Year 2950: Those who Tarry no Longer

[Yelik]

Adding as an afterthought "or if not either of these things perhaps someone could tell me what this raven wishes to communicate...."

[thesloth]

Arton of Gram

Arton watched the rider approach. Out of caution his hand slipped to his waist. Presently, as the rider's presence did not seem to disturb Irime who he presumed had a great knowledge of the local peoples, Arton responded to her question.

 

"I cannot say I know your brother. If he traveled with a man of Gondor, a Rohirrim, a large Beorning, and some Dwarves then he left with an elvish prince to hunt a company of Mordor orcs currently trespassing the forest. Now that I think of it, they may have had some ravens with thim as well. I would advise against wandering the forest looking for them. By all accounts this wood harbors some dangerous creatures, of which the orcs are but one."

 

Not knowing the lady, Arton decided not to mention the charge laid upon his current companions.

 

[Suzuki Stumpy]

As the stranger spoke, Thammegil stepped out from behind a nearby tree, bow raised, arrow knocked....

 

He'd been out for an early morning hunt to see if he could catch anything for the company to eat whilst they were on the road.  Unfortunately, under the dark eaves of these woods, there was scant prey to be had - at least of the edible variety - so he was returning empty-handed when he'd heard the woman - or more accurately, her avian companion - entering the camp.

 

As he realised that she posed no threat, he lowered his aim and released the tension in the bowstring.

 

"Intelligent creatures, crows," he mused.  "Can't say I can speak their tongue mind.  Not sure if any of our companions here can do so?  Although, if not, and our travels take us in the direction of Beorn's house, I've heard that he can talk to all the common creatures.  But, I'm unsure if our path heads that far Northwards."  he addressed this last part towards the Lady Ireme, in the small hope that this might persuade her that the journey would be worthwhile - he dearly wanted to consult with the legendary woodsman to gather any information on what lay ahead for them on their path to the mountains, and no-one knew the lands of the vale better than he.

 

[Diofant]

The dwarf nodded at the prince's words. That many orcs shouldnt have been too bad, but they were Mordor orcs, and so could not be underestimated. He wished to stay and fight but as he had been asked, he would not be the rude dwarf some people liked to tell stories about. After the scouts returned, the dwarf had lapsed into an entirely confused state - he sat on a stump of a tree, his sword across his legs, and stared at the map, sometimes poking at it and muttering curses in Khuzdul. Certainly, this was not underground, but anyone has a sense of direction, and a hundred miles off mark is too far even for a drunken tale! Was there some sorcery at work? Blain pulled at his beard in frustration, barely looking up when a newcomer showed. "Some cousins of mine know the speech of Ravens but... I must admit my ignorance in that regard." The dwarf folded the map with a sigh and hid it. He would just have to find his way by the stars when they stopped to make camp. 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Diofant (see edit history)

[Vladim]

The lady had been silent and distant as the newcomer approached, and as the company addressed this new and unexpected traveler, she listened and observed, as if weighing Frida’s words and judging her interactions. When at last all had spoken, she stepped forth, and not revealing her face, which remained hidden behind her heavy hood, she stretched out her hand, and as if heeding some command, the raven flew from the Lake-woman and perched on lady Írimë 's forearm.

 

’The speech of birds is known to me.’ she said quietly, and to none in particular, before turning to face Frida. ’Your companion is a friend’s friend, and she tells of a tower to the North, which was long-lost and only recently reclaimed. It is there where she met your kinsman, though he is now in the care of my own peoples, hunting orcs. He will not come to harm.’

 

The last words were spoken with calm conviction, as if it was not mere hope but foresight that made her say it.

 

Then, she turn to Thammegil, who had spoken of Beorn, and commented briefly on his suggestion. ‘I once had known men like Beorn the Young, in the Second Age of this world. They were good men, and dear to Oromë, whom the Northmen call Béma, and learned many secrets from his servants. Yet my path lies to the West, not the North.’

 

---

 

Two days passed without incident. The lady kept to herself, and rarely broke her silence, not speaking unless spoken to, and even then, giving laconic responses. Oftentimes, she looked into the distance, especially as the sun sunk in the sky and beyond the horizon. It was as if her eyes were trying to pierce the great wall of the Misty Mountains to see beyond them and into the West. She seemed lost in thought and old memory, and at times hummed to herself ancient tunes; songs that her peoples had composed that were tinged with sorrow, and a sense of loss.

 

Worrying about their diminishing supplies, Thammegil had continued hunting his elusive prey, seeking it beyond the boughs of the forest and into the valleys of these borderlands. He had managed to convince the others that it would be prudent to do this, and so they all endured the small delay that this new plan carried with it.

 

When at last they approached the great river in the morning of the second day, the lady seemed to halt suddenly. Something about the sight had made her stir, and after a moment’s pause she explained herself:

 

‘Long has it been since last I saw this river. A great bridge had once spanned it here, built by the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, and made even greater by the men of lost Arnor. Great armies rode across that bridge, and I recall still Aeglos, the ice-spear of Gil-Galad, my kinsman, glittering in the sunlight. He rode away into shadow.’

 

OOC

The company is now at the Old Ford after two days' journey. Everyone should mark +2 Fatigue. I think Fatigue works the same way as in 1st edition, so make a note if you become weary at some point, but I am guessing not yet.

 

I assume that Frida finds some reason to join the company and this quest, after this point. The specific reasoning is up to Yelik.

 

I need Suzuki to make a hunting roll for Thammegil for the journey event. On a failure, Thammegil gets +1 Fatigue (so 3 in total) and his prey eludes him. On a success, he catches his prey. I added an extra day to the journey but that has little effect-it's mostly narrative stuff with minimal impact.

 

I also need Diofant to make another marching (Travel) roll for the next part of the journey. 

 

We can role-play the crossing of the Anduin at the Old Ford or hand-wave it. Either way, Írimë won't be in favor of lingering.

[thesloth]

Arton of Gram

Arton surveyed the river. It looked like any other part of the Anduin to his eye, but if his people had left a legacy here he wished to view it.

 

[Varon777]

Elhadron walked along behind the horse, alternating between humming and singing softly to himself. The journey was not long, and the terrain flat, with little cover nor rough ground to hamper their route. 

 

As they came to the Anduin, he stopped along the edge, watching the river flow down from the mountains and towards the sea. 

 

"Such would have been a remarkable sight," Elhadron considered. "A great bridge at the height of the powers of Men." 

[Diofant]

At the mention of Bema, Blain looked up from the map, but thought better of interrupting. Looking at the river crossing before them, the dwarf sighed and rolled up the map, replacing it in its case. "Well... I suppose we best cross here. Regardless of how what I'm seeing or not seeing on the map, a bridge is a bridge, and I'd rather not go swimming - and our objective is on the other bank, is it not? Best not linger." Lingering near the Old Ford was an unattractive prospect - the Beornings were fine people, to be sure, but from what he knew, their leader didnt think much of dwarves, and who knew how many groups of Mordor Orcs were dispatched?

[Vladim]

Things begun to change after they had crossed the Old Ford. Here, the Beornings were not as present, and they travelled many miles without encountering a single soul. Though haste was of the utmost importance, the lady cautioned them against spending the entire journey on the old road. She feared that it would be watched: by orcs or other agents of the Enemy. Her counsel was difficult to ignore. As the companions consulted their maps, they could guess or estimate that, at this rate, it might take them about three days to reach their goal at the High Pass, if they counted them from the time they had crossed the great river.

 

As that first day came to an end, they found a secret place to set up camp, and sought to sleep under the star-lit sky. A certain disquiet had taken over the lady. In the darkness, her keen eyes could make out points of light that seemed almost imperceptible at a great distance. Elhadron could see them as well; others had to strain, and even so they could not be certain.

 

OOC

As mentioned in Discord, our Scouts (Frida and Arton) need to make Explore checks, but this is not for the current event. I will use their results to describe the events of the following day.

 

Presently, it is night, and any PC can attempt a Stealth or Hunting check to investigate the glowing points of light far away.

 

[thesloth]

Your dice thread post mentions a favored attribute test. I don't see a second score on my sheet. I know we discussed it but I can't find the conversation about how favored tests work in 2E.

[thesloth]

Arton of Gram

Arton was loathe to sleep with with the thought of something prowling the perimeter. Stealthily he moved just outside the perimeter of the camp, looking and listening for any telltale signs of what had disturbed the lady. 

 

[Suzuki Stumpy]

Thammegil was away from the camp.  Out on one of his nightly hunting forays.  Food so far had been plentiful, but he knew that was unlikely to last once the company reached the higher peaks of the Mountains, so he persevered, trying to bag as much food as could be easily prepared, preserved and carried each day aiming for slightly more spoils of the hunt than he and his companions could eat.  At least that way they'd have a small store of smoked and cured meats when the nights became both dark and cold.

 

It was more a feeling of unease that swept over him rather than sight which first made him aware of the lights far in the distance.  What they were, he couldn't quite say from his vantage point, nor could he tell at this distance whether they were stationary, or moving towards the camp.  Either way, he felt torn between warning the others, or finding out more first.

 

"Can't help to be more certain" he whispered to himself as he threw caution to the four winds and picked up his pace towards the lights.  If he could secure a vantage point closer, then he should be able to make out who, or what, they were, and whether they might mean harm to him and his companions.

 

With barely a sound, he trotted off into the night, the moon his only light source.

 

Out of Character

As per Valdim's post above, Thammegil is going to try and see if he can make out more details on the lights

[Vladim]

Leaving Írimë with Elhadron, who would keep her safe, the rest of the party crept on quietly, determined to spy on the distant lights. Led by Arton and Bláin, who set a pace that was both quick and quiet, they focused on one of the points, and moved cautiously towards it, until at last they could tell that it was a campfire.

 

Woodmen and Beornings sometimes travelled here, but what they saw were the shapes of orcs, not men. The other fires were near them too: in total, there must have been two dozens of orcs here; perhaps more. Amongst them some seemed taller and broader: Black Uruks, as the rangers could tell.

 

These could not be the same orcs that prince Legolas and the rest of the elves had been hunting in Mirkwood. They could not have escaped so easily. Clearly, more than one band had been sent to capture or slay Írimë. The questions, then, were obvious: were there more hunting parties yet? And who or what had set them to this task?

 

OOC

Given the successes, I think it's fair to say that the party moves quickly, remains unseen, and can retreat or attack just as stealthily. 

 

In second edition, there's extra "things" you can do with great/extraordinary successes (the 6s on the d6). You can spend them to help an ally (turning their failure into success), or do the task more quickly, or gain new insight, and so on. In this case, one 6 has been spent to help Frida succeed, another to move more quickly, and another to gain extra information. In the future, you can also tell me how you want to spend your 6s if you prefer (otherwise I'll apply an appropriate effect).

 

Presently, you need to decide if you attack the orcs (despite the superior numbers) or go back, warn the lady, and try to evade them, or retreat to a safe haven like Beorn's house. If it's tough to decide, we can put it to a vote.

 

[Varon777]

These lights were unnatural, Elhadron knew. Not starlight, nor moonlight, nor any other light made by the Valar when the world was young. No, these were artificial lights of some sort, flames. He stood quietly beside his horse, ready to give it the command to flee to safety should the need arise, his bow held ready and the sword loosened in its scabbard. He did not know what it was the companions would find, but he felt an ill wind in the air. 

 

His head was tilted to one side, listening to any hue and cry that might ring through the night and give him some warning of what could be the source of the lights. 

[thesloth]

Arton of Gram

Arton finished taking his count and turned towards Blain. Silently he flashed 5 fingers on his hand 5 times signifying his count of the enemies. He knew Blain would be counting as well and waited to see if their numbers matched. When Blain had reported his count Arton motioned towards all the companions who had come and moved his hand back towards the campsite. He seemed unwilling to pick a fight with this band.