The elven spirit attacks Halmary, draining his strength as cold seeps into his bones; the cleric’s mace passes harmlessly through the elf warrior’s spirit, but the magical weapons of Sidni, Corvin and Ungrid all manage to tear away some of the wispy shadows that the spirit is made of. It retreats down the stairs, followed by the party; below is a crypt and three more elven spirits, all threatening but not yet attacking; Zarkov casts Tongues and talks to the elves, telling them why they there (to get a dragon-slaying sword) and he manages to persuade the spirits to stand down, so long as weapons are sheathed and nothing else is taken from the tomb. The party make their way through a hallway into a room where a great-sword stands waiting; surrounded by gems and potions. Tempted but keeping their hands away from the treasure scattered about, Halmary takes the sword and them head out, back to the elf Galdor.

They return to the elf camp, and Fingolfin accepts the sword and welcomes them as allies. They enjoy an evening celebration and discuss plans. By morning they have agreed to cross the forest to an abandoned fortress where the giants are holding the elven king; if they can rescue him, there is a chance to gather the remaining elves together and not onlty aid in the fight against the giants but also reclaim their lost city of Derelion from a dragon; but first things first.

27th to 29th Harvester

On their way through the forest, avoiding wandering monsters and patrols thanks to the skilled scouts of the elves, Fingolfin points out a nearby keep where a giant and his orc and ogre allies are encamped. They decide to take a detour and deal with those first. The elves spread themselves along one side of the forest clearing where a small keep sits surrounded by tents, with a couple of ogres sitting around a camp fire, eating roasting meat in the bright summer sunlight. The party spread out to the rear, Zarkov and Halmary casting Silence spells on an arrow (given to Galdor) and a stone, Fingolfin casting Haste on all the party except for Zarkov (ageing them), and tactics are discussed and plans made. When they are ready, the assembled forces spring their surprise attack!

The signal: an elf fires the silenced arrow, hitting one of the ogres; this is followed by a flurry of more arrows, wounding both ogres; and the party hurries and moves in. Sidni (formally Idni) throws a molotov cocktail into a tent, setting fire to an ogre, while Corvin speeds into another tent and slits the throat of a sleeping ogre; Halmary and Ungrid gang up on a third ogre, cutting and bashing it, while the elves let loose with more arrows and fell the two sentries. The fire alerts the rest of the ogres, and they climb of their tents, into the ambush; one shouts for help, and there is movement from the tents where orcs are sleeping the day away.

Halmary bashes in the skull of the ogre; Ungrid charges in and cuts another down, then cleaves into another, felling it with a mighty swing of his sword. Sidni charges in, a blur with his spear leading; killing another ogre. Another falls to an arrow in the eye as Corvin shoots it. The elves fell another, then turn their attention to the orcs that start piling out of their tents; and the last ogre falls too another blow from Ungrid’s blade.

The orcs have no time to act: most fall dead as the elves make pin-cushions out of them, and the rest fall to a blurred Sidni and her magical spear, a crushed skull as Zarkov brains one, a crushed ribcage as Halmary charges into an orc, a decapitated orc as Ungrid sweeps away its head, and the final orc is shoot dead by a couple of arrows let loose by Corvin.

A moment’s silence.

Then the doors of the keep swing open and well-armoured orcs and ogres hurry out, followed by a giant with skin the colour of stone, unfolding himself as he stoops from the doorway…

End of Session

Kills: 11 orges, 9 orcs.

Other: persuaded three elf sword-wraiths and their king to let them take the sword freely.