Year 2950: A Darkness in the Marshes

[Modest_Proposal]

Cecil Brandybuck

The goblin creatures repulsed Cecil in a way he could not understand. He could not unsee their similarity to men and elves, perverted and shrunken as they were. As he sheathed his dagger, grip leather clung to his skin.

That Dahr-Ol did not fall with the goblin’s blade was a testament to his uncommon strength. If there had been any scruples in Radagast’s chosen company, Cecil notwithstanding, their skill here removed all doubt.

“Dahr-Ol!” He whispered hoarsely, moving toward him as he heard the man cry out. Black smoke collected against a black sky, broken by the grey veins of the mountainside. “Dahr-Ol, are you alright?” But the man was already moving.

Cecil redirected his attention toward the river, looking for buckets, carts, and cart animals along the way. “Fire! Fire! Fire near the mine!” He shouted to anyone that passed.

OOC

Should I roll an Athletics check for this, as you mentioned? Or something else?

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Modest_Proposal (see edit history)

[Suzuki Stumpy]

Barin Greycloak

As the final goblin fell as Dahr-Ol's feet, the cries went up that the Trading Post was burning.

Taking this to mean that others were fetching water to douse the flames, Barin took the initiative to run directly for the door, attempting to shoulder it open if he could.

 

OOC

If the door won't give way to a decent shoulder barge, he may well make use of his axe to cut through it instead ...

 

[Eric]

 

Ernstyr of Rhosgobel

From his distant vantage, Ernstyr notes the fall of the goblins and the flight of the two climbers who had survived. The scent of burning thatch comes to his nostrils on the night breeze, and he turns to see the blaze smoldering atop the trading post. The cries of "Fire!" have gone up already, however, and he sees no need to rush to the horn a second time this night. Unstringing his bow, he hastens to the scene to see if any assistance is needed, particularly paying attention to the slain goblins--the fell creatures having been known to feign harmlessness when plotting treachery.

 

[Vladim]

 

Gramtyng was the first to enter the trading post. He found the door unlocked, but that was not unusual in Mountain-Hall. At most, the villagers bolted the doors from the inside in times of peril, but warriors and watchmen like Aldraeg were deemed sufficient for the safety of the storehouse. Besides, no Woodman seemed to be present in the interior. Only supplies, stacked into neat piles, visible only by the faint light that entered through the open door.

Inside, the smell of smoke was stronger, but still there seemed no danger, though that would be another matter entirely if the flames were allowed to feed on the thatching for longer.

Barin followed Gram, and found no need for his axe, for the door had already been opened by the horse-lord, and once inside he saw much the same as the rider.

At the same time, Cecil and Dahr-Ol cried warnings about the fire, and soon enough villagers begun to emerge from Hartfast’s house (8), and a few smaller ones nearby. They were Hartfast's kin, and now that the goblins had been dealt with, they lent their aid eagerly, quickly bringing buckets of water, and it seemed as if the budding flames would soon be dealt with without great trouble. Even Hartfast himself-evidently roused from sleep-emerged at last, and with his loud voice he begun to coordinate the efforts.

Aldraeg, on the other hand, had bolted behind the storehouse and returned just as quickly, having failed to find what he had been searching. He clutched his wound with one hand, and when he spoke again, his voice grew more frantic and urgent. ‘I cannot find him!’ he cried to those amongst the company that were still outside. ‘It is as if he vanished! I was certain he went that way-he was wounded in the fight, but there is no sign of him or his foe.’

It was about that point when Ernstyr finally joined them, having descended from the Burg, just in time to hear Aldraeg’s desperate pleas, and to see some of the flames doused with water.

 

OOC

At this point, those outside can plainly see that the flames will be extinguished easily, and probably soon, given the help that is coming. Though this will likely take some more time, it will no longer need the companions' aid (unless, of course, PCs want to contribute regardless).

Aldraeg's plea is, however, more pressing. Those seeking to help him should follow him, and their players should give me a Search check at TN 14. This excludes Gramtyng and Dahr-Ol, as their Search checks have already failed.

Good luck!

[thesloth]

Dahr-Ol of the Beornings

"Aldraeg who do you seek? I saw no one here but you and the goblins?"

 

 

[Vladim]

"Raegac!" the Woodman repeated. "They attacked him first, and I think they wounded him badly. But they fell upon me soon after, and I lost him in the fight, before you came. He must be near, but I cannot find him."

He looked about him, and with all the strength that was left in him, he cried loudly:

"Raegac! Where are you? The goblins are slain!"

He fell silent as quickly as he had said this, and winced in pain-his wound was still fresh, and bleeding. But the words echoed against the sheer mountain and then faded, and there was no answer to them. Raegac had vanished, and no trace of him remained.

[Suzuki Stumpy]

 

Barin Greycloak

Upon noticing that nothing was amiss within the storehouse, Barin wandered back outside to look, with his companions, at what the woodman Aldreag was yelling about.

Wandering around to the rear of the storehouse, he found him, along with others. He seemed to be talking about some other woodman - Raegac - who was missing. From this very spot no less.

Curious, Barin began to take stock of his surroundings a little more closely, searching for any sign of the missing woodman - or his body.

 

[Eric]

Ernstyr of Rhosgobel

Mountain-Hall is not Ernstyr's home, but all Woodmen are kin in some regard. He immediately turned to the search, inquiring of Aldreag: "Does he resemble you? By what marks may we know him?" There are many dark corners nearby, and any of them could be hiding Raegac--or further danger. The bow being less useful in closer quarters, he places a hand on the hilt of his dagger for a bit of self-assurance.

 

[Vladim]

"He is shorter of frame than I, but broader at the shoulders; and his hair and beard are a fiery red. Surely you must have seen him, even if you forgot his name?" said Aldraeg desperately, and he was right: Ernstyr did indeed remember a man like that wandering in the village at Hartfast's behest, even if he still did not know all the names of the Woodmen of Firienseld by heart yet.

But it was not the description that lent the next clue: searching in the darkness, Ernstyr quickly found a few bloody footprints leading northwards, towards the direction of the river. He could not have gotten too far, this Raegac.

 

OOC

I'll leave this here in case others want to post, but that successful Search check will reveal Raegac's location (the footsteps lead to him). In the meantime, if Ernstyr wants to alert the others to his discovery, that may prove beneficial.

Eric-the rules in this game are such that successful skill checks give special points (called advancement points, or APs) that can later be used for upgrading your character's skills. I'll drop the link here, but if you have questions, please feel free to ask! But tracking your APs is something you should do in this game.

[Vladim]

 

Following the bloody footsteps in the dark, Ernstyr quickly made his way to a cliff that stood over the shores of the river Icewater. Upon approaching, his ears picked up the muffled sounds of someone struggling, and peering over the sheer face of the cliff, he saw that which he and Aldraeg sought: Raegac, clinging desperately to the bough of a stunted, half-dead tree with one hand, and with the other clutching a wound to the side of his throat, in an attempt-seemingly vain, judging from the copious amounts of red that covered his neck and shirt-to staunch the bleeding.

Terrified, the man took heart upon seeing his fellow Woodman, and at once he begun to struggle, but he had no hope of lifting himself up unaided in his terrible state.

There was no sign of the goblin Aldraeg had seen previously; the one that had (presumably) inflicted this wound upon Raegac.

 

OOC

I hope no-one minds me posting again, to push things forward.

Ernstyr is located just north of the trading post (5), on the edge of the river, where a sheer cliff drops down several feet. The fall is unlikely to prove lethal, though the river is cold and flows fast, so drowning is not impossible. A man in Raegac's state however, barely clinging onto life (and the cliff) would stand no chance by himself.

Ernstyr can attempt to help Raegac by pulling him up, an Athletics TN 14 check. Others can help (if they are nearby, either because Ernstyr calls them, or because they follow him here) by making the Athletics check instead of Ernstyr, or by supporting him. Let's rule this as follows:

• You should designate the primary rescuer-they have to make the TN 14 Athletics check.
• Helpers (up to 2 PCs) can also make an Athletics TN 14 check. If successful, they can give a bonus die (d6) to the primary rescuer. If they fail with an eye of Sauron they make the task harder (primary rescuer's TN increases by +2). If they suffer a simple failure, nothing happens.
• If the primary rescuer fails with an eye Sauron, they not only fail to rescue Raegac, but they are also pulled down into the river below with him, and will need to survive the cold waters to avoid drowning (rules will be given if this happens).
• If Raegac is pulled up, he will require immediate first aid to stop the bleeding of his life-threatening wound-a Healing TN 14 check. Only one PC may attempt this.

Good luck, and feel free to provide the RP for determining all the details (primary rescuer, helpers etc.). Remember your Traits-if relevant, they can be used to generate automatic successes!

[Eric]

Ernstyr of Rhosgobel

Ernstyr is only half-listening to the description, for his eyes are fixed upon the ground and scanning for any tracks. Soon the bloody footprint is evident, and he waits not for any companions to share his discover. "This way--hurry!" he shouts, breaking into a loping run as he traces the trail of a man's ebbing life toward the deep ravine just beyond the edge of Mountain-Hall. His heart nearly drops as the signs point directly to the cliff's face, but then he catches sight of the clinging Raegac below. Ernstyr was no frail weakling, but he doubted his strength enough to avoid attempting the rescue alone.

"Calm, friend. We have routed the goblins and aid is near." Ernstyr stumbles slightly upon the words, for hope was as faint as the dying man's pulse. He reached for the pouch tied at his waist, where he always kept strips of clean cloth at hand. It would be a difficult wound to tend, but there was no choice in the matter.

OOCErnstyr has 3 ranks in healing and only 2 in athletics, so his efforts are probably best spent in aiding the lift and/or staunching the bleed.

[thesloth]

Dahr-Ol of the Beornings

Dahr-Ol followed quickly as the newly arrived woodsmen shouted for help.

"This your kinsman? I will help you pull him up."

 

 

[Modest_Proposal]

Cecil Brandyuck

The buckets of Mountain Hall were not built for hobbit hands. Twice, he rested on his way from the bridge to the store house and not without sloshing (not entirely by accident) frigid river water along the way. By the time he arrived, the black smoke had already turned white and calm. He let the bucket down beside a goblin body. The thing was… all together diseased. Or at least it gave the same feeling of malfeasance which begged him not to approach. The night was not enough to hide their unnatural forms, though it was still unsettling to see violence done to something more than an animal.

Shouts came from the far end of the building. There, by the edge of the cliff, stood a fair and tall Woodman shouting for aid. Cecil followed with hands still raw.

A man dangled beyond the cliff! Wounded terribly, but alive. 

“Hold on!” Cecil said, panicking slightly. He wasn’t tall enough to reach the man. He looked for errant sticks or rope until - a thought! He drew his bow and gripped it by its long end, lowering it so that the injured man might grasp the other side. Cecil was not strong enough to pull the man up - but sought only to stabilize him while the young and athletic Woodman took him. 

“Take hold, if you can! Steady! Steady!” 

He knew the man was grasping his throat, but he was likely to die if he dangled with the wound any longer.

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Modest_Proposal (see edit history)

[Suzuki Stumpy]

 

Barin Greycloak

Hearing the shout from the new Woodsman, Barin trotted over to where they were looking down into the river, the sounds of it's teeming, rushing torrent thundering away below them. Aye, any fall from there would likely spell death for whoever tumbled in.

Dangling from an outstretched branch in the cliff face was, presumably, the man they all sought, holding on grimly with the one hand, the other, clutching a grievous wound at his throat.

On seeing Cecil and Dahr-Ol struggling to effect a rescue, Barin threw down his weapons and began to unbuckle his armour and cloak.

"Dahr-Ol." he barked, "Grab my ankles and lower me down. I should be able to reach the man easily, then you can lift the pair of us up with aid from the others. It's most likely the only way we'll get him up without him falling to his doom."

He walked right up to the edge of the cliff, next to the huge Beorning and waited...

 

[thesloth]

Dahr-Ol of the Beornings

Dahr-Ol hesitated for a second.

"Off the cliff? I hope those boots fit tight."

Dahr-Ol knelt and extended his arms toward the edge, waiting for Barin to move into position.