“While I’m confident in my personal skills,” Miron observes, “Against such a tremendous opponent I’m worried that my lack of familiarity with the party’s tactics will put us at risk- I was sent here as a messenger, and I can take care of myself on the road, so perhaps I should be the one to seek additional information from Caramir?”
As I’ve mentioned before I’ll be away on vacation from July 4th-July 27th, so this might be a good excuse for Miron to get away in the meantime.
Miron, the tactic is simple. Stay out of sight and verify if it exists.
If we get into a fight, we will regret it. I have no doubt that no-one here wants to be in that situation.
Considering its actions, after a couple of nights you are likely to be on your way.
Should give enough time for the initial encounter before you have to leave for summer holiday
Agreed. Where is our gallant and wily Elf-captain? Last we heard, he said “We shall press on.”
So should we go on, or wait for our captain to report back in?
I would prefer it if our captain did check in and give us the ok
I’ve PM’d Malacandra. With luck he’ll check in soon. I’ve been hankering for some Middle-earth adventuring, and hope we can get this rolling soon.
Yes, I’m waiting to see what kind of trouble we can get into next!
I say press on. But in the event of further silences from me, remember that I have a second-in-command, and I trust his wise judgment and ask you to do likewise.
Thanks, people. However, after a spell of joblessness I now have a temporary appointment as a warehouseman, of all things, and that means early rising, late home, and… somewhat of fatigue. 
Consequently, although I’ve been enjoying this campaign immensely (what’s not to like, it’s D&D and Jim is nearly as big a Tolkien geek as I am 
) I’m necessarily going to find it hard to keep up for now. I do hope to repair this as I get used to the change in lifestyle and I ask for your continued patience.
That means you Ghan
Good to see you back online Mal. Best of luck with the job or perhaps best of luck finding a better job. 
Congrats on the job. However, I think I must take offense to the statement that I am not as big a Tolkien Geek. I will of course yield to **QtM ** on this board, but no others! I am reading the History of the Hobbit currently and then I plan to reread all 12 tomes of HOMES.
Back to the game:
The camp is set and Riglo heads off to scout. “I will return in 6 days tops. I suggest you choose caution over assault, but do what you feel is best”. He leaves his shovel.
The party builds its hideouts and covers tracks and erases signs of the activities. Ghân casts several Plant growths over the next three days to build natural extremely well disguised orc blinds.
There is no activities and birds and critters are strangely absent. Fang reports a dread of being here. The birds echo this dread. The polecat is hungry and wants to play.
The cold campfires are improved by the goodberries that Ghân provides and the regular berries growing inside some of the orc blinds.
Do you continue waiting?
In spite of the boredom that may be setting in, Elfstan votes that we stay here at least until Riglo returns. Perhaps we can do some more scouting for nearby orcs during the day?
Given that we’ve gone to the trouble of digging in, Ghân would like the party to wait for Riglo’s return.
Ghân doesn’t think we should scout until we know more about Vampires or why the area is so deserted.
Once Riglo returns, the party can decide how best to inform Caramir of our suspicions. (Ghân is grateful to Miron for offering to travel alone, but it is risky - wild animals / band of orcs / night vampire etc.)
Given we may need magic weapons (or spells) to hit the Vampire, please could the party ‘check in’ if they have such weapons…
…Ghân has a magic Scimitar
(good luck Malacandra and hurry back!)
Good to hear from you, Malacandra, and I hope things improve for you soon. It’s just not the same without you!
Thoroncir favors remaining here at least until Riglo’s return. He offers to write a concise report for one of the party’s birds to take to Prince Caramir. To answer Glee’s question, Thoroncir has a magical +2 Numenorean longsword, and will continue to practice with it during daylight hours with any of the party’s swordsmen who care to join him.
Elfstan believes that if any sword can strike a blow against this creature, Sting should be able to do so. He also has some special silver +1 sling bullets.
If Elfstan’s sword can’t hit this thing, we’re in all kinds of trouble. Of course, if he’s going toe to toe with it, we’re still in all kinds of trouble.
While I’m here, then…
My Elven blades should be up to the task, although I suspect Sting does indeed carry off the prize - they made very good swords in Gondolin, and this weapon has pierced the foul hide of Shelob, no less (as Elfstan will know to his enormous and justified pride): a lesser daughter of Ungoliant, true, but as great a bane as has troubled the world in these latter ages.
But from family history Elfstan will also know that it is good to be overlooked on the battlefield.
Miron is also in favor of waiting for Riglo’s return. If our stakeout hasn’t produced results by then, it might be useful to try and map the territory that’s devoid of critters: that might give us a decent idea of the hunting ground’s size.
I see no reason to depart until Riglo gets back, although I am tempted to have a little further look around the area.
As for hitting it, I have some +1 Silver Bullets as well as several normal silver bullets.
Otherwise, I would have to fall back on my wits 
While we’re here, Miron will probably spend a bit of time each day, when it’s nice, bright, and inhospitable to vampires, searching for herbs or interesting plants.
By the way, what’s the story on the paralyzing solution Ghan and Miron were talking about?
Two days later, 5 since Riglo set out, a small band of Orcs wander by at about 2am. Miron is on the close watch for this event. They are near the area were the vampire apparently got the last orc victim.
Miron overhears the following conversation. “We have only two nights to find a victim or Old Volchuk the Limper will have to be given up.”
Another foul orc, “Volchuk might be lame, but he has a good head for strategy and capturing prisoners alive. I would hate to lose him.”
First orc voice, “Well he failed us this time, it must be do to the damn horseman that disrupted the Shaman’s lair and plans. I think the Shaman is dead and his Snaga are in hiding.”
Third orc voice, “Let’s get one of those men. A man for Grilianch and sweet horseflesh for us.”
First orc voice, “Too dangerous, though I would like that horseflesh and Grilianch would like some human heart for a change.”
How interesting.
Does this mean we have a tribe giving up Orcs to a Vampire called Grillanch on a regular basis.
By the sounds of it, the raid further south caused more problems to them than we expected, although it sounds like the Orcs are getting desperate enough to attack Caramir’s band just to appease the Vampire.
We need to know how many Orcs are in this tribe and what is in the area. Riglo is back tomorrow and should hopefully have some good news. If he doesn’t appear, I have this feeling he will be Vampire food. Alive, but in need of rescue.
I hope that is not going to be the case.
Is it worth trailing these Orcs back to their lair? They do not know we are here and I would guess our resident Dark Entity is nearby to them.