The Great Army of Highport

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About the Saga

The Killing Way and other horrors great the Blackrazors as they make their way into the enemy city of Highport

Timeframe

Cast of Characters

Notable Quotes

  • "You’re missing out on a great opputunity to look at some excellent furs." -- Kannett

What Has Come Before

Having fought their way through the Drachensgrab Mountains (and learned in the process that one of their own, Kalib Ironfist, has been replaced by a su-doppelganger in the employ of Obsidian Bay spymaster Jander Drachen), the Blackrazors now close on their goal: the orcish city of Highport.

The Saga

=Planting 23rd, CY 587

The other side of th Drachensgrabs

Once the Blackrazors arrived on the other side of the Drachensgrabs they moved onto a small, nameless human summer settlement. The villagers agreed to watch the group's two mules and the gnome boy ( their guide) Gnarth Binderstone while the Blackrazors moved to complete their mission in Highport. They left within hours of arriving at the village they left it, moving into the countryside.

Planting 24th CY 587

The Farmers

The land to the north of the penninsula's central mountain range was in sharp contrast to the land to the south. Although the farmers to the south were poor, they had hope. The farmers of the northern land were fewer in number and poorer in attitudes. Their will and lands had been crushed by decades of humanoid rule and the Blackrazors soon found the farmers had little love for anyone -- human or humanoid.

Fulgar and Alton approached one farm only to be scowled at by a no-name farmer who refused to talk to them and who cackled loudly when they mentioned going to Highport.

Next, Kannett and Killian approached another farm, where four men were having their end-of-the-day talk. The farmers demanded to know who they were, so Kannett and Killian gave them their names. Kannett, breaking the ice, asked if he could by one of the farms cows. The leader of the men who introduced himself as "Old Man Masters", was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed to sell a calf for 20 gold pieces. With the sale finished, Kannett began asking Masters about Highport.

"Got your brand?" Masters said.

"Brand?" Killian said, confused.

"Yes, your brand," he said, pulling up his sleeve to show a circle-in-circle scar on his right arm.

"No," Killian said.

"Got your papers?"

The conversation repeated itself, and ended with Kannett asking if they could copy Masters’ papers and forge the brand. Masters scoffed. "Nay, my cousin tried that … the High Orcs took his entire family and crucified the on the Killing Way." Killian and Kannett stared at each other. Kannett politely asked Masters to watch the calf until they returned. He agreed and the two Blackrazors returned to their friends.

The Brand?

Later that night, they told Fulgar and Aaron about the brands and the papers.

"Brand us?" Fulgar said.

They spent the next few hours debating the merits of sneaking into the town invisible, reducing Fulgar and flying in, and a half-dozen other ways to avoid being branded. Finally they decided to approach the town as fur traders who had escaped from the undead haunting the ruins of Brantis Hold. They agreed on false names, and retired to their bed rolls.

Planting 25, CY 587

Into the city

The Blackrazors arrived at the outskirts of the city and found a nightmare unfolding.

Thousands of humanoids had moved into the lands surrounding the city, establishing immense tent towns. A mile from the town the party saw that the remains of a human fortification which had been taken over -- and expanded -- by part of the orc army. As the Blackrazors closed in on the sprawl, Su-Quan elected to split off from the group and explore the city on this own.

As the party moved closer to the fortification, they could see the city of Highport looming in the distance. The entire city sat on a raised plataue 20 feet high, and its city walls towered even higher. Thousands of tents -- presumably belonging to the humanoid army -- clung against the base of the city. And between Highport and the fortiications a quarter-mile away was something that defied civilized thought -- two parrallel lines of crosses. And on those crosses were the crucified remains of humans, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and anyone else who dared oppose the High Orc rule in this city.

As the Blackrazors approached a patrol of High Orcs on horseback sprinted outwards to intercept them. The leader, dressed in grey chain mail armor, demanded to know who they were. Fulgar introduced them as simple traders looking to sell their furs in the city. The High Orc growled at them to follow them into fortification -- which he called Gra Storris -- where they would be processed.

Waiting to be processed

Once in the tent city, they were taken to a large wooden "processing" area, where the guards ordered them to go inside. They did so and found hundreds of other traders and merchentmen waiting to be processed by a handful of High Orc guards at the front of the room. As they waited, Kannett attempted to strike up a conversation with a guard.

"Did someone say you could talk to me?" the orcish guard growled.

"You’re missing out on a great opputunity to look at some excellent furs."

"I doubt that."

Kannett stepped back into line.

Freeman Passes

After buying four freeman passes at 200 gp a piece, from the guards at the processing center, the party was interrogated about their Brantis Hold cover story. They asked how the "traders" came to escape. "Kenn" – Kannett – told them he and his friends had come across evil undead things running around and fled at full speed, never looking back. The High Orcs tried to shake their story, but weren’t able and relucantly let them move on.

Gra-Storri

Once free the "traders" began walking toward the city, picking their way through the tent town. The ground of Gra-Storris was saturated by a vile combination of slime, bile, and waste. Bails of straw were ground into the wretched mud of the roadway. As the party approached the edge of the town they saw two groups of humanoids – one hobgoblin, the other orc. As they watched the two groups began exchanging a stream of obscenities in a mix of common and their respective languages. The shouting reached a fevered pitch and the two sides rallied around their two "champions." These two begin grunting and draw their weapons. The clang of their heavy axes rang through the crowd and the Blackrazors suddenly heard a harsh shout in what they'd come to recognize as High Orc. Immediately the bickering stopped and the two sides drew back from the infuriated combatants. Three High Orcs on horseback advanced, two wearing chainmail and riding brown horses while a third wore black platemail and rode on a large black warhorse.

One of the chainmail-wearing orcs advanced and sputtered something in hobgoblin and again in orc. The crowd was absolutely silent in response. The two combatants begin throwing accusations at each other. The lead high orc raised a hand. Both fall silent.

"We must be civilized to defeat our enemies," he said simply, and then dropped his hand. The two high orcs on his flanks fired their crossbow bolts at the orc and hobgoblin, striking home with deadly accuracy. The two humanoids collapsed, instantly dead.

The High Orcs withdrew. A hobgoblin near the party shook its head saidly. "Big bosses don’t like fighting but everyone wants fight. Everyone likes fight. But the bosses don’t like. Bosses were nice ... bosses didn’t put them on the Killing Way.

The Killing Way

The Killing Way was the new name for the main road leading into the city. The old name of the road had been erased by the blood spilled along the way -- 50 corpses lined each side of road way, crucified on crude wooden poles. The human, humanoid and demi-human corpses carried a grim message -- defy the High Orc regime, and face death ... or worse.

The Blackrazors walked through the city's only gate and found a human world swarming with humanoid overlords. While some humans walked freely, most were branded and many were obviously little more than slaves. They found rooms at The Iron Horn, a pub in the city's Wharf District, and preceeded to try and sell their furs. They also began to gather information about the city. Over the next few days, they learned about:

  • a rumored expedition by the High Orcs to the Bright Desert to recover some sort of artifact.
  • rumors of dark druid using the earth against enemies of the orc empire.
  • a mage speaking backwards (in marketplace).

They also saw an old enemy -- the fire mage Weri -- arrive in the city mounted on a huge red dragon. Satisified that they had gathered enough information, they left the city.

Planting 28th, CY 587

Home again

A half-day out of the city, the party linked up with Su-Quan, who had learned that the huge army was planning two strikes -- one against Blue to the west, and another against the Domain of Greyhawk to the north. The party stopped by the Masters farm to pick up their livestock and then headed to the human settlement where they had left Gnarth. They then headed back to Obsidian Bay. Gnarth, who was excited by the fight with the hill giants, decided to stay on with the Blackrazors and join their guild.

Once back in the city, the Blackrazors where debriefed by a depressed-looking underling of Jander Drachen, the city's lead intelligence officer. The underling said the information confirmed what they had heard from other agents who were in the city. Their mission completed, the tired Blackrazors retired to their guildhall.

Experience & Loot

  • No experience and/or loot is avalable for this saga.
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