After a while the path worsens considerably and finally disappears completely in the thick undergrowth. No game tracks, streams or other terrain features are to be seen, and the thick forest cover makes it difficult to even see the sun.
do you
Hack away at the undergrowth to make a path?
Or try to find a way around the thicket?
After four hours of slow and uncomfortable progress, you finally see a path again.
It takes a lot of effort to keep to the right direction, but after four hours you manage to find a usable path leading where you want to go.
When you leave the thick undergrowth after some hours, you find yourselves completely lost.
You make excellent progress, but when you check your bearings after reaching a clearing in the forest, you find that you have strayed from your route by several miles.
You wander about for quite a long time until the mercy of the gods (or maybe just pure good luck) lets you find the right road again.
Try as you might to find a way back, you are now utterly lost. Downtrodden, you set up camp.
Isn’t it amazing how easily you find the way once you’ve had a good night’s sleep? You have no problems at all finding the right path.
A giant army camp stretches out before you - and you could have sworn there wasn’t any sign of it the last time you walked along here. Whatever, this must be your destination. The numerous standards, banners, pennants, skulls and other emblems raised above the tents show quite clearly that this is the main regiment of the orcish army. [NAME] feels the power radiating out from Grimring. Onward! You enter the camp.
A large orc, decked with a large copper pendant - obviously a shaman or priest - keeps the frenzied mob from trying to rend you limb from limb. Grimring at the ready you walk up to the largest tent, where [NAME] speaks:
“In the name of Rondra, and in the name of Swafnir, and also in the name of Brazoragh, whom you worship, we charge you:
come forth with the bravest of your brave and enter a challenge, for we have Grimring, the orc slayer, the blade destined to be your doom. Let us fight, with Thorwal as the prize!
should we win, you will leave and look for different spoils, never to trouble the humans of Arkania again. Should you win, our lives are yours to do with as you please!”
Another orc, bigger even than the shaman, exits the tent with an almost man-sized axe resting on his shoulder with calculated ease and answers (in flawless, but heavily accented new-Arkanian):
“Thus speaks Garzlokh, lord of the Zholochai: who are you puny worms, to enter my camp, worthless scum as you are, utter the divine name with your putrid tongues and dare to challenge the master of the orcish lands? I shall stomp you into the dust and feed your innards to the vultures, for you are nothing but walking carrion!”
Without a thought, [NAME] turns in one fluid motion, raises Grimring, glowing with an icy fire, and with one swift blow splits two orcs and one of the huge tent poles in two:
“I am grimring’s master and in the name of your idol I challenge you, for I know you dare not refuse!”
the orcish ranks get restless and a very agitated shaman approaches Garzlokh to confer in hushed whispers.
After a long time the chieftain raises his hand and all talk ceases immediately: “I am Garzlokh, lord of the Zholochai. I have lost Phexcaer in a challenge, but I shall not lose Thorwal, for I am the will of Brazoragh and the desire of Tairach. It is my wish and the wish of the gods that there shall be a fight to the death, a fight with the city of Thorwal as its prize, to be fought entirely without magic! Therefore I shall invoke the might of Tairach and supply our champion with all the might of your fighter, and likewise banish all magics. And may he who tries to influence this fight through magic, turn to dust and be blown away by the wind! You have half an hour to prepare for your demise!”
“Let the fight begin!”
“The gods have spoken: you are victorious and I am forced to acknowledge it. But know you this: as surely as you have saved Thorwal from destruction, you have doomed another city. For Brazoragh desires us to rid our lands of you smooth-skins.
now leave!”
“The will of brazoragh is triumphant! Nothing can stop us! And you - mighty heroes - shall lead us…
at least your heads shall - decorating my chariot!”
a short time later…
your search for the blade of destiny is over.
Raft
Three people on a raft pass by and wave at you. Right behind them, a host of tree trunks float along the river, connected with ropes. Apparently, one end of the chain has broken, and a number of trunks have landed on this bank. A while later you notice another raft with a man and a woman aboard.
Do you
* Ignore the whole thing?
* Or wave to the couple on the raft?
You walk on and the raft passes by on the river.
The two are occupied with controlling their raft and take no notice of you at first. Even when the raft reaches the bank some distance away, they do not seem to notice you. You hear them running your way, cursing loudly the whole time.
Do you
* Get a move on?
* Head towards them?
You march on.
They finally noticed you.
“Hey there, could you give us a hand?” the man calls out, waving frantically, while the woman starts pushing at the stranded tree trunks.
You hurry to help them.
You’d rather keep going.
“Arrogant rabble!” the man calls out after you, but you do not pay any attention to him.
With combined strength you try to get those trunks free.
Thanks to your assistance, the work doesn’t take too long. Once the trunks are back out on the water, the two rafters start lashing them together again.
It takes quite a while to get those tree trunks moving. Suddenly, they give a jolt and slide into the water.
[NAME] is surprised by their movement, falls into the water and drifts between the trunks. The rafter woman seizes a trunk that is moving dangerously close to [NAME]. The man offers [NAME] his hand and pulls [NAME] out of the water with a strong grip.
[NAME] can only just avoid falling in as the trunks give way. The two rafters immediately start lashing the trunks together again.
“Thank you very much! It is rare to find such helpful strangers. Unfortunately, we cannot delay if we want to avoid losing more trunks on the way. Efferd be with you!” the two push the trunks out into the river and hurry back to their raft. You wander on.
“You really were lucky there! Thanks a lot for your selfless help! Unfortunately, we must leave right away to avoid losing more trunks on the way. Efferd be with you!” the two push the trunks out into the river and hurry back to their raft.
[NAME] is soaking wet and will have to dry those clothes before you can march an further.
“I won’t be dragged that deep into this affair by you,” says [NAME]. “You’ll have to deal with that on your own!”
You reach a fortified road again. To all appearances, it is the road from Peilinen to Rovamund.
do you go
To Peilinen?
To Rovamund?
You reach a fortified road again. This looks like the road from Kravik to Skelellen.
Do you go
To Kravik
To skelellen
Without a hitch, you continue your journey to [NAME] and finally reach your goal some hours later.
You are too early.
there is no sign of the orcs.
do you want to make camp around here, until something happens?
The date you got was true!
on the 10th of Peraine in the 17th [N] year of Hal, the orcs set up a military camp here. You immediately set out for it.