Session/Game: BD&D 8 Date: July 23. 2000

Campaign Date: Povem 1 to Povem 21 486

Characters:

Feclar, elf, chaotic, level 5, Chuck F.

Childeric of the Great Serpent, human, cleric, level 5, chaotic, henchman

Strider, human fighter, chaotic, level 6, Matt D.

Big Bad Blog, orc, 3 HD, chaotic, henchman

Titus McNasty, gnome, chaotic, level 5>>>human, cleric, level 6 Bob LaForge

A huge host of orcs and bugbears

Log:

Feclar, Strider and Titus, intent on their revenge on Fort Lester, traveled again into the orcish uplands, this time intent upon raising a humanoid army to ravage the Western Marches. They first encountered the Pisser Tribe of Orcs. Blog challenged the chief, Numbnuts, to combat for leadership of the tribe. Blog was beaten, but Titus struck down Numbnutts from behind. Both orcs were healed and negotiations resumed. It was deadlocked until Strider used the power of the armor of Nightmares to transform into a mighty monster, scaring the orcs into obedience. Using similar tactics, the party recruited the Crapmeister Tribe of Orcs, the Mouse-Eater Tribe of Orcs, the Stank-boy tribe of Orcs and the Skull-boys tribe of Bugbears for their new army: The Black Plague.

After organizing the tribes into the new army, they began to march south into the Melvek Wilds. Soon, however, they realized they had no food supplies for the army and the troops were soon hungry and resentful. Since they were near the Gnome Woods, the three leaders soon had the army chanting a new cry: “Eat the Gnomes, Eat the Gnomes!”

Leaving the army under the command of Blog and Childeric, Titus, Feclar and Strider entered Gnome-town and tried to get the Gnomes to gather close together, by telling them that an orc army was on the way. Instead, the warriors dispersed to the forest, and the non-combatants hid in cave. Strider and Titus followed the warriors to the woods, and found the Chief, Grandwic, and his 30 elite soldiers arrayed together. Using the power of the Mace of Hellfire, Titus spewed fireballs onto the gnomes and killed all of the elite warriors. The chief escaped and used his Illusion Wand to mislead Strider and Titus. Meanwhile, Feclar approached the shelter cave, used his Trident of Morpheus to Charm 40 of the gnome women, children and old folks of the gnomes to follow him “to escape the coming attack”. When several of the gnome warriors attempted to block them, Feclar gated in a Demon, using the Helm of Darkness, and had it pretend to chase them out of Gnome town. Carefully rationing the 30 dead gnome soldiers and the 40 non-combatant gnomes, the army was able to reach Bonesville without starving.

At the gates of Bonesville, the party negotiated with Fink, the leader of the Rat gang that ran the place, for food supplies. Fink reluctantly handed over all of their food stocks and animals. Strider gave him his 1300gp ring, and Fink proclaimed to the residents of Bonesville that he was now a “Baron of the Black Plague”. Bonesville provided enough food for 4-5 days for the army. After conferencing with Fink and Blind Pete, the commanders decided to come down the east slope of the mountains and attack Brewster Hall, the castle of Count Roderick. They figured that this location was the chief source of support and reinforcement to Fort Lester.

After a quick two-day march, and one day of preparation of rams, javelins and ladders, the Black Plague attacked the Castle. Polymorphed into a Griffon, Strider carried Titus into the courtyard, and the two of them captured the lower gatehouse, allowing the orcs to enter. Then, while Feclar led the seizing of the outer ward, Strider and Titus flew to the roof of the keep. Although Strider was wounded by a ballista, Titus destroyed the roof guards and ballista with a fireball, and both landed on the roof. Strider resumed human form and they opened the trapdoor into the attic. Titus cleared the attic guards with his last fireball, but the two were soon spotted by Count Roderick and his three knights in the hall below. The Count’s chaplain tried to throw a Hold Spell on the invaders, but it was reflected back by the Shield of the Abyss. Roderick climbed the stairs, quickly dispatched Titus, but was beaten down by Strider.

Strider, grievously wounded, scooped up Titus and fled back to the roof, allowing the knights to rescue the bleeding count and leaving behind the Mace of Hellfire. Strider then tied a rope to the battlements and tried to climb down to the courtyard. A knight of the castle, however, cut the rope and strider plummeted to the ground. Titus was killed and Strider critically injured and unconscious. Feclar and 20 orcs suffered withering crossbow fire in a successful attempt to retrieve Strider and the body of Titus. Using the trident of Morpheus, Feclar reincarnated Titus, who returned as a human, and said he had had a glorious vision of the Great Serpent God and would now be his priest.

After securing the entire castle outside of the keep, the army waited for the night, allowing Childeric and Titus to heal many of Strider’s wounds. Not to be dissuaded, Feclar led a large orc party to try to open the keep door, which was located on the second floor. The crossbow fire was again withering, as was the boiling water cast on the attackers, but a assault ladder allowed Feclar to reach the door and use his Knock spell to open it. Strider then charged into the entry way, only to be trapped between the inner iron door and a portcullis. Strider swooned from pain and blood-loss from the intense water and crossbow attacks, just as a party of bugbears forced open the portcullis. Some orcs dragged Strider back to safety as 6 bugbears charge forward with a log-ram against the inner door. The door was thrown down and a dozen bugbears charged into the guard room, where the wounded count, three knights and the chaplain tried to bar their way. Titus used a Hold spell to defeat the count and two of his knights and the bugbears and Feclar finished the rest. Feclar then used his fireball spell to finish off the elite crossbow men and their pike-men loaders who had so savagely raked the orcs, bugbears and Strider. Now the Black Plague has possession of a strong castle, a heap of arms, supplies and gold, at the cost of a hundred orcs and a fifth of the bugbears.