Travellers' Tales

[Eclecticon]

"Spare him!" comes an unexpected cry from the boy.  The other two strangers look toward him, and there is a brief, three-sided conversation in a tongue strange to the ears of the companions, though to Esgalwen it brings to mind descriptions of the speech of the folk of Rhûn, and those who dwell in unknown lands further east. 

Finally the disguised woman addresses her fellow Northmen in the Westron tongue.  "We would claim this man as our thrall, for we have travelled far and are left footsore by his pursuit.  His misdeeds to us he may repay by bearing our burdens."  Looking over her shoulder at the boy and the crone, she adds in a lower tone "And if we have not imposed enough upon your favour, I would ask us that you grant us the simple boon of telling us the way to the country of the Leofrings, for we are lost in an unfamiliar land." 

[Telcontar]

  so, just to make sure I'm tracking. They are citing injuries to their folk and the punishment is thralldom even though he was pursuing them through the wild?

[GandalfOfBorg]

  waiting on ooc response before Grimbeorn says anything.

[Eclecticon]

Let's try some Insight to see if any of you can puzzle anything else out here:

Arbogast

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 6, total 8

Esgalwen

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 5, total 11

Grimbeorn

Rolled 1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 5, 5, total 15

Hathcyn

Rolled 1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 3, 4, total 12

[Eclecticon]

The note of bitterness in the woman's voice is clear, and speaks to the companions of grief still fresh.  Their suspicions are confirmed when she says "This one, and his lackeys, have dogged our steps long ere we crossed the river, when still we were seven in number." 

Esgalwen and Arbogast, each in their own manner, mark also the deference which both the tall woman and the crone show, perhaps without realising that they do so, to the boy.  To both the Fire-watcher, raised among a folk who know no kings, and to the southern Ranger whose folk await a king who may never come, their manners speak of years of carefully-maintained obeisance that can mean but one thing: the boy is royalty.

[Telcontar]

"This one is dangerous, he has betrayed his kin and lord. There is not a person among us that do not have some grudge or claim to this man's life."

[GandalfOfBorg]

  Sorry as a player I don't recall, do we know of/met the Leofrings?

Grimbeorn, axe still to neck of Wulfdan, "Do you accept their terms?  If not, you will suffer my judgment and this matter will be over once and for all."  To the others, he nods, "Bind them and strip them of items of note."

[Telcontar]

"Wolfslayer." Hathyn addressed Grimbeorn again but clearly considered the matter with Wulfdan settled.

"These men may have been in the company of Wulfdan and participated upon the attack of these people. Of that I have no doubt."

He looked at the beaten men who had surrendered.

"They are not of your folk, and though we may fight them in open battle it is not proper for us to pass judgment upon them and sentence them to slavery or thralldom. They are the folk of Lady Aestid, and for her in this matter I will dare to speak. In battle we may slay them, but surrender them to outsiders we would be no better than other traders in human flesh."

He eyed the two men, the meaning and slight against Viglund pregnant in the air.

"Kill them, or set them free. On behalf of Aestid and those who will be my kinsmen I ask a token of goodwill on their behalf and when our bussiness here is ended they be released. Perhaps they will return home and be wiser for the act."

 

[tomcat]

Esgalwen nodded, "Hathcyn's words speak truth. Do not offer up these men as chattel - defeated foe or not."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"I have no mind of that right now; I am only concerned with Wulfdan.  They will be secured, stripped, and questioned to ensure we understand the full truth of their presence here before determining our course with them."  He turns back to his enemy on the ground awaiting a response.

[Eclecticon]

Eyes wide and face wan, Wulfdan looks up at his former aethling, a coward's desire to live at any cost clearly warring with the need of a high-born warrior for honour and dignity.  In the end, the finality of the latter overwhelms the price of the former, and he pleads with those who have bested him.  "Spare me, I beg you and I... will go whither I am bid and bear what burdens I am given..." 

His former followers, sturdy men in the service of a cruel master, do not deign to hide their scorn. 

[Eclecticon]

Sorry as a player I don't recall, do we know of/met the Leofrings?

Met, no.  Heard of, yes.  In particular Grimbeorn (via Anduin Lore) and Esgalwen (Folk Lore) will know a little more than the basics of them.  In particular, they know that Leofring bands migrate up and down the western side of the Vales in the warmer months, and they  were reputedly friendly with the servants of Dol Guldur in the years leading up to the Battle of the Five Armies. 

Also, while we're at it, let's see how Hathcyn's words are taken by the surviving Viglundings.  After all, they'll take the news back to Fystenheorth...

Inspire(TN 14):

1d12 : 3, total 3
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 3, 5, total 11

[Eclecticon]

Interesting.  Looks like a small number of Viglundings are going to start to hold our Longspear in higher regard. 

for the Personality AP.

[Telcontar]

  what's the plan here? Are we deciding something or looking for more information?

[tomcat]

I think we were waiting on the holidays to be over.