Location: Kora Swamps of Aslin, South of Lake McBride
Characters: Davist, Sheirdroth
Shugras Brainkiller's scouts reported invaders in the realm of the Urkar Shest orcs. Shugras let his Poisoner know immediately, that there were six elves and a dwarf in three boats paddling through the swamps and marshes and bogs that belonged to the Urkar Shest. The Poisoner, the priest of Mazripos known as Grashiss Bloodrinker, Devoted of the Rot Goddess, took only a moment to consider laying an ambush for the invaders – and destroying them.
Shugras gathered his warriors to him – armed with obsidian axes, and leather armor studded with sharper-than-razor obsidian blades. Grashiss gathered his followers, armed with throwing axes and rope nets that had obsidian blades woven into them. Together, the two orcs wielded one of the more powerful groups of Urkar Shest in the region, and they set out to destroy the invaders.
An ancient human ruin made of imported limestone stood on a hillock in the midst of the swamps, and Shugras' scout felt that the invaders were headed there. Shugras and Grashiss arrayed their bog orcs beneath the waters, breathing through reeds, hiding and waiting for their bait.
One of the orc too young to be a warrior, but almost of age, used his blowgun to harass and harry the invaders to the point of mindless savagery. They followed the young orc right into the trap Grashiss planned, in the middle of an afternoon rainshower that reduced the power of the elven bows.
The water exploded with attacking orcs, and within moments, several elves and the dwarf were fighting for their lives under water, entangled by sharper-than-razor nets or grappled by orcs with too-sharp armor. The elves in the lead boat were beaten to death rather quickly, before the elves in the largest boat could rally. Their priest struck out and brought painful sunlight through the rain to harm Grashiss, but Shugras and the combined might of the orcs quickly overwhelmed the priest.
Two elven females tried to escape in the supply boat that trailed the larger boat, even trying to make off with their holy one's symbol to prevent its desecration. They did not make it far before being overwhelmed.
The dwarf proved a formidable foe, making it onto land and swinging his battle axe with savagery. His armor proved nigh impenetrable, but orc persistance and numbers paid off, and he was finally captured, alive, amidst a pile of orc bodies.
The elven female that lived spent the rest of her days in a cage hanging over alligators, being eaten alive by leeches and mosquitos. Her spirit leaked out of her, her only company the rotting corpse of the dwarf tied to her cage. As bits of the dwarf's heavy corpse rotted off and fell, it only fueled the alligators' hunger more.
Grashiss counted the loss of orc life as a blessing. The weak were culled. The strong grew stronger. Such was the way of the orcs. The Poisoner smiled. The Rot Goddess' showed him that others would come, searching for those that were lost. Mazripos would provide yet another test for the Urkar Shest, to make them even stronger.
Date: THU17MAY2012
DM's Notes: We had an interesting role reversal. Bill and Ross rolled to see how many followers they had – and both rolled twelves. Two dozen and two orcs attacked half a dozen elves and a dwarf, and it was a slaughter. It was odd for me to play the 'good guys', while Bill and Ross reveled in playing the 'bad guys'. Together, we ironed out how the culture and ideals of the bog orcs in the Kora Swamps, a morass the size of Texas and Louisiana combined. We came to the realization that going into those swamps was suicide. The bog orcs rule over all that is there, save the nastiest of monsters in those swamps. Even then, with the mindset of Mazripos, I think the Urkar Shest and those like them will rule for a long time to come.
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