Kalloou Shoresten

UP : Near Cove (Sonoma)

    Have the orcs of Britannia started sparring with one another? It would seem to be the case, as dozens of adventurers were witness to some sort of orc training session. It all took place in the orc fort just south of the city of Cove. That is where adventurers report seeing two orc captains sparring with one another while a giant horde of orcs, dozens and dozens by many accounts, appeared to be watching the sparring session with great interest.

    "It looked like the orcs were having some kind of a training session or something," reported one witness, "There was this orc lord named 'an orc lord of Balart' or something like that, anyway, he seemed to be giving the other orcs instructions as they battled. It was kind of like some sort of troop training or something. It was one of the strangest things I have ever seen."

    Once again, this sounds strangely similar to many of the reports you have been reading about recently in the Town Cryer. In these reports, monsters have been organizing themselves and even doing simple tasks much like humans.

According to the reports, the orcs continued to spar until the humans stumbled upon them. Once discovered, the orc lord released the forces that were holding ranks and not attacking while watching the sparring. The orc lord then ordered them to attack the nearby humans immediately.<br><br>The human forces quickly wiped out the orc troops, but then the orc lord opened a red moongate and disappeared into it, screaming that he would bring many more orcs to continue the battle.<br><br>Truly that orc lord made good on the promise, as all manner of orcs came flooding through the moongate shortly afterwards. " It was incredible," said an adventurer in the midst of the orc fort, "wave after wave of orc came through that gate, apparently looking to take our lives."

    "Never have I seen such a horde," said another, "I didn't know if the battle would ever end, as every time I would manage to slay one orc, another two would come crashing out of that blasted moongate."

    Once again, some sort of evidence was reportedly left behind after the battle was over. This time it came in the form of a book with the title Battle Tactics For Orcs by Balart. Anyone with information regarding this Balart character is urged to investigate further, as no one seems to have heard anything about him.

From the Town Cryer - The Journal of Ultima Online, Tuesday, April 14th 1998