Scouting in the orc war
Within the worlds of fantasy those who provide food for humans face the most dangers for they lay on the outskirts of where most people live. This is shown starkly by the double star alliances second major threat in a decade. The first came from goblins and dark wizards, this threat comes from a clan of green dragons and an army of orcs. The Orcs began picking up attacks on the villages only two moons ago, however these where minor skirmishes. Within the last two weeks the dragons, the clan has already enslaved a pair of human villages, little thought of in the deep forest, these villages provide them with a ready source of cattle and well crafted treasures. Now the dragons want more, and so with the help of their orc armies they seek to get both loot and slaves.
The Location
The double star treaty is series of 2 major farming regions each shaped somewhat like a star, all told the two regions include about 3 towns, 17 villages, and 177 thorps for a total population of 15,000 people. These are not soft people, they have experience one major war already and countless minor skirmishes with small tribes of goblinoids. They however have to bring in the crop to feed not only themselves but many other kingdoms. For this reason these kingdoms are sending mercenary armies, or even their own soldiers to help defend them.
The PCs are hired on as scouts (one of them should have tracking abilities etc) Their jobs will vary throughout the war and will include gaining reconnaissance information, assassination, fighting enemy scouts, infiltrating and damaging enemy fortifications, and cutting off supply chains.
In all there are about 4000 troops working with the PCs in 6 different armies. A clan of brass dragons is aiding in the fight as well.
The orcs number about 8000, the green dragon clan however is much larger and so more able to attack the troops. Thankfully however the people of the double star alliance are able to fight in their own towns and so help to bolster the human troops who also have better access to supplies.
PC levels should be 5 level 6 characters
First jobs.
Scouting out enemy positions.
The PCs are to scout out the enemies positions, finding enemy movements, encampments, and numbers.
During this time they will commonly face anti-scouts which are typically made up of 4 ettins, or 9-12 bugbears (lead by a level 4 ranger).
The PCs need to be careful because the green dragons are also flying over head and will attack if they spot the PCs. The larger armies could also clash with and likely slay all the PCs should the PCs be discovered by them.
First 10 days
1a-An army of 800 orcs moves into this region and sets up a camp
1b-An army of 400 begins moving along the woods here.
1c-A group of 120 worg riding orcs establishes a camp here.
2
Days 11-25
2a-succeeded in reporting 1a and Hindobar will be under siege by the 600 orcs left alive after the battle. The village will have its 150 people and 400 additional defenders, forcing the orcs to wait rather then attack.
-if the PCs failed to report Hindobar will now be inhabited by 700 surviving orcs, and will be under siege by 100 of its inhabitants and 350 additional troops (50 more of each will have died in the initial attack)
2b1-If the PCs failed to report the army moving through 1b This strip of land will now be inhabited by the armies of orcs with green dragons now able to strike from this closer area. The supply lines cut off the human armies defending the outskirts will begin to go hungry
2b2-Should the PCs have succeeded the orcs will have had to set up trenches here, although bolstered by an additional 400 orcs the green dragons will have to fly much further to make raids, and so will be able to make far fewer raids. Further the orcs will be useless for the time being, unable to cut off the human supply chain as was intended.
2c1-Failing to report the orcs at 1c will have lead to the destruction of a number of supply chains and thorps in this region.
2c2-Success in reporting the worg riders would have resulted in the worg riders would have been forced to fall back into this region to regroup and reassess their plans.
2d-A group of 600 orcs begins moving along these two areas within 16 days after the PCs begin scouting.
3
Days 26-45
3a still remains under siege as before, defenders of the city whether orc or human are winning this.
3b1-The orcs will have moved on deeper into the Double Star lands driving back defenders.
3b2-The orcs will remain stuck in the trenches
3c1-The worg riders will be bolstered by dragons who will be looting further and further into human lands, forcing huge numbers of troops to move in to attempt to deal with the problem
3c2-The worg riders will be blocked off in this area unable to participate in the battle, human troops will be able to bolster other parts of the defense.
3d1-Failing to report the 600 orcs will have lead to the fall of these 5 thorps and the trenches established will be here.
3d2-Success in reporting the orcs will have established the trenches just before this first thorp.
4th block
Days 46-80
4a-seige continues
4b1-Trenches Established here
4b2-Trenches Established here
4c1-The worg riders will have been joined by 500 more orcs able to move down because of the humans who needed to bolster the defenses in this area. This will lead to attacks driving people out of the village of Culinom which they will now occupy
4c2-The worg riders will have been largely defeated and will have joined up with other orc armies
4d-Trenches will remain as before
4e-An army of 700 orcs will move in from this direction
(after 77 days)
4f-500 bugbears will move into these woods to cut off the supply chains these are in small groups and so will be an increase in bugbear activity in these woods
(after 48 days)
5
Days 80-150
On day 80 a sudden influx of 1200 orcs and 400 human mercenaries working for the green dragons will move in fast bolstering all the orc armies and pushing back the humans from their current positions.
This will lead both armies to be entrenched where indicated, all number letters followed by the number 1 will indicate that the PCs failed in reporting the movement first related to this number. All numbers letters followed by the number 2 will indicate that the PCs succeeded in such reporting.
5a1 The orcs having broken the siege will have made a fast and massive push all the way to the town of Seros
5a2 The orcs will have managed to win the village with the reinforcements, however they will remain under siege unable to push further.
5b1-The orcs will have pushed the trench to the town of Seros
5b2-The Orcs will have be entrenched in a stalemate far from any major human settlements
5c1
5d1
5d2
5e1
5e2
5f1 The Bugbears having succeeded in cutting off important supply routes will have forced the defenders of the southern villages to surrender, leading to an army of 1200 orcs moving up here.
5f2 the bugbears will still be trying to cut off the supply routes.
PCs will have 3 jobs during this time
Kill at least 100 bugbears in the woods
Hunt down and kill a level 11 ranger who is helping to guide the bugbears movements
Kill a level 11 wizard who is causing mayhem in the human armies by teleporting in large and dangerous demons, undead, and more at just the right moments.
He is established in a tower in the green dragons lands.
Facing him will require fighting vrocks, ghouls, zombies, as will as a level 7 apprentice wizard.
Days 151-250
Failing at any one of their jobs will lead the orc trenches to have advanced 5 miles from their last position, or if they where seigeing a village, that village would have fallen. Any towns would still hold, however they would be on the brink.
The PCs at this time will work to cut off supply chains, their job will be to destroy 200 tons of food, or about 400 pounds per day.
To do this they will have to find and attack supply groups.
Typical supply group
1 ettin 12 orcs (lead by a level 4 barbarian) carries about 400 pounds of supplies.
2 ettins 30 orcs (lead by two level 4 barbarians and a level 6 bar) 1500 pounds of supplies
4 ettins 60 orcs (lead by a 4 level 4 barb, 2 level 6 barb, and a level 9 barb) 5,000 pounds of food
The PCs will also have to contend repeatedly with an adult green dragon
And standard scouting groups of bugbears.
251-350
Should the PCs have succeeded in damaging orc supplies the orcs will have fallen back 10 miles
The PCs will be set to hunting down the marauders that remain, killing groups of orcs, bugbears, and human mercenaries, now looting areas at random, gathering as many slaves as they can, and providing distraction for the dragons doing the same.
At the end of this time the orcs and dragons will withdraw with potentially thousands of slaves (depending on how much or little the PCs succeeded up to this point)
For every 10 square miles of land the orcs have taken at this point food prices will increase 10% and all other prices will increase 5%
Should the PCs have failed then the towns will have fallen and the orcs will have taken all but the outskirts of this section of the Double Stars.
The PCs will fight marauders that enter the lands beyond the double stars and protect the refugees as they attempt to flee away from the orcs who will try to take them as slaves. Further lands outside of the double stars will be threatened, forcing the PCs to continue this war possible for years to come as more and more emboldened orc, goblin, and other tribes begin to strike. Food prices will multiply by 5 times, other prices will multiply by 3 times and starvation will grow rampant in the region around the Double Stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment