Chapter 3 / Episode 76 – Fried Orc

 Chapter 3 / Episode 76 – Fried Orc

Coldeven 23, 576 CY – Beneath the Abbey Ruins

Weather:
Subterranean; air cool and heavy with moisture. Faint southern drafts carry the scent of mold, rust, and decay.

Players:
Dog the Ranger of the Gnarley Forest
Irving the Reluctant, Paladin of St. Cuthbert (with familiar, Harvey the Hare)
TerryOr, Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Slash the Bard
Tiger Wong, Monk of the Eastern Lands
Dixon the Dwarf
Silversun, Magic-User of Greyhawk

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Narrative Recap:

The cold stone corridors beneath the Abbey echoed with the slow drip of water and the hushed footsteps of adventurers. Irving the Reluctant had broken from the group, following a faint whisper along the southern sewer ledge. At his side bounded Harvey, the vigilant hare. From the darkness ahead came the guttural tones of two orcs escorting a shackled captive. Irving pressed to the wall, waiting — then struck like divine vengeance. His mace shattered one skull, and the second fell lifeless into the stagnant water before it could cry alarm.

The prisoner—gaunt, pale, and shackled—was Silversun of Greyhawk, a wandering mage captured by orc slavers on the Wild Coast while searching for relics of the Hand of Vecna. Irving freed him with a rusted key found on the corpses, and the mage recovered his satchel: a spellbook, a wand of fire (four charges remaining), and his dignity. Reunited with the main party, Silversun was welcomed warily but proved his worth by conjuring wards and preparing potent spells—Fireball, Dispel Magic, and Haste—before the exploration continued.

Their torchlight revealed a narrow cave, and Dog led the way, arrow nocked. Down the hall, an orc ahead raised a crossbow, and chaos erupted. TerryOr charged, his mace overhead with Cuthbert’s fury. Arrows filled the tunnel, and the foul creature fell screaming into the dark. But the battle was far from over—five more orcs and their shaman, a bloated witch doctor draped in skulls, emerged from the adjoining chamber. Slash’s voice echoed off the stone, singing of courage and vengeance. Irving and TerryOr smashed through the orc line while Dog loosed precise shots from cover. The witch doctor spat curses, but his power was short-lived—Terry’s crushing blow silenced him, sending his body sprawling into the mud.

With the chamber secured, Dixon’s dwarven eyes gleamed at the sight of treasure: sacks of gold and gems piled beside two crude planks. The spoils amounted to over two thousand gold pieces in coin and stones—ill-gotten wealth. The adventurers deliberated how to haul their burdens, but Dog’s tracking instincts soon drew them forward—fresh footprints led northward across the sewer channel.

Sneaking on the ledge, Dog noticed two Orc guards standing unaware of their fate. With a signal from Dog, Dixon threw his axe at one and while Dog head-shotted the other. Silence and quick.

The plank bridge creaked ominously as Dog tested it first, balancing with a ranger’s poise. Tiger Wong, ever the ascetic showman, vaulted across the gap in a single breathtaking leap. The others followed, armor clanking, prayers whispered.

In a side passage across the channel, Dog scouted ahead. Within feet of the passage, all could hear guttural sound of orcish squabbling echoed from ahead. Silversun ears perked, and moved forward, raised his wand. A sphere of roaring flame erupted, filling the chamber in blinding light and heat. The explosion seared stone and flesh alike—twenty-four orcs were incinerated in an instant, their screams fading into smoke and silence.

When the flames died, the stench of burnt flesh hung heavy. The group stepped through the charred remains and found two iron-bound chests. Tiger deftly disarmed a poison trap and revealed riches within: five hundred gold pieces, gems worth seven thousand five hundred total, and three curved daggers glistening with black venom. Dixon wrapped the weapons carefully. “Best not touch the edge,” he grumbled.

As the adventurers took stock, the last embers flickered in the ruinous chamber, casting their faces in hellish orange light. “Let’s camp here,” TerryOr said. “No one’s coming through that door after what he just did.” Silversun only smiled faintly, the fire’s reflection dancing in his eyes.

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Outcome Notes:

• XP Earned: 3,000 each; +1,000 bonus to Irving for the rescue and leadership.

• Treasure Found: 2,000 gp in coin and gems; second chest with 500 gp, four gems (50 gp, 500 gp, 2,000 gp, 5,000 gp), and three poisoned daggers.

• New Ally: Silversun of Greyhawk (5th-level Magic-User).

• Notable Events:

  • Silversun’s Fireball destroyed 24 orcs in one devastating blast.

  • Tiger Wong leveled up to 7th level.

• Cliffhanger:
  The adventurers, burdened with treasure and the scent of burnt orc, prepare to rest amid the ruins. Yet beyond the soot-black walls, the tunnels stretch deeper still—and somewhere within the abyssal dark, the Rod of Six Parts continues to whisper.