The party set out to explore the area marked “Angry Trees” on Yspadadden’s map of Galendor, draughted for him by the Invisible Man. They leave Dingradur on foot. Ranulf is riding his bear, Eira. This was the orphaned cub that had been captured some three years previously (Galendor – F22). It had since been hand-reared by Ulfenir and trained by Yspadadden. With plate-armoured Ranulf mounted, the party can move more swiftly and quietly. However, it transpires that Eira is in oestrus, and they are constantly pestered over the next few days by male bears. These are sent on their way by the magicians, but it becomes apparent later that year that their efforts to maintain Eira’s virtue have been in vain.
After a few minor hostile encounters, they arrive in the vicinity of the “Angry Trees”. It is an area of thick deciduous forest with many different species of tree. However, they can see signs of both orcs and the depredations of the giant insects they had noted a few years previously (Galendor – F22). Girindor talks to a thrush who leads him to a small lake and an island. There he meets a sentient tree – an Ent – called Ashperton, the “captain” of the trees in this forest. He confirms that his people are under pressure from both orcs in the north and from giant insects in the south. The orcs seem to have some affiliation with an evil spider goddess, Lolth, and there are also dark groves of webs in the forest. Ashperton appears to recognise Girindor, and is very respectful towards him. Girindor had been having strange dreams of late, including many in which he was a different elf altogether. Ashperton shows the party a small cave complex hidden behind a waterfall, with ancient elven carvings in it, and says they are welcome to use it. Once they have unblocked the chimney it is comfortable and all agree that it is an excellent base for operations in this area.
They decide to focus their efforts upon the orcs and see what they can do to disrupt their operations in the woods. Girindor is dispatched on a reconnaissance to see what he can find out. He returns three days later with a young faun in tow, and some smutty tales of his sexual exploits with a local dryad. However, he has located some caves in a valley, occupied. The faun, who is called Tecwin, supplies that there seems to be a war between rival groups of orcs in the area. They guess that this is the fallout from the death of Gamesh. Tecwin thinks there are up to 150 orcs operating out of the caves.
The following day they spend in a group reconnaissance. The faun proves excellent at this, the dwarves, especially Ranulf, less so. Tec helps them ambush an orcish patrol. The lone survivor tells them that his chief is called Uzrig, that he is in some sort of alliance with the White Witch and that the overall number of orcs is much as Tec suggested. They let the orc go, telling him that they are agents of Gamesh come to collect tithes, in the hope of sowing confusion amongst their enemy. That night Yspadadden casts a spell called Rope Trick, that creates a small pocket of “otherwhere” in which the party can hide safely without fear of detection. The bear is left to its own devices and Tecwin likewise opts to stay out of the protection. There is much orc activity during the night.
In the morning they gather the bear and Tecwin. Ubaron teleports them all back to the elven bolt-hole where they hatch a plan. There are too many orcs to fight in the open but while they are all deployed looking for the interlopers, they will use their command of the air to attack the caves directly and try to locate and slay the leadership (and take their loot). The weather is poor so they wait a couple of days, during which time Yspadadden teleports to Dingradur and returns with more supplies.
Girindor windwalks the party (without Eira and Tec) to an area above the caves. From there they spend some time observing, trying to determine the most likely candidate, amongst a number of cave entrances, for their decapitation raid. Ubaron’s cat familiar that proves useful. Once they identify a target the magicians cast their Fly spells and carry Ranulf and Trev down.
Once they enter the cave they find a stout door barred against them, but Girindor is now practised at taking down doors, melting the rock into which the hinges are fixed and warping the wood. The door collapses and the party surge in, slaying the guards. There is a fierce fight in a central chamber against a score of orcs, supported by one or more magicians, mostly casting black magic curses. The orcs are swiftly slain and the party pursue the fleeing magicians, through winding subterranean passages, relying on Yspadadden’s divinations to keep them on the right track. They battle through much confusing sorcery, and many spiders – some small, some big and some demonic – to a shrine to Lolth and then beyond to where the white witch and with her acolytes and a few orcish retainers stand at bay. There is a fierce struggle in which both Trevillion and Girindor are envenomed and Ranulf ensorcelled, but the Witch and all her folk are slain. Examining the corpses they discover them all to be female half-orcs – as in Thangoria.
After the fight, both Yspadadden and Ubaron use much magical resource to save Trev and the Elf from the poison coursing through their veins. Ubaron returns to the entrance of the complex and casts a Stone Wall there to prevent interference from the outside while they thoroughly loot the caverns and destroy and desecrate the shrine of Lolth. They teleport home with the loot, before returning to the elven bolt hole to collect Eira and debrief Tecwin and Ashperton. Ashperton is most appreciative of their efforts and they say they will be back. Tecwin is invited to make free of the bolt hole meanwhile if he needs it.
G-29
OE Date: Spring 697
Characters: Yspadadden, Ranulf, Ubaron, Trevillion, Girindor NPCs: Eira, Ashperton, Tecwin
Real World: June 2013; Where: Surbiton
See also Ubaron’s Diaries