Confrontation in the Gloom - Round 2

[Eclecticon]

Situation: The Fellowship has followed the servants of the Shadow to their lair beneath Lake-Town.

Combat Advantage dice:
• Arbogast 1/1
• Esgalwen 2/2
• Hathcyn 0/0
• Laeral 1/2

Situation Modifiers:
• The unseen foes have the initiative. 

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• Footing is treacherous.  Any character struck with a Great or Extraordinary success must make an Athletics roll (at TN 5 + Endurance lost) or fall.  Characters on the raft receive a +4 bonus to their roll.  Characters can also use a called shot (TOR p 178) to perform a Pummelling Attack (Adventurer's Companion, p 111) to automatically knock their opponent into the water. 

PC/NPC

PARRY

ARMOUR

HOPE

END

STANCE

STATUS

Arbogast Esgalwen Hathcyn Laeral

• 6 ( +3) • 6 • 7 • 8

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

• 12/16 • 10/14 • 8/13 • 10/12

• 26/26 • 27/27 • 16/29 • 17/28

Defensive Defensive Defensive Rearward

normal normal normal normal

ENEMY		PARRY		ARMOUR		HATE		END		NOTES
Unseen bowman 1 Unseen bowman 2 Bowman 3 Lake-Beast		• ? • ? • 4 • 4		• ? • ? • 1d • 2d		• ? • ? • 2/2 • 5/6		• ? • ? • 14 • 0		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

[Eclecticon]

... then from the black water surges something not wholly dragon and not wholly eel, but some dreadful jumble of the two, its jaws serpent-wide as it lunges for the Elf-maid. 

Further away, a voice howls in wordless derision as the bowmen take aim at the shining light.


Two bowmen are targeting Hathcyn, one Arbogast. 

Unseen bowman 1 (Hathcyn)

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6+7 : 5, 5 + 7, total 17

Unseen bowman 2 (Arbogast)

1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 2d6+3 : 5, 5 + 3, total 13

Bowman 3 (Hathcyn)

1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 2d6+7 : 2, 6 + 7, total 15

Lake-Beast

1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6+5 : 5, 6, 5 + 5, total 21

[Eclecticon]

Barely is there time for Laeral to blink than the hooked maw of the creature slams shut about her midsection hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs.  Then comes the terrible impact of the freezing lake as its lunge drives her from the surface of the raft.  Esgalwen, her fingers numb with cold and terror, lets the pole fall from her hands and fumbles to draw Nimronyn from its scabbard, the need for defence suddenly so much greater than the need for motion. 

Barely six paces away, Hathcyn feels an arrow catch in his hair, the sudden force of it yanking his head backwards.  He hears others meet the wood and Dwarf-steel of Arbogast's shield as the Fire-watcher angles it to protect his shieldless friend. 


Above the water, Arbogast is spending a Hope point to intercept the second Bowman's arrow, turning what would otherwise be a great success into nothing much (he wouldn't ordinarily be able to do this due to Hathcyn being in Defensive stance, but I think it makes sense in context).  Hathcyn still loses five Endurance to the first one. 

Laeral loses 11 Endurance to the Lake-Beast's bite.  It's also spent a Hate point to seize her and carry her under the water.  From here, the drowning rules (TOR p 184) apply – she'll lose another five Endurance each round until she can make an Athletics roll (TN 15) to wrestle out of the Beast's jaws, and back on to the raft. 

Over to you guys! 

[tomcat]

The hesitation in her was only momentary, but it was long enough to see the Elf dragged from the raft and into the depths. Still, Nimronyn scythed through the air in an attempt to cut deep the creature's body before it, too, completely submerged.
Esgalwen shifts to holding her bow in left hand as her swords springs from its scabbard.
TN 16 longsword 4d

1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 4d6 : 3, 2, 5, 3, total 13

9   edge: 8   injury: 16

[tomcat]

Well that should be good for 8 loss.

[Eclecticon]

In fact, it'll be good for nine and a piercing blow:

Protection roll

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

[Eclecticon]

Well, there's a thing.  Doug, do you want to tell us all how Esgalwen kills the Lake-beast?

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast spares barely a glance toward the raft, for he knows both women to be doughty warriors and nothing he could now do would aid them.  Instead, he narrows his eyes and attempts once more to follow the barely-seen trail of planks deeper into the gloom. 


He's attempting another Explore roll:

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

[Eclecticon]

There!  He sees it!  A half-submerged plank, fallen perhaps during the reconstruction of the town or slipped from its place since, spans a gap he had thought unbridged.  The way is apparent, now, by which the two Men might advance on their foes, and the Fire-watcher begins to move carefully forward, his shield raised and ready. 


That's more like it, Arbogast!  He and Hathcyn can reach the visible bowman in two rounds.  On the way, they can continue trying to spot the others. 

EDIT: Also, I've checked the books and it turns out that Laeral should've automatically succeeded at the Fear test just before combat started.  I've restored the Hope point here and on her character sheet. 

[tomcat]

Wow... that was unexpected. 
Esgalwen could not have known her timing to be so right even as Nimronyn clove into the snake-like thing's length. There was no sound but the splatter of something wet onto the water and the creature was bisected. Its back-half landed and flopped on the raft, but the Ranger heeded naught else but the well-being of Laeral. Esgalwen went to the raft's edge, careful so as not to flip it upright and dump her into the cold water, but close enough to see if there was any sign of the Elf.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Laeral holds tight to her bow as she plunges into the murky depths.  Almost as fast as she is taken, the pressure from the jaws slacken as the creature's body loses its strength.  She is not free though being crushed and impaled by the beast's terrible craw.  The elf struggles to free herself against the darkness all around her...

 
1 Advantage die

Athletics -  1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 3, total 7
Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

[Eclecticon]

A sharp splash announces the fall of another arrow nearby as Esgalwen kneels at the side of the raft.  Scarcely have the waters begun to settle from the emergence of the Lake-Beast, though, before Laeral's hand breaks the surface and clutches the rough-hewn planks.  Working swiftly, the Ranger pulls her friend back aboard, marvelling as she does so at the Elf's apparently limitless reserve of dignity, for where the faces of Men might show the shock of the cold, or the terror of fearful things in the waters, Laeral's mien is one of pure wrathful majesty.


Hathcyn still gets an action this round (e.g. to try to spot another archer) if Tom wants one.  Otherwise I'll give it 24 hours or thereabouts and move on to the next round.

[Telcontar]

  i dont want to loose the one guy we found.  I'll keep the light on him but spend my turn getting a better understanding of the planks and paths.


Hathcyn gripped the back of The Firewatcher and followed where he led. Taking as much cover from the shield of his friend as he could. Keeping the light on their foe he looked about for further paths.

Explore

Rolled 1d12 : 2, total 2

Rolled 3d6 : 4, 3, 3, total 10