2950: Varr's tale

[Vladim]

On this matter, Varr had thought that his king, Bard the Bowman, had already come to an agreement with the Elvenking. To hear the maiden say that it had not been so surprised him. Surely they could not continue cutting down trees without the elves' permission.

"I will take you to Iwar at once." he said with urgency in his voice, eager to bring the matter to his attention. "If you will have no boon of me, then at least let me serve as your guide in Frostward. Follow me."

And with that, he begun walking towards the village.

 

OOC

Let me try a Persuade check to see how well-predisposed she is towards accepting his offer.

Edit: A fail, so let's update the stats. He doesn't have much time until they reach the village.

Resistance=1/4

Time limit=2/5

[Vladim]

Varr hurried along, and the elven emissary followed closely behind. In this matter, at least, she had accepted his offer. But now the Lake-Man knew that he did not have much time. While they were alone, he knew that he held her attention; but in the crowded hall, he would have no chance to speak to her. And he desperately wanted to strike a good impression. 

But the elf was quiet, content to walk in silence until he delivered her to Iwar.

"I must caution you..." he begun rather timidly, "...that my kin in Dale and Lake-Town may not see the matter in the same way. For even though the cities have been rebuilt, they are far from completed, and they are always growing, as more and more Men flock to them from the South and West."

He said no more, seeking to see what reaction such words would elicit. 

 

OOC

Let's roll another Persuade to see how receptive she is to this alternative point of view.

Edit: Nope! I am not sure if he has a chance to successfully complete this encounter.

Resistance=1/4

Time limit=3/5

[Vladim]

"Then the matter must be made clear to them." replied the elf plainly. Varr was talkative, but she seemed far less eager to continue this conversation; she had her task, after all, and it did not involve him. 

The wooden walls of Frostward were now not far; in a few more minutes they would be standing by the gate, and not long after she would have to continue alone. 

"Well," said Varr at length, when they had approached them, "...I hope your task is achieved. And if I may, could I have your name? For I would like to wish good luck to you before we part ways."

 

OOC

Probably a Courtesy roll here.

Edit: A success. Time to delve into the name-book...

Resistance=2/4

Time limit=4/5

[Vladim]

"Of course." said the elf-maiden. "I am Arbereth, daughter of Firithros, emissary of the Woodland Realm. Thank you for guiding me this far, and for your thoughts on the matter."

Varr received the name with a gracious nod. He could not tell why she had omitted it in the first place, and if it had been her wont to conceal information, but he did not know the ways or customs of the Fair Folk well.

"Then I wish you good fortune in your task, lady Arbereth." he replied as he had promised. And before long, he was speaking at the men of the gate, and soon after the elf crossed it's threshold, and Varr was left alone. He had much to think about.

 

OOC

Last roll for the Encounter-let's make it an Insight check; even though it's not dialogue-related, it cuts down on the unnecessary back and forth s, and I think it's fine for it to count.

Edit: A fail, so it's a failed Council; he does not really make a strong impression, and does not earn Arbereth's friendship. But at least he introduces himself.

Resistance=2/4

Time limit=5/5

I should probably check the rules...

Edit: Ok, so it can be a Failure or a Success with Woe. And in the latter case, he could just stop cutting trees and start spreading the tale, which would likely see him become ostracized by the other Men. It's actually kind of tempting... Let me think about it.

[Vladim]

(Art credit: KOHTLYR)

Scene 6: Fireflies in the forest

Location: Eaves of Mirkwood, near Frostward

Time: Late summer, night

 

He never again did see Arbereth after that summer night. She simply vanished, and he did not get his chance to say goodbye again. And with her went the strange music: in coming days and weeks, he went on many nights to the eaves of the forest with Breda, and yet neither of them could hear the elves and their feasts again, and soon they begin to miss those things.

Iwar never did tell what he and the emissary had discussed. Despite his needling and persistence, he kept his silence. But Varr had read the signs, and could guess at things, even though he was neither learned nor cunning. Tensions were growing, though still they remained invisible to all save those who knew where to look, and what to notice.

He had been hard-working until the night Arbereth had come. Eager to learn, and to throw himself gladly at any task, whether assigned to him or not. But now things had changed. Perhaps such eagerness was misplaced, and perhaps the felling of so many trees should not be undertaken so hastily. The elves clearly disapproved of it: why should he continue if the agreement on which his duty was premised was proving faulty?

Such things did not go unnoticed. Behind his back, his peers called him names: lazy and fairy-struck and too fanciful, and spending too much time with that girl Breda, whose head was always up in the clouds. And as more lumberjacks came and went, journeying from Dale and back again, other tales found their way into Frostward and the ears of the villagers, and new rumours too begun to be whispered and spread in the late hours: that he was a ne'er-do-well back in Lake-Town, and a thief. And some did not even speak to him, thinking him an evil and dangerous man.

But Varr cared not, or at least he tried not to. Summer was soon approaching its end, and he had decided that in autumn he ought to return to Esgaroth, and seek his fortunes elsewhere. The elf-song was gone, and with it so was the magic of this place. Only the thought of Breda made him want to linger a little longer, but he knew that by September he ought to say his farewells. September, or October at the latest...

[Vladim]

The nights were still warm, but summer was waning when something strange and unexpected begun happening in the village. It did so like clockwork, without fail: after every sunset, until not even the least perceptive amongst the folk of Frostward could deny it.

The elves had returned, and with them so did the song of the forest, brighter than it had ever been before. The fair folk still kept themselves hidden, and whether through stealth or spell, the men-folk of the village could not tell, though they spread tales amongst themselves aplenty. But the music was now as clear as crystal water from an ancient spring. They gathered about by night on the fringes of their settlement to listen.

The enchanting songs carried with them new wonders: hundreds of fireflies suddenly appeared by darkness, casting faint dancing lights of many colours like stars flickering in a miniature of the heavens. The men-folk stared in amazement: for it seemed as if the insects followed the music, enchanted by it.

After these nights, none called Breda moonstruck again, but they all came to listen to her as she spoke of songs that she had long been able to hear.

[Vladim]

Varr was sitting alone on a tree-stump, away from the others. Many shunned him now, but his solitude was not entirely something imposed upon him.

To tell the truth, he was in an introspective mood, and he needed time alone to sort through his thoughts and plan his future. And the company of others, with their boasting and laughing and incessant speaking-it was something he sought to avoid presently.

He had kept his plans a secret from the others. He had not even shared word of his intended departure with Breda, his closest friend in the small settlement. This weighed heavily on him: he would have to speak to her eventually, but he caught himself actively avoiding to do so on more than one occasion.

But the forest was beautiful now, and the weather was pleasant. There was no point to make mention of it yet; things were still good. And so he pushed any thoughts he had about plans to the back of his mind, and drank in the sights and sounds.

This was how Barac the Woodman found him on that night.

[Vladim]

"Varr, Varr!" the old Woodman cried to him, as he ran towards him, and suddenly stopped. He was panting and sweating, and bent over, and trying to catch his breath. Varr had one look at him and he stirred, and he got up at once and approached him, and sought to aid him. But nothing was wrong with him.

"The others... they went too deep, and I lost them." Barac said, struggling to his feet after having sat himself on the ground. "I came as fast as I could. You must help me; you must come quickly. They might do something foolish!"

[Vladim]

"Wait a moment, Barac!" said Varr as he helped him to his feet, sensing him buckle suddenly. Perhaps there was need to haste, but Varr was not as concerned; he had ventured into the forest many times, and he thought the eaves would pose no danger. "Who is missing? And where did they go?"

 

OOC

At this point we should figure out if Breda is amongst the missing villagers. Let's call it a middling chance (yes on 6+).

Edit: it's a yes!

[Vladim]

"There must be at least four of them, five maybe. Stig and Farman started it, and I don't know who else went with them. They drank too much, and were not in their right minds, and the lads egged them on until they had had enough, the fools! I think they mean to go find the elves.

Breda rushed after them. She wanted to stop them, I think. I hope she can find them before they do something stupid."

[Vladim]

Varr listened, trying to reassure the old man. Nothing would come from it, he thought: after all, he had intruded into the forest in the past, and the elves had not harmed him; in fact, they had tolerated his presence, if Arbereth was to be believed. But at the mentioning of Breda he stirred: he did not doubt her abilities, but something akin to a bad feeling took root in his heart.

"Perhaps she'll find them," he thought to himself, "...and return them before they get into any trouble." This he reassured himself, but at the same time, he was discontent with merely waiting and hoping.

"Show me where they went." he said to the elder. "We must find them before they're in too deep. I know the elves. I can speak to them if they find them first."

 

OOC

Ok, so I envision this as a Skill Endeavour. I think Ruins of the Lost Realm has improved rules for those... basically we need to set the successes required and a time limit. Let's say there's a middling chance (6+) that we need 3 success; otherwise it's 6. The time limit can be 6 rolls. And let's ask the table.

Edit: 6 it is.

Skill Endeavour: Find the loggers

Successes: 0/6

Time limit: 0/6

[Vladim]

Barac led him on, as quick as his old legs could carry him. Past one of the encampments he took him, heading closer to the main settlement, until at last, a few minutes later, he found the others gathered about a temporary structure, one made of logs and a makeshift tent, sat near the edge of the forest.

They were gathered about a small fire, but it had by now stopped burning. About a dozen of them were there, discussing worriedly about their missing companions. Some of them Varr knew well, having spent the entire summer working by their side. Others, less so, as they were fresh arrivals. Not all were glad to see him, but few protested.

For a while, he spoke to them, trying to piece together what had happened. The sudden departure of their comrades had made them sober up a little. Even so, Varr learns little more than what he knew already, from Barac's report.

There was little point to linger here; time was not on his side, and he knew that the sooner he departed, the better his chance would be. Before he left, he made sure his instructions were clear: none were to enter the forest while he searched it. And then, in he went, hurrying forward as quickly as he could.

 

OOC

Ok, so for this first part I'll roll Athletics and spend a point of Hope to add a die. Invoking "Tall" (long legs, moves quickly) will make him Inspired, so that's 2, for a pool of 4. Let's see...

Edit: Ok, that's a basic success. Let's update his stats (incl. Hope):

Skill Endeavour: Find the loggers

Successes: 1/6

Time limit: 1/6

[Vladim]

It was dark beyond the fringes of the forest, outside the range of the loggers' lanterns. But still, Varr hurried on. A few shafts of moon-light pierced the dense, dark canopy, but these grew ever fewer as he delved deeper. Finally, they vanished altogether.

But the sound of music now grew clearer... though there were many songs, emanating from several directions. They drew him deeper, like sirens hiding in the woods, and so did the fireflies, which beckoned with blinking lights. Akin to will-o'-the-wisps, or fairy lights, Varr would have thought them, had he known those tales. And yet, no sign of his kinsfolk.

He froze. A sound from behind stopped him. He slowed his breath and listened: a clue, perhaps, or an elf, or maybe the signs of danger.

 

OOC

Since Breda went last, I think there's a good chance he finds her here. Let's call it Likely (4+).

Edit: Yes.

[Vladim]

He fell to one knee, and placed a hand on his sword-hilt. For a moment he thought this new light that he now could see was just like the others, but it was soon apparent that such was not the case: it burned brighter, just like the lanterns the loggers used to light their gatherings. He relaxed his grip, and took in a deep breath.

Then he rose up, and begun drawing closer to the light. It was not long before the shadowy silhouette of the lantern-bearer froze, and so he halted also, not wanting to frighten the man. Faintly he cried to him, thinking him one of the villagers.

"It's Varr. Can I come closer?"

[Vladim]

The faint yet familiar voice of a young woman answered back.

"Varr!"

Breda. She had recognised him at once; quickly she begun to walk towards him, and soon they could see each other clearly despite the dark.

"Have you found the others?" she asked expectantly, though she half-guessed the answer already, since clearly there was no-one else with Varr presently.