Zoom 2021-11-02 21:00

After defeating the Hill Giants, the party moves off to a different copse to heal up and have a kip in the vicinity of map hex 245.035

### Khurak's scouting.

The next morning, Quercuis sends Khurak off on a scouting flight - having had Twoo cast invisibility on him first. Khurak observes that we are about 15 miles from the main battlelines - and the battle is still raging. The Elves have dug themselves in to a series of earthworks and interconnected forts running more or less due north from Garston (248.034) through 248.033 to half way through 248.032. There enemy are composed of  Hill Giants, orcs and trolls (and ogres?), and they have sent out foraging parties that range out to about 5 miles away from us.

There is a small town with a central keep - Castle Calmen - about 2 miles away to our East, which appears to be deserted.

There is no sign of the cloud castle StarStorm.

### Castle Calmen

The party decides to investigate Castle Calmen by first sending in a scouting party, and then having the whole party join them when the it proves to be deserted. This was a small fishing town with a population of, we would guess, about 200. There are about thirty beheaded corpses (mostly human) laid out in the streets - ie left 'respectfully' by others who had no time to bury them. The town has been looted. We reckon that this happened about a week ago - and there are the tracks and scents of trolls, hill giants and ogres that appear to have come from the North and West, and left to the South East. There is also the scent of a Centaur having paid a short visit to the place.

The central 'keep' - a light wooden affair - has its main door hanging off its hinges and a few more bodies inside - clearly it provided little defence against Hill Giants.

Further investigation does not discover any people hiding in cellars etc, but does reveal that any food/drink left behind has been deliberately spoiled, and there are no boats around - yet this was a fishing village. So perhaps the main bulk of the villagers got away by boat when the town was overrun - though someone must have come back to arrange to deal with the bodies.

By now it is around mid-day, and the weather is changing away from 'Call-Lightning' type weather. We decide to go and investigate Bermant which is another town to the West of us (hex 240.035). As we would only reach it around dusk, we decide it may be best to camp outside it overnight (241.034) and investigate the next day.

### A night outside Bermant - an Orc appears.

During the second watch an Orc on horseback suddenly appears more or less in the middle of the camp. Although this is somewhat alarming, he looks similar to Brokev and isn't immediately hostile (though not particularly cordial either) and he demands to know what we are doing here. We explain that we have been helping the Elves fight the Ghoulagabbans - and try to stress our 'Wyldwood' credentials and provenance. The Orc tells us tells us to stay where we are and certainly to avoid Bermant which is occupied by undead - and then he disappears.

About two hours later, two Centaurs arrive with a Maratasen and an Orc riding them. They explain that clan force was scattered after StarStorm was overrun, and the remains are regrouping to the south of where StarStorm was. We are invited to join them.

### The clan encampment.

There are about 500 clan members (from various clans - including those that we knew where going to take StarStorm) in a bruised and battered state. Almost all their Speakers are dead, and the remaining Speaker is severely wounded. They are healing up as fast as they can - and Wun and the other clerics' offered assistance is accepted, but otherwise we are 'tolerated' rather than welcomed.

We are told more about the attack on StarStorm - the enemy appeared to be waiting for the Clans to raise StarStorm, and attacked as soon as it was powered up. The attacking forces were large giants (Frost and possible Storm) as well as undead including Vampires. We also observe that:

* It appears that, despite their sorry state, the Clans are taken by the feeling that Wildwood has purpose again.
* There is a lot of resentment against Saratak for sending them on this fools errand.
* Obvious hostility towards the Elves and an indifference to the fate of Willston.
* Francis also observes that the Centaurs are sending out interlocking scouting parties - and that the Centaurs leave no tracks.

We are told that the Clans will remain here for about a week to recover and pick up any other stragglers - and then they will head back West.

The party will have to decide whether to travel with them, or try to return to Willston - though for now, we opt to stay with the Clans for the next few days as we decide what to do.