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Year 2950: A Darkness in the Marshes


Vladim

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Gramtyng, son of Fastredspacer.png


Riders of Rohan | Standard of Living: MartialCallingTraits | AP: 1 | XP: 5 | DP: 0


Valour: 4 | Wisdom: 4 | End: 27/27 | Load: 15 | Fatigue: 2 [+1] | Hope: 11/14 | Shadow: 6 [0] | Parry: 6 | Weary: No | Miserable: No |Wound: No


Skills: Body 5 (8) | Heart 5 (7)| Wits 4 (5) | Weapons | War Gear | Equipment | Songs


"Goblins! East slope of Great Hall! Three!" The bard didnt waste any extra words, grabbing the bow that Belgo shoved into his waiting hands, nocking an arrow and aiming at the closest of the goblins. Aldraig's situation and the storehouse fire worried him, but Magric might have already been on it, and the door behind Aldraig was closed, so it might have been fine. Every dead goblins improved the situation for them.


OOC/Actions/Rolls

 

Edited by Diofant (see edit history)
Name
Bow
[1] (1,3,6) = 11
tor(3,no) 1,1,3,6
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Cecil Brandybuck

As his eyes adjusted, Cecil caught his first glimpse.

Goblins!

No longer were their forms a mystery to him. Their flesh was sickly and unnatural, with clinging black hair that glistened with grease. Curled fingers reached through rags and spirals of rotted leather as they lunged. 

"Goblins! East slope of Great Hall! Three!" He heard Gramtyng say.

Cecil looked over Lachiel’s shoulders. “I see them...” He felt the wretched tug of his bow upon his back. He dared not touch it. A goblin flailed its head, and although he did not know if it saw him, the weight of it nearly heeled him. He turned from Lachiel and toward the Western tents, crouching as he did, as if the air was thick with arrows. 

 

Edited by Modest_Proposal (see edit history)
Name
Stealth (the art of disappearing)
[1] (3,3,4) = 11
tor(3,no) 1,3,3,4
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Barin Greycloak
lhV7Mo1.png

Dashing outside behind his companions, Barin quickly took stock of the chaos around him.

One building was definitely beginning to burn from the tell-tale smoke rising from it, and some of the menfolk were already engaged in life-or-death struggles with the Goblins who were steadily pouring into the settlement.

Still, they had not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the deep bass rumble of the warhorn sounding from the Burg high up above.

Making a snap decision, he called out to his Dwarven companion, "Fundor, with me. Let's get our kinsmen out and into this fray. Perhaps with their aid we may have the numbers to drive back the greenskins."

With that, he continued his headlong rush towards the mine entrance, brandishing his axe as he did so.

 

OOC

Damn. Going to burn a point of hope to turn that failure into a success ... kinda feel bad now about abandoning my companions in order to get to the mine, and failing...

 

Name
Athletics (TN14)
[7] (3) = 10
tor(1,no) 7,3
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Ernstyr of Rhosgobel

Ernstyr's long, lithe legs carried him speedily back to the tops, where his skill with the bow is most suited to assist in defense. Being on guard already, his bow had remained at the ready; and while haste may make waste it can also save lives--therefore the young Woodman had carried it with him up the tower and was busily restringing it on the path down. In doing so he nearly missed the last step and came skidding out upon the other watchmen, but he checked his momentum before taking a fall. His dark eyes scanned the perimeter in the hopes to catch first glimpse of his quarry.

 

Name
Awareness
[4] (4,4) = 12
tor(2,no) 4,4,4
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Round 1

 

spacer.pngDahr-Ol was first to join the fray, charging to Aldraeg’s side with axe raised. So terrible was his onset that the goblins, though they saw him, could do little to stop him. The stroke fell as fast as lightning, and then so did a goblin-head, cleaved from its body.

Elfwyn followed not far behind. As Dahr-Ol, her friend and ward, fought by Aldraeg, she tried to hold back the others. Aldraeg let out a cry to the newcomers: "Raegac! He- ugh..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a goblin seized its chance, and through skill and cunning stabbed at the village warden, piercing his thigh with the point of its bent sword. Aldraeg moved a few steps back, stumbling, but he did not fall yet. There was still some fight in him, though, hard-pressed like this, he could not hold on for long.

Momentarily distracted by the Woodman’s plight, Dahr-Ol did not see when another goblin sought to do the same to him, seeking vengeance for the fallen. But he sensed the impact of the blow as the crude sword sought the Beorning's innards…

A few yards behind the frontline, still standing just outside the Great Hall, Gramtyng took the weapons from his squire and he loosed upon the hidden shapes of climbing goblins… but the arrow flew astray, and the bard knew that his chance had now been spoiled. He would not manage another shot-they were too far now.

Meanwhile, Cecil tried to seek cover, yet something about that goblin’s eyes-still alive, still fighting, though its attention safely diverted onto the Men-folk for now-disturbed him. He had been noticed, alas: the hobbit had this uneasy feeling of near-certainty.

spacer.pngElecting to rush to the mines, Barin ran past the fighting-an easy thing to do, but only because the goblins had other foes to contend with. Making it in little time, he almost crashed into Vidar, the old dwarf. By instinct, his fellow longbeard raised his axe, but swiftly put it down, recognizing his kinsman. "What is it?" he said with as much breath as he could muster. "I heard the horn. Goblins? Where?"

Atop the tower, Ernstyr scanned and searched for a mark. There was fighting by the trading post-this much was clear, given the cries of battle. But it was difficult to gain a clear line of sight. Then, his eyes piercing the darkness, he saw them: goblin-shapes locked in combat with a few Men. He could take the shot, if he wished.

 

OOC

I will roll an oracle for a few things:

  1. Does Aldraeg manage to strike a goblin? Yes on 51+; otherwise he gets hit. Doubles indicate extreme twist (goblin/he is out).
  2. Does Ernstyr have a clear shot? Yes on 51+.
  3. Goblin 2 attacks Dahr-Ol. Does it hit?

I summarized Round 1 actions and outcomes, and now we can move onto Round 2. Feel free to post actions & rolls! Here's some player-specific info:

  • @thesloth Dahr-Ol takes -4 endurance (updated 1st post) and must pass a Protection test (TN 12) or take a wound. Also, you might want to update your character sheet when you can as it is seriously out of date! And spend those hoarded XP/APs-they'll make your character far more competent as we move forward, and less likely to die.
  • @Modest_Proposal Art of disappearing does not need a Stealth check-only a -1 Hope. Since you didn't spend hope, I just handled it as a normal Stealth check (which sadly failed). Feel free to read up on Art of Disappearing as it's a super-handy Virtue!
  • @Suzuki Stumpy Updated your -1 hope on the 1st post.
  • @Eric Feel free to make an attack against a goblin with your bow (targets listed below). TOR does not have any penalties for shooting into melee, which is unrealistic, but that's how the game works-so no, I'm not going to consider your character a psychopath for shooting into melee (though if he did it in real life, I totally would). Anyway, you can also call your fellows atop the tower for a volley. If so, make another attack (1d12+2d6 for the NPC)-but that extra attack does have the potential for 'friendly fire' if it misses with a Sauron. Also, if you need help finalizing Ernstyr, let me know. The sooner you finish up all the choices, the quicker he'll be more competent.
  • @Malkavian Grin Sorry, I wanted to get this post up to avoid further delays. If you want to take two actions in your next post, that's good by me-just don't contradict anything that's already happened in the fiction.
  • I'll set a deadline for making the next post in about a week's time (Friday 10 Nov, morning Japan time-so probs Thursday night for US).

Good luck!

Enemies:

Goblin 1: Dead

Goblin 2: Fighting Dahr-Ol

Goblin 3: Fighting Aldraeg

Name
Aldraeg
12
1d100 12
Ernstyr
53
1d100 53
Goblin 2 atk
[𐍈] (5,4) = 9
tor(2,no) 11,5,4
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Barin Greycloak
lhV7Mo1.png

In his headlong rush to the mine, Barin barely caught sight of Vidar's axe raised to strike before the older Dwarf recognised him.

"What is it? I heard the horn. Goblins, where?" he asked as Barin almost barreled into him.

Not even taking a moment to catch his breath, Barin panted out "All over ... settlement and ... up on ... the ridge. Rally and arm yourselves ... the menfolk need our aid now."

Looking askance at Fundor, he shrugged an apology, "Sorry," he began, "we will need ... to look after the ... mine later. This is ... more ... pressing. We, at least, ... may be able to ... take them ... from the rear."

Still panting, he managed to draw in a deep breath before abruptly turning and running back to the fray bellowing "FOR DAIN! FOR EREBOR! FOR THE FREE PEOPLES!" whilst crashing into the nearest pack of Goblins to begin laying about him, two-handed with his axe.

 

OOC

OK, he's diving in with a forward meleé stance into the nearest group of Goblins. Foolish, yes. Reckless, undoubtedly. Bur he knows Gobs are a cowardly bunch, and he's trusting his kin to lend some aid.

 

Name
Axes
[5] (4,1,4,4) = 18
tor(4,no) 5,4,1,4,4
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Ernstyr of Rhosgobel

"What ho?" The call came from the tower, but Ernstyr's attention was focused down below. It took several long moments for his eyes to pick out one of the goblins, locked in combat with Dahr-Ol. Close. Too close. Reflexively, the woodman took an arrow from his quiver, set it, and drew back the string. His breathing slowed as he took careful aim. All he would need was... this moment. As the Beorning moved away from the goblin that had stabbed him, there was just enough space to let fly. The string twanged, the fletching buzzed, and the arrow sped on its way toward the goblin foe.

 

 

Name
Arrowed!
[5] (6,4,6) = 21
tor(3,no) 5,6,4,6
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Dahr-Ol made ready to slay another; yet suddenly he saw his foe fall back and almost stumble to its knees. An arrow had found its mark: it had happened in an instant, without a single word of warning, though the Beorning could guess that the dart had come from the burg behind him. The hand that had shot it must have been skilled indeed, and the eyes that had aimed keen, for the arrow had made its way into its target despite the darkness.

Meanwhile, Barin entered the fray, rushing to Aldraeg's protection. The foe, now outflanked, could not resist the dwarf's axe.

 

OOC

Ernstyr does 7 damage (that's the basic Great Bow damage), plus +2 (Body score), twice, for achieving an Extraordinary success. The total is therefore 7+2+2=11, enough to almost kill the goblin, but not quite.

Barin does 5 with his axe.

Enemies:

Goblin 1: Dead

Goblin 2: Fighting Dahr-Ol; -11 Endurance

Goblin 3: Fighting Aldraeg & Barin; -5 Endurance

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Round 1
 
Standing in the darkness amidst the starlight, Lachiel felt a deep calm take her over. Her keen eyes had taken in the far goblins, as had Gramtyng. "If we do not act, those on the slope east of the hall shall have the advantage!"
 
Lachiel stuck her spear into the ground before her to free a hand. Her bow was pulled into one hand despite her buckler strapped to it as her free hand pulled an arrow free of its quiver. In one smooth motion she fired at nearly the same time as Gramtyng had. In her peripherals she took notice of Cecil still near her.
 
At the very least I must ensure this fair little one comes to no harm. He is the kindest of us all and war serves him not.
 
Round 2
 
Watching her shot only long enough to see her arrow find purchase within a goblin, Lachiel spun her bow back into its place around her torso and snatched up her spear. "The front line must not fall!" she shouted, dashing forward with intent to give Dahr-ol and Aldraeg assistance. The Mirkwood Elf's movements were lithe and graceful as she weaved her way to the battle. She would engage whichever companion looked most in need of help, trying to plunge her great spear into a foe with such force as they'd be held to the ground.
 
Hearing Barin's battlecry, Lachiel could not help herself from joining in with a, "FOR MIDDLE-EARTH!"
 
OOC

Lachiel moves to Forward Stance and spends 1 Hope to add 5 Body to her attack. Hopefully it'll be enough to save that lousy roll! Down to 7 Hope now.

 

Name
Normal bow attack vs 20
[9] (2,4,6) = 21
tor(3,no) 9,2,4,6
Great spear attack
[2] (1,4) = 7
tor(2,no) 2,1,4
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Lachiel's arrow found its way despite the darkness, and the shadowy shape of the goblin, invisible to most eyes, plunged from the mountainside and fell on the ground to certain death. Others heard the crush, though there was no time to investigate it presently.

Then the elf readied her spear and rushed to Dahr-Ol's side. Numbers and strength of arms were in the company's favor, and she quickly made short work of the Beorning's foe, wounded as it was from Ernstyr's arrow.

 

OOC

-1 Hope for Lachiel; stats in the first post updated.

The attack eliminates Goblin 2, leaving only one near the trading post to deal with.

Goblin 1: Dead

Goblin 2: Dead

Goblin 3: Fighting Aldraeg & Barin; -5 Endurance

Gram, Dahr-Ol and Cecil can go next!

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Cecil Brandybuck

From Dahr-Ol’s blade came instant clarity: death was near. Blood emptied from the goblin’s neck and was lost in the night. Another took its place and stabbed and stabbed again! They were not much shorter than a man, yet they fought with the disorienting motions of an animal.

“Come on!” Cecil dotted in place. He could not touch his bow - he dared not. The sight of it frightened him and he felt a thousand sickly eyes staring in the night. Maneuvering with singular care, he skirted the edge of the Western ledge toward Barin and Vidar and met them with wide, dumb eyes.

“Dahr-Ol is - in need -“ 

The dwarf charged past him in a craze, shouting as he did. Cecil pulled out his dagger and crouched, unwilling to move. 

 

OOC

Cecil will only act this round if a goblin approached and attacks him (in which case, he will defend himself). If this is not compatible with 1e combat, let me know.

 

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Dahr-Ol of the Beornings

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Dahr-Ol grunted as a goblin blow connected solidly. He could feel the leather of his corselet strain to restrain the blow. Fortune was not with him and he could feel the weapon dig deep. He turned to face his assailant when two arrows flew in. He knew Lachiel was near, but who was the other. Shaking off his the pain he lunged for the last goblin still attacking Aldraeg

"Barin are there more in the mines?"

 

 

Edited by thesloth (see edit history)
Name
Protection test (12) corselet worth 2d
[6] (2,3) = 11
tor(2,no) 6,2,3
Forward stance axe, 2H grip
[6] (3,4,5,3) = 21
tor(4,no) 6,3,4,5,3
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spacer.png

 

spacer.pngDahr-Ol, relieved of his foe, turned to face the sole survivor: the goblin that had cut Aldraeg. He brought down his axe once again, and this time, it was enough: the foe was slain, and moved no more.

Aldraeg's disposition did not change much upon seeing that the goblins had been dealt with. With renewed urgency, he spoke to them again, finishing that sentence that he had started, but not managed to complete, moments prior:

"Raegac! Wounded! That way!" he cried, out of breath and in pain, as he pointed behind the trading post.

 

OOC

End of combat. The goblins on the ground are all slain by the company. Of the three climbing the mountain-side, one is slain by Lachiel (its fallen body can be discovered later), but the remaining two vanish in the darkness.

Those following Aldraeg's remarks should give me a Search check (TN 14).

Everyone near the Trading Post (5) can now focus on the smell of smoke and pin-point it: it comes from the thatched roof, where a small fire is burning. The flames must be dealt with before they spread (Athletics TN 14, reduced to 10 if a PC calls for help from the locals) or else the trading post will burn to the ground, and the fire may even spread elsewhere (failure with a Sauron).

Good luck!

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Gramtyng, son of Fastredspacer.png


Riders of Rohan | Standard of Living: MartialCallingTraits | AP: 1 | XP: 5 | DP: 0


Valour: 4 | Wisdom: 4 | End: 27/27 | Load: 15 | Fatigue: 2 [+1] | Hope: 11/14 | Shadow: 6 [0] | Parry: 6 | Weary: No | Miserable: No |Wound: No


Skills: Body 5 (8) | Heart 5 (7)| Wits 4 (5) | Weapons | War Gear | Equipment | Songs


Once the goblins lay dead or fled, Gramtyng concentrated on the pressing problem at hand: the fire in the storehouse. If this burned, what would Mountain Hall do come winter? There'd be less time to stock up... And Magric was last seen here; though he doubted he was still inside. He gave a shove to the door with his shoulder, hoping to break it open, and if not, he'd try entering through the ceiling.


OOC/Actions*

Invoking Reckless on Athletics to gain a third dot of Movement, as Gramtyng cloaks his mouth and nose and dashes through, regardless of danger.

 

Edited by Diofant (see edit history)
Name
Athletics
[10] (1,6,5,1) = 23
tor(4,no) 10,1,6,5,1
Search? Not sure if i can
[5] () = 5
tor(0,no) 5
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Dahr-Ol of the Beornings

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Dahr-Ol ran to the trading post shouting as he went, all thought of the mines driven from his consciousness for the moment.

"The trading post burns! Bring water! Quickly!"

He cast about for any barrels or buckets of water nearby to douse the thatch with.

 

 

Name
Search
[6] (2) = 8
tor(1,no) 6,2
Athletics (10)
[9] (2,5) = 16
tor(2,no) 9,2,5
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