Nekaya has ridden out with 9 companions.  I would that I could accompany her, but I feel that my place is here.

Today brought a very strange development.  For several days our scouts had observed a wagon train of orcs and goblins approaching the town.  The wagons appeared to be empty.  This peculiar procession had with them several ogres and dire boar to draw the wagons.  We watched them closely as they circled the town and approached the gate.  A small party led by a well-armed orc stepped forward to address the representatives atop the gate.  The orc demanded that we give them supplies, else they would burn the town. 

I was not privy to the discussion that followed among the town elders, but after some little while Commander Serrah gave the order to fire.  We rained arrows down upon the orcs, managing to drive the dire boars wild and send them fleeing.  Strangely one of the ogres used his great body to shield the orc leader, but this availed the orc nought, for the ogre was slain and when his body fell away the orc leader soon succumbed as well.  A few of the other goblinoids fled.  Commander Serrah has sent a sortie to bring in the wagons and gather up all useful arrows.

Nekaya’s party has been gone for a month.  I hope that they will have no difficulty with these orcs on their return trip.  It seems that the orcs have a new warmaster and are better organized than they have been in the past.

As always, I pray each night for the safety of my wife and her compatriots.

9. Winter in Camber

After we had removed the remains of the orcish wagon train, several small patrols set out to hunt down those few who had escaped.  It was felt that this would send a more definitive message to the orcs’ new warmaster.  I joined one of the patrols and we swiftly dispatched a lone orc.  Rock and Sandrue went with another patrol in pursuit of one of the ogres.  Sandrue has learned the folly of getting within an ogre’s reach, I think.  He was fortunate that Nekaya’s party returned then, and she was able to heal his wounds.

Nekaya brought with her a cleric called Esther, and an assortment of potions and magic items to aid in healing Mistress Saffron.  Once Mistress Saffron had recovered sufficiently from her illness, the mayor held a banquet to celebrate her recovery.  We were all invited to attend.  It is touching how the townsfolk have come to accept our little group of strangers. 

All of the news since our victory over the orcs has not been good.  Two patrols have vanished.  We set out to discover if we could what had become of them.  Before our departure, Sandrue and Phaele consulted the local wizard, Master Sonnum, but I do not know if he provided any help. 

While checking some of the area farms through which the missing patrols would have passed, we stumbled upon a corpse frozen in the snow.  He appeared to be a traveler, a stranger to the area.  As our party examined him, a rod was found in his pouch.  Nekaya declared that this object radiated an aura of evil.  Much discussion then ensued about what to do with the item.  Nekaya wished to destroy it at once, but Sandrue wanted to keep it for study.  Liadan averred that she could smash it with a divine spell.  Eventually it was decided that it would be safer to destroy the object, so Liadan took it aside and called upon Lathander’s might to tear it asunder.  But when the rod was destroyed a dark shape emerged from it and began to advance upon our group!  I do not know what evil this bodes, or how we will overcome it.

I had nearly forgotten to note that it seems that our party has gained a new member, a captured goblin called Pakkin.  Though Rock is none too pleased with its presence in our camp, Sandrue and Nekaya have taken the creature into their care.  Pakkin claims that the orc army will return to Camber when they run out of food.

Sandrue is much disappointed that we were unable to convince most of the Puffleweis family to go to the safety of the town.  He seems to feel personally responsible for their actions.

We camped among the ruins on Lookout Hill to keep watch for the orcs.  When we saw movement we attempted to set a trap for our foes.  Orcs mounted on worgs circled our vantage, firing arrows at us.  It seemed that they were led by a snow-white wolf with the wit of a humanoid.  To our good fortune Rock was able to slay the beast.  But during the fight we lost two of our horses and my Aratan was stolen by the orcs.  Several of us were wounded as well, myself included.

10. Lookout Hill, Winter

Erim mounted one horse and set off in pursuit of our missing mounts.  I checked the remaining mounts and tended to a wound on Sandrue’s horse.  Liadan and Nekaya went in search of Erim.  When they returned they employed their healing magics to aid those of us who were injured, including the horses.  I moved our mounts inside the ruins of the fort.  The remainder of the night passed without incident.

The following day we continued our watch for the orcs.  We gathered wood and searched for an escape route from the hill in the event that our camp was overrun.  We also patrolled the area around the hill.  We discovered the remains of Erim’s horse.  To my immense pleasure, Aratan returned to me later that day, though wounded.  

During the evening, Pakkin told Sandrue that he suspected the other worg riders would return after dark to harry us again.  We prepared our defenses.  During our first watch we heard wolves howling from the east and southwest.

During the second watch Erim called an alarm.  To our surprise, Nekaya rushed downhill to draw off the enemy.  She was charged and dismounted by two worgs.  In the darkness I could not get a clear shot.  Nekaya was able to regain her feet and struck one worg a mighty blow.  Liadan summoned up her magical floating mace and hit the second worg.  Phaele was also able to injure it with her magic.  The worg facing Nekaya fled.  After I put an arrow into the remaining worg and Liadan’s mace struck it again, it fell.  Rock charged downhill while Phaele plied her wizardry against the beast.  The worg’s orcish rider tried to flee but was brought down by Nekaya and Rock, who used his own hard skull as a weapon to subdue the orc.  We chose to take it prisoner rather than slay it.  We heard two worgs in the distance, but they did not return during the night.

During the night, Sandrue and Rock questioned our prisoner.  The remainder of us kept watch.  The following morning Sandrue and Liadan used a spell to compel the orc to speak truth and questioned it further.  They learned that the orc army is extremely large and is led by a human named Micah, who possesses a blue metal gauntlet of some note.  Micah evidently intends to use his army to take control of this entire territory.

Once the spell came to an end, the prisoner attempted to escape.  In the end Rock slew him.

Later, as Nekaya patrolled below the hill, we heard a goblin squeal followed by the cry of a horse.  Phaele, Rock and I went out to investigate.  We found Nekaya unhurt, though she had been attacked by a worg rider.  I noticed at once that her steed had grown larger.  Through some blessing of Nekaya’s god, Pekawa has been changed.

May Corellon Larethian extend similar blessings to my beloved, wherever she may be.

We determined that it was now time to return to Camber with our news of Micah and his army.  We considered at first attempting to warn the Puffleweis clan of the approaching army, but concluded that we should return to town as swiftly as possible.  At night we heard the signal horns of the army’s outriders.  Late on the evening of the third day, we arrived in Camber.

11. Waiting, Again

When we returned to Camber, we were greeted with pleasure by our friends there, despite the late hour of our arrival.  Pakkin, however, was not greeted so pleasantly.  We reported to Captain Puffleweis and Mayor Briar, and when it was learned that the goblin was under our protection, he was allowed within the walls on the requirement that he leave our house only on pain of death. 

Rock and I then went to prepare our house and stable for the party’s arrival.  Rock found a large wooden chest on the table in the main room.  When Sandrue and Erim returned they determined that it had been sent by Master Gadron.  In addition to some items for the use of the mages, he sent a package that he asked us to deliver to one Cal Brimstone of Brimstone Keep.  He requested that we deliver the package by summer.  We have vowed to complete this task if we are able. 

The following day I moved our horses to the stable.  Our spellcasters paid a visit to Master Sonnohm to inquire about the blue gauntlet Micah is reputed to possess, but the aged wizard would not see them.  They then visited his former apprentice, Olson.  Rock is performing some labor for Olson, though he does not say to what purpose. 

Liadan visited the temples of Chauntea and Tempus to ask if their priests had any knowledge of an item such as Micah’s gauntlet, for Sandrue thinks it possible the gauntlet gives Micah his power over the orcs.  But the temple folk had no knowledge of such a thing. 

In the evening we attended a military conference.  Mayor Briar suggested bargaining with the orcs, but was convinced that this would be unwise.  The townsfolk are determined to protect their property.  Phaele suggested a ploy of planting poisoned foodstuffs outside the town to be found by the orcs.  We all discussed various subterfuges and traps that could be prepared to deal with the army.  The wizards planned to send a message to Gadron asking for his aid.  Liadan planned a prayer vigil to seek Lathander’s guidance.  Sandrue intended to make a similar vigil at the prayer rock that lies within the town wall, for it has been here longer than the town and may hold some secret of its own. 

For myself, I have been working with the townsfolk in preparing some of the traps we discussed, such as laying a sheet of ice around the walls.  It keeps my mind from worry for my dear Erendis.

12. To Battle a Giant

Sandrue completed his vigil at the prayer rock.  He reported that he received a vision, perhaps from his god.  The message of this vision was clearly that Micah must be slain.  Sandrue also revealed that his staff, which was gifted to him by Havin Wayfinder, contains some entity that can communicate with him.  The staff has suggested that it would be best if we did not face the orcs directly and instead evacuate the town.  Sandrue and Phaele brought this suggestion before the mayor, but the mayor has declined to accept this advice.

Liadan has decided to hold a vigil of her own at the prayer rock.  We have heard that the advance scouts of the army may be only one day’s travel from town.

We have now been summoned to carry out a new mission in defense of Camber.  A hill giant has been seen, and we are asked to eliminate it.  Now more than ever I miss my wife and her companions, for no doubt they would find a giant little challenge.  But those of us here in Camber have never seen a giant.  Sandrue has elected not to accompany us on this venture.  He feels he has little to contribute to our effort.  I will miss his keen observations.  I can only hope that he can keep Pakkin in check while we are absent, for the goblin has already set fire to the house.

We set out at once in pursuit of the giant, though it was late evening.  We must find the creature before it can reach Camber.  Billy Tanner joined our party as a scout.  We will do our best to see that he returns safely to the town, for not only is he the son of the owner of our house, he is also soon to be wed.

We had not traveled far from the town when a rider was detected following our trail through the deep snow.  Some of our number had chosen to carry lights because it was too dark for any but Rock to see well.  We quickly put out our lights and waited silently for the rider to approach.    When the rider came near enough for me to see, I observed that his mount was Sandrue’s horse, and he bore Sandrue’s unusual staff.  He had fortunately repented of his earlier choice and come to aid us.  Rock, who had elected to come last in our line, could be seen dismounted, burrowing through the snow like some creature of the earth burrowing through a garden.  His cloak of winter wolf hide makes him difficult to see in the snow, but he is not able to move as quietly as Billy Tanner.

As we rode on with Sandrue in our midst, we made some effort to determine how we should deal with the giant.  Though none of us have seen a giant, Rock has knowledge of them through his people.  He is familiar with the dwarven tactics for combating giants.  Through his wisdom we have learned how truly formidable our foe may be.  It is possible that some of us will not return to Camber.

Billy Tanner called a halt to our journey when he heard the cry of a bird that is not native to this area.  He forged ahead on foot to investigate.  As we waited we heard noises among the trees.  The sounds of fighting could be heard in the direction Billy Tanner had departed. 

Suddenly there was a burst of cacophonous sound from my right.  Liadan had called upon the aid of her god to stun some of the orcs that were approaching us.  Nekaya rode off to aid Billy Tanner.  The orcs rushed toward the rest of our group.  Liadan and Sandrue both directed magical energies at the enemies.  An orc charged me and managed to inflict a minor wound upon me.  As I faced the attacks of two orcs, Nekaya returned bearing Billy Tanner.  She and I defeated the two orcs who opposed me.  Billy Tanner had leapt down from Pekuah and fought another orc on his own.  He was able to slay it without my aid. 

Though the orcs had outnumbered us, the fight was over swiftly and all the orcs were slain or stunned by magic.  Sadly most of our number had been wounded.  Nekaya and Liadan plied their divine healing on those who were most hurt, particularly Sandrue, who it seemed had rushed forward to fight with little heed for his own safety.  I trust that he will not be so reckless when we meet the giant.

Most of the stunned orcs were quickly dispatched, but two were revived and questioned regarding the giant’s whereabouts.  We learned that it is likely to be accompanied by two giant dogs and at least one orc.  Realizing that our group now lacked sufficient magical aid to face the giant at dawn as we had intended, we located an abandoned farm where we could rest and prepare for the coming struggle.

Next: parts 13-16