“As I lay here on the cold, wet and bloody ground, I will make what may be my last report.
We arrived in camp several days ago and sought out friends to help us in our mission of seeking out a corruption site and by ritual, contain the corruption for further study. Pack Spiritclaw was very eager to help us.
I exchanged words with the war pack leader. I asked for his help in finding a corruption site so we could study it to find a way to fight against it. He stated that we were in the swamp to fight not to study. He only wanted to burn the sites, not study them. We started out this morning to clear out a Mordok encampment they had found earlier. It was defended only by young and inexperienced whelps. Victory was too easy.
Note: perhaps this is how the Mordok train their young to fight? The weak die.
We marched on to the second encampment, and in route a corruption site was found, by the bard no less! As the research team went into action, I fought with the war pack to level the second Mordok camp. When I returned, the research had been completed and the site cleansed of all corruption. The war pack leader didn’t seem happy that the Order had stopped at the corruption site, but I pointed out that I was there with him in battle helping. He had no choice but to leave it at that but he is suspicious of what we were doing. Having sustained damage to our armor, SuuNalla and I went back to camp for repairs. We missed the third village fight, but I believe the fighting was getting harder as the Mordok seemed to put up more fight the deeper into the swamp we went.
The fourth battle was hard. The Mordok were larger and much more experienced, but we achieved a victory. A discussion ensued that we all had a voice in as to end the day or fight one more battle. Blood lust was upon me and I agreed we should go one more fight. That was bad judgement on my part. We stopped to mend armor and regain mana and pushed on before we should have. The front ranks ran into a solid wall of battle hardened Mordok, they were stopped cold. We should have known to turn back then, but we didn’t. I fought on the front line shooting arrow after arrow but they would not move back. I was hit by one of their archers and moved to the rear to recast protection onto myself. At this point, SuuNalla asked if we should be leaving. I was going to say yes but three Mordok flanked us and to keep the trail open we were forced to fight them off. I did not know that the warpack leader was already wounded and sent back to camp with several others. Magnus took charge but sent more wounded back thus depleting the front line. He called retreat and I was furious that the line bolted and ran, leaving several wounded behind. I turned to go back to the shield wall protecting the retreat but was astounded to find that there was no line. SuuNalla was with me as was Revin, holding back the Mordok flankers and we were left behind as we held the line for the others. May it be entered into the books- that of SuuNalla: of her courage and honor in staying with me to the end so that others may live. This is decreed by Capt. Orrin Ree Griffin of the Order of Arnath’s Light.
Knowing I wasn’t going to make it I told SuuNalla to run and turned back to see 8 to 10 Mordok pounding down the trail 20 feet away. I used my bow as a shield, drew my sword and met their charge in Arnath’a name! I went down quicker than the time it takes to slip on your boot. The only reason I wasn’t killed immediately was that I was grappled by a Mordok and the others who slashed with great ardor didn’t get clean blows. I was cut deep and bled profusely. The Mordok were in such a hurry to kill more that they left me for dead. I lay there, letting them think that. The day grew long and eventually dark. I used some dirty bandages I had on me and managed to stop most of the bleeding and crawl behind a large log. Even then, the screams of the wounded being killed or tortured are ringing out into the night. I think I am going to pass out…. I hear something is coming my way… I think this is the end.. I need t—
Report:
The Eagles of Arnath go north to the site of the battle which reportedly took Brother Orrin’s life. They wade through the mud, bramble, and thick underbrush until they get to the site of the battle. They look around at the dried blood sprays of the slain, arrows in trees, and the sundered shields. After going back some ways they find what should be the spot where they would find Brother Orrin’s body. However, instead of finding a body, they find only a bloody trail, as if someone was dragged or crawled off some distance. They followed the trail for a good few hundred yards before the trail goes cold; however they note that the trail was heading south out of the swamp. We will keep looking.
As I lay on the cold wet ground in the middle of a miserable swamp; below a terrifying Mordok, the only thought in my head was that I couldn’t save anyone. The one time I had tried to save someone ended with a spear plunging through that poor Ulven’s chest and I didn’t even know his name. I ran in terror when I should have stayed and fought, and that ultimately was my undoing. Everything came rushing into a very clear focus as the noises of retreat came flooding into my senses. As a Mordok brought his spear down to finish me he must have lost focus for a split second and missed my vitals as he stabbed. That could be the only explanation that makes sense, or could it have been by some divine intervention. In a rush the Mordok ran after the rest of our forces eager for another kill. They are savages in every right and my reports to the Prince have defined that explicitly. I dared not move a single muscle for what seemed like an eternity but I knew there were others in this swamp, the ones left behind by the quick retreat. If I was spared by some divine force, I had to make every second count.
The fear was spreading through my veins like ice and I could barely move, but I had to and I knew there was no other option besides death. As I stumbled through the wet tall grass, fading in and out of cognition, I saw a man in armor donned with a red tabard. That was a member of the Order and I had seen him in camp! I ran, or rather stumbled my way to the man trying my best to offer assistance in any way I could. When I got there, I fell to his feet. I don’t know much about first aid but he helped me stifle my bleeding. We sat and waited, trying to recover what little energy we could to get ourselves out of this cursed land. We shared what little rations I had left in my pack and he told me about the Eagles and how they were bound to come out looking for him. After a short rest he used some sort of magic to bind together my wounds making me able to move slightly better. I knew that we had to hide from the Mordok for they would eventually return to loot our bodies for any treasures or trophies we might have, and hide we did. The tall grass and many fallen trees made it slightly easier to evade the impending doom that was sure to befall my new companion and I. When the sun had set the true terror of the swamp was revealed. The darkness has always been quite the fright for me ever since I was a child but even now the darkness seemed to claw at my soul, reaching deep within me and instilling a grotesque sense of dread. All we could do was wait and try our bests not to let the Mordok hear us or let the cold take us in the night. I could never have been more elated to see the sunrise; it meant that we could make it out of here. The orange glow of the rising sun gave me hope that I could have a future even when hours before I had contemplated if it was all really worth it or if I should have just lay on the ground with those warriors and bled to death. But that was no time for negative thinking, we had to press on and I had to prove my worth to Orin. Together we shambled our way closer to what we hoped was safety until we heard movement in the trees ahead. I couldn’t believe that we had made it this far just to be cut down by a patrolling Mordok but when the sound of the movement came closer it wasn’t a Mordok at all. The exhaustion and relief washed over me as I saw what I presumed to be one of the Eagles that Orin had told me about. I was saved. I owe everything I have to Orin Ree, he saved my life. Every breath I take from this moment is a gift, and it shall not be wasted.
Report:
Captain Orrin Ree and a companion named Claudio has been found in very poor condition and will be taken to the nearest camp and treated by a healer. More reports to follow.”