Wuduseld

[Eclecticon]

Before either can fill the sudden and discomforting silence, a white-haired woman seated to Ingomer's left speaks.  "Handsomely spoken young sir.  And you dear," she adds as an afterthought to Esgalwen.  "But can we be satisfied that you speak the truth?" 

Ingomer, seeing perhaps a reason to decline the Fellowship's plea without giving offence, and visibly relieved at the sight, turns to the crone with an eyebrow raised.  "Ought we doubt the honesty of such folk, Fridja?" 

"No, no... of course not," comes the swift answer.  "But even honest folk may themselves be deceived, or simply mistaken!  No word has come from the Brown Wizard, who has ever been our protector and watched over our kin, especially those who dwell in the south.  Were there such a to-do as our guests say, would he not have come to us to bring us the tidings himself?" 


And we're away with the bad rolls!  I'll count Grimbeorn's great success with the introduction roll as a success for the purposes of resolving the encounter, since he launched right into his elevator pitch.  Esgalwen's  gets that clock starting to tick up as well. 

So far, you're at one success and one failure.   

[Telcontar]

  do we have a success? matt rolled 2d6 and got a 6 not a straight 6.

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn noticed he was wool gathering and drew his attention back to the matter at hand. He had remained silent knowing that his companions had a history with these folk, but he saw that they were loosing ground. He bent his keen intellect at the gathering and watched for what was not being said.


  I want to make an insight roll here to see of i can figure out motives and unsaid impressions.

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10

Rolled 3d6 : 5, 1, 3, total 9

[Eclecticon]

Coming to stand behind and to the side of Grimbeorn, Hathcyn watches and listens.  They are so like children, he thinks as Fridja speaks her mind and the greybeards around the hearth nod, or grunt their agreement.  They have known this wizard all their lives, and expect that he will be there forever to take care of them!

Scratching his chin, he then wonders Is this better or worse than the Beorning thegns, who would take Beorn's place in a heartbeat, were he and his son to die?


Tom, you're quite right - Grimbeorn's roll wasn't that great a success at all.  So now you're at no successes and one failure. 

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn pondered the situation, read the faces of the council and then stepped forward.

"I am Hathcyn Longspear, bannerman of Grimbeorn Wolfslayer. I will say that this hall is a marvel and it is a privilege to just be able to see it. Today I have learned the value of wood as art and the skill of the Woodmen. I thank you. The Brown Wizard has been and remains, I am sure, a great friend of the Woodmen. I doubt though that any here can recon the priorities of a Wizard. Who is to say what he knows or does not know. Even the mighty can not be everywhere at once. I also see that the request of Grimbeorn alone is not enough to sway you and these are uncertain times for everyone ad the impact of decision may not be easy to forsee. I will tell you this, to add to the weight of the request. The Brown Wizard is not the only one to have friends among the beasts. I shall tell you that I received word from a great bear of these events, and then they were confirmed by the fox. The lake of the Tarn choked with weeds, campfires of goblins besetting the steading. The scattered bodies of the dead testing the strength of the defenders. Even now they may be hard pressed and in need of succor. Again you will say, but these are beasts, what do they know? Perhaps they do not comprehend what they see. Perhaps the beasts that whisper to the Wizard speak only to him and these tidings are a game that the idle beasts play to entertain themselves after a winter of loneliness. All this may be true as well. 

I ask the council two questions for their consideration. The first, have the beasts of the forest who share the same enemies as ours ever misguided us?"

Hathcyn held up his hand with the ring of the golden fox, the light capturing the beast so that it shone like red gold.

"I do not doubt the fox when it sees with it's own eyes, but you may measure your own experiences against this claim."

"The second question, what is the greater harm? Should our sources prove false then we have lost only a few days and at the end of which we may share a ale and grilled fish with kin and friends. IF we are wrong then the lives and strength of the people is lessened, the Woodmen grown that much smaller and weaker, and the depradations of the Goblins greater.

  Hathcyn is intentionally being vague about his ability to nightwalk and Arbogasts bird speak. In my opinion these are not generally known things and part of the mystic if people. Outsiders can make their own assumptions.
Also, lets see if that new die in persuade pays off.

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10

Rolled 2d6 : 2, 1, total 3

[Telcontar]

   i'll hope it to put the test over the top if needed.

[Eclecticon]

Okay, wait up - there's a bit going on here.  First off, Hathcyn needs an introduction roll.  Now, I am a merciful god, so I'll use Awe, on the assumption that "I am Hathcyn Longspear, bannerman of Grimbeorn Wolfslayer" came out in more a Beowulf sort of way than a Bilbo sort of way. 

Let's roll some dice:

1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 3d6 : 6, 6, 5, total 17

[Eclecticon]

Yep, that worked!  The other thing is his going on about bears, foxes and other beasts.  I think the Woodmen would've heard stories about Beorning night-goers, though they certainly don't know the ins and outs of it, but whether they pick the meaning out of his intentional vagueness will depend on a Riddle roll, 'cause that's what the skill's for. 

1d12 : 12, total 12

[Eclecticon]

Holy crap!  I guess the dice love you today, Tom.  With the Hope spend for his Persuade roll () that brings you up to two successes, one failure. 

[Telcontar]

  the dice are good to the players when they dont roll them. This is known.

[Eclecticon]

"I'll hazard that I ken whereof this fox speaks," answers a greybeardwwith an intrigued grin,aand son the rest of the Council are nodding in agreement,though several, it would seem,are doing so only so as to appear wiser than they are.

"Very well," intones Ingomer, his voice carefully level, "it shall be as you ask.  In three days, we shall muster the host of Wuduseld and march south.  I am minded," he muses almost to himself, "to place Munderic at their head."


To be clear, in case it isn't already, this is just what two successes gets you.  You're welcome to keep trying for more.

[tomcat]

"Three days? In three days we must be at the Tarn in aid of Amaleoda and her folk. Is there naught more we can do so as to be more swift in our actions, Master Ingomer?"

Esgalwen tries her best to not sound as if she begs, but she knows for certain that her earlier words had stumbled their efforts.
Okay - here is some hopeful redemption from the lady in the group!
TN -- persuade 3d

1d12 : 6, total 6
Rolled 3d6 : 1, 2, 5, total 8

[tomcat]

Crapcakes! Not one among those dice but still a success (?)

If not, here is my last advantage die. If so, ignore this roll.

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

[tomcat]

Actually, keep that roll! I will take the success.

[Telcontar]

  there we go. If they can cut the time down we can move to the next settlement. We can set an assembly point at Rhosgobel.

Paul, how long of a march is it from the hall to Rhosgobel?