CHAPTER 1: Commencement

[tomcat]

The Company sat around discussing their course and partaking of food and drink for another hour. It was decided by consensus that the road would first take them south to the main west road through the forest of Mirkwood. Once across, they would again turn south and follow the Anduin until they came to the realm of Moria.

With crocks and plates empty, and Gumbo's stomach not yet appeased, the Dwarves asked their new companions to go about their way and to meet back the next morning.

When the room was empty, save Nori and Kori, the elder craftsman looked to his nephew, "So what do you think?" Not waiting on the reply, Kori continued, "Are we missing anything? I think we have supplied ourselves sufficiently, but can you think of anything we missed?"

Neither Dwarf knew what they could really do about it... all of Kori's wealth amounted to the items in the rented storage room, what they had with them and the contents of a small chest under the bed. In that chest was a tattered, almost illegible, letter from Tori along with 12 gold pieces and other less valued coins (8 GP, 12 gp, 6 SP, 5 sp, and 10 cp - to be exact).

Outside, the cold of winter still clung to the region and a dismal rain fell on Laketown. The companions made their way to where they needed to be - some together, some alone. All agreed to be back at the inn to assist in loading the wagon so that their journey could commence the following morning.

There was excitement in their step as they saw to their tasks.



[OOC:] Feel free to post any activities you would like and give the narrative and dialogue that you'd like (i.e. Beren, you can have the conversation with your father without my input... just write the dialogue as you see the relationship between Beren and his father).

The next two day's will pass within this thread and I will have you guys on the road the next time I post (which will be tomorrow, unless there is a lot of inter-character dialogue going on here.)

Second, I want to give an inventory of supplies. Please give me any input here of things I might have missed. I will add to them based on how I see Kor's wealth...

Travel rations - hard tack, dried meat, vegetables, flour, etc. There is no particulars here other than there is enough food to make 320 meals (or 2 meals a day for 8 people for 20 days inside Moria)

Three kegs of water - enough to cover two days of drinking for 8 people (can be re-filled)

Two kegs of ale - to be tapped only when allowed

Four large bags of oats - for horses

2 Large oiled canvas' and stakes that will prop up allowing for 4 to sleep underneath

Four dwarf-made lanterns / 8 extra wicks

Three kegs of lamp oil - enough to fuel four lamps and burn them for 10 hours a day for 20 days

Five large coarse fabric bags

250 feet of rope

Climbing equipment for two people (includes harnesses, cramp-ons, spikes and hammers)

Five backpacks

Eight blankets / bedding

Kori and Nori's own personal gear

[Elrohir]

"I knew you were going to say that, one of these days", Beren's father says to him with a sigh.  "I thought about it a long time, and even though I was against you doing anything but being a merchant, I've decided to support you.  It is against all my common sense, and I still have a hope you will return from this...ordeal ready to become a merchant.  I, Ceren, give you my blessings on this adventure.  Good luck son, and please try to make it home."
Beren can hardly believe his ears.  Did he really just give me his blessings?  "I accept your blessings father, and will remember you everytime I am close to death."  With that, he leaves, with a new hope.  This can be done, and it will be, he thinks to himself.  He turns and leaves his father behind, not looking back.  On the way to Garulf's Smithy, he almost starts to skip.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Did you forget what will carry all of that?  It surely won't all fit on our backs, that's for sure.

[tomcat]

[OOC:] I've already stated that the Company has a wagon and team of ponies to draw it... just didn't write it in the inventory list.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Thought so too, just wanted to confirm.  I have nothing to add until we get to the point where we wish had brought X  because it was so obvious to do so  (D

[donimator]

Satisfied with the generalities of the plan, Turumarth excuses himself and heads to the common room. Gaining the attention of the innkeeper, he requests lodging and keep of the most frugal nature. The room is noisy with the evening's revelry and Turumarth sees many familiar faces, but keeps to himself.

With a few moments to reflect, he recalls what he has learned of the Iron Hills dwarves. Descended from Durin's folk he could see the connection to Khazad-dum, but what was there of Kori's line that drives him back...?

Lore test: history of Kori's line
Skill: Lore(History,Dwarves, Iron hills) +9
Anticipated TN: 10 (routine) +3 (loud noise/talking) = 13
Die roll: Roll(2d6)+9: 4,2,+9, Total:15 (complete success?)

Edited to add OOC comment
[OOC] - For the provisions, would anything be needed to feed the horses? They can forage along the way, but was it anticipated they would enter the mines?

[tomcat]

Nori grunted in exasperation as the snow began to fall. The white flakes fell quietly and softly blanketed the heads and shoulders of the travelers. There was little wind, and though cold, it was not bitter and the weather seemed to hush all sound around, save the clop of ponies hooves and the creak of the wagon. Some in the Company found it quite peaceful. Others brushed the damp snow from their garments and wished for the changes of spring.

The day before had been busy with the readying of the gear. It ended for all with a fine meal courtesy of Kori and Nori - for all save one... Vári had stood watch over the wagon through the night. Now the Dwarf lay in the back of the wain and slept quietly.

Each member of the Company strode alongside the wagon, which Kori drove, making the travel slower than it might have been. Still, the Dwarves planned for at least thirty days on the road... pending no troubles crossing the forest. Only time would tell.

They would be on this leg for two and a half days barring any problems and so they lowered their faces to the weather and pushed on.



[OOC:] Here is how the travel is going to breakdown... it is approximately 145 leagues (435 miles) from Laketown to Moria. Using the travel rates from the core book and limiting travel to 10 hours a day (based on Weariness tests and no problems) I am breaking the travel into 3 legs:

1) the road from Laketown to the Mirkwood East-West Road is 23 leagues (69 miles); If traveled at the Hale rate (2.75 miles per hour on Easy ground), it will take 2.5 days to cover.

2) the road through Mirkwood and over the river is 92 leagues (276 miles); If traveled at the Hale rate (2.25 miles per hour on Average ground), it will take 12.3 days to cross.

3) the road soth to Moria is 69 leagues (207 miles); If traveled at the Hale rate (2.25 miles per hour on Average ground), it will take 9.2 days to cover.

A total of 24 days to get to Moria - again barring any incidents and the travelers can keep up with the rate.

Now - travel rules will be based on my Overland Travel House Rule (shown below, modified for this adventure, as well as in the House Rules):

Overland Travel: Rather than making many Stamina tests over time intervals, one roll is made for the days travel with the TN 20. Apply modifiers for Pace (Walk -2, Jog/Trot +0, Run +2, Sprint +4), Terrain (easy ground -2, average ground +0, rough ground +2, very rough ground +4), and if riding on the cart -5.

Degree of success determines the number of Weariness levels suffered: 3 on a disastrous failure, 2 on a complete failure, 1 on a failure, 0 on any success. Also, if a Disastrous failure is rolled, the character must stop there and then, too exhausted to keep going for that day. Roll 2d6 and subtract it from the TN to determine how many miles were actually covered before the character needed to stop.

One roll is made per day and I will determine how far the Company gets by everyones results. If all succeed, the Company will be done wih leg 1 in 2.5 days. If any disastrous failures, the miles covered will be shortened and the leg may become longer.

Weariness will effect all tests for that day, but may be removed each day with proper rest. Use the sleeping in the rough rules below (also in the House Rules). If a character rests properly after that day's travel, the Weariness penalties will be removed. If they fail, the penalties will effect the next day's travel and will stack for each day of tiring travel and unrest.

Sleeping in the Rough: A character recovers Weariness from the previous day's travel by making a successful Stamina test upon waking after sleeping in the rough.

He must make a Stamina test at TN 5, plus modifiers for the following conditions: sleeping on the ground (+2), insufficient or interrupted sleep (+2), not sufficiently protected against cold, wind, or rain (+2), insufficient food or water (+2), sleeping in leather armor (+3) or in mail armor (+5).

On any success, the character removes Weariness; on a failure the character maintains the Weariness penalty they had from the prior day. On a Disastrous failure he suffers 1 additional level of Weariness.

Again, all Wearines (no matter how many day's accumulated) is removed from a good night's sleep.

A survival test TN 10 (plus conditional modifiers) may be made at the end of each day's travel to start a fire, set tents and cook a meal (this actually covers both day's meals). This will eliminate the Sleeping in the Rough penalties: not sufficiently protected against cold, wind, or rain (+2), insufficient food or water (+2).

Any questions, ask... (I am posting for Kori in the next post so you can see how I do it).

Thanks!

[tomcat]

Weariness test for Kori...

Starting at TN 20... -2 for pace, -2 for terrain, -5 for riding in the wagon; so TN 11 for Kori.

Kori, Day 1 travel Weariness test:
TN 11 Stamina +2, Hardness of Body +2, Animal Aversion -2
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+2: 6,1,+2 Total:9 FAILED [Winded -1]

Kori, Day 1 Survival test to start a fire and cook:
TN 10 Survival +2, Firestarting +2, Winded -1
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+3: 5,5,+3 Total:13 SUCCESS [This eliminates the climate and food sleeping penalties for everyone]

Now Rest...

Starting at TN 5... +2 for sleeping on ground, +3 for Leather armour; so TN 10 for Kori.

Kori, Day 1 Sleeping in the Rough test:
TN 10 Stamina +2, Hardness of Body +2
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+4: 6,1,+4 Total:11 SUCCESS [Weariness removed]

That covers everything for DAY 1's travel. I will wait for you all to post your travel tests for this day before we continue with DAY 2. Understand, I am asking for these tests primarily to determine how the Company maintains pace to see how long stores of food will last, and to determine cumulative weariness in case you guys run into trouble.



After the first day, the Company pulled over to the eaves of the forest to help block the weather. Kori immediately set about setting a fire and preparing a meal for his companions.

They ate and conversed and then all settled to sleep... they had another long day ahead of them.

[Elrohir]

OOC:What happened to Beren going to the smithy?

[tomcat]

[OOC:] Beren wanted a dagger? Buy a dagger and erase the cost in coins from your treasure.

[donimator]

Weariness tests for Turumarth:

Travel Test: TN 20 (-2 for pace, -2 for terrain, I'm assuming he's not in the cart) = 16
TN 16 Stamina +1
Roll: Roll(2d6)+1: 5,3,+1 Total:9 - Complete Failure - Tired (-2)

Survival - passed by Kori

Rest: TN 5 (+2 sleeping on ground, +3 leather armour) - TN 10
TN 10 Stamina +1
Roll: Roll(2d6)+1: 4,3,+1 Total:8 Failure - Tired (-2) for next day

Turumarth awakes tired and sore the next day. Groggy and stiff is not the way to feel 1 day into a month long journey. As the morning sun rises, Turumarth removes his leather armour and stows it in the wagon. The freedom helps a bit, but does little to improve his mood for the journey ahead.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Travel Test: TN 20 -2 pace -2 terrain = 16
TN 16 Weariness test - (5+2)+2 Stamina +2 Hardness of Body -2 Animal Aversion = 9 COMPLETE FAILURE (Tired -2)

Survival: N/A

Rest: TN 5 +2 sleeping on ground = 7
TN 7 Weariness test - (5+5)+2+2=14 SUCCESS (Weariness removed)

----------------

Nori was more irritable than his usual personable self  As the weather continued to worsen, so did his mood and endurance.  Soon he got the point that he'd had enough and became quite surly, encouraging his uncle to stop.  Not wishing to burden himself more, he removed his armor for sleep.  He slept well that night though and was back to his plain ol' grumpy self.

[Cut]

Weariness test for Caranmîr

Starting at TN 20... -2 for pace, -2 for terrain, so TN 16 for Caranmîr.

Roll(2d6)+2: 1,3,+2 (stamina) Total:6
Missed TN by 10: Complete Failure. --> Caranmîr is tired (-2)

Caranmîr is very nervous on his first day on the road with the company. The closer the company draws to Mirkwood, the more Caranmîr becomes uncomfortable. Although being very close to nature (by elven nature) Caranmîr's lack of expirience of extended travelling,with mostly strange people at his side tired him very much.  At the end of the first day on the road, he was more than happy to come to rest and see, that Nori started a fire to prepare some warm meal.

Due to his elven nature Caranmîr needs only to rest for short amounts of time to recover from tiresome experiences.
He therefore offers the company to rest shorty after the meal (for an hour or two) and then stand watch for longer periods of time, so that the chances of recovery for the other members of the company are better.

Recovering Weariness by sleep:

TN 7 (5 base + 2 sleeping on the ground)

Roll(2d6)+2: 6,3, (+2 Stamina) Total:11 --> Complete Success.

Caranmîr wakes after a short, but very restful sleep and his spirit is light again. When he rises from his bedroll he feels that the soureness of travelling has left his body altogether.

[Elrohir]

Weariness test
TN=20-2(pace)-2(terrain)=16
Stamina+3,
Roll(2d6)+3:
6,4,+3
Total:13=Failure

Beren can hardly believe it, he's traveling.  Even though his mind is anxious and full of excitement, he begins to feel his body tiring out.  A thought creeps into his head, why did I leave my home?  But he quickly dismisses it and keeps on walking.  He settles in for a rough night of sleeping, hoping tomorrow would be better.

Recovery test
Tn=5+2(sleeping on the ground)+4?(chainmail)=11
Stamina+3
Roll(2d6)+3:
3,6,+3
Total:12=success

Beren wakes up fully refreshed, ready to begin a new day.

[tomcat]

[OOC:] Cool you guys! To the new players on my table, you don't have to give me narrative for each day's travel if you do not want too and there may be times where we either pass blocks of days without worrying about the tests or I ask you for the tests for a said number of days all at once.

Again, it may seem tedious but I want to reflect the effects of long travel on the PC's. Besides... it allows me to score XP based on successes so that you guys may win an advancement or two before entering the mines.  



The river out of Long Lake was called Celduin in the tongue of the Elves and Running by Men. It weaved south and made a great bend east some miles south of Long Lake, and here the land was low and flat. With the spring melts, the Celduin would surge over its banks and the plain here would flood, causing great problems for overland travel. Once the flood waters recessed, the land would be left marshy and rutted and merchant vans would have to travel further east to find a suitable northern road.

Because winter still clutched the region, the Celduin was a long time until flooding, but the frozen ground became a nightmare for the Company. Great ruts and knots caused for the wagon to thump and rattle as the ponies struggled to cross over the plain. At times, the Company would even need to pick their way through areas that were still saturated and were thick, cold, mud.

Kori pulled on the reins as the ponies steamed and stammered, Beren, Vári and Nori pushed at the back end of the wagon, mud caked to their boots and breeches. With a final tug the wagon lurched free and the trio slipped forward - two fell to their knees, while the third went all the way down. The wagon thumped loudly over a frozen rut and Kori looked to his companions, coated in mud. "Well, at least there are no insects to bother us as well!"

The labor of crossing the flood plain left all aching, wet, and tired. Camp was a welcome thought and so they found another location that offered cover and went about preparing for the second night's rest.



[OOC:] The trio mentioned above may give me an Acrobatics (Balance) or a Nimbleness test TN 10 to avoid falling full into the mud. Understand that there is no where to bathe at this time due to the cold, and so the damp mud will be caked in everything... not a major problem, but just giving you guys an idea of what your PC is going through and the discomforts that may arise.