Hot On the Trail

10 September 2008-

We packed up our new gear and headed after the orcs, who were several hours ahead of us. After most of a day of fast marching, we came out of the trees into a series of low hills, and discovered that the orcs were camped in a human village (we figure they must have taken it some months or years before) in a small valley. We gave eMichael's Ellyllon an invisibility potion then sent him in for a recon mission, and he hit pay-dirt almost immediately.

The elves (about two dozen of them) were being questioned by the orc chief in what had been the village church, and were clearly in bad shape. The orcs, on the other hand, were numerous and fierce-looking, with some siege equipment visible in the village square. EMichael also discovered that the orcs were converting an old warehouse or guildhall into a holding area, and that the elves appeared likely to be in for the long haul. Their tabards were taken by a mounted orc patrol off in the direction of civilization, and we surmise that they are to be held for ransom.

Finally, the orcs dispersed most of the elves into the village while they finished converting the building, and we settled in for a long, tense recon. Some of the elves, however, were executed- we don't know why. Now we're preparing for a rescue mission, and the hope is that we can get the elves out and moving before the orcs can pursue us. If not, we better hope that the elves can't outrun us.