Almost out of the Underdark and here's what on the Horizon

notes:
-Orc Army on the surface is ~15,000 strong, has monsters (including flying ones such as Hobgoblin Manticore Knights, winged Kobolds, and a few hundred gargoyles)

-Human Kingdom is rallying all of it's forces, the Orcs raided "The Six Settlements" in the west and refugees have flooded the capital city, but their forces are still not enough to withstand a siege from such a large orc army.

-Elves WILL send forces to help, but the nearby Enclave is relatively small and mostly is offering powerful elite forces, but still a small amount (~200)

-Characters will have opportunity to save the Dwarven Prince likely next session (Dwarven Prince & 'Deep Wardens' [elite Underdark specops for the dwarves] are under attack from a large goblin warband)

So do you think just saving the Prince is enough, or should I throw in some side-quest to secure the alliance? And how should the Half-Orc wielding an Ancient Dwarven Relic go over? (dwarves do not like orcs, half-orcs are slightly more tolerable)

AND
Tips on running RP encounters involving royalty?

The best argument the players can make in these circumstances IMO is that it's a choice of fighting an easier battle now or an impossible one later. If the elves and humans fail (and you know, they're not dwarves so...) then the orcs storm the surface and will ultimately come to war on the dwarves. The dwarves might be able to retreat into the underdark but the orcs will come there, too. Then they'll be besieged on both sides and although they may be mighty enough orcs will eventually overcome them.

If the player got his relic longsword from fighting with the orcs then you can seal the deal by pointing out their help would only be revenging previous attacks by the orcs, and hand over the longsword as a gift and evidence of dwarves killed by orcs.

tl;dr - I don't think the players need anything else beyond a convincing argument here, but if you want to give them a mission have the dwarves ask them to run disruption on their underdark foes to give them some breathing room.

>>50129082
>Dwarves are Siege Masters and do not fear being besieged, already established lore.

>Not sure the assassin would want to give up his sword.

>not sure this group can form a convincing argument to get the Dwarves to help (they aren't strong RPers)

>>50129172
>>50129082
basically I'm asking for help to cushion this game event without it being too cushioned and make them feel like they didn't have a say.

Trying to be a good DM while also sort of being a bad DM (according to my own philosophies of 'let the players do it')

>>50129016
>that pic
>siege towers only a quarter the height of the wall
For what purpose?