Two horsemen ride up to a tavern...

Beshk frowns. "I can send a contingent of my men to cut off their other approaches. Drive them towards those ravines. I can send my sharpshooters with the ambush team. But that will leave only 6 or so men here to defend the village if they get past us."

"They would not be able to move that force without us seeing it, surely?" Kaed questions, leaning forward palms pressed on the table facing Beshk. "My fear would be any of your groups being cut down piecemeal. I do not doubt your men's valour, just their numbers if the orcs discover them."  He looks about him, appraising the group, "A small group, mounted, could keep an eye on them from afar and when they engage our main force could strike hard into their rear to try and kill Duar'ken while the others are distracted?"

"We have exactly one warhorse with us," Beshk says. "And it's not too fond of wooded areas and ravines." Na'arik looks at Mariane, who rolls her eyes. "What?" the barman says. "It's not like I'm using it." Marianne shrugs. "Do what you need to," she says. Then she mutters, just barely loud enough to hear, "Last time I get you a nice gift." Na'arik grins and takes off his necklace. The beads and wolf claws that adorn the braided cord rattle as he hands it to Kaed. "I saw you training with your horse. It seems like you don't have time to finish its training before you need it. This may solve your problem."

" That's is very generous of you, although you may need to show me what it is and how to use it..." Kaed stares at the necklace curiously, then back at Na'arik. "If it will give us an advantage in the fight to come it is doubly welcome."

"Like I said," Na'arik continues, "I'm not using it. Put it on and sit with it for a bit. You'll understand. Take good care of him."

"A cavalry charge - even a small one - could definitely add a lot. I would not expect many to break ranks, mind you, but it would help." Thezra strokes her chin as she looks about the room for a second. "Do you mind...?" she shoots a quick glance at Marianne, one eyebrow arched high, but doesn't wait for a response before she starts pulling some silverware and plates over from around the kitchen. She quickly sets to work placing the various bits of rustic finery around a table before the group, assembling a makeshift amalgamation of a map.  "Right, so feel free to correct any of this Ascian, but hopefully this more or less is what we're looking at." She starts moving some copper pieces around the sides of the center of the diagram, "If we can set up in advance, we could hide throughout the trees in the area like this. When they reach right here ," she indicates towards the central break in the ravines, "we could spring the ambush from all sides, trapping them together and preventing Duar'ken from hiding in the back." ________ Callahan perks up at the suggestion after spending much of the previous hour simply looking with increasing simultaneous amusement and concern from the sudden Orc to Lady Katrin to the Orc to Marianne and Na'arik to the Orc to Ascian to Kaed to himself to the Orc and back. Finally, he speaks up, "Hey I could do that!" he says, seeming almost more surprised than anyone that he was saying so, "yea I can make us all real stealthy. That is, if that would help, y'know?" 

Katrin leans forward, her eyes roving over the map made by the Orc woman. "It might work. Maybe," she looks back up at Thezra. "How would you use the cavalry? Specifically, I mean. With the knowledge that we only have about two horses, and one of them doesn't like ravines?"  

"Is that all you have? I misheard what Kaed said then, I assumed you had more," she says, glancing at the man, "Regardless, even a single horse can cause havoc if ridden right." She gestures to the center of the map, "the key thing is finding a way to entrap the lot of them here, forcing them to remain bunched up even if we ourselves have gaps in our own ranks."

"Fire," Ascian replies quietly before Thezra's words have entirely faded, looking down at the map. He draws a listless circle around one of the ravines with his finger. "Oil, if we have it. I can light it from afar. Or magic. Torches if we don't. Trap them inside." He peers up at Thrandimir who holds most of the items, and then to the others. "We found that magic water jug in the vault. Put it out with that after." 

Akiran raps his knuckles on the table and enthusiastically says "This is the way, I have witnessed seasoned warriors resolve break when hemmed in by fire. If we can get em into position the bastards won't stand a chance. Have archers ready to rain arrows down upon them and the rest of us to make sure no one escapes." Pausing as he thinks for a moment and absentmindedly polishes off a smudge on his armor, he eventually adds "Though we need a plan to deal with their priest. If he has powerful magics or a connection to the gods, he may be able to reshape any field of battle we meet him on. If he is near the rear it may make sense to either use the fire to separate  him from his pack. Or have a few souls brave enough to come from behind and enter the frey to kill him quickly."

"Akiran is right," Katrin says quietly, her eyes narrowed in thought. "If we can isolate Duar'ken, perhaps we have a chance of ending this quickly, without further loss of life. To both sides." She lifts her eyes to gaze at the people gathered around the table. "What do we have in the way of supplies? Something to start a fire and keep it burning."

Thezra grins as she places her hands around the table, looking upon the setup, "Has nothing to do with bravery, Akiran of the Dragonfolk. It is a matter of duty." She looks to the others with a sudden look of concern as she steps back from the table, "but this stone you spoke of... how would you have me attract them all to this point?"

"What do we have in the way of supplies? Something to start a fire and keep it burning." Na'arik raps his knuckles on a large cask of liquid. The label reads "Fireblade." "This stuff burns really really well."

"Maybe we don't."  Ascian shrugs at Thezra.  "It was an idea. Not a good one."  He blinks down at the map for a moment before glancing sideways at Kaed, thinking of the barbarian's words earlier. Of worried and his ask to come next time Ash might otherwise slink off alone . Hesitantly, he proposes,  "Come with me. Light fires and disappear. I can outrun them, while you get back to the others. And get ready to do what you do best."

"Sounds wonderfully chaotic,"  Thezra nods, "so you two smoke the heretics out under cover of darkness and magic, drawing them back to the ravines along this route  here ," she drags a knife she's using as a pointer through the copper trees on the table, "and meanwhile, the rest of us take up post in the trees along these points here, here , and here . When the main forces arrive, we send them up in flames, trapping them in the ravine, where we are free to route them, and I  am free..."  she continues, pulling the knife back up away from the table,  "...to sever that heretic's head from his body."  The knife plunges down into the center of the table, scattering several of the pieces of the 'map' about. "That work for all of you?"

Katrin frowns. "That was a very nice table you just put your knife in. Not nice to destroy other people's property."

Nodding along as Ash finishes the plan and Thezra sums it up. He opens his snout to support the plan, when the follower of Tempus chastises the orc. The orc is zealous but his old commander always said, better to have a radical fighting with you than against you. Looking to the dwarf, he shrugs and says "Not sure it matters in the end. If this goes to plan Thezra will be part of the reason your people are safe. Lecturing her about a gouge in table, doesn't seem to be the best use of our time." Looking to Ash & Thezra, Akiran knocks his gauntleted hand against his armor and says "You have my support." Looking over to the captain "I know you are not one for accolades or glory, but by fulfilling your duty as soldiers of the Heartland. You not only honor yourself but those you fight to protect." Akiran eyes the captain as he tries to get a read on him, having him as contact could be beneficial but the honorable types are so hard to predict.

The owners of the table, Na'arik and Marianne, look at each other with bemused expressions.  Captain Beshk nods to Akrian. "When you set the fires, my men will hold the ravine along the path. Your melee fighters will need to hold the back, and keep them trapped in there. My sharpshooters and yours will rain fire down on them. Tactically sound and logical. Unexpected, from a group of adventurers such as yourselves. It will take at least a half-hour to get my men in position." Na'arik steps forward and pulls the knife free from the table, handing it back to Thezra. "Respecting others' property is a useful life skill. But it is a chopping block. No harm done." He changes tact. "If a few stragglers do make it past you, don't worry. We'll handle them if they come to the village. We'll keep everyone in the tavern and I'll be on guard outside."

The necklace fastened round his neck Kaed runs his fingers against the wolf teeth absentmindedly as the others discuss the plan. After smiling at the knife embedded in the table he speaks to the group, "I know now what I must do, Ascian has laid my part out for you all, I will come with you my friend, sow chaos and confusion and then return to the lines, afterwards I will summon the mount that seeks to be released from this necklace and circle the battle until I can get close to Duar'ken. In the turmoil of battle I will be the hammer blow against him, if I can kill him in combat then, we may well avert a full blown war."

A small smile lights Katrin's face. In spite of all her misgivings, the Orc was willing to turn on her own people to free them. She admired that. It took courage to stand against those closest to you. A tinge of regret flickers through her mind, and an image of her father crawls out from a shadowy corner of her mind. She closes her eyes against the image briefly, and when she opens them again, it's gone.  "It seems we have some competition for the final blow." Katrin's voice, which had previously been shrouded in distrust, is light with a slight chuckle. The shadows at the edges of her mind chased away for the moment. 

"The truth is maybe that more than one of us may need to attack Duar'ken for us to succeed, I know I for one would not object to his armour melting him to death if you could oblige us all Katrin! I merely suggest the route I could enter the battle from, he may well have bodyguards and wily magics to protect him, trusting in one arm, no matter how strong is foolishness." Kaed looks across the table to Thezra,  "If I meet you over his dead body I will celebrate, whoever it was who made the final strike." He looks across at his fragile looking friend and laughs, winking at the young man,  " Besides by that time he will probably have one of Ascian's arrows in his throat and we will both be late to take the glory."

With the plan in place, the defenders of Fireblade spring into action. Kaed, Ascian and Thrandimir set out toward the orc camp. Beshk and his men begin preparations. He leaves just over a dozen of his men behind to help patrol and defend the village, plus one sharpshooter to watch from the watchtower. The remaining 12 soldiers and two sharpshooters set out with Captain Beshk, Katrin, Akiran, Callahan, and Thezra to the ambush site. The procession moves as quick as can be, their torches cutting through the dark ravine-bed before them.  Ten minutes into their journey, Thrandimir touches his staff to Kaed, and with a few arcane words muttered under the wizard's breath, Kaed fades from sight. "Don't trip," Ascian says. A slight grin crosses the barbarian's face. "Shoot true, run fast. I will see you soon." The wizard turns back and makes his way toward the ambush site, where he finds Katrin and Thezra pouring casks of Fireblade whiskey along the dry creekbed, soaking the ground in very  flammable alcohol. Beshk is directing his men to construct camouflaging barricades -- concealment, not cover. Within a few minutes, the contingent of men is relatively well hidden across the confines of the ravine. In the dark, they look like simple undergrowth. Katrin, Akiran, Callahan, Thezra, and Thrandimir, as well as the two sharpshooters, take their places and wait for the ambush to begin. They settle down amid the overgrowth of the ravine and feel relatively concealed, ready for the coming fight. At the orc camp, Kaed makes his way in behind one of the larger tents and peers beneath a flap. He smiles to himself as he sees several burlap sacks that appear to store some sort of dried bread within the tent. Leaning against these sacks appears to be another burlap bag, but this one seems to be soaked in the grease of cooked and stored meats. Kaed carefully places several embers from a nearby fire amidst the sacks and then stealthily leaves the camp. He darts past Ascian's hiding spot and says, "Give it a few minutes, then have your fun." Ascian watches for just over two minutes before a roaring flame springs up in one of the central tents. The flames cast even brighter, with flickering shadows dancing across the dark forest. Ascian looses a lit arrow at Duar'ken's tent. The projectile impacts and ignites just as the priest himself steps out of the tent to see what all the commotion is about. Ascian stands, dark eyes locking with Duar'ken's vibrant yellow ones for a moment.  The orc priest shouts in his own language, pointing at where Ascian stands. The lithe man whirls and sprints away, his pale skin shining like a beacon in the firelight. He can hear the dogged pursuit of at least seven or so orcs.  Kaed arrives at the ambush site without alerting the others to his presence. Quietly, he alights on a ledge near Katrin and waits, watching intently the way he came. A few minutes after Kaed's arrival, the flickers of torchlight can be seen as Ascian comes darting out of the darkness and into the ambush site. The torchlight heralds from torches carried aloft by a warband of around a dozen orcs, led by a heavily armored orc warrior with a longsword and shield in hand. 

Two resounding thunderclaps fill the ravine, the percussive force echoing through the forest. The leader and the priest both stagger backwards, struggling to catch their breath. The more perceptive of the party can see a massive dent in each orc's armor. Ascian's action.

Ascian will reflect later, when it's over, about the fact his once-useful lungs don't seem to so much as twitch in his chest as he finally skids to a stop in the ravine; that legs that might have once burned from the dead sprint feel almost weightless beneath him. But the urgency is too loud and the gravity of the situation too pressing, and instead he barely has time to look behind him at the orcs that had followed before flashing up the side of the nearest ledge, and then for good measure the one atop it. His hands reach for his bow with thoughtless familiarity, threading an arrow behind his ear as he turns back to finally look at the fruits of his labor and send a welcoming gift punching hard into the priest's armored shoulder.

The thunder from the guns still echoes in the ravine as Katrin whispers quietly, clenching her fist. After two seconds, she opens her fist and four shadows fly from her fingertips towards the gathered orcs. The priest and the leader dodge the shadows, but the two behind them fail, the shadows flitting into their ears, darkening the sclera of their eyes. She stamps her foot, and the Hammer of Tempus flares into being in the middle of the group of orcs, coming down with a crash on one of the orc's heads.

Kaed draws his bow, selecting an arrow and nocking it carefully. Knowing that the invisibility spell is still in place he stands straight, unconcerned about being seen,  he sees the priest take the hit from Beskh's sharpshooter and decides to try and finish him.  Exhaling as he releases, the arrow flies true, destined for the orc's eyeball. At the very last second the orc turns its head, eyes widening as the arrow comes into sight with a rematerialising Kaed in view behind. The razor sharp tip draws a long line of blood from the temple to the ear, which will leave a nasty scar. Kaed curses how close he was to the kill and prepares to take the fight to the enemy in melee, once the firetrap is sprung.

The rear contingent of orcs rushes forward. Some of them charge further up the ravine, but two begin to clamber up the sides, coming face to face with Akiran. Greataxes swing wildly, and come crashing into Akiran's armor. Rather than parry, the mercenary takes the blows and uses the over-extension of the orcs to land a sharp slash across one's leather armor. The orc grunts in surprise. Akiran takes 5 and 11 points of slashing damage to vigor, reduced to 0 and 5 by DR. The priest pulls Ascian's arrow out and throws it to the ground, sputtering with rage and pain. He quickly downs a potion and his bleeding seems to stop. Beshk stands and shouts. "Shield! Wall!" Each word is punctuated by the Heartlands soldiers banging their spears against their shields as they stand from behind their camouflage. Beshk advances along the ridge, takes a deep breath, and holds it. He looks toward Thrandimir, who stands next to him. "On your go," he says.

Thrandimir glances at Katrin for approval and the Dwarf nods. It's time. On cue, Beshk unleashes a torrent of fiery breath at the orcs below, sending flames billowing out across the ravine where it has been soaked in the enchanted alcohol. Simultaneously, Thrandimir begins to weave an illusion, stepping up along the edge of the cliff to place a fifteen-foot wall of flames behind the orcs' rearmost ranks.

Thezra stood in wait behind a jagged crag atop one of the lower levels of the ravine, her fingers curled around its edge as she peered just over the brim towards the oncoming stampede of would-be-warriors. As the first powerful volleys and blows echo out from the point they’d so thoroughly doused, a sudden wave of warmth and a shout from the old wizard cues her in.  With a ferocious leap, she roars as she descends upon the first orc she sees.  Simultaneously, Callahan pulls back his sleeves as he examines the field before him. With so many of them congregated in one place, it could prove an opportune time for a trick he’d been practicing in small doses for some time now. He taps into the dormant roots of the area, pulling and coiling them upwards, onwards towards the warmth of sunlight... and fire. A surging mass of lashing vines erupts from the earth beneath the orcs’ feet, latching out wildly for their legs and ankles before coming to a gnarled, knotted tangle of thick overgrowth that coats the ravine floor. Unfortunately, most of the orcs find little problem in yanking their legs free before the trap can set in. For one orc though, there is no such luck. The vines ensnare him for just a moment, but it is all Thezra needs to drop upon him with her obsidian blade. As the sword carves through his chest, exposing all manner of muscle to the singing heat of the fireblade, she boisterously shouts to all the rest around her in her native tongue, “Where? Where is the deceiver, Duar-ken? Is he a coward, too?”

A few of the orcs scramble to get away from the vines and the flames. The one that Thezra wounded frees itself from the vines and attempts to scramble away, but the orc fighter cuts his legs out from under him and he falls to the ground. A few retreat toward the other flames and heave javelins at Thezra and Akiran. Thezra takes 6 points of piercing damage to vigor, reduced to 0 by DR. Akiran takes 8 points of piercing damage to vigor, reduced to 2 by DR. Another two scale the sides of the ravine and attack Thezra and Kaed with axes. The orcs are obviously furious at being trapped and tricked. The one that moves up to Thezra shouts in orcish. "Traitor!" Thezra takes 15 points of slashing damage to vigor, reduced to 9 by DR. Kaed takes 7 points of slashing damage to vigor, reduced to 3 by DR. Akiran's action.

Akiran grunts as the orc's blade and javelin bounces off his gleaming armor. The kit was doing it's job, back in the Legion a few of the grunts scoffed at his armor. Thinking he was more focused on being pretty than practical, but Akiran's reply was always "why not both".  With a roar Akiran leaps at the orc he struck earlier. Slashing it hard with his broadsword cutting into the warrior leaving a wound that was sure to scar. He used the momentum to carry himself forward smashing his horned head into the man. The orc's face was a bloody mess with a nose that was surely broken. Wrapping his shield arm on the other side of the man Akiran jams his knee into the mans ribs, feeling something coming lose on impact. Looking at the warrior, he notices the orc bleeding from multiple wounds and swaying, likely to collapse at any moment. Ignoring the wounded foe Akiran darts at the warrior to his right and lands a solid blow on the orc's armor rattling.  Akiran ducks behind his shield sword ready as his eyes rove the battlefield. 

The soldiers advance. The din of battle and crackle of flames is interrupted by the sound of a coordinated, intimidating advance. Two steps, then the spears hit the shields. Crunch crunch CLANG. Crunch crunch CLANG. Crunch crunch CLANG. The orc troop's leader shouts in orcish. Thezra hears him ordering his men to fight to the last. Then he charges Katrin, jumping up onto the rocks with little difficulty. The dwarven cleric, unintimidated by the orc's showmanship, simply bashes the blows away with ease. Three more orcs attack, but only none of them see any result for their trouble. The blows are stopped by armor, well timed parries, and a shield of arcane shadow that Kaed pulls forth. Akiran takes 10 points of slashing damage to vigor, parried to 4, reduced to 0 by DR. Thezra takes 6 points of slashing damage to vigor, reduced to 0 by DR. The sharpshooters busy themselves reloading their weapons. Ascian's action.

Watching the bedlam unravel below, Ascian's bow ticks ever so slightly to the right, away from the struggling priest toward an orc that hovers on the edge of the fire – separated from Akiran, and a newly-visible Kaed, only by a thin wall of flame and a coin toss of madness. He silently pulls back another arrow and loosens it over the inferno, striking exactly where he'd meant to deep in the orc's spine.

Katrin's shield arm is still tingling after absorbing the strikes from the Orc leader who had rushed up to her. The air is thick with flames and smoke, but over his shoulder she can see the Orcs backing away. "Oh no you don't," she mutters in Dwarvish, and the Hammer of Tempus takes after them, crashing into the side of one of the Orcs as it reaches their new position. In one swift movement, she draws her axe, bringing it slashing across the leader's chest. It doesn't bite too deeply, but she grunts in satisfaction as he hisses slightly from the blow. 

As the shadow shield breaks up and disperses Kaed stares down the orc who attacked him, " Nearly, but not good enough." His rage fuels his own retaliatory strike which batters down the orc and slashes a deep cut down it's arm. Kaed sees the glimmer of fear in it's eyes as it realises it is outmatched.

One of the orcs attacking Akiran retreats, keeling over from blood loss about 30 feet away. Two of them rush through the flames to slam against the Heartlands shield wall. Their axes are met with spears in kind. It seems a stalemate for them until Captain Beshk wells up another gout of flame from his throat. One orc is reduced to cinders while the other is able to avoid most of the flame -- except for his face and shoulder, which become fused with his leather armor and helmet in a kind of glossy masquerade of their former shape. Another orc attacks the silver dragonborn, but is unable to do much against the ornate heavy armor. Akiran takes 9 points of slashing damage to vigor, reduced to 3 by DR. The orc priest tries in vain to free himself from Callahan's entangling vines, but the flames consume him before he even comes close. Thrandimir's action.

Reaching out towards the orc closest to Katrin, Thrandimir seeks to weaken the warrior with an enchanted whisper, but the spell merely rebounds from the primitive's dense brain.

With the majority of this first wave of orcs seemingly dealt with, Cal turns his attention to the large one engaged with Katrin a little ways away from him, shifting his energy to coalesce this time around his hand, which surges in unprecedented heat until a small ball of living flame forms above his open palm. Hurling it forth, it splashes against the mighty warrior's armor, which soaks up much of the blast, but cannot protect its wearer completely. Meanwhile, Thezra looks at the dwindling party of orcs around her and laughs as she hops down off the short incline she was on, landing in front of the one who'd struck her moments before. "Tell me, do Duar'ken's words still resonate so strongly in your heart?"  With deceptively fast movements, her sword raises and protrude forward, aimed straight for his chest, though the orc manages to divert it just slightly into his abdomen. " I’d say he led you straight to your slaughter, but he wasn't even brave enough to come himself," she taunts,  "Do you see yet the folly of his deception?"

The tide turned against them, the orcs begin to flee back toward their camp. The one that Thezra addressed simply glares at her, pushes her blade away, and staggers away, holding his midsection where Thezra stabbed him.  The two orcs with their backs to the mysterious second fire that sprouted up look strangely at it for a moment, before turning and clambering up the slope.

Turning his attention to the remaining warrior, Akiran swipes high his broadsword smashing into the orcs armor. Using the distraction the dragonborn attempts to kick the orc's legs out from under him. Unfortunately the warrior  was just able to keep his feet, but was too distracted to notice Akiran's armored elbow that smashed into the Orc's stomach. Leaving a nasty looking bruise that can be seen through the warriors armor. 

The company advances, driving spears into the last standing orc, who crumples to the ground. The leader of the warband looks around at his fleeing men and shouts something in orcish. Thezra hears him call them weak-willed cowards -- among some other choice phrases. Then the leader turns his attention once more on Katrin, but once again the dwarf bashes away his attacks. The orc's eyes are bloodshot with fury as Katrin deflects his attacks. The sharpshooters continue reloading. Ascian's action.

Ascian's bow swings right, to the bladesman currently swinging vigorously at Katrin. An arrow soars over the flames and punches hard into his armor. 

The Hammer of Tempus continues it's relentless pursuit of the fleeing orcs, dealing another devastating blow, staggering the orc as it hits. The battlefield is tinged red, whether from the flames or not, Katrin cannot be certain. As she lowers her shield, she brings the battleaxe across the leader's chest, barely drawing a grunt from him. This isn't working....well. Not as well as I'd hoped. Perhaps... Next time. Remember what you did before. Her mind goes back to the hobgoblin on the road, Gesrik at the cave. The red glow of hot metal as their bodies had burned from inside their metal shells. 

Kaed is taking no prisoners.

Beshk turns his attention to the orc leader, but his blades find nothing but the orc's armor. Thrandimir's action.

Focussing his magic, Thrandimir continues to concentrate on working his way into the orc's mind.

Callahan summons forth another bout of flame, this time digging deep to well up a bright burning ball of fire that rockets through the crisp night air towards the orc. On contact it erupts in a brilliant plume of twinkling reds and oranges as the last of the orcs armor seems burnt and torn asunder. On the other side of the battlefield, Thezra watches the orc she'd struck keel over for a moment before remembering the others making a break for freedom. Dashing after them, leaps up to the next level of the ravine with an echoing roar, her blade slashing up through the air as she does so. Like carving through a soft roast boar, her weapon glides through the upper half of one orc's torso, cleaving him cleanly in too with little resistance. Before the other two have time to react, the sword is in motion again, slashing upwards and then straight down, where it comes to rest buried deep in the skull of another. "May you find the truth in the great after, brothers," she murmurs to herself before setting her eyes on the final runner. Unfortunately, he's already breaking away. "If you are still an orc of honor, you would stand your ground, malwun,"   her taunting words echoing through the ravine around the man.

The orc spits on the ground at Thezra's feet. "Traitor," he says before turning and fleeing. Akiran's action.

Scanning the battlefield Akiran finds that most of the orcs are retreating. He had no desire to chase after them, they had made their choice. His mind flashes to when he was faced with a similar dilemma, with a tinge of bitterness he hopes that their gods will be merciful. Finding one lone warrior remaining, the man trading blows with the Captain and Dwarf. Darting forward he lets his broadsword fall to the ground as he removes a hand axe from his belt and whips it the Orc. The axe crashes into the orc but the warriors armor took most of the blow. Nodding to the captain he yells  "Your men fight well, finish this bastard quickly, and we can deal with the rest of their ilk."