Episode 7, "Orcs at the Gates"
by Matt Grossman and J. Sage Schreiner
(c) 2000
Tron Malkaszar, a curious high elf -- Matt Grossman
Aran, a paladin of a lost kingdom -- AJ Drexel
Norel Bolderdash, a hulking woodsman of the Adri forest -- Tom Morin
Nigil Palom, a noble from a far-distant land -- Kevin Osborn
Hrothgar, a sturdy dwarf of the Iron Hills -- Corey Paganucci
All others -- Sage Schreiner
Tron has been charged with murdering Devereau and thrown into prison.
After working for several hours to pull one of the bars off the window
of his cell, he gives up.
Tron: I'm too drunk to escape right now.
The next day Jadale declares a holiday. All the townsfolk come in
their finest clothes to see the trial. Tron is tied to
a chair on a platform. A jury of respectable townfolk, including Rafe the
blacksmith, Dubricus the scribe, Father Abercrombie, Reece the cobbler and
Wilf the Innkeep, will decide his
fate. Jadale presides over the trial.
Jadale: Is their anyone who will speak for the accused?
Aran: (in full paladin regalia) Yes, we will.
Tron: (tries to untie his bonds without anyone noticing)
Jadale: Ok, now the first step is to prove that all elves are
cowardly, dastardly, and dishonest. Can anyone attest to this? How
about you? (points to a dwarf in the crowd, a newcomer to the keep)
Dwarf: I've never met an elf before, so I can't say. But I did see
the murder being committed, and...
Jadale: Yeah, yeah, we'll get to that later.
Thorlech: I saw the elf do it! He killed Devereau with a poisoned
dagger! And he beat me up for no reason!
Tron: You're dead, Thorlech! Dead! Come up here and say that!
Jury: (nods knowingly)
Jadale: Well, that seems pretty conclusive.
Nigil: Tron beat Thorlech because Thorlech drank from his beer mug.
Rafe the blacksmith: Yeah, I'd beat someone who drank my beer.
And so medieval justice takes its course. Only Tron's friends are
willing to speak for him, the rest of the crowd is silent. Norel
tries to speak to Mouse:
Norel: Mouse, you know that Tron's dagger was stolen because we
searched your shop for it with Devereau.
Mouse: Yeah... but I don't want to piss off Jadale. I don't really
know where I stand with her.
Aran: I have never seen Tron do anything cowardly when I was with him.
Jadale: Did you see him break the law?
Tron: (whispering) Shhh! Don't say anything!
Aran: Umm... .yeeessss, technically.
Jadale: What did he do?
Aran: He, uhhh, he, uhhh bribed a tax collector. To avoid an unjust
tax! But that's different from murdering a defenseless man.
Jadale: Uh-uh. And did you ever see Tron kill defenseless beings?
Tron: (whispering) Don't answer! Say you don't remember!
Nigil: (motions Aran into silence) Nope. Never seen him do that. Nary a
once. No sirree.
Jadale: Well, we'll get to the actual facts of the case after lunch.
During lunch Father Abercrombie gives a note to Nigil.
Abercrombie: We found this on the body. Jadale doesn't want it taken
as evidence, but I thought you should be told about it.
Nigil: What does it say?
Abercrombie: "Please meet me on the wall tonight. I have important
information about the bandits. -J". Uhhhh... "J" is a character which
apparently represents someone's name. It could represent Jadale, which is
why she doesn't want it introduce. But it could also represent Jud or Jerric
Lum, Jess the Wench, Jocelyn the tanner, Gabriel's sister Jola -- you get
the idea.
Meanwhile, Norel has been talking to the strange dwarf, whose name is
Hrothgar.
Hrothgar: Yes, I saw the murder. The murderer climbed down the wall
over there, inside the keep. He was bigger than that elf.
Unfortunately I was across the courtyard and couldn't see his face.
Norel: Hmm.
He goes and searches for tracks under the wall. He finds them and
follows them to just outside the shack where Jocelyn the tanner lives.
Norel: Hmm.
Jadale: Well, let's finish hanging the elf... I mean, let's get on with
the trial.
Thorlech: I saw him do it! From the courtyard!
Aran: Where where you standing exactly?
Thorlech: Umm... there... or maybe there. The elf sprang from the
shadows, stabbed Devereau, and then gracefully climbed down the wall!
Aran: And where did you see the murder being committed?
Thorlech: There... ummm, no, there.
It's obvious given the height of the wall, and where Thorlech said he
was standing, that he couldn't have seen anything on the top of the
wall.
Tron: Jess, how much did Thorlech have to drink last night?
Jess: A lot. He passed out around midnight, actually.
Thorlech: I woke up later.
Tron: And how much did I have to drink last night?
Jess: Even more. You couldn't walk straight.
Jadale: And how much did *you* have to drink, Jess?
Jess: Well...
Jadale: It seems to me we have few reliable witnesses, except this dwarf --
and he's a newcomer, at that.
Hrothgar: Excuse me, but I saw the murder being committed. There was
nobody else in the courtyard, and the murderer was definitely taller
than this elf.
Norel: I found his tracks.
He leads Jadale to the tracks, and they go around and up to the door
of Jocelyn's shack.
Jadale: This explains the note. All right, let's search the place.
Guards!
They search the place and find... the ugly bandit from Episode 4!!
Jocelyn: It's ok, he's my cousin.
Nigil: He may be your cousin, but he's a bandit. And you're hiding
him here.
Ugly Bandit: I'm innocent!
Norel: See, his boots fit the tracks.
Jadale: Ok, I'm convinced. Lock 'em up. We'll hang them at dawn.
Quince, Jocelyn's fiance (and Jadale's lover): Jocelyn... why?
Jocelyn: The truth? You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!
Ugly Bandit: I'm Orm the Wyrm and I explain myself to no man! Or, uhhh,
woman, for that matter. Listen, I think we should talk about this and-
Sabine: I look forward to stretching your neck.
Jadale: Release the elf.
Tron: (releases himself)
Churl the Guard: Huh?
That afternoon, as the adventurers are relaxing and celebrating Tron's
close escape from lynching, a messenger arrives from Baron Shalister,
the local lord. He talks for a while with Jadale, then leaves. Soon
afterwards, she sounds the alarm.
Jadale: A large orc raiding party is approaching from the north.
Shalister offered his "aid", but I refused. Now we must prepare for a
siege.
Norel: Orcs?
Tron: Orcs? Let's go out and scout them.
Nigil: Better than letting them come to us. Anyone got a horse they
can loan me?
Hrothgar: Say, this sounds like fun. Mind if I tag along? I'm an
expert with the battle-ax.
Aran: Sounds like you're our kind of man... um, dwarf.
The heroes ride to the north. After a few hours...
Norel: The horses are restless.
Tron: I'll climb this tree and see if there's anything nearby.
Tron sees two giants crossing a ridge about a mile and a half to the
north. While Tron is in the tree, wargs and wolf-riding orcs attack.
Orc: (blows his horn)
Warg: (savages Jadale's horse, which she had loaned to
Nigil)
Nigil: (Jumps free and kills warg) Eat this!
Warg: (dies)
Norel: This bow rocks.
Orc: Aggh! My arm!
Hrothgar: For the dwarves!
One of the orcs rides off. More wargs arrive, and the party can hear
horns blowing.
Aran: We must get back to the keep.
Nigil and Hrothgar share an enormous, and very slow, plow horse. The
heroes ride for keep, pursued closely by wolfriders.
Tron: This is familiar.
Skanda: It brings back bad memories.
Tella: We could just leave the two on the slow horse behind and-
Aran: Now Tella, what have I taught you about courage and valor?
Tella: Ooops.
They use Tron's vial of perfume to mask the parties scent and make it
back to the keep barely in time. By nightfall the keep is surrounded
by an army of over 600 orcs, two giants, 30 human mercenaries, and a
bunch of human slaves. The giants are carrying catapults, which are
quickly assembled. Inside the keep, 25 militia and an equal number of
semi-effective non-combatants man the walls. The oldest and youngest
hide in the basement of the keep that, in better times, was home to
Devereau.
The orcs are singing a deep-throated war song and beating their heavy
war-drums. Rusty standards flutter in the chill evening breeze.
One of the giants absent mindedly picks up an unfortunate slave and begins
to chomp. Distant screams can be heard. Some of the town's militia look faint.
Tron: This is great! We don't have to go to the orcs, they're coming
to us!
Norel: I hate orcs!
Churl: I'm scared.
Sabine: Earn your money, soldier!
Reece the Cobbler: This is no worse than the battle of Three Rivers. Stand firm!
Hrothgar: Dwarves don't get scared. We get angry.
Rafe the Smith: We have nowhere to run -- we must hold the walls or we will be
slaughtered. Or worse.
Chandry the milkmaid: Captain Jadale is manning the catapult on the
north-east corner. She requests that the siege engine aim at the giants.
Mosely the quatermaster: Damn armor's been shrinking again.
Beating drums and blowing war horns, the orcs charge against the gate
in a wave. The giants stand back with the catapults and hurl
boulders. The keep's own siege engines reply. The orcs throw down
planks across the moat to form a rough bridge and sweep to the foot of
the keep's walls. Ladders and grappling hooks are thrown up. Other
orcs bring up a tree trunk to use as a battering ram. The party is in
the battle where it is thickest.
Tella: A grappling hook?
Orc: Better run while you can, girl!
Tella: Six weeks ago, you would have scared me, but now... (bashes the
orc with her mace)
Aran: Good work, Tella! I'll help at the gate! (hews down an orc and
helps push a ladder away from the walls)
Norel: (raining arrows on the orcs)
Tron: (likewise)
Hrothgar: (cleaves an orc in twain) Take that fiends!
Nigil: (pushes a ladder away) If only we had more oil...
Gabriel: (Heaves enormous boulders down onto the orc attacks attempting to
cross the make-shift bridge) Come get some!
Johann: I could play a song to enhearten the defenders, but I'll just
bring them arrows instead.
Skanda: Pholtus heal this guy.
Mouse: (cowering somewhere)
Thorlech: (drunk somewhere)
But the defenders are taking casualties also. Jadale is hit by a massive rock
and killed instantly. Many defenders fall to the arrows of the orcs.
One woman militia member is dragged over the wall by the orcs. Still, the gate
holds, and the orcs are forced to withdraw.
Sabine: Now that Jadale's dead, I guess I'm in charge.
Rafe: My sons! They're dead. All dead...
Reece the cobbler: Asgrim -- my wife -- a spear through the head. Woe! Sorrow!
Wilf: Where's Jess?
Suddenly the orcs begin torturing their prisoner. Her screams as she
is lowered into a bonfire are unmistakable.
Wilf: Oh no, it's Jess... (weeps) You bastards!
Tron: What a wuss. Now's the time to hit them, commando style! Come
on, Norel!
Norel: I'll, uhh, cover you from the walls.
Tron takes off his chain mail and climbs down the wall. He sneaks up
on a pair of orc sentries.
Orc#2: I tap two land and play my spell.
Orc#1: Ah hah, black lotus – you’re toast!
Orc#2: Wait, do you hear something?
Orc#1: Huh? Hey, I saw you take that card! Put it back!
Orc#2: No, really, I gackkkk...
Orc#1: You what? Ahhh! Elf! Elf!
He takes off running.
Tron: (shouting in orcish) Hey, give me back my money! Heh heh, that should
confuse them.
Other Sentries: Urlok and Thack are at it again.
He takes the orc's head and goes back to the keep.
Tron: Let's fire it from the catapult. Hee.
Nigil: Actually, we should put them on stakes.
Tron: Ok, that works.
Aran: We must stay alert. I'm sure they will attack again.
Jess's screams eventually end, and shortly afterwards the orcs
attack. This time the target is a section of wall opposite from the
gate. The party rushes to aid the defense, which is almost
overwhelmed by the sudden assault. In desperate fighting along the
walls the assault is stopped.
Tron notices that a magical fog has fallen on the gatehouse on the
other side of the keep. Suddenly a giant, flapping its arms, flies over the
wall and lands behind the gate. The alarm gong rings. Tron, Norel, and
Aran rush back to the gate.
Aran: It was a trick!
Hrothgar: We'll join you soon!
Orc: Yaaaaaa...
The giant is trying to lift the portcullis when Aran arrives.
Aran: Die! Uh-oh.
Giant: Owie. Rozencrantz hate stingy things.
Aran: My faith will protect me! Ooog.
Giant: (goes back to forcing gate)
Tron climbs down the wall behind the giant, grabs the unconscious
paladin and drags him to safety. Norel shoots at the giant, but it
ignores even his arrows. With a tremendous effort it bursts the gate
open and steps out onto the plank bridge the orcs had thrown across
the ditch... which is completely unable to bear the giant's weight.
The bridge collapses and the giant falls into the ditch.
Rosencrantz the Giant: Huh? Ow. Where ground come from?
Orc sergeant: Now the gate's open we charge across the bridge
and... uhh... bring up more wood!
The portcullis has been jammed open with a log. Tron runs over and
tries to move it, but fails.
Father Abercrombie: I have a precious potion of healing which I've
kept in reserve. I give it to you, Aran. Now let's get to the inner
keep while there's still time.
Aran: Hoody-hoo! Thanks!
He runs over to where Tron is straining at the porcullis and helps him
move the log. The grill crashes down and blocks the orcs. Aran and
Tron run up into the gatehouse.
Meanwhile, Norel has burst into the gatehouse and found Gabriel
fighting with two strange men... mercenaries in the pay of the orcs. Laurl
the guards, Churl's brother, lies dead on the stone floor.
Gabriel: Thrust! Parry! Hyah! Ho! Uhhhhh...
Norel: You're helping the orcs? Die! Die die die die die! Die!
On the other side of the keep, Nigil and Hrothgar throw down the last
ladder and run back to the gate.
Hrothgar: Short... legs... can't... keep... up...
Nigil bursts into the gatehouse and cuts down one of the mercenaries.
Merc#2: I surrender! Hey, pay me money and I'll join your side?
Nigil: How much?
Merc#2: 100 silver.
Norel: I dunno...
Tron and Aran arrive.
Tron: He surrendered, huh? Well, here's what we do to...
Aran: I accept your surrender. You will be treated as a prisoner of
war. Lock him up!
Tron: Damn.
Rosencrantz the Giant: Ohh, time to go to bed.
It climbs out of the ditch and starts heading back to the orcish camp.
As it does the defenders fire at it, and it falls. The orcs seem
dismayed by the death of the giant, and halt their attack.
Pink dawn spread over the battered keep. Although many of the
defenders are dead, the orc assault has been stopped again. Over 150
orcs lie dead at the foot of the walls, but the rest of the orcish
army is still there, and there is still one more giant and a company of
human mercenaries.
Aran: Dawn... dawn... something... oh yeah! We can hang Jocelyn and the
ugly bandit now!
Tron: Can't we just fire them from the catapults? Hee.
Sabine: No, they're too heavy.
Tron: Can't we build a bigger catapult? C'mon...
Norel: Just hang them and get it over with.
Ugly Bandit: No, I'll fight for you!
Nigil: Like we trust you.
Quince: My... my darling.
Jocelyn: Blondie, you know what you are? You're a son of a-
Aran: Blah blah blah last rites. Pull! (creak creak)
Tron: Can we catapult their heads? Hee.
Party: NO!
The exhausted defenders take stock. Six of the Lum family, including
Granny Lum have been killed. Wilf's wife Calista has been killed. Mosely
the quartermaster is dead, as is Martin the town's baker, Chandry the milkmaid,
Hobbin the uncle of Arpad (rescued from the necromancer), Arpad's brother
Anrod, and many other town's people. There is a dark sense of hopelessness
hanging over the remaining defenders. Even if they survive, the small community
has been devastated by these losses.
Sabine posts a few watchers on the walls, and the defenders sleep while the
orcs rest in the harsh light of day.
TO BE CONTINUED...