Year 2950: Words of the Wise

[Vladim]

When Idunn at length returned to the party of Woodmen hunters, they were at least not bickering amongst themselves, but waiting patiently instead. Tarric's calming words had not, it seemed, been entirely without effect.

Idunn conveyed the news as quickly as she could, admitting that neither she nor Uthred had been able to catch the hound. Her words had been met with more curses, though there was nothing besides that that any of them could do.

Amalric pondered for a while, thinking if it was worth leaving his brother behind to deal with the hound. Perhaps it would have served as just punishment for his error. But in the end, he decided against it-Eranbar needed the practice if he was to be a proper hunter one day. "Not much to do now..." he finally said, "...except hope that he will find his way home, and not scare our prey. Come. This has cost us enough time as it is."

And with those words, he approached the place Leesha had pointed out earlier. There were tracks there-deer tracks, and fresh by the look of it. The hunters followed them quietly for a while, until they reached a small clearing. There, Amalric gestured for everyone to stay back while he crawled forward slowly, intending to have a closer look.

"There are some deer and a stag." he whispered as soon as he had returned. "The four of us will go for the stag. You get as many of the deer as you can!" he urged them, readying his bow. Then, he unclasped a hunting horn from his belt, and handed it to them, adding: "If we get separated, use this to help us find you. My brother will do the same with his if we lose you. Let’s go-quietly!"

 

OOC

I decided to move us forward as I want to keep a decent pace for this adventure.

I didn't assume anything for Tarric/Leesha as I didn't want to write your PCs' reactions. Obviously, if Tarric joins and stays closely in bear-shape, there's going to be some reaction (feel free to write that in, in your post, and fill in the blanks, if you are so inclined) but the Woodmen know the stories about the Beornings, so they won't object/protest.

In terms of choices and mechanics, PCs can now attempt to convince Amalric to change prey (a compel, perhaps), and they can stealthily approach their prey (a Face Danger with Shadow). If anyone fails the Stealth check, we'll likely go into a chase scene. Who gets the hunting horn should not matter much-so feel free to take it if you want to, otherwise I'll just give it to Idunn (in bear-shape, it might be a bit tricky for Tarric to handle it).

Good luck!

 

 

Mechanics

Ok, I am not sure if they're gonna have someone stay behind to try and catch the hound so... Ask the Oracle? 51+ they do.

Ask the Oracle:
Dice Roll: 1d100
d100 Results: 7

Edit: Nope.

[Vladim]

"Uh... sorry about that!" Leesha called back, not having meant to startle anyone. Perhaps context was important to take into consideration next time.

Leesha looked down as Tarric warned her to hold on. "Bumpy? What are..." Leesha was cut off as the man she was standing on suddenly began to shift. Her eyes widened and her two small hands reflexively clutched on to the man's back in terror as the flesh below her began to ripple and expand. The fur which sprouted gave her a better handhold, allowing her to barely hang on. As the transformation finished, she blinked. She... well, she was actually a little lower to the ground than before, but was otherwise on a bear... she was on a bear? The human had turned into a bear. She heard the word "Beornings" thrown around, not that she knew what that was.

"T-Thanks for warning me."

Leesha didn't say much as the hunters discussed, clearly too distracted by her newfound revelation that bears could just be humans in disguise. As Amalric and Idunn discussed, Leesha sat back cross legged and thought about the situation. "Alright, well if we're hunting deer we should probably stay quiet yeah?"

Now that Leesha sat here for a moment, there was something about being on a bear that made her feel taller...

 

Mechanics

Assuming that Tarric stays in bear form, since Leesha is staying on him, I'll give her a "Aid an Ally" check.

Helping be stealthy! Giving all that good advice and warning twigs and what not. Will narrate in next post since we don't know how well Tarric does Roll secure an advantage [Shadow] (+1 Cause Loyalist)

Weak Hit! Tarric gets +1 momentum. Leesha gets +1 momentum.

[Vladim]

The scattered startled exclamations that accompanied his shift to bear bought a pleased chuff from Tarric. To those that lived in Rhosgobel, his abilities were not exactly a secret, but he didn't go out of his way to display them either. For some it would indeed have been the first time they actually witnessed the transformation. He was most pleased, though, that Leesha had held on and did not seem inclined to screaming or other carrying-on about it. Surprises were fun, but not when they hurt his ears.

Less-pleasing was Idunn's return without the missing hound, but it could not be helped -- and likely the hound would get home before they did. He nodded his ponderous furry head at the news and continued on with the group as the hunt began in earnest.

Tarric-bear grunted non-committally his opinion about Amalric's 'plan' but waited patiently as one of the others accepted the emergency horn. He looked to Idunn, bowed his head briefly to acknowledge her as the leader of the new subgroup, and scuffed the dirt with his paw. In the small cleared spot he drew a wobbly X with a claw, and then a half-circle around to the far side of it and tilted his head to her questioningly to see if she understood.

 

Mechanics

Tarric is suggesting that one of them (either himself, or Idunn) get around to the far side of the deer (so they are opposite each other), and then he makes the deer uneasy so they are herded towards Idunn. Basically the X was supposed to be the target (deer) and then the half circle was one of them going to the other side, haha. He'll do as Idunn directs though (including turn back to human if she prefers).

Meanwhile, he'll need stealth regardless of which plan is followed, so rolling that Face Danger (shadow) to see how it goes: Action (3) vs Challenge (9,8) - Miss. (Urp. Sounds like he might end up frightening the deer before we intend.)

[Vladim]

Idunn nodded quietly as the man-turned-bear wordlessly laid out his plan. The drawing was clear, and so she had understood everything. It was a good idea, and though she had not hunted with a shape-shifted Beorning before, she thought it was well worth attempting.

In truth, other matters weighed more heavily on her mind now.

Nonetheless, she readied bow and arrow, and waited patiently in the undergrowth. But before Tarric and Leesha could move fully into position, they all heard the sound of many deer. Jumping. Fleeing! Somehow, they had been noticed, and now their quarry was escaping! Everything was determined to go wrong today!

Instead of running towards her, the deer were now moving away, deeper and deeper into the forest, and scattering. There must have been four or five of them. Forgetting the danger of getting separated and lost, Idunn rose up quickly, eager to at least catch one of the animals. If she could get closer while the beasts remained confused and surprised, then perhaps she could take a shot... and not suffer the embarrassment of returning empty-handed again.

 

Mechanics

A miss is a miss, so the most logical outcome is that the deer notice us and get spooked. Let's go with that!

I think Idunn will try to chase one of them, so I'll use Face Danger with +Edge, adding +1 for Wildblood. You can also attempt the same, or something else-up to you! Perhaps if it's a miss, then she loses Tarric's and Leesha's position, and is in danger of getting lost... if it's a hit, then she can take a shot (mechanically represented by another Face Danger +Edge):

Face Danger:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 4)
d10 Results: 2, 3 (Total = 5)
Sum Total: 9

Edit: Strong hit. +1 Momentum (so she's at 3/10). I'll let you two post before I attempt the shot, feel free to work it all into your narrative, if you want.

PS: For Tarric, if you're using Failure Tracks, don't forget to Mark your Failure!

[Vladim]

A chagrined bear was quite an odd sight. Or it would have been, if anyone had been looking. As it was, Leesha may have noted his ears flattening to his head as it dipped, and the slight hunching of his shoulders. Foolish... of course the deer would scent him! He hadn't been paying close enough attention and now they were fleeing.

Idunn and her personal hound were chasing after one of the prey with impressive speed. And, well, the deer were unlikely to become more scared, so Tarric dropped his failed attempt at stealth and lumbered after her.

 

Mechanics

Marked the Failure from the previous post into Tarric's failure track.

Let's see if Tarric can keep up with Idunn and/or the deer (Face Danger - edge): Action (6) vs Challenge (1,8) - Weak Hit. (So I'd say he at least keeps within a reasonable distance of Idunn, but probably doesn't manage any better than that. -1 momentum, so momentum is now 4.) *edit to add* +1 Momentum from Leesha's Aid an Ally move, so back to 5 momentum.

[Vladim]

Idunn had her eyes locked onto one of the deer, chasing it relentlessly as it sped off into the thicker parts of the forest. She did not know where her companions were, but she hoped that they were following closely behind, or perhaps were running after quarries of their own.

Either way, her attention was now focused solely on the hunt, and the creature directly ahead.

After what seemed like several minutes of pursuit, the deer stopped suddenly, forcing her to do the same. She knew and felt that this was her chance, and probably the best she would be able to secure in what had so far proved an ill-fated hunt. She held up bow and arrow as she approached quietly, lining up her shot...

 

Mechanics

Ok, I am not sure if teth wants to post, but let's give it one more say... until then, Securing an Advantage by lining up a shot (+wits), with +1 from the Wildblood asset:

Secure an Advantage:
Dice Roll: 1d6+4t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 5)
d10 Results: 2, 8 (Total = 10)
Sum Total: 15

Edit: A weak hit, so a short-lived advantage. +1 Momentum, bringing her to +4/10.

[Vladim]

"Woah!" Leesha did her best to hold on as Tarric charged after Iduun as the deer ran. Chasing down prey, now this was new to her. She wasn't the worse with a sling in the Shire, but she doubted she could kill a deer with one even assuming she could hit.

Well, if the deer were already running, might as well give it a shot. Balancing herself as best she could, Leesha reached into her pouch for something.... Sparkweed. Name gives an obvious image. While generally harmless, when ignited or under other specific circumstances it will give off harmless sparks. Leesha found it generally good for scaring animals to go where you want them and intended on using it to help ward the prey in a helpful direction.

Unfortunately, Leesha wasn't a proficient bear rider. As she pulled out some of the weed, a sharp turn caused her to drop the weed, in front of Tarric, instead causing sparks to erupt in front of the bear.

 

Mechanics

Leesha is going to reach into her pouch for some reagents she rolled into a ball that will make sparks when ignited... or more accurately, Check Her Gear to see if she happens to have any.

Roll Check Your Gear [Supply]

And that's a miss on a +5! On a miss, you don’t have it and the situation grows more perilous. Pay the Price.

Well, I'm thinking she does actually have them but accidently drops them which might or might not cause Tarric to trip up in his attempt to follow Iduun. Perhaps he should make a Face Danger of his choice, perhaps Heart or Edge.

EDIT: Probably don't need to. Apparently there is a scripted negative event soon.

Weak Hit! Tarric gets +1 momentum. Leesha gets +1 momentum.

[Vladim]

She was ready to let loose her arrow. She was certain that she could at least injure the beast, but only if she acted quickly. But before she could do anything of the sort, a sudden blast of a horn, that seemed to be coming from not a great distance, filled in the forest.

Immediately, the deer startled, and though Idunn quickly shot, she was too late, and she missed. She cursed again the hunters that had, unwittingly, ruined her chance, but that singular horn blast was quickly followed by two others, with the last one cutting off in the middle with a squeal.

Something was strange. Even those amongst them that were unaccustomed to the hunts of the Woodmen could guess that something must have gone wrong. There was danger afoot, and as they all fell silent, they could hear, more faintly now, the sounds of battle and the barking of dogs.

Idunn quickly regrouped with the others, but she did not say a word. The look of grave concern on her face told all. They had to move to the aid of the others quickly and quietly, before whatever fate had befallen them overtook them.

 

OOC/Mechanics

Let's have one of us lead with a Face Danger (probably an Edge or a Shadow, representing speed or stealth respectively, but others should be doable too, such as Wits (caution) or Heart (courage)). I'm good for someone else to take the lead on this, or use Idunn-whatever the group feels like. Depending on the outcome, I will set the scene that follows, and determine its details based on the rolls.

Others can help too with Secure Advantage or Aid your Ally, as you see fit. Good luck!

[Vladim]

Tarric held back a roar with effort, a low grumble vibrating through his torso instead. The bear-man turned to face the sounds of battle and tensed to spring into motion, awaiting only the readiness of his companions.

 

OOC/Mechanics

Kinda feel like Tarric stole the lead before when he messed up the hunt-the-deer action, so maybe this time it's his turn to Aid an Ally - by getting them to the upcoming situation as directly as possible. xD Upon their readiness he does plan to take off full speed. Idunn could certainly hitch a ride behind Leesha if she wants. Courage/loyalty, not a lot of thought, so I'll try with heart (can be adjusted if it's judged that stat doesn't fit).

Support the Allies' journey to help the battle! (Secure Advantage/Aid Ally - heart): Action (5) vs Challenge (5,10) - Miss. (Ouch. Another tick for the failure track I guess. So maybe that roar escapes after all and the enemy is warned >_< Or Tarric gets slowed/stuck by an obstacle on the way? Depending which, I assume he suffers some kinda loss.)

[Vladim]

"What was that?" Leesha looked over in the direction of the horn blast. With a shout Tarric started heading in that direction, with Idunn following as well, her nimble form seemingly quite adept at traversing the woods.

Leesha felt no surprise that the man who turned into a bear was running head first into danger, but Leesha thought about it. Danger in hunting was natural, perhaps they'd just run into a large boar or something. But if that were the case, would they really call for backup? Perhaps humans hunted differently, but generally getting away was the top priority to regroup and come back around.

As the group quickly approached where the horn blast came from, Leesha shouted out at her companions. "Wait a moment!" As she felt the others slowing down, Leesha looked over in front of them, seeing if she could see anything. "We don't know what we're up against, what if they were attacked by bandits or the like? I think we should still make haste, but approach with a bit more caution. If there is an enemy, getting the jump on them would help our allies more than arriving a few seconds earlier."

 

Mechanics

Normally, Leesha is a supportive individual who'd take the Aid an Ally action, since she's a Loyalist and all that. But lets have Leesha take the lead this time since she currently has the benefit of having a ride! (Of course Iduun can hop on as well if she'd like) Roll Face Danger [Heart]

And that's a strong hit! On a strong hit, you are successful. Take +1 momentum. Leesha has a +2 to Heart. I'm actually going to change that roll retrospectively to Wits, which makes no difference since Leesha's Heart is lower than her Wits to approach cautiously.

[Vladim]

It was not the first time that Idunn had been offered a ride on the back of a bear-shifted Beorning. Not more than a year ago, Dahr-Ol had given her a similar chance, when they set out to hunt orcs with Beorn himself on that nightly adventure along the Anduin. Yet she was still unaccustomed to even horse-riding, and the thought of her on the back of a bear made her uneasy. That, and she did not want to slow them down, which she might, encumbered as she was with her mail armor. And so now, like then, she politely declined, but quickly followed them, weapons at the ready.

Their party paused as soon as Leesha had spoken, heeding her words. The hobbit was right, of course. As they approached cautiously, the sounds of battle grew louder, as did the barking of the Woodmen's long-limbed hounds. But that was not all: now they could also hear strange, guttural voices, that sounded unlike that of any man or beast. Instantly, they recognized them for what they were: orcs!

At a distance, they saw their allies, fighting on an overgrown path, and the faded silhouettes of the orcs. They were locked in combat, with the Woodmen outnumbered and sorely pressed. One of them had already been felled, it seemed, though they could not make out who. They could not merely observe now. If they continued to do so, then surely the orcs would overpower them.

 

Mechanics

For Tarric's Pay the Price, let's say that one of the NPCs is gravely wounded. It is not visible from this distance, but Eranbar (Amalric's brother) has been hit with several arrows and is unconscious. One of our characters can, if they wish, attempt a Heal, but it may impact the mechanics. Feel free to use the info in your post, if you want (and if your PC approaches).

As a result of Leesha's strong hit with wits (representing a cautious approach), we can attempt to Secure an advantage (in any way you wish), or, in the upcoming fight, Enter the Frey with both +Heart or +Shadow (players' choice), and use ranged weapons if so desired (for opening volleys etc).

I think the simplest way to handle the fight is to have a separate one for each PC that wants to engage. The rank of the orcs can be Troublesome or Dangerous-you can ask the oracle (50/50 chance) if you want. If one of us is trying to help the NPCs with Heals etc, then the orcs are likely (26+ on an Ask the Oracle roll) to be Dangerous (representing greater numbers).

I don't think it's necessary to specify the exact number of orcs, but there should be a mix of archers and melee enemies; something like a party of 10-15 enemies. Feel free to write the narrative stuff as you want. I think I'll deal with the mechanics first for Idunn, and then write a summary of the fight in one post.

If we are all defeated, then I think the cost would be that we fail to protect the NPCs, and be forced to flee. But we can also fight to the bitter end if necessary.

[Vladim]

Idunn approached quietly, with bow in one hand and arrow in the other, seeking to ambush the orcs and goblins that had clearly taken the Woodmen by surprise. She felt as if she was near enough, well within bow-shot. She had a clear view of the enemy, so much so that even if her arrow flew astray, it would not endanger any of the hunters. Yet before she could let loose, black-feather arrows flew to her.

She had been spotted before she could act or react, and one of the orcish darts suddenly struck against her armor. She felt the impact as the weapon embedded itself into the chain links and the padding below. She would pay for her mistake with a nasty bruise, but thankfully the point failed to break her skin. A good thing, for she knew that Mirkwood goblins poisoned their projectiles.

Still, she had no time to waste: she shot back as quickly as she could, striking a goblin dead whilst others swarmed around her. There were three or four at least; on their own, nothing but troublesome foes, yet dangerous in greater numbers. She fought back frantically, but she felt a knife slash at her, making a superficial cut on her thigh, and likely drawing some blood. Yet at the same time, her spear-point found purchase in another, but the rest of her foes only snarled and hissed with hatred. One of them pushed her to the ground, and she fell.

Yet as quickly as she had gone down, she rose again. Grasping her great spear with both hands, she threatened them with its glinting, broad-leafed blade, and they fell back for but a moment. It was brief, yet long enough to seek favorable terrain in the overgrown path, and she secured it at once, before her foes had rallied, making ready to again throw themselves against her.

This time, she was better prepared, and almost ran through another. After that, the rest seemed to lose their courage, and begun to flee.

The fighting had been brief, yet intense. In her struggle, she had failed to see how the others had been faring. Now, she looked to them, seeking to find any that might require her aid…

Mechanics

Firstly, she'll approach stealthily with bow & arrow. Secure an Advantage +Shadow using the Wildblood asset (forest knowledge).

Secure an Advantage:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 2 (Total = 4)
d10 Results: 10, 1 (Total = 11)
Sum Total: 15

Weak hit. Short-lived advantage. +1 momentum (so at +5). Let's determine the rank of the foe now. Likely (26+) to be Dangerous; otherwise Troublesome:

 

Ask the Oracle:
Dice Roll: 1d100
d100 Results: 82

Edit: Dangerous foe. Perhaps a small number of goblins. Then, Enter the Fray with +Shadow:

 

Enter the Fray:
Dice Roll: 1d6+1t 2d10
d6 Results: 2 (Total = 3)
d10 Results: 10, 5 (Total = 15)
Sum Total: 18

Edit: A miss, and momentum won't help, I think. So an obvious Pay the Price is that she's noticed and is shot at. Endure harm (2 harm), bringing her to 3/5 health:

 

Endure Harm:
Dice Roll: 1d6+3t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 4)
d10 Results: 1, 10 (Total = 11)
Sum Total: 15

Edit: Weak hit. You press on. Stats: Health 3/5, Spirit 5/5, Momentum +5. Let's Clash using the bow (edge):

 

Clash:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 3)
d10 Results: 8, 3 (Total = 11)
Sum Total: 14

Edit: Another miss, but let's make it a Weak hit by burning momentum. Momentum now at +2, and 2 harm inflicted on foe, so 4/10 progress. Then she must Pay the Price. Let's force her to go into melee as the goblins close in. No more bow. And Clash again with +iron:

 

Clash:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 5 (Total = 7)
d10 Results: 10, 9 (Total = 19)
Sum Total: 26

Edit: Another miss! Another Endure harm (-2 health), so she's at 1/5:

 

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

Edit: Weak hit. You press on. Clash again:

 

Clash:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 6 (Total = 8)
d10 Results: 1, 9 (Total = 10)
Sum Total: 18

Edit: Weak hit. Inflict 2 harm, so progress becomes 8/10. Pay the Price... perhaps knocked down, necessitating a Face Danger (edge)?

 

Face Danger:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 1 (Total = 3)
d10 Results: 2, 6 (Total = 8)
Sum Total: 11

Edit: Weak hit. -1 Momentum, but she gets up. Let's hit the pause button for now. Stats are:
Health 1/5
Spirit 5/5
Supply 5/5
Momentum: +1
Initiative: No
Misses: 2

Summary: Sneaks, is shot at (-2 health), shoots back (hits), is swarmed (melee), is hit (-2 health), hits back, is knocked down, gets up... and that's as far as we got.

Perhaps the next move is to Face Danger +Edge with Skirmisher to hold them at bay.

 

Face Danger:
Dice Roll: 1d6+2t 2d10
d6 Results: 4 (Total = 6)
d10 Results: 1, 6 (Total = 7)
Sum Total: 13

Edit: Weak hit, so +1 Momentum -1 Momentum, no effect in total (but narratively succeeds). Now, this is getting silly-we need initiative to End the Fight but I think I'll use Turn the Tide to steal initiative and attempt a Secure an Advantage with +Wits to find more favorable terrain to fight on. With the +1, that's going to be a +4:

 

Secure an Advantage:
Dice Roll: 1d6+4t 2d10
d6 Results: 5 (Total = 9)
d10 Results: 2, 7 (Total = 9)
Sum Total: 18

Edit: Ok, that's a +3 momentum (for a total of +4) and she has Initiative, so she can End the Fight with 8 progress:

 

End the Fight:
Dice Roll: 2d10
d10 Results: 6, 2 (Total = 8)

Edit: Strong hit. The foe is no longer in the fight. Phew. That was a long one  So the summary is something like:

Sneaks, is shot at (-2 health), shoots back (hits), is swarmed (melee), is hit (-2 health), hits back, is knocked down, gets up...
...then manages to place herself at favorable distance, looks around, secures more favorable terrain, and then ends the fight (probably a kill, and the rest flee). Ends with:
Health 1/5
Spirit 5/5
Supply 5/5
Momentum: +4
Misses: 2

[Vladim]

A tentative plan in place, Tarric circled as close as he could get to the fallen hunter before bursting into the area under cover of combat and Idunn's arrows. He paused to let Leesha climb off, then stood and roared to distract from her presence before bounding into the fray!

His sudden appearance mid-fight froze the initial pair of orcs for a crucial moment, and the Beorning's massive paw swiped down, snapping one foe's neck immediately.

Tarric barreled forward into the second, mauling that one as well, but not before its weapon opened a small gash in his side. The man-turned-bear roared defiance in the dying face of the one that injured him, then looked about for more foes.

Mechanics

Okay so let's see..

Starting off with a Secure an Advantage attempt at intimidation with that roar -- I think that'd be iron.

 

Action (5) vs 

 

Challenge (3,1) - Strong Hit. (Prepare to act. +2 momentum, momentum now +7)

Now to figure the difficulty of his particular group of the foe he's running into. Likely (26+) to be Dangerous, else Troublesome.

 

Ask the Oracle (20) - Troublesome (3 progress per harm, inflicts 1 harm. Maybe he can only get to a couple of the orcs at first.)

Then Enter the Fray rushing in to protect and distract from the others -- heart, I think.

 

Action (8) vs 

 

Challenge (4,4) - Strong Hit with DOUBLES. (+2 more momentum, now at +9, and Tarric has Initiative. Maybe with the doubles + the previous Strong Hit, he succeeds so well at intimidation/distraction that the allies and Leesha get some breathing room?)

With this most excellent setup, he will Strike (+iron) and hope to take down some foes.

 

Action (6) vs 

 

Challenge (4,1) - Strong Hit (Forgot to unleash his rage this time xD So he inflicts regular harm (2, I think his bear form counts as a deadly weapon) + 1 for Strong Hit = 3 harm. That's 9/10 progress and he still has initiative.)

So let's see if he can End the Fight with this Troublesome bit of foe and move on to keep protecting the group. (+iron)

 

Action (3) Ignore that, for this I use my progress of 9 vs 

 

Challenge (9,8) - Weak Hit (The foe is defeated... but, hm... Let's say they manage to nick him in the process. -1 Health.)

Endure Harm +health (4) gives us...

 

Action (8) vs 

 

Challenge (9,9) - Miss and Doubles (Dang, and momentum can't help with those numbers. So, -1 momentum, now at +8. Another tick for the Failure track. And maybe something for the doubles.... but let's pause here.)

[Vladim]

Leesha wasn't sure if she jumped or just slipped off Tarric's back, but she could swear that one moment they were charging towards... orcs? She'd never seen orcs up close before, only having heard of them in stories. Their skin which gave off a charred look as well as grunts and growls made each seem more terrifying than a charging...

Leesha shook her head. By the time she'd finished those thoughts, her two companions had just about made it to the frontlines. "Gotta help..." Leesha had to admit, she did not expect to be fighting orcs carrying actual weapons during this hunting trip, it was a bit outside her wheelhouse. She rushed over to the one on the ground, she believed his name was Ingi. The man was groaning and clutching his side with wide eyes and babbling all sort of nonsense, but clearly pretty beat up.

"Hey, hey! Look at me, you gonna be alright ya hear? Don't worry, let me just take a look..." Leesha grimaced as she looked at the wound. The wound wasn't large, but clearly incredibly painful as the gash had been created by a jagged axe, which tore the flesh with it as it passed through, leaving the wound torn. And while Leesha couldn't be sure, she didn't expect those weapons to be sanitized. "Um... you're looking just fine. Give me a moment..."

Leesha continued to speak, trying her best to ignore someone falling to the ground just a few feet away. She didn't even bother checking who it was as the terror was starting to build up and she decided to stay focused on the patient in front of her. While she was no soldier, dealing with patients who thought they were about to die was something Leesha was quite familiar with... this wasn't so different right? Leesha continued to sooth the man as she pulled out some basic herbal remedies and applied them to Ingi's wounds. "There, hold these on that gash of yours and you'll be just...."

Ingi gave out a shout, just in time for Leesha to look up and see an axe falling directly on her head. She dove madly away from both the axe and her patient. The axe landed in the soft dirt and the orc looked at the young hobbit with terrifying eyes. Before she could move, the orc lifted his foot and kicked the small hobbit, sending her flying in a nearby tree and taking the air out of her lungs.

Mechanics

Well, Leesha is going to start out by running over to the injured NPC and trying her best to help them up. Going to try to Heal.
 

 

Roll Heal [Wits +3] [Herbalist +2]

Weak Hit. Leesha succeeds in helping the NPC but loses a momentum for taking the time in an active combat to help someone out. She's now going to roll init with... I guess shadow since she's entering the fight but wasn't already fighting so hopefully no one notices her. Could have chosen heart, but guess I'll roll first since they are the same modifier for Leesha.
 

 

Roll Enter The Fray [Shadow +2]

Miss! On a miss, combat begins with you at a disadvantage. Pay the Price. Hmm... Well, although this is a fantasy game combat medicine isn't very practical cause generally you leave yourself open to getting stabbed. So we'll go with that. Leesha is going to be attacked after finishing up her treatment and loses the initiative as well. -1 Health.

Since she missed her "Enter the Fray" check, I'll end it there.

 

[Vladim]

A few foes lay fallen and broken at their feet, having been vanquished by the hunters. The rest had fled fast into the forest, where none with any wits about them would dare follow them.

For a good while, the Woodmen eyed the trees suspiciously, fearing that another attack was imminent. They were half-expecting more black-feathered arrows to start flying through the air, hissing, and those few that had shields stepped forth and kept them up, ready. But when no more orcs appeared, all drew breaths of relief, and looked to their wounded.

Eranbar was the one that had suffered the worst of it. The others, it seemed, Tarric and Idunn included, had their own injuries, yet none of those seemed life-threatening. Thanks to Leesha’s efforts, for which she too had received harm, the young Woodman appeared to slowly drift back into consciousness. He was alive yet; though he now seemed delirious, and in great need of immediate aid.

’Poison!’ Idunn exclaimed, fearing the worst. ’We must take him to Radagast!’ added Eirnwyn, who had fought bravely against the goblins with sword and shield, and cut down two of them.

 

OOC

I think there’s been a bit of a mistake in @teth ‘s post above-the one wounded most was Eranbar, not Ingi. Ingi is my spouse’s PC, but I don’t think she’s had any time to post yet! Still-I’d rather keep her character in the background, just in case.

No need to edit anything though, I think everything can be attributed to the fog of war and the chaotic skirmish and the fact that our PCs may not be completely familiar of each other.

To keep the momentum on this story, I am good to continue with one of us taking the lead and making a Face Danger with any appropriate stat to summarize the return to Rhosgobel. I’m happy to do it myself, but also happy to let one of you two take the lead. Or, we can do other stuff too, like more dialogue/RP or other moves (e.g. Heals etc). Up to you.