Guard duty for 'The Family' was boring, but it paid well.

This current job required long hours, but the overtime was going to be great next payday.

Ten employees of Mama'sBoys LLC were currently assigned to guarding TimmyTheWonderBoy37.

A recent memo had reminded them all that referring to the job as 'daycare' would get their pay docked.

Mostly they helped him power level, which at least gave them some excitement.

Currently they were scattered around the perimeter of a large orc camp, keeping a look out for encounters and keeping the trash mobs down.

Their client and his guest were currently waiting to start their 7th round of events.

These popped up every hour or two if you kept control of the camp.

Usually it was the Chief, Uftawk, riding in on a warg with a group of orcs to retake the village.

But they'd also seen a trio of Shamans, a goblin war party and a Wandering giant.

Good experience, loot, and a chance at a Core Skill point if you were the ones fighting.

A bit of entertainment and a chance to bet on how Timmy died next if you weren't.

Today was boring.

Timmy was paired up with an old guildmate, Darkdeath54.

Since he actually knew how to fight pretty well, Timmy hadn't had his head caved in that day.

But one could hope."So what do you think Timmy? Uftawk again? You want the Chief or the bodyguards?" The two of them seemed to be able to take the whole encounter pretty easily.

Both Timmy and Darkdeath54 were back up to Level 4 and working hard on leveling their skills.

The first time they beat the encounter with no help from the guards they each scored a Core Skill point, their first ones.

That had let them increase their STR cap from 5 to 6 and both immediately increased that stat from banked experience.

The next couple of times they'd earned just normal experience and some loot."I think it's time for some solo attempts.”"Solo? You think we're ready for that?""Nope, I'm not.

My skills don't mesh as well yet for that many mobs.

But you're more mobile and harder to pin down.

I think if you keep moving, you can do it.

I'll stay back with the boys.

If it gets really bad, I'll wade in and save you the death.

But let’s push it a bit.""Fine by me.

But screw helping.

If I die, I die.

Just get it all on video.

Good footage for the new Bludgeon vidcast.

Toss me one by the way.

I'm empty."Timmy was walking back after tossing over a beer to DD54 when he saw a runner come into camp.

He saluted Timmy.

"Message from the Chairwoman: "Granny says get your skinny butt up to Sedgewick.

I need some muscle up there.

Take any Family assets with you."Timmy yelled out: "Family Business DD, sorry.

Cya.

You got this buddy.

I left you the beer." And with that they trotted down the hill towards the nearest town to get horses and head north.

DarkDeath54's only reply was to drag the small chest of beer to the center of the town and have a couple more beers.

He figured that he might as well get some drinking in and then see what pops up.

If it was just Uftawks and a half dozen warriors he thought he could do it.

He was using the sawed-off skull of Chief Uftawks as a drinking mug when a large horde of over fifty orcs came out of the woods and quickly surrounded the village.

DD54 remained sitting and drinking.Well, might as well finish my beer and enjoy the show, no way I can kill this many.A party of ten entered the village.

Six of them looked like bodyguards - big warriors with good armor and weapons.

Uftawks had one bodyguard so this was a good couple of tiers above him.

The one in the lead was some sort of lackey or herald - fancier hat, but barely four foot tall.

The next three were all big piles of buttkicking and nasty.

The first was a massive orc, nearly eight foot tall with greying skin.

Scars and tattoos decorated his arms and chest, denoting a lifetime of successful war and pillaging.

Next to him was a tall female orc with light green skin, muscles like a power lifter, and all the other pieces in the right places.

DD54 had a bit of trouble tearing his eyes away to look at the rest of the war party.

The last orc was a younger male.

He had different facial tattoos than the old chief or the female.

Not a bodyguard though.

Too big, too much attitude, and good weapons.

The lackey approached and spoke in broken common.

"What is this? Where Uftawk tribe? Why here pinkskin? You are a dead pinkskin! Grovel before big chief."You don't play through all 19 chapters of "Orcs at the Gates" without picking up the lingo.

DD54 spoke fluent Orc.

He poured a beer into the drinking mug, then threw the bottle at the lackey, hitting him in the head and fracturing his skull.<Ulftalk is right here.

I'm using his skull to hold my drink.

If you're here to fight, let’s get started.

If you're here to drink, I hope you brought more booze.>If the lackey was hoping someone would avenge him, he was disappointed.

All the orcs laughed at the sight of him rolling on the ground holding his head.

The older orc stepped forward and spoke.

His voice was like a river of gravel.< HA! Not bad, Pinkskin.

We are here for both.

Chief Grunk has come to challenge Chief Uftawk.

I, Great Chief Stonechewer have declared that only the mightiest warrior is to be the mate of my daughter.

Gruftcha Stonedotter was to go to the victor.

Disappointing to miss a good fight, but with Chief Uftawk out of the way, Grunk gets lucky and will take this village and my daughter.

I'm sure if you beg nicely, he will reward you for killing his rival by letting you stay for the wedding, and then will kill you later." >There was a twinkle in the old orc’s eyes.

<Fat chance.

Not happening.

I killed Uftawk here.

I claim this village.

If little Grunky wants it, he has to fight me.

I am DarkDeath of the many slayings.

I challenge Chief Grunk to combat.

Unless of course he's afraid.

>Chief Grunk screamed in rage and started to charge but was held back by the outstretched arm of Great Chief Stonechewer.

Stonechewer looked over DarkDeath54 and nodded.

<It will be so.

I will watch and drink your human beer.

Fight well, and last at least two beers or I'll kill you both.

><Help yourself to a Blud, Chief.

>“Oh, this was going to be fun.

The shit my mouth gets me into,” thought DD54.

After that there was no time to think as human and orc charged each other and fought - to the delight of their audience.

Meanwhile, back at the tavern in Sedgewick, Ozzy was sipping slowly on his third beer and deep in thought.

The group needed to level some stuff up this next week.

They were starting at the bottom.

Every point of stats mattered.

A lot depended on their individual skills.

He had STR to spare, and needed more CON and DEX to increase his ability to fight.

His specialty was pretty one-sided.

Suzette had a great set of skills now.

She could level DEX, AGI, and CHA as a barmaid, and said she could also pick up more INT and WIS with her mystery skill.

The tertiary skills would be slow after the initial couple of points, but based on how busy this place was, she'd be leveling the fastest of the group.

Ben had a job that was sort of all or nothing.

All his skills were wrapped up in successful courier runs.

Hopefully he got more of those.

He could also work on whip and hand cross-bow now, if they could get in some more mob grinding.

Rolly had some problems.

Poor guy was always upbeat, but Ozzy could tell something was bothering him.

ACME hadn't even bought him a sheep dog to go with his class.

It seemed like he was working on trying to tame a couple of the sedgebeasts.

The thought of him taking a pet cow into a dungeon didn't seem really practical.

Maybe they could earn a bit more, pool their money and get him a big dog to train? Have to work on that.

Ozzy had some ideas to pitch to the group.

It would suck, but eating the uncured sedgebeast steaks each day would get them some CON and poison resist.

They'd have to start meeting up for lunch.

Toolmaking also seemed to be a thing that could give them more DEX if their specialty skills didn't.

Looking at his own skills, he pondered throwing cabers.

Not something he could really practice with, or could he?He could see at night now, and he really didn't need to sleep much.

He finished his beer, waved to Suzette, and wandered out to the barn.

He eyed the large pile of logs sitting next to the large corral full of sedgebeasts.

Like shooting fish in a barrel, at least until they got riled up a bit and started moving around.

Take it slow maybe? Toss a tree then eat some yummy steak? Deal with the effects of the poisoned meat and do it again.

It wasn't a good plan, but it was a plan.

He got a small fire going in his firepit and carved off some fresh meat from one of the carcasses in the smokehouse.

Hmm, if Billy or anyone asked what he was doing he'd just claim he was making sure the fires were burning well all night.

A little unpaid overtime.

Go ACME.He picked up a tree trunk at least twelve feet in length, balanced it upright, took a couple of steps and flipped it up in the air and towards the corral.

The log went end over end farther than he had expected and hit with the familiar sound of a bludgeoned sedgebeast.

You have killed an adult sedgebeast.

I'm not even going to calculate the damage.

Really? Combining Caber with Slaughter? You gain 20 points in Caber ThrowingYou gain 22 points in STR.You gain 2 points in Slaughter.