The adventurers try to find a good safe harbor for the boat and one which is not in plain sight from the mainland. It takes a bit of looking but they finally find a good spot. Bebe, Cian (and Kentaka his familiar), Cinn Oir (and her Brown Bear), Dierdre (and her familiar Tabby), and Liam (and his light warhorse) strike inland after heading south along the coast for a bit. They move at a quick pace hoping to intercept the ogres along the road. Cian takes to the air and provides recon throughout the day regarding the ogre’s position. They are moving slowly, but are still a day’s journey inland and the road they are following is edging inland as well.)

Toward the end of the day, Cian spots something tailing the group at about a quarter mile distance. He flies in for a closer look. The creature tries to hide but gives up as it sees Cian circling close to it’s position. It is a large humanoid figure with greenish warty skin and long gangly limbs. Greasy black hair is pulled back in a crude ponytail to reveal its sunken eyes and long pointed nose. Cian flies back to the group to report. They decide to get rid of the creature and turn to fight it.

Cian returns to take up a position in the skies right above the creature. It tries to hide once again but finds it can’t lose Cian and his keen eye. So it steps out of the brush on a hillside and waits. Soon, the rest of the party shows up, ready to do battle. Bebe strides forward, axe in hand, while Liam fires a shot with his bow. The arrow bounces harmlessly off the creature’s scale armor, and it steps forward, raising a hand in the air.

"We speak" the creature grumbles in a gruff but distinctly female voice.

Confused, the group steps forward. Bebe being the closest, seems to be the center of this conversation and the creature seems to give her most of its attention. The female creature tells them that her master sent her to speak with them. She explains that she has been looking for them for a while, ever since she got word of her master’s new fort in the south being destroyed. She then asks the group to share camp with her "friends" and listen to her master’s proposal.

The group is not at all inclined to do so, though they are intrigued. Bebe agrees and then recalls her geas to never refuse the hospitality of a stranger. She has yet to meet anyone stranger and the offer did sound like hospitality, albeit a potentially dangerous one. So, they follow the female creature (which Cian identifies as a Troll from a combination of Arcane Knowledge and Eyrian Lore) further inland. Within a few hours of travel it becomes clear that this troll’s "friends" are the same group of ogres that Cian spotted from the air.

They do rest at night, though the troll pushes on till late evening before stopping. The next morning they are on the move again and they reach the camp by late afternoon. A small encampment atop a large hill, the party can make out several lumbering shapes against the sky. Makeshift hide tents dot the hilltop and one larger tent sits on the eastern side. It flies a banner displaying a crude flame holding an iron pot overflowing with a red splash. The troll motions for them to wait and she proceeds ahead of them to speak with a growing crowd of curious ogres.

Cian, impatient, flies forward and lands on the shoulder of the troll. She pauses and barely turning her head, gives him a murderous glare from her beady yellowish eyes. She then speaks to several ogres that have come forward to greet her saying that "They are here, go tell him." She keeps it brief and turns to the rest of the party, motioning them forward. Cian returns to them under a baleful glare.

The party is escorted to the very heart of this encampment. There they are led into the larger of the tents smelly hide tents. Before them, seated on a large rock, is an ogre dressed in chainmail, his hand draped over a double bladed axe. He glares at them menacingly, almost growling as Cian, Bebe and Liam enter the tent. Beside him stands another brutish ogre dressed in scale mail and leaning slightly on a huge greatclub at his side.

The ogre tells them he is Ararg, lieutenant in Clan Boiling Blood. He states that his master took note of them when they destroyed the forces at his advance fort. The party tries to play dumb on this point but the ogre simply growls, looks at Liam, Cian (who has not spoken yet) and Bebe and sarcastically sates "You meet the description." He says that his master was impressed (and he looks highly skeptically at the party with that statement) and he wishes to give them a proposal.

Bebe bluntly asks where this master is and why isn’t she talking to him. The ogre responds that he speaks for his master in this case. Bebe is not at all satisfied with that answer. The ogre then states that if they wish to meet this master, they can travel south with them to the fort which they plan to retake. Their master is due to meet them there within the next few days. Bebe growls and whirls around, leaving the tent.

Aragh growls at Bebe’s departure and keeps speaking with growing impatience himself. Liam interrupts saying that he refuses to help them cut down the woods. Aragh snorts and says the woods are inconsequential. Aragh continues by saying that they travel south to build an army and take back their ancestral homelands. Liam then presses him as to which lands exactly he is referring to. Aragh states the lands south of the Woods of course.

Liam objects and Aragh tells him they would be compensated greatly for their assistance and spared the certain death of the rest of the populace of the south. Liam begins to object again and now Cian steps in. Cian goes ahead and speaks and tells them they need some time to think about it. Aragh growls and agrees saying they have one day to give him an answer. Cian agrees to this and says they will return tomorrow with their answer. Aragh tells him that they will "think about it" here.

The group is escorted to a site to make their camp in the exact middle of the ogre encampment. They protest and eventually set up camp right on the edge of the ogre camp. As night falls, activity begins to increase. Crowds at their camp fluctuate amidst brutal revelry (the ogres are quite happy they dont have to be on the move and are killing time "ogre style"). The noise and odor is atrocious but the party manages to get some sleep, with persistent watches of course. Those on watch notice that of the varying flow of ogres gawking at their campsite, there seem to be five who are always there, presumably to keep an eye on them.

The next morning the group rises and begins to set a plan into motion. Cian is pretty optimistic that they can take the camp which he counts 20 ogres plus the two officers. The others express their reservations, except Bebe of course who has been acting funny ever since she set eyes on the leader’s axe. She feels it is a must have for her collection and is thus more than willing to split a few skulls.

At sunrise, they notice the ogres in the camp have all gathered near the center. Aragh, the leader, seems to be the center of attention. Cian flies in and perches on a tent to listen. Aragh eyes him as he does and when Cian lands he tells him to inform his friends their time is up. A brief argument ensues and Cian makes several snide comments, mostly regarding the quality of Aragh’s men. Aragh offers a demonstration. As one of the ogre’s levels a spear to toss at Cian, Cian decides to head back to the group to tell them of the impatient ogres.

They quickly figure out that the ogres definitely will not take no for an answer. With a few decent Bluff checks (not hard to miss versus an ogre) they manage to spend sometime in and out of their own tents prepping spells and pre-casting several important long duration spells such as Mage Armor, and Bull’s Strength cast on Cian, Bebe and Liam by Dierdre. Cinn Oir also casts Barkskin on Cian, Bebe and Liam and Greater Magic Fang on Cian. Cian then leaves their tent to inform one of the nearby slightly clueless ogres to tell his boss their answer is "no". The ogre trundles off toward his group of friends leaving four ogres at the adventurers campsite and the rest only about one hundred feet away in the middle of the encampment.

The party forms up in the middle of their small campsite and Cian begins casting several more spells. He fires off a Blur and begins a Displacement. The thick headed ogres aren’t quite as dumb as dirt, and as Liam begins to Blur from Cian’s open casting, they jump to action. Cian tops the initiative order and finishes off a Displacement on Bebe. Cinn Oir is next and casts a spell key to the battle, Spike Growth in a solid line between themselves and the ogres. Cinn Oir’s bear advances cautiously, wary of the long spear between it and the closest ogre. The four nearby ogres move in to attack next, thrusting spears with their great reach. Liam, Cinn Oir and her bear all suffer strikes.

Liam casts a Bless and draws his sword. Liam’s horse finds a spear in it’s face and reacts violently. Two critical strikes with its hooves tells the ogre facing it to back off (and heavily wounds the beast). Bebe curses at the wildly flailing horse for getting in the way of her action and muscles in to make a strike on the same unfortunate ogre. Dierdre then fires off a Magic Missile volley which finishes off that ogre.

As the round winds up, the other ogres can be seen charging from their campsite. The unsuspecting ogres charge headlong into the Spike Growth. The first rank has enough momentum (and is really clueless enough about what is actually happening) to run nearly 15 feet into the area before stopping. By then they are all badly wounded and crippled by the terrible spikes. The second rank fares a bit better, only making it in about ten feet before stopping—their friends just in front of them serving as a sort of warning as well. The final rank is a smaller group of about seven. They are under a more direct command of Aragh and his second in command. Arag calls them to a halt just at the edge of the spike growth.

Back at the nearby party campsite, Cian tries to cast a Displacement on himself and fails due to the rigors of casting as a bird. Cinn Oir takes a step back and holds her action. Liam closes on the ogre spear wielder that just struck him and lands a solid hit. Cinn Oir’s bear moves in cautiously again and lashes out at its assailant, leaving a deep gash with its claws. Dierdre launches another volley of Magic Missiles, this time at the ogre facing the bear.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the ogre force is writhing in pain amidst the Spike Growth. Aragh proves to be exceptionally crafty for an ogre, though just as cruel as normal. Of the select group around him he orders them to test the ground with their own feet for him until they eventually find the edge of the Spike Growth. With that he charges around the corner, keeping several men on his left…between him and the perceived border of the spell.

Of the three ogres left facing the party at their campsite, the ogre facing Cinn Oir’s bear lands another solid strike while Cinn Oir is also struck by a spear.

Bebe sees the leader working his way around the spike growth and charges to meet him. Part of his spear wielding escort blocks her way, but Bebe is determined to ignore them. In a full battle frenzy, she charges headlong toward the ogre, intending to Bull Rush him. The ogre misses with his attack of opportunity as the incoming Bebe charges in. However, her luck does not hold. She makes an attempt to knock the ogre off his feet and finds despite her enhanced strength, these brutes have a strength of their own. Bebe instead ends up on her back. As she hits the ground several spears come down around her, threatening to pin her to the earth. Only one strikes and the rest come up empty. Unsatisfied, Aragh pushes his way forward and brings his axe down right on Bebe’s neck. Or wait….her neck WAS right there! Bebe’s luck has returned. (DM’s Note: Her Displacement cast by Cian averted a heavy critical—two twenties from Aragh’s double bladed axe.

The next round, Cian rushes forward to Bebe’s aid. He is loaded down with Barkskin, Mage Armor, Shield, and with his natural dex thrown in, is very confident the ogres will have a hard time hitting. Cian risks several attacks of opportunity, all failing to strike, and tears into an Ogre, Magic Fang, Bull’s Strength and all. His first double claw attack nearly fells the ogre.

Cinn Oir finds herself at the end of a spear once again and she backs off, summoning a small fire elemental to draw attention from herself. The elemental manages to drop in to flank the ogre which is attacking her brown bear. Liam and his horse handily defeat their ogre opponent and Liam saddles up preparing to ride down the ogre attacking Cinn Oir. Dierdre unleashes her final volley of Magic Missiles and drops the ogre facing Cinn Oir’s bear and the fire elemental.

Bebe struggles to her feet and with a growl, lands a solid hit on Aragh’s second in command and shrugs off a blow from his club. Cian and Bebe now face a wall of spears. The ogres near their leaders have formed two ranks in a semicircle around them. Spears flash but between Cian’s now phenomenal AC (DM’s Note: 27 with his bevy of protection spells) and Bebe’s Displacement, little damage is done. Aragh swings in frustration at Bebe but misses yet again.

Cian next round unleashes another claw attack on the ogre facing him and finishes it off. He then advances to stand toe to toe with Aragh. Cinn Oir, Cierdre and Liam finish off the final ogre back near their camp while Bebe and Cian continue battle with Aragh and his personal escort. The remaining ogres, crippled by the Spike Growth are slowly and cautiously making their way around the area to try to support their leader. Those in the first wave who are stuck in the middle of the Spike Growth decide to rush forward, the resulting damage severely cripples them and as the emerge on the far side of the Spike Growth, most can do little but collapse in agony.

Spears continue to come up empty around Cian and Bebe and the frustration among the ogres grows. Some land home but by all measure of Aragh’s experience, the two combatants should be pinned to the ground by now. Aragh roars and swings at Bebe with a double slice and actually connects with one. But drawing the blood of the raging barbarian is a horrible mistake.

Her blood boiling in rage, the axe head embedding in her shoulder causes that same blood to explode. With a feral shout, Bebe springs into the air, her feet coming well off the ground, her axe held high above her head. Her countenance is terrifying.

Even the sturdy second in command suddenly shows a hint of fear in his eyes. He is the target of the axe, he knows that. It is he that stands between her and the leader, Aragh. The blade comes crashing down and the second in command tries to step to the side. He feels the blade bite his ear and almost breaths a sigh of relief.

The axe keeps moving.

A hardened warrior, he knows his collarbone is next. Shattered perhaps, but it will heal.

The blade continues

It does not stop.

The battle pauses for a brief instant as Bebe’s battlecry ends. She stands hunched low, feet just having touched the ground. Aragh’s second in command staggers and falls. And falls again. The first is the left quarter of his torso striking the ground. The second, the rest of his body as his knees buckle.

The next round, Cinn Oir and Dierdre back hold actions as they are set to cover a retreat if necessary. Liam rides forward to join Bebe and Cian, making a ride by attack on a spear wielding ogre. Cian continues to claw and deals a vicious wound to Aragh.

Aragh, seeing his second in command on the ground and having observed and tested the strange luck of the eagle in combat, calls for his men fighting Cian to "grab the bird" and hold it still. Two of his men comply and move in, dropping their spears. They are sloppy unarmed combatants and Cian takes them to task for it. However, one does grab hold and manages to pound Cian against the ground trying to break his neck like a lame chicken.

Aragh is pleased. Now he can turn his attention to the presence of death he feels beside him. The little girl with the axe. Aragh could almost laugh at the absurdity of it. Little green men riding down his men, a girl no bigger than an ogre child cutting down his second in command, a damn bird of all things turning away spear points as though he were made of stone. Aragh then turns and takes a swing at Bebe. Both well trained swings come up empty. Aragh sees her face as he misses. That same dark smile, a low growl issuing from her lips. He knows it was his last chance.

The axe whistles through the air.

This strike is clean and Aragh’s head goes bounding down the hill.

(DM’s Note: Ok, so you’ve heard it all before….just read the last DM’s Note. Yep, she did it AGAIN and AGAIN with power attack going. Another 60 point hit. The leader drops at -15. Ok, so it is -3 without the oversight of Bull’s Strength and Power Attack. He’s still dead. Mental note: Badguys need better AC, 50 constitution, or just need to run away sooner….)

At this point, the entire battle just stops. Ogre spears lower as do ogre jaws. The ogre holding Cian also goes somewhat limp, giving Cian an avenue to escape. Not just escape but deal out reasonable punishment to the dumbfounded ogre. The ogre falls dead. Hardly anyone notices however. Their attention is elsewhere. Atop the corpses of the two fallen ogre leaders (three to four if we count distinct pieces and not individuals) stands Bebe. She is jumping up and down with a maniacal look of glee on her blood soaked face. In her hands is the double bladed axe, held high above her head as she shouts, "I got it! I got it!!"

Seventeen ogres remain on the field in varying states of health. Those that aren’t already on their knees in pain from Spike Growth, soon are on their knees in fear. Weapons loose on the ground, eyes staring in terror, they beg for their lives. One dares to speak and calls out in giant (which Cian can understand…) "We surrender mistress of the axe! Prisoners, slaves, warriors of your bidding, whatever, just SPARE OUR LIVES!!!"

Ahhh, St. Patricks day…good for gaming and great luck on the PC dice I suppose (DM growls….)

Next time: What the heck do you do with 17 ogre prisoners??