Short, sweet - the way it should be.
Ok, what’s the catch :dubious:
Excellent! Swift, painless, no danger to captives - just the way we like it. Gil-Gandel, keeping an eye out all round for any orcish reinforcements, goes to the archer he dropped and has a look to see if the arrows in its quiver are at all usable. He already knows they will not be as good as his own, maybe not as good as he could pick up at any decent bowyer’s, but in case this is the tip of something major he could do with some spare reloads. If they are, he’ll help himself to the quiver as well. Also recover the three that are presently sticking in orcs, if they’re intact.
Man, we’re the Delta Force of Middle-earth! Woot!
“Well done, my friends, well done indeed!” Thoroncir, exultant, will ride carefully around the perimeter of the battle scene, looking out into the woods in case of counterattack.
Alert to the possibility that this might be too good to be true, Theogrim will quickly dismount and reclaim his lance from the body of the fallen orc. He will then remount and check on Deor. “No bumps or bruises, I trust?”
Well done everyone!
Captives rescued safely, all enemies dispatched or helpless (none able to summon reinforcements) and no casualties.
Ghân checks in with Mulligan and suggests they cure the captives using the Goodberries (which will decay in a couple of days) first. Then Ghân castsCLW as required.
Apparently no party memeber is injured, but they get cured too!
Ghân thanks Moose for his efforts.
What Exit?, I’d like to carefully ask Moose if he wants to talk about his origin. (I wonder if he is perhaps a Reincarnated Fighter?)
He congratulates Deor on his Sleep, which was most useful. Building on what Brin said, Ghân suggests that keeping a second Sleep in reserve to deal with reinforcements is definitely an option…
Ghân asks Anthor if his family are all accounted for. If so, are these are his wagons?
He asks Merry if the party should prepare to return to where Norvon (Anthor’s father) is waiting.
Brin realizes that in following the trail the Orcs tried to take, we have circled most of the way back to the road.
For the next few minutes at least, all is quiet and calm.
Gil-Gandel successfully recovers his 3 arrows.
Brin recovers both of his, but the one that struck the orc is worse for wear.
Merry recovers his arrow.
Theogrim’s lance is recovered with ease.
The five captives are trussed and I assumed gagged.
Anthor says, “This is my family and our wagons, how can we ever repay you.”
His mom and the oldest of his brothers are the only ones injured. The eight berries have them fine for travel. Anthor gives him mom the joyful news that “Pa is alive.”
Moose in moose in answering Ghân’s question, “Moose is.” After a few more careful questions, “Moose hates orcs, always have since they ate my Mom, I have been killing them since then.”
Merry, “I do think we should return to Norvon, but perhaps it will take a while, maybe there is an easier way to the road or someone could go back and get him.”
…
Gwaelur: Well that was fun and easy. We make a good team. But I fear that it was too easy. Didn’t Anthor say at the Inn that there were close to a score or Orcs? Some are missing.
**
Scans Darkness for approaching creatures.**
ETA: Simulposting with the DM can make you look silly.
After handing the Goodberries back to Ghan, Mulligan will be Loot^h^h^h^h searching the Orc bodies for any valuables or trinkets of worth that the family can use.
Less finder’s fee 
Wow! I didn’t expect to get five orcs with one sleep! Very nice, and only one spell cast!
We’re not a very down-and-dirty type party, are we? Only one Dwarf fighting on foot- the rest are ranged or on horseback and blow right through enemies, leaving little time for retaliation.
Did I use cantrips to tie up the orcs, or do I still have those available.
Begin searching the orcs for any valuables. If anything comes up, ask Anthar if it belongs to his family before looting it. Particularly check the “Advanced Orc”- what does that mean, anyway? Spellbooks would be a godsend.
Whistle Folca down, find some way to write a message (scratched on bark, maybe?) that she can bring to Norvon, telling him that all is safe and someone will return for him soon. Between Ghan and I, we ought to be able to help her understand what to do.
“Clean and clear,” Deor tells Theogrim.
DM: What does Ghân’s conversation with Moose sound like? Is Ghân speaking the common tongue and Moose responding in kind? Are they bellowing at each other like mooses? Is it silent/mental?
Theogrim: Aye, Gwaelur, Anthon said there were a score of orcs, but darkness and panic may have caused him to inflate their numbers somewhat. In any event, we should probably expect there’s another group of them somewhere around here.
No! Anthar specifically said that he was waylaid by “orcs and foul men!” There must be more to this.
Theogrim is still thinking of the sleep spell.
Theogrim: “Deor, little brother, that was quite the trick. To fell five at once, and so quietly…it would be a hard feat to match that by force of arms. Well done.”
Well, I was pleased. I never thought I could fell more than three at once.
Thoroncir will also congratulate Deor and will offer some paper and a quill from his writing kit to write a note, rather than have to use bark. The sea-knight will continue to keep an eye out around the perimeter.
Excellent! I’ll write the note immediately and send it off.
Deor: “Should we wake up the tied orcs? They might have some good information. What should we do with them, anyway?”
“A mighty piece of dweomercrafting, Deor.”
Gil-Gandel blows a shrill blast between his fingers to summon Cúran, then says "I doubt that these vile Orcs will have aught to say of their own good will, but I will not see such as these put to the question under pain. The Valar do not look kindly on those who become the thing they hate. If they must be put to the sword, then so be it, so long as it is done mercifully and with all speed. However, perhaps one of our magicians knows an enchantment that may render one of them more amenable?
“And Deor has spoken wisely. It would be well to learn what was behind this piece of banditry, and not to count the task complete merely because the present bandits are captured or slain.”
Anthor says, “Deor is correct, I think there were a score or more and at least two men or goblin men. They are not all accounted for.”
Mulligan begins patting down the dead and sleeping, this will take some time.
Deor can be pleased indeed. There was no need to cast more than his sleep spell and plenty of hands to tie the orcs manually.
The Advance Orc, simply meant the Orc acting as the advanced scout. However on closer inspection, he was larger and one of the goblin men. That was a mighty blow by Theogrim indeed.
Moose and Ghân’s conversations are in a fairly quiet Moose most of the time.
Merry: “We should wake the orcs, one at a time and get what information we can from them. Thankfully the what to do with them will be easy. Within an hour, Gimli should be arriving with some large reinforcements. We can turn the five over to them and let them have the King’s justice.” Hearing what Gil-Gandel had to add, “The elf is wise and we should listen to his advice.”
“Of course!” says Gil-Gandel. “I should have thought of the King’s justice myself. The sight of Orcish bandits led me to forget that these are no longer lawless times. King Elessar will treat them as they deserve.”
Aye, the King’s Justice is best I suppose, but we should at least question them in the meantime.
Spellcaster, wake the prisoners. I have some questions as to what they were doing and where they were heading.
Thoroncir, Theogrim, would you mind having your sword drawn and ready in case the wakened prisoners decide they wish to cause troble.