Year 2949: Kinstrife and Dark Tidings

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol reddened with embarrassment at the scars Brynhild revealed and the tale behind them. He wondered how many such marks his own mother might bear. The Hillmen were feared for their cruelty.

"I had no idea it was like this for you Brynhild. Forgive my stupid words. We will find Oderic, and we will reason with him. If Beorn was willing to give my father a chance to redeem himself, I'm certain there is hope for Oderic."

Dahr-Ol left with Annungil, and was silent while his companion relayed Brynhild's tale to the others. He was notably distracted as they hunted for signs of Oderic.

"Idunn we have not had a kinslaying since I have lived amongst the Beornings. None that I know of at least. How much would it offend you if I argued on behalf of Oderic that Beorn consider the nature of Oderic's quarrel with Rathfic before Beorn utters his punishment? I can not in good conscience argue that Oderic is innocent, but in my heart I cannot justify his exile. Brynhild suffered heavily under Rathfic's hand. Oderic's account as told by Brynhild matches the scene at the river. I believe he is innocent in the slaying of Merovech.

But I cannot ignore that Rathfic is dead. What sort of punishment befits a crime of this nature? Has such a thing ever happened among your people?"

[Vladim]

Idunn listened to Annugil’s accounting of the encounter with the widow, and tried to understand the situation, as best she could. His account matched with everything else she had heard in the village, and it was at the telling of the tale that she understood what Ethal meant with her cryptic words. The situation was far more complicated that she had anticipated, and there was no pure right or wrong here – but that did not make the tragedies any less difficult to bear.

When Dahr-Ol spoke, she replied with a tale. ’There was a kin-slaying amongst my folk recently, though such things are uncommon. But it shares few similarities with the tale of Oderic.

There was a great hunter amongst our peoples, a man called Geirbald, who sought the great Werewolf of the forest. But one of his arrows flew astray, and it struck his own sister, and she perished. He was not punished by our elders, but now he lives outside our towns and our laws, for he chose exile for himself. Geirbald the kinslayer is what my folk call him, and with him go a dozen followers, hunters who seek to put an end to the Beast of Mirkwood. I spoke to this man last year, wishing that I would join him, for I too seek to destroy the Beast. It has taken something dear from me. Yet he would not listen - he called me young, and told me not to return. And so I continue, without his aid.

But this tale has little to do with Oderic and his crimes – the only thing they have in common are the sorrow and misery they brought to their kinsmen.’

She paused, and mustered all the strength of character she possessed as she added: ’After speaking to your kinsmen in this village, I must agree. I do not believe that Oderic is guilty of the death of the Thanes. And even his killing of Rathfic may have been accidental. But we cannot know for certain. And also, I say that he is still a coward, for he left the Thanes to their fates, and their bodies to the gore-crows. I do not know what punishment fits that crime, but your lord Beorn should determine it. As for myself, I will listen to what Oderic has to say for himself, if we ever find him, and return him to your lord. This I swear to you and the rest.’

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol walked in silence for a while.

"I think at its heart your tale and this hold much in common. A man tried to stop a horrible wrong, but an unintended death was the result. We will get to the truth of this and if Oderic met Rathfic with murder in his heart, I will argue for equal punishment. If it was the unintended result of a quarrel, I have another thought in mind.

One of the few times my father was able to visit us in Stonyford I got in trouble. A berry pie was cooling near a hut. Back then I still believed as the Hillmen do, that things unguarded belonged only to those who took them. I was perhaps 9 summers old then.

After my father handed out his immediate punishment with a willow branch, he sentenced me to three weeks of picking berries for Katja. I had to repay three times what I took. My labor was directly related to my crime.

If this murder was unintentional we see two things. A sense of justice and a lack of discipline. What if Oderic were sentenced to serve the next Thane of Justice as his bondsman for three years. One year for each life he brought harm upon. He would be his messenger. Also his escort for prisoners and companion for every journey.

If the Thane was satisfied with Oderic at the end, Oderic could be released. If the Thane believes Oderic still untrustworthy or signs of cowardice still showed, he could order exile. It bears risk, but I think it could benefit the clan and Oderic."

[Vladim]

The huntress listened to Dahr-Ol's tale, though at times she could not see the parallels: a berry pie was nothing. Oderic had taken a life; he was also a thief and a fugitive, though there certainly were mitigating circumstances for his many crimes.

'We were not tasked with determining the judgement. That is Lord Beorn's duty; ours is simply to return Oderic to him. But you may speak to your Lord if you so wish, and perhaps he will take heed of your words.

I will not interfere, save but to say that death has been merited, if such is the case. After hearing from Helmgut and Ethal and you, I doubt that Oderic deserves death. But I reserve my own judgement for after I speak to him.'

[Vladim]

Gramtyng was uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative for the first part of the journey; he’d had a lot of things to think about, did not interrupt his companions when they discussed recent events. He’d left Leasere to the beornings – a horse was meaningless in tracking down Oderic, and the way they told it, they’d be going over marshlands next, and he didn’t want to take him there. The time he’d usually used to clean Leasere had now been used for thinking through the twists of the sad tale they’d now been part of; and the fact that it WAS a tragedy was certain to him.

He listened to Annungil, Dahr-Ol, and Ingi tell of Brynhild’s story, and his opinion remained just as strong on the matter. There was still something they were missing – and though he’d had a suspicion what it was, he decided to keep quiet until it had been a certainty. Even then… Was it his place, if he was right? He was a stranger. A visitor. As for Oderic… One detail still made no sense to him; the coinpurse. There was no reason to steal it – and it HAD been a theft. The ease with which he’d spent the silver meant that he’d not necessarily wanted the silver for himself; what use was it down south, and how FAR south had he meant to go? He recalled his own travels and the reasons he’d not gone straight north and shivered. Surely not.

There was some ray of hope in all this, however – it seemed that Idunn had reconsidered her vengeance against Oderic. He did not seem complicit in their death in any way that Gramtyng could see; fleeing in such a way as he did… Perhaps there was another reason. If he’d been right about him, then there was no reason for him to flee. Apart from thinking to himself, the bard ventured out only to hunt to supply the others with food, and quietly hummed a tune near the fire, scribbling in his journal to try and compose a new verse for his song.

 

Signs of the Prisoner

As the search continues, every clue leads the company progressively to the south, towards the woods north of the Gladden Fields. The first had been the boat; One of the first clues found by the travellers is along the banks of the Great River. Oderic left by his boat and rowed several miles downstream before he abandoned it on the west bank. The companions come upon this boat as they search the riverside. The next hint of his passage comes in the form of a broken knife: Oderic made camp one night on the rolling plains between the river and the wood, and while trying to prize a stone from his boot he accidentally snapped the blade of a knife - the handle has the depiction of a bear; a usual mark of Dahr-Ol's people. The broken shards of a Beorning-made knife lie in a sheltered dell, near the ashes of a campfire. On the final day, the most worrisome find is located: there are clear signs of a vicious fight, the signs of the combat still visible to those who can read them, at a short distance from the woods. Trampled grasses, splinters hewn from a shield and a broken spear-haft speak of a battle between one warrior and several others. With the expertise of the company's trackers, it is determined that the lone warrior put up a brave fight, but was outnumbered and overwhelmed. There was little blood, however, and marks that a rope might make where he'd been dragged. A clear trail leads into the forest.

 

---

 

Part Six: Mark of Ambition & Cruelty

Would that this was the extent to which the companions would be tested - but it was not all... Many signs indicated that a large number of armed men are nearby. There are tracks in the mud, trees have been hacked down for firewood and there is no game within several miles. These strangers are not wood-wise and so are unlikely to be Woodmen from Mountain Hall - the closest place to here. As the sun begin to set, through the trees, light is visible in the distance - that of far more than one campfire. The forest of Gladden has given refuge to some who do not care for this land nor what is upon it... Sharp ears are able to discern that these people, whomever they are, are not without caution, as a patrol - or at least what it sounds like, based on the complaints - is somewhere in the distance. Sharp eyes note a strange rag that flaps in the wind on one of the taller trees, near the trail Oderic had been dragged to. As the last rays of the setting sun shine upon it, freed from the clouds, it becomes clear that it is not a rag, but a flag bearing the distinct and familiar - to at least half of the group - stylized design of a crown hanging above a tower, standing in front of a mountain.

 

The Patrol

There is precious little time before the patrol approaches - still, there is time to evade it in some manner, perhaps hide until it passes by. Of course... It would also be possible to ambush them.

Explore will allow the location of a good hiding place - not everyone needs their own. Stealth will allow you to use that hiding place, with the TN varying from 10 to 14, depending on the success degree of the Explore check and how descriptive you are of what you locate.

Ambushing is a TN14 check of Stealth or Battle and follows the standard rules.

[Vladim]

[Before encountering the patrol]

Idunn pondered what the clues meant. Soon, she came to the only possible conclusion she could think of. ’Others have beaten us to it,’ she said, ’they have found Oderic and caught him before we could. But he still lives, or at least he still did when he was captured.’

She thought about the possibility of some Beornings capturing the outlaw before quickly dismissing it - there were far too many Men to make them so. She pondered what the presence of so many men – brigands by the look of the traces they had left behind – meant. Mountain-Hall was her home, though she had not visited it for a while, and such things were uncommon at best, though tales spoke of the Wolfswood and of outlaws seeking shelter there. She thought about Gerold, her friend and mentor, and hoped that he was well. But she could do naught but worry about him now: their task had now become more difficult, and much more complex. She wondered what all of it meant, and if the events they had witnessed were connected with a thread that remained invisible to them presently.

(Encountering the patrol)

’I know this banner! I have seen it before!’ said Idunn, warning the others as quickly as she could. ’It was the one that Gizik bore, the one that allied himself with Cenric, that thief and murderer who tried to steal the sickle from Beorn two years ago! These are evil men, and will show no mercy. Come! We must hide!’

[OOC: @Diofant From this distance, can we tell just how large the patrol is? I am happy to roll for something (like Awareness) if necessary.

I am not advocating for an ambush – at least, not yet, but I will attempt an Explore check since we need to find a hiding – place.

Edit: -1 Hope to obtain a Magical Result on the Explore check. I may describe something cool happening in my next IC post.]

[Vladim]

Soon after she had she spoken her part, the huntress felt her ruby pendant weigh heavily upon her neck. Instinctively, she pulled it off and held it by its golden chain. To her amazement, as well as everyone else's (for they all could see what was happening, as Idunn did not try to conceal it), the ruby gem shone with a weak but persistent light. But what was more disconcerning was that the pendant was no longer hanging vertically downwards. Instead, it was displaced towards the west, the laws of gravity no longer applying to the ancient elven gem. Idunn looked at the direction the chain was 'pointing', and she saw Thunir, her raven, flapping his wings maniacally.

'Come!' she said to her fellows, with no explanation about what was happening, for even she would be hard pressed to explain it.

As she approached the bush that Thunir was perched on, soon she could see that the raven had discovered a narrow tunnel-hole. It had remained invisible even to the most keen-eyed of the companions, and only Thunir's discerning eyes had noticed it! And though the companions did not know it, this was one of the Hobbit-holes of old, long abandoned by its owners when they migrated to the West. In fact, though the companions did not know it, there was a veritable Hobbit-village sitting just underneath their feat, though for many centuries no traveller had noticed it, so cunningly had it been hidden by the small folk!

The tunnel was just wide enough for her to crawl into, but once she was inside, it opened up into a more comfortable cavern-like room, though she had to crouch inside. But this was not all: it also led to many other tunnels, which branched and twisted under the ground, and those in turn led to locations all around the land above them. Moreover, when the patrol approached, she would be able to hear their heavy footsteps from above. In short, it was the perfect hiding place for an ambush. Idunn thanked her lucky star as she looked to those that had followed her (if any) quietly: what would they do next?

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol snapped his head up as evidence of the riders made it to his ears, the same riders who had the gall to steal from Beorn. They would be dangerous folk and not at all friendly. Moving quickly he checked a few trees for ease of climbing and thick foliage but none seemed particularly well suited. As he stared at a great beech tree, Idunn found something. He hurried over to look over her find.

"It doesn't look very dwarfish. But it seems abandoned. Might be our best bet." he whispered.

Dahr-Ol moved inside quickly and bumped his head as he straightened up too quicklly. Stifling a grunt of pain he pushed forward checking the nearest two tunnel branches for any unpleasant surprises.

"Seems safe. Reminds me of how a halfling that Annungil and I helped spoke of the homes his folk dwelt in, but his sounded much less dreary. Should we look for a second exit or were you planning to ambush them from here, after they have passed?

As I understand it they are no better than bandits, and therefore fair targets for an ambush." Dahr-Ol said in a hushed whisper.

[Vladim]

As the fellowship traveled south, following the tracks that they found from Oderic's passage, Annungil perked up in the seat and shaded his eyes to stare ahead. He loosened the straps of his shield and slung it forward on his shoulder, closer to where he could rapidly grab and strap it to his arm.

"Armed encampment," Annungil said quietly to the others, pointing ahead to the glow of many campfires in the distance,, and the distinctive, tangy scent of woodsmoke that drifted on the breeze, and with it, what sounded like a patrol. Annungil loosed the sword in its sheath, but stopped as Idunn's gem began to act... strangely.

He stared at it in surprise, but it seemed to lead to safety, as he crouched and squeezed in behind Dahr-Ol and Idunn, turning to face the tunnel once he reached the small room, set by the entrance with shield and sword ready should they be followed.

"Aye, this seems to be one of the homes of the halflings, though I knew nothing that they dwelt this far east." His voice trailed off and then he shrugged. "Ambush, perhaps, but there is an encampment, if I judge rightly by the fireglow. We cannot fight the entire camp, and it may be best if we can take word back to the Beornings without our presence being known."

[Vladim]

Hearing Idunn command her comrades startled Nori, but given his travels with the woman, he did not question her orders. The dwarf instantly hurried in her direction - his right foot catching on a divot in the ground and causing him to stumble in the process. However, he musters some focus and strength deep within to not go crashing into the ground and quickly rights himself. Seeing Idunn dive into the bushes, the dwarf follows suit. Even with his backpack and gear, Nori seems unusually adept at getting through the hole quickly - bring Hunir down off his pack as he jogs towards safety to hold in front of him. He pushes the fat bird into the hiding spot and immediately follows behind it with a diving leap. Once inside the hole, he immediately pulls his axe and stands upright, ready in case something or someone else follows them into the hole.

[Vladim]

Gramtyng feverishly recalled information he'd heard on the area as the patrol neared. Putting his ear to the ground, he held his breath and counted the footsteps. One, two... Four? No, six! He got to his feet just on time to hear Idunn's exclamation, causing him to bare his teeth in a growl - he remembered well the swords of Gizik's men. As he turned to explain his findings, he saw the others rushing off and then practically disappear underground. Eyes widening, he rushed to find the entrance the others used, but could not find it. Somewhere from under his feet, he heard 'halflings' and Trotter's words came to mind as he boasted about his people's homes, with ho they'd had excellent windows that sat deep in the hillsides. Glancing about, he managed to find a too-straight ditch and decided to risk it, pulling Belgo along with him and diving into it, ending up on a dusty floor beside everyone else.

"Six of them." He whispered to his companions. "As much as I wouldnt mind striking a blow against whoever gathered this foul host - whoever Gizik's master is - I doubt we can take them out quickly. There will be an alarm! We cannot find so many at once." Settling cross-legged on the floor and asking Belgo to remain silent, he'd checked how easily his sword left its sheathe and sighed, shaking his head. "I dont think we can go back. We weren't originally asked to be scouts, but leaving such a large host without finding its intent seems like it would do more harm than good. We need to find out where its going! Imagine if we go off to warn Beorn, and these people go to Mountain Hall... Woodmantown, Woodland Hall, Rhosghobel..." He counted on his fingers. "Besides, Idunn gave an oath to Beorn to bring back Oderic." The bard furrowed his eyebrows at that sentiment for a moment: "..if these people captured him, then maybe he'd overheard some of their plans anyway."

 

Sneaking

If the company chooses to sneak past, once the patrol leaves, the company must scout out the bandit camp. Explore is more useful than Stealth here, as a good explorer can find paths through the wood that bypass the enemy and bring the company right to the edge of the camp. Daring adventurers could even use Athletics to travel through the tree-tops.
Watching for Oderic
From a hidden vantage point overlooking the camp – and there are several excellent and leafy trees in the area – the company can watch the outlaws and identify Oderic.
Leaving
Is an option as well, though it will require proper timing - you would be on an open plain until you make it to the nearest grove of trees. It would be best done at night.

[Vladim]

Nori doesn't seem to pay attention to Gramtyng as the Rohirrim speaks of the scouts, the danger, or their pledge. The dwarf, instead, seems downright fascinated by the hobbit hole the fellowship finds themselves in. Sensing no real danger as the man seats himself on the ground and talks aloud, the dwarf wanders about the room - axe still in hand - wondering how such a massive room was in such fine condition and was seemingly there, waiting for them at this fortuitous moment. He walks in a slow circle, giving the entrance a wide berth should anyone or anything come in, inspecting the room for doors or other paths leading out. But before his curiosity gets the better of him, his mind snaps back to the conversation at hand.

Turning to face Gramtyng and the others from the opposite side of the room he started from, Nori tells them with an energy that comes from excitement, fear, and a burst of courage all wrapped together, "I'll find us a path." His eyes glance at each of the companions as his hands grip and rub against the handle of his axe. "Got a better chance going unnoticed than the lot of you," he tells them, nervously joking about their height and a polite rib at possibly being quieter than them. "You just let me guide you through and we'll get around them. I'll keep us out of sight, but close by. Just need one of you to take that feathered pig..." Nori nods to Hunir, who ruffles his feather at Nori's jab and lets out a low squawk in retort.

[Vladim]

'I did indeed.' said Idunn grimly, 'I plan to see it through. We cannot afford any more delays.'

With a nod of her head, the huntress agreed to everything both her companions said - the horse-lord and the dwarf - and made ready to follow after the men of the patrol had returned to their encampment, and their footsteps from above had long faded away. Only then did she warily emerge from the ancient underground dwelling, which had undoutably saved them all, and quickly she scurried towards the trees, seeking a new hiding-place behind their thick foliage.

As they marched, at times she would pull again the golden chain from her pocket and inspect the blood-red ruby that hung heavy from it. But the gem now seemed to have lost all its power: it indicated no direction, and all its magic appeared to have been drained of it. Thus she followed the dwarf, offering what little advice she could here and there, though it was entirely unnecessary. Nori seemed to know what he was doing, and she was content to follow for the time being, fearing that she might lead the fellowship astray if she took the leadership from him.

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol considered Nori's clear desire to lead their party past the horsemen. Such confidence must be rooted in something.

"Our duty to find Oderic must be our first concern. My people are not helpless cubs, if these bandits are ill intentioned they will be greeted with spear points.

Lead the way, friend Nori. This area is unfamiliar to me." Dahr-Ol said as he fell in behind the dwarf.

[Vladim]

"That makes two of us," Nori says to Dahr-Ol with a fidgety smile.

The dwarf moves in small bursts, sprinting over narrow distances after he has had a chance to assess his surroundings and when he feels the coast is clear. Once settled in his new spot, he silently "calls" for the others to join him before scurrying to the next spot.

Over the course of about a half hour of patiently planning moves, Nori has brought the group completely around the encampment. The open plain is to one side of them - a short run to the tree line - and the gathering of sellswords is in the opposite direction. The fellowship is no longer backed into a corner, though they are still precariously positioned given their number. Squatting down in front of a large tree, its leafy arms extending over smaller growth in the area like it were blessing the woodlands, Nori looks to the other gathered expectantly (and quietly) to determine their next course of action.