Zombies, Orcs, and an Ogre

The party takes on two of the side-quests in hopes of learning the location of the Wave Echo Caves.

Zombies!

Heading first to Old Owl Well, as suggested by the retired Order of the Gauntlet adventurer Daran Edermath , the party encounters a number of Unknowns under the control of a necromancer who goes by the name Hamun Kost. After holding its own against the zombies, the party makes a deal with the wizard (who assures he is merely there learning the history of the ancient tower). If the party can drive out the nuisance of the orcs at Wyvern Tor, he will provide them with directions to the entry to the Wave Echo Caves.

Orcs!

At Wyvern Tor, the party splits up - Willow and Mon-Kei head off to scout, while the rest of the party carefully makes its way along more slowly. Strangely, the party comes upon a cave entrance without any sign of the scouts. Yeet Longshade takes out the sentry - Tallon the Tall guards the entrance, and Yeet, Ujio and Belcoria head inside. They notice in addition to the orc footprints outside the cave, there are some very large ones as well!!

Inside the cave, it is discovered that this is the base of the Orc marauders, led by a chieftain of the Many Arrows tribe named Brughor Axe-Biter. They light the beds on fire to create a panic, leading the escaping orcs into an ambush where Belcoria’s new powers with the flaming scythe cut through their ranks, allowing Yeet and Ujio to pick off the weak. The pillar of smoke can be seen for miles around. Later it is learned that the remaining orc patrols have fled, with the loss of their chieftain and the destruction of their base. Mission success!!

Many-Arrows

and an Ogre!

Willow and Mon-Kei rejoin the party, with a tale of having tracked the footprints of an Unknown, and believing that to be an even greater threat than the orcs. Willow had instructed small animals to carry messages to the party, but apparently these were not noticed or the animals too scared to approach. The Ranger and Monk tracked the Ogre to a mountain pond, and found it to be fishing there, sitting on a rock and alone.

Willow’s wolf Shadow had been in yelp-and-howl communication with a large pack of wolves in these higher hills at the base of the Sword Mountains . The wolves truly hate the ogre, who has stolen food from them and injured and killed several pack members already. The wolf pack joins forces with the team - and using distractions and pack tactics, tear the ogre to pieces.

(Next: Wave Echo Caves (Part 1) )