FELLOWSHIP PHASE - Whispers of the Shadow

[tomcat]

Yes, you do.

It might be neat to play on the idea that Bandy was really affected by the time in Dol Guldur - hence no Shadow reduction.

[Bandobras]

  My thoughts exactly Doug.

 I am only down one Hope point but I have 5 Shadow. I would take a point, but if others need it more than me, help yourselves to the Fellowship pool.

[Bandobras]

The memory of Orophin weighs heavily on the hobbit as the brooding fellowship silently retrace their steps through the dim and tangled forest. As much as he tries, his mind constantly fills with images from the bridge and the enticements of the watery dead. These scenes, freighted with emotional weight, fatigue mind and body. Reaching for his pouch of Old Toby, he finds it missing. "Oy," he cries out loud when he discovers his last link to the Shire has been left in that accursed place. Bandy says no more. Only the thought of returning to the safety of Rhosgobel offers hope.

The Wizard's cottage offers safety from physical hurt but cannot protect Bandy from his own thoughts.  He sneers when Radagast warns the companions not to forget the horrors of Dol Guldur. Forget? I shall never forget though I will do my damnest to do just that.

Soon after that last meal together, Arbogast announces his intention to return to Black Tarn and invites the Hobbit to join him. Bandy declines. He feels welcome under Arbogast's roof, but he no longer feels as though he has home of his own. Bandy could not bear to witness whatever contentment Arbogast would find at Black Tarn. A longing to return to the Shire grips the young Bracegirdle, but the time is not right. Scarred by his experiences, hardened by the acts he has committed, he fears that he is no longer right for the Shire. Not yet. At Rhosgobel, he throws himself into his writing, an act that has always soothed his hurts. But this time the words do not come. What words are there for Dol Guldur and for the loss of Orophin? He puts away pen and parchment.

The last time he remembered being happy was at Tyrant's Hill of all places, playing with Acca and Kenway. I must see them he thinks, and then he remembers something Kenway said. "I have heard the name Brandybuck before. A man named Brandybuck opened an Inn." Bandy begins to ask around Rhosgobel if anyone has heard of a Brandybuck running an inn.

  What Bandy does next will depend on if he learns anything and what it is.

[tomcat]

Bandy made his way around the folk of Rhosgobel, inquiring with each about the news he had heard of Hobbits - or someone named Brandybuck - opening an inn. At long last, he came upon a man named Walen Sander, who was a well-traveled merchant. The man was currently stocking supplies on his large wain that he drove north and south, peddling his wares.

The small Hobbit approached Walen, as the man studied the fore axle on his wagon, all the while scratching at his pate. There was little hair atop, though a thick horseshoe grew around from ear to ear. Usually Walen was adorned with a large, soft-cap that covered his head, but it currently hung from the brake handle. The merchant's oxen roamed freely about the yard of Radagast's home, which the animals - all animals - seemed to enjoy.

"Hey now, Master Walen," said Bandy, causing the larger man to start and bump his head on the wagon, under which he stooped. "Oof! Who that be now?"

Bandy introduced himself, again, and the merchant smiled as he rubbed the bump that slowly grew atop his head. "Should have had on me hat," he said, after the diminutive Hobbit made his inquiry. "Aye...there be an inn to the north, owned and operated by folk of your kind. I believe the proprietor's name be Dodinas Brandybuck. He and his wife Agatha, along with his brother, Dindy, hail from a land far off to the west...some place called Buckland. Sounds foreign to me." Another rub on his head, "Know anyone abouts these parts that are good with strapping an axle? Dont' want this to crack further, whil'st on the road."

Bandy marveled at the news. He knew of Dodinas Brandybuck, who went by Dody. Dody was his second cousin once removed, on his father's side! He had been an aspiration for Bandy when he, too, pulled up his life and moved it away from the Shire. Bandy had no idea that Dody and Agatha had crossed the Misty Mountains and settled in the Anduin Vale.

Walen continued, "Yea...they run a quaint little place. I stop in on my journey's as oft I can. They call it the Easterly Inn and I reckon you'd fit right in, as it is small though it accommodates us large-folk well enough."
I am starting the opening scenes of our next chapter, but that does not mean that the Fellowship phase is over. I just want to get these thoughts out of my head before they fade.

[Posterboy]

  One question:

1) I think I'd like Esgalwen to make a trip back home... is that possible. There's a number of matters that she'd like to take care of... return the sword she retrieved to the family it belongs to; visit her father; make an official report to the Steward (or her captain if she is not allowed an audience with the Steward); make an in person request for equipping Mogdred and his men with food stuffs, armor, and weapons; and see with her own eyes the Mount Doom alit. Can I attempt all of this in one fellowship undertaking? I would see it playing out something like this:

- Return Ardil's sword to next of kin (this would be Standing upkeep... or maybe it might raise her standing back home?)
- Report to superior officer/Steward on her work in the north and request aid for Tyrant's Hill (like opening up a modified trade route?)
- Visit with father; see Mount Doom a lit (mostly just fluff for story writing.)

If she is able to go home, I think I'd like to spend the XP on raising her Wisdom to 4 and taking Noble Lineage as her virtue.

I would want to be back for the second fellowship undertaking. Journeying with Bandy to the inn sounds great!

[Telcontar]

I think since this adventure phases ended early in the year this seems like the right spot in the timeline to be able to do this. I think it works with what we are doing, but I'll let Doug chime in.

[tomcat]

  Sounds great to me! Feel free to fill in some gaps of your PCs background with names, places and relationships. As long as it ties with, or doesn't  interefere with the overall canon, go crazy with creativity.

I like the idea of increased standing based on this journey, and any PCs may accompany that want to.

Our current adventure phase just ended at the beginning of May 2949 and our new one doesn't start until March 2951, so that gives you 23 months to do the journey, which is plenty of time.

Understand, the next adventure phase is going to be a bunch of small adventures in one, so the trip to see Bandy's kin could happen during either the fellowship or in our new adventure phase.

Also, me or Tom will happily chime in with interacting NPCs as needed. Tom has a PC from the mid-1600's who might have heirs that now live along the reaches of Mordor, defending those lands.  

[GandalfOfBorg]

  Grimbeorn attempts to avoid corruption of the Shadow...
 

TN 14 Craft-  1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 1d6 : 4, total 4

[GandalfOfBorg]

     oh blurg...

Grimbeorn has 13 Advancement Points (13 new, 0 previous)
Courtesy +1 dot (4 ap)
Awareness +1 dot (9 ap)
0 AP remaining

Grimbeorn has 14 Experience Points (12 new, 2 previous)
Wisdom +1 (10 EP), Virtue: Skin-coat
4 EP remaining


Story to come...
 

[tomcat]

  Hey Matt, I updated your character sheet for you.

[Eclecticon]

Well she is definitely worth getting up for in the morning, and heading out to hunt and gather!  

Indeed!  Mind you, Arbogast looks like a former Calvin Klein underwear model...  Nota bene, I believe the actual woman is a player in one of the Swedish mega-LARPs, which undoubtedly means she's better educated and more accomplished than I am. 

So you restore 4 points of corruption, did you clear your sheet already?

Yes.    in all respects. 

Anyway, GREAT post!

Thanks!  I worry sometimes that I'm letting myself go overboard with the drama in Arbogast's life.  It's nothing that would stand out in a Germanic saga or a medieval romance, but I don't want to annoy other players with masturbatory writing.  That said, I'm having a blast with the poetry - hence bumping Song up as an excuse to do more of it. 

Since we are in a sanctuary, I bleieve I get a second try.

Wait, Rhosgobel's already a sanctuary?  Whoops!  I'll stop banging on about it, then. 

I would take a point, but if others need it more than me, help yourselves to the Fellowship pool.

Don't forget that you get a point back automatically because your Fellowship Focus is still hale and hearty. 

[Eclecticon]

Sounds great to me! Feel free to fill in some gaps of your PCs background with names, places and relationships. As long as it ties with, or doesn't  interefere with the overall canon, go crazy with creativity.

I like the idea of increased standing based on this journey, and any PCs may accompany that want to.

Our current adventure phase just ended at the beginning of May 2949 and our new one doesn't start until March 2951, so that gives you 23 months to do the journey, which is plenty of time.

Understand, the next adventure phase is going to be a bunch of small adventures in one, so the trip to see Bandy's kin could happen during either the fellowship or in our new adventure phase.

Personally, I'd be really interested to play through this, so I'd rather do it in an Adventure Phase.  It's hardly a deal-breaker, though, and Arbogast will accompany Bandy either way. 

EDIT: Assuming anyone else is invited.  This may be something that Bandy keeps close to his chest. 

[Telcontar]

 Don't worry about typing too much about your character. The best part of the play by post narrative is that you are not hogging 'game time' f you want to ramble on about some facet of your character. Things like that provide a gold mine for Doug and I to create NPCs and stories that feel alive for the characters. Also, The One Ring is epic, maybe not in the same way that Sigfrid or other Sagas that are full of encounters and mighty deeds, this game is more of an elven epic that rolls out over many years. Its like an Annales School approach to gaming. Its all about the long duration and the respiration of humanity.

[disench4nted]

Rorin returned to Rhosgobel with a heavy heart, he had not felt the loss of a friend at arms since the Battle of Five Armies where his father and many other good dwarves fell to orcish blades. Upon his return Rorin found the first tavern in sight and spent nearly two full days there. He had lost three notches on his belt, and he had drank naught but water for as long as he could remember, and he intended to right both of these wrongs as quickly as possible. He spent his time alone at a table in the darkest corner of the room, lost in thought.

The following days held no joy for Rorin he was haunted by the grief of fallen friends and by fear of the evil that was sure to come from Dol Gulder. He could clearly hear the bell toll and feel the blast that had come from the tower after Rhadagast touched the waters, and he felt that any day a nameless evil would jump from a shadow and take his will from him.

Eventually Rorin decided to make use of this time to build something, and he began constructing a forge. It had been many years since he had worked the great forges of Erebor, but his hands remembered the skills taught him by his father and it wasn't long until he was creating fine steel tools for the residents of Rhosgobel. In his free time Rorin turned his eye to war hammer, and he spent many long nights reshaping and strengthening the weapon. He contoured the striking face to a smaller area so that it would more easily crack any armor that may stand in it's way, and he reinforced haft so that it would not snap even under the stress of an extreme impact. As he reforged his war hammer he let the heat of the forge-flames burn away his fears and the ring of his chisel chip away the feelings of anger and vengeance that had begun to consume him during his time in Dol Gulder. Though the dwarf knew no spells, he felt as though the spirits of those who were lost to him helped to guide his hand. Finally one morning when the sun rose over the trees, Rorin knew his work was complete and he felt a smile spread under his beard and the joy of a new day rise in his heart; he knew that the Shadow no longer held any power over him.

From that point on, Rorin worked to improve his forge to better serve the town of Rhosgobel which he now truly considered his home, for this was the first time since he had marched out from the Iron Hills for war that he did not feel burdened by the losses of his past. Rorin began to know the people of the town as they came to him with requests for spades, door hinges, garden implements, and even the occasional weapon.

 
I have a question about Rorin's second undertaking. I would like to take Raise Standing in Rhosgobel as he becomes a respected business owner in the town, but the book states that you have to spend Treasure points to gain standing. And I don't think we have any Treasure points? If I can't Raise Standing, that's fine, let me know and I'll pick something else!

Also, if any of the other PC's are just hanging about Rhosgobel without much to do, Rorin would love some help with running the forge. If your character is interested, Rorin will ask for their help and we can roleplay that if you want.

[tomcat]

I will allow the undertaking to raise your standing, disench4nted - we will go with the assumption that Rorin was making money off of his labors at the forge, and thus reinvested back into his forge and products, thus increasing his reputation.

Don't worry about money so much - this new series of adventures in our next phase will supply you guys with treasure at last.