out of sight out of mind (warning this gets disgusting)

[grumluch]

Deep in a cave located deep in the forest Grumluch looked around. "This will be perfect for the new temple" he muttered as he walked around the large open room looking over it. From under his thick hide cloak Grumluch withdrew 6 large pouches containing a number of herbs and other assorted vile things. Slowly Grumluch began scattering the mixtures around the edges of the cave encircleing the great room in the dust of the vile poltice. Grumluch then went outside the cave collecting some sticks and logs from the forest floor dragging the heavy load into the cave center to concecrate the new temple with fire and smoke. With fint and steel he lit the tinder blowing on it to get the flame nice and hot. Once the flame was steady he dropped the hot tinder on the pile with a roar the wood started to burn filling the huge room with smoke and warmth. Grumluch dipped his hand in the first pouch takeing up a handfull of the dry posionous leaves and smiled crushing them in his hands. He dropped the leaves on the fire enchanting "with this posion I awake the eye of the great sleeping god Gruumish."Reaching into another pouch he took out a handfull of powdered elves blood. He dumped the powder into a small black bowl sitting infront of the fire and smiled. Then from beside him he pulled 2 of the pouches open dumping them into the bowl and mixed them with his fingers. Grumluch finished by emptying the remaining 2 pouches into the bowl and mixing it thorough.Quickly he stepped outside for the last time leading the human slave in by a thick chain from around its neck.Leading the poor starved human over to the fire he just smiled and withdrew his sword impaleing the poor starved thing on his huge great sword. With a twist of the blade the slaves life ended just as it had began in pain and misery. Grumluch smiles and slid his sword from the bloody corpse anointing it with the herbs and a small vial of magical oil from his cloak. "Lord gruumish hear my prayer I am Grumluch Cleric of the tribe of black fang. I offer you this sacrafice in your honor to sanctify this new temple." Grumluch took the corpse and hoisted it high above his head. He closed his eyes waiting for any sign of aproval from his god as he layed the desicrated corpse in the fire to burn. The smell of foul oils and herbs mixed in the air with the putrescent smell of burning flesh as the herbal circle around the cave began to glow a deep angry red. Grumush just grinned evily knowing his Lord was apeased and approved. He reached into the traveling pack and withdrew a thick rolled up piece of fabric. Slowly he unrolled the banner with a smile and hung it up on the wall. The jet black cloth contrasting like the black of night against the half closed red eye symbolising his god. "Now things are right and the temple is pure. It is time to go find followers and spread the word of Gruumish among this land.

ooc note: if anyone wants in on the temple story line get ahold of me and we can set something up im hopeing this one could be a long running story

[grumluch]

Grumluch stood at the door to the temple as the last of the first wave of travelers entered. They had worked all day to begin the construction of the temples fortification. The structure for the door had been layed and the huge stone weights layed in place attached to thick chain so the door could only be opened from the inside. .A thick wood door guarded the entrance, the 3 foot long spikes formed from sharpened tree trunks sticking out horizontaly from the door made a formitable first defense. Grumluch leand over pulling the release pin from the counter weight. With a loud KATHUD the door swung down. If anything had been on the other side it would have been impaled from the massive weight of the door combined with the huge spikes attached to it. Grumluch just smiles "very nice this will make a fine beginning to our fortification."

On the second day of there work the orcs spent from dawn till dusk almost laying huge timber frames and cutting timbers to form the second floor of the temple. As more and more orcs began to trickle in from parts unknown they joined the growing work force helping to dig away stone from smaller cave like rooms forming them into one larger room for the soon to be black knights to sleep in when they guard the temple. On the first floor one of the rooms was expanded by blasting away the rock with the boom powder a few of the orcs had confiscated from a group of dwarves on there travels. Dust and gravel flew into the main temple sending Grumluch into a frenzy of curseing and swearing at the idiot workers. Without a blink Grumluch drew his sword beheading the orc infront of the others "this is what you can expect if it happens again!" he yelled makeing sure all the orcs saw it.

[Jirai]

It was after the sun had set that she first saw the fortifications. Silently, she stood there, another shadow among shadows as she watched, only the occasional gleam of red from beneath her cowl giving any hint that she was there. And she only would be there for a few moments, long enough to assess what was going on before turning, dissapearing back into the depths of the forest and the night.

[grumluch]

Grumluch looked on wearily from all the days work. The orcs had mannaged to begin in earnest the work on the second floor of the temple. Thick timber beams had been layed and a floor set of heavy half timbers of oak. Now the temple was beginning to look more like a orcish fortress then a holy place but that is exactly what Grumluch wanted. Grumluch knew they couldnt hide there presance in the forest much longer with the number of orcs. Already a few orcs had reported scouts under the cover of the woods keeping a eye on the temple.

The orcs outside had begun laying in the timbers to form a beginning battlement for the blooming orcish city. Already the defenses were starting to come togeather quickly. With word that the tribe of orcs from Derry was soon to arive things would need to hurry to make sure Grumluch could take in such large numbers. Grumluch walked over the half completed battlements "Work faster there is no time to waist" he barked at a group of orcs. Grumluch walked down the wall kicking some of the huge timbers to make sure they were fastened tight and wouldnt break under the stress of battle. "Thats it keep those hewn logs smooth side out you idiot dont give our enemys anything to climb!" Grumluch barked at another orc group seeing them constructing there segment of the battlement wall wrong.

Things among the orcs were beginning to look up a small watch had been set among the few orcs that knew how to fight they walked along half built battlements watching for anyone that would try and harm the people below.

[Madel_H]

He watched from beneath hooded cloak of green, his mixture of brown and green clothing keeping him hidden from the view of those working. He had killed one party of orcs on the way here already, cursing them for filling his forests with their vile presence.
Drawing his bow and nocking a single arrow, he took careful aim at one of the working orcs. Pulled the string back, ever so slowly, keeping that one orc in view. With a sadistic smile, the ranger allowed the arrow to speed away towards its target.
Before it had even struck, he was turning and slipping into the foliage, leaving no tracks nor signs of his short stay. From behind, he heard the orc cry out in pain.
That was just a warning...

[grumluch]

All anyone would find if they went by the temple would be this:


The temple door seems to have caved in huge bolders block the path the size of a large house. Strangely there are no orcs around. What could have happened to that many orcs to make them all dissapear at once? The homes of the orcs seem intacted allong with the half built battlements around the temple. If anyone could get close enough to the temple door and resist the over whelming stench and evil aura surrounding it all they would see is a Eye of blood red mysticaly floating infront of whats left of the sealed door. Could this be a warning of what looms inside? Something had gone verry wrong with the orcs of mirkenwood. No one had seen nor heard from them in over a months time. No trace left of them in the woods feling trees for there village no bodys nothing. Only what was inside that temple could be the answer and it was sealed tight. From deep inside the bowls of whats left of the temple one might hear the occasional moaning of pain and rumble of some kind of monster. If anyone was brave or stupid enough to try and free it may the god they believe in keep them safe!

[Madel_H]

It was probably a stupid thing to do, returning to the orcs encampment. After what he'd done, they would've most likely doubled their patrols, sent out scouts, oragnized a search party. But he couldn't resist a chance to see their reaction to his attack.

Simple enough to get near the fortress, seems that they haven't done anything to find him. Kind of eerie, when one thinks about it, Like they were all there, and he just couldn't see them.

In any case, he continued through the forest, following the path he had taken the previous venture out. He arived at the same little cliff, overlooking the orc's worksite.

Hmmm, no ones about. Maybe they -are- looking for him... With a more catious approach now, the ranger makes his way down the overhang and onto the same level as the fortress. What is he doing? Perhaps somebody has had a bit of the 'courage in a bottle.'

The stench was overwhelming, and he was forced to take a step back, coverig his mouth to continue. The houses were all there, but none of the orcs... Well, they were going to get a nasty surprise if they decided to return.

Taking his flint and tinder, he starts up a little fire near one of the houses. After a few minuts of blowing and some fortunate wind direction, the first house was ablaze.

Turning about and back into the woods, he smiles to himself. Not long now...

[grumluch]

Inside the temple rumluch smelled the burning houses outside and just snicked coldly. "They think they have gotten rid of me so easily oh what fools they are" What had happened was quite simple Grumluch had been trying to magicaly ward the temple to turn it into his own private fortress and something had got a wry. Now he was trapped in the temple for all eternity, or at least so he thought at first. Gruumish had made his enslavement a blessing in disguise. With all the orcs that had fell and died trying to save there beloved temple now Grumluch had a small army of wights and spirit warriors.
There bodys mangled and crushed had become his walking horde of skelital warriors. Some still wore the armor of the dark knight they were training to be and had the curse of Gruumish layed upon them even in death. The skeletons had managed to finish much more of the new fortress then the living orcs ever would have in such a short time.
Grumluches own body had gone through a transformation of its own. Even in death he could not escape his servitude to Gruumish. Now it seemed Gruumish had returned the soul of his servant to his body with a price. He was neither alive nor dead now. He was a lych a undead priest mage forever trapped in this decrepid body bound to serve Gruumishes will untill he was no longer needed.
Inside what was once soly a temple now it looked like a true fortress forming. The walls had been reinforced with logs they had from cutting trees outside and the skeletons had almost doubled the size of some of the rooms inside the mountain. The weapons vault was now starting to fill with swords axes and pikes as the skeletal warriors toiled day and night to pump them out from the mountain ore removed from the renovation.
Grumluch just smiled as he ordered around his growing undead army. Barking orders as to what should be done and where. Some working on shoreing up the last of the new internal battlements others bringing magical supplys needed to form Grumluch's reserve plan just incase the humans did decide to be stupid and attack again. Soon the fortress would be done and he could get his revenge on the humans for hunting his people like animals.