The Hunt

[tomcat]

Esgalwen sat still and quiet - even her breathing slowed to allow her to listen to every sound. The forest was full of them, even at night, though they could fade into the surroundings if you let them. Crickets and frogs all chirped and warbled, flying insects buzzed, and bats fluttered in the canopy above. The area and the forest was strange to her, though being in such places was not. She was a Ranger out of Ithilien, from the south, and though she knew most every path there, here she needed to be careful lest the forest of Mirkwood take her.

Ithilien lay on the eastern edge of Gondor, across the Anduin River. Once it was the realm of the proud city of Minas Ithil, Tower of the Rising Moon, but now it was mostly deserted save for the Rangers of Ithilien who prowled the lands in search of nests of the Shadow. The terrors mostly stemmed from the fallen city, known as Minas Morgul since its capture almost a thousand years prior, and thus the Rangers of Ithilien were created. Made up of soldiers of Gondor, selected from the descendants of the people who had dwelt in Ithilien before it fell from Gondor's control, they dressed in camouflaging green and brown, and crossed the Anduin in secret to harass the forces of the Enemy in Gondor's old domain.

Now it was rumoured that a greater Shadow had re-entered Mordor and it was said that it had come out of Mirkwood. Turgon, Steward of Gondor, had met with his council and it was ordered that a group of the Rangers of Ithilien - ten in total - would be sent north to Mirkwood to investigate the southern reaches of the forest and see if the rumours were true. Many tales had come south from Wilderland to Gondor - the death of the dragon, Smaug; a clash of five armies; whispers of sorcery from the Golden wood; and with it all had come south a great presence of Shadow. Turgon wanted information. Was it true, the whispers that Sauron the Great was not destroyed in the Last Alliance that dawned a new age? Surely the shadows of his might were still around, for it was they that threw down Minas Ithil. Turgon needed information.



Esgalwen and nine other companions set out from the Henneth Annûn in the latter part of February, when winter still clung to the lands. The time of year for travel was not ideal, but Turgon had been insistent, and the sturdiest of his warriors had been chosen. Three of her companions had died along the way - one had fallen through a crack in the ice of the Anduin, while they made a crossing; another had been torn down by a pack of wolves that had caught him alone; the third fell to orc arrows. The trail had been sad and long and none of the Rangers knew what they would find once they had reached Mirkwood. Would there be friends and allies? Some spoke of making contact with the Elves of Lothlorien, but it was strongly urged against - the Lady of the Woods was to be feared.

With her six remaining companions, they had at last come to the southern reaches of Mirkwood. The land was fraught with shadows of evil and two more of her companions perished, the only evidence of their demise was thick webbings that stretched from tree to tree where they had lain. It spoke of the evil of Cirith Ungol in her own realm. Esgalwen and her remaining Rangers quickly moved north, skirting the southern forest and narrows, at last approaching the western eaves and the lands surrounding Rhosgobel. The snows had at last retreated to the highlands of the Anduin Vale and the Misty Mountains, and the Rangers could feel something in the air. They did not know what was about to happen, but it was apparent in the forest. One of her kin was an experienced animal-tamer and he could see that birds flew overhead with messages. They at last met people, Men of the Vale, who told them of Rhosgobel and a folk-moot that was to happen, and so the company of Rangers decided to seek out this Rhosgobel to make counsel with those who gathered. Unfortunately for Esgalwen and her companions, they would not make it.

A raiding party of orcs out of the narrows, set upon their encampment. The Rangers fought valiantly, but their numbers were few compared to the host of orcs. Esgalwen watched as Éothor, their leader, fell with a spear through his torso - a pile of many slain orcs at his feet. Then Rivuld and Morwain fell and she and her two remaining companions took refuge in the woods. The darkness of the forest separated them and though the clamour of battle continued behind, why she did not know. She ran and soon found herself alone.

That was four weeks ago. Now she sat in a tree.

Esgalwen did not know if she was the hunter or the hunted. She sat atop a low hanging branch of an oak tree that allowed her a better view of the forest floor around her. All she had seen in the eerie light of the moon was a large, wide-backed creature, maned with coarse hair. It was not larger than a horse, but it would certainly take down a man - or woman. It's grunts and snorts had stopped when Esgalwen had taken refuge in the tree. Then there came the sound of a squeal some ways off to her left - to the west - and the thump of something falling.  The Ranger's eye quickly noted movement in the gloom, the low ferned-scrub shifting as whatever it was that hunted her moved off to investigate the new sounds of the night.

◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙

Bandobras moved off as the two men hauled the deer out of the ferns onto a clear area of the forest floor. The hobbit had little knowledge of how to prep an animal - though he loved to eat them. So he figured he would help in what ways he could. He had no intention to go far, hoping instead that he would find easy kindling and wood along his path. Bandy was right as his arms began to fill with a stack.



All PC's are introduced - unless disench4nted joins us - but please give me narrative as to what your PC's are doing now. Dressing the deer for travel? Building a fire? Whatever.

Also, please give me a Lore roll TN 16 - any Lore traits that pertain directly to Mirkwood (Mirkwood, Enemy, Beast) will aid the roll by +2, not give you an auto-success. I know this is bending the rules, but I have never been a fan of auto-successes except with things that are mundane. Cool? If you guys disagree with me on this, please feel free to chime in - I am still learning TOR and don't want to break the rules. I will listen to the arguments and will change this ruling above if it seems I am messing things up.

[Posterboy]

 You are actually not off, Doug, on your ruling. It actually talks about it somewhere in the rule book that for "non-mundane" rolls traits might be used to grant a bonus rather than auto-success. I'm good with the ruling.

[Posterboy]

DC 16 Lore (2) + Beast-Lore

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

Rolled 2d6 : 6, 1, total 7

[Posterboy]

 Apparently, Esgalwen fails knowing anything about the beast.

Question: Is Esgalwen able to see/hear the rest of the Company?

[Eclecticon]

With Grimbeorn's taciturn help, unmaking the deer went smoothly and quickly.  The meat, entrails and organs have been packaged up in the hide, and are now hanging by a cord from a nearby branch.  Arbogast, true to his name, watches the dancing flames, enjoying the contrast between the cold behind him and the warmth on his face.  His thought turn to the future, and he finds himself torn between a desire for the life he has known and a previously-unsuspected desire for a life with friends such as those now sharing his campfire - a life alongside Elves and great Men, and travellers from far-off lands. 

I think not allowing an auto-success is perfectly reasonable sometimes - especially if the subject is an obscure one that even experts wouldn't know a lot about. 

There is no realistic prospect of Arbogast making a Lore roll, but let's try anyway!  I'll add +2 for Mirkwood Lore, but leave off the Shadow Lore, as Arbogast seems to have come to life in my head not yet knowing much about the wider world. 

DC 16 Lore 0(+2)

Rolled 1d12+2 : 11 + 2, total 13

[Eclecticon]

  Aaaaaaaaaaand that would be bad. 

[Bandobras]

Sitting before the fire with his back to a log, Bandy warms his toes and surveys his companions. The events of the day play out in his mind. If the people back home could see me they'd think I am as queer a Mr. Baggins, he thinks. Yet he trusts these people who were just this morning were strangers. During the chase his new they proved themselves to be generous, stouthearted, and trustworthy. With an ember from the fire, Bandy lights his pipe and draws on it thoughtfully. Then, as is his way, he begins to weave the day's events into a simple rhyme that he mutters half aloud and half to himself. This will help him remember until he has an opportunity to write it all down. Looking up, he asks absentmindedly, what rhymes with Grimbeorn?

Lore Check. I have rhymes of lore as a specialty but I do not think that would apply to this situation.

Rolled 1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

[Stefan]

Orophim smiled at the Beornings' concern. "It's a beautiful night to be beneath the boughs."

[tomcat]

Aaaaaaaaaaand that would be bad.

Although it is a definite failed roll, it is not that bad - at least in this circumstance. The rules say, under most circumstances, a result of the EYE icon counts as zero. [TOR p.27] - so no worries. It is when you are Miserable, or you are using a weapon or special ability, that things can get bad for PC's.

Ok - we have character posts from everyone, but I did not get Lore rolls from Orophin and Grimbeorn, so I am going to roll for them. If you guys do not like your results, you are welcome to roll your own, but the new result will stick.

Grimbeorn Lore roll:
TN 16 Lore   ○○○○○○, mod +2

1d12+2 : 10 + 2, total 12

Orophin Lore roll:
TN 16 Lore   ♦♦♦○○○

1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 3d6 : 2, 2, 4, total 8

Here is a note, too, for those who don't know - if you want to put some text in front of your dice roll to label it, just put the text in { } inside the [rol1] code and you will get what you need. This includes icons, like the ones in mine above.

[tomcat]

Question: Is Esgalwen able to see/hear the rest of the Company?

See them, no. Hear them, perhaps. She will most likely hear them very soon, though. 

All right, there were no successes with the Lore rolls, so local legends and rumors do not play into this scene.



Bandy sat by his fire and tried desperately to clear his sinuses of the smell of blood and viscera that had reeked the area from the deer's dressing. Grimbeorn and Arbogast had been quick and efficient, and the Hobbit marveled at how little was changed about the large mule deer, but he knew that every bit of the animal would be used by the Woodmen. The stomach and bowel had been emptied, but the animal was now hung on a long branch for easy carrying. The rest of the work would be done in the village camp.

He breathed deep of the smoke that came off the fire to clear his senses. It was not that Bandy did not enjoy a nice piece of venison crisped over a fire, or venison sausage with good spices, but that was after the meat was prepared. The hobbit took a long pull on his pipe and let the smoke roll out of his mouth - his companions began to settle around him and listened to his idle rhyme-making. The quiet calm of their evening was suddenly broken as the sound of a great snort and squeal filled the night.

Its name to the forest locals was Urska; some called it bloody-muzzle, and it had a terrible reputation in the western eaves of Mirkwood. The wild boar was huge. Some Woodmen claimed that it had been of the swine-herd of the Necromancer - those terrible beasts that both fed the evil sorcerer's armies, as well as served in its terrible ranks - which had been loosed on the forest to bring terror to the local folk. Other hunters and woodsmen spoke of the Bloody-muzzle as a beast that had just grown overly large and now dominated his own realm. These hunters prized the idea of bringing the great boar down.

Urska had been hungry and the smell of the female Ranger, all alone in the woods, had brought it out on the prowl. It was not a few man-folk that the Bloody-muzzle had killed, mostly small children that had strayed too far from the forest villages. But the death cry of the buck had caught the boar's attention - a fallen or injured animal was much easier prey than one of the two-legs - and so, Urska had turned to find its new feast.

The boar moved silently through the forest, a ruffle of fern the only mark of its passage, as it approached the new encampment of the companions. Arbogast and Grimbeorn had just finished washing their hands and arms in the crisp-waters of the pool when Urska espied the fire. The scent of the deer's death was heavy in its muzzle and it breathed deep. It did not see the carcass hanging a few feet off of the ground, it only saw the small figure of Bandy sitting quietly by the fire. The two men came and sat on logs near the Hobbit, when the Bloody-muzzle gave a sudden snort and squeal. Whatever the little thing was, the big two-legs would not have it.

The wild, monstrous boar charged.

[tomcat]

To my new players, do not post combat stuff here. I break out our combat in a round-by-round series of posts.

What we will resolve here is all of the steps at the Onset of Combat [TOR p.167]. Please feel free to correct anything that I miss here.

Surprise
Urska has a Movement of 2, which corresponds to its stealth, so:

stealth roll 1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 1, total 7

[tomcat]

So,

PC's must make an Awareness, Battle, or Hunting test TN 8 or be surprised. A great success (6), or extraordinary success (6 6), will allow you to tell another PC who might have failed their test, and thus they are not surprised.

My next question, and this goes out primarily to the new players (as my old players prefer the mundane rolls to be done by me to help expedite) do you guys want me to make these rolls for you so we can rapidly set up combat scenes, or do you want to make your own rolls.

I will wait for everyone's response before I move us on - whether it is to make your own rolls, or if you want them made for expediency's sake. If it is the former, please make your rolls an post it here.

[GandalfOfBorg]

 
You do it as it is faster for you to start combat, but I'm good either way.  I'll roll this time regardless...

Hunting -  1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6
Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3
Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Oi!  To arms! What is this beast?!" says Grimbeorn.

Are we able to draw weapons if we aren't surprised or do we wait until the next phase?

[Bandobras]

  Why don't you handle the rolling, although I'll make my Awareness roll now.

Rolled 1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 4, total 10