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We have successfully fought off the goblins invading Targos - only to learn that these were merely an advance force! That strange gnomish fellow, Oswald, has been spying from the air for Ulbrec. He reports that a large goblin force has taken the bridge that spans the Shaengarne River. After praising us for our hard work and valiant efforts, Lord Ulbrec now asks that we travel through our enemy's lines to reclaim this bridge. "Too dangerous for a whole army", he says - send six mercenaries instead! While I wonder at the chances of our success, Halgren's eyes see only riches and fame. But I will not argue - I would follow Halgren to the ends of the world. And who knows, perhaps that is where our journey shall take us.
Alia Shield-Maiden, the Annals of Halgren
As soon as you arrive, an Orc named Torak appears and threatens you. Just before fleeing north, Torak summons the Broken Tusk Clan to fight you. You will be shot at by Orc Archers from behind an impassable line of kegs; you can take out a single barrel to allow your melee fighters through, or summon creatures behind the enemy lines, in addition to fighting with ranged weapons. The archers will soon be joined by Orc Warriors, Orc Archers, and an Orc Shaman. The further into the map you venture, the more Orcs will join the fight, so you probably will want to stay close to the entrance until this fight is over. Then you can heal and rest before proceeding. You can also use the kegs to your advantage by keeping the Orcs hemmed in behind them, while your distance fighters and spell casters pick them off from a distance. If you make a small whole in the line of kegs, only one or two Orcs will be able to get through at a time and you can easily cut these down.
As you travel through the Shaengarne Ford area, you will encounter a number of Orc squads similar to this first one. Most of the squads will additionally feature an Orc Runner accompanied by an Orc Firestarter whose job it is to set and detonate "Kegs of Blasting". These kegs can easily kill a lower-level party member so try to stay out of their way! Fortunately, they usually take an Orc or two with them - and the kegs can be destroyed fairly easily with ranged weapons. You may find it helpful to send a rogue ahead to scout out an area before entering, so that you'll know what to expect. If you get low on healing supplies or other essentials, fear not- there is nothing to prevent you from returning to Targos to restock.
Head north, and you will once again meet Torak and be attacked by the Broken Tusk Clan Orcs he calls to the fray. When the fight is won, check out the small Orc camp. In addition to some useful loot (including some Potions of Extra Healing), you will find a prisoner named Dereth Springsong. He will thank you for freeing him (750 xp) and ask you to clear the Orcs away from the area around his house. If you haven't already done so, find his house a short ways south-east from here, and then return to notify him when you have cleared the area (500 pts). Now Dereth will open the blocked path to the Shaengarne ford (another 500 pts for "finding" the path) and give you a quest to find his missing wife, Sabrina.
After crossing the Ford, keep following the path to the left; at the end of a trail shaped like a backwards-S, you will encounter another prisoner- Dereth's wife, Sabrina Fairwynd. You may have to walk to the very end before you notice her, but she is there. You get 500 xp for rescuing her, and she will give you some advance information about an Orc ambush waiting just to the north-east of her location (another 375 xp). This information is very valuable - the ambush can be very deadly!! She will also use magic to destroy a barrier across the path, so that you can now access the north-east corner of the map. Offer to escort her home for an additional 375 xp (chivalry is not dead). She'll decline, but go to her home (Dereth's house) and speak to Dereth to claim an additional 375 xp for rescuing her. He'll also give you a scimitar +1 and tell you how to get past the log jam at the Orc ambush area. Both Dereth and Sabrina offer various services: temple services from Dereth, and magical wares from Sabrina.
If you follow the path that Sabrina showed you (where she removed the blockage) it will take you up and around to the 'lookout' part of the ambush that Sabrina describes to you. You'll find several Orcs and an Orc Shaman. Then you can go back down to the log jam and make your way through there. If you don't take care of the lookouts now, you'll be facing the lookouts along with several other groups of Orcs on the other side of the log jam.
Before you can proceed further north, you'll need to break through the log jam. The log jam must be broken in two places before it gives way. The first spot is on the eastern side of the river, just above the small camp where you found Dereth. You must break it with melee weapons - range weapons won't work. Once you've broken through here, go back south and follow the western shoreline north (passed where you found Sabrina) until you reach the log jam. As you approach the log jam, Torak appears and threatens you yet again, this time from behind a line of three kegs of blasting. Once Torak leaves, several archers will appear. If you haven't managed to remove the log jam just yet, use magic and ranged weapons against the archers and to destroy the kegs of blasting. Then smash the last part of the log jam. (Note: If you haven't broken the east side of the log jam you'll have to back-track to do so). Make sure that you've destroyed the kegs of blasting before proceeding past the log jam!
To your immediate left is a small opening in the rocks. Hidden in here are some Orcs just waiting to jump out at you - but if you're careful you can sneak in and deal with them first. When you move north, Torak will appear a fourth time before fleeing eastward across a rock bridge. He leaves behind a large group of Orcs, including archers warriors and shamans. If you didn't heed Sabrina's warning about the lookouts on the eastern side of the river, you're going to be in for a nasty fight at this point, fighting two groups at once - and you won't be able to reach the group on the east side except with spells and distance weapons.
When you've taken care of all the Orcs that Torak left behind, follow him east, across the bridge and then north to the next map (the Logging Village).
