Hathcyn wheeled his horse about and rode up to the gathered men. He had a helm of his own and he would pit his against this one of suspicion and fear.

"Men of Sunstead, you have traveled under the shadow of the trees of Mirkwood. You have braved the perils of the long forest road. Your rest was brief, but brave and noble deeds have you performed in the service of your lord. The malice of the wood is behind you. As we travel to the Woodmen the danger is less, not every shadow hides a spider, not every traveler a brigand. Your task now is to protect and unite the Woodmen in the service of your [roll]Lord. A task I know you may nobly perform, but keep this task in mind. Be generous to friends as your Lord is, and guard against his foes, as you have. But be sure to not use the striking hand when the one that gives is better suited."

Hathcyn will attempt to inspire the men.

Esgalwen continued to speak directly to Ceawin, "Lord of Sunstead, the logical path here is peace. Let us speak to these folk, if need takes us to them. There is no need of bloodshed lest threat is made. Besides, how lordly would thou look, if you should come before them with your entourage and speak of unity. That is a word not oft spoken in these lands and such would go far, like water to a thirsting man. No?"

changing tack, Esgalwen will now work to inspire Ceawin by stroking his pride - something that is probably already being stroked regularly by the inhabitant of the helm. 

Her Noble Lineage should play into this, but tell me if that is not the case, Paul. I will make a Favoured feat die roll.

TN 14 inspire 2d

2d12 : 3, 4, total 7
Rolled 2d6 : 2, 2, total 4

hahahahaha!

  this sounds like a job for Ætheldreám!

  great lets all make new characters and play in Gondor!

    

It may not seem like it from my erratic posting schedule, but I'm really excited for this phase of the campaign.  We're at a point now where things that we've been patiently setting up for years - the Viglunding/Beorning conflict, Mogdred and his growing kingdom, Caewin and his... troubles - are at last starting to pay off. 

I mean, this has really been true since the quest to redeem Duskwater, but I'm feeling it now because mutliple story arcs are coming to bear all at once. 

Little by little, the anger of the warriors and travellers of the East Bight begins to wane, their appetite for bloodshed slowly vanishing.  Now, as many look to Esgalwen and Gwaithlim, high and lordly among Men and Elves, as do to Caewin.  Hathycn is unsure, but may have heard a voice mutter "...more and more often...". 


The next person to speak can make an Inspire roll directed at the crowd and have it count against the successes for Caewin, with a bonus success thrown in for good measure if the roll succeeds. 

Tension still hangs in the air like a bared blade, and knuckles still tighten on the hafts of axe and spear as all eyes that can turn to Caewin.  But the lord of the Sunstead is still a picture of confusion, his mouth working as if trying and failing to speak.  At last, more perhaps in response to the gaze of the companions than their exact words, he mutters "We fought... our ancestors... fought these dark Easterlings... these bringers of the plague..." 

Then, all at once, his gaze brightens and sharpens, alighting upon the two Elves in his entourage.  "You would not know, you of endless years beneath the wood!  Never shall you feel the sorrow and terror of the pestilence, nor its hunger for innocent life!" 

As he speaks, so waxes Gwaithlim's certainty of what he sees: a fleeting, flickering thing of shadow twisting beneath the bright helm that, briefly afrighted by the boldness of the Foresthelm, now slinks back to shroud Caewin's eyes and mind once again.  Or was it so simple?  For, for the most fleeting moment, it seemes to his Elf-eyes that two such things jostled with each other for the better place. 

Forgotten toward the rear of the company, Luindîs unslings her harp and, as voices wax wrathful about her, strums a loud chord that fades immediately into the tune of a restful lay.  It may not calm them by itself, she thinks, but it may draw their attention away.


Tom, I like your idea about using Valour to defeat Corruption.  Unfortunately, a simple success won't get you much, nor for long, but with a bit of communication from Gwaithlim you'll have learned something valuable. 

Luindîs is going to attempt to calm/distract Caewin's people with a Song roll:

Looks like the roller has spotted that I'm using a long-term player character.   

Arbogast will drop a Hope to turn that into a success. 

for everybody.