Captives!

[tomcat]

Esgalwen
TN 18 lore 1d

1d12 : 3, total 3
Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

[tomcat]

Esgalwen listened with interest as the men spoke. She knew of such men - those that took up with Orcs. They had invaded her lands many times in Gondor's great history.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Grimbeorn cared not for his words or for whomever he represents; taking up with orcs is beyond contempt.

 

Lore -  1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 1d6 : 5, total 5

[Eclecticon]

All that Arbogast knows of the Men of the Toft comes from the tales of travellers such as Degath and Deylith.  His accusations have been pure educated guesswork. 


... so I expect nothing from this roll. 

Rolled 1d12 : 3, total 3

[Telcontar]

  sounds good to me

Rolled 1d12 : 5, total 5

Rolled 3d6 : 3, 2, 4, total 9

[GandalfOfBorg]

  We know nothing therefore we hateses these mens, yes precious, we hateses them forever!

[tomcat]

Grimbeorn and Arbogast can rely on their Anduin and Mirkwood lore, respectively, to provide them with a Success.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Grimbeorn shook his head and chuckled at the man's grandiose response.  "King? of Rhovanion?  That is a laughable claim.  There is no king here. These men of free villages and towns about the Anduin Vales and that's how they wish to remain," he said pointing to the men that had come with the companions.  "And Vidugalum... lording over a city of mud and sticks? Is that a castle fit for a king?  Bah!  Why are we bandying words with men who'd consort with orcs?"

[Telcontar]

Bandy recalls that on Esgalwen's map there was a place called the Toft. As far as he knew it was away southwest of the woodmen, maybe near the KingStone he had heard about before.

"I know of no true king that ever had orcs as allies."

"Arbogast, Geirbald. These are your lands, what passes for fair justice among the Woodfolk? As evidence against them and before you all assembled I swear by my oath. They were caught in the company of Orcs, and by their own mouths admit to raiding the lands of the Woodfolk. If given a moment and justice demands it, may also show their ill gotten spoils from raiding if we search. There being no elders here, I accept your judgment in this matter."

Bandy had never been idle in all his time in the Wild and he learned much of the customs and folk of other as it concerned their lore.

[Eclecticon]

"It seems to me," says Arbogast at length, "that these men have strayed far from the laws to which all Men of the North hold fast."  At Perth's aghast expression, he adds "though they will surely claim that they are carrying out the orders of the King of Rhovanion, the fact is that they, and their king, consort with creatures who are the enemy of all Men.  Theirs are not acts of war, but plain and simple banditry." 

Accepting a rag from Bandy, he wipes his face, clearing away the blood that has begun to drip into his eyes.  "Such things are usually a matter for weregild paid to those they have harmed, or to the families of the slain.  But I see no way for that to suffice here, for we have no way of knowing who has been wounded, who was slain, and whose property was taken.  Nor have they aught with which to make recompense but goods belonging by right to others." 

"In such circumstances, it might be said," he says, with a meaningful glance toward Grimbeorn, "that their rightful fate is death."  He then allows himself to subside somewhat, as if a building fury has been quenched.  "But such a is a grave pronouncement, and such a deed ought only be carried out by the kin of one falsely slain.  I see none such here, for the only one thus taken from me was one not yet born." 

He looks meaningfully at Geirbald.  "What is left to us is similarly grave, for they must be cast out from the protection of the law that they have spurned, and be at the mercy of any who might meet them in the Wild.  It may be that, should they be lucky enough, they may live to once more reach the safety of the Toft, tell the tale of their defeat to Vidugalum and receive what fate would then await them.  Or they may swear great and solemn oaths to these Men and live as they do, and thus make daily recompense for their crimes with the strength of their arms and the blood of Northmen in their veins." 


I'll roll Persuade for the thinly-veiled recommendation. 

1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 3d6 : 6, 2, 5, total 13

Arbogast isn't particularly trying to persuade Geirbald to take them on - that's a matter for his own sense of justice and what he thinks his followers will bear. 

[disench4nted]

"Aye, death seems a fair fate to me." Rorin mumbled not quite under his breath. Had these been Dwarves found bearing arms shoulder to shoulder the orc, Rorin would not hesitate in the matter. But these were Woodsmen, and as much as their betrayal caused his blood to boil, it was not his place to act as judge.

[tomcat]

Geirbald listened quietly to the words of those around him - and good words, he thought, they were. Arbogast made a great impression upon the man and he spoke, "I am called an outlaw among our folk, along with the band of men and women around me. In my youth, while on a hunt for the Werewolf that haunts our forest, t'was one of my stray arrows shot at the beast that instead took the life of my sister. Thus, I became a kinslayer. I fled into the woods and imposed self-exile for the crime I committed. Soon, my folk gathered round my banner for reasons of their own, but not for the purpose to commit crimes against the woodland-folk. More so to protect our realm and find salvation in said charge.

"These men, too, are outlaws but of a kind most distasteful, for they openly make war upon the folk of the Vale to serve their own needs, and that of their unjust master. That is a punishable crime and death would be ordered by any elder of any clan of Woodmen, were they here. I will take up such responsibility, so as to leave you free from any guilt or unease. We shall disarm them, lead them back north where they will be judged by their actions and then served a quick clean death." Geirbald looked to Arbogast and Grimbeorn, "You are free to take up your road once more and leave this deed to us."

Upon finishing, two of the remaining Toft-men began to cry out for mercy while the other two stood in dead, angered silence. They had also heard Arbogast persuasive words of freedom to return south and deliver message that the north would not accede to Vidugalum's demands of rulership.

"NO! Free us and we shall deliver your words!" said one man as he held his bleeding wound.

"Mercy!" cried the other, prostrating himself to the gathered group around him.

A third Toft warrior only hissed through clenched teeth, "So be it! Do this thing and prove you are the uncivilized barbarians that you have been through the ages."
If you guys turn the captives over to Geirbald, then I will advance our game to the next scene. If you wish to protest their upcoming executions, then please continue to RP.  

[Telcontar]

The face of the Hobbit was hard as the meeting with the Toftmen progressed. He has spoken his peace and knew that the Hobbits at home had no method of dealing with such issues, they had never been called upon to do so. There were none, who in living memory, could recall Orcs in the shire. Different lands had different needs and different customs.

"This is just, we have errands of our own and I am ready to be about them."

[GandalfOfBorg]

Grimbeorn shakes his head and turns his back on the group of men.  They were lucky to left alive this long he thinks.

[disench4nted]

Rorin forced himself to his feet and winced at the pain in his side briefly before gathering himself and following Grimbeorn's lead to return to the horses that they may be on their way once more.