I haven't had a whole lot of time to write lately - been too busy fighting. The Orcs at Crushbone attempted to mass another assault, and this time, I was on the front lines. What a massacre. Thanks to some timely backup, however - numerous spellcasters and warriors from as far away as Freeport - we were able to push them all the way back into the cave. And out the other side, even!
On the other side, the cave opened up into a surprisingly beautiful valley. Strong wind currents blew the everpresent fog from the forests away from these sheer cliffs and rocky outcroppings, allowing the sun to pour down upon this oddly pleasant vista. A small river wound it's way around the valley, and caves perforated the mountainside.
Being a somewhat large force, we decided to split up - one group was to make a direct assault, while the rest attempted to free the slaves. As we made our plans, a small group of Orcs led by a much larger one carrying a gigantic shield charged us from the top of a nearby hill. Though the battle was fierce, it was also short, and soon the orcs lay dead, with but a few injuries on our side. One of the Warriors picked up the shield as a momento, and joked about needing Emperor Crush's own armor to complete the look. We laughed at that, but then quickly sobered as we realized the enormity of what we were about to do.
We split up then, one group heading straight for Emperor Crush's castle, while the rest of us circled around, freeing slaves, and cleaning up any remaining orcs. There was no beauty in this - it was systematic destruction of everything in our path, and no mercy was shown, even when they turned to flee. Pawns, Centurions, even Legionnaires fell before us. Soon, my group found itself in the mines Crush kept staffed with slaves, mining ore for more weapons to arm his legions with. Several Orc Slavers stood watch, while a few Centurions and Legionaires wandered about. Spying us, they all charged, and the fight was on. As I began to chant my warsong, I quickly found myself engaging one of the Slavers, an ugly fellow with a long scar across his eye. He swung low, and I was just barely able to get out of the way in time, but as he did that, the Legionaire to his left thumped me hard, dazing me. I probably would have joined the other bodies at that point, but for a couple of powerful wizards behind me, whose spells dropped both creatures in an instant. I shook my head, clearing it, and began my song once more, and stepped forward to engage a Centurion. This time, I swept low, catching him across the knee, and he faltered, stumbling forward as I brought my sword up for another blow. Stepping to the side, I allowed him to slip past, but then brought my blade down hard between his shoulders. The shock reverberated up my arms and into my teeth, but the Orc dropped dead, nearly taking my sword with it.
By this point, the Slavers were all dead, and only a few of us had fallen, so we grabbed the keys they carried, and set about freeing the slaves they had captured. We released quite a few in the mines alone, and those who didn't pick up swords and join us, thanked us and ran for home. Our job complete, we decided to continue circling, to see if we could be of assistance at the castle. When we got there, we were horrified by what we found. Bodies littered the area - Elves, Human, Dwarves. I think I even saw a Barbarian, his painted face covered in blood. The Orcs had not gone unscathed, however, as there were at least 3 Orc corpses to every dead person I saw. The sounds of battle still filled the air, though, so we charged back to the entrance to see what was going on. There, we saw what had caused the devastation. A large Dark Elf stood side by side with Emperor Crush and several other large orcs, slaying all in their path. Suddenly, in one of those strange pauses where everything becomes quiet, The Dark Elf stepped back and laughed loudly. "You are no match for Ambassador DVinn! Take your pitiful fight elsewhere. I will deal with Crush - you shall not be bothered by him... For now."
With that, the battle seemed to end. Elves, Half-elves and other allies just stood staring, in shock, as DVinn and the Orcs turned and withdrew. Even my group was too stunned to do anything as they sauntered past, heading back towards the fortress. When the last Orc disappeared around the bend, the spell was broken, and like a dam had broken, people began talking, some cheered and more than a few grieved. Too tired, and still a bit in shock, I decided to head back to Kelethin and the Bard's Guild. I'd seen enough death for one day.
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