This, apparently, was not uncommon, and the orcs of Dragonreach mustered into a horde each summer. Over the last twelve years, the city's great archmage Omroth "the Fire of Pyre" had ventured forth alone (with a wagon of trade goods) to each gathering orc horde and negotiated a peaceful settlement. With Omroth's recent death (at the hands of several PC adventurers, see Game Thirteen), new heroes were needed to handle the negotiations and avert a war.
The heroes journeyed to Tog'Garog, an orc trading ground in the Red Waste and found the horde. They quickly deduced that three major tribes were competing in a series of "debates" to decide whether the horde should attack or not.
The Ironback Tribe were the strongest and most numerous. While King Gorgur "Bonebreaker" was ambivalent on whether to attack the City of Pyre, his son Prince Khorag "Orog-Blood" was vigorously competing in the debates to push for war.
The third great orc tribe, the Savage Tusk Tribe, led by Chief Rehghar "Gray Tusk," was ambivalent on the question, but his sons were said to favor war as well...
The orc "debates" were actually a series of random-seeming trials devised by the inscrutable cabal of orc shamans. When a group won a "debate," it was awarded a yellowed skull to place beneath that tribe's standard. The first to win five skulls would decide the question put to the shaman council: "war," or "no war."
Our heroes found the debates were already underway, with the Ironback Tribe already having won three skulls, and the Greenskin and Savage Tusk tribes having won two skulls each. The heroes planted their own flag and entered the debates - but were soon joined by a strange wizard, Maledictus "the Metal Mage," who was pushing the horde to war...
Our heroes' skill was tested in many "debates," including: a cockatrice-eating contest against a stone giant; combat against a Greenskin warrior with torches while both sides were soaked in oil; facing an angry mother owlbear; a "wetbreaches" debate to tell the scariest tale; and the "manysnake" debate fighting various other champions while being chased around by a hydra.
They were aided by Heddrak "the Howler", a Savage Tusk warrior, whose friendship they earned through their bravery...
But, in the end, the prevailed, saving the City of Pyre from war - but not before slaying Prince Ragnok, and earning the wrath of the Greenskin Tribe!
Along the way, they learned that two of the legendary Seven Swords are orcs! Queen Gorgonna being the Fifth Sword, and the genial Grotnob "Axe Burner" being the Second Sword.
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