Session 21: Fort Karouk

43rd day of Autumn, 185th Year of Vecna
As you step through the portal, you see Gorgyr standing there, focused and with fire in his eyes. It is clear that he finally sees a way to solve a problem he has been wrestling with for hundreds of years.

On the other side, The Guardians of Hope find themselves in a small storage room, surrounded by the sounds of battle. As they exit the storage room, they find themselves in the courtyard of a middle-sized fort. Orcs and soldiers wearing the black and gold uniforms of the Empire fight it out everywhere. The Guardians quickly join the fight, and help dispatch the orcs that have breached the walls of the fort.

After the fight, they are presented before Lord Commander Edward Manson, the noble in command of the fort. The Lord Commander thanks the Guardians for their assistance but bemoans the loss of Sir Alvaro Gomez, one of the soldiers who died to the orcs. The Lord Commander demands that the Guardians stay and help out.

After being done talking, a hill giant slams open the gates to the fort, and more orcs, this time led by an orc chieftain, surge into the fort. The fight is hard, but the Guardians manage to kill off their foes and close and repair the gate.

No sooner have they barred the gate and taken a breather, before the orcs launch another offensive, with several orcs getting over the walls, while an orc shaman flies in on the back of a large white dragon and attacks the Guardians.

The battle is long and hard, but in the end, they manage to best the vile beast.

With the orcs beaten back and without leadership, the Lord Commander calls on the Guardians....

NPC's of the session:
Gorgyr: Enigmatic lich who has a mystical connection to the Athas where the Guardians grew up. Gorgyr has given the Guardians of Hope a quest: One of them must become emperor of Khiran in order to gain access to the emperor's secret library. There Gorgyr expects they will find the secret of what happened thousands of years ago, when their Athas disappeared from Original Athas.

Lord Commander Edward Manson: Leader of Fort Karouk. An elderly man with short grey hair, cut military style. The Manson family is a small noble family out of New Tyr. Will soon give the Guardians a quest...

Sir Alvaro Gomez: Young member of the Gomez family, one of Ran's more influential noble families. Was sort of undercover at Fort Karouk, because he wanted no favors done to him. Killed by an orc, when left wounded alone by Jelastra.