Year 2950: Words of the Wise

[Vladim]

Idunn was weary from the long day's exertions when Bróin raised the alarm. Her keen eyes were tired, and she failed to notice the enemies, but when she heard the cry of the raven, followed swiftly by the dwarf's warning, she turned her head towards the right direction, and there she saw the orcs, looming at a distance.

She had no shield with which to protect herself against a rain of arrows. Even worse, they were almost atop that hillock, and so held the advantage. But they were also distracted with Vara, and she wondered if they had even noticed the three of them. This she could not say with certainty, but she needed to act quickly, lest she waste that potential advantage.

Urging Greycloud to ride as swiftly as he could, she readied her spear and charged against the orcs, hoping to break their formation before they saw her attacking their flank.

 

OOC

I'm good with using a single Dangerous track in this fight, if folks prefer. It will probably be an easy one, but I don't mind.

As for Idunn, though it's not her best stat-, I think what she is trying to do is to Enter the Fray +shadow (ambush). I'll add +1 for Tarric's talisman.

Enter the Fray:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 2 (Total = 4)
d10 Results: 7, 10 (Total = 17)
Sum Total: 21

Edit: That's a miss, and momentum will not help. Adding another to the failure track. As for her Pay the Price, I'll probably have her spotted, and have her (and maybe her horse) take some damage. But before I do, I'll let you fine folk take the spotlight.

[Vladim]

Bróin may have been more at ease out of the Wood - the dwarf seemed brighter, and even sat taller on his rented pony in the open air - but for Tarric it was very nearly the opposite. So much open space was disconcerting and the Beorning felt more exposed with every step they took away from the familiar and concealing boles. Nevertheless, travel was swifter here, and he could not deny the air was sweeter. Perhaps, given time, he --

"-- Enemies Sighted!"

The sudden warning startled Tarric out of his thoughts. He jerked on the reins instinctively, startling his mount into sidling uneasily and tossing its head. Precious moments were wasted getting the horse back under control, leaving Idunn to rush ahead, but then Tarric was rushing after her. The Beorning couched his hunting-spear with care as best he could. Fighting a-horse was not familiar to him at all, but it was the best way to reach the fight quickly.

 

OOC

Updated Journey to Forest Gate progress to 6/10 per Idunn's post.

RE the track for the orcs, I'm good with a single Dangerous track if that what we wanna do! Maybe it's a small scouting party. If we can take care of them all, there's nobody to report back! (which... could be good or bad, we could base it on the rolls when we get there haha.)

Tarric's not attempting stealthiness (and possibly they've spotted Idunn anyway) so going for Enter the Fray with heart.
Enter the Fray - Action (6) vs Challenge (7,5) - (Weak Hit) Hmm... momentum or initiative... I think Tarric will take Initiative, so he can either Strike or Aid an Ally depending on what happens with Idunn's miss or Bróin's move.

[Vladim]

A half-dozen of orcish arrows hissed as they cut through the air and flew towards her reckless, charging form. Some fell short and others flew past her, missing their mark, but one grazed Greycloud. The horse reared up just as she was trying to make herself small and hide behind the bulk of his body. And though Idunn had some experience with riding, this was not the same as trying to maintain control of him on a leisurely trot. She lost her grip and she fell to the ground with a thud, just as the steed fled swiftly, unwilling to be the target of another volley.

Idunn shook her head. She could taste the blood in her mouth. The fall had shaken her, but that was far from the worst of it. Lying on the side of the hill, she was an easy target. She had to be quick about it, but she placed her trust in her companions. They could not be that far behind...

 

OOC

Let me try for an Endure harm (2 harm) as the Pay the Price for her miss:

Endure harm:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 3 (Total = 6)
d10 Results: 6, 8 (Total = 14)
Sum Total: 20

Edit: A miss here. Seems fitting. -2 health, and -1 momentum, and adding another to the failure track. Stats updated!

[Vladim]

Bróin eyed the situation with no small amount of concern. Outnumbered, out-positioned, Vara's swooping and circling around the orcs was about the only thing keeping their full attention on the company. Tarric and Idunn's charge was foundering however; he needed to do something quickly if he wanted to keep the warband from washing over them like a river over pebbles.

Looking about, Bróin begins formulating a strategy to best deal with these foul Uruks...

 

OOC

Gonna try and Secure an Advantage with Wits.
Action Die (5) = 5, Challenge Dice (10) = 2,8
Weak Hit, gonna take the +1 Momentum.

[Vladim]

The others were coming, but the orcs would prove faster. She realized this just as another dart flew past her head, soon to be followed by others. If she charged now, she would be doomed. Instead, she had to find cover, and quickly.

She looked about her with growing concern. There was a lone tree nearest the place where she had fallen, but it was a couple of dozen yards from her. If she could manage to run to it, she would be safe, but while she did so she would be an easy target. But she was already just that; the risk was great, but it was not worse than what she would have to face if she remained.

Mustering her strength, she rose up, though she bent her body in an attempt to make herself smaller.

 

OOC

I think that this should be a Face Danger +edge as she attempts to run to cover. +1 from talisman.

Face Danger:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 4 (Total = 7)
d10 Results: 1, 3 (Total = 4)
Sum Total: 11

Edit: Strong hit. +1 momentum. Stats updated.

[Vladim]

Tarric rushed forward as Idunn was unhorsed, her mount brushing past his as it fled. Fury filled him at the sight. Their mission could not end here! Idunn was already resituating herself, so the Beorning charged at the nearest orc and stabbed recklessly with his spear.

While his charge may or may not have gained Idunn an extra moment, the orc was ready for him. The creature easily batted his spear aside, and the sudden twist sent Tarric out of his seat as well. His own horse took off after Idunn's as he scrambled to his feet. The shaft of the spear had dug into his side with the fall, and he held an arm across his ribs as he rose, but his other hand still held the spear... for now.

 

OOC

Let's try to do some damage! Strike + iron
Strike - Action (6) vs Challenge (6,10) - (Miss) Welp... 'tis true he's not familiar with horseback fighting. Tarric loses initiative and must Pay the Price.

Marking 1 tick on Tarric's Failure track, and then let's do Endure Harm for -2 health, and...
Endure Harm - Action (5) vs Challenge (9,6) - (Miss) Dang. Also -1 momentum and another mark on the Failure track.

[Vladim]

The huntress moved as swiftly as the wind, with fear and determination spurring her on in equal measure. A quiet voice in her head whispered what might have previously sounded like wise and prudent counsel, warning her that her action was folly. She heeded it not; instead she let the sounds of battle drown it as she made her way towards the tree. She thought that luck was with her, for few were the arrows that were unleashed in her direction, but that was not merely good fortune: only too late she noticed Tarric's charge, as reckless as hers, and his unhorsing.

She shouldered the bow that she had readied, and let the arrow fall from her hand, and she let loose a loud battle-cry: "Fly or die! Fly or die!"

Lowering her spear, she charged against them on foot, seeking to take her companion's side.

 

OOC

She has initiative, so let's attempt a Strike +iron:

Strike:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 3)
d10 Results: 4, 1 (Total = 5)
Sum Total: 8

Edit: A weak hit. Inflict harm (2 harm) & lose initiative.

Orc warband (dangerous foe)
Progress: ■■■■□□□□□□

(Edit: Forgot the +1 from talisman but doesn't make a difference anyhow).
(Edit 2: Talisman spent on roll of 1; stats updated! Will still carry it around so as not to be rude, lol!)

[Vladim]

Even as the Orcs are unleashing volley after volley of arrow against Tarric and Idunn, Vara does what she can to aid her comrades in this fight. Cawing insistently as she swoops down, the raven pecks and claws at whichever orc she can on a given pass.

Bróin continues to hang back from the fighting proper, assessing the battlefield and looking for an opening his comrades can exploit. Things look rather bleak to the Dwarf's reckoning, but as he looks on to his feathered comrades continued resistance a measure of hope begins to take root in his heart.

 

OOC

Gonna roll to Face Danger here using Shadow and using Vara. Per Raven I'll add +1 and get +1 Momentum on a hit.
Action Dice = 9, Challenge Dice (12) = 10, 2

Weak Hit unfortunately. Gonna Endure Stress, so -2 to Spirit. Gonna roll Heart for the Endure roll

Action Dice (9) = 9, Challenge Dice (6) = 4,2

Alrighty Strong Hit. Gonna Shake it Off, which when taking Raven into account means no net Momentum loss while reducing Stress loss to -1.

Challenge Dice to End the Fight (10) = 4,6

Strong Hit to end the fight.

[Vladim]

Idunn raced back into battle near him, yelling and thrusting her spear into an orc and wounding it grievously. Up above, Vara cawed and dove, clearly doing her best to assist. It was helping, but he feared it would not be long before the orcs attempted to eliminate the distraction, and Idunn's state was not much better than his.

Perhaps what they needed... was a bigger distraction.

Tarric affected a stagger and let his spear fall to the ground. The nearest orc, seeing the apparent weakness, curled its lip behind its tusks in a gruesome grin. It readied a strike, seeming to savor the moment, toying with him.

But the 'stagger' merely got Tarric closer to all-fours, and he transformed. Suddenly a large bear was in his place! He rose up onto his hind paws, brandished wicked looking claws, and roared.

The orc (and not just the nearest, but the ones behind it, too) flinched violently and stumbled back. But their weapons were still in hand, and they were still a threat. Rage misted the bear's gaze. His prey would not get away. He lunged forward in fury and raked his claws at the orc with the full weight of his bulky body behind them.

His claws carved a bloody arc through the orc's throat, and the bear roared again, trampling the fallen orc under bloody claws as he moved towards his next target.

 

OOC

Marked combat progress 4/10 per Idunn's post.

Tarric's gone bear! xD Any Strike or Clash he performs after this will be using his Berserker asset.

Maybe he can get initiative back. Face Danger + iron, trying to intimidate the orcs and/or get them to pause.
Face Danger - Action (7) vs Challenge (3,1) - (Strong Hit) Yeah! +1 momentum (now 5/10) and Tarric's got the initiative back!

Following up with a Strike + iron using Berserker
Strike - Action (8) vs Challenge (4,8) - (Weak Hit) With Berserker, Tarric inflicts 3 harm, which translates to 6 more progress on the tracker. We're at 10/10! Unfortunately Tarric has lost initiative so he can not End The Fight right now. Also per Berserker he is Pushing Himself, so he must endure 1 harm. Health is now 1/5.
Endure Harm + iron - Action (5) vs Challenge (2,9) - (Weak Hit) So he presses on, but still does not have initiative and can't End the Fight.

[Vladim]

Idunn steeled herself for the counter-attack, closing ranks with Tarric to the extent that it was possible, given that he had taken again the shape of a ferocious bear. Bróin remained behind, but he had sent Vara to fight with them, and she incessantly harassed and hindered the orcs.

There was no fight left in them, and soon this was made evident as they broke ranks and fled, some throwing down shield and spear or sword. Their combined efforts had put the fear of death into them, and though the skirmish had been a brief affair, it was clear that they had no stomach to stay and further test their mettle, despite superior numbers.

The huntress watched them flee, too weary to pursue them. Despite a bad start, they had fared well enough. She cast her gaze towards Tarric and Bróin, wondering if either of them had the inclination to give chase.

 

OOC

Ok, that's a strong hit, so the orc warband is defeated. I wrote that most of them flee, but if you want to give chase and cut some down as they run, feel free. No need for new rolls, as we won fair and square-just say it and it happens.

As this was a complication arising from the Advance a Threat move, feel free to add progress to our main vow (Defend the Woodmen). We should now be at 7/10.

We can now do whatever moves we want (Camp, Heal, Secure an Advantage etc) before continuing the march with another Undertake a Journey. Feel free to roll! Idunn does not anymore benefit from Wildblood 3 when camping (as we're no longer in the forest), so anyone can Make Camp.

[Vladim]

Even as the orcs turned to flee, Tarric landed on a second target and bore it to the ground, tearing at the creature viciously. A new presence closer to his side penetrated his rage, registering the sound and step as not-a-threat, and then recognizing it specifically as Idunn. Friend, not foe. The mist subsided and the bear sat back on his haunches, ignoring the tattered remnants of orc in front of him and the other orcs disappearing from sight.

After a long moment, he heaved a sigh and melted back into Tarric again. "Well, that's done, for good or ill, but I don't think I'm up to chasing them," he confessed to Idunn. "It feels like my side is caved in, though it's probably just a bad bruise."

He took a few seconds' rest there on the ground, then hauled himself to his feet. He waved up to Vara and looked around for Bróin. "I hope the horses didn't go too far..."

Unfortunately, when the duo returned to Bróin's side, their horses were indeed not there, nor anywhere in sight. "With or without them, I think we have to camp," Tarric said regretfully. "It's already getting late; we can recover what we can overnight and hope the horses return in the morning." When there didn't appear to be any objections, the Beorning set to work alongside them to put together the best arrangement for the night that they could.

 

OOC

Marked Orc Warband combat as completed, updated Defend the Woodmen to 7/10 per Idunn's post.

And how about... Ask the Oracle if the horses stuck close, or if we'll have to search a bit? I figure with Idunn's familiarity with her steed (plus maybe it's been in combat before so not as scared), plus the herd mentality of horses... I'll put it as Likely that the horses are close (perhaps around Bróin/his pony or nearby).

Are the horses still here? - 26 or greater says yes - Oracle (15) - (No) Welp. I'd say they're probably still not too far (unless we want to roll for that some more), just that they'll take a bit more effort to recover than just walking back to Bróin.

Okay, rolling for Camp per discord...
Make Camp - Action (10) vs Challenge (2,6) - (Strong Hit) Nice! Everybody gets 2 choices off the Make Camp list. I think Tarric will need to Recuperate (+1 Health) and Partake (+1 more Health at the cost of 1 Supply). This will take our Supply down to 3 and bring Tarric's health up to 3 as well. He would not object to an additional Heal if someone felt it's worth doing, but if we don't want to risk it, 3 Health should be enough to get us to the next stop I think. ^_^

[Vladim]

Idunn nodded. "They cannot be too far." she said to the Beorning, referring to their horses and trying to conceal her concern. Either way, the night was approaching, and there was not much left to be done. They had to rest for a while, and try to recover, and hope that the orcs would not return to seek vengeance for their fallen kin under cover of darkness. Of the latter, she was less certain of. But if they did, at least they would be better prepared for them, and not exposed in the black night, marching blindly and slowly.

She quickly set herself to the task, gathering wood to build a fire. Many of her provisions were with Greycloud, and so she had to rely on what little she still had on her person.

"We must set a watch." she cautioned the others as she worked. "I had thought that orcs here, trespassing so brazenly on Beorn's lands, were an uncommon sight, yet clearly I was wrong to believe it. I am eager to take the middle-hours." she added, volunteering to take the worst shift: the one that would ensure her rest would be cruelly bisected into two shorter segments. At least she would not be alone: she had Uthred with her, and he would bark at the hearing of any threat.

---

The night passed without incident, and on the morning they seemed well-rested and ready to continue their journey. Idunn kept her eyes peeled for their horses, and when the opportunity presented itself, she examined Tarric's injuries, provided that she was permitted.

 

OOC

Given the Strong Hit, I'll take...

• Recuperate (+1 health).
• Prepare (+1 when we next Undertake a Journey).

Supply & Health tracks updated!

In the morning, she tries to heal Tarric... rolling +wits.

Heal:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 3 (Total = 6)
d10 Results: 5, 3 (Total = 8)
Sum Total: 14

Edit: Strong hit. @BlueTrillium, please take +2 health for Tarric (putting him back at max).
Now... let's see what happened to those horses. Like Blue above, I will ask the oracle to see if they return, making it likely (yes on 26+):

 

Ask the Oracle:
Dice Roll: 1d100
d100 Results: 83

Edit: Yes, so they show up at some point. Then, there's no reason to delay this further, so I'll take the Undertake a Journey move and add +1 from the 'Prepare' option above:

 

Undertake a Journey:
Dice Roll: 1d6+4t 2d10
d6 Results: 2 (Total = 6)
d10 Results: 10, 8 (Total = 18)
Sum Total: 24

Edit: A miss, unfortunately, and momentum does not help. Need to brainstorm Pay the Price options. Updated the failure track.

[Vladim]

Soon enough, tracks of the horses were visible, and so Idunn urged the others to come with her and seek out their steeds, before they lost them for good. The trek brought the huntress ever-closer to the Pale Rider, and so she grew uneasy, and to any that had followed her she told the tale.

"There are caves underneath that place." she explained, meaning the chalky hill that sported the ancient image of horse and rider cut into its green side. "In the years of the Great Plague, a cruel king order those who had taken ill to be driven there and walled up, to prevent the spreading of the sickness. My elders once told me that the ghosts of the angry dead still haunt the caves, and that their touch brings back the marks of the plague on the living."

It was a grim tale, and though Idunn did not know the truth of such things, she had no desire or intention to discover it. Thankfully, before long, they found their horses resting by a tree; as soon as they had, the huntress urged them to change their direction, eager to leave that accursed hill behind her.

 

OOC

I'm not feeling very creative so I just lifted that bit straight from The Heart of the Wild, a sourcebook for Wilderland. It has some interesting stuff in it. Regardless, for my Pay the Price, I'll have Idunn Endure Stress (-2 Spirit):

Endure Stress:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 6 (Total = 9)
d10 Results: 4, 5 (Total = 9)
Sum Total: 18

Edit: A strong hit, so she'll Shake it off: -1 Momentum for +1 Spirit. Stats updated.

[Vladim]

Bróin let's out a cheer as his comrades manage to drive off the mongrel orcs with such aplomb! As their foes slink off back to the forest the dwarf reconvenes with the company, Vara pecking at the dead meat as the others converse. "I can take first watch. Vara'll likely want the watch before yours Idunn, provided she doesn't gorge herself to sleep."

"Oye! You know the last time I had meat? I certainly don't! Sure its Orc, but better than nothing!"

Come the morning they were back on the trail. Thanks to Vara's keen eyes they were able to track down the horses in short order, during which Bróin listened to Idunn's tale of the Pale Rider.

"A grim story indeed, but even here there is wisdom. Those who lead must often make hard choices in the name of duty, and service to the greater good often requires the sufferance of lesser evils. My heart goes out for any such poor souls aye... but how many more lives would this king have saved by his actions I wonder?"

 

OOC

Gonna go for Relax and Focus as my Camp moves, bringing Bróin back to full Spirit and giving him +1 Momentum.

[Vladim]

Tarric found himself with the last watch, allowing him the opportunity to rest up beforehand -- and it was surprisingly restful, perhaps the combination of the orcs' presence and their subsequent fight and flight had scared away anything else that might have bothered them. Such rest was also helped by the wrapping Idunn had applied around his ribs, much tighter and more secure than he'd have been able to manage on his own. The extra support definitely made moving around and even sleeping a lot easier.

Whatever the reason, the night and all their watches passed without incident, and in the morning between everyone's efforts the horses were found once more, and things were looking up.

The only pall was the pale presence of the ghostly rider carved into the hill. Listening to Idunn's tale sent a wash of cold down his spine, and Tarric was fully on board with resuming their previous course and getting the unsettling artwork (tomb?) further behind them. He rode slightly ahead, looking out for threats in the hopes that if there were any more orcs around, he'd spot them first.

 

OOC

Updated Tarric's Health to 5 per Idunn's roll!

So let's try this next leg of the journey again...
Undertake a Journey - Action (7) vs Challenge (4,1) - (Strong Hit) Excellent, so we mark progress! I think that means our Journey to Forest Gate is now at 8/10?