My thought is quick and quiet is best for us. We don’t really want to draw extra attention to ourselves.
We have, what, 4 archers now and there are 12 of them? Mirion and Gil, and are flanking. Can Thor see well enough to loose an arrow before the battle starts? I can take out at least one with my xbow before I switch to my axe for melee. Our elven archers can probably take out two each before anyone notices a battle has started, am I right?
So that’s half their number. We should be able to subdue the other 6 quickly and quietly.
Brin and Thoroncir will have a hard time hitting in this dark. Brin would have a better chance, but still diminished. For the humans it is melee work I believe.
The orcs approaching in close, most have bows out and ready, 2 orcs go further ahead. When the main groups of orcs get within entangle range, Ghân entangles their group. 6 are entangled and 2 are slowed.
Miron shoots the one of the orcs not entangled and hits him and kills him. Gil-Gandel shoots another not entangled and then misses him, the orc returns fire but also misses. Gil-Gandel hits him and kills him.
Gwaelur shoots and hits a nearby orc that had scouted ahead, drops his crossbow down gently and grabs his axe and shield. The orc is injured but alive.
Thoroncir and Hodwain charge at the two lead orcs. Hodwain has a nasty looking two-hand sword out and Thoroncir his +2 Númenórean Long sword.
Brin moves ahead to where the orcs are entangled or slowed.
Miron hits a slowed orc and kills it.
Thoroncir hits and kills the healthy orc and Hodwain quickly ends the injured orcs life. They charge ahead with Gwaelur catching up to them.
Miron takes his final shot but misses the last slowed orc who chose to drop to the ground and try to crawl out of his nightmare.
Brownie is in the air scouting.
The Hobbits and Deor appear to have chosen wisely and Renee has not even bothered with her song.
Thoroncir will kill this and the other entangled orcs, consistent with our past practice (esp. as we’re still in “enemy territory,” and there may be a vampire out there), unless Gil-Gandel, Ghan or Renee bid him stay his hand.
Miron will attempt to help Thoroncir dispose of the orcs. “I would normally attempt to save several for interrogation,” he hisses, “But we’ve never had luck with this group in the past, so I have no reason to think that these particular orcs will be any different.”
Miron will glance around the party to make sure that nobody is injured. If his healing skills aren’t needed, he’ll tell the party that he’s going to take a quick look around out.
Having said that, he’ll conceal himself and do a short, 5-ish minute circuit of the surrounding area to check for additional hostiles.
Thoroncir says, “Let us pile the orc-corpses together where we can see them from concealment. It may be that they will attract the vampire, and we may then attack while it feeds and is thus distracted. If not, we may burn the orcs in a pyre when day comes, and then quit this place.”
If he’s back from his quick look around, Miron will be quick to remind everyone that it’s worth checking the group for loot before doing anything with the corpses.
“Something disturbing occurs to me,” Miron comments, having (presumably) returned from his sweep. “Our plan to go for additional intelligence assumed that we would be capable of leaving here without alerting the patrols, but now that we’ve been forced to eliminate some of their number, does anyone think that the additional intelligence we might gain is worth it? By the time we return the orcs will have doubtlessly noticed the disappearance of their comrades, even if we manage to hide the bodies. This might cause them to step up their patrols or to reinforce their defenses… we have Hodwain, and he appears to have reasonably proven himself. Why not strike at dawn, as to at least preserve the element of surprise?”
You’re right about the missing patrol. But Ghân still feels strongly that we should learn all about the Being before fighting it.
Hodwain hasn’t done anything suspicious, but didn’t manage to kill any orcs either.
Our combat record versus orcs is impressive - we took the last lot without losing a hit point (and without using Hodwain or Riglo).
Answering Riglo, Thoroncir says, “My impression is that the vampire is elsewhere, somewhere out in the wilderness, and that the orcs gather prey for it from time to time. The Hobbits found no sign that the vampire abides in the orc-lair. I doubt a creature so fearsome as that would live with orcs, but we know so little about it that I suppose it’s possible.”
The Sea-Knight is willing to raid the orc-lair in the morning, but agrees with Renee that it would probably be better to withdraw to Minas Tirith and learn more about the vampire without risking the Hobbits on another scouting expedition.
Did Deor and the Hobbits find anything of interest on the orc corpses?