The Foothills Redux

[Eclecticon]

So, am I right in thinking that we have a tentative preference for the hard way (avoiding a warg fight) over the easy one? 

Matt, Gwaithlim finds plenty of what he's pretty certain are troll tracks - this is obviously their territory and that may have implications for getting back down once you've done... whatever it is you're here to do. 

[Telcontar]

  I'm sticking to my story. Beorn won't say what they are doing or why they have set out, so wont ease the burden by making choices for him on the minor details.

The elf hailed the two men up above on the bluff.

"The great bear has pushed back a pack of wargs who trailed us. He asks whether we should take the hard road to throw them off our track or continue as we have been along this road."

His voice was deadened by the mists but carried up to the two men.

"We have found a standing stone." Called back the Firewatcher, stating a fact but not answering the question.

Hathcyn moved to the lip of the edge and called down.

"We shall cast it down, but are working on the lever by which to move it."

The elf frowned, "did you not hear my question about the road?"

Esgalwen and the old bear had worked their way up to the bottom of the bluff at this point and heard the words of elf and man as they were carried by the fog.

Hathcyn replied.

"I didnt choose this mountain I'll not choose how to conquer it."

The elf saw the great bear approach and looked above.

"Beorn has asked which road to take." He called again.

From the mists the voice of Hathcyn answered and though the fog cut the source it did little to deaden his tone.

"Tell him he was quick to tell his son to know one path from another with little instruction. He led us here so I tell him to lead us. I have no answer to his question. In the meantime I'm trying to cast down this menhir of the shadow. Deciding to do so and how is choice enough for my part of this journey. Let chieftains chief and labors labor. Now come and lend a hand."

The great bear heard his words and growled. Whether from the impudence or the truth of them remained to be seen.

[Eclecticon]

Well, that's put me in my place.  On with the narrative, then.

[Eclecticon]

"You've a sharp tongue, Longspear," Beorn calls in reply.  "Mind you take care where it's pointed!  Now help a wounded man climb." 

After a short rope is dropped and Beorn climbs the bluff, wheezing and grumbling all the while at the pain in his side, he casts his gaze at the upraised stone.  In a much more solemn tone, he says "I knew there was one of these around here, but never before where.  You've done well, friends of my son.  We'll draw this thing out like a splinter from a putrid wound and the world will be the better for it.  But after that there'll be no taking the easy path, for I daresay the trolls will be all over the slopes after nightfall.  Our best hope is to go the steeper way and hope that they're not vengeful enough to try to follow." 

To Esgalwen and Gwaithlim, still making their way up the bluff, he calls "Never mind climbing!  We have strong hands between the five of us, but they'll amount to nothing without some sturdy levers!" 


Okay, here's how this will work.  Casting the stone down will be an extended action requiring five total successes on Craft rolls (to estimate the length and girth of branches for levers, dig the buried part of the stone out and tip it over without crushing yourselves).  Everyone can roll simultaneously, but each roll represents about an hour's effort (scouting, cutting, digging, shoving etc.).  There's no time limit, per se, but there's only about seven hours until nightfall and you're on an exposed mountainside close to the snow line.  You don't need angry trolls for that to be dangerous. 

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast sets himself to the task with the patient zeal of one who, though himself no builder, has carried lumber and stones for the raising of hall and hearth, palisade and bastion, and knows that haste will avail them little.  Such tools as they have brought with them are ill-suited to digging, but a sharpened stick will at least begin the process. 


I'll get the process started off with a roll for Arbogast:

1d12 : 12, total 12
Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

[Eclecticon]

Holy crap - a success! 

You're now at 1/5. 

[Telcontar]

Well, that's put me in my place.  On with the narrative, then.

 

Sorry man! I thought it would have been in character.

My craft skill sucks, but Hathcyn has worked on erecting the standing stones at the forest gate. Can I use insight instead to see if I can think of some improvisational tools with what is at hand?

[GandalfOfBorg]

  Enemy of Sauron/Elven-lore, whichever would be the prudent specialty.  Gwaithlim wishes to recall anything he knows about these stones and the effects of just knocking them over or if there was a better way of destroying them in some fashion.  I want him to say his peace on this matter prior to lending a hand with some foolish errand.

[tomcat]

Esgalwen shakes her head and says softly to herself, "Men, always willing to get moving but never an idea of their path..."

She looks to the tree line and calls up, "I will see if I can find some strong branches that will serve as lever and fulcrum, lest there already be a stone above that will serve such need?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Ranger moved down towards the tall pines that wooshed with the mountain breezes. Her goal was to find any limbs that might have fallen, but were still sturdy. She had no axe and there would be no other way to rend a branch, without Arbogast coming to aid her.
I know you wanted a Craft roll and I will roll it, but I am also giving an Explore roll that seems fitting to her seeking out the needed parts. You use whichever skill you want, Paul, based on your design.

TN 14 craft 2d

1d12 : 3, total 3
Rolled 2d6 : 5, 2, total 7

TN 14 explore 3d

1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 3d6 : 4, 6, 1, total 11

[tomcat]

As usual - Esgalwen's efforts in anything but combat is for shit.

[Eclecticon]

My craft skill sucks... Can I use insight instead to see if I can think of some improvisational tools with what is at hand?

You may not.  Likewise Doug, no fancy-pants shifting about to use Explore!  Everyone's Craft skill sucks, but it's the only one that really fits what you're trying to do.  Between the fact that there's four of you - of us - rolling, with Hope to spend, and the fact that we can accumulate successes over multiple rolls, it's pretty achievable. 

Overall, the lesson here is don't neglect skils.  You never know when the one nobody has will be the one you need.

[Eclecticon]

Enemy of Sauron/Elven-lore, whichever would be the prudent specialty.  Gwaithlim wishes to recall anything he knows about these stones and the effects of just knocking them over or if there was a better way of destroying them in some fashion. 

Let's do a Lore roll, shall we?

1d12 : 12, total 12
Rolled 3d6 : 3, 5, 1, total 9

[Eclecticon]

Impassively does Gwaitlim regard the short-lived Men about him as they scurry about their urgent business, for his mind sees the Hall of Fire in hidden Imladris, and hears the tales told by Glorfindel, Elrond and others of the ancient days before the destruction of the Two Trees. 

"By Morgoth himself were the Ered Hithui raised high," he finds himself repeating beneath his breath, his lips betraying barely a hint of his thought by their subtle motion, "for to hinder the rades of Oromë Aldaron and the journeyings of the Quendi.  Even in these waning days do they retain much of his arrogance and cruelty.  But long has their maker been held in durance, and time reduces the works of even one such as he, such that the peaks have strayed from their purpose.  So do the thralls of the Enemy seek to bind them in chains of sorcery with their upraised stones." 

Though he does not smile, his heart lifts at the memory, recalling the proud and shining eyes of those Elf-lords as they spoke.  "When you find these stones, cast them down!  Break them and the chains that bind the mountains to the service of darkness will likewise be broken.  And when they are, cry out to the sky 'Símen bime mauva, lanti yonwo Morgoth!  Násan mennai utúlie'n aurë yare teviëi voronda ilya ótesse nepántorne!  'Here by my hand is the wall of Morgoth broken!  So may it be until the day is come when the sworn hatreds may at last be laid aside.'" 


A nice success there.  Take an AP since you can tag either Enemy of Sauron or Elven Lore for it.  ()

[Telcontar]

Rolled 1d12 : 3, total 3

Rolled 1d6 : 6, total 6

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn frowns as he looks up from his labor at the stone.

"Would that I could smash my head against it and thereby prove my stubbornness. Strength alone is no aid to me here, we need a better way."