The Forge of Fury (Current)

As told by Zuk Corpsecrafter

## 19th of Nightal, 1374 DR

So we’re sitting around a fire that Gorm had built, and we’ve just started to drink. Finally our adventure wakes up. Grutt starts talking to Gruumsh immediately . Then says "let’s just kill him and take his map where the adventure is." I look at Grutt like he’s an idiot. "How do you even know he has a map.. shh he's waking up"

I look at him; he’s a pretty strong looking half-orc. He shakes his head and gazes around. "Where am I" he asks us. Krunc pokes him with his axe. "You mentioned something about an adventure. You must tell us where it’s at." The half-orc spits at him, suddenly gathering his wits. "You damn dirty orcs! Why should I tell you anything?" I tell him that his only chance for life is if he tells us. The DM tells me to make a bluff check. I say I’m not bluffing. Then he tells me to make an intimidate check, I roll a 1. Very scary! Rawr!

He spits at me, I’d rather die than tell you monsters anything. Grutt charges at him axe held high over his head. I tackle him and hold him. Gorm says "tell us or we’ll eat you!" The half-orc finds more saliva to shoot at Gorm, the dude must have weapon focus: spit because he is very accurate. "You orcs are a pansy and wussy race, Gruumsh would spit on you if he could." I let Grutt go and I pull out my scythe. Gorm makes a last effort to tackle Grutt. He tells Grutt if we kill him we won't have an adventure. Now Gorm is pinning grutt to the ground. I hate this guy, I’m going to kill him no matter what. There are lots of adventures, we don’t need this one. I slowly move into position to deliver the Coup de Grâce. Krunc speaks very calmly, "you don’t want us to kill you do you? All we want to know is where the adventure is, if you tell us I give you my word that I will free you. I’ll even give you 10 gold pieces for your trouble. You tell us, and by Gruumsh you’ll probably never see us again." (Bluff = 27 or something high)

The half-orc looks up and Krunc, trustingly. "Alright he says, on your word you’ll let me go. Let me go first so that I can get a safe distance away and then I’ll yell the adventure to you." This all sounds like a good idea to us and we’re about to let him loose when Grutt says, let’s remove one of his legs first, that way he can’t betray us. I look at Grutt in amazement, that is such a good idea! We all nod in agreement that this is a good idea and Gorm begins to pull out his axe when the half-orc says quickly. "Guys guys, I’m joking I trust you, I’ll tell you where the adventure is and you can let me go from here. {he clears his throat} About two weeks ago myself and several companions, a human wizard, a dwarf fighter, and myself went to investigate a region that has been taken over by Orcs. We were instantly slaughtered; I myself was the only one who was able to escape. I can show you where it's at! I have the map on my body!" Grutt says, "I told you so" Ignoring Grutt I laugh at him, "and why did you think you’d be able to beat orcs, the strongest and most powerful race of them all? " He says that they were able to easily go through dragon’s trap dungeon and get the reward. (I realize he's talking about the same dungeon we just went through) We look at him. He says they found a magic longsword just like Gorms. We ask him if he knows what it does. He laughs, of course we do, don’t you? We glare at him. He then informs us that it’s a +1 magic longsword that functions as a scrying ability so the gold dragon can see us whenever he wants. We shrug our shoulders and take the map and keep him tied up.

I build a fire next to his feet to keep him warm, and we all proceed to get hammered drunk. Periodically he says stuff like, Hey guys you said you’d let me free, can you move the fire back a little?, guys I.. uh want to leave now. Eventually I suggest that we use him for target practice. We walk back sixty feet from him with four javelins and proceed to see who can hit him. Grutt’s throw is about twenty feet short, we all laugh at weak Grutt. Next up is Gorm who nails him with the javelin but we can see that he’s still moving. Like the powerful warrior that I am I surely ended that half-orc by placing the javelin through his neck. The rest of the night is a drunken blur, I know we feasted on various parts of the half-orc and then passed out around the fire.

## 20th of Nightal, 1374 DR

Eventually we wake up, hung over. Krunc and Grutt pick up the other two casks of ale and we make our week long trek to the adventure! Hopefully this time we’ll get some magic items. The voyage is slow moving through the snow, once we finished off all the alcohol we began to move much faster. Idiot Grutt didn’t bring any food and required Gorm to go hunting. Gorm was able to take down some game and well raw meat is much better than rations.

## 23rd of Nightal, 1374 DR

Eventually we arrive at this place.

We see far off two orcs guarding a gate. They seem relaxed when they see us and finally when we approach they realize that we are not from their tribe. “Excuse me, good sirs, why have you come upon our encampment, armed, surely you are a reconnaissance from an enemy tribe, declare your business or we shall be forced to end you” I glower at them. Krunc informs them that we are here on official business of Gruumsh and that if they know what’s good for them they will allow us freedom to move about. They look at each other confused, Grutt is openly discussing with Gruumsh if it’s okay if he kills them. Finally the guards agree they will take us to the Orc’s leader.

Moving through several rooms, I feel that we missed half the dungeon crawl, probably because in this pre-written adventure we’re not supposed to be orcs. Ahh, oh well. Eventually we are taken into a large room where a 12 foot ogre stands with his two huge dogs. He looks at us and in orc says, "who are you and why have you come" I glare back at him, "who are YOU and who is in charge of this ORC tribe?" "I am he who runs MY tribe", I laugh, the others of my companions join in with laughter. " I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how sad this tribe was, to be led by a non-orc. I wonder what Gruumsh would say" I look at the two orc guards who led us here. "I know I would never be led around by a weakling ogre." He glowers at us and pulls out his large great axe. I raise my scythe and yell, “Gruumsh would never stand for a non-orc leader, KILL ALL ENEMIES OF GRUUMSH”

The four of us charge in, the two orcs gurads stand back unsure of what to do. I summon Jakob and place him behind the ogre so that he is flanked by Gorm. This battle is short, we make quick work of the two dogs, Grutt begins to fight in such a way that forces the ogre to hit him. [Iron Guards Glare] The first blow slams into Grutt’s side, the force of which cleaves through his armor and breaks several ribs. He wavers but does not fall, screaming “Gruumsh will not fail me” However I noticed he switches his fighting style and made a weak swing that glanced off the ogre's massive frame. Krunc lands a solid blow into the creatures neck, but unfazed the ogre gurgles out, “Gruumsh is a weak god” With that next swing he lands his huge great axe into Grutt’s head, dropping him to the floor like a bag of coins. I saw the blows and even I would not have been able to withstand such abuse. We look down to make sure he’s not dead and see that his wounds are fast healing under Krunc’s Shaman powers. It’s just Grutt’s head, nothing important there. Finally I slam my scythe into the huge beast and take him down. Grutt mumbles something in his unconsciousness… “Steely resolve” Then his eyes go wide and he stops breathing…..