The Thrappled Lemmings and the Orc Encampment (Rangers of Shadow Deep)

 While Aksel was off getting his arse handed to him on a plate, Aethelwyrd was pursuing a band of Orcs through the dead forests of the Shadow Deep. The pursuit led to an encampment of makeshift huts and tents in a clearing, where the Orcs met with a group of cultists. The discussion between the Orc shaman and the cultist leader including a certain amount of pointing towards a hill in the distance. Aethelwyrd made a mental note to check the hill out later.

Night drew in and the leaders entered the ramshackle hut in the centre of the clearing. Talk died down and the other monsters went to sleep. Only a small number of the Orcs patrolled the clearing. It was time to strike. Aethelwyrd waved the Lemmings forward. Their two new guest members from Aksel's patrol, Wulfric the Barbarian and Flosi the Green, followed uncertainly. Both tried to put on a brave face but they recognised immediately that the Lemmings had done this more times than they had eaten hot dinners.

Speaking of hot dinners, Wulfric and Flosi were both so green that they did not know how to manage their rations and had eaten them all far too early. As a result, they were feeling the effects of low blood sugar as the patrol sneaked through the woods into the camp. The Thrappled Lemmings reckoned that this was the only way the greenhorns would learn, so they showed them some tough love.

With the Lemmings in position, Aethelwyrd nodded to Ash, who rustled a few branches, causing the nearest Orc to come and investigate.

"Quickly, take him down," hissed Aethelwyrd and then promptly wasted the Orc before the others could react. They sneaked closer as the guards followed their patrol routes. Bergsvein sniped a patrolling Orc as the others continued their routes, apparently all attracted by something on the opposite side of the camp from the Lemmings.

Sneaking through the undergrowth

As the Lemmings closed on the central shack, the guards turned around to retrace their patrol routes. Incunabulum quickly cast enchanted steel on Aethelwyrd's sword before she and Bergsveinn, raced cat-footed over to the shack door and burst in. A fire burned in the centre of the shack and supplies were scattered around. Burly Orc sergeants, a shaman and cultists confronted them. The evildoers immediately charged and Bergsveinn was wounded in that first encounter.

Inside the main shack

Outside, the rest of the Lemmings charged the nearest Orcs, seeing that the alarm was about to be raised. Wulfric slew one Orc while the other held off Onund and Ash, cutting Flosi down with a single blow in the process. Suddenly, a clap of thunder rang out startling all outside the tent. Wulfric and Ash froze as the Orcs yelled out warnings to each other.

Inside the shack, Incunabulum blasted the cultist leader and an orc sergeant with a fireball, frying both to a crisp in the process! Aethelwyrd moved to aid Bergsveinn and cut the cultist down with the aid of the other two. Outside, Wulfric took an arrow the chest that left him coughing blood, while Onund cut down an Orc archer with the help of Ash.

Hearing the alarm raised, Orcs started tumbling out of the tents.

The alarm has been sounded.

Aethelwyrd redoubled her efforts and slew the Orc sergeant after a brief exchange of blows. Incunabulum charged the Orc shaman, who died in a blast of lightning as Incunabulum's Staff of Elemental Strike expended its energy on the evil spellcaster. While they did this Bergsveinn investigated the tent and found a small pile of scrolls that he tucked in his backpack.

Outside, first Wulfric then Ash were cut down by the Orcs and Onund was badly wounded. Fighting desprately, Onund managed to slightly wound his opponent and use the brief respite to duck in through the door of the shack. At least here the Orcs would have to come at him one at a time. In the ongoing chaos, one of the tents caught fire.

Aethelwyrd ran to the door to support Onund. Incunabulum found a map in one corner of the shack. The Orcs closed on the door of the shack and Aethelwyrd quickly found herself once more in the fray. She knew that this was it. She and Onund needed to hold the door and slay all the Orcs if they were going to escape. She and Onund set to work. With nothing else to do yet, Bergsveinn and Incunabulum searched the rest of the tent and gathered what they could carry.

Orcs trying to force their way into the main shack

As the pile of Orc bodies by the door grew, Aethelwyrd pushed through and outside to take on the archers who were sniping through the door. Onund followed her. He cut one archer down but was laid low by another just as two spectres drifted towards the encampment. Even as the Orc archers were cut down, more Orcs emerged from the tents to join the fray. The remaining Lemmings were exhausted, covered in sweat and blood, but they still carried on. It was all they knew to do.

Bergsveinn and Incunabulum took refuge in the shack again as even more Orcs emerged from a tent. Aethelwyrd found herself surrounded by spectres and Orcs. It was a desperate situation. She gripped her sword harder and fought for all she was worth even as the Orc's spear carved gashes in her flesh. With mighty blows she cut down several Orcs but more still came.

Over in the shack, Bergsveinn fought desperately to hold the door and killed one Orc but was soon knocked out himself, leaving Incunabulum to fight alone.

Aethelwyrd found a reserve of energy and managed to duck away from the monsters that surrounded her. They would come after her, but she had a brief breathing space for a very short while. In that breathing space, Incunabulum was also cut down despite his heroic efforts.

Back to the wall and desperate

Surrounded and with her back to the wall, Aethelwyrd fought on desperately. She parried blows from all sides even though she was barely able to lift her sword any more. An opportunity presented itself and she buried her sword in a spectre that vanished with an unearthly scream. Barely hearing it, she fought off an Orc and then the other spectre and then another Orc and another.

Quiet descended. Aethelwyrd pinched herself to see if she was still alive. She was. And there were no more foes on the battlefield. She went in search of her comrades. Thankfully none of them were dead, although Incunabulum was badly wounded, while Ash and Flosi had leg injuries that meant they would never walk without a limp again. With the whole patrol gathered, Aethelwyrd led the way to the low hills where the Lemmings observed cultists worshipping at a glowing monolith with runes carved all over it. As the cultists prostrated themselves, the stone glowed brighter and a spectre emerged from it, letting out a piercing wail that chilled the very marrow before it headed off in the direction of Alladore. The Lemmings made their way slowly and carefully back to their base and reported what they had seen.

I nearly rage-quit this game after a few turns. It started well enough with all the bonuses for being sneaky, but the second the alarm was sounded, well, do you ever have days where you cannot win a melee to save your figures' lives? In the course of two turns, I lost three figures and Onund was reduced to 2 Health. The only saving grace was Incunabulum scoring critical hits on several big baddies and winning a melee by enough that his elemental strike could kill the Orc shaman. I am quite glad I did not quit though, because Aethelwyrd's last stand was something to behold. In the course of two turns, she cut down half a dozen foes, although she was reduced to just 3 Health by the end of the game. This will only fuel Aksel's hero worship even more, which may not be a good thing, but it will also make for a great tale to tell in the tavern when the Shadow Deep is finally beaten. Ash is already composing an appropriate ballad about it.