Trouble in Somerlisse is a Savage Worlds campaign using the Hellfrost setting. The Games Master is Mark Hamilton and play takes place every Friday night at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.
Thingol Chillblane - A Frostborne Paladin of Kenaz (Suresh)
Sister Athura Magnusdottir - A healer and member of the Sisters of Mercy (Tony)
Vigo - An engro rogue of various talents (Martin)
Vissarel Nerinen - A Taiga Elf and mistress of Elemental magics (Martin)
Alvina - A Hearth Elf and Lorekeeper (Esme)
Zigmursund - A human roadwarden (Dave H)
Roderick - A Taiga Elf Bladedancer (Tony)
The Snow Orc Sniper
Hidden among the trees Alvina consults her scrolls for any information about snow orcs. She quickly realises that these are from the tribe known as frost riders who are most noted for riding tamed polar bears rather than wolves.
Vigo’s moans and groans seem almost theatrical to Athura and she reassures the rest of the group that Vigo is fine. The others are not so sure. She calls to the beasts finding a friendly crow who she asks kindly to circle the bluff and see how many orcs there are. Vissarel pleads with Athura to save Vigo but the nun is deep in prayer communing with the crow.
Rodrick crosses the path and heads through the forest for Vigo trying to stay out of sight.
On top of the bluff the orcs decide that shooting arrows at the wounded Engro is good sport and one takes six arrows out of his quiver and thrusts them into the ground. This will be a long game.
Thingol follows Roderick across the path. Zigmursund runs through the forest towards the bluff and taunts the two orcs. “Get down from there and face us you cowards”. Alvina joins Roderick and Thingol.
The orcs attention is drawn by Zigmursunds voice and from their vantage point can see the roadwarden hiding among the trees. Brandishing a mace one orc dashes down the path towards the trees whilst the archer lets an arrow fly but misses.
The crow, having only a rudimentary grasp of numbers, tells Athura that it can see some orcs. Athura dashes to Thingol side as the paladin moves through the forest to aide Zigmursund casting a fire bolt at the orc engaging him. The bolt strikes home shaking the orc. Vissarel casts an air bolt smashing the archers arrows out of the ground.
Roderick grabs Vigo and pulls him back into the woods. Grabbing the arrow protruding from the Engro’s back he yanks it out. He quickly applies a poultice to the wound telling
“This will burn like the fires of hell but you will live”
The strange goop burns at Vigo's skin and he lets out a unnatural scream like a wild animal chilling eveyone to the core.
The two orcs gather themselves together and press on towards Zigmursund. With the threat from the archer gone, Roderick leaves the cover of the trees and runs as fast as he can down the path. Athura puts a hand over Vigo's mouth and whispers “keep quiet little one”. Zigmursund strikes a glancing blow from his flail at the orc with a mace.
Vissarel heads towards the sounds of combat and passing Vigo she reassures him “I’m so glad you are okay” as she launches 3 air bolts at the archer who is almost half way down the bluff. One of the bolts punches a cylindrical hole through his chest. The orc looks down in surprise gasping for air and collapses tumbling off the bluff.
Vigo grasps Athura’s hand and painfully explains “ I’m sorry I had to pretend I was dead” Before springing to his feet and rushing to Thingol’s side. Thingol grapples with the mace wielding orc and puts a hand over its mouth to stop it from screaming.
Roderick scans the surroundings for signs of other orcs. The crow says no more orcs but Zigmursund spots movement up the bluff and he calls out tauntingly
“are you the boss? then come down here and fight us you bastard”.
The orc breaks free from Thingols grasp but the paladin brandishes his warhammer. intimidatingly
“Where are your orc brethren now, hellfrost scum?”
As if summoned by the trickster god himself (the unknowable one), two more orcs with bows appear atop the bluff. Two arrows fly through the air but bounce ineffectually off of Zigmursund's and Roderick's armour.
Alvina responds with an arrow of her own hitting one of the orc archers in the shoulder. In a fit of frustration Athura runs to Thingols side and futilely lashes out at the with her mace.
Zigmursund charges up the bluff path and hurls an orc javelin at the two archers. The gods smile favourably on the roadwarden as the javelin strikes the orc in the throat killing him instantly. Vigo shoots at the other orc with his bow killing him.
Roderick sneaks up behind the orc with the mace and puts a sharp blade to his neck. "How many more of them?" he demands. “Many more camped over the hill” blurts the orc before his face screes up in agony. The orcs chest explodes from the inside showering those close by in blood and gore. Vissarel stands nearby her hands trembling with elemental power.
The Orc Encampment
In the distance, on the other side of the bluff can be heard a wolf howling as it moves away.
The ever resourceful Vigo does not waste the opportunity to enrich himself and quickly ransacks the orcs bodies finding a small stash of 14 gold shields.
The heroes ascend the bluff and from their new vantage point they can see a small camp with two ramshackle tents. The trail leads through the camp and into the woods on the other side of this small valley up another hill.
Athura commands “we need to find the steadsfolk of Brinya”. The crow shows her the way that the retreating wolf is headed and together they follow it up the path into the woods and crest the hill.
In the next valley is a much larger camp in the bowl of what appears to be a dry mountain lake, it’s waterfall reduced to a small stream trying desperately to fill one corner. A long cliff wall dominates the north face with a row of a half dozen tents at its base and a pen containing some humans. A collection of stripped trees act as tying posts for a pack of wolves.
The heroes watch as the lone wolf rider they have been tracking rides at pace through the camp. His destination, a group of bigger, tougher, meaner and well armed and armoured orcs who appear to be in deep discussion with a tall frostborn to the east side of the cliff.
Could this be the Thrymwizard that they have been seeking all along?