Dead Men at the Tollhouse - Round 4

[Eclecticon]

Situation: The Fellowship's shadowy foes are attempting to spring their trap, cutting away the rope bridge and stranding three of the four on the tollhouse platform.

Combat Advantage dice:
• Hathcyn 0/2

Situation Modifiers:
• The companions have the initiative.

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• The bridge over the canal must be crossed (with a successful Athletics roll) before anyone other than Laeral may engage the newcomers. 

PC/NPC

PARRY

ARMOUR

HOPE

END

STANCE

STATUS

Arbogast Esgalwen Hathcyn Laeral

• 6 ( +3) • 9 • 7 • 8

• 2d ( +3) • 1d ( n/a) • 2d ( n/a) • 3d ( n/a)

• 13/16 • 11/14 • 7/13 • 10/12

• 26/26 • 7/27 • 29/29 • 28/28

Open Forward Forward Open

normal weary normal normal

ENEMY		PARRY		ARMOUR		HATE		END		NOTES
Root arm Missing jaw Rusted helm Axeman Swordsman		• 7 • 7 • 7 • 3 • 3		• 4d • 4d • 4d • 1d • 1d		• 7/8 • 7/8 • 7/8 • 2/2 • 2/2		• 0/54 • 0/54 • 0/54 • 3/12 • 0/12		DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD

STANCES

Forward - action order 1 Close combat TN 6+ parry Forward Maneuvers

Open - action order 2 Close combat TN 9+ parry Open Maneuvers

Defensive - action order 3 Close combat TN 12+ parry Defensive Maneuvers

Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat TN 12+ parry Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat; May not use if outnumbered 2:1 Rearward Maneuvers

From any Stance Escape combat Must start in Rearward or roll TN 10 + highest attribute level of opponents Athletics roll. On success, may safely flee from the scene of combat

[Telcontar]

  paul, i have the distinctive trait Swift. Will this aid me in crossing the Rope Bridge?

[Eclecticon]

I was wondering whether you'd remember.  Hathcyn will be able to get across without a roll. 

[Telcontar]

The Beorning was wary and he saw the foes of flesh and blood attempting to cut the bridge that connected the tollhouse to Laketown. While he did not know exactly why they would do so he knew any goal they had was to the detriment of his friends.

"Firewatcher, this fight is yours! I'm needed at the bridge."

With no other explanation the Beorning took to his heels, the cunning and speed of the Fox was his. His spear nimble in his hands.

He bore down upon his foe with no mercy in his eyes.

Forward Stance

Rolled 1d12 : 1, total 1

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

[Telcontar]

That....was terrible....since I am stuck in a Forward position and this seems important I'll burn both of my advantage dice.

Rolled 2d6 : 2, 5, total 7

[tomcat]

With the dead thing's grip released from her throat, Esgalwen gulped in the cold air even as she coughed from the abuse to her neck.

Her eyes cleared and she watched as Hathcyn charged across the bridge. Arbogast gave her a look to ascertain she was well and then he, too, was moving. Esgalwen hoisted up Nimronyn which hung loosely to the decking at her feet and she steadied her gait. She wondered if the crossing of the bridge was her wisest move since Men worked to cut the ropes. Instead, she moved to where her bow lay on the ground and picked it up, sheathing her sword as she did.

Nocking an arrow to string, Esgalwen searched for her first target and loosed.


Stance:
Bow shot on swordsman
TN 15 greatbow 3d

1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 3, 5, total 13

7   edge: 10  injury: 16

[Eclecticon]

That's a one-point miss for Esgalwen, unless she burns Hope, a hit for Hathcyn.  I'll get some more narrative up later.

[tomcat]

No hope for me. If it were a or , maybe, but just a base hit is not worth the point.

[Eclecticon]

The rope bridge shakes and sways beneath Hathcyn as the Longspear makes his dash across.  Though his uses the shaft of his spear for balance as long as he can, still it takes all his cunning to direct the iron head towards the foe.  The axeman, for his part, makes very little attempt to defend himself, turning the spearhead enough to avoid death but continuing to hack at the bridge ropes until Hathcyn's momentum carries one man into the other, sending both crashing to the timbers of the platform.  By the time Hathcyn rises again, the axeman has renewed his frenzied cutting. 

Not far away, Laeral lets out a yelp of surprise as an arrow suddenly embeds itself in the wall near her head.  She recovers quickly, however, and brings her own spear to bear against the swordsman.  Across the canal, Arbogast gives the still madly bucking bridge a cursory glance and decides against attempting to cross.  Instead, he calls out to the Men who may still be hiding in the Tollhouse buildings.  "Have you bells?  Have you horns?  Sound them!  Wake all those who will waken, for mischief is afoot!" 



Attack roll for Laeral

1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 4d6 : 5, 5, 2, 6, total 18

Inspire roll for Arbogast

1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 4d6 : 2, 6, 2, 2, total 12

   

[Eclecticon]

The prowess of High Elves overcomes the momentary shock of surprise and Laeral quickly overmatches her opponent, driving him back with a series of thrusts before bringing the butt of her spear around in a snake-fast arc that catches him off guard, connecting with his head and knocking him from the platform and into the water.  For a few seconds there comes the sound of splashing as he tries to keep his head above the chill surface of the lake, but then there is a sound like a wave as something much larger moves in the canal, and the briefest of screams. 

Silence follows, before the axeman regains his feet and renews his assault on the bridge.  In the moonlight, Hathcyn can see his lips pulled back beneath his beard, exposing ill-kept teeth in what could as easily be a rictus of terror or a grin of manic enthusiasm. 


The axeman is ignoring Hathcyn to focus monomaniacally on the bridge. 

Vocation roll

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