Orcs Abound!
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Orcs Abound!
Author: EM Petrichor
In this tome I shall document the bravery of those who have seen to protect the realm from the vile Burgy and Ggrub Orc clans. These Orcs have caused great suffering, and only the action of everyday Britannians have stopped them.
As each chapter unfolds, a new page shall be added to this book to help keep people up to date on the story.
Something was amiss at the Great Lighthouse of the Lost Lands... a force of orcs occupied the structure and setup barriers along both ends of the path in an effort to defend their ill-gotten prize.
Commander Hew put out the call for aid, and through great strife, the forces of good prevailed. But a great mystery was revealed... how did it come to be thast these two separate Orc clans, the Burggs and the Ggrubs, became unified?
Months passed, and no one had heard anything more of the Ggrubs and Burggs. But then the citizens of Serpent's Hold awoke to find the guards hacked apart! The Orcs had established beacheads and had the garrison besieged.
Commander Hew led his forces against the Orcs, pushing them off the island itself. After the battle, a copy of the Orc Battle Plans was recovered which offered some clues to what was going on. A transcription follows:
--You see battle plans drawn up by the Orc Captain. Most of it is in unintelligle Orcish, but some key words appear.--
Ugh der warboss, send our ladds to snakespit waters for bluff. Keep tinmen busy while work is done"
--You see what appears to be an Orc "signature", but is really just a couple of teeth marks pressed into the parchment.--
The mages on Verity Island rely heavily on their fabled "Oracle of Moonglow" to know what ill news approaches. To their horror they saw a force of Grubb and Burggs once again attack, but this time the citizens of Britannia were prepared.
Led by Ellyn the Mage, the Orcs were prevented from causing destruction upon the island. But unfortunately some got past the defenders and ransacked the Lycaeum library. A mysterious letter to the Orc Commander was recovered:
I know abstract thought is a concept all together foreign for you Orcs, but this shouldn't tax what little brains are within your ruddy heads. Even still, allow me to explain the terms of our deal -again-. I give -you- the gold, you provide -me- the muscle and distraction I need to find what I'm after. That's it! So STOP getting your clans into fights. STOP trying to eat townspeople. STOP drawing undue attention. Do what I tell you and let me locate what I need.
Commander Hew sent brave souls deep into the Orc Dungeon to find out what the Burggs and Ggrubs are up to. To the shock and horror of the investigators, it seems that a mysterious Elf from Heartwood is behind the Orc's attacks. Even more disturbing, it seems tied to the Orc's religious devotion to their "Bloodgod"
As expected, the Orc forced attacked Empath Abbey, completing their assault upon the castles devoted to the Principles of Virtue. At the end of a very difficult fight, the true villain was revealed: Zelphar the Elf.
Before fleeing, Zelphar revealed that through his attacks upon the three castles' archives, he knows what he needs to make the prophecies of the Orc's Blood God come to pass.
Commander Hew's scouts tracked Zelphar the Elf to a pair of buildings in Vesper. Upon arrival the adventurers had to fight back terrible foes working for Zelphar. How his quarters and terrible lab where he was experimenting upon Orcs went undiscovered until then, no one knew! At the final confrontation, Zelphar used his knowledge to transform himself -into- the Orc Blood God. The last remaining goodness burned away from him and a terrible sight arose.
In the end, his thirst for power ruined Zelphar entirely. His body and mind completely destroyed by the Blood God. Defeating him was a mercy.
The heroes of Britannia won the day and the Orc Blood God was defeated.