Portents of the Future

As the adventurers were recovering from the basilisk attack, Sylinnea's sharp eyes picked out a lone figure cresting the rise several hundred yards to the northeast. As the figure drew nearer to the smoke column from the bonfire, the group moved off, unsure if another trap was headed their way, as the way the figure was moving indicated that it was in some discomfort.

Eventually, the good natured in the group prevailed, and the adventurers approached the figure to give what aid they could. They were startled to discover that it was an elderly orc, and startled still to discover that it was one of Gruumsh's shamen. According to Sylinnea, his vestments revealed him to be part of the Blade Death clan, which was based several miles to the northeast.

The Shaman hailed the adventurers, who moved to within parlay distance. The shaman told them of terrible things - humans moving into their territory, strengthening the orcs with new weapons, but ultimately turning them from Gruumsh and corrupting them. However, the Shaman also spoke of two clans that resisted the outsider's influence, to their detriment. The Sun Fire clan had a tradition of loyalty to Gruumsh, and was destroyed by the outsiders when they refused to deal with them. The Hammer Cleave clan also turned the outsiders away, and were besieged in their vast caverns in the mountains to the east. The shaman soon died, as it was discovered that his flesh was cursed, and rotted away as he spoke!

Almost as if on cue, a rumbling was heard from the northeast, and soon a multitude of armored figures poured over the rise. These appeared as humanoid, but their legs were like those of a goat, ending in hooves, and their hands were disproportionately large, ending in wicked claws. Their eyes glowed a terrible red beneath their visors, and they bore down on the party with an aweful fury, charging yet in perfect formation. The groups clashed, and while the creatures took losses, it was as if many more jumped forth to take the place of the fallen. The adventurers were overwhelmed, and trampled into the earth... save for one.

Mira had saved a scroll with the Invisibility spell on it, and vanished as the fighting turned against the adventurers. Unseen, she helplessly watched as her companions were clawed and torn asunder. Aurora was the first to fall, overwhelmed by the claws of the creatures. Oskar was surrounded, and while his armor turned aside the most of the creatures claws, he too was eventually overwhelmed. Sylinnea was the last to fall, being unsuccessful in trying to evade her foes as she searched for useful shots. Once no enemies were present, the creatures returned to their formation, and continued on the way they were headed - southwest, and towards the human settlements.

Fortunately, although weakly, life still pulsed through the veins of all the adventurers, and Mira was able to stave off their bleeding and move them off to safety. The creatures that the party was able to kill were inspected - they were clearly orcs at one point, but as the Shamen had said, they had been corrupted buy some unknown evil. The unknown location in the northeast mountains was still the most likely source, so the adventurers pressed on, though this time there was talk that they may not be properly equipped to deal with the problem - and that allies may be found in the Hammer Cleave clan, if they could be reached in time.

The Trap

The adventurers traveled along the tree-line, headed east towards the mountains, as they had decided that the source of the trouble would be found at a site marked "Oblivion" on their strange map. One afternoon, the Sylinnea spotted a column of smoke rising up from the prairie to the north. It was too stable to be a brushfire, and too large for a normal campfire, so the group decided to investigate.

As they crested the rise, they discovered a large bonfire, and a box-type cart, similar in construction to the one that had disgorged the "demon bug" at the Anhkeg ravine. The party approached cautiously, as whoever had been tending to the fire was nowhere to be seen. Mira's sharp eyes picked out two ropes that were tied to the cart on its bottom, but she lost them in the tall grasses. Suddenly, as the group drew near the cart, the ropes were pulled taut by orcs that had burst forth from blinds in the grass. The cart fell apart as supports were pulled free, and a swarm of enormous angry snakes assailed the party! At the same time, Sylinnea noticed that other blinds were revealing their occupants as well - more orcish warriors with a pair of basilisks in the vanguard were rapidly advancing on the party.

Since basilisks were famous for their ability to turn creatures to stone with a glance, the adventurers opted for a cautious strategy, hiding their eyes behind shields and such as they fought. This made fighting harder, but the orcs and snakes were at the same disadvantage - in fact, one of the snakes caught the gaze of a basilisk and was instantly petrified. The battle was very tense, but the basilisks were put down before one of the party could be turned to stone, and the orcs were quickly killed afterwards - save one, who was knocked unconscious.

Sylinnea was startled at the obvious proof that the orc clans were working together - as these warriors were clearly from the Serpent Strike and Stone Gaze clans. Historically the orc clans warred more amongst themselves than any outside people, and thus were rarely a threat to the kingdom. When the prisoner awoke, questions were asked about why the clans were allied together, and the vague response was that the "masters" taught them to be strong. Further pushes for information on the identities of these "masters" were unsuccessful, as it became apparent that the prisoner feared for something more important than his life, should he talk. Through auditory illusions, Mira was made disembodied noises in an attempt to coerce the orc to speak, but the conflict and pressure snapped its mind, and it ran off, gibbering.