Fearsome orogs and tiny flaming magmins wrought havoc on the square outside of the Northshield House as the heroes arrived. Magmins leaving a trail of fire behind them ignited everything they touched.
Fear and terror spread through the townsfolk. The heroes snap into action. Darathra Shendrel bellows a call to arms.
Townsfolk are screaming, some with their elders and children trapped in now burning buildings. Chaos descends.
The heroes and townsfolk slice, dice and pummel the intruders. Darathra Shendrel proves herself to be a vicious defender of Triboar, providing the heroes with some direction in terms of what is expected of them. Lia, Leshanna, Thoradin and Londer quickly spring into action to position themselves. The battle is hard-fought by all; the Orogs and fire creatures prove strong and crafty opponents.
Miss Moss spends the first half of the battle trying unsuccessfully to get onto the roof of the main shop. Leshanna gifts Thoradin flight, and he zips off with arms laden with buckets – looking pretty chuffed – to throw water onto a nearby fire. Lia takes aim, proving a great shot. Gunther, who the gang has not seen in battle, bewilders at first when he stands in an open space, spreads his arms, looking suspiciously like he is about to put on a play. He takes a deep breath and starts to belt out a very offensive song directed at the Orogs, a deliciously catchy tune about how ugly the orogs are and how much they stink like a latrine.
The song enrages the Orogs because it strikes at the heart of their weakness: their forward-facing limbs. While more intelligent and fearsome than orcs, they can’t reach behind them to clean themselves, so stink like shit. Orogs are the punchline of many racist jokes, and quite a few mean songs. The heroes and townsfolk smirk. They know the song.
Londer, hair swishing behind him, as regal as ever, strides towards a house to rescue children. He is successful, rushing out of the house, a blob under each arm, delivering tear and soot-stained faces to their distraught mother. Londer beams.
Thoradin, mid-flight, is distracted by screaming townsfolk trapped in a building, so diverts his flight to perform a daring rescue. He is successful, receiving a robust round of cheers from onlookers as the pair are dragged out unharmed. Thoradin, like Londer, is very pleased with himself, and also – how great is flying?!
Suddenly, a shadow appears over Thoradin and his rescuees, the sun eclipsed. Thoradin looks up, confused, quickly diving out of the way at the very last minute. An enormous boulder lands with a screech, sharp rock on metal, directly on top of the hapless recently-rescued townsfolk. Thoradin, dismayed, wipes their squirts of blood and brains off his face. Nothing like a worthless rescue to dampen one’s spirits mid-battle. He sighs and slumps a little. But, he’s grateful for his quick action for himself at least.
Everyone is taken aback by the enormity of the boulders, but there isn’t time to lament the loss of life, just to quickly put out the fires that remain and save the town. With the townsfolk (mostly) safe, and the heroes more or less unharmed, they regroup and make their way to the town centre. The gang are greeted by a ghastly new sight: giants, axebeaks, and orcs, wreaking havoc.
Where the heroes find themselves now…
The centre of Triboar is filled with the sounds of chaos – the sandpaper squawks of the vicious axebeaks, ridden by the orcs that hack and slash at townsfolk that scream as they flee for their lives. The orcs roar as they cut and hack.
There stands a 20 ft tall male giant, his long flaming red hair and enormous armoured trunk supported by his, squat, slightly bent legs.
His shoulders are skewered with Londer’s javelins on each side. In front of him, Londer stands, defiant, his golden locks blowing in the light breeze.
In the frosty autumn air, the hulking giant’s breath is visible in great heaving gusts as he stands readied for action, his heavy brow fixed in a deep scowl. His enormous GREATSWORD, drawn at the ready.
In the centre of the caravan grounds, a deep hole has been dug and a female giant is crouched over and works to heave a huge piece of metal free.
After being initially attacked, she has gone back to working to free the mysterious piece of metal.
—
The group of brave souls who stand together against the invading force are mostly huddled in the cover of the small cottage – Darz’s humble lodging.
Gunther, after sensing that his songs will only go so far in this fight, has taken refuge inside the cottage.
Narth and Darz have taken cover under a window in Narth’s shop, the Lion’s Share, the two men together as allies after Darz’s robbery just a day earlier.
Orthovir hides on the roof of the Share taking cover behind the gable.
Lia is crouched up high on the same roof, overseeing the carnage below.
Smoke swirls in the sky above from from the fires still smouldering on the east side of town.
Now as the sun is getting low in the sky, a chill is setting in.