Bloody Dawn, Chapter 6 Book I

The Minotaur from the Caves of Chaos
[ artist Bill Willingham
 B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, p20]
From the Chronology:

8 Coldeven (March), 590 CY The party camps in the woods not far from the Caves to rest overnight.
The orcs turn out to be crafty as well, and launch a morning attack on the party's campsite. Both tribes have allied for the attack, they also brought in the gnolls and hired the minotaur.  The party fights a fierce fight and manages to slay most of their foes. 

The Narrative:

The players set up camp for the night, hoping to get a good nights rest and recover some spells before another bloody foray into the Caves. 

The PCs at this point were Corvus (priest of Pholtus), Sheila (paladin of Pholtus),  Zask (mysterious spellcaster), Redd (dwarven paladin), Olga (Dwarven Scout),  Blacktoof (half-orc barbarian), Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobar (noble artificer), Ambiguity (Rakasta druid) & her companion mountain lion, Evryhss (elvish adventurer), Gozara (barbarbian warrior). Morbor (dwarven fighter) and Abel (Ketite fighter). 

The characters kept close watch through the night while they camped in the woods north of the road. 

The orcs had been watching the fighting and making their own plans. They realized that these adventurers were a destabilizing force intent on clearing out the Caves. Moreover, word came from the Shrine of Evil Chaos that the gods demanded these newcomers be destroyed. Victory would put the orcs over on the hobgoblins, their primary rivals. The orcs were determined not to make the same mistakes the goblins and kobolds did. They sent out scouts and their chieftains went to the gnolls and the minotaur, offering them coin to join in the fight. 

In the morning the two orc tribes, the gnoll tribe, and the minotaur crept up on the party's camp, advancing from four sides. There were over 30 orcs, a dozen gnolls, and the minotaur.

The gnolls came from the south-west, while the minotaur led a group of large armored orcs from the north-west and the remaining orcs and orc archers came from the north-east and the north. 

The party kept a good watch, owever, and was not surprised. They formed a strong position in the center behind the artificer's rolling shields while other characters skulked in the shadows nearby. The orcs were met by a wave of missile fire and magic, many dropped in the first round, and they continued to fall like flies as the sun rose into the sky. The minotaur charged forward but was met by the strongest fighters of the band and cut down. 

The final stages of the battle. 

Seeing the orcs and minotaur slaughtered, the gnolls fled the battlefield, returning to their lair.

It was a great victory, but the adventurers had to take another day to rest and recuperate at the camp.  

Disclaimer: This blog recounts the fictional events of a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Views expressed by characters within the blog are those of the characters, not the players, dungeon master, nor the blog's author. All other views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.

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