Orcish Dream

Sometimes, the dreams I have turn out to be inspirations for some of my writings. This one comes from 17 June 2012.


I had a dream this morning, based roughly on the Legend fantasy roleplaying game.

I was a sorcerer working with a party of adventurers I'd hired for some quest. En route home to Greentown, I and my party were coming home after a successful quest when we encountered a band of orcs. We'd surprised them; they'd surprised us. Swords drawn, growling, everyone getting ready to roll initiative.

I stepped forward and yelled "Parlay!" in Orcish. The orcs stepped back, weapons still drawn; the Orc leader took a step forwards. "Speak."

I pointed out how he had Orc glyphs drawn on his armour in what looked ike Orc blood. His own blood. I read "Honour" over his heart, "Seeking" below it and "Justice" on his right arm. I asked him if he and his party were on a blood path, and he replied that he was.

The Orc leader, Grugruk, belonged to the Bregnar family, which had been slaughtered and the two last kids abducted for unknown purposes by humans. The glyphs were "Seeking" and "Honour," meaning that he was charged with locating and retrieving these children; and "Justice," meaning righteous retribution for the family's murder.


"Honour" in blood over his heart, drawn in his blood, meant that he would either fulfill the oath or see his life's blood spilled; "Justice" on his weapon arm meant that he would not be held in fulfillment of his oath until the signs were obliterated by the blood of the enemies he'd sworn to kill. This was a matter of justice and honour, not petty vengeance; and this meant that if we'd engaged these Orcs in battle, we'd have lost.

I remembered something I'd overheard previously, before the quest we'd finished; a conversation between a ginger-haired man - blue eyes, small beard, buzz cut - and another man - black hair and beard, dark eyes - in a pub called the Stone Branch; just a snatch of conversation; "Rock Creek Park. The abandoned pavilion. They'll never find them." I thought that the orcs could start there, so I said I'd vouch for Grugruk the Orc leader and his party in town.

I and the party made our way to Rock Creek Park, where in the back of the abandoned pavilion we found two sleeping Orc kids, tied up, drugged, surrounded by chalk marks and candle stubs on the ground. I untied their bonds and woke them up with a spell; they looked terrified until I told them that Grugruk was here. I reunited Grugruk with his family, and told him we'd set a trap for the men. Grugruk said that the murderers would taste his blade; I had a different idea.

Neither of the men had the sorcerer's look about them; but the markings were sorcerous in nature. I had a feeling that the Orc kids had been the intended target of the men, and that they had been sponsored by someone in the city to procure these kids for muti.

So we needed to get the thugs, and their sponsor.

Back in town I made a point of asking around for someone who could supply me with the ingredients I needed for a powerful ritual; a ritual which requires Orc child's blood and eyeballs. Then I set up the trap in the pavilion and waited.

Presently, the two men and their sorcerer sponsor arrived, and walked into the trap we'd sprung. I Palsied the grey-haired sorcerer before he could let off a spell. The men fell to the Orcish blades; Grugruk himself made the fatal blows that despatched the mercenaries, fulfilling the Blood Oath and restoring his honour. Their blood obliterated his markings, and restored his soul.

Finally, their honour satisfied, I and my party escorted Grugruk to the city limits with their prizes; the corpses of their enemies, one mage alive but paralysed, and the last of Grugruk Bregnar's family, with promises of safety if we needed to talk to the Orcs again.

So. Sorcerer, adventurer, diplomat. And enough material for a complete Legend adventure.