Poison's grip

[tomcat]

The companions all started as once more the forest produced a shadow on the edges of the campfire. A tall, slender, robed figure stood observing all as they discussed the quarry that they had just brought down. The figure had made no sound with its approach and all wondered about the dreaded wraiths that were spoken of that haunted areas of Mirkwood. But no, this fear was quickly abated as they saw it was a person underneath that robe.


 Just trying to stimulate some RP'ing here. I know a few of you are busy with family stuff, but trying to keep the game from losing momentum. I don't have an NPC in this game to start conversations.  

[Bandobras]

"Look," Bandy hisses to the others, half raising his bow. "Stranger, identify yourself!"

[tomcat]

  Ayrn has been off the site for about 4 days. He just came out of surgery last week, so I am going to respond to get the game moving. If I do or say anything that you do not like, Ayrn, feel free to let me know and we'll change it.


Two hands came slowly from out of the shadowed cloak, empty and open - palms outward in a sign of non-aggression. A whispered voice, "Forgive my interruption of your encampment, but I feared for your safety, although my concern was ill-spent. Never have I seen a cleaner shot! May I enter your firelight and introduce myself?" The companions all had a look to one another and Orophin kept an arrow nocked to his bow, but the consensus was a series of nods. The silhouette was graceful and it was immediately apparent that this was a woman, as she stepped into the firelight. Her cloak was a shade of grey, or was it green - either way, it seemed to hide her outline with the wooded darkness behind her. She pulled back her hood to reveal a stunningly, beautiful woman - tall and pale of skin with hair that was dark and hung long, but tightly woven in a braid.

"I am Esgalwen and if it is okay with you, I would like to take refuge within your camp this eve."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Pretty words will get you far in some places but here your actions will be what is judged," grunted Grimbeorn.  "Your honor and your life hangs on them."

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast makes some room for the new arrival around the fire, propping his axe and shield within easy reach. 

"I am the Fire-Watcher.  The large man is Grimbeorn, son of Beorn the Skinchanger."  He pauses, trying to unobtrusively observe the condition of the young Ranger.  "If you are hungry, I fancy we have more boar near to hand than any five people could manage." 

[Posterboy]

  Sorry, guys, for some reason my work comp doesn't like the new change to the site... and it took me a bit to re-find the site on my home computer. I'm going to post today, after I get the kids some breakfast. Thanks for your patience!

[Posterboy]

Esgalwen gave the large man a nod, and the Fire-Watcher introduced the pair. "Thank you for the invitation. While I wish I may have opportunity to prove the worth of my sword arm, for tonight I must simply accept your hospitality." She found a place near the fire. "Some food, and drink should you have some, would be most welcome."

"I have had a troubled journey as since leaving my home to the south," the ranger began. "Ten of us left Gondor. The cold, orcs, and worse have humbled us low so that only I stand before you now. My business lies west a little... We were making our way to Rhosgobel."

[Eclecticon]

Gondor!  The name is yet another unexpected thrill for Arbogast, who had accepted the existence of Gondor upon Middle-Earth in the same way he accepted the existence of the sun in the sky - with no expectation that it would ever be a place he might visit, or from which someone might visit him.  Her long journey, though, unquestionably makes Esgalwen a guest in the lands of the Woodmen, and with no other representatives of the folk in attendance, the sacred duty of hospitality falls to him. 

"You are not far from your goal, then.  We are a hunting party out of Rhosgobel, though of unusually mixed peoples, thanks to the folk-moot taking place there." 

He thinks for a second more, then follows his instinctive guess.  "You have come to seek the counsel of the wizard Radaghast, I take it?"  I certainly can't think of another reason anyone would come here across all those empty miles, he thinks. 

[Stefan]

Orophin aimed his bow at the ground as the lady moved toward the fire.  His suspicions not completely gone but somewhat relaxed.  He sits on a log on the edge of the campsite away from the fire.

"What darkness befell that 10 rangers would have such difficulty on the road from Gondor? Surely my cousins in Lothlorien would have lent aid."

[Bandobras]

"I, too, would like to hear your tale dark though it is." Bandy wants to know more before he trusts the stranger who appeared so suddenly in their midst, but his Hobbit courtesy remained strong even in the wilds of Mirkwood. "But excuse me, first you need refreshment, some food and drink to restore you." Bandy produces some venison skewered on a stick. "I also have some good South Farthing pipe weed if the people if Gondor practice the art of smoking."   

[tomcat]

Going to allow you guys to RP back and forth for a bit longer here so that you guys can get a good feel for the Company, and then I will move us on. I have to introduce disenchant4d's character, too. It will probably be tomorrow, Steve, that I have your intro into the story, just so you know.

[disench4nted]

  Works for me! Just toss me in when the story calls for it. I've been keeping up with the posts.

[Posterboy]

Esgalwen took the skewered meat from the ... half-man?. The ranger had never laid eyes on a hobbit before. Far too clean and fair for a goblin... a man acursed with dwarfism, perhaps... she wondered.

"Your hospitality gladdens my heart, and more so to hear that we are close to Rhosgobel," she allowed herself a brief moment to noursih her body with the food and drink offered before continuing.

"My tale is dark indeed," she began finally. "Though, perhaps, no more tragic than for all good folk who walk these lands. My company set forth from Gondor in late February, while winter's icy chill still clung to the land. My lord sent us forth to these Wilderlands to find out the truth behind the increased presence of the Shadow that we find haunting our borders as of late."

"Ten there were of us that travelled north. The mighty Anduin swallowed one through the ice soon after we left. Another was lost to a pack of wolves. The third to an orc shaft... though we destroyed the orc pack, the arrow was poisoned by the Shadow's dark arts."

"Yet still, we continued on. Two more were lost as we entered the southern eaves of the Great Woods. Though we saw not the foul creatures, surely they were spawn of Ungol... evil spiderkin, for we found the telltale signs of their webbing."

"With only half our number remaining, we looked to skirt the southern woods and the narrows, coming north along the western eaves. Having met men of the vale along the way, we learned of the folk-moot happening near Rhosgobel and, with renewed hope, decide this would be the best place to gather news from these lands."


"But we were beset by a raid party of orcs during the night. And while we laid waste to many of our foes, yet still they had many more. My leader fell to an orc spear, and two more of my brethen were cut down, before the three of us who remain took refuge in the woods. In the darkness and chaos of the night, we were separated."

"That was nearly four weeks ago, and I fear now that my companions might not have eluded our foes."

"So, here I am now, the last of my company as far as I can tell, alone." the fair maiden looked around the fire, "save for your excellent company."

[Stefan]

Putting his arrow back in it's quiver and setting down his bow Orophin relaxes listening to the tale.  The shadow was obviously growing.

"That is a sad tale.  It's fortuitous that our group has come out into the forest for a hunt or you might have passed it completely in the dark wood. We plan to stay the night and walk back to the meeting place at first light if you'd care to join us."

[Bandobras]

Listening to Esgalwen's account, Bandy wonders if Bloody Snout had been tracking her and happened to arrive by accident into the hunting camp. Why does evil follow her so? It may go ill for the fellowship to take up company with such a person. Yet looking upon care-worn Esgalwen he takes pity on her.

"A dark tale indeed, but let us not abandon all hope. Perhaps the Woodmen or the Brown Wizard will have word of your companions. We'll see tomorrow. But tonight we must be on guard lest we are surprised again by more foul creatures. Let Esgalwen rest and I will take the first watch. My mind is restless and I will not be able to sleep."