Wind and Ridges

[Eclecticon]

As he listens to Hathcyn's tale, the dark clouds that linger in Beorn's mien clear, to be replaced by a look of deep and abiding weariness.  "It's a fine tale you tell," he sighs, "and well you tell it.  I wasn't here in the bygone days, of course, but the joy I find in the ongoing bond between the folk and our forebears grows greater the older I get.  It's as much a comfort to me, here on this blasted mountain, as my own son, long may he live!  But mark me, Foresthelm, and mark me well, for not all the guides, as you name them, are filled with goodwill." 

Hathcyn's brows rise, and Esgalwen and Gwaithlim's lower, as the younger man asks "I know there are darker and crueller things that go abroad in the dark hours, but surely those that are kin to us can be trusted?" 

"Hah!  Would that it were so!" Beorn responds, looking up from the fire at the faces of Esgalwen and Arbogast.  "But I heard from my own flesh and blood of your battle with the Werewolf.  Do you not think that it may once have been a friend to our folk, just as the fox is?" 

"Do you mean," the Ranger asks carefully, "that the spirit within that beast was turned to the service of the Shadow?" 

Beorn looks away over the darkened expanse of Wilderland, and it is Arbogast who speaks.  "I know not of many things that our guide keeps to himself, I am sure, but I believe I know his mind on this.  The Enemy is patient and subtle, and wages his campaign on many fronts, not all of them visible to the likes of us.  I'll hazard you are right, my friend," he answers Esgalwen.  "And what is more," he adds, looking steadily at Beorn, "I'll hazard that the bear within him is turning toward the darkness, or perhaps has done so already."

[Telcontar]

"Then we shall call him back if it is in our power to do so!

"I had not considered the great werewolf to be one in the same, but this is troubling news none the less. Much better do I feel now in the toppling of the dark stone."

The Longspear's mind was troubled and he dwelled upon the possibilities he heard by the fire. As his mind turned the idea over in his head he picked up a small bits of wood. The ridge wind had almost petrified the pieces and they were almost as hard as stone, but very dry. His hands set to work upon them with a small knife and he began to work small foxes from the bits of wood and placed them into a pocket. He had taken to the idea of leaving these tokens upon the mountain in their journey, casting down the great menhir and leaving another mark behind.

In the morning before the companions departed a small cairn of piled stones one atop the other was near the remains of the fire and upon it stood the small silent figure of a fox.

[GandalfOfBorg]

The elf keeps to himself, his thoughts on those of his companions and what the implications of this venture might be.  Is it the end of Beorn that we are here to witness?  Mayhaps to end the creature within, which could lead to the same result?  All the more reason it his son had not joined them. "Your words are true, Hathcyn.  Any and all means to reduce or rid Middle-earth of the Darkness is the charge of all Free Peoples.  That act, though small it seemed, is but just another bit of cleansing of the world."

[Telcontar]

"And small our acts have seemed. Each of us bears the wounds and scars of many battles, and in the light of every victory a shadow is cast from which a new trial is born. I sometimes find it hard to see the small victories tipping the balance in any meaningful way, but that is the mindset of gloom. The Firewatcher's People live in peace, the victory at the San Ford brought a greater peace, the King in Dale sits upon his throne with his wife. These deeds are not so small in the light of day. The hunger and the wounds not so deep when the deeds are taken in the measure."

The man smiled at the elf and a dark hole where a tooth once perched showed the bare flesh of his gums. He raised a finger and pointed to it.

"Though the toll I paid once for a rented boat seems to be the most bothersome it does provide a speedy path for honey wine and beer and the chattering from the cold on the mountain is less."

He laughed into the mountain wind and smiled. "I have walked below the earth and now stride upon the backbone of the world. On, on you noble friends! For what power in the earth ever reckoned on the fate of men, and what stories we shall tell upon our return!"

[Eclecticon]

Tom, I forgot to say earlier but I'm going to award Hathcyn an AP for Song, for the story ().  No dice were rolled, but this is very much behaviour that I wish to encourage. 

[Eclecticon]

As the day begins, the dawn sun bright upon the mist of the lower slopes, the companions are faced with the tall expanse of bare rock looming far above them and barring their way to the heights of the mountain.  Here and there, though, winter ice and summer winds have opened cracks and carved tiny ridges enough that a brave climber might make an ascent.  These are sparely spaced, however, and it is clear that the companions might spend at least as much time searching for a route higher as actually making their climb. 

Arbogast raises his eyes and judges the challenge before them then, humbled, lowers his gaze.  "Though I have found paths across hill and vale, through trackless fens and into the heart of Mirkwood itself, I would not be first to prove myself against this.  No great climber am I even of trees, and my body has already been sore tested." 


Okay, so this day of climbing is going to work in three sections, and in each one there'll be a preparatory test.  The catch is that the person making the test has to be the lead climber, as they'll be continually reassessing their route as they go higher and higher.  If the preparatory test gets made, then everyone gets a bonus die on the subsequent Athletics roll.  If not, the TN goes up as suboptimal decisions get made. 

The test for the first section is Explore, at which Arbogast would ordinarly rock out, but he's Weary and only has two dice in Athletics.  If anyone else wants to try their luck first, he's willing to let them.   

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn looked at the terrain and the  rising shelf of hard rock.

"I shall do it."

The Beorning began to play out lengths of rope and check them for fraying or damage and then checked the seems and fittings of his boots.


  Paul, wondering if we can get mechanically creative here. Is it possible to spend time to make it take longer and instead of tapping wary for an auto success, which seems hokey, and instead decrease the TN?

[tomcat]

Esgalwen stared at the cracks and ridges of the mountain and thought of home. Minas Tirith was built into the side of a mountain and as kids they had played long and hard on the craggy prominence. Even in Ithilien and her service to the Rangers, the mountainous landscape was her home - but idleness clutched at Esgalwen's heart and she hesitated when Arbogast spoke.

Hathcyn's quick decision literally made the Ranger jump, as she stared at the task and dwelled in her memories. She hoped the others did not see, but added, "I am used to such terrain. I think I can lend a hand in making this task easier."
I have an Explore 3/Athletics 2 combo as well, but she is not weary and her Explore is favoured.

[Eclecticon]

I'm going to go with Esgalwen's skills for now, but keep that idea in mind Tom, I've got something coming up for that later.

Esgalwen (Explore TN 14)

1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 6, 5, 4, total 15

[Eclecticon]

That's a nice success for Esgalwen ( for the AP) so everyone gets to roll a bonus die on the Athletics test:

Arbogast

1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 3d6 : 2, 6, 1, total 9

Esgalwen

1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 4, 4, total 11

Gwaithlim

1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 3d6 : 2, 4, 4, total 10

Hathcyn

1d12 : 5, total 5
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 4, 5, total 14

[Eclecticon]

Successes for Arbogast and Hathcyn, failures for the other two.  Let me know if you want to spend some Hope, or suffer the (non-fatal) consequences of a fall. 

[GandalfOfBorg]

  No I'm good.

[tomcat]

Esgalwen will suffer the fall, too.

I am thinking Athletics will definitely be her next improvement.

[Eclecticon]

Right, let's roll some bones:
Esgalwen

1d6 : 3, total 3

Gwaithlim

1d6 : 2, total 2

[Eclecticon]

Sheer is the rock face against which the company struggles, nor has the wind slackened since the previous day.  Hair, cloaks and unsecured belongings are all dashed about , flying in faces and tangling in the rope that secures the copmanions each to the other.  Esgalwen has a mountaineer's eye and strong hands are equal to the task, and her ascent is steady until a sudden burst of frenetic fluttering erupts from next to her newly-placed handhold as a wallcreeper, startled from its resting place, bursts forth and draws a yelp of panic from the Ranger. 

Overbalancing, she topples backwards, and Hathcyn's cry of warning comes not soon enough to save Gwaithlim, who is himself yanked from his precarious perch by the force of the falling woman.  Beorn, however, has found firmer footing, and to him it falls to break their fall, still-thick muscles knotting in his arms but not managing to forestall a howl of pain as the rope reaches its limit and his wounded body protests the sudden shock.  Lengthy and delicate work it is to replace the pair upon the cliff and with trembling limbs resume the climb. 


Esgalwen loses three Endurance from her unexpected tumble, and Gwaithlim two.