A Council Upon Rising

[tomcat]

Esgalwen stood quietly beside Grimbeorn, as he greeted and welcomed the Elves into his service. As the Beornings murmured to themselves, unsure of having the Firstborn among them, the Ranger interrupted and spoke.

"I am Esgalwen, daughter of Eradan, of Gondor far to the south. Long have my people stood the fences of Mordor, guarding the west and north by our strength alone." A murmur went through the throng at the mention of the Shadow-lands' name, but Esgalwen continued. "Many generations have passed since the King of old brought down the tower of Barad-dûr, but he did not do it alone. Beside him stood the Fair-folk, along with men of the west and north. Since those days, wherever the Enemy dare pass those guarded walls, my brothers and sisters-in-arms seek them out and destroy them. So have the lands remained free and safe!" There was a strength and pride in her voice now, "So shall we all now stand with Grimbeorn - the Fair-folk, Gondorians, and Folk of the Vale - and together we shall hunt down and destroy these servants of ill-will wherever they dare slink from the shadows!"
Awe roll
TN 14 awe 3d

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 3, 2, total 8

[tomcat]

It is not pretty, but it should be a success.

[Eclecticon]

A low and eager grumbling builds as Esgalwen speaks of the unity of the Free Peoples, and the blood-thirst of the Beorning thegns rises.  It is Fridiger's words that first rise above the hubbub: "Aye once again!  Let each of us now take our men and scour the lands that we, of all upon the face of Middle-Earth, know best!  Let there be not a single hole left for our foes to hide in!" 

Around the circle, many faces, eyes already narrowed in anticipation and rememberings of where wolf-packs have sought shelter in years past, begin to nod in agreement. 


Okay, we're now at an interesting point.  You've blown past the threshold for the Beornings to stage a great big wolf-hunt - they were pretty keen to do that anyway - but the prevailing mood here is for the army to split up.  If you want to avoid that, you'll need to accumulate another two successes.  It would ordinarily be three, but you've accumulated four already and it seems unfair not to have one of those count. 

If you guys want to convince the council that you know best where the unified army should go, that'll be even harder.   

[GandalfOfBorg]

  Sorry guys, I was at GenCon and forgot to let you know.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Gwaithlim remains quiet, studying the gathering.  Only perceptible to the other elf, he gives a slight start and side-long glance at mentioning of his name and his stature but keeps silent for the time until he couldn't.  "A lot of chatter and a lot of bluster come from a mewling group.  Are you so threatened and jealous of your position against that of your neighbor that your faith and trust of Beorn and his line?  I have lived long in this world and my many travels and adventures have found that fate has brought us all here today to continue in the tradition our fathers before held -- to draw the line and stand against The Shadow at our doorstep.  No cause is more noble that to be the bulwark against that would destroy or enslave you, your families, and your generations to come.  So, pray take heed of your captains for they are not faithless nor lead you wantonly to your doom.  I would caution that you stand together in your dealing with these curs.  Send out scouts if you must to track them down but you must engage them in force lest a smaller one be overrun and we lose our advantage."

 

Awe (f) -  1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 2d6 : 1, 4, total 5

Use Hope if it would make a difference.

[Telcontar]

"Thegns and spearmen, your blood is up and the heat of this injustice compels us all to action. But let us not rum hither and yon, each to his own devices and each blindly in our lust for killing. Out foe is still dangerous and fast. They may turn on one group and then another before we know our companions are in danger. Like a porcupine let us go forth, bristling with spears and dangerous from every angle, but still moving as one."

(This seems like persuade...)

[Eclecticon]

  That very much is Persuade.  Do you want me to roll it?

Matt, I've used a Hope to make Gwaithlim's Awe roll a basic success.  I haven't marked off an AP, 'cause what you've described doesn't seem to fall under any of his Traits, but I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise. 

[GandalfOfBorg]

  He was being both being somewhat disdainful and impassioned with this speech, attempting to put a bit of Fierce into it.

[Eclecticon]

On reflection yes, I can see that.  Okay - a second AP it is! 

Tom, I'm going to make a Persuade roll for Hathcyn to keep things moving:

1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 3d6 : 5, 3, 3, total 11

[Eclecticon]

The thegns' voices begin to rise against those of Hathcyn and Gwaithlim, but Grimbeorn silences them with a single word.  "Enough!" he barks.  "I didn't call my closest companions here just for the sake of three more spears, and nor did I gather our might for no reason!  Remember that there are orcs abroad among our homes and farms as well, and that this is no mere hunt of wild beasts.  We'll march as one, and fight as one." 

The question thus settled, the council's attention turns to where the army should go. 

"West," says Sigebert, "where the wargs lair and the goblins breed under the mountains.  We'll smite them back into their holes and then bring fire and steel down to burn them out forever!" 

"North," argues Fridiger, "to where the lands lie empty and game is scarce.  We will stand firm on the borders while they eat each other until nothing is left!" 

"East", counters Claudas.  "Let them think we are in hopeless retreat back to the Old Ford.  Then, when they mass to crush us, we can trap them against the river and push them in to drown." 


  You're continuing to rack up the successes, so now you have a chance to convince Beorn to take the army where you want it to go, at the bargain-basement price of three more successes. 

[GandalfOfBorg]

Gwaithlim quietly talks with the others.  "Have scouts been sent to see where they come from or word from aboard about their movements?  Any direction right now but south seem as good as another."

[Telcontar]

The Longspear nods. "I have little information to say one way is better than another. The fact that we fight and fight as one is success enough for me. If I were to pick one course the western seems the most likely. Though I fear we shall find a foe in any direction if we seek to stab at the heart of this problem west or north seem the most likely."

[Eclecticon]

As Hathcyn's words go, so goes most of the council and though grey-bearded hunters rich in wolf-lore are called for from among the army, and though these tell of a great warg-chieftain who rules over the packs of the Misty Mountain foothills just as Grimbeorn does over the clans of the Vales, none can say where the lair of such a beast might be found. 

The last word is spoken by the Son of Beorn himself.  "Very well!  If we know not where we should go, we'll see that they come to us!  The orcs will seek to slay and burn, and the wargs to feast, and so we will go from stead to stead, gathering the cattle and sheep together, along with any woman, child or old man that wishes to accompany us and can keep up." 

Beneath his bushy beard, his mouth breaks into a broad grin.  "Let them think that we are abandoning the west to them, and taking all that meat on the hoof across the river.  We'll see how they like the thought of breaking our shield-wall to get what they want!" 

[GandalfOfBorg]

  How did Grimbeorn figure out the worst choice when it wasn't even a choice? 

[Eclecticon]

Fair point, Matt - I should've run this past you first, given that he's still your character in important ways.  If you think it's out of character, I'm open to retconning his decision.