L1-4.Bray-Horn Guard Station
What’s here
- Garrison at rest. 6 Howling Moon orcs (4 awake at dice, 2 dozing).
- Warhorn. The copper-banded, twinned ram’s horn (DC 10 to find quickly; action to blow) is the attack bray—audible through Rooms 1–5.
- Doors.
- To 2A (west): open, sightline into the corridor tangle.
- To east: open arch to a short hall (DM, key to your map).
- To south: heavy plank door; lock smashed (STR marks). DC 12 to force quietly, DC 10 to shoulder with noise.
- Pickled meat jars (6). Pale chunks in foul brine; iron rations (1 day each).
- Trophy cords. Dried orc & human ears. One fresh elven ear bears three silver studs (15 gp total) if pried.
- Spoiled armor. Ruined studded leather (no value), blood-punched chest.
Light/Sound. Smoky braziers; loud room. Any combat or a door smash here auto-alerts nearby posts.
Checks & clues
- Investigation/Medicine DC 11: The armor holes match ogre bludgeon/press wounds (someone was crushed, then stabbed).
- Religion DC 12: The warhorn’s bands are etched with crude wolf-spirals (Howling Moon mark).
- Perception DC 12: A jawbone howl-whistle hangs by the east arch (counts as a horn if blown).
Tactics & Response Clock
- Start: The four at dice kick the bones, grab javelins. Grak lunges to grapple the heaviest-armored foe, shouting, “Just… stand… still!”
- Horn/Howl: Any orc can snatch the ram’s horn (or jaw-whistle) and blow as a bonus action once they disengage or step to the peg.
If noise or a horn sounds from here:
- Round 2: Rooms 5A & 5B send 2 orcs each to probe.
- Round 4: Rooms 5C & 5D commit 2 orcs total (or a sergeant if you use one).
- Round 6: Urzhag’s hall (Room 19) rolls to mobilize. If both a horn and sustained combat are evident, Vhakra sends a runner and posts a silence pocket in the corridor; the ogre in the complex braces the nearest choke next round.
Retreat logic. If half the room falls, survivors try to shove PCs toward chokepoints and fall back to 5A/5B, braying the horn.
Treasure & loot
- Silver ear studs (3) worth 15 gp total.
- Pickled meat (6 days iron rations).
- Ram’s warhorn (martial horn; counts as audible alarm).
- Dice set (knucklebones, 2 sp) and a beaten purse (1d10 sp, 1d6 cp).
If the PCs claim: “Temple mercs with a message for your chief.”
Grak: “Temple, huh? What? I hear somethin’. Your tongue.”
Orc #2: “Who sent you? Name the fist.”
Grak: “Say the mark. Show the seal. No seal, no chief.”
Orc #3 (sniffs): “Smell man-flesh. Smell lies.”
Grak (leaning in): “Talk quick. Who—Deggum? Lareth? Hedrack? You die now, human, if you say wrong.”
If PCs say “Commander Deggum sent us.”
Grak: “Deggum… big ogre boss. Hnh. What gift for us?”
Orc #2: “Say the order. Two words.”
Grak: “You know horn first or blood first?”
(If PCs answer “Horn first. Blood second.”)
Grak (grudging): “Hnh. Maybe. What’s the message?”
Orc #3 (low): “No games… time to die if they stumble.”
If PCs say “For Zorgrek alone.”
Grak (snorts): “Zorgrek is far. You had your time, human. Who here takes his word?”
Orc #2: “Name our captain.”
(Correct answer: “Urzhag Grey-Howl.”)
Grak: “Good. You speak right. Say it to Urzhag… maybe.”
If PCs say “For the shaman.”
Orc #3: “Vhakra?”
Grak: “What’s her silence for?”
(Expected hint: “To kill soft words and hide the horn.”)
Grak (nods): “Hnh. You know a drop.”
If PCs fumble a name / hesitate
Grak (hand to horn): “Found you! Now try and hide from this!”
Orc #2: “Bleed! Bleed and die!”
Orc #3: “Die, metalman!”
(They bray the horn unless stopped fast.)
If PCs press to pass without details
Grak: “Just… stand… still. We check your pack.”
Orc #2: “Show mark. Show writ. Or you go nowhere.”
Orc #3 (taunting): “Here, human human… I got a treat for you—knucklebones and a knife.”
If PCs flash a plausible token (fake seal, temple script)
Grak (squints): “Hnh. Filth… but looks right.”
Orc #2: “We take you. No weapons in hand. You step wrong, you die now, human.”
Grak (to runners): “Go. Tell Urzhag: messengers bite at the door.”
If PCs try to bribe
Grak: “Coin talks. Coin louder than orders.”
Orc #2: “How much?”
Grak: “Half now. Half when your bones still wear meat. Move.”
If PCs mention silver or show silvered steel (bad move)
Grak (flinches, then covers): “Put that down, bleed-bag.”
Orc #2 (angry): “Stop moving, stupid human!”
Grak (snaps): “Hands off hilts. Last warning.”
If PCs invoke the watch phrase
PCs: “Horn first. Blood second.”
Grak (grudging): “Hnh. Walk. Slow. Eyes front. Any tricks—Rip! Squash! Smash!”
DM aside (use lightly):
- A confident, specific drop (“From Deggum; for Urzhag; Vhakra to set silence; ‘Horn first. Blood second.’”) gets escorted to Room 19 under guard (no horn).
- Vague or wrong names → Grak blows the horn.
- A reasonable bribe or forged token buys a two-orc escort with weapons peace-bonded.
Creatures
- Orcs (6) — standard. Two are asleep (surprised 1st round unless shouted awake).
- Grak, Dice-Catcher — orc bruiser (see Quick 5e). A bald skull raked by old scars; loves to grapple and pin victims while pack-mates stab. Kleptomaniac: uses his first post-kill action to loot if safe.
Orc voices (use as needed):
Detection: “Huh? A noise?” “Smell man-flesh.”
Alert: “Found you! No more games—time to die!”
Taunts: “Die, metalman!” “Stop moving, stupid human!” “Bleed! Bleed and die!”
Quick 5e stat plugs
- Orc (MM). Optional spice: once/encounter Moon-Frenzy—after first time bloodied, +2 damage on next hit.
- Grak, Dice-Catcher (Orc Brute).
- Use Orc with +10 HP; Athletics +5; gains Bonus Action: Drag (move a grappled target up to half his speed).
- Pack Maul. While Grak grapples a creature, allied orcs have advantage on melee attacks against it.
Comments