Urd’s Homecoming In front of you as you enter the hall is a… young half orc dressed in finer pants and a tunic with a longsword at her side. She has fluffy fabric around her neck and a crude mustache made obviously of animal hair that has been pasted to her upper lip. She draws the longsword, somewhat menacingly and says, “You work for Oron and Breschka! I, the tyrant Raffolk, will not be defeated.” The orc guards beside you sigh. The “Prince Raffolk” impersonator grumbles in orcish, “Why the fuck do I have to always be Raffolk.” From the south hallway a creature, not more than 4 feet tall who is clumsy comes charging forward growling while draped in some sort of animal skin in a way that is completely non-threatening. It sounds like a young child. To the north another child, older and standing close to 5 feet tall stands there in lavish pirate cloths and wielding a rapier (a real rapier). “I am SWELL THE GREAT!” Behind the teen are two other half-orc teens who look identical and similar to the Raffolk. One is covered in a cloak adorned with feathers and the other with piecemeal armor and has glowing, read horns that look menacing atop her head. They say in unison, “You will DIE TYRANT!” and all of them lunge on the fake Raffolk. As the faux-Cassius moves you notice her glowing horns of death stay in the same place they were when you first saw her. However, you notice as the faux-Ailekk half-orc teen attacks illusionary blood hangs in the air around them. They let the small… faux-Rurrick? Is that the small child with the animal skin wrapped around her? Anyways, they let her finish off Raffolk with a final blow. All three of the half-orc teens including the one on the ground mutter something and make some gestures and and ground quakes just slightly underneath you while the lanterns in the hallway sparks. The orc guards at your sides drop their weapons (in earnest) and start clapping. The lot of you are just standing there in the doorway. Kalrithni and the Figure are still bloody. The wearied Dravens guards at your sides look at them, look at the orc guards, and start clapping as well. Lindal steps in front of you all and says, “Master Urd Sahiva, of the Raffolk Slayers. I’d like to welcome you home.” Ailekk feels something in his doll. He feels something warmth from it, and gains an Inspiration Die. He hears a distant voice but it fades with the sounds of rushing winds. As he does so his feathers raise slightly. Urd realizes these are his sisters. The faux-Raffolk is Homguz “Guz”, the faux-Ailekk and faux-Urd are Homraz and Homriz, the faux-Swell is Whogharod (10 years old), and the child in the bear costume must be Nar (5 years old). He is home, and soon to be tackled by 5 siblings. Cassius feels a hand at his side. V takes the cloth from her face and rips it down. She looks at him and says, “I trust them now Cassius. I trust them.” She grabs his hand firmly and kisses him on the cheek. Rurrick reaches a moment. He stands in the door of the orc keep. The orc keep. Inside he sees the affection. He smells liquor, beer. He hears happiness. He sees happiness. He looks around and his friends, for the most part, seem happy. Rurrick feels some kind of way. This place isn’t a bear den, but it’s seems pretty damn comfortable. In the back of his mind he has a memory of his home village. He normally stays drunk enough to keep it from his mind but the warm surrounding causes the images to come creeping into his mind, stealthily. He sees his parents, the night before the attack, worried but confident. His father, home from the battle of Kiernard had barely escaped with his life. His mother, not the druid Rurrick became, but touched with the natural magics was healing his wounds. The two kissed in front of him, as unsure of the future but hopeful as Cassius seems to be with the one he’s been calling Missy. Rurrick sees the laughing half-orc children dogpile Urd and hears the screaming of children in the streets as greens dragons swooped onto the side of the mountains even as they fled. He remembers that his village decided to split into three groups. One group went underground, one group went overland, one group stayed in the village. His mother urged them to go overground. From what he later found out, that chose to be a wise decision as the dwarves who fled underground were ambushed by deep gnomes and duergar. He remembers running for all he was worth across the side of the cliff as green dragons descended upon them, spewing noxious gas. Many of the dwarf heroes and veterans survived the first pass, almost none of the children did. Rurrick’s father, just before the dragons descended upon them, reached out and pushed Rurrick off the side of the trail. The next time Rurrick woke up, he was being licked by a bear in a thick forest, inside of a shallow cave. [Patrick. Anything to add, change, etc? Just trying to add some depth to the characters.] Ron is standing there. Whatever he’d ever read, heard, or thought of the Orcs of Bonehammer. This wasn’t it. A hero half-orc son being welcomed into a house by his 5 siblings (mostly or maybe all sisters) by reenacting his moment of inter-realm fame by killing a retired monarch/despot/tyrant. His mind began to rush with thoughts and ideas. Ron looked about him to try and capture this moment. A hand clutched his arm and he could feel an extra warm breath on his face. Kalrithni says into his ear, “I’m really, really tired Ron. I want to go home. I want to see Indra again before I die.” With a couple of coughs, Kalrithni coughs a couple of drops of blood on his shoulder. She whispers into his ear. “I’m so tired. I love my nephew. I’m not afraid to die. But I deserve to go home. I’ve earned that.” Then she pinches his right ear with her other hand to spook him a bit, and rests her entire body on his shoulder (until he starts to give out which he will eventually at a strength of 8).Then she then picks him back up. And he feels the physical strength still in her. It isn’t her physical strength that has been drained of her. All of You You see what is. Cassius has a Fire Genasi woman at his side, with crimson skin clutching in hand. Urd is standing, but not for long before being dog-piled by five of his sisters [for those of you not counting that’s a total of 8 known siblings now), Ron is being helped up by a 70-year old tiefling who momentarily collapsed on his shoulder, Aillekk is looking both serene and alarmed at the same time, and Rurrick is just sort of standing there soaking it all in with a far off look in his eyes. To your knowledge, inside this keep is the potential to stop the war between Bonehammer and Dree, but also Namfoodle who was captured by Kaaska and then brought here.