The pcs attempt to sneak past the orc fortress nearest Scarwall but were spotted. A small army of orcs charged out to slay the pcs but are blown to bits by the pcs' explosive pyrotechnics.
Late PM
The pcs finally arrive at Scarwall. The pcs parley with a small force orcs guarding the dilapidated battlement on the shore side of Scarwall's causeway. The orcs allowed the pcs to pass clearly not expecting them to ever exit Scarwall alive.
When the pcs attempted to cross the causeway their ghost horses became slightly more substantial and turned on their masters but were easily slain. When Legend-That-Walks reached the door to the castle a portcullis dropped trapping him inside the castle's gate house. The castle's main doors swung open and skeletons attacked the trapped Skoan Quah warrior. Meanwhile the orcs left the battlements and moved to block the exit from the causeway. The pcs decided to attempt to lift the portcullis to free Qual Kehk. Krojun attempted to lift the heavy portcullis but failed despite his great strength. Andrian leapt forward and somehow managed to get the portcullis up freeing Qual Kehk embarressing Krojun. The pcs then fled before the hoard of advancing skeleton archers while arrows fell like rain upon the hindmost. Krojun insisted on serving as rearguard and received multiple arrow wounds in the arms and shoulders.
Carufinwe saw that the party was surrounded by orcs to the rear and skeletons to the front and thought to abandon the causeway to swim for safety. Then a great wake appeared and the elf was attacked by something deep in the murky lake. Carfinwe was pulled under the surface but fought his way free only to find himself in bow range of some twenty skeleton archers.
Despite a number of serious arrow wounds the elf managed to reach Scarwall's shore but his attacker, then revealed as an aquatic great grey worm, emerged from the dark water and bit him in half, quickly swallowing both pieces.
Meanwhile the other pcs, led by Andrian and Riley/Rizzle, began their assault on the blocking orcs. After an initial exchange of missiles the pcs quickly discovered that these particular orcs had a tenacity and battle madness unknown to them.
As the battle flowed back and forth there were many times wherein a pc was surrounded by the orc berserkers and was nearly slain, only the healing powers of Shadowcount Sial and Bruntalmar prevented death. Wisely the pcs changed tactics and instead of trying to kill the berserkers they merely knocked them off the causeway to be eaten the ravenous great grey worms. When the skeleton horde was close enough to begin firing into the furious melee, Riley cast a wall of fire blocking the archers' advance. After finishing off the last few orcs, the pcs fled to the safety of the mainland gate castle.
For a time the skeletons continued to advance into the wall of flame and were consumed. Some 5 dozen of the mindless undead were slain before they were ordered to break off the attack. After the skeleton retreated, Shadowcount Sial and Laori Vaus searched the downed orcs for signs of life. They managed to find one orc that seemed likely to survive "questioning" and took him captive. This orc looked a little more human than his fellows.............
