FELLOWSHIP PHASE - Whispers of the Shadow

[Eclecticon]

The winter of 2950 has frozen the Anduin Vales bone-white.  Even leafless, though, the canopy of Mirkwood is thick and gnarled enough that the season barely penetrates to the ground.  Beside the frozen tarn, Amaleoda's people huddle in their hall where a great Yule-log smoulders its way to cinderous oblivion.  Within, a boar roasts on a spit as Lindwine dances to the sound of bone flutes and singing, her hair –

The sound of snapping wood brings Arbogast back to his surroundings.  In a hollow beneath a tangle of roots, he blows on his frozen fingers, trying to bring some feeling back to them.  

In his heart, he has come to think of this trackless stretch of the wood as his chase.  He has spent months exploring it, coming to know the sound of its wildlife and the creak of the trees in the wind, the smells of damp soil and mouldering wood.  He can tell the distance from the Dusky River by the softness of the moss beneath his hands.  As much as a mortal Man can know Mirkwood, he knows this part of it, and he is wise to the bounty hidden by darkness and omnipresent threat.  The mushrooms wax full and rich here, some fine for the table, others to bring visions to the wise.  One, he gathers but rarely, for it brings a swift and irrevocable respite to the dying.  

He knows, too, where other beneficial plants grow – yarrow and bugloss, woodruff and mothshade.  These have seen several of the children of Black Tarn Hall through their fevers and soothe the joints of the elderly.  

But it is the traps, by which he brings home furs of sable and grey for use and for trade, that have brought him here today.  Game is scarce, and what his snares have caught of late has brought him no weal.  Instead, something is devouring them, leaving little for him but splattered blood and cracked bone.  No wolf or fox is this, though, no hunter of nature, be it never so twisted by the Shadow.  What has taken his game has undone the knots of snares.  

It is here now, he thinks.  I killed the rabbit hours ago, and nothing else has stirred.

Taking up his axe, he advances on his unseen foe as cautiously as he can, taking a seeming hour between footfalls.  It is hungry.  It will not leave easy food.  It thinks it has time.  

He expects the sound of ravenous consumption as he comes closer.  What he hears instead is a voice, thin and raspy.  "Yeeeessss!  It is!  It's a rabbit!  A fat rabbit for us!  How does the song go again?  

Hoppitsie hoppitsie goes its feets
Quick through pretty greensie wood
Catch it!  Choke it!  Tear the meats!  
Fills our belly, tasties good!  

Long of ears and brightsie eyes
Currant nose and –

The voice abruptly breaks off its song.  Arbogast freezes, his heart suddenly racing.  He could swear that he has made not a sound, but somehow the thief has marked his approach.  The voice rises again, angry this time.  

"What's this?  Ambushers!  Murderers!  Thieves!  Gets your own meat!  This is ours, Precious!"  

With that, there is a cacophony of scratching and crashing as the thief climbs, nimble as a cat, into the branches.  Within a heartbeat, it is gone.  

[tomcat]

that was an awesome post, Paul! So is Arbogast's holding a hunting thing?

[Eclecticon]

  Thank you.  I like the idea that it's diversified, partly because I wanted to see if I could shoehorn his specialities in somehow.  What I came up with was a stretch of forest that reliably provides small game for furs and occasional meat (don't eat the black ones - even the hounds don't like them), plus mushrooms, herbs and all the other useful things that could come out of a primordial forest. 

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Aye, father.  I will stand with you but these times will become more perilous before they are better with the great Evil arising in the East again.  From what I have learned so far in my travels is make peace with Viglund if possible as no doubt we will have need of their axes ere the end.  Have no doubt that this land is on my mind regardless of the tasks of the Wizards.  I continue the charge you gave me to act on behalf of our people and to ensure our safety.  These journeys have caused me to range far and wide but I have a feeling that the danger lurking beneath the twig and bough of Mirkwood is only getting stronger."

[Posterboy]

  Hey All, wrapped up with work and family this week and part of next. I may need to write the fellowship phase part later.

[tomcat]

Okay, Matt - I went ahead and just made your second Undertaking an increase in Standing from 1 to 2, since you went home and were announced as the heir apparent.

Bandy - I need a second undertaking since you visiting your kin will be in the adventure phase.

Esgalwen - you need to do your PC advancements and your second undertaking. I know you are busy, so this stuff can come later.

I will be starting the new Adventure Phase tonight beyond the initial post I made.

[disench4nted]

 

Let the  's begin 

[Posterboy]

  Esgalwen will raise her Persuade skill to 3, and save the remaining advancement point for later.
She'll spend 10 xp to raise her Wisdom rating to 4 and gain the Noble Lineage virtue, and save the remaining 2 XP for later.

For her second undertaking, could she try to receive a title in Tyrant's Hill? (especially if she was successful in her diplomatic arts in Gondor?)... or is there a fellowship undertaking that would be the equivalent to "Gaining support for Tyrant Hill in Gondor"

[Posterboy]

  I've edited Esgalwen's sheets to note the changes. Her Noble Lineage virtue adds +1 to the fellowship pool of Hope points. (I think that bumps us up to 7)

[Telcontar]

I have a draftpost for Radagast and an outline of events i. The Kings hall. I am buried with work at the moment but I will get it up there.

I have some deep psyche ancient lore stuff coming up for radagast which I think will help to define his character for the rest of thecampaign so bbare with me for a bit longer

[Telcontar]

Also, sorry about the typos, when I jam away on my iPad it doesnt keep up very well.

I would say that a title in Tyrants hill isnt really appropriate. Its not a sanctuary and I think there is a need for more story to be told before that happens. If we want to make that a fellowship phase event I think we would need to dedicate a chunk of time and energy into. Doug may disagree though.

[Eclecticon]

I almost forgot - Doug asked for reasons why we show up back at Rhosgobel.  I think Arbogast has probably been making regular visits there over the 18/19 months since the last Adventuring phase to see Bandy, Rorin and Radaghast, and would be aware that a new journey was in the offing.  Otherwise, a visitor to Black Tarn Hall tips him off to the fact that Bandy has started packing his bags and he shows up uninvited, because fuck letting your friends wander off into danger. 

[tomcat]

Sounds good, Paul. I am posting in the new Adventure phase to get our new story going.

I understand Tom is going to be posting for Thranduil and Radagast in this thread, but I am not going to wait. If the posts have any impact on the new Adventure phase, we'll work it in.

As for the title with the people of Tyrant's Hill...it might not be something you want to carry, right now. It would make it hard for Esgalwen to find any place among the other Woodmen.

Also, I need Rorin and Arbogast to give me a roll of the Feat die for their Holdings. You guys will actually see two year-ends in this Fellowship Phase, but I only want one roll since the holdings were just established.

• if the die roll result is equal to or less than the Holding's rating, you earned enough income to keep your PC's current standard of living.

• if the roll is greater than the rating, the PC gains his standard of living and treasure equal to the difference of the die roll and the rating.

• if the roll is , the PC earns his standard of living and the rating of the holding is reduced by 1 due to some good fortune.

• if the roll is , the holding suffers some disaster of misfortune. If the hero does not take action the next Fellowship Phase, the holding may be destroyed, or have its rating increased.

[Eclecticon]

Happy to oblige. 

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

[Bandobras]

  Hi All, I was sick for a few days last week and now I am completely snowed under at work. It is bad time of year at work anyhow, so I do not foresee myself having the time or the headspace for TOR. Feel free to continue without me for the next week. If that means running Bandy as an NPC or leaving him behind that is fine. My apologies for holding up the game.