Black Webs, Dark Heart

[tomcat]

"What shall we do with the lady, while we search?" asked the Dwarf.

The four looked at one another and the thought was evident on their faces - they had not expected survivors, and thus no plan had been made for the event.

"She will have to come with us," said Arbogast, seeing no other option.

"Wha...?" Anar began to contest the idea, but the woman interjected.

"I can come. I may even be of aid. I am a shield-maiden of Woodland Hall!" her voice tried to feign strength, though her body was weak. "I will not stay behind, but neither shall I be a burden. I just need a few minutes to rest."

The Company all looked around once more, and each came to the consensus with a nod.

Amaswinta was leaned up against a tree and Hathcyn provided her with his cloak. The woman's body showed evidence of exposure to the elements and he wondered at her well-being. She shivered under the woolen cloak, as the companions made a defensive ring about their position - each staring out into the thick woods around.

In the distance, the sound of the rushing Eldosa tributary could be heard but it had become faint. Arbogast stared at the evident Elf-trail and wondered at their fortune - or danger. Was this another ruse to lead them into a trap? Again his mind flashed back to a summer before and he physically shook away the memories. He turned back to the woman once more and doubt filled his heart. The Fire-watcher reached out and jabbed two fingers into her ribs.

"OW!" started Amaswinta.

"What the...?" said Hathcyn with a challenge upon his face.

"Forgive me, woman," said the Man of Black Tarn. "Doubt fills me and I needed to be sure." He looked at Hathcyn, "We need to be sure. I did not do it in malice, but I had to ascertain that you are real."

"Real?" asked the woman with an incredulous look. "Of course I am real!"

The Fire-watcher was unphased by her anger or his companions' stares, "As I said, we needed to be sure."

Arbogast resumed his watch out into the woods.

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn parted with a glass of his treasured ale he received in parting from the hall. He poured it into the horn and offered it to the woman.

He then stood and looked about the area and pondered.

"I am not familiar with the beasts of these woods, but when I think about spiders there are some things I can consider. Firewatcher, is this there a web strand along the trail? Any spider i have seen does not leave its prey at random, but usually connected to a main thread. Could we follow the thread to find survivors? No doubt the beast knows we are here and has felt us cutting her web. We all here have hunted, the beast probably uses this trail to stalk prey. Perhaps we follow the trail without walking on the trail?"

[GandalfOfBorg]

"We should continue on in some fashion," said Grimbeorn, resigned to the situation.  He offers the woman some dried food and water, but doesn't keep her from his sight for too long.  "This position isn't safe, a known haunt of spiders."

[tomcat]

Amaswinta fell into a slumber, while the men watched.

Time passed.

Though it was hard to perceive, Arbgoast knew the sun crossed over the forest and had passed its zenith. The days had become longer with the return of Spring, but under the forest that light did not last.

"Should we return her and then resume this search?" the question came from Anar. The Dwarf had long been silent, finding discomfort under the boughs. Hathcyn remembered his quiet phases when they had worked side-by-side along the Dwarf Road.

The other three each turned to look on the Dwarf, but Arbogast spoke first, "I believe it the wise thing to do, but I also think we will not return to this place and if others live, they will be lost."

"A Dwarf never forgets where he walks," answered Anar.

"Maybe so, Anar, but Mirkwood is different...it is as if the forest moves and changes to trick those that enter its folds."

"Pish-posh!" was the Dwarf's response.

"I have no doubt that you could find your way back here, Anar," answered Arbogast in rebuke, "But I know the forest will not be that which we left. Surely you have experienced this whil'st working upon your road?"

Anar stared a moment and then answered with a nod. For certain it was that many times they had returned from a tree-clearing, laborious day only to find their camp gone, or the forest encroaching once more upon where they had previously worked.

"Why do Men live here?" the question sought no answer, it was just Anar's musing.

Their soft conversation caused the woman to stir.

"How long have I slept?"

"T'was near on two hours," answered Grimbeorn, who had been silent to this point.

Amaswinta stretched and rubbed at her eyes, "Forgive me...I did not mean to keep you so long."

"It is okay, woman. You needed rest. If others are trapped, as you, they will still be there when we find them."

"But will they be alive?" the shield-maiden began to stand.

"That is the question to be answered," replied Grimbeorn. The large man wondered at Anar's opine from earlier...why would Men live here?

They gave the woman a few more minutes to prepare herself and then the companions moved on - Amaswinta in tow.

The Elf-path opened up the forest before them.

[tomcat]

Sorry guys! You responded very quickly!

I will keep your posts as they are because they work well with the scene, I am just going to place both into the story-progression for after she awakes.

You guys have this conversation and offer her the food and drink while she readies herself.

Is that cool?

[tomcat]

I need to make a couple of test rolls here:

Travel - though you guys have been stationary the forest and another power is bending its will against you and fatigue is a threat; Grimbeorn has his Twice-baked Honeycakes that reduces the Fatigue difficulty by his Wisdom rating. I am fine with this ability, but I think it needs limited it to a finite number of times it can be used per journey. As it is a Virtue and thus based on Wisdom, what do you guys think of a number of times equal to his Wisdom score?

Wisdom - the area is a blighted place and you guys are lingering long

TN 18 travel by PC

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

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

Grimbeorn 1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 4d6 : 1, 2, 5, 3, total 11

Hathcyn 1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 1, 5, total 9

Amaswinta 1d12 : 6, total 6
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 1, 4, total 10

TN 18 wisdom by PC

Anar 1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 5, total 7

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

Grimbeorn 1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 5d6 : 4, 4, 1, 5, 5, total 19

Hathcyn 1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 2, total 4

Amaswinta 1d12 : 3, total 3
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 6, 6, total 15

[tomcat]

RESULTS UPDATED

Travel tests:

Grimbeorn uses Twice-baked Honeycakes (♦○○○○ per journey) to reduce the Travel TN by 5 to 13
 
• Anar fails with a 4 and gains 2 fatigue [ cannot help]  
• Arbogast succeeds with a 13
• Grimbeorn succeeds with a 21
• Hathcyn fails with an 11 and gains 2 fatigue [decides against using a ]  
• Amaswinta succeeds with a 16


Corruption tests:

• Anar fails with a 16 and gains 1 shadow 
• Arbogast fails with a 16 and gains 1 shadow 
• Grimbeorn succeeds with a 23
• Hathcyn fails with an 8 and gains 1 shadow [spending a will not achieve a success]  
• Amaswinta succeeds with an 18

Obviously, a can be applied to either test above for your PC's, if you want to spend the resource.

Let me know, as I will hold the games next phase until I get all of your responses regarding usage and Twice-baked Honeycakes.

[Telcontar]

  i'll take the shadow point.

[tomcat]

do you mean fatigue?

[GandalfOfBorg]

   Use Twice-baked Cakes.

[Telcontar]

  yes

Hathcyn was grabbed by inner turmoil. He was not comfortable with the woods or the situation. He looked around them and thought of the time he spent on the road with the dwarves and his travels so far with the Woodmen. He had a growing dislike for this place, and spiders specifically.

"Let us spend the night here."

Hathcyn turned to his companions.
"To go on blindly is a folly and may lead to the ruin of is all, but it is mot necessary that we do so."

Hathcyn paused again and looked at his companions and the wood. Then he lingered on Grimbeorn before speaking again.

"I will say this only among this company and because our need is dire. There are among our folk what you would call skin changers. This is a simple word that is misunderstood, but partially correct. There are those that in spirit commune with our tribal totems and may walk among them in their form. A connection to our human and animal ancestors. The line of the River Maidens may be something like this."

"There are a few of these people among our folk who are capable of doing this more easily than others."

He looked again at Grimbeorn and then his friends.

"I am one of them."

"If we spend the night I will be able to take the night form of my people. In that form I can move faster and cover more ground than we can on foot. Perhaps I can locate any other survivors, or perhaps I can find a clearer path for us. In morning we can decide if we press on or return. This is not without danger and the wood works it's will against us to make this even more difficult, and the great spider is out there. I am willing to do this so that we all do not press blindly further into the wood."

[Eclecticon]

I'll take the Shadow point.  What's one more? 

[Eclecticon]

Before I post, let's do a quick Explore roll to see how well Arbogast can read the nearby terrain:

1d12 : 6, total 6
Rolled 3d6 : 2, 6, 2, total 10

Doug, I'm assuming that the TN is the usual 14 but obviously being in one of the shittier bits of Mirkwood could up that.  Let me know if I need to meet a higher level. 

[tomcat]

that is a success

What are you trying to learn or see?

[Eclecticon]

He's trying to do his Natural Awareness trick of seeing what the nearby terrain is like, specifically looking for defensible spots - large but hollow trees, high ground etc.  My thinking is that we don't want to linger here any longer than is necessary - certainly not spending the night - and that somewhere easily defended (and less blighted, but there isn't really any way to tell that without going there) would be preferable.