D&D/Dela/Day of the Orcs

You are having a bit of fun, gathering berries in the forest near your home with your bother. Your mother isn't very far away gathering fallen limbs. Your father is off hunting somewhere with Druna. The way Nobranelavel keeps looking at you lets you know exactly what he has in mind. Your brother definitely wants to masturbate to your body again. You feel yourself blush as the thought washes over you. You start to get that tingly felling in your trickle, when suddenly your father and Druna come barreling through the forest. Even though they're moving like lightning, they still make almost no sound.

"Quickly," says your father just above a whisper, "back to the house! There are orcs on the way . . . a lot of them."

Your mother nods and scoops you up as though you weigh nothing at all. You are all soon racing through the forest to your house. Your father fires an arrow at the hidden release, and the stairs that form a circular staircase descend from their hiding place in your canopy home. The stairs were a gift from a grateful gnome inventor that your father guided one time. They were mainly there to allow Druna to access the house. You all flee up the stairs, your father bringing up the rear. As he enters your home, he removes his arrow and the stairs ascend into the trees once more. Your father climbs further up the tree, and out the skylight, removing his spyglass as he does. You can still see his feet through the skylight as the sits above the canopy at his observation post.

"That is a lot of orcs," he says. "Goblins too, of course . . . quite a few trolls. It's definitely a war party. That explains how they got past the border. They probably broke through between Fort Hale and Fort Kreston where the line was the weakest. They really need to add another full fort between those two. Those tiny outposts don't stand a chance. SHIT!"

"What is it?" asks your mother as your father drops down from his post.

"They have a stone giant with them," says your father. "It's ripping up trees as it goes, and it's headed straight this way."

"I suppose we have to run then," says your mother.

"There's really no time," says your father. "They're just too close. It's my fault . . . if I had just been hunting further north-"

"Stop that!" chides your mother, "that doesn't help anyone. You and I will just have to try to take the giant out . . . or at the very least lead the giant away from our children."

Your father nods, then turns to you and your brother. Nobranelavel is trying to seem brave, but you see in his eyes the same fear that rests in your heart. "Alright children," says your father softly, "your mother and I are going to go deal with this giant. I want you two to stay in the house and keep quiet. Nobranelavel, take the spyglass and keep an eye on the forest. If the giant gets as close as the elderberry bushes I want you both to leave the house and run as fast as you can to Chitinbone. Don't stop, and don't try to fight the orcs . . . just run. Your mother, Druna and I will be back." He brings you both into a hug, and kisses each of you. You feel tears trying to well up, and you try your best to be brave and choke them back. Your father breaks away, and you swear you can see tears in his eyes for a brief moment before his face is turned from you. He quickly activates the stairs and descends them with Druna by his side.

Your mother brings both of you into a hug of her own. "Take care of one another," she says, "and don't worry. Your father and I were both great adventurers. You never loose that." With that she hits the delay on the stairs and rushes down them. Within moments they have closed again, and you are alone with your brother.

"It's going to be fine, Deladaravona," he says with a shaky voice. "I'll keep you safe." He hugs you tightly, then climbs through the skylight with the spyglass your father gave him in hand. He stays up there for what seems like forever. You try to be quiet and sit still; and you manage it for a bit, but things just get to be too much.

"What's going on?" you ask in a loud whisper.

"Ummm . . ." says your brother, "there was some fighting in the woods I think. The canopy makes it hard to see. Then the giant started going to the east." Your brother goes quiet for a while, then just as you're about to say something, he starts talking again. "He stopped," he says, "I'm not sure what's going on. I think they're fighting again- Whoah!"

"What is it!" you yell. "What's the matter?"

"It was a bolt of lightning. I think . . . I think there's a mage of some sort over there."

"On who's side?" you ask.

"I don't know . . . I don't think it hit the giant though."

That worries you. Lightning bolts aren't rudimentary magic. You are too new to casting to even be able to understand the magic involved in a lighting bolt. You find yourself worrying about your parents and Druna.

"The giant is taking a lot of arrows," says Nobranelavel. "I hope dad doesn't run out." He's quiet for a while, then continues his report. "There's definitely more magic going on, but I'm not able to see most of the fight . . . just the stone giant mainly. Wait . . . there's less movement now. I think . . . I think they aren't fighting any more. The giant is still standing. I think . . . I think I need to go help mom and dad. I can sneak in, and pull them out of that. I'll take some bandages and the emergency healing potions and . . . I'll figure it out as I go." He slides back into the house and starts collecting supplies. "You need to stay here Deladaravona. Take the spyglass, and keep an eye out. If the giant gets as close as the elderberry bushes I want you to leave the house and run as fast as you can to Chitinbone. Don't stop, and don't try to fight the orcs . . . just run."

"But . . . but . . ."

"No buts . . . I'm in charge here."

Actions

Try to convince Nobranelavel to stay: (Persuasion Check DC: 16)

• Success
• Failure

Try to convince Nobranelavel to let you come along: (Persuasion Check DC: 22)

• Success
• Failure

Try to convince Nobranelavel to run to Chitinbone: (Persuasion Check DC: 25)

• Success
• Failure

Just stay put like he told you to.

• Stay Put