Spoils of the Cracked Gate

After smashing through the ruined gatehouse, the party found the orc warband hunkered in the collapsed outer courtyard. The three orc brutes fell quickly. Their boss fought with savage force but ultimately died slumped against a broken flagstone, his greataxe still in hand. The area around the wagons and the scorched brazier held a few personal effects and trade goods the orcs had looted from passing caravans. While most of their crude gear is common and useful for repairs or resale, one of the bodies wore a small glass phial and another a knotted talisman that hums faintly with old iron-magic. A torn map tucked beneath the boss's cloak points to a nearby ruined waystation that may hold further answers or riches. The haul is modest but serviceable for a third-level party: coin to pay for supplies, armor and weapons to outfit a less-armed companion, a healing potion for emergencies, and a few gems worth bargaining with or selling to a jeweler.