The Abandoned Temple of Vecna and the Book

After resting and resupplying at Fort Crusher, the Heroes set out to follow the trail of the orc raiders that fled into the woods. While pursuing the raiding party, the group came across a cursed tomb where they dug up the grave of Bodo, Taker of 1000 Eyes, Hero of the Mountain, and Cursed of the Death God. After plundering the tomb the party continued to follow the trail of the mob until it split into a smaller and larger group. Following the smaller group's trail towards a distant tower, the hero's came upon an abandoned temple of Vecna nestled up against the mountain, exuding a dark energy. Approaching the temple, the group was attacked by a zombie beholder in league with a group of orc archers, and only narrowly survived the encounter.

While exploring the temple of Vecna, the group uncovered evidence that the temple library and tower were being used by agents of evil to research and perform dark rituals to contact the servants of the demon lord Kaal'ul and obtained the secret incantations to summon Orcus back from his extra-dimensional banishment. Something must have gone wrong, however, as our heroes found the top of the tower blasted off and warped with demonic corruption. At the center of the blasted ruin, the heroes discovered a demonic grimoire containing part of the incantation to summon Orcus. Just then, the party noticed the larger orc force heading towards the temple seeming out of nowhere. The party then fled down through the tower grabbing as much loot as possible and fled out through the catacombs beneath the temple into the surrounding forest. On the way out, the party started to get the impression that there was more to the book than what meets the eye.

Fort Kick-Ass & The Eastern Woods

After battling the demonic servant of Kal'uul in the pit at the duke's army encampment, the heroes set off to the northeast where the scouting parties of the duke's army had captured the possessed orc shaman. On the road northeast the party encountered the remnants of a smashed orc raiding band, presumed to be the work of the duke's forces. Further up the road at the edge of the northeastern woods the party encountered a fortified rural outpost later discovered to be named Fort Kick-Ass.

Discovering the settlement to be a morally bankrupt cesspool ostensibly purposed for logging and trade, the party engaged with the locals to learn what they could regarding the activities of the monstrous races in the region. The party came to learn that orc tribes traditionally divided by clan enmity appear to have laid aside their centuries of mutual hatred and are attacking anything that goes into the woods, preventing the community form carrying out logging operations. While entreating the local rabble for information, the party was waylaid by a gang of horse thieves looking to capitalize on the newcomers' mounts. They quickly realized their error as their mob tactics failed to prevail over the heroes, who then proceeded to cut the bandits down in the street. Only the arrival of the town's self-appointed ruler and law-keeper allowed some of the miscreants to get away with their lives. 

This is how the party came into the acquaintance of the man who calls himself Crusher. He is a huge brute of a man with fists the size of a man's head, and great red beard coving his scarred face. Crusher appreciated the party's impromptu cleansing of the horse thieves from the city, and offered to host the party for the night while they rested up and resupplied. The fort was attacked in the middle of the night by an alliance of various Ork tribes and an unknown wizard. The party joined the less-than-valiant defenders of Fort Crusher and repelled the nighttime raid, scattering the orcs back into the woods. Exhausted form the battle, the party decided to wait until morning to pursue the enemy into the northeastern woods.