The Battle is Joined - Wave 1

[Eclecticon]

Tate sings as loudly as his throat will allow, seeking to buoy his own spirits as much as those of his allies.  He sings in the tongue of the Bardings and Lake-men, and though the words are strange to the ears of the followers of Beorn, the rhythm and tune are clearly those of the ancient Shield-wall Song.

Meanwhile, Anar, ever mindful of Rorin's suggestion, searches for a weak spot that will allow the fortifications of the Toft-men to be cast down.


Rolling Song for Tate and Craft for Anar:

Song

1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 4d6 : 5, 6, 4, 3, total 18

Craft

1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 4d6 : 1, 4, 1, 3, total 9

[Eclecticon]

Tom, did you want to roll for Bandy?  If not, no worries.

[Telcontar]

  matt, you may roll the feat die twice because of the standard.

Bandy, hmmm let me give that a thought. If you dont see anything from me by this afternoon keep moving

[GandalfOfBorg]

  okie dokie
 

Standard bonus roll -  1d12 : 10, total 10

[Telcontar]

Bandy saw that Esgalwen and her band of archers had secured the barn and were working on freeing the prisoners. This took a weight off of the small hobbits shoulders as he thought he would be responsible for the whole affair.

What was he to do now? He was no great warrior to lead a charge, no one had seen him come so no one would notice him if he were careful, he thought of the spiders, and the wraith.....Bandy paused.

'who's put that thought in my head? These are my friends and though a battle is no place for a Hobbit, a Hobbit has found himself in one none the less. Time to set aside Bandy of the shire and rise to the name of Bandis Halfman, or so these folk have come to call me. If this is my home then Grimbeorn is my lord and friend, and his people my people. Time to get to work Bandy!'

The Hobbit seemingly appeared out of no where when the folk of Stanford  began to pour out of the barn. His little Hobbit voice rose above the din.
"I'm with you Gwen."

"Grimbeorn has come with an army, let him not stand alone! Your captors have their backs to you strike!"

Bandy had learned much since he had come to the land of Beornings, and no few songs had he put to memory. He recalled one now and began to sing the new anthem of the bear.

"You are the path he forged through the unknown,
Straight as a spear at the enemy thrust!
Never again shall we struggle alone.
You are his legacy.  You are his trust. 

You are the flag he raised, bloody and torn. 
You are the shield that keeps us from fear.
Great in your heart is his courage reborn,
Grimbeorn Wolf-slayer, son of the Bear! "

Until others too stood with him and took up the song.

Rolled 1d12 : 6, total 6

Rolled 3d6 : 5, 2, 3, total 10

[Eclecticon]

Ace still bloody, Grimbeorn accepts Hathcyn's hand and is hoisted up on to the crossbeam of the stockade.  For a moment, bear -son and banner-bearer stand together, able to survey the entire field...


Tides of battle roll:

1d12 : 6, total 6

[Eclecticon]

... And what they see is a battle finely balanced.  All along the line, his followers press against the stakes, but the fortifications are holding and his followers are unable to bring their greater numbers to bear.  So confident are they, in fact, that a small band has left the defence of the stockade to confront the infiltrators who even now rush to find some safe haven.

Immediately before him, the Blood-moon shield-wall is strong, and only sharp spears await him, were he to leap down inside the village.


So far, so deadlocked. Battle rolls for those fighting:

The main assault
Hathcyn

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

Tate

1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

Anar

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

A failed roll here only results in 2 Endurance lost - the Blood-moon men are fighting defensively after seeing what Grimbeorn can dish out.

Inside Stánford
Bandy

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

Esgalwen

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 1, total 3

On the flanks
Arbogast

1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 4d6 : 6, 2, 5, 6, total 19

[Eclecticon]

  Bandy and Esgalwen each lose four  , while everyone At the Gates loses two.
for everyone except Bandy.

[tomcat]

Esgalwen ran alongside the skirmishers.

They were approaching the rear of the enemy's lines - as the Toft-men were now focused on the palisade wall and gate where Grimbeorn led his attack. She hoped that the people they had freed were making their way to safety, or picking up their own weapons to help in releasing their town from captivity. But these were pointless thoughts, and the Ranger knew it - thoughts that bled away her focus on the sword-play about to commence.

The group quietly moved between buildings and houses until at last the enemy was revealed. The Blood Moon Raiders heard the cry of the Beorning man beside her, and they turned to engage. Esgalwen loosed an arrow into one of the raiders, the shaft sinking deeply into the man's throat. At the same time, the Beorning swung his axe and smashed it down onto his own opponent. The shapes of the other skirmishers quickly passed as they engaged.

THEY ARE WITHIN THE GATES! came a cry from somewhere among the Toft-men. BEORNINGS WITHIN THE GATES!

There was nothing for it now but to fully embrace the blood-lust, the battle rage that filled the hearts of men when death is a close companion. Esgalwen watched as the Toft-men turned to face off against the oncoming Beorning skirmishers. Not far away, the cries of battle were coming from the press at the gates. She marveled at the crazed berserker that each of the men had become. Axe and mattock swung, swords slashed, men died. It was brutal and horrific.

An arrow scythed through her leather coat and Esgalwen felt a burning pain. The force of the arrow caused her to stumble backwards, her bow and arrow clattering away from her reach.

Why are you not standing? A voice asked within her mind. Get up!

Why? answered another voice. A sad voice. A tired voice.

Men died before her - Beorning and Toft-man alike. The skirmishers were fierce but their number was depleting quickly. Grimbeorn had not made it through the gates, as of yet, and there would be no aid unless he did.

Get up! said the voice again. Esgalwen looked down at the arrow just below her left breast. Blood bubbled out of her armor. "Why?" she asked to no one, blinking hard and trying to understand the situation she was in.

A memory of the cave filled her mind. A memory of the hellish hole in the Beacon Tower, where the living ate the dead. A memory filled her mind of Orophin slowly calling to her. Then her smiling grandfather. Her frowning father.

"GET UP, WOMAN! You'll die if you do not!" Esgalwen felt terrible pain as she was hauled to her feet. Her eyes refocused. It was the young Beorning that she had followed into the fray. He held her steady, all the while holding his axe before him. "Draw your weapon, for I cannot protect us both."

The Ranger looked and saw as her company of skirmishers were now in retreat, trying to pull back from the mob of raiders. Grimbeorn's attack was going well outside the gates, but they were too few within. With a shaking hand, Esgalwen reached for Nimronyn and drew the sword free.

Run! came the voice in her head. Run away! You cannot help them anymore. You are alone. You are without hope. Run away and return to where you belong.

Esgalwen pulled her arm from the Beorning and looked at him, "This is not my fight." Her words and actions seemed dreamy and the man gave her an odd look. She turned from the battle line to walk away. Esgalwen, Ranger of Ithilien, Lady of Gondor, was broken. She was used up and there was nothing to restore her hope. The Beorning watched as she moved ten steps and then fell to the ground, the arrow snapping under her weight. He could do nothing more to help her - a savage swing from a maul ended him.

[tomcat]

The book says the Loremaster determines how long the bout of madness lasts. I will leave this in your hands, Paul.

Esgalwen is now flawed with Idle and she has 3 HOPE remaining and so is almost spiritually spent.

Idle
It takes a lot to stir an Idle adventurer into action. He is easily distracted, and must be cajoled to fully participate in endeavours.

If you deem it so in the next round that she finds the will to get up, I will post for her. If you think the bout lasts the length of the battle, that is cool, too. She may end up dead (stabbed on the ground) or captive, or ignored as already a dead person. Or another Beorning might try to help her, or maybe Bandy will give her words to raise her morale.

I know she only has lost 10 END, and that the arrow shot is not a killing (or even wounding) attack, but I am playing on everything that is going on with her - the primary thing being so low on HOPE.

Let me know.