SCENE 2 - Confluence

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil slowly chanted the words that he had been taught in his youth,

A! Elbereth Gilthoniel!
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the Western Seas

"How far away is this Elven tower? A great desire to see it has filled me suddenly. The urge may only be that of a man in the wild to see something that was once fair, or it may be a boon to us in our quest. Very little has happened to us by chance since we left Arnor, this too may be an important part of our quest to be brought up now at this point, followed by the swan, and the words of the Lay of Elbereth coming unthought to my lips. How long of a delay would it cost us in the hunt for Guilin?"

[tomcat]

"It's not much further up the river, but it is pretty dense with foliage," answered Matty. This caused the young boy's father to look to him, "You know of the ruin, boy? I best not find that you and those lads you call friends are snooping around these marshes."

"No, Pap," answered an anxious Matty, "Just heard old Gillie talking 'bout it at Rill's tavern."

"Well you don't mind that old codger, son. His tales are spun of fleece...not gold."

The two realized that the companions were staring at them during the exchange. Del spoke, "Pardon, Lords. The boy is right - the ruin lay just a bit further north and it is heavily overgrown. Says its haunted, too."



I need everyone to give me an Observe [Hear] TN 12

Question: For simple tests like these, do you guys want me to roll them and just narrate results? Or do you prefer I give you guys the chance to 'throw some dice'?

I know in the past you had me roll these kind of tests for your PC's, but I just want to see about now.

[tomcat]

Fengel
TN 12 observe +4

2d6+4 : 3, 4 + 4, total 11

Edrahil
TN 12 observe +4

2d6+4 : 6, 2 + 4, total 12

[Telcontar]

  Doug, I would rather you make the rolls for us so that when we post we have something to move the story instead of waiting for someone to make a roll before anyone else can post, but that's just my thoughts on the matter.

[GandalfOfBorg]

 Agree with Telcontar

[GandalfOfBorg]

Durgil checks around the landing for any sign of recent traffic since the other night besides the occasional animal.


Roll(2d6)+5: 3,3,+5 Total:11

[tomcat]

I will take two as a consensus. 

Okay, the other party member tests:

Nain
TN 12 observe +6

2d6+6 : 1, 5 + 6, total 12

Celdrahil
TN 12 observe +6

2d6+6 : 4, 6 + 6, total 16

Dirnhael
TN 12 observe +4

2d6+4 : 4, 5 + 4, total 13

[tomcat]

The air seemed to pick up as the men spoke of the ancient ruin, as if the call to Elbereth had moved her to give sign. Durgil moved off to search the area for any signs of tracks - Fengel seeing him do this followed to lend an eye to the task. The others stood looking around and listening and as if in unison, their heads turned towards the gnarled, misshapen tree that was resting upon a stone. It was there, still and strange in how it bent - nothing about it had changed.

Yet - save for Fengel and Durgil who were now moving carefully around the cut stumps, the others heard something come from its direction. It was the sound of creaking wood, crunching leaves, and something more.

[Telcontar]

The Gondorian was raised as a scion of the Elendili, deep in lore he was taught, and though the passage of time was reckoned long by other men his blood was of lost Numenor, and the years had not suffered all lore to be lost. The air slowly stirred in the open cut clearing and the name of Elbereth seemed to drive away the nats and the midges with a zephyr of cool flower scented wind. Celdarhil saw something different in the tree that he had not noticed before and for the second time today the Sindarin tongue of his father's hall came to his lips in song.

"O Orofarnë, Lassemista, Carnimírië!
O rowan fair, upon your hair how white the blossom lay!
O rowan mine, I saw you shine upon a summer's day,
Your rind so bright, your leaves so light, your voice so cool and soft:
Upon your head how golden-red the crown you bore aloft!
O rowan dead, upon your head your hair is dry and grey;
Your crown is spilled, your voice is stilled for ever and a day.
O Orofarnë, Lassemista, Carnimírië!"

"Shepard, your flock has been set upon by wolves. Will you aid us in our pursuit of the servants of the nameless enemy, to send them away from the lost realm of Erigion?"

[tomcat]

I love this post, Tom, so please do not change a thing. That being said, do me a favor and make sure you play within the realm of your PC's Lore skills.You are very knowledgeable about Tolkien's world, but the PC's are limited by their characteristics. Now I don't necessarily want the +3's or +2's in the skill list to hinder play either, but just ask that you make sure you work within a reasonable regard to both.

Ents are a thing of legend, or wive's tales, to men - even the higher men of Westernesse. Elves on the other hand have walked when the Earth was young, and so they know of them, though may have never actually seen one. In the books, Aragorn even questioned Gandalf in the validity of Ents being more than just tales. Your PC might have been schooled in things of legend, but it would be quite amazing to see legends come to life.



Edrahil smiled to hear the language of his people so masterfully spoken by this High Man of Gondor, but was even more pleased to that which it referred. He followed Celdrahil's gaze to the stationary, bent tree and now saw it for what it was. The Sindar had been born in Lindon when the Third Age was new, and so had never seen the Lands Beneath the Sea, nor the world before it had been made round, but he had been schooled by many of the great amongst his kind - Círdan being one of those. Edrahil did not remember when Eriador was a forest wide between the Ered Luin and the Misty Mountains, before the coming of Men and their axes. He did not remember Eregion when it was the land of his kin. But he did hold the knowledge of his people and knew that once the Shepherds of Trees strode these lands protecting and caring for their flocks. Only in the ancient groves of the Old Forest and Fangorn were these legends still rumored to walk.

Knowing this still, the Elf was not surprised that within the woods of this once Elven land an Ent would take refuge. Yet, as he looked at it, he saw that it was in a bad way. Its tough hide was mottled with mold and showed signs of boring insects. It was draped in hanging mosses to which clung dead leaves and nests of birds. Even now, as it spoke, Edrahil could tell the thing spoke in gibberish words that fell between Sindarin, its own language and that of common folk.

Celdrahil's words broke the silence and though it did not move, or make any sign of its recognition, Edrahil could sense it heard. The one thing that changed was the crackling whispers that came from its direction were now distinct, as if the Ent had cleared out a dried throat that had not spoken in many moons.

"O Orofarnë, Lassemista, Carnimírië!" the voice mirrored and then, "TOOOM TUUMMM," graveled forth a quiet rumble. Finally, to the astonishment of the Men and Dwarf, the tree straightened and a head turned in their direction, though it eyes were wild and lost. Nonsensical grumbles flowed from the mouth, "Flock, lock...Hey, day!...to times when lands were green. TOOOM TUMMM TI TUMBER DOOM! Elves again in Eregion? Where are my children? HOOOM BOOOOM! Manke ier i' Ents?" [translation from Sindar: Where are the Ents?]

[GandalfOfBorg]

In his travels, Durgil had seen monstrosities and horrors that had filled his heart with blackest fear, but upon seeing this creature and hearing it speak caused a rarity in him: speechlessness.  He still had his bow at the ready in the event of ill intent but somehow he knew it somewhere deep down it was a gentle spirit.

[Telcontar]

  Doug, ok I'll tone down my Jedi lore. I was going off of Celdrahil being a pure blood of a Dunedain, a distant relative of Elrond through Elros, and of a noble house. I was working off of the inspiration of Elbereth. Whatever excuse works!

And Aragorn said that 1,380 from now. 

[tomcat]

No, I totally understand how you are playing Celdrahil - the noble, learned-warrior - and I love it, but I just want to make sure the amazing things in Middle-earth are not a common occurrence to the man. I agree, too, that the customs of the past are VERY important to the Dunedain, so keep it up. I also agree that Aragorn is 1300+ years in the future and did not have access to half the amount of lore that might have once been in Fornost, and definitely in Gondor. Just put a little bit of a limit on what you know and what he would know.

Lastly, I would love to see this kind of 'knowledge' be bought with PC upgrades, too. If you guys wanna know tons of lore, awesome, just cover some of the costs with Advancement points. There is even a character Order in the books to allow for such. Thanks! 

You guys going to say anything to the old tree, or should I add more through NPC dialogue?

[Telcontar]

  we have to get advancements in order to use them 

[tomcat]

LOL! Touche, sir, Touche! 

I was actually planning an Advance for the team this go around.