Ragnar nods his acknowledgement of your instructions and plans and says, "Sounds like I'll be fighting something by night's end."
The two of you set off into the night, with low visibility. You have to slow your pace to ensure you don't run your horse into any holes and break his foot, or worse, go down a hill and break Kallen's leg. Despite your troubles, Ragnar and the worg have no trouble with the darkness of night. You think perhaps they can see in the dark, Orcs and Worgs, but you'd only heard such things in rumors. Several times, Ragnar heads you off and directs you around obstacles you didn't quite see.
(Encounter Roll - 20)
Despite the dangers of night travel through what you expected to be a war zone, you encounter nothing other than the occasional owl or the howling of wolves in the distance. It's roughly sometime after midnight when you come in sight of Castle Rafont.
While you might've expected huge siege lines surrounding the keep, it wasn't quite that kind of siege. There was a large river, River Erund, protecting the castle and marking the kingdom's northern border. There was only a single large stone bridge providing crossing and you see war camps positioned on both sides of this river, who are only visible due to the hundreds of torches lining both camps.
It seems that House Rafont's bannermen are holding the Orcs at the bridge, but it was clear they only had a few hundred soldiers and the Orc camp across the river easily numbered into the thousands.
To the south of the encamped armies was the castle itself. While Castle Ferdaux had a sizable town around its walls, Rafont's castle-town is all but abandoned. The houses look deserted and evacuated. You induce that the people were likely taking shelter in the castle itself rather than their homes with an invading army so close.
Ragnar whistles and says, "That's a lot of tusks. Never seen that many Orcs together and not fighting each other."
Character SheetSpoiler (click to show/hide):
Name:Juliana Baird
Age:24
Race:Human
Class: Ranger
Level: 2
HP: 10/15
AC: 16
Armor Class: 16 (10+DEX+2 [Leather Armor])
Status: Healthy.
XP: 2300/3000
Corruption: 10/100 (+2 on CHA rolls to persuade with sex/flirting, -2 on Will rolls to resist sexual activity)
Fame: 5
Leadership Score: 4
Current Party: Ragnar (Barbarian).
Other Allies: Alphonse (Fighter).
Attributes (Clerics use WIS for spells, Wizards use INT)
STR 15(+2)
DEX 18(+4)
CON 10(+0)
INT 7(-2)
WIS 12(+1)
CHA 14(+4)
Traits: Incestuous (Brother), Orc Fetish/Cum Addiction, Hound Fetish.
Skills: Knowledge(Nature), Survival, Perception, Ride
Feats: Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot.
Class Abilities
Track: A Ranger receives a bonus equal to half her Ranger level (minimum 1) to tracking.
Wild Empathy: A Ranger can attempt to improved the attitude of animals with a bonus equal to her ranger level + her charisma modifier.
Favored Enemy (Undead): The Ranger receives a bonus against hunting and fighting their favored enemies.
Combat Style (Archery): All Rangers have a preferred combat style, granting them bonus feats.
Equipment: Longsword, Dagger, Falchion, Longbow, 10 arrows Leather armor, Buckler, Light Horse.
Money: 215 GP.
Appearance: 5'8, 120 lbs
https://cdn0.artstation.com/p/assets/im ... 1451991313 PartyRagnar, Son of Rothvar
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Orc Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Relationship Status: Friendly.
Level: 2
HP: 3/26
AC: 13
Attributes
STR 20
DEX 12
CON 16
INT 7
WIS 10
CHA 7
Trait: Coordinated Strike.
Skills: Survival, Perception.
Feats: Toughness.
Class Abilities: Rage, Fast Movement, Uncanny Dodge, Rage Power (Scent).
Equipment: Greataxe, Leather Armor.
Appearance: 7'0ft, 305 lbs