I guess I’ll take this light-arrow to a convenient vantage point and fire it as high in the air as it will go, then (which should be fairly high as I’m not shooting for accuracy).
Of course, if I were being ostentatious, I’d catch it by the shaft on its way back down. 
[Northern accent ON]Now that’s just showin’ off![Northern accent OFF]
Will the Cavalry need further guidance?
Should you fire the arrow a couple more times?
Renee wonders the same thing as Ghân. One shot might not even get their attention. The arrow still has over an hour of use. Just mounting it in a high spot like the signal fire was built should be enough.
You folks enjoy yourselves. I’m going back to bed.
After covering Mulligan as he searches and binds the orc prisoners, Thoroncir too will wrap himself in his blanket and get some more sleep until daylight, unless our Elf-captain has some other duty in mind for him.
Ghân asks the following and promises fair judgement from the King if they help.
How many orcs were in this lair?
This is not their lair, they are from a nearby lair and were surprised when the hunting party from this cave failed to arrive.
Did you ever see the Shaman use the painted Red-Eye, and what did he say?
They have not seen, but they heard such things aid communication and concentration between the Shamans of Sauron.
Do you know of any other bands nearby, and do you ever work with them?
Well including their own band and this band, there is was more nearby.
Do you know anything about Hunter-Killers?
Their are 6 with our group and at least another 6 with the other largest.
How many Monstrous Spiders are there in the lair?
Don’t really know.
Ghân says he will tell the King that the orcs did help and deserve mercy. He asks some follow-up questions:
Where is your lair?
Can you draw us a rough map of your lair?
Has your lair got a Shaman (or other caster)?
How many orc troops in your lair?
How many entrances to your lair?
Do the entrances have guards (especially Monstrous Spiders)?
When are you expected back at your lair?*
*Ghân has a scary vision of the party all dressing up as orcs to sneak into the new lair. Small orcs, big orcs, mounted orcs … :eek: 
:smack:
Plainly the charismatic but unthreatening Wose is the man for this job - there is too much bad blood between their kind and mine for such civil discussion between us. 
Ghân certainly has a different view on life from more wordly races, with much history including wars.
Apart from training with Radagast, he hasn’t been out of the Druadan Forest much.
Thoroncir rouses from his sleep long enough to nudge Ghan. “Ask them who leads them, or where they ultimately get their orders from.” Then he rolls over and begins snoring.
Where is your lair? Can you draw us a rough map of your lair? Has your lair got a Shaman (or other caster)?
We live in one small section of the vast caverns in the peak to the east. The main tribe and the shaman live in a larger section.
The caves are far too complex to draw and they twist and turn back on themselves. If you enter, I doubt you would ever exit again. The caves are riddled with small tunnels going high and low and many secret doors and pits. We only know a small portion of them all.
How many orc troops in your lair?
Our group has only a gross or so, mostly us of the old Kuthran tribe. In the time before Sauron returned, we lived fairly peacefully and even traded with some of the dwarves of the East. But Sauron ordered us back several hundred years ago. He sent the Shadow Master to gather many smaller tribes that had lived happier not under his sway. The Uruk Hai and the hunter-killers have been put in charge of us, but they are not those that we would choose to lead us.
How many entrances to your lair? Do the entrances have guards (especially Monstrous Spiders)?
We have many ways in and out. In emergencies, most of our air vents could be fled out of but not used to enter. That and we interconnect to the main caves and in all there must be over 80 ways out or perhaps over 200. No entrances we use have spiders; in fact we keep the spiders off of and out of our mountain.
When are you expected back at your lair?*
An hour before dawn.
Ask them who leads them, or where they ultimately get their orders from.
Our old chief’s grandson is our leader but a particularly strong and skilled Uruk Hai commands our group as our Captain. He has five guards and six hunter-killers to control us. The Captain in turn obeys the Shaman. We don’t know who the Shaman follows, but we think it is one of Sauron’s Lieutenants of old.
The orcs seem to have collectively decided to be very cooperative.
Ghan, they sure could use you at Guantanamo…
Apparently Woses are naturals at the “good cop” end of it. Who knew?
Ghan, a word in your ear. I wonder what the chances of starting a rebellion would be? Plainly these orcs are not happy with the mischief they are being put to - and if they could go somewhere out of the way and do no harm, I for one would be delighted.
A proxy war with orc Montagnards? Now you’re talkin’!
I’m back.
I wonder what will happen when they do not return? Will their brethren even care, or will they simply be forgotten as casualties of war?
Ghân appreciates the party’s support.
He knows some of the violent history of Middle Earth and feels lucky that his tribe being ‘hidden away’ obviously makes it easier to negotiate.
Building on previous answers and party suggestions, Ghan continues:
you say your tribe do not want the Uruk Hai and the hunter-killers to lead you. Is your old chief’s grandson the ‘true leader’?
if so, what is the old chief’s grandson like? Would he appreciate freedom from the Uruk Hai and the hunter-killers? Would he consider working with men, or leaving the whole area? Would he like a fair share of the Uruk Hai’s treasure?
if you do not return an hour before dawn, will a report be made to anyone?
if we worked together to free your tribe and the alarm was raised, how long would it take for the other tribes and the Shaman to arrive in your area?
does the Lieutenant have … a mount? :eek:
P.S. Ghan’s plan for an orc rebellion will be safer if the Cavalry cover our retreat!
You say your tribe do not want the Uruk Hai and the hunter-killers to lead you. Is your old chief’s grandson the ‘true leader’?
We do not wish to be snaga to these Uruks. He would probably be our leader, but some might fight him for it.
If so, what is the old chief’s grandson like? Would he appreciate freedom from the Uruk Hai and the hunter-killers? Would he consider working with men, or leaving the whole area? Would he like a fair share of the Uruk Hai’s treasure?
We as a people would want to go back to the east, back to our old haunts. The treasure would be nice of course.
If you do not return an hour before dawn, will a report be made to anyone?
Yes and the Shaman will grow suspicious and check all the local tribes.
If we worked together to free your tribe and the alarm was raised, how long would it take for the other tribes and the Shaman to arrive in your area?
The caves are interconnected. It could be very fast.
Does the Lieutenant have … a mount? :eek:
We don’t know, we don’t know who the Shaman reports to.
Ask the orcs what they think of this plan:
a couple of orcs report back in good time. They say that there was an argument, followed by a fight between a Monster Spider and some orcs and that is why the hunting party has been delayed.
once the party have reloaded spells, the rest of the orcs go back and say the hunting party is following behind them.
the orcs try to get the tribe to prepare to rebel against their cruel Overlords, with the promise of freedom to come, back home in the East. They would choose their own leader on the journey. If enough agree, they signal the party.
the party, together with the Cavalry, will attack on another agreed signal.
(Naturally Ghân asks the party what they think - personally Ghân thinks this will be a triumphant start to clearing a massive cave complex. Of course it could be a disaster…)
The orcs are collectively good with the idea. They would like to know what kind of signal and what time of day would the attack come and would you like us to lure the Uruks outside?
Renee thinks the plan is wonderful. Maybe the rebellion could even spread.
Now what does the party think?