Year 2948: Putting down roots

[Vladim]

Idunn shook her head, providing a definitive answer to the eager hobbit without utterying a word. Burnaby's folk were not known to her in her childhood, and none of the scenes on the horn depicted hobbits, as most of the carvings were dedicated to great deeds such as war and dragon-slaying. After all, even if hobbits were secretely depicted somewhere, it would be hard to tell them apart from children.

[Vladim]

Nori's eyes run over the runes, but the expression on his face might indicate to the others, especially his cousin, that they mean little to him and he's unable to decipher their meaning or origin behind being dwarven. When Fundor nearly explodes with excitement upon his discovery and asks Idunn about sharing the information, Nori looks quizzically between the two - still not having caught on to the importance of what is on the horn. When Idunn states that Hartfast will have to give permission to share the information outside the group, Nori nods his head a few times before looking to Fundor. "It certainly its quite a phenomenal historical piece," the dwarf says - his voice filled with the uncertainty of someone trying to play off having knowledge that they don't. Clearing his throat with a low rumble, Nori then adds, "I'm sure after we successfully escort him to Rhosgobel, he would more than entertain your request cousin... or share with you what he perhaps already knows about it."

Nori glances towards Idunn with slightly-widened eyes, as if seeking her thoughts on his statement.

[Vladim]

[OOC: I’ll move this forward, but if you still want to post something regarding the Horn and the carvings, feel free to do so, even if it means splitting your post in two parts, as I am also doing.]

Idunn allowed the companions ample time to examine the horn and its carvings, and to copy them or write down notes as they pleased. When the companions were satisfied, they could turn their attention back towards the journey at hand, and the huntress led them downstairs, where Hartfast and his two sons, Wulfred and Einar, stood gathered, ready to embark. Also with him were old Gerold, the friend of Idunn’s, as well as Beranald, the door-warden of Mountain-Hall, whom the fellowship knew well.

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Pleased to see the companions ready to depart, Hartfast spoke first. His speech seemed to have been prepared, and perhaps even practiced, yet none of this subtracted from the weight of his words.

’You have gazed upon the Horn of Firienseld, and you can now understand that which I also did, long ago: That there was once a great alliance between Men and Dwarves, so strong that it could withstand even the onslaught of dragons.’

As he spoke those words, his eyes travelled from companion to companion, before becoming fixed upon the two dwarven members of the company, for they were his primary recipients.

Then he continued: ’Much pleased I was when I heard of the news from the west, that the dragon Smaug was vanquished, and that the hordes of orcs were crushed by the combined might of our folk. And now, my son Einar tells me that the Men of Dale and the Dwarves of Erebor have an alliance once again, and together they are more powerful than ever before. Yet other dwarven kingdoms remain to be reclaimed, and none of them greater than the one that once existed in these lands, many centuries ago.’

He paused, seeking to assess the impact of these words on Nori and Fundor, but he did not wish to hold the remainder of the company in the dark. ’You know of what I speak: Of Moria, fairest and mightiest of all the dwarven kingdoms, if the tales are to be believed.’

Moria: The Black Pit, the name of the lost kingdom of old, or rather what remained of it. The word was enough to send shivers down any Longbeard’s spine, yet few Men had heard of it. But this chieftain of Men knew, though not nearly enough to call it by its ancient, proper name: Khazad-dum.

As Hartfast spoke on, both Nori and Fundor would come to realise that the old man knew little of the kingdom but its name, yet his words were still powerful and convincing. ’I know not of your folks’ histories, Nori of the Lonely Mountain, nor do I know where Moria is hidden, Fundor of the Blue Mountains. Yet I have heard many stories in my long life, and I am certain that the entrance to your ancient kingdom lies somewhere in the Misty Mountains. Perhaps it is even nearby. And I believe that our folk should help each other, as they did in ancient times against the dragons, and as they do so even now, in Erebor and Dale. Help me in my endeavours, to make Mountain-Hall stronger, and I too will help you with reclaiming what once was yours.’

 

Dwarves

Of course, any dwarf PC should know about Moria, at least about it being a great realm, a source of Mithril, and its role in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs (the latter being more recent history).

They should also have a rough idea of its location, as it is not really secret (not to dwarves, anyway). Moria is to the south of Mountain-Hall, but not really too near by. But Mountain-Hall may be one of the nearest non-abandoned human settlements.

[Vladim]

Ingi had been mostly silent during the company`s time with the horn. Still feeling as an outsider to the threads connecting his companions he had used his silence to study the interactions of the Rohirrim and the woods-woman as well as those between the Dwarfs as well as the excitement of the little hobbit and the slightly insensitive dismissive nature in which it was replied. As a craftsman he had been grateful for the paper and charcoal supplied by Idunn and had ascended the ladders in order to trace, first with his fingers and then with the materials some of the designs on the horn. While the carving of the humans and dwarfs was indeed fine it was the secondary elements, intricate and abstract patterns filling in otherwise blank space, that fascinated Ingi. These were what he focused on in his tracings with a view to his own craft. His fingers lingered over the form of the dragons, remembering the day in laketown that had turned him towards this path. Although filled with usually curiosity to see how the horn would sound, he suppressed the urge to indulge that urge knowing it would be most a most discourteous action given the honor his hosts had shown him in allowing the artifact to be glimpsed.
__________________________________________________

In the meeting that followed his thoughts somewhat dwelt with the horn. His ears pricked with the mention of Smaug and of Laketown, however the memories of the horn and its secrets seemed to linger much like the charcoal residue on his fingertips. He sensed there was something of significance in the words between the dwarfs and the chiefs but swept up in his eagerness to be away, Ingi was dreaming of adventures and explorations to come and his luck at finding a place in the company about to depart.

[Vladim]

Without a word but with a warm smile, Fundor bows his head to Idunn. He could see that he had disturbed her but still she had answered him.

Later when they are all in front of Harfast, Fundor is really surprised at his words. He was already surprised at the dwarven runes on the Horn, he was as much surprised with these carvings telling about a dragon. But now Harfast of Mountain-Hall is proposing them a deal about the lost Dwarven Kinggom of Khazad-Dûm, the mines of Mithril, the place of many legends !

"You are a surprising man, Harfast of Mountain Hall. First I wish to thank you deeply for allowing us to look at your Horn. It helpes me better understand the old links between our peoples. I have a request concerning the notes on my papers, would you mind that I show them to a scholar at Erebor ? I wouldn't tell him where I've seen them.I promised and I keep my promises.".
Fundor looks at Harfast, hoping for his agreement.

"Now, about your proposal of helping each-other and after seeing what both our ancestors did, accepting is the only possible answer. I'm not comfortable on boats and under dark forests, but i'll do my best to help you in your endeavours".

[Vladim]

Hartfast’s face grew dark as Fundor asked his question, and it was clear to all that he feared this. The Horn of Firienseld was the most precious secret of Mountain-Hall, and to have this knowledge fall into the wrong hands would make Hartfast a failure to his people. The old chieftain heeded for caution, yet his voice betrayed neither anger nor disappointment.

’You have taken an oath, Master dwarf.’ he said at length. ’You may not want it to come to this, but outsiders will be curious, and they will ask questions, and look for answers, especially when such a prized artefact is involved. Can you guarantee that your scholars in Erebor will not seek where your notes came from, or what they depict? Who is to say that such questions would not lead them here? The Horn of Firienseld has warned those living far from Mountain-Hall of orcs and goblins from the mountains many a time, and it strikes fear into our enemies’ hearts. I shall not have it taken from my people.’

In this, Hartfast was adamant, and even if Fundor would choose to pursue the matter, he would be unlikely to change the stubborn old chieftain’s mind.

 

OOC

You can continue discussing with Hartfast, but I want to push the game forward a bit, so I’ll need some dice rolls for the journey that follows.

The first leg of the journey will see the companions travelling from Mountain-Hall to Stonyford using mountain-paths. The journey will take 6 days and I will need a Travel check (TN 14) from each companion. Failure in this check will result in gaining 2 Fatigue points.

In addition, for each day on the road a companion is allowed to make 2 additional Common Skill rolls (for a total of 12 potential skill checks). This can be anything, for example your character’s journey role, or something else (talking to NPCs, searching for something, recalling a story, whatever). But you don't have to roll all of them if you don't want to. These are only meant to flesh out the journey, and give you an opportunity to earn advancement points.

Please put all skill rolls in the dice thread.

[Vladim]

Fundor listen to Harfast's firm and unambiguous answer. Despite his disappointment, he understands his decision.

"Don't worry, Harfast of Mountain-Hall, I will respect my oath and I shall not show this paper or speak about it to any scholar or anybody else outside us. You might be right about other's questions and I'll take no risk."

[Vladim]

The trip goes about as planned - Gramtyng seemed to have gotten used to the general lay of the land, though a couple times he does have a few issues, leading the party to the same spot - but managing to find a nice shortcut just as he was about to consider himself lost. Normally, he'd have laughed it off, even with someone like Hartfast here - but he wanted to set a good example for Belgo. When camping, the son of the Mark had spent his time teaching his esquire swordplay, and the result was... a rather mixed bag. He managed some spectacular and bizarre feats which seemed to impress the boy - but then managed to trip over a tree root and had the sword fly from his grasp and impaled his favorite cloak to the tree. It was comical, and people laughed, but he'd rather it not happened in front of Belgo. When the boy was practicing on his own, he managed to sneak a few quiet moments to go over what he had for a new song and teach the marching-song to his companions to make the trip easier. Finally, when he felt he waited enough, he approached Nori and Fundor: "Wanted to talk to you two about this... The carving we were showed. I figure we can discuss it among each other without any issue. Do you know who this is?" He tapped the figure with his dagger.

[Vladim]

Hartfast nodded at Fundor, and there was nothing in his expression to suggest that he did not believe the dwarf. Now that he had spoken his part, and explained what he knew about the ancient realm of Moria, he felt it was time to gather the company and begin the journey. He addressed the companions one last time before venturing forth.

’You shall then be the emissaries of Firienseld, the old name for our Harrowed Hall. If anyone questions you, tell them that Hartfast of Mountain-Hall is your patron, and they will doubt you no more, for the Woodmen of Mirkwood are our allies.

I do not bestow this title lightly, especially to outsiders, but you have proven yourself, and without you there would not be such great friendship between Mountain-Hall and Stonyford. But come: let us be off!’

 

OOC

The title ‘Emissaries of Firienseld’ can be invoked in any social interaction with Woodmen during this adventure, to automatically pass the Introduction stage, allowing your PCs to speak. However, this will not grant any actual successes that count towards furthering the encounter goals, so you may still prefer to use your skills if you are confident.

In addition, the title can be used as a temporary fellowship name for this adventure, since we have not yet come up with one.

I will wait for the posts/dice rolls of the other players before narrating the journey to Stonyford.

[Vladim]

Nori quietly moves behind Fundor as the dwarf makes his attempt to convince Hartfast to share some of the knowledge of the Horn of Firienseld outside the small collective. However, when Hartfast shows his concern with even the implication that such an artifact might exist, Nori slowly brings his right hand up to rest on Fundor's shoulder. The gesture appears to be one of comfort to the other dwarf rather that a sign to cease his questioning. It's easy to see Fundor's fascination with the object and Nori can thus empathize with his efforts. Nori says quietly to his cousin, "We will look into this ourselves. When we reach Rhosgobel, I believe I will have some questions for you and you may be able to find more answers there." Nori's hand pats the dwarf's shoulder a few more times quickly before pulling away.

-----

During the trip, Nori seems a bit out of place not being the stalwart guide for the fellowship. At times, the dwarf seems lost in thought and occassionally drifts a bit from the group to explore (but not too far - clearly aware of the danger the werewolf creates in this area). He does not seem distant or aloof - just uncertain what to do with himself. He'll often pause to examine a piece of wood or a small rock grouping, perhaps curious if it can fit into one of his next creations. Otherwise, the dwarf seems quite content - often humming or singing to himself as he follows the pack a gazing down at the ground beneath his feet.

When the group breaks for camp, Nori spends two of the nights setting up what would probably be considered a 'quality' encampment. He works with the speed and industriousness dwarves are known for, creating a semi-permanent camp that future travelers could easily use. He clears away brush, creates a fire pit, sets up a few, wooden spiked walls near major entry ways to narrow them down, and digs a small trench at the edge of camp. When he has finished, he uses the prizes of Idunn's hunting and foraging to prepaer some hearty meals to not only revitalize himself, but fuel his companions for the journey ahead. They are heavy, savory dwarven meals that might not sit well with systems used to more vegetarian-focused diets.

-----

When Gramtyng approaches Nori and Fundor to ask about the carvings, Nori displays a grim acknowledgement of what the figure is, but seems to defer to Fundor to explain it. The dwarf does not seem upset that the Rohirrim has inquired about it, but it seems like this is Fundor's story to tell (with Nori knowing the emotional side to it).

[Vladim]

Ingi spent this inital phase of traveling acting as a lookout for the group and and also familiarizing himself with the lands of the woodmen with varying degrees of success. On the third day he was surprised to notice a herb familiar to him which was both delicious when added to stews and was said to give strength to those on the road (Invoke trait of herb lore to upgrade from success in awareness to gain 2nd advancement point.) This he offered to Nori for inclusion in the evening meal.

In the free time available to him Ingi attempted to hone the skills gifted to him by the Beornings. While the chatter of the birds around him remained mostly a riddle he was occasionally able to catch phrases or senses drifting on the wind. He also spent time assessing the quality of the timber surrounding him, remembering his promise to potentially modify the boats before the river travel begins (Invoke woodwright to get a AP in 3rd dice roll). He also tried to discuss with Fundor about the construction of his flute and admired the dwarfs skills in crafting, for he had not heard previously that they were wont to work in wood.

[Vladim]

[Before the travel]
After talking with Harfast, Fundor turns to Nori. He looks at him a few seconds, apparently lost in his own thoughts. Then he smiles back and say : "Thank you my friend. It seems that Mountain-Hall has a strong-temper cheftain. Like us ! Probably an effect of the mountains ...." Fundor laughs. He didn't get what he hoped to but still he knew that he was very lucky for seing the Horn and the carvings. Apart of Nori, no other living dwarf knows about it. "Now I believe it's time to start our journey. We will talk about the Horn during the travel, we should have much time for that during those walking days." Then Fundor turns back to Gramtyng "Unless Harfast disagree, I'm also willing to have a talk with you all. I have understood few facts but some other might have understood some others. And a sharing in common might help us understand new things."

[During the travel]
When Fundor sees that Ingi is interested in his flute manufacturing, he shows him the result : "There is really nothing to be proud of, the wood is badly carved and is very draft. But still it's making correct sounds and that's enough for me."

[If Harfast agrees]
At night camp, Fundor spend time with his companions to share their discover on the Horn. Show the notes and drawings on papers, explain what we understood. Then we try to mix all those pieces of knowledge together and get a better global understanding of what happened a long time ago.

[Vladim]

The Journey to Stonyford

Hartfast had warned the company that this first part of their journey would be the most arduous, as they would have to struggle against rocky slopes, avoid dangerous precipices, and navigate tangles of gorse and thorny plants. Bus as long as they followed the mountain-stream that passed by Mountain-Hall, they should remain on the right direction. Hartfast explained that the paths were few and hidden, but that this way was the best for Mountain-Hall, for it was still a settlement mostly hidden, and secrecy was their greatest defence.

On the first day, they passed by the hidden boat-house that lay east of Mountain-Hall, where the mountain-stream was navigable. Anticipating a question from Ingi, whose expertise with boats was by now well-known, Hartfast’s eldest son explained that the stream led away from Stonyford, and thus the company couldn’t simply take boats down the Anduin. ’The stream leads to the Gladden river and the marshes around it.’ he cautioned. ’The Fields of the Gladden are dangerous: full of mist and fog, and nigh-impossible to navigate. Only Magric the trapper, a few of our fishermen, and those who deal with the River-folk down at Traders’ island ever venture there. I would stay away if I were you.’



On the second day, the company continued along the stream but eventually it turned south, and the emissaries now journeyed on across the treacherous and hidden foot-paths that Hartfast cautioned against. Idunn’s eyes were on Gramtyng, for he seemed different after seeing the Great Horn, and she sought to find the right moment to question him about them. When the Horse-lord approached the dwarves, Idunn saw her chance, and followed the three near the campfire, where they would have a chance to speak about this away from Hartfast and his sons. She looked at the image of Fram the dragon-slayer, and although she did not recognize the great hero of the Rohirrim, she knew that it was this which had so moved her companion. ’Who is he?’ she asked plainly. ’Someone important to your folk?’ she guessed, judging by the serious look on Gramtyng’s face.

 

OOC

The fellowship can continue discussing what they saw in the carvings on the Horn of Firienseld, as well as their significance, in this side thread: 2948: Concerning dragons.

[Vladim]

Gramtyng had been in a somewhat sour mood for a while after the rather horrendous failure he experienced when training Belgo, so when Einar spoke up about the song competition in Rhosgobel and old stories and heroes, he instantly had the rohirrim's attention. "Aye, I think we could work that out just fine!" He grinned in reply. "Even if we dont win, the new lore we'd learn is most certainly worth it. Could we practice it while on our way or in camp?" Learning the lore of this land had been something that always made the bard feel like he was doing something useful - his king's order aside, it was an interesting undertaking.

[Vladim]

OOC: Rules for the song contest in Rhosgobel

Just in case it wasn’t made clear in my previous post, I’ll outline the rules for the song-contest here.

Before the folk-moot is held, it is the tradition that all great houses of the Woodmen participate in a song contest. Each of the four houses is represented by a group of its best musicians. The prize is an honorary position at the great feast that follows, and the musicians will be offered the best food and drink, and served by those who lose. Mountain-Hall has not won the contest in years.

Although the companions have different ratings in their Song skill, I still want to give everyone a good chance to contribute in a meaningful way, even if their skill is low. Therefore, each companion can choose the following role during the singing:
1. Minor: The song TN is lowered to 12, but any great/extraordinary successes get downgraded to normal ones. This represents playing a simple tune, or a minor role in the background during the singing.
2. Normal: The song TN will be 14, with no special benefits or penalties.
3. Major: The song TN will be 16, but any successes get upgraded by one level (normal becomes great, great becomes extraordinary, extraordinary remains as is). This represents playing a particularly challenging piece of music, or being the primary vocalist.

This is how I am planning the contest to unfold:
1. Participating companions choose their role (minor, normal, major), roll their song skill, and spend Hope if they want to.
2. The successes are tallied up (a normal success counts for 1, a great success for 2, an extraordinary success for 3) and the success tally is recorded.
3. I roll 2d6 for the opposition. If the success tally is greater than this number, then the company (i.e. Mountain-Hall) wins the contest. The margin of success (i.e. difference) will be used to explain how well or how badly the companions did.
4. If the companions lose the contest, all hope spent on Song rolls is refunded.

As you can see, the more companions participate, the better, so I encourage you to join the song-contest!