Continuing the reports from our recent Maldraxxus campaign, here’s one from Rykana Skywise on an attempted rescue!
Shadowlands Report: The Almost Rescue
Each of us had found our own way to that quiet cave, each with our own reasons for having missed the siege or avoided capture. The dusty ground of the forgotten cavern echoed with the quiet footfalls of uncertain orcs and beasts as they tried to understand what had happened and determine what they should do next.
The Clan was gone, that much was certain. None had been able to sight them or receive response over the Spirit Link. Their last known location had been the main bridge leading to the Seat and that was now a battle-scarred ruin, weapons and armour littering the war-torn stone.The orcs that were gathered quickly decided that they must act to discover the fate of their Clan for certain, even if that was just locating their remains and giving them the proper rites and rituals as deserved by a Red Blade. I suggested that we venture out close to the Necrolord lines, moving quietly until we could capture someone who might know something and gain some direction to our goal.
The others agreed, keen to do something more than sitting in this dusty tomb.
The group gathered up their meagre belongings and moved out across the fleshy landscape, quietly certain that they would not return to the cavern that had provided safe haven and that there was some truth out there to be discovered that would set their world right again.
We wove a path between giant mushrooms, towering tall as Zangarmarsh of Outland, picking our way along roads littered with the refuse of battle. Signs of conflict were everywhere, carts and barricades shattered and littered with the bodies of the fallen.
All were thankful to find no orcs among the broken corpses or any construct moving to halt their progress. Things were quiet, that eerie quiet that follows battle, where the world holds its breath lest death find them as well.The group of orcs reached the edge of a large trench, the steep sides oozing with a thick clay that clung to their boots and clothes as they rushed across, keen to be clear of the open ground and the perils that lay in its basin. They made it across unscathed but it was clear any attempt to journey back the way they came would be significantly more challenging.
There was nowhere to go but forwards, the safety of the cavern had been truly left behind.A narrow path led them through the peaks of jagged stone, revealing the Seat towering above them, skeletal features of the giant figure a looming presence over the scene of the recent battle. There was another stretch of open ground before they would reach the edges of the Necrolord camp, many of the orcs readying their weapons as they ducked into the cover of debris littering the path, keen eyes turned out towards the distant foe as they tried to find a path forwards.
Ragnar Whiteclaw believed the basin would prove the safest path but the open ground and sparse patrols made me concerned, too many eyes looking out over the exposed basin around the outer defences. Instead, I suggested a route lined with large bones that jutted from the earth like the ribs of some long-forgotten monster. It should provide cover enough for our small group to sneak closer to the enemy and try to find a worthwhile captive.
The plan was agreed and the Red Blade stole out across the sucking ground, “Quick and Quiet” had become our motto of the evening and we stuck to it as we made it to the far side, whispering our relief that the eyes of the guards had not been upon us as we settled into the cover of the broken bones.
We crept forwards, Meri Soulwalker finding herself surprisingly camouflaged in the pale landscape but the terrain proved tougher for the others. Whiteclaw slid down one of the hills, but when we came to stop at the next edge of the bones there was no alarm raised, no eyes or weapons turned our way.
We were fortunate, at least for now.They were met by the sight of a single guard, towering taller than any orc and clutching a halberd that seemed large enough to skewer a dragon, facing away from the orcs as it guarded a set of steps leading upwards. Further into the camp, patrols of shuffling undead grew thicker. There would be no sneaking further that way, it was the stairs or we’d have to turn back. And no orc wished to turn back.
It was quickly decided that we wouldn’t be able to subdue this giant of a guard without alerting the others and so a different plan was concocted. Nakobu Shadowbreaker and Meri Soulwalker would use their connection to the Light to levitate some of the objects near to the guard and make enough noise to force them to leave their post and investigate. It wasn’t a perfect plan, both of the Light wielders advising that their connection was diminished in this place but that by working together they should be able to do it.We once again crept closer, giving ourselves the shortest distance to cover before making it to the steps, readying ourselves for the sprint ahead as the two Light wielders prepared to lift some of the bones and scatter them against the boxes of ammunition.
The bones bobbed into the air, clattering against the boxes as the guard stared dumbly ahead, a tense moment passing before they suddenly realised that something had happened and lurched off to investigate, grumbling about spine louses. Clearly this guard was not picked for its intelligence.As soon as the guard had moved away, the orcs sprang into action, racing up the steps and pressing themselves against the wall of the Seat itself, crouching down as they caught their breath and peered ahead at the figure standing on the balcony at the top.
They had their back to our little group of would-be kidnappers, seeming to be standing with an air of authority lacking in the guards below. We could not see what lay around the corner of the archway we crouched beside but this seemed to be our only moment.
It was agreed that this wasn’t the perfect plan but we had to do something now or risk losing everything.
The Red Blade pounced just as the figure turned and noticed us, too late to prevent Ragnar Whiteclaw and Ussa Tideseeker from snatching her arms and pinning them while Rykana Skywise raced forwards and pressed a knife to their cheek, the point nudging threateningly close to their eye.
What we had no way of knowing was that the door to the Seat was open and now guards spilled out to level halberds at us, easily outnumbering our small group as we were trapped on the edge of the balcony with our hostage.
There were calls for the guards to keep their distance, Skywise shuffling the hostage to the edge of the balcony where there was a gap in the railing, threatening to hurl their skeletal prisoner over the edge if the guards did anything foolish while the deathwalker Enrah rattled her runeblade along the edge of the enemy halberds in a warding gesture.The figure recognised the symbols of our Clan around our person, hissing out the name of our Clan as they lifted a hand to halt the guards advance. What followed was a terse exchange of words, questions jabbed at the skeletal hostage while they tried to deescalate the situation, assuring us of our Clan’s wellbeing and their distinct desire not to kill us. Skywise, Whiteclaw and Tideseeker all urged for the release of our Clan but were assured that our people had been placed in captivity to prevent further conflict while passions were still high following the siege. This did little to appease us.
Our ‘hostage’ explained something of Sagewind’s purpose and the lies we had been fed by the House of Constructs, our weapons slowly lowering as it became clear they had no wish to be our enemies. She spoke of preparations being made for our departure and that they had no desire to make slaves of us. We eventually released our hold of her, clear that she did not wish our deaths and was willing to discuss matters with us.
She introduced herself as Captain Narielle but was met by stern words demanding what we were owed for completing the tasks set to us by their agent Sagewind, reaffirming our need to get to Oribos, the mysterious city. She regretfully informed us that while preparations were being made to transport us there, it was not her decision what should happen to us in the meantime. That rested on the shoulders of one Kargesh Spinebreaker.After more assurances that the long string of ‘tasks’ we had suffered over the last weeks would soon be at an end, our little group agreed to be escorted to the rest of the Clan. Skywise demanded that they be given a chance to retrieve the weapons and armour lost by our people during the siege and have it returned to them, as a gesture of good faith.
They assured us they would dispatch their agent to see what items could be found and that they would be returned immediately.
With heavy hearts our group of Red Blade allowed themselves to be escorted down beneath the bridge, rejoining the rest of their Clan.
We had suffered no wounds and learned a little of how this place works and the plans we had been swept up in. It wasn’t the success we had hoped for but a Clan together is better than a Clan divided and at least we would have all orcs armed again soon.We just had to survive whatever this Spinebreaker had planned for us in the coming nights and we would be free of this hateful place. And if they went back on their arrangement…well, the Red Blade had had enough of being strung along and blood would mark the walls before they breathed their last.
Rykana Skywise
Nag’Ogar, Red Blade Clan
