Episode 35: Attack of the Orcs

With Orcish and Dwarven armies clashing in open war, the Dwarven King has given the Heroes of Bingle a suicide mission: to infiltrate the Orcish camp and stop the cannon that has been bombarding the mountain stronghold. But when the Amulet exerts its chaos over the battlefield, how will the team handle the attack of the Orcs?

##### **GM/DM Intro**

*It started as a simple dungeon run…*

*They couldn’t possibly have known then that setting foot inside that dungeon for some quick loot would lead them where they are today, a dwarvish army behind them, an orcish army ahead of them, and a desperate mission before them.*

*But the loot from that dungeon changed everything. The Secret Keeper’s Amulet. A relic of staggering power, which allows you, The Watchers of the Time Stream, to tear through the veil of realities and exert your will on this one. To create chaos, in the form of Forces of Good and Evil.*

*It also sent these 5 adventurers on an epic quest to find and rescue the ancient protectors of the realms. The 5 Wardens, each infused with the power of a different element, each standing over 100 feet tall. Somehow they have been captured and held in the world’s most dangerous locations. A spiraling tower, floating in the sky, a suffocating trench in the deepest part of the ocean, and now… a volcano. And the only way in to this volcano - the mountain known as Skyscorcher Peak, is through the dwarven city of Dalto Thum. A stronghold built directly into the Nelrim mountain range - which also currently happens to be under attack by the accumulating armies of the Orcs. Orcs and Dwarves have long been at odds over the resources found in the mountains that bisect their homelands, but hostilities have increased considerably in recent weeks, and now teeter on the brink of full-blown war.*

*The Orcs have gotten their hands on new, more powerful artillery. Massive cannons whose unprecedented destructive power threatens bring down the dwarvish stronghold that has thrived inside the mountain for thousands of years. Our team saw one of these cannons, weeks ago, after rescuing their first Warden from his prison in the sky. A battalion of Orcs seemed to be transporting it through the woods near where the Warden crashed to the ground. Uggo challenged their leader, Grollogo to single combat for control of their squad, and was beating him decisively when the amulet exploded with electrical energy and transported the team into the Warden’s memory. When they reemerged, the orcs were gone.*

*Now the team sees Grollogo and his battalion again as they have been tasked with stopping the cannon as a way to gain favor with Ruzer Forebrand, the King of Cragborn Clan, and ruler of Dalto Thum. When the heroes arrived at the dwarven city, with the help of two young dwarves they saved from drowning in the rushing rapids of the Golden River, they knew only that they were to meet Dondo Karigina, a paladin who they were told could help them.*

*But the mighty bronze gates of Dalto Thum were heavily guarded, under the command of Nort Gaboon, a fearsome warrior adorned in the bones of fallen Orcish combatants. A clever ruse and extraordinary persuasion from Lily, convinced Gaboon to bring them into the city and to the home of Dondo Karigina.*

*When his door opened, they found a seasoned paladin of the Candle Queen, a devout follower of the Truth. Karigina pressed his silver sword into the ground and asked the team to step into his Zone of Truth to answer his questions - but immediately Siv resisted. Uggo found inspiration in the paladin’s devotion to his Oath, but the team struggled when asked if they trusted one another. Siv tried to avoid meeting the king, even asking James to lie to the team for him, and distrust threatened to derail their efforts.*

*Perhaps it was the subtle influence of the Candle Queen, perhaps it was their growing affection for one another, perhaps it was the extreme flavor of Dondo’s Mountain Stew. Whatever the case, the truth did prevail, as Siv came clean about his identity and his past, galvanizing the team and their trust in one another. They shopped, prepared, and set out to satisfy the King’s stipulation - to stop the Attack of the Orcs.*

*So now they crouch, huddled on the battlefield, a small strike team on a purported suicide mission, staring into the camp of the Orcish battalion. And all they have is each other. But maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.*