Year 2948: Putting down roots

[Vladim]

It took a while for Fundor to find where Idunn was, but it was finally the voice of Gramtyng that guided him to Heruthain's tent. Once inside, he saw Gramtyng and Heruthain in the middle of a discussion.

Upon hearing Fundor, Idunn nodded at his request, though courtesy dictated that this was neither the time nor the place for it.

’Let us speak later.’ she simply said.

------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Heruthain had consulted with the emissary, and had learned that Ceawin had called for him. He thus turned to the companions and spoke:

’Lord Ceawin of the East Bight calls for me, and I must answer. But now he is holding a feast in his tent, and though I must be by his side, others are welcome, too. He is a generous host, and would be glad if you and your friends could join me. Perhaps we can continue our discussion there, after we’ve had some food.’

[Vladim]

Gloriel admires the richness on display and takes her seat at Caewin's table where she enjoys the fine food and wine.

"You are indeed generous Caewin, your offer of treasure for my representation is well appreciated."

They are men from the East
They know how to feast
With wine, with roasting, and song

Fine Woodmen all
They'll answer the call
To rid the forest of wrong


Then Gloriel addresses Fareth. "That's an unusual scent...I don't remember that since Baggins and his dwarven marauders tramped the Elf pathway those few years ago. Where do you get your supply from?" She continues. "I hope to meet Radagast at the upcoming conference and find out how the plants and animals of the Southern forest are faring. It sounds like pestilence is on the rise. Have you been as far as Amon Lanc lately? Are there any settlers there? Or is the shadow of the necromancer daring to return?"

[Vladim]

Ceawin was amused upon hearing the first draft of Gloriel’s song, and with the waving of a hand, soon a retainer approached him, and gave his lord a small pouch. Taking it, Ceawin passed it on to Gloriel, as a courteous gift for agreeing to represent him in the contest. The pouch contained many silver coins, and it was accompanied with words of thanks from the master of the Sunstead in the East Bight:

’It is you who do me honour; it is not often for the fair folk to lend their aid to Men, even after the victory of our alliance in the North, and even in Esgaroth the elves live in separate quarters.’

He then turned to Ingi, and addressed both him and Gloriel together: ’Whether you choose to represent me or not, and whether you win or lose, know that you have earned my friendship, and know that you are always welcome in the East Bight. Indeed, you should visit the Sunstead and sleep under the roof of our Great House, and see for yourselves how fertile is our soil and how green our plains.’

As the guests discussed with Ceawin, more and more Woodmen came, curious to see this stranger who had come to petition them, and eager to join the feast and partake of his generosity. More and more tables were set for the new guests, and soon the feast had moved outside the tent, for the numbers of the Woodmen were now too great.

Ceawin examined all with curiosity, but was generous with all, and joyful. And although Gloriel was not the only one eager for his attention, he answered her when he could, explaining from where the wine was and addressing all her questions. But when she spoke of Amon Lanc, the old capital of the Woodland Realm of the elves, Gloriel again had lord Ceawin’s undivided attention.

’The Necromancer has been vanquished, and the shadow that came with him defeated…’ he first proclaimed, ’but Dol Guldur remains a place of darkness, and Mirkwood still holds dangers. I have not heard of anyone foolish enough to venture to the old fortress, and I assume that those that do rarely return… yet the wizard Radagast keeps a watch on Dol Guldur, or at least so it is said. Is this not right, Fareth?’

At the sound of her name, the woman sitting by Ceawin was stirred away from her pipe and her cups of wine, and reluctantly she spoke, for she was not one for great speeches. ’It is true,’ she finally admitted, ’but the wizard has many spies: the creatures of the forest do most of his bidding. No sane Man would travel to Dol Guldur. The forest is full of dangers, and the ruins, although abandoned, remain haunted. Much like the Narrows, yet ghosts worse than Wood-wights remain there.’

[OOC: For Gloriel, you can add 2 Treasure Points (TPs) to her character sheet. The wine is from Lake-town, but this is probably not an important detail.]

[Vladim]

Well that was a... complicated topic. It was one thing to leave because you could no longer follow a king's command, but it was another to try and cause a war of succession. Though if the Marshalls were as they had been when he departed, then it could really cause quite a few bloody squabbles. "Seems like Thengel is Rohan's best hope, then. Lets hope he is ready to become king... It will be a rough start even if all goes well." He nodded to Heruthain's suggestion to move to the feast and continue the discussion there. "I've a few things I am working out, myself here. Some of them would be good to discuss with my countrymen."

[Vladim]

OOC

I am going to move this forward just so we can continue to the next scene. But there are a couple of things:

1. Even if we don’t role-play all the discussions your PCs have with NPCs, we can just summarize them in one brief paragraph. For example, if Gram wants to talk more to Heruthain about stuff, or if Ingi wants to consult with Hartfast or his relatives, or if Fundor wants to talk to Idunn, then just state your intention to do so, and your goals, either IC or OOC, and I can provide you a narrative of information obtained (if any).

2. I haven’t heard from @Jewdebega for while (last IC post was almost 2 weeks ago), so for the sake of keeping everyone together, I’ll just assume that he joins everyone, along with Bofri, at Ceawin’s feast.

That’s all for now, so onward to the next scene!

 

Soon after the messenger had spoken to Heruthain, the horse-lord departed to see his master, along with his squire. Gramtyng, Idunn and Belgo. Fundor followed, as he wished to speak to Idunn.

At the feast, Ceawin proved a generous master, and mostly left Heruthain to his own business, allowing him to discuss with Gramtyng at length about his own plans and experiences in Wilderland. Idunn listened carefully, for there was much her companion had not explained about Rohan and its ailing king. Even though she had many questions, she remained silent, saving them all for a more appropriate time in the future, when she could be alone with Gramtyng. Over the meal, she also spoke with Fundor, listening to the news he brought, and answering his questions to the best of her ability and knowledge.

As for the rest of the dwarves, they joined soon after, for it was difficult to resist the temptation of another feast, and Bofri was curious about Ceawin. Indeed, much of Rhosgobel and many of the travellers, merchants and emissaries joined, including Hartfast and his sons, for the great feast was open to all. Even the elves came, and though they ate little food, they were much amused to see so many peoples gathered here, and curious for all sorts of news and rumours. Then, Gloriel introduced Ceawin the generous to her lord and lady, and Ceawin was greatly impressed with Prince Gibranon and his wife, and the three spent much time discussing about Mirkwood.

By midnight, most of the village was celebrating, and songs and dances and games had begun at every table. Only the emissaries from Dale where nowhere to be found, but the companions had once again rejoined Hartfast and his sons and Grimbold the Thane of Beorn, and were talking amongst themselves while eating and drinking and celebrating as they wished.

A bark from Uthred signalled someone’s approach and, as Idunn knelt down to reassure her hound, she saw a familiar face: Cilderic, the wanderer, a former companion of hers, was rushing to the table, seeking the fellowship with an expression of urgency.

’When I heard you were here I did not believe it.’ he said to the companions who knew him best, namely Gramtyng and Nori and Fundor. ’But it makes sense that you would accompany Hartfast in the folk-moot. Well, I hope you had a good journey and a pleasant welcome!’ he continued, glad to see his former companions doing well after last year’s adventures. ’But I fear I must interrupt your feast, because now that you are here, my master, the wizard Radagast, wishes to speak with you. If you can follow me…’

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Chapter 3: The wizard’s counsel

’Follow quickly!’ Cilderic said, ’and do not turn to the left here! You will return to the beginning if you do! Just keep up!’

Only a few minutes ago, the companions had left the tent-town, and crossed the threshold of the Hedge-Gate, with its ominous, grinning face, the only entry into the village of Rhosgobel. Thus they had come inside the Brown Hay that surrounded the settlement, protecting it from enemies, and quickly had headed towards the wizard’s abode.

The wizard lived in a small hut that was surrounded by tall trees, which were visible even from outside the town. From a distance, the grove seemed like it did not amount to much, small as it was, but now that they were inside it, it seemed as tangled and labyrinthine as Mirkwood itself, with many turns that a traveller could get lost in. The companions felt as if there was some of the Brown Wizard’s magic here, for there were many creatures lurking in the branches of the grove: birds and squirrels up in the branches of the trees, and mice and rabbits below, and they all seemed to watch them carefully. Luckily, Cilderic seemed to know his way well, though his pace was quick, and it was difficult to follow him.

As last they made it to the hut, a small, ramshackle wooden building that looked as if it had been abandoned many decades ago. There were many plants growing from several cracks in the wall. The roof seemed as if it had collapsed partially and squirrels and field mice now ran on it. And the windows had several panels that were broken, and many beetles and other critters scurried around them. But there was light inside, and pleasant warmth and the smell of a hearty stew emanated from within, suggesting that, despite its state of disarray, the hut was not abandoned.

Cilderic entered first and tried to navigate the small building carefully. The hut was no more tidy from within: it appeared as if an explosion had littered every room with all kinds of books and scrolls, potions and trinkets, and it seemed unlikely that any ancient artefacts, tomes of great knowledge or magical elixirs could be found amongst the piles of junk. Cilderic had to walk carefully to ensure that he could squeeze through what limited space remained free without knocking anything over. The rooms were also colonized by all manners of small creatures that included squirrels, birds and mice. Half a dozen ravens, perched on rafters from which cloaks, weapons and gardening tools hang, loudly announced the companions’ arrival, but Cilderic seemed not disturbed by them, and reassured the company that all of this was normal.

At last they found the wizard Radagast sitting upon an old chair, reading something. ’Finally you have come!’ he said impatiently, in lieu of a greeting. ’Are these the ones you spoke of?’

Cilderic nodded and said yes, and then begun introducing those of the company he knew, but he was not allowed to go on for long. ’I’d rather hear them speak for themselves.’ He cast his eyes on Nori, for he had exchanged many letters with the dwarf, yet he knew little of the others. ’You I know,’ he said to the dwarf, ’though the rest of you I do not, apart from the rumours that have been carried to me, and Cilderic’s words. But one cannot believe in every rumour and tall-tale these days!’

 

OOC

This scene will play out as an Encounter, which means that every PC can make a bunch of social skill rolls, and the success of the encounter will be calculated based on their results and the role-playing.

First, every character should introduce him or herself with a post and an appropriate Social Skill (usually Courtesy or Awe, although Song or Riddle may be also appropriate). Courtesy is typically for trying to be Courteous, Awe is for trying to make a strong impression (e.g. boasting), Riddle is for trying to introduce oneself without revealing too much information, and Song is… well… quite obvious. The TN is 14. You can also invoke certain traits for automatic successes, if appropriate. If your PC fails the roll, then the Wizard may pay little heed to your PC for the remainder of the scene, but you can still do other things, such as observing people or surroundings (e.g. using Insight).

The Tolerance for this encounter is 6 (Highest Wisdom + 1 (for a Woodman being present) +2 (for Idunn’s standing with Woodmen). This means that the Encounter will be finished if 6 failures to Social Skill rolls are accumulated.)

[Vladim]

As the fellowship entered the wizard’s cottage, Idunn was surprised to find the place in such great disarray. She had expected to meet a wise old man, but had not prepared for the possibility of Radagast being an old recluse, hoarding junk in a collapsing hut. But her adventures had taught her that appearances could be deceiving, and thus she wished to give Radagast the benefit of doubt.

Idunn’s hound barked angrily at the ravens as they croaked, announcing their arrival; clearly, he did not like them, and they disliked him. But the huntress commanded Uthred to be quiet as she squeezed into Radagast’s room. When it was time to speak, she stepped forth, and with a small bow she introduced herself.

’I am Idunn, the daughter of Theodwin, from Firienseld, though some call me the Bride. We are all emissaries from Mountain-Hall, with authority granted to us by Hartfast, our chieftain, to represent our town in the folk-moot. My companions may not be Woodmen, but they have Hartfast’s favour, and have strong ties to Firienseld and have helped the chieftain before.’

[OOC: Using Awe and invoking Forthright as described in the dice thread.]

[Vladim]

Gloriel is charmed to see the forest's beasts and birds so comfortable in Radagast's dwelling. She listens carefully to their chatter, hoping to pick up some news that might be useful to Gilbrannon and Gildril. Moving to position herself between Uthred and the ravens, when her time to speak comes she introduces herself with a short song.

"O master of shapes, dearest friend of the birds
From the halls of Thranduil, I am come, Gloriel
Guiding prince and princess through darkness and mess
Where elves of yore sang and Great Greenwood rang
To see again whole, Amon Lanc is our goal."

[Vladim]

It was good to meet Cilderic again, the Rohirrim thought, smiling as he shook his hand. He was, after all, in rough shape the last time they parted. After he met Heruthian at the feast and spoke at length of the woes of their people, he followed Cilderic. The cottage was... Not what he expected, but it didnt matter: this was no more old man, this was the Brown Wizard, and he deserved his respect. "I am Gramtyng, son of Fastred, from the lands of Rohan. Idunn speaks truly; after a long journey towards Wilderland and crossing the Red Pass, I've enjoyed the hospitality of the woodmen, and hope to repay their kindness one way. We've so far taken care of some bandits and thieves for Beorn, and hunted some of Mirkwood's spiders." Unfortunatly there wasnt much to work with here. There werent really the heroic deeds he'd wanted to claim...

[Vladim]

Ingi had happily followed the company from the feasting relived to have the chance to ask to ask, especially of Idun and Gramtyng any information about his potential sponsor in the contest and of the need to ask Hartfasts permission. Before the conversation had gotten too far however then came to their destination.

Having little experience of Wizards Ingi was surprised to note the dwellings state, yet the aromas wafting from the building drew him in and along with his companions obvious familiarity with Cilderic put him at ease. On crossing the threshold the first thing that Ingi noticed were the objects of obvious wooden craftsmanship strewn around the building in various states of dilapidation and disrepair. However what drew his fascination were the ravens.

These he had heard tales of since he was a small boy and seen since they begun their travels, but rarely in such a state of apparent domestication. Distracted from all else, Ingi tried to remember what the Beornings had taught him and understand their cries. Alas while a few impressions drifted at the edge of his senses none could crystallize into an understanding. Inadvertently he found himself playing with the broach underneath his coat and had the impression that it became warm to his touch.

Snapped out of this state by the others self introductions Ingi stumbled through the beginning of his "I am Ingi, younger son of Isolf, and of Laketown" he began. "I find myself in this company through the happy coincidence of skill and need. By trade I am a woodwright and by choice a boatsman" and archer". With a pause he added " and truth be told, possibly also driven by a desire for adventure"" My apologies for my inattention just now but I was fascinated with the Ravens that announced our arrival. The Beornings gave me some small instruction on trying to understand their speech, but as yet its not something I have mastered yet. Since I was small I have had a fascination with these creatures as the wind fills their wings much as it does my sails and if the tales be true the have the intelligence to better many of us" Blushing with the though that the wizard may interpret this as a comment on the present company Ingi reached into his bag and withdrew a small carved wooden statuette of a raven "If this takes your fancy I wish for you to have it as memory of our meeting, it is not much just something I do as an amusement on my travels...." Realizing he had been talking for rather long Ingi blushed further and let his sentence trail, stepping back as to indicate someone else to take his place.

[Vladim]

As the companions introduced themselves, the wizard remained silent, but the ravens flew from their perches, and approached to examine all members of the fellowship. One of them, the largest and blackest, landed on Radagast’s desk and paced to and fro a few times, before turning to face the fellowship. It opened its wings and flapped them angrily, while croaking loudly at the newcomers, but Radagast grabbed it with both hands and set it aside, and that seemed to calm it down.

Another landed on Nori’s shoulder and, with its beak, quickly started pulling at the shiny, chain links of his coat of armour, while trying to keep the other ravens at bay who, curious at this interesting discovery, flocked to the dwarf. And when Gloriel sang, another raven crowed loudly, though it seemed unclear if it approved of her performance or not.

As Ingi fingered his broach, the raven that had been trying, to little avail, to remove one of the shiny links in Nori’s armor, finally abandoned its futile task, and flew towards the Lake-Man, caring little about his introduction: instead, it wanted only to see the gemstone, as it had caught a fleeting glimpse of the bright light it reflected.

 

Gloriel

The meaning of the raven’s speech is fairly rudimentary, but Gloriel could understand most of it. The biggest, loudest and blackest raven was crying ‘Intruders!’ before being reassured by the wizard, while the one attempting to steal one of Nori’s chain links, and later Ingi’s broach, repeated ‘Shinies!’ and ‘Mine!’. The third raven seemed curious about the elf's song, and tried to immitate her, with little success. Amidst the cacophony, it was hard to make out what words the other ravens were saying.

 

[OOC: I’ll post another update tomorrow to push the encounter forward.]

[Vladim]

The wizard took the gift that Ingi had given to him, and as he examined it, a smile formed on his face. Eventually, he set the small statuette aside, placing it inside a drawer where many other such things resided, likely also gifts from the many Woodmen that came to seek out his counsel or healing. Then, with a few morsels of food that lay scattered on the table, he distracted the ravens, while inviting the companions for a meal.

’Come then,’ he said, ’you must be hungry after such a great journey.’ It seemed that Radagast was oblivious to the fact that the fellowship had arrived directly from Ceawin’s feast, and Cilderic seemed reluctant to correct his master. Thus, the wizard invited everyone to an adjacent room, where a pot of slowly bubbling vegetable stew lay over a small fire, passed everyone a bowl, and proceeded to serve the food.

As the companions sat around the fire, Cilderic spoke, remembering now that not everyone present knew him. ’Hail and well met, Ingi son of Isolf, and Gloriel of Mirkwood. I am Cilderic, son of Evermud. I was born and raised in Mountain-Hall, just like Idunn, but I left many years ago, and now dwell in Rhosgobel.

The towns in the eaves of Mirkwood are more exposed to the dangers of the forest, and so we maintain the vigil, monitoring the movements of the Enemy and the evil creatures of Mirkwood. We are few, but Radagast is our patron, and we count the many birds and animals of the forest among our allies. We go by many names in Rhosgobel: some call us the scouts of the Wilds, while others refer to us as the wizard’s sparrows.’

As Cilderic spoke, Radagast, who sat near Ingi, held one of the ravens gently in his lap, and was showing the Lake-man how to speak to the creature in its own tongue. It was difficult for Ingi to understand what the two were saying – there seemed to be a dialogue of sorts, and the bird, though still curious about Ingi’s gemstone, seemed more courteous, as it did not try to peck at the broach. Nonetheless, it was clear that Radagast could not only understand the birds, but also speak to them, as well as he could speak to a Man, a Dwarf or an Elf. With time, perhaps he could teach this skill to others…

'And what news of Mountain-Hall?' asked Cilderic finally. 'I have heard that Stonyford is doing well. It was good to help, but now much is happening in Rhosgobel, too. I suppose you have already met Ceawin and Amaleoda. What do you make of them?'

[Vladim]

Idunn shrugged. ’They seem like good folk,’ she said, ’generous and hospitable.’ She did not know much of politics, so her views on the matter were simple. ’If they want to join the rest of our folk, then so be it. There is strength in numbers.’

Cilderic listened, but said nothing one way or the other, and Radagast seemed too distracted with talking to the raven, and did not register the discussion about Amaleoda and Ceawin.

But Idunn had not come this far for Cilderic, nor to play at politics with the Woodmen. Her concerns were of a more personal nature, and now that she had finally found the wizard, there were many questions she wanted answered.

’I was told that you know much about the forest, lord Radagast.’ she said, addressing the Brown Wizard. ’Your reputation is such that the tales of your wisdom have spread as far as Mountain-Hall. And this is why I have come: to seek your counsel, and learn from your knowledge. For I hunt the great wolf of the forest, the werewolf of Mirkwood, and so does Gloriel and the rest of my companions.’

At this, the wizard shifted his attention away from his raven, but his face grew dark, and he was silent.

[OOC: Using Forthright for an automatic success at Persuade, to convince Radagast to speak about the werewolf.]

[Vladim]

"Greetings Cilderic, I am Gloriel, from the Elf King's halls in the north east, guiding an expedition to Southern Mirkwood. We hope to visit our old capital at Amon Lanc. The ravens seem to know little of that area, do any of your scouts know more? What has happened there since the White Council expelled the necromancer? As to Caewin, I have known him only briefly, but agree that he is generous, true to his word, and would probably make a good alliance linking the East and West across the Narrows of the forest."

Hearing Idunn ask Radagast about the werewolf, Gloriel turns to address the brooding wizard. "Though young in years and tender in battle I am held to be wise concerning the machinations of shadow. The werewolf is but one of many signs. There is a common thread linking the maliciousness in the forest, and it seems to be spreading from the south. Tell us what you know of this mutant wolf, how may we defeat it and protect both Woodmen, Elves, and other forest inhabitants."

[Vladim]

The good wizard is obviously distracted by something... More important than something like our visit. Gramtyng reasoned. He'd normally have seen this as rude, but from the Brown Wizard it seemed... expected. He'd had other things to worry about than appearing a people person. Besides, the stew smelled delicious despite its utter lack of meat. The Rohirrim was content to sip his stew and not interrupt the wizard, listening to the conversation. "Aye, an alliance could be of great benefit to your folk - you're fairly close to one another and could provide aid or trade when necessary far easier than the other settlements apart from maybe Stonyford and the Carrock. "Idunn's quarry is my own as well." Quietly added the bard. "Her people helped me when I was on the verge of death - and I'll repay such a debt in full. I think we could surprise it if we used another method to..." He was unsure if mentioning 'hunting' was a good idea in the brown wizard's home. "...To track it down and slay it. A method it's not prepared for; horseback riding." He paused again, uncertain: "There's another thing I want to ask but I will await my turn." The bard's fingers played upon the strings of his lute, extracting a melodious, wordless tune from the instrument - he hoped it would lighten everyone's moods.

[Vladim]

Rather than being annoyed about the Raven at his broach Ingi was rather delighted to have a close interaction with the creature. Having watched Radgasts calm handling of the larger bird he attempted to do the same with this one, although it resulted in little more than gently but firmly and almost warningly nibbled finders. Delighted at the fact it seem the Ravens would join them for their second supper Ingi deftly maneuvered so that he may sit near the Wizard, all the better to try and observe or even ask about his means of bonding with the creatures. To Ingi's surprise the wizard seemed more than happy to show his conversation with the bird, inviting Ingi to watch and see if he could use what he had learnt from the Beornings. Ingi at time could also not resist giving the bird a brief glance of the shiny broach that had first attracted it, although now in conversation with the wizard the Raven seemed much more focused and much less distractible. Thus apart from a brief acknowledgement of Cilderic’s greeting all that passed in the room largely escaped Ingi’s attention.

However at Idunn`s question, the air around the room became inexplicably heavy. Knowing something of the back story Ingi found himself holding his breath, while realizing why Idunn and even somehow Uthred had appeared restless since their summons to the hut. As a shadow fell across the wizards face it seemed to break the connection between him and the raven and noticing Ingi’s shiny he hopped across to investigate, eventually nestling in to the Lakeman's cloak. As he did this Ingi distractedly started stroking the bird, and to its apparent particular delight, rubbing behind its neck where small sharp waxy tubes crumbled to the touch, revealing themselves to be miniature feathers, precursors to its shiny black plumage. Given its view of the emerald, and this attention the Raven was seemingly contented to stay there for the time being thus leaving Ingi free to see what would happen in response to Idunn’s request.