System Used: DnD 5e

Players: A as Ski(pronounced Sky), Jess as Nerida

As Ski, Nemeia, and Ea go to exit the Elder Forest, returning home to Garell and, more specifically, the walled city and capital of Noramere, they saw the moon, full and bright, lighting up the night sky in a way that illuminated the beautiful stonework of the capital. As they admired the sight that never grew old, they heard the Horn of Garell sound which boomed loudly in all directions alerting those in the city to find safety quickly and those outside of it to stay away.

Ea looked at them in a way to say, "be safe" and ran toward Noramere knowing that they would be okay and that her kingdom needed her assistance. 

As the sole entry, a giant wooden gate, closed she leaped in at an angle, barely making it in.

Professor Elias stepped out from the shadows to their sides with a panicked look on his face.

"Run", was all he got out as an arrow shot out from somewhere on the wall and landed in his back, killing him instantly.

Ski and Nemeia spotted their old hideaway, a small room they played in every day as kids, nearby to the east. Carved out of an old rock, with a small door, leading directly into a tiny spot, with a single set of stairs down. They bolted in the direction, dodging arrows as they ran.

Once through the door and down the stairs, the everburning torches that lit the room made it clear instantly that something was wrong. On one of the walls, a large hole was visible.

Their panicked, heavy breathing alerted a duo of orcs that were on the other side of the hole in a small carved out hole about half the size of the room keeping guard, causing them to jump out into the narrow, dug out tunnel and check out what was making the commotion. 

A series of blows between the four followed, with Nemeia taking a rather nasty gash to her left shoulder. The orc of the right was wounded badly and the other accidentally missed Nemeia and dealt it a death blow with its' mighty war axe before Ski finished the clumsy beast with a shot from her bow.

They peaked into the guard station area and noticed a rather frayed and tattered flag of Aidespir on the ground near a pile of half eaten rats and other discarded waste. They then continued down the dark, narrow tunnel to see where it went but soon heard steady sounds of drums and metal clanking.

It wasn't long before they noticed what could only be called an army of orcs marching forward, directly towards them which caused them to instantly bolt back up the the land above and toward the Elder Forest once more.

A gust of wind and flutter of feathers greeted them as they neared the trees. It was Nerida, who told them that orcs were attacking. She had frozen the door to the clinic that was taking care of her friend but, as she went to fly away from the city to find Ski and company she had luckily caught their sight.

While happy to have another join them, strength in numbers and all, they were unhappy to see that the pause this had caused allowed some of the orcs to spot their party. Already, dozens were marching toward the now closed gate, but three splintered off and began to chase them.

Through the forest they ran and ran for several minutes before coming up with a plan that they all agreed on, through quickened, half winded words.

Ski wanted to turn and fight.

Nemeia wanted to try to go to the waterfall cave and find safety.

Nerida wanted to trick the orcs and then make their way to the cave, which was the choice they went with.

Flying ahead, Nerida tied a rope around two trees. Once Ski and Nemeia closed in, Nerida created a magic fog that lowered vision. The Garell pair, now back with Nerida, bolted toward the cave, following the river. The orcs, on the other hand, were all tripped and by the time they collected themselves they had lost the group.

Through the waterfall, as heavy as the sound was, they could hear the three yelling in anger at each other not long after. While listening in in hopes that they'd give up and leave, the goblin boss that they had let go free previously walked up from the shadows, asking what was the matter.

They shushed him, explained as quickly and quietly as possible, and then, in a moment of heroic loyalty toward the girls that had spared him, he leaped to the other side and attacking the orcs quickly after and then lead them away.