Foes - Stánford and the South

[Eclecticon]

Tate will use his journey die to turn that into a success:

1d6 : 4, total 4

[Eclecticon]

At last, the trail leads into higher lands, where a wild forest, its leaves as brilliantly golden as the treasure-holds of Erebor, holds sway over the hills.  This, Esgalwen recalls from tales told around the hearth of Mountain Hall, is the Wolfswood, long a haunt of outlaws and desperate folk.  Though it is early evening by the time the three companions approach the outskirts of the wood, there is no call of birds, nor skitter and rustle of unseen animals among the branches and roots.  There is no sound at all but a low breeze raising a susurrus in the leaves.  It is as if every living thing capable of movement has withdrawn from this place, forsaking it in favour of the deeper woods. 

And yet, it is plain that Men have taken up residence.  The trail that they have followed for the past three days plunges into the trees, where it meets the footprints of others, all leading deeper in among the ferns and boughs. 


Quick Lore rolls:

Esgalwen

1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 1d6 : 1, total 1

Tate

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

[Eclecticon]

"I seem to recall, M'Lady," Tate says, "tales of fortresses built around the edge of this wood by Men of bygone days, now long abandoned.  Could it be that our quarry has been taken to one of them? 


Man, Esgalwen's luck with the dice isn't changing! 

[tomcat]

Man, Esgalwen's luck with the dice isn't changing! 

I know the dice are a random thing, but I still play it on Esgalwen's (along with her friends) sacrifice of hope in the cave. Middle-earth may be saved, but not for everyone - as our good friend Frodo learned at the end of his experience.

I will have a post up in a bit.

[tomcat]

"That is very much a possibility, Tate. My friends and I had traveled near these woods before, a year or so ago. We were traveling to Mountain Hall. I do not recall seeing these fortresses, but surely they must be easy to find. As we are at its northern border, let us commence a circuit using the mountains yonder west to position ourselves, until we come once more to the river on the forest's east side." Esgalwen sighed. "I fear that without some new news from an inhabitant of these woods, our search has become greater than what two people can accomplish. Oderic could hide in these woods for years and without a great host to beat the brush, we alone will have little success."

She stretches her back - tight as it was from the pack that hung there - and then motioned for them to begin. "This march will be quite a trek - prepare yourself, Williferd."

[Eclecticon]

Once beneath the boughs, the light fades quickly, though the darkness is not so deep and complete as that of Mirkwood.  Nonetheless, progress is slow, even with the trail as obvious as it is, and it is not long before all three companions are squinting at the ground, trying to make out any detail in the half-moonlight.  Williferd drops his pack and is on the verge of giving vent to his frustration when Tate abruptly shushes him.  "Up ahead," he whispers, pointing a finger through the murk, "I see lights." 

Sure enough, through the trees and ferns can be seen glimmers of what can only be firelight. 

[tomcat]

Loosening her bow from her back and untying the quiver cover to reveal the fletchings of her arrows, Esgalwen did not draw a shaft merely had them ready. She moved to the foliage and hunkered down to make herself less visible. She looked to Tate, "I will advance to see what I can see. Stay close but do let me scout forward. I will call at need."

The bard nodded and Williferd gave a tired snort, but both men moved for concealment.

"I will be back," she said in a low voice.
Using my Armor of Rangers reward - on Stealth rolls roll Feat die twice and use the better result.

TN 14 (or will this be opposed?) stealth 2d

2d12 : 12, 5, total 17
Rolled 2d6 : 3, 5, total 8

[tomcat]

Sweet!  confirms an auto-success.
She advanced from tree to tree, keeping low as she did and allowing her cloak to mask her form. Before she had left Tate, Esgalwen had slid her backpack from her shoulders and unbuckled her sword belt. She refastened the belt and looped it over her back, like a baldric, so as to have Nimronyn hanging at easy grasp. In her left hand was her stout bow, and her right carried an arrow - ready to be nocked.

She approached the firelight, listening as she did, and looking for any threats. She sniffed at the air to see if any reek of foul-things was present. Esgalwen took on her full mantle of Ranger of Ithilien - and deadly were those that warded the boundaries of Gondor.

TN 14 awareness 2d

1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 2, total 8

[tomcat]

If 14 is the TN, that is a great success! 

[Eclecticon]

Esgalwen hears Mannish voices before she can see those to whom they belong, and hears many more as she draws closer.  Their speech is that of the vales, though of a different mode that she has heard among the folk of Tyrant's Hill who originally came, so they said, from the region near southern Mirkwood.  Parting a pair of branches enough to peer through, she sees the light of campfires reflected from iron helms and strong mail, and the heads of spears and axes.  There are several score Men in a clearing, and women and children besides.  Their dress and braided hair match their speech, though once again it is subtly foreign to that of the Beornings and Woodmen.  Behind them, the stones of a fort jut out from the tree line.  No work of Númenoreans was this, built to stand proud through uncounted years, for it has long fallen into disrepair and overgrowth.  Smoke wafts from the space where its roof would once have stood, speaking of more Men within. 

The Ranger's attention is drawn back into the clearing as a pair of warriors emerge from the fort and settle themselves down among a group already gathered by a fire.  Prominent on both their shields is a blood-red circle. 

[tomcat]

well, shit...that's not good. 

Several score! Plus more inside? We need to move on fast. I am not sure the hunt for Oderic will be a success.

I will post more in a bit.

[tomcat]

Esgalwen's blood went cold and she restrained herself from releasing the gasp that wanted to explode from her chest. She knew those markings. The Blood Moon Raiders had attacked them some time back as her Company had moved north.

There were too many.

She did not know if a peaceful approach would even help, for surely she could not be recognized - none survived the last engagement. That said, would they try to apprehend her and her friends? If they did, what would she do? She did not have a horse to escape upon and there were just too many. Blood raiders from the south, orcs out of the mountains, and Viglundings to the north! It seemed their enemies grew and their allies thinned.

If Oderic were here, he was out of reach - if he still lived.

Esgalwen needed to make counsel with her friends. She would not make any decision without them. None of them had come on this chase to die.

Keeping a firm grip on bow and arrow, she began to move herself away from the camp-light and back towards her companions.
again rely on Stealth to move away and her Rangers Armor virtue
TN [for Paul to determine] stealth 2d

2d12 : 9, 7, total 16
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 1, total 3

[tomcat]

Well, I hate to use them because I don't have much left, but I think a is in order here. 

Stealth is favoured for Esgalwen, so that will add a 7 making my final outcome a 19.

I will wait to see what happens.

[Telcontar]

  Doug, i looked on the character sheet, is Esgalwen miserable? Your hope score is a little low.

Also for everyone's future reference check out the Virtue Confidence. Its a good one to take when you are mid career.

[tomcat]

no, she is not miserable yet, but it is close.

The Miserable state occurs when Hope score is equal to or less than Shadow. I have been riding with 6 Hope for a while now, not wanting to use them due to the fact that a Dúnadan only recovers a Hope each Fellowship if her Fellowship Focus goes unharmed. Otherwise, once gone they are gone.

So no, she is not miserable, but I have been playing her pretty fey and irritable, not having any patience for anyone.