SCENE 2: Dreams and shadows

[tomcat]

[OOC:] Nico and Don, I will be feeding you guys the information you are revealing with your studies via narrative, as we go.



As evening fell over the forest once more, with the company into their first day's travel after the night's encounter, something stirred with the wind.

The ground surrounding Gar's hole was mostly rocky - he lived in a cleft after all - but, above the cave in an area before the cleft made its split, there was an embankment of earth. No trees grew atop the earthen hillock but leaves and small plants covered all, making it unnoticeable in a forest full of such things. But this ground was different.

The wind blew the leaves and they crackled and rustled as they swept over the cold dirt. A bony hand broke through the soil and dragged the rest of the unliving corpse out behind it. All around, other shades in the night moved... silently, save for the cracking of any dried flesh that remained.



The horrific shapes stood. Some now tinkled with the sound of old mail; each held a cruel rusted blade in their hand. The undead troop staggered forward with a silent command, drawn by something that had been taken... and was moving west.

Five days passed quietly for the company of Dwarves, Men and Elf, as they continued along the road. The sun obliged them for the better part of this leg and even the forest seemed thankful - small buds began to appear on the ends of branches and new green shoots poked their heads up through the thick leaf carpet blanketing the ground.

Since the run in with Old Gar and the terrible spider, nothing else seemed to bother their passage. Occassionaly an old woodchuck would sit up on his hind quarters to watch them pass, thinking it odd to see folk moving through the forest this early in the spring. But other than that or the occassional nagging insect, the company members were able to relax.

Gumbo continued to take the lead with each march, joined on occassion by another of his companions, but the hobbit seemed to prefer the solitude. The rest of the companions made quiet conversation, sang cheery songs, or puzzled one another with riddle games. The loremaster and mage spent a great deal of time struggling with the scroll code, trying to make heads or tails of it.

Suddenly Kori drew back on the reins. Gumbo stood still in the distance, scratching his head and looking down two different lengths of road.



[OOC:] It is about 4:00 PM for this day's travel (day 10), and there is a fork in the road. Both appear to continue in a westerly direction but one veers north, the other south.

[GandalfOfBorg]

"It these kinds of things that make for a poor map and even poorer day if one follows the wrong path... if there is even a right path to take," grumbled Nori.  "Oi, elf, what know you of this?  Which way do we take?"

[Roborob]

Bornoge looks at the two roads and tries to remember where the paths lead.

Lore Region:Mirkwood test
Roll(2d6)+4:
2,4,+4
Total:10

"Ah I have wandered far, but I rarely travel this far west. Master elf, have you knowledge of this passage?"

[Telcontar]

(OOC: "Five days passed quietly for the company of Dwarves, Men and Elf, as they continued along the road..." Its no wonder hobbits never make it into the old tales! They are always left out of the intro flavour text!  (D

Gumbo looked at the roads before him. "That is why I stopped. The road to the south would seem faster for the purposes of our journey, but this wood can not be trusted. A troubled spirit dwells in this wood and its power is greater in the south. I would not recommend we take the southern road, better to come out of the wood to far north and use the Anduin as our guide, its course is true, this wood may trick us."

[Cut]

[OOC: I have completely missed this no postings here. I am sorry...]

The Elf stepped forward from where he had travelled alongside Turumarth, discussing the items found in the scroll cases. He took a moment to recollect his thoughts.

[Lore: Realm: Mirkwood test: 2d6 + 6
Roll(2d6)+6:
3,4,+6
Total:13]

[Does Caranmîr know which way to lead?]

[tomcat]

Kori stands up from the seat on which he was perched, stretching as he did. "This shadow you speak of Gumbo, it is known to us even to the north in the Iron Hills. Perhaps it is better we rest on it tonight and make our decision with fresh minds and a new day. What say you all?"

[sdrotar]

Kori stands up from the seat on which he was perched, stretching as he did. "This shadow you speak of Gumbo, it is known to us even to the north in the Iron Hills. Perhaps it is better we rest on it tonight and make our decision with fresh minds and a new day. What say you all?"

Vári shrugged his shoulders. Travel, rest, stay, go - none of it mattered to him. Where the Company went, he would follow.

[Roborob]

"Resting at an intersection in Greenwood The Great is not always a good plan. As crossroads are usually hunting grounds for the darker creatures. I say we move on, back if no road can be chosen" Bornoge spoke with a serious tone that was unusual for him.

[Telcontar]

"The woodman speaks true on this. Why watch three roads when we need only watch two? This troubles me for some reason I can not put a finger on, I would say that this wood has made this decision for us and altered its normal cast. Let us take a few moments and find a place where we may move the wagon off the road with relative ease and make our camp off of the main track."

Gumbo looked down the roads to see if he could spy such a spot. "I feel the subtle magic of the wood at work here. It is not that of elves or dwarves, maybe older, maybe malignant... I can not say but something troubles me. I would not tarry here for in my land my folk tell tales of those unlucky to stop on crossroads. they are the point in which unseen worlds are the closest and those who can not find their way to the halls of the west like to gather. I have heard tales of suicides and such being buried at the point where roads crossed. Cursed to wander..."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Of what I know of this wood, the easy path usually leads to danger and folly.  I say we pick the less likely of paths and move on," grunts the leader's nephew.

[tomcat]

Still stretching, Kori agrees, "Too true nephew. Why don't you take the reins here for a bit while I walk and stretch. Take us down the road a ways and we will camp there."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Yes, uncle," Nori replies, taking the reins.  Once the venerable dwarf disembarks, he gives the reins a snap! "Move along, mule!"  With a jerk the wagon starts up again.

OOC: Unless the Narrator has thoughts otherwise...

After about a half hours' trek, Nori pulls up to a spot in the road where the forest pulls back a bit from the road, giving enough room for the company to pull off to the side and make camp.

[tomcat]

[OOC:] Hey Matt, did you take the southerly directed road, or north? Or, did you turn the wagon around and go back a ways to make the decision in the morning?

[Roborob]

OOC: I'm going on vacation for the next week and probably won't have internet access. Sorry!

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Nori selected the road that looked the least likely one would travel.