Beyond Sanctuary: Scene 14 Continued

For an introduction to this Mythic Game Master Emulator Sandbox adventure, see this post. 
Setting details and links to characters are posted here.
This is a continuation of  Scene 14

SCENE 14 (Continued)
Wherein the party faces another savage humanoid patrol and begins their descent to the deeper levels of the dungeon.

The opposition is as follows:

• 10 Orc Soldiers Armed With Polearms  (4)
• 10 Orc Soldiers Armed With Axes and Crossbows (4)
• 3 Orc Lieutenants Armed With Axes (3)
• Orc Leader Armed With Axe (3)

Q: Are the orc leaders in front [50/50]?  Yes, the orc leaders are in the front. 

Pointing at the nasty-looking orc wearing the skull-shaped helmet, Valdora shouts, "Gimme the boss!" and charges him with her axe.  [Rolling a 15 to the orc's 7] She skillfully avoids the orc's axe and returns the blow in kind, but with more success. A bloody gash appears across the chief's leg as he scrambles to retreat from Valdora's attack.

 Update (Orc Leader): Orc Leader Armed With Axe (3 2)

With the leader's lieutenants stepping to his side, Tenistan and Hal rush to engage them. [Tenistan rolls 18, Hal doesn't get sixes, and the grunts squad rolls 11] Moving swiftly despite his armor, Tenistan shoves his bastard sword through the chest of the fastest hench-thing and slams another with his armored shoulder. Hal is unable to land a blow with his mace but he does manage to draw off one of the orcs from Valdora.

 Update (Orc Lieutenants): 3 Orc Lieutenants Armed With Axes (3 2)

The regular orcs jostle amongst themselves for position. With their leader in front, all that they can do in poke into melee ineffectually with their poleaxes. A hail of missile fire from Arien, Liamas, Kandara, and Dori keeps the crossbowmen pinned down and [Arien rolls 16, Liamas contributes 3 sixes, Dori adds a 6's, Kandara adds nothing, Orcs roll 10] completely decimates them. Liamas is especially effective, taking out three orcs with three throwing knives and even Dori gets into the act with a kill. A few lucky survivors flee back the way they came while their superiors continue in melee.

On the orc's turn, the poleaxers shift position again and move up to assist the chief and his surviving lieutenants in a big melee against Valdora and Tenistan. The whole party gets into it and in the chaotic scrum of melee, the majority of orcs focus their blows on Arien (who killed the most of their number). [Chief rolls 8, lieutenants do not add sixes, grunt squad does not add sixes, Arien rolls 18 and it's not necessary to roll for the other PCs] Dropping her bow and quickly drawing her sword, Arien ducks and weaves past multiple orcs and manages to almost decapitate the orc chief before Valdora can land her second blow. Tenistan and Hal continue to spar with lieutenants while Dori, Liamas, and Kandara go on the defensive in face of so many savage orcs in their midst.

 Update (Orc Leader): Orc Leader Armed With Axe (3 0)

Q: Do the orcs flee? [Unlikey] No, the orcs keep coming. 

On their turn, the party gathers around Valdora and presses their attack. [Valdora rolls 13, Arien adds a 6, Liamas adds a 6 (with his sword), the lieutenants roll 4  and the squad adds a 6]. Valdora disembowels the orc who was previously fighting Hal while Arien and Liamas simultaneously strike the other as Tenistan, Hal, and Dori move to protect the party's flank.

 Update (Orc Lieutenants): 3 Orc Lieutenants Armed With Axes (3 0)

The remaining orcs gang up on Arien. [Orcs 12, Arien rolls 14 herself, Tenistan and Valdora each add sixes] The party comes to her aid, but almost as if in a trance she hamstrings one, stabs another through the throat, and beheads two more with her swift and graceful blade. Tenistan and Valdora easily slay or chase off the rest.

After the battle, Arien sinks to her knees while Liamas advances down the hall, momentarily considering a pursuit of the survivors. Tenistan holds him by the shoulders and shakes his head grimly. Liamas simply nods and joins the others in searching the bodies. The party collects 216 ep for their efforts.

Minutes pass.

Arien: "Ok, I'm ready to continue. Shall we pursue."

Liamas: "It's a little late..."

Tenistan glares at him.

Liamas: "...but yes, we should go that way. Who know what kind of alarm they may have raised."

The party then proceeds in the direction from whence the orcs (and possibly the goblins) came and fled. The passage slopes up sharply (almost to the surface) then rapidly descends into a chamber one level below the original level.

***

CHARACTERS - Add the orcs that fled.

UPDATED THREADS
* Find the Elf Homelands
* Solve the mystery of the lost dervishes
* Put the angry spirits to rest
* Solve the mystery of the previous adventuring party
* (exploring the ruins is too vague to be a thread)

CHAOS FACTOR: 4

Next scene: Down to level 2!