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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2016 15:40:47 GMT
The town of Quail Hollow was an unimpressive place at first glance. It seemed like an unforgiving place; more like an unaffiliated frontier town than a real city-member of Astahar. Although there were no true fortifications, the town looked like it had been turned into a military outpost. The dirt road leading to the relatively unassuming hamlet showed many signs of travel and wear. The autumn had been wet, so wagon trails dug deep and wide tracks in the ground. Old muddy boot and hoof prints were now frozen into the surface, making the ground somewhat uneven and uncomfortable for all. Ditches had been dug around the perimeter with thick wooden spears protruding away from the town. Some of the huts had been reinforced so that archers could perch from the rooftops. Fires burned throughout the town with cold militiamen huddling around them for warmth.
The town longhouse had been converted into a makeshift headquarters for the Rookline Militia. Those with any kind of military training would know that the town and the militia itself lacked any kind of military infrastructure. There were no officers or true soldiers here. This was a group of farmers and hunters banding together to survive. But even without a military hierarchy, the militia seemed to be relatively well organized, just not in the way a true army would be.
Lucilla Rookline was a middle aged woman with worn everything. Her hair was so grey it was almost white; her hands were thin and boney, hardened by years of farming; and her face had both frown and laugh lines. The only thing that seemed youthful about her was her eyes. They sparkled with a kind of youthful determination, ready to take on any challenge, or face any danger. In fact, if anyone stopped to look at her for longer than a few seconds, they would see how beautiful she is, or was.
Lucilla's story was relatively well known in Flynrest, and the surrounding area. She had been the wife of Harold Rookline, one of the local farming barons. Harold had taken ill and died, leaving Lucilla to care for two children and his farming empire. Lucilla took to being a mother and farmer quite well. Within a few years, she had expanded Harold's enterprise exponentially. She had many farmhands, and even boasted some client farms, which were happy to accept her administration. They did not always like to receive her due to her overbearing, often authoritative demeanor, but they could not deny that she was a woman of results. In fact, when the threat of Orcs arose, she was one of the only people in and around Quail Hollow willing to form and lead a militia.
Her complete lack of military training is one of the reasons why Quail Hollow is in such distress. On the other hand, her determination and natural skill is also one of the only reasons why Quail Hollow has survived.
"What?!" Lucilla exclaimed when one of the militia scouts informed her of the party's arrival, and report of Orcs south of the town.
"Damnitall to whatever hell is beneath us. Why didn't anyone catch those pig-faced bastards before they got past us?!" she exclaimed again, loudly. Lucilla took a moment to breathe and calm down before she spoke to the Scout quietly. A moment later, the Scout returned to the party and invited them over to see Lucilla.
"Well, aren't you the motley crew. Border guards, an Elf, some Dwarves, and some... whatever you two are... " she said, referring to the Halflings.
"I don't know what you're doing here, but I sure hope you're willing to help us out. I've sent messages to the border guard, the regular army, and to most towns in the nearby provinces hoping anyone would help. Alexander Wainwright in Flynrest promised me some volunteers a month or two ago, but I haven't seen one. Not one single volunteer. We got in contact with the Dwarves, and hired a group to help us with these Orcs. I hope you're them... " she said, referring to the Dwarves.
"So what's your story?" she asked them all, crossing her arms over her chest.
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Post by Luftasa on Jan 19, 2016 14:59:03 GMT
Yes, We are the dwarfs for which you sent. We came by way of Flynnrest. It is not in great shape. There was a massive attack by Elves just prior to us coming here. We then passed the orcs on our travel. We barely defeated them.
I don't know what exactly is going on but I had time to play out my thoughts on our journey to Quail Hollow and here is what I think...
I think the Elves are the true masterminds behind the attack on Flynnrest and the Orc band traveling South. If we did not leave at night the Orcs would have made it to Flynnrest and attacked in the morning, no one would have been prepared for that battle. I think the Elves planned this. I think the Elves were in Flynnrest for an alternative plan, they were not really there to fight but I believe the attack was a diversion. I don't know what they wanted but I think they found it and then sent the Orcs to destroy everything else in Flynnrest.
I don't trust the Elves and I think the Orcs are being contolled by the Elves, some how. I don't know but I just feel like the Elves were up to more than just attacking Flynnrest.
We had the chance to speak to an Orc and he was more confused than most orcs are. It seemed he was mindlessly following orders but unusre exactly where he was and where he was going. One thing for sure these Orcs were not interested in Quail Hollow.
I think we need to worry about two different sets of Orcs now
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12
New Member
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Post by 12 on Jan 19, 2016 16:57:15 GMT
Nathrak rolls his eyes at the accustaions before speaking up "what the dwarf here is neglecting to mention is that the map the war band was using was of astaharian make...not elvish...and that many of the supplies given to them by this secret master were of varying degrees of quality...mostly human and orcish but also some elven as well. As for the accusation of the first attack being a diversion i ask why would i have helped defend flynrest and willing let my kin be slaughtered? The better tactic would have been to use the orcs as fodder and then clean things up ourselves...but i am not a short hot headed warrior so what would i know?
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nic
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Post by nic on Jan 19, 2016 19:00:13 GMT
Reika groans and rubs her forehead.
"So the story apparently is a lot of speculation and distrust. But enough about us, how fares the town?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 19, 2016 19:17:09 GMT
If Lucilla had a thought about the Elves pulling the strings, or how the Orcs came into the possession of an Astaharian-made map, no one could glean it based upon her expression. Her expression was intent, and that was the best anyone could describe it. Her eyes passed between Luftasa, Nathrak, Reika and the others. She was a careful listener, even methodical in her demeanor.
"The town fares about as well as we can manage," she said, finally looking at Reika after appraising the rest of the party for a moment. "No one in Quail Hollow is a stranger to Orcs. We've dealt with their periodic migrations, to raids, rites of passage and the like. But over the past few months, sightings and attacks have come far more frequently than ever before," she said.
"None of us really know what they're up to. All I can say is that there is method to their actions. Even more so than what we're used to. The most knowledgeable person in town when it comes to Orcs just walked through the door," she said, referring to Luftasa, "so we have had a hard time figuring everything out," she said.
"I can't help but feel that this has more to do with Astahar than just Flynrest or Quail Hollow," she said, almost distantly.
"Let me see the map the Orcs were carrying..." she said, holding out her hand.
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nic
New Member
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Post by nic on Jan 19, 2016 20:20:20 GMT
Reika listened just as intently and blinked in surprise at one phrase. "You said there is a method? What gives you that impression? Because from what I have been hearing, it seems orcs are not considered thoughtful or methodical."
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Post by Admin on Jan 19, 2016 21:29:07 GMT
"They're not, that's why this is so unusual," Lucilla replied, her brow raised.
"Sometimes they attack, other times they browbeat us with drums from afar while some of their warriors circle the town, yelling, growling and whooping. At first we thought they were coming because of the village's location. We're not the largest village in the area, but we're on the road. Supply line, and all that... " she said with a sigh.
"Some of the outlying villages in this region have not been attacked. They haven't tried raiding our crop reserves. There have been a few kidnappings, but nothing we're not used to. They seem to be focusing their efforts on a particular region, namely ours. I'm not a soldier, so the finer points of military tactics elude me, but it seems like they're looking for something, not invading," she said.
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Post by infiniteday on Jan 19, 2016 22:04:08 GMT
Hugo largely stays to the periphery of the conversation preferring to remain unnoticed. He becomes more intrigued as the conversation progresses and eventually adds: "As a person used to watching and avoiding, I also find the situation curiously starting to suggest that the are greater machinations at play here than we yet perceive. Are there any legends associated with this area? Reasons why someone may be forcing a play of power here specifically? In my experience, if the wolves are at your door, they generally don't hesitate to attack if they out match their prey. Curiously, that seems not to be the case here."
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Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2016 20:11:17 GMT
"Legends? I'm not sure. My energy is spent mostly tilling fields and harvesting crops, not sitting around the tavern sharing stories," she said with a snort. "The closest thing to a legend I've ever heard was that Astahar was once like a promised land: fertile and beautiful. There are rumors of ruins up north, but no one has been there that I know of. No one is stupid enough to go there right now."
"Outmatched? Who the hell said we're outmatched? We've held those bastards off for the past two months or so. They've come at us in some pretty big numbers two. Dozens at a time. We've held them off. Outmatched my lily-white ass," she scoffed. Several of the more seasoned villagers scoffed at that idea nearby, as well.
"That doesn't mean we won't be outmatched soon..." Lucilla said, after hearing the others scoff. It was as if she was bringing everyone back to reality. The villagers seemed to get the message, and put their serious expressions back on.
"That's why I've requested reinforcements from all over. You all seem to be it," she said, unable to hide her disappointment.
"I really don't know how those Orcs got a map. I didn't draw it, and I trust that none of my people drew it, either. I'm sorry to hear about Flynrest, too. We all thought that we were protecting Flynrest by keeping the Orcs up here. I guess that won't go well with my campaign... " she said, snorting.
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12
New Member
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Post by 12 on Jan 21, 2016 2:31:54 GMT
Nathrak lifts his head at the mention of lucolla and her men not drawing the map..."i wonder with your relative success against the orcs thus far if you could tell me how frequently the roads are patrolled by your people? It strikes me as a bit odd that with your success in repelling the orc raids coming from the north that a sizable and rather noisy orc raid could make it past your position unnoticed. How likely is it one of your people is not who they claim to be and possibly assisting the orcs?"
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Post by infiniteday on Jan 21, 2016 10:52:12 GMT
Hugo is not cowed: "I believe you misunderstand, madam. Your town may be holding, but by your description the orcs could easily be pillaging the other towns and your fields were that their objective. If they wanted to take this region, they would have started there. You say this land was once fertile? How many ages past was this? When did the change occur to create such a difficult land? And what of these ruins? Why do none go there now - simply because of the current threat to the area? Are the orcs near these ruins in force? You say they appear to be searching - I would know for what. I would also offer my skills to scout the enemy if it should prove helpful."
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2016 15:34:42 GMT
"The southern road, and the roads and paths leading to the other villages are patrolled daily, or as often as we can spare the people. Could those Orcs have slipped past my people? Of course they could. Since they had a detailed map, they probably knew exactly where they could get past us without us knowing.
Lucilla scoffed at Nathrak.
"Why on earth would someone from this town, or even one of the nearby villages help the Orcs? What would they have to gain from that? I'm no soldier, but I know how the people around here think. We've got a bum deal around here, if you hadn't noticed. The ground isn't easy to till, few crops want to grow around here, and we have natural enemies that just love to piss in our oats. The people that live around here want to be here, we want to work hard, we want to turn this nigh lifeless husk of a mountain range into something beautiful. We're not just here for this area, we're here for Astahar!" she exclaimed.
"For Astahar!" some nearby farmers threw up their fists and exclaimed.
"Look," she said with a sigh, and then spoke again quietly. "My people have been fighting here for a long time. They're not soldiers, they're militia. Some of them are fighting with hoes and pitchforks. I'm not going to stand here and lie by saying that they haven't lost heart. But do I think someone turned their cloak? No. I don't.
Finally, she turned to Hugo.
"They could be pillaging the other villages," she said, nodding. "They've attacked a few, but we're still getting reports from them. Most of the Orcs are here, out in those hills and trees up north somewhere," she said, waving her hand in that direction.
"You're asking the wrong lady, Halfling," she said, somewhat impatient. "Like I said, they're legends, rumors. It could have been a story made up by some drunken idiot farmer who wished the land was fertile. The rumors about ruins could have been made up. I don't know know many people who have gone that far north, and i'm not going to waste lives sending people up there to investigate when we have a town, and a whole region to protect. If you want to chase that ghost, you go right ahead," she said.
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Post by infiniteday on Jan 21, 2016 16:13:58 GMT
Hugo considers his approach for a moment: "I am no leader among this group so perhaps I speak out of turn. However, where I come from when you have a problem you take action to solve it or it will surely solve you - and permanently. By what I gather there are not enough forces to defend this town should the orcs come in force. I have little incentive to sit here and die in a futile fight. You yourself say they appear to be searching for something. My suggestion is investigating that avenue but that's just one Halfling's opinion. I realize you have a town to consider. But you generally try to smother the fire when it starts instead of defending only the last house. I will defer to my leaders in the matter but I will not die here. I'm only trying to discern leads to investigate this abnormal activity." He waits for any reply and moves back to the periphery to observe those around and the continuation of the discussion.
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doug
New Member
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Post by doug on Jan 23, 2016 0:10:28 GMT
"Elves are attacking in concentrated groups and sending attack parties all over the boarder from the west and we have attacks from the north with the Orcs being guided by someone that knows Ashatar that knows how to write or at least make nice maps. They are converging conveniently at Flynnrest. If they are looking in the major towns they are looking for something that could be hid in populated areas."'
"Ms. Rookline could you go over the attack patterns and the paths the Orcs have taken?"
Garrett unfurls the Ashatarian map on a nearby table and tries to perceive if the map has caught any attention from anyone in the room that may elude to them seeing it before.
"Corporal Dorn, Border Guards. Lieutenant Sembelyn sent as many men as he possibly could, elven excursions as i have said are taking a toll to the western boarder and with Flynn Rest being attacked Mr. Wainwright could only send one additional person We will help sure up what defenses that you have and try to exand upon what you have already done."
Garrett leans in to Ms. Rookline in a quick whisper "Lieutenant Sembelyn will be sending more troops north once the Western front has been stabilized from the elven attacks.
Non whispered "I have sent word via a runner and a crow to alert him of the attack at Flynrest. With your permission I'll be sending another detailed report about the Orc unit that our unit and traveling companions dispatched."
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Post by Admin on Jan 25, 2016 20:59:05 GMT
"Halfling, i'm going to ignore your pontificating and just get right down to brass tacks," she said, her annoyance bordering on anger. She seemed to understand what Hugo was trying to say, but she did not want to respond angrily, so she took a moment to compose herself before speaking again.
"The truth is that I don't have a lot of answers for you. I don't know how many Orcs are out there waiting to kill us. All I know is how many we've fought of in the various attacks, which is a few hundred. We've got a lot of ground to cover, lots of villages to protect, and again, we're militia, glorified hunters and farmers. Just like with the Orc specialists, the highest number of real soldiers we've seen around here just walked through the door! Considering the manpower and numbers we have, I think we've done pretty well," she said.
Lucilla seemed both pleased and disturbed to hear from Corporal Dorne. The news of the Elven attacks seemed new to her. She put on an expression of understanding, and perhaps even of remorse that she got so angry. It seems as if no one could have sent help, even if they wanted to.
"Pffft. The last thing you want to do with Wainwright is expect something. That troll thinks he runs that town. The only thing he runs is his mouth," she said, dismissively.
Garrett would notice mostly Quail Hollow militiamen nearby looking on as he unfurled the map. They did not seem to be surprised to see the map. In fact, they did not even seem to pay much attention to what was going on. They were either too busy to pay attention, or they trusted Lucilla enough to do what was needed. The Dwarves that came with Luftasa looked on with interest, as did the other Border Guardsmen. Sedgwick, who had come with the party sidled up to the table to look at the map, and listen.
"We've created a kind of blockade along this east-west road. By blockade, I mean we have regular patrols and fast runners. So if the Orcs do try to get past us, we'll know and could send out some militiamen. Since those Orcs you found had a map, they probably knew how to get past my people. Either that, or they killed my scouts and made their way past," she said. She took a moment to whisper something to someone near her. The young man, who was most likely 14-15 years old, nodded his head and took off out of the longhouse.
"Again, we've been attacked here, at Quail Hollow," she said, pointing to it on the map. "They have harassed a few more villages here, and here," she said, pointing to the towns of Bragnae and Sefleharrow. "They attack, they ransack a little, they look around, kidnap a few, and then they're driven off. Oh, they are night attacks, when people are sleeping. I don't think we have figured out any real pattern to their style of fighting, just their frequency. These are raids, skirmishes, not outright invasions, or even sieges. As if we had any walls to siege. Also, they haven't tried raiding our crops, or cutting our supply lines off from the south. The attack on Flynrest was the biggest party we've heard of getting past us for any reason..." she said.
Not too long after she finishes, a group of eight men enter the longhouse. They all flank an Elven man who appears to be dressed in some warm clothes and leathers, which are all but glorified hunting clothes. He was unarmed, but was not shackled, nor did the men seem to be overly guarded, or guarding of the Elf. They seemed more like an escort than captors. The man taking the lead had a longbow, quiver, knife and hatchet that seemed to be of Elven make.
"Lucilla," said the lead man, hoping to get her attention.
"Reggie," she said with a smile, moving around the group to greet him. She gave him a friendly hug and then looked at the Elf for a moment before addressing Reggie again.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"We were attacked by Orcs west of here. I don't know what they were after just yet. I left some men on the road to gather their things, and dispose of the bodies. This Elf here came to our aid when we were struggling... " he said, with some bruised pride. Reggie offered the Elf's things to her, which she took.
"He said he was looking for some missing kin of his... " he said. Lucilla's brow furrowed some. More details...
"Who are you, and why are you here?" she asked simply. She did not seem overly commanding in her tone. After all, this Elf had supposedly helped her people. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but neither could she be lazy in her duty. Thanks, if any, would just have to come later.
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