"Never say die!"

@Edwin Voskamp's AD&D Game: Freehold 2000-03-26

The party:

• Zooo, a Dwarven Fighter.
• Lothar, King of the Hill People, a Human Fighter.
• Angus, a Human Fighter.
• Banba, a Human Fighter.
• Claire, an Elven Cleric of Labelas Enoreth.
• Rynna, a Halfelven Mage.
• Thalen, a Halfelven Ranger-Cleric of Solonor Thalandira.

Ambush at the Ford

After selling the captured weapons and armor in Tara we're pretty well off. With the numbers of Orcs we've run into, we decide we could use more ranged weapons and purchase Zooo a short bow and twelve more daggers for Rynna. To make our money more portable I convert it and we've got 127 platinum, 53 gold, 45 silver, 52 electrum and 33 copper! Not bad for after a few days' work. We restock good food and supplies at the farmers' market for a week in the field and go back out.

Along the way, Banba tells us about the lord of the territory, living in a small castle near Tara.

As we get near the milita camp we notice there's three more human heads on poles outside of the camp: I hope the 5 heads scare off more who prey on their fellow human beings, rather than hunt the Orcs. We talk to people an we're told that they've vound out there is a river in the forest, about 1 1/2 days travel South.

We go straight South and, as we get near our planned camp site, at the end of the day, we find it taken by Orcs. I scout it and find 14 Orcs around 2 fires, with four of them on guard. We put the donkeys back and attack. We slaughter one orc with a volley of arrows and the rest up and out. I take down two with arrows, Rynna puts four to Sleep. I shoot the four on the ground.

We gather 7 Orc heads, long swords and studded leather armor, with 59 electrum. We go back to the donkeys, move about and set up camp. During the fourth shift seven creatures approach, Rynna and Angus don't wake us! Rynna Sleeps six, but the seventh runs off. We kill the six sleeping creatures: it turns out to be one Orc and five Hobgoblins. The Hobgoblins carry good quality swords and shields, that should go for more than the usual Orcish equipment, but wearand hide armor (that we leave behind). They also carry 25 gold and 37 copper. We figure the Orc is one of the ones that ran off last night and got his Hobgoblin buddies.

I worry about what the one surivivor of this night's attack is up to. As soon as it gets light I find the tracks of the Hobgoblin and we follow it. It goes straight South. We come across tracks of the six missing Orcs. Finally the tracks combine onto a sizable road running NorthWest to SouthEast.

We follow the Hobgoblin's tracks until we hear a river about 100 yards South. We check it out: the road runs across the river. Across the river trees have been felled to make for a better opening and two tall trees on either side of the road carry ladders to high platforms, probably for archers.

Zooo crosses the river to check out the platforms. I turns out there is no one there, though he sees another crossing, prepared identically to this one, about a mile East of us. There seems to be some commotion and movement there.

We decide to set an ambush and start preparing: Claire, Angus, Lothar and Banba secure the area to the North of the road/river intersection with traps and rope. I give Zooo several bottles of oil and he crosses the river, drenching the archers' platforms on both sides. I pour several bottles in a line across our side of the ford. Claire buries a large trip rope behind it, ready to be strung up.

As Zooo makes his way back he sees a large party of Hobgoblins and Orcs up the road and hurries back. We assume our standard fighting order:

• First Row: The Fighters (left-to-right Lothar, Banba, Angus and Zooo)
• Second Row: The Archers (also Clerics, to keep the Fighters going) (left-to-right Claire and Thalen, with his war dogs Sinann and Sanenn on his right)
• Third Row: The Mage (and dagger thrower) (Rynna, with her war dog Thaddeus on her left)

The party consists of 20 Hobgoblins and 10 Orc Archers! As they come within range we start shooting: Lothar hauls out his long bow and Zooo tries his new short bow, with Claire and I bringing up the balance of our ranged attack. Lothar hits two, but just makes them mad. Claire kills one, I focus on the archers and kill one. As they cross the river, Rynna Sleeps seven that are swept down the river and drown as I kill another Orc Archer and Claire kills two creatures. Lothar hits one and kills another one. The return volley of the 8 remaining Orc Archers hits Banba 4 wounds and Zooo one.

Then the first row of Hobgoblins are upon us. Rynna steps back and, as I give the word, sets the oil on fire. Four of them burn to death, 1 gest through alive, until Angus chops him down. I shoot another Orc Archer, as its remaining fellow archers hit Angus for a wound. I kill another Orc Archer and the remaining ones hit Zooo again for another wound and a veritable volley hits us, taking Claire almost down as she takes nine wounds and Angus takes six wounds! Banba and Angus both get a kill as Claire steps back and Heals herself of four wounds. The next volley of the Orc Archers hit a Hobgoblin and another six wounds for Claire, who'd been dead, had she not healed herself just earlier. Lothar takes five wounds, but nothing seems to faze him.

I know that we have to take down the archers, quickly, or the other creatures, to get to the archers, or they'll bleed us to death slowly. I see an opening in the creatures attacking us and send Sinann and Sanenn to charge the archers: Angus and Banba run out as well. My faithful war dogs kill a creature and Angus chops another one down. I shoot another Archer. Claire Heals herself and steps aside to Bandage herself. In the meantime Lothar gets hit for six wounds, Banba gets hit for three wounds, as one of my dogs kills her attacker. Zooo shouts for help and, with the Archers under direct attack, I direct my attention to the Hobgoblins attacking Zooo. I rapidly shoot several arrows and kill one of his attacker, and, unfortunately, graze Zooo (3 wounds!). It gives Zooo the relief he needs and he gleefully kills the last Hobgoblin.

We take stock: Zooo is down 5 wounds, Angus 7, Banba 7, Lothar 11, Claire 6! Claire runs around bandaging people before we start healing. Claire Heals Banba (2) and herself (3). I Heal Angus (4), Banba (1) and Lother (3 and 5). We collect 47 gold and 134 copper, 10 short bows, 3 sword, 13 studded leather, 10 good long swords and shields.

The Hunters Hunted

We make our way back to the camp, and harangue the officials about the appearance of the Hobgoblins, without warning. They agree to pay us 5 gold pieces each. We turn in 21 Orc heads and 15 Goblin Heads, for 138 gold, and inform the authorities about the Orcs' prepared ambush sites at the river fords, for free.

We go back to Tara and sell off 10 shortbows, 11 swords, 15 good swords, 15 good shields and 31 studded leather. We collect 444.75 gold! I think we have a logistics problem: the Orcs and Hobgoblins we kill in one to two days in the forest carry so much valuable weapons and armor that we have to travel back to Tara to sell it, which costs us two days. We make a deal with the merchant we sell to: he'll have his weagon trains that supply the camp take back the equipment and buy it at the regular price, for a 5% fee! We have a night on the town, restock and travel back to the camp on the wagon train.

In the camp we find that human predators are still the worst thing in the forest: there are four more human heads on poles. Unfortunately, with them, we find, Orcish Wanted Dead or Alive posters, on tanned hide, with bad drawings of us! We're worth 15 gold pieces. We talk to the authorities and they agree that, because we're well known enough to the Orcs for them to take notice, that we're worth more to the cause. From now on, they'll pay us 4 gold per Orc head and 6 gold per Hobgoblin head.

We take stock and decide to go back to Tara, to prepare as well as we can: the last fight against the Orcs and Hobgoblins was too close. A big part of it was the damage we were taking from their archers. It is obvious we need better armor. We buy plate mail for our newest, and less experienced, fighters: Banba and Angus. We buy Claire banded mail. With this, we ought to be able to stand melee better. We travel back out to the camp and think about what to do.

Caravan Attack

We decide we want to know where the road from the ford leads and travel SouthWest from the camp, hoping to intersect the road somewhere in the forest. About one day in, when we figure we should be near the road, we hear a lot of activity ahead of us: hammering, sawing, tree felling, all accompanied by a lot of Orcish swearing and shouting. We figure there are at least 100 Orcs! We back well off and camp for the night.

We keep well clear of the Orcs and any possible guards and patrols and go South to find the road. Over a mile down we get near the road and hear Orcish cursing, whips and Goblin screaming, usually around the sound of the wips. It's a supply caravan, travelling to the place we heard, which we figure is about 2 miles away. We check it out and see 10 wagons, pulled by 12 Goblins each, driven by 2 Orcs. There are 10 Hobgoblins guarding the caravan and a large Ogre at the front!

We fall back and decide to attack: Rynna puts the Ogre and the 2 Orcs on the first wagon to Sleep. I sic Sinann and Sanenn on the Ogre, as we step out in standard order into the road to the right of the first wagon driving towards us. Lothar immediately charges around the wagon to the left side of it. Banba wounds a Hobgoblin with her sling, I finish it off with an arrow. I kill another Hobgoblin and Banba wounds another one. Lothar kills both Orcs on the second wagon as my dogs finish tearing apart the Ogre and go on to the sleeping Orcs. Angus makes to charge after Lothar, but hesitates and falls back into line as he sees the Hobgoblins charge us. The charging Hobgoblins tie up the Fighters and, without Lothar in the line, sweep around it and engage Claire and try to get to Rynna. Banba kills one as Angus takes four wounds. I shoot and kill two of the Hobgoblins. Angus kills his second and Zooo chops one up. Claire switches to her sickle and Thaddeus fiercely defends its master, as Rynna throws daggers at it. Lothar charges back and kills both Claire's and Thaddeus' attackers.

The Orcs flee and I shoot the two farthest in the back: I want no survivors, especially not if they go and warn people behind them to cut us off. Angus kills Banba's attacker as I shoot two more Orcs and send out Sinann and Sanenn to cut off the fleeing Orcs and drive them back. The two dogs get swarmed by Orcs and both take wounds (two and one only). I shout to Rynna for help and she puts seven of the Orcs to Sleep. The Fighters charge after them and Lothar and Zooo both kill an Orc, the dogs, working together smoothly as the well-trained team they are, kill a dog. Claire and I shoot the sleeping Orcs, both killing two. Lothar cleaves an Orc in two as Angus and my dogs kill the last Orc.

We check out the equipment: The Ogre has no equipment but an Ivory Ring on a leather strip around its neck. We give it to Rynna. Rynna searches the wagons quickly: they carry building tools and supplies and food. She finds construction plans for a city of 400 to 500 Orcs! Claire bandages the dogs, Angus and Zooo. The Hobgoblins carry sword, shield and studded leather, as do the Orcs. We find 47 gold, 135 electrum and 47 gold. We take heads and equipments, and free the Goblins, after telling them to flee SouthWest and not get with the Orcs again. They are in a dead panic and flee off wildly. We pack up our gains and set the wagons on fire, then move into the forest, going North, and a bit away from the city!

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