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.