Champions of Ostgarten
Part 4: Trouble with the Chieftain
The battered and bloody adventurers hauled the huge wounded orc chieftain through the woods. Eventually they spotted a squad of Blue Wolves—mercenaries working for the baron—but stopped to figure things out before approaching them.
The orc chief had told his friend Sharkbreath that someone working for the baron was paying the orcs to avoid the Blue Wolves. The orcs could attack peasants all they wanted. What if the mercenaries were in on this arrangement? What would happen if the adventurers turned Dulgrist over to them?
Finally they set out again, searching instead for some militiamen who lived in the area. After a while they stopped again to rest and discuss their situation some more. By now Dulgrist had come around, and he offered them gold ("How much will it take?") to let him go. The companions didn't know what was going on in the barony, but they knew they didn't want to turn the big orc loose.
During
their talk Otto heard rustling in the trees and went to investigate.
He spotted a goblin scout spying on them. The goblin ran for
it, and though Otto and Sithbane chased him through the woods
he escaped.
The adventurers picked up Dulgrist again and set out. Soon they came to the edge of the forest and saw five militiamen walking through a meadow. arguing and calling out to each other.
The militia leader, a corporal, at first didn't believe the beaten-up newcomers had anything worthwhile—surely the orc was making up lies to save his own skin—but then the goblin scout returned, leading a dozen of his friends in a rescue mission.
The goblins charged out of the treeline and Gerhardt (Sithbane) yelled for the militiamen to form up a line against them. A few of the militiamen did. One goblin fell to an arrow shot by Farnoth, and Otto killed another with a spell, but the rest slammed howling into the line.
It didn't last long. Otto killed three of the goblins himself, two with his shortsword and one with a spell. None of the adventurers or militia took any serious wounds, and only three of the goblins made it back to the treeline and escaped.
By now the corporal was a little more ready to believe the adventurers. They asked where they could find a village with a respected head man to whom other village leaders would listen. The corporal suggested the nearby village of Highwater. They set out again at once.