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Situation: The Fellowship finds itself in the lair of one of the nameless things that gnaws at the roots of the world. 

Combat Advantage dice:
• Arbogast 1/1
• Esgalwen n/a
• Grimbeorn 1/1
• Hathcyn 1/2

Situation Modifiers:
• The Nameless Thing has the initiative. 
• Anyone in a Rearward stance may attempt to climb the tunnel out of the hill - this will require multiple Athletics successes.
• The Nameless Thing may only be attacked by characters who first make a Valour roll against TN 17. 
• Essylt is fleeing and a successful Athletics roll is required if pursuing her. 

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• Unless at least two torches are lit, the TN to hit the Nameless Thing is increased by two. 
• A lit torch must be held, requiring a free hand to do so. 

PC/NPC

:+~:

PARRY

:<>:

ARMOUR

:vv:

HOPE

:<3:

END

:-X-:

STANCE

:##:

STATUS

Arbogast Esgalwen Grimbeorn Hathcyn

• 6 (:<|: +3) • 6 • 4 (:<|: +4) • 4 (Great Strength +3)

• 2d (:C|: +3) • 1d (:C|: n/a) • 2d (:C|: n/a) • 3d (:C|: n/a)

• 9/16 • 13/14 • 9/12 • 5/13

• 18/26 • 6/27 • 31/31 • 16/29

Open Open Defensive Rearward

normal WEARY normal WEARY

ENEMY	:+~:	PARRY	:<>:	ARMOUR	:@:	HATE	:<3:	END	:csu:	NOTES
The Nameless Thing		• 5		• 2d		• 5/10		• 39/84		• WOUNDED

STANCES

:-X-:

Forward - action order 1 Close combat TN 6+ parry Forward Maneuvers (http://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/forward.jpg)

:-->:

Open - action order 2 Close combat TN 9+ parry Open Maneuvers (http://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/open.jpg)

:<|:

Defensive - action order 3 Close combat TN 12+ parry Defensive Maneuvers (http://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/defense.jpg)

:<->:

Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat TN 12+ parry Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat; May not use if outnumbered 2:1 Rearward Maneuvers (http://rpg.avioc.org/webimages/lotr/tor/rear.jpg)

:<>:

From any Stance Escape combat Must start in Rearward or roll TN 10 + highest attribute level of opponents Athletics roll. On success, may safely flee from the scene of combat

Stung by the pain of its injuries, the Nameless Thing turns on Esgalwen once more, attacking the Ranger with renewed savagery. 


:ooc: Another two :~~:-s means another Revelation episode.  This time, the Nameless Thing gains the No Quarter ability, which makes it very dangerous to get knocked out.  Fair warning. 

Attack roll vs Esgalwen (TN 15):

Like the fabled hammer of the Enemy himself, the Thing slams its bulk into Esgalwen, deigning not to sink its teeth into her flesh but crushing her, smothering her, grinding her into the wall of the tunnel as it crawls past to advance upon Grimbeorn. 


:ooc: Ye gods, that's a bad hit.  21 Endurance lost, and Esgalwen is Weary (unless Doug has some trick to pull her out of that particular fire).

 :ooc: damn... no, I have nothing to get out of this one. The dice are telling a brutal story. The only thing I can say is Esgalwen's parry is +9 total due to her skirmishes trait. Didn't help though with two :%: 's.

Arbogast does not give voice to his dismay as he sees Esgalwen vanish beneath the bulk of the foul creature.  She is a warrior, hardened by the world as we all are, he thinks, and she will live or die by her own cunning and fortitude.  Instead, he gathers his courage about him like a cloak and readies the Warden's Axe for a strike, for he sees now where the Ranger's blade has opened a weak spot in the Thing's coat of chitin and brawn...


:ooc: Valour roll:

And now, as it swings its maw towards him following, perhaps, some scent of him in the stale air, he strikes! 


:ooc: Arbogast is going for a called shot, aiming to break open the Thing's armour (Adventurer's Companion, p 110).  Let's see whether any  :%:-es turn up...

Implacably, perhaps unstoppably, the Thing presses still forward, but the Fire-watcher's stroke has cloven open its flank, and from the wound now issue bubbles of ichor and great drips of viscid slime. 


:ooc: The Thing will spend another point of Hope to shrug off the Endurance loss completely, but its Armour rating is reduced by one die. 

C'mon, Grimbeorn - show us what you've got!

:ooc: Okay, Esgalwen will do her best to add to this mess.

TN 17 valour 4d :zz:

:ooc: Nice! Now let's see if her attack can make things happen...

TN 14 longsword 5d (Shadow bane +1d) :zz:

:dmg: 11  edge: 8   injury: 18

:ooc: BAM, BITCHES! How cool is that! No :%: so she does 11 :<3: damage, but she gets a <-{ blow!

The creature needs to make a TN 18 protection roll... I will roll it here, Paul. Do the call back on the roll if you prefer you roll.

TN 18 armour 2d

The thing was heavy on her and its foul odor rancid, but Esgalwen was not yet out of the fight. In the weak light of the chamber, the Ranger was well aware of her attackers position, as it crushed her down. She reached deep into her will and turned Nimronyn upward to stab into the monster's underbelly.

Arbogast started as the Dúnadan's gilded, Elven-laced blade suddenly pierced through the chitinous body with a crack. The dark form of Esgalwen was suddenly there, too, as the creature drew back its wounded length revealing her from its mass.

The woman rocked on her feet, trying to steady herself, but did not let go of her sword. Esgalwen twisted the blade to cause the monster as much pain as she could.

Grimbeorn continues with the cautious approach given the savage assault it unleashed upon his friends.  "Arbogast, get her out of here!  This thing shows no sign of abate or retreat... go!"

 :ooc:
Stance: Defensive, Action: Protect Ally (Esgalwen)

 :ooc: If this be his hill to die on, so be it.

:ooc: Just for fun, let's roll another Protection test (TN 18):

:ooc: Also, a retroactive Valour roll for Grimbeorn:

As the Son of Beorn advances cautiously toward the Nameless Thing, it gives an abrupt, convulsive spasm.  Seeing his chance, he darts as far to the side as the confines of the tunnel will allow and brings Bear Claw up from beneath, feeling the heavy impact as it cleaves into the underside of the Thing's mouth.  Pallid flesh parts before Elf-ensorcelled steel and the axe breaks free, leaving the blood-slick mouth a ruin, the ring of teeth now broken and hanging loose. 

As the creature slumps to the earth, he raises his axe for a finishing blow before seeing Esgalwen, a mere two paces further down the tunnel, leaning her whole body weight upon her sword and twisting the blade as she drives it deeper and deeper.  Realising perhaps that he sees her, she meets his gaze and asks "Is it dead?" 

Grimbeorn looks at the Thing's still-twitching legs, but sees no pattern to their movements that might suggest intent or direction.  "Aye," he replies, "or so close as makes no difference to us." 


:ooc: Nice work, both of you (though if anyone's keeping score, this is one for Esgalwen's tally). 

:ooc:  :> Thanks, Paul!

I will say that that was a very nice two rounds she had! Taking 21 :<3: loss was brutal, but it came back around. Even the first attack with the :~~: but two :%: - it all went very nicely!  ;D

Still, she is limping out of this place.

:ooc: No worries, Doug.  This fight was interesting because it absolutely refused to follow the script I had in my mind for it. 

Now - you guys have a choice.  The corpse (?) of the Nameless Thing is blocking most of the tunnel, but there's enough room that you could squeeze past and see what other treasures (if any) are mixed in with the pile of cracked bones.  That may involve some Corruption tests, though.  Alternatively, you could decide that your work here is done, Hathcyn still having the gem you came here for, and head back up. 

 :ooc: Esgalwen would want to leave ASAP. That's her $OO

Treasure.....

Hathcyn breathed deeply and worked to get more light going in the tunnel. The fell beast was finally dead.

"Sorry, I was if no greater use to you there. That was a foe that was beyond my means and skill."

Hathcyn drew forth the gem. "But here is what is needed for the Firewatchers plan. With the beast dead should look to see what else may be in the bone pile? With a few more such as this we could afford to strengthen our realm and all those things we discussed raising the tolls would cover. Perhaps even a stone circle for the Tarn, and a dyke at the entrance to the forest road."

Esgalwen rubbed at her bruised ribs and attempted to massage the pain from her chest. The creature had thrown its weight upon her, if not its hooked claws and teeth, but the aches were still the same. She found a place to sit and gave out a wheeze, as she rested herself upon a stone. Nimronyn she set point down on the earth, but spun the weapon in front of her from its pommel.

"If we have the endurance to go back down to the bone pit, then it might be worth the effort, but I feel we have all been tested this day for but one simple gem and to do so again could be our doom. I know there is little fight left in me - at least until we rest, and I would prefer that under the sun." She saw that Hathcyn held the torches, "Where is Essylt?"

Concern for the Hill-woman filled her, but Esgalwen's current state allowed her to do little more than ask.

"She is gone. The strain broke her and she fled. I doubt we will find her again even if she is above. The strain of the contest undid her."

"It is understandable. None should see such things, yet it seems our lot to always pursue them."

Esgalwen breathed in deep and wondered if there would be new scars upon her body from today's encounter.

"So - what is our path? Do we follow the wild woman from this place, or do we go back to sift through the ruin?"

"I see no reason," Arbogast answers, his voice unexpectedly hoarse after his shouting during the fight, "why some could not venture above to seek rest and refuge, and others below to seek further treasures.  As for me, though, I have had my fill of darkness.  I will see whether the high cellar where first we entered this tunnel might be a suitable redoubt." 


:ooc: Anyone heading below can make a Search roll to turn up any other trinkets left behind.  I'll assume that you can keep up a steady supply of thistle-torches to the searchers.  A success will find 1d3 points of treasure, but this is a Hoard - any successful searcher also gets to roll a Feat die, with a special result on a :g:.