Summary
Deep in a foggy forest, the party embarked on a mission to clear orcs from a palisaded fort built atop an ancient elven barrow. The orcs had established a supply line to their dragon master, using the captured fortification as their base. Under the cover of night, the party split up to scout the area, with some members examining the palisade while others discovered an ancient temple hidden in the woods. During their exploration, one group encountered an enigmatic wooden maiden that appeared as a female figure adorned with antlers, leading to a moment of panic that scattered the party in various directions.
As they regrouped to investigate a palisade gate under orc guard, Prot’s presence was detected, forcing them to flee into the dense woods with angry orcs in pursuit. The chase turned dire when one of their elven companions, Kodishine, suffered grievous wounds from great axes, ultimately falling into orc captivity. While the orcs celebrated their capture with raucous victory cries, fate intervened in the form of an black-furred owlbear that charged into the orc gathering, creating chaos and an opportunity for rescue.
During the ensuing mayhem, Kodishine, drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, experienced vivid visions of an ouroboros. Valtor seized the moment to perform a critical healing ritual on Kodishine, successfully pulling him back from the brink of death, though the ordeal left him permanently weakened. As the owlbear’s attack sent the remaining orcs fleeing in terror, the party managed to regroup near a palisade entrance leading to what appeared to be a barrow mound, where they heard their companion calling from within.
The mission concluded with a decisive victory over twelve orcs, including one of the orc leaders, and the party claimed their well-earned bounties. Upon returning to town, each member received a reward of 100 gold pieces and gained 16 experience points for their efforts. The group heatedly debated whether to disclose the barrow’s location while claiming their bounty, ultimately resolving the matter through a tie-breaking dice roll that favored revelation. Their adventure concluded with level-ups and excited discussions about how to spend their newfound wealth.
Scenes
Scouting the Palisaded Fort
- Party arrives at night to scout the orc-occupied palisaded fort
- The fort contains a large elven barrow mound
- Party splits up to investigate different areas
- Loden observed a mysterious light appearing near the gate
- Party members make bird calls to communicate
- Two orcs with torches spot Prot’s shiny plate armor from the palisade
- Gates open and orcs pour out in pursuit
Encounter at the Ancient Temple
- Sagie and Richard discovers a marble ancient temple in the woods
- Temple is described as Grecian in design with columns
- Find an orc skull in the brambles
- Encounter the wooden maiden with antlers
- Mysterious creature causes overwhelming flower scent
- Sagie and Richard flee in different directions
Forest Chase and Combat
- Sagie and Richard flee through difficult forest terrain
- Mysterious large creature pursues them
- Characters hear fake owl sounds in the distance
- Orcs throw javelins and attack with axes
- Kodishine takes 16 points of damage and falls unconscious, perhaps dying
- Orcs capture the wounded elf
- Black owlbear bursts from the treeline
- Owlbear attacks orcs, killing several
- Loden lands critical hit on the orc leader for 17 damage, killing him
- Orcish morale breaks and they flee into the woods
Aftermath and Recovery
- Kodishine has a vision of a black snake (ouroboros) swallowing its tail
- He sees the universe spiraling in the snake’s eye
- The snake whispers ‘seek the stones’
- Valtor performs a blood ritual healing on Kodishine
- Kodishine loses 1 point of permanent strength
- Kodishine regains consciousness with significant scarring
- Party enters and barricades themselves in the Barrow Mound
- Search of orc bodies yields 60 gold worth of coins
- 12 orc bounties collected
- Discovery that one of Nag’s brothers was among the dead orcs
Return to Town and Rewards
- Group debates claiming bounty
- Tie-breaking roll determines they will claim bounty
- Each party member receives 100 gold
- Everyone gains 16 experience points
- Party members gain 1 luck point
NPCs
Captain of the Guard
Town official described as being thrilled about the party’s success.
Hydac
Previously defeated orc sorceress whose bounty was collected along with the orcs.
Orcs
A group of hostile warriors who attacked the party. Initially numbered around 15 but were decimated by an owlbear attack and forced to flee.
Owlbear
Massive black-feathered creature, size of a polar bear with an owl’s head, that attacks the orcs. Its intervention helped the party indirectly by causing chaos and forcing the orcs to retreat.
Orc Leader
Commander of the orc forces who leads from the back, killed by an arrow shot.
Wooden Maiden
A mysterious creature made of wood, twigs, branches, and moss, with antlers protruding from its forehead and a wooden mask-like face with hollow eyes. Silent and eerily animated.
Locations
Palisaded Fort
A circular wooden fortification about 200 feet across with 15-foot tall walls, featuring stone columns carved into animalistic shapes and red and black tapestries. Contains a large elven barrow mound rising 50 feet high, two smaller mounds, and a fortified wooden gate guarded by orcs with torches illuminating the area.
Ancient Temple
A Grecian-style marble temple with 6-8 columns, located on a low hill in the forest, overgrown with brambles and thickets. Shows signs of ruins and decay.
Forest
A coniferous forest of pine and cedar trees, foggy and clammy with temperatures around 40 degrees and persistent drizzle. Features dense woodland areas with difficult terrain that served as the setting for chase and combat.
Barrow Mound
A 40-foot tall mound covered in green vegetation, featuring an iron-barred gate that leads to a corridor of fitted stone blocks. Contains multiple iron-barred gates and elf-sized stone statues. Was the subject of dispute between different adventuring parties.
Town
Settlement where the party returns to claim bounties and interact with the captain of the guard.
Spells
Turn Undead
Clerical ability mentioned in discussion, with a joke about chaotic clerics turning angels and paladins instead.
Blood Healing Ritual
A healing spell performed by Valtor involving a blood oath, which restored Kodishine to consciousness but permanently reduced his strength.
Items
Orc Skull
A human-sized skull with tusks found in the brambles near the ancient temple, accompanied by neck bones and partial rib cage.
Burlap Sack Bandages
Improvised medical supplies made from burlap sacks, used to staunch bleeding despite smelling like old rations.
Orcish Long Sword
A shoddy but functional weapon looted from the dead orcs.
Dubious Heroes 
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