Dale in the Fourth Age: Session One, "DEWy-eyed novices"

[glee]

Tom understands that we may not need watches nor to spend the night in a better-defended (and more comfortable) position.
He admits he is basing his suggestions on stories he heard about other hobbits going on adventures.

However the hut will prevent possible enemies coming from all directions ... and be dry.
If we block up the window, we can even have a fire (for light and heat) - which would attract nocturnal predators if we camped outside.

He says to the party "Please consider that even if there is only a tiny risk of death in spending the night outside with us all asleep, it's worth avoiding! And I really want to live and become a better Sorcerer..."

[Appleciders]

"If the group at large recommends spending the night in the wild, instead of in this cabin, I'll accede to that idea. I do not know the ways of this swamp, and I trust our more local advisors."

[Malacandra]

The group, leaning on the advice of the scout and the forester, moves on in the gathering darkness, and makes perhaps a mile more progress before it becomes plain that they are spending more time helping each other out of bogs than getting anywhere. Bruno, while not especially a swamp-man, has enough experience of living rough that he is able to find the party a campsite that at least offers dry ground, but any argument there might have been about making a fire is forestalled by the lack of any suitable fuel. It is some comfort that the nights are not really cold at this time of year.

Aster -- who in between being called upon to spy out land during the course of the day has seized any opportunity going to nap on Gabe's shoulder -- finds a perch in a rather scraggy half-drowned tree, from which to offer at least some vigilance during the darkest hours although the druid warns everyone not to expect more than a hoot or a screech. The night is by no means silent; what between the croak of frogs at the very least, some less identifiable sounds at an indeterminate distance, and something that Eli has heard now and then in his life, the constant irritating sound of what hobbits sometimes call "neekerbreekers", combine to make it a cheerless place even for someone like Tom who lived half his life up to his knees in a peat bog.

[glee]

In the morning, Tom will recover his Magic Missile spell.

He begs the party to reconsider for the future - surely spending the night comfortably indoors with a fire, keeping watches and having a hot breakfast is better than sleeping in a noisy swamp with only an friendly owl as a guard.

[Elendil's Heir]

"If it's a shelter that's not well-sprinkled with mysterious yellow death-powder, I, for one, will certainly be open to sleeping in it," Eli says. "But the light of a fire in wild places at night will often draw unwelcome visitors."

[choie]

Rowena pulls her sleeves down over her hands and stuffs them into her skirt's pockets, trying to warm them. The mood around the circle seems gloomy, and it's infecting her. She never did get an answer to her question whether these alleged strangers are actually being sought by someone. They don't appear dangerous, but even cheerful, harmless-looking Tom is a sorcerer, or claims to be, and if that's the truth it's pretty impressive.

Whatever their background, Rowena knows it's in her best interests to stay useful. More of a potential reward that way.

Her fingers are warmer now. She pulls out her kit and, opting not to use her bow, plucks it like a lute, picking out a few arpeggios and a chord or two, limbering up. "So... while we were traveling, back before the Mant and all, I was working on a little something to commemorate our quest. Not much, and I'm gonna have to invent a tune, but..." But we've got nothing to fill our bellies, so why not fill our hearts instead? Rowena keeps this thought to herself. It's something Heribert would've said, in his rich bass voice, but she doesn't have that sort of... hearty power? Gravity? Well, she'll do her best.

She hums along with the tune and then, skipping a few of the beginning verses, sings her best:

...The Eagle did trust us
To mete out true justice
And thus we went out t'ward the wood.

But lieth in silence,
A corpse born through violence
Of villains unknown in the wood.

Thus through the thick bower
To a house, dark and dour
Approacheth our band in the wood...

Rowena looks toward Eli with a smile.

Canny halfling took care
For to see what lay there
in the dwelling alone in the wood.

Ere long Eli returned
To share all that he learned
From this dwelling alone in the wood

"What was rooted in place,
Moves with unholy grace,
'round the dwelling alone in the wood!"

Then, lo, like a serpent
A plant's vine, emergent--

Her fingers freeze mid-twang as her singing abruptly stops. "That's... that's as far as I got. When we saw that man...thing." She's glad the darkness hides her burning face. What had been a fun adventure turned serious when they had to kill a man who wasn't dead enough to die. It feels wrong to sing a merry tune now, and she regrets having started.

She turns to Bruno. "Um... during the fight, I was trying to play that song you were singing earlier while working. 'Roll the Old Chariot Along,' I think it was? I recognized the tune. It's a sea shanty, isn't it?" She plucks out the melody, slow and thoughtful. "Are you a sailor of some sort? Or from some seaside village?" Rowena looks around at the group. "I'd love to listen to you all tell something about yourselves, if you've a mind to."

[What Exit?]

Bruno looks thoughtful then replies in a quiet voice, "I am no sailor though I've fished and rowed on the mighty Anduin. But my mother's father was a sailor indeed. It was from him I learned the old work song or two. In my youth, the two of us would fish often. My grandmother and mother loved fish. Then one night the old man went out alone and never returned. My grandmother knew he was gone and at the next New Moon danced the night away with our cousins the bears and joined them. I have seen neither since. I was but 10 at the time."

[Elendil's Heir]

"That's a nice start to the song, Rowena," Eli says, smiling encouragingly. "I don't think anyone's ever mentioned me in a song before. Thank you!"

[glee]

Tom also enjoyed the Bard's song (he remembers the occasional sing-song round a fire from his peat-bog days.)

He has brought some yellow powder (safely sealed) from the hut and carefully passes it to Gabe for analysis.

[Malacandra]

One way and another, the party manage to sleep OOC: well enough for normal hit point and spell slot recovery, at any rate and nothing dire happens to them overnight, although they feel a slight sense of unwellness from having camped out in what someone else, at another time and another place, might have justifiably described as a "vile, pestiferous slough". With the coming of daylight, they pack up and find a way easier to find out of this rather damp, dismal place, soon finding the ground firming up as they gain a little elevation.

By mid-morning they are looking back over the damp green behind them, a trivial hindrance such as a great Eagle might have flown over in ten minutes or so, and reaching the heights of a ridge where a steady breeze is indeed blowing. On the far side there is a rather steeper descent to green pastureland where a collection of farm buildings can be clearly seen. Several score sheep are wandering around on the lower ground, contentedly getting on with the morning business of cropping the grass a little closer. It is just possible to make out some people, doubtless farmhands, about their several tasks.

As the adventurers descend the slope, they notice a woman with a couple of sheepdogs striding in their direction. She carries what looks like a stout staff, and a small bundle over one shoulder that cannot be clearly made out until she approaches more closely. The dogs seem minded to intercept the group, but she calls them back with a series of cries and short, sharp whistles, and they go to heel.

[Elendil's Heir]

When she is close enough to hear, Eli will call out in a friendly voice, "Good morning, ma'am! And how are you and your dogs this fine day?"

[glee]

If she asks what our business is, Tom will reply "We are heading for the Mountain to see the memorial there."

[choie]

Rowena has a bad crick in her neck from sleeping poorly, but can't help her delight at the fluffy little clouds dotting the distant pasture, growing larger and more identifiable as sheep as the group approaches. With her itinerant life of traveling from village to town, she can't help idealizing the farming world. To her it means solidity, permanence, security: Solid stretches of green, grassy land; the scent of homey, nutty wheat warmed by sunlight; lambing seasons where each dawn is met with the cries of new life.

Following Eli's lead, she raises a hand in greeting, although to her it's as much a friendly overture to the barking dogs as the woman.

[Stebb]

Gade wakes refreshed and tells the party that he has focused a little more on his healing powers after the events of yesterday (2xCLW). He is happy to nod non-committedly to the shepherdess and to say hello to her dogs although he is generally unconvinced by the idea of 'livestock', preferring creatures to live as god intended, independent and wild.

[glee]

Tom happily agrees with Gade taking more Cures, suggests he cure himself if needed and quietly reminds Gade to look at the yellow powder - when he has time.

[Malacandra]

As the woman and her dogs draw closer, you're able to see that she is of middle years, with a touch of iron grey in her hair, and that the "staff" is actually a bowstave; she has a bowstring tucked in her belt and a sheaf of arrows over her shoulder. "Good day to you also, Small Master," she replies to Eli; "dogs be well enough, and I too -- long as I don't have to sting any more sheep-stealing vermin; maybe the once was warning enough. And what's your business here?" She leans on the bowstave, watching and listening with keen eyes and ears.

"The Mountain?" she says, on hearing Tom. "You're far out of your way, and you've got yourselves muddy for nothing. Come over the bog-land, did you? You should ought to have stayed on the banks of the river all the way to the Lake; Tupsmead Farm isn't on the way to anywhere. But you've leave to cross, so long as you don't bother the sheep. There's a well of clean water by the house, and what's left of yesterday's bread, though you're over-late for breakfast."

[glee]

Tom replies "Thanks my lady, especially for the offer of food - just in time for a second breakfast!"

He continues "Our party have great respect for animals. However we encountered a ghastly creeper in the bog-land. Do you know of this menace? It killed two men. If it helps identify them, we have a sword and scabbard that were presumably theirs."

[choie]

With a glance at fellow archer-woman Arewe, Rowena conveys what is now clear--they've likely found Westerly's attacker. And as suspected, the woman is no cruel villain. Just a shepherdess guarding her flock.

If the Eagle picked off one or more of her sheep, one can't blame the woman for considering him a thief and a threat. He and his kind should stick to wild creatures, Rowena thinks, absently massaging her neck. It's hard to hide her disappointment that their noble quest seems little more than a property dispute.

She murmurs to Arewe: "Maybe you should talk to her. You must sympathize--you'd've used an arrow or two, defending your horses against some predator."

[Elendil's Heir]

Eli, smiling, agrees with Tom, "Yes, second breakfasts are always most welcome. Thank you kindly, ma'am."

[glee]

Tom gathers that Rowena thinks we have found Westerly's attacker.
He thinks:

- Rowena is pretty sharp (spotting both this and the sword / scabbard match from the swamp) ... an extremely useful skill!
- the party should check the woman's story; was Westerly actually threatening the sheep?
- in any case, Westerly asked to be summoned by white smoke from a fire; we should bring the two together and sort out what happened

In agreement with Rowena, he mutters to Arewe to ask the woman if she fired at the Giant Eagle (and why.)

[Malacandra]

(Relevant portion of dialogue reposted for convenience)

[Malacandra]

The shepherdess starts at the phrase "killed two men", and her eyes widen. "That's... too large a matter to discuss standing around in a field, no matter how fair the morning. You'd better come up to the house."

She gives a nod of the head to the party. "Briagha Barnes, friends. And you?", and indicates the way.

OOC: pronounce it BREE-uh

[What Exit?]

"Bruno"

[glee]

"Tom Gamgee - with thanks for the offer of food!"

[Elendil's Heir]

"Eli Proudfoot," he says, bowing, "also with thanks, and at your most humble service."

[Malacandra]

On arrival at the farmhouse, Briagha quickly whistles up a loaf of bread which she has cut up for toast, and a bowl of soft white cheese (sheep's milk as those who know about such things are able to tell) and listens with interest and concern to the account of weird plants in the bog-land (as she calls it) and men done untimely to death.

"No," she says, "we don't go that way. We keep the sheep on the lowlands this side of the ridge; there's enough work to do without chasing them out of such bad ground and, I'm happy to say, good enough grazing on our pastures that they've no cause to stray." (The sheep you have been able to see seem in good condition, so Gade doesn't need to feel too concerned about their not living in a state of nature; it seems they get good grazing and fair care in exchange for a life of restricted freedom) "We've seen no strangers heading that way, but then, we mostly wouldn't expect to; folks from Dale would likely come up the river bank, same as you did. It's not for me to say what business anyone would have in a place like that."

[choie]

Having already introduced herself along with the others, Rowena listens to Briagha while gratefully eating the bread-and-cheese breakfast. After swallowing the last morsel, she leans forward. "Have you seen or heard about anything like the plants we came across?"

[glee]

Tom happily tucks in to the bread and cheese, thanking Briagha.
(He decides not to ask for more food as it would be discourteous.)

While the discussion of the plants, the men and the incident with Westerly continues, Tom discreetly casts Detect Magic on the yellow powder that Gade holds.
(If casting would be too obvious, he will ask permission of his hostess first.)

[Malacandra]

Briagha listens to the descriptions of the odd plants with increasing incredulity. "That's the strangest tale I've heard for a while, and I've heard a few -- yet your quiet friend there with the big cudgel has been lashed by something, that I can see. Huh. All the more reason to keep the sheep away from the bog-land, I should say; grazing's good enough over here, and yet sheep will go thinking there's something better the far side of the fence. Thank you for the warning, minstrel!"

OOC: As a rule it is plain that a spellcaster is doing "something" when they cast, even if it's unclear what they just did. Normally you have to speak the spell words in a clear voice and make some kind of odd gesture, although there are metamagics that can suppress either or both of those

In response to Tom's request, Briagha makes to edge her chair away in seeming awe. "A magician, eh? They're rarer than walking plants around here, and that's saying plenty. But -- who am I to tell a wizard what he must or mustn't do? Only let us know if anything unnatural's about to befall, won't you?"

Tom however is unable to register any magical impressions from the pouches of powder -- and he doesn't believe something like a pipeweed pouch would keep the spell from working. Briagha seems faintly disappointed, as though she had expected more.

[Appleciders]

Arewe nods at Briagha's mention of shooting at "vermin".

"I see thy bow, good shepherdess; what vermin troubles thy flock? Perhaps this is a matter we could help you with."

[glee]

As Arewe carefully starts to find out what happened between Briagha and Westerly, Tom leans forward. This is an important matter!

[Malacandra]

"Not wolves, that's for sure," says Briagha. "Bellin -- that's what we called him; best ram I ever had -- would've seen off any wolf that strayed on his patch. Besides, there's not been a wolf seen here for a hundred years, maybe, and if there were any within many a long mile, you'd hear about them long before they ever paid you a visit. There's been never so much as a howl at the moon to hint of that.

"Besides, a wolf or even a pack of 'em wouldn't carry off a whole sheep, much less a big ram. Most sheep-eaters leave something behind, and they did this time too; nobody likes that, but losing a lamb or even a good ewe is part of what sheep-keeping buys you. You stop it where you can, you keep your beasts safe as possible, but you cannot keep them under lock and key, so if something gets the odd one before you can stop it, well, it's no worse than what a wild sheep would have got. I don't say as it doesn't gut you a bit when you find a half-eaten sheep when you go to round up, mind --

"But a good ram's too steep a loss to bear, especially when he's carried right off. That's hurting our breeding for years to come; I don't say we can't get over the loss in time, but Bellin was one of the best. So I strung my old bow again and set to keep a watch for anything that might have done it. Anything that might eat half a ewe at a sitting and still carry off a big, tough old ram for later. And just yestermorn, towards noon, I reckon I found him, scouting out his next theft and I shouldn't wonder. Dirty great eagle, big as the old tales speak of, giving my sheep a good looking-over. I gave him a bodkin, by way of warning, and I hope it smarted! I made ready to give him something to more purpose if he wanted to make a fight of it, but he just shrieked and high-tailed it out of there.

"If one warning's good enough then so be it, but if that creature comes back again, well... There's a duty in sheep-keeping, if you follow me."

[Elendil's Heir]

Eli is glad to have a second breakfast, and says as he wipes his lips and pats his belly, "Thank you, ma'am - that certainly hit the spot." After Briagha has spoken about the giant eagle, he chooses his words more carefully: "I can certainly understand why you wouldn't want to lose any of your valuable sheep to predators. Of course, every predator in Middle-earth has to hunt and kill if it is to survive, and not out of malice, either. It's only their nature, just as Eru created them."

[glee]

Tom thanks Briagha for her full explanation. "So you saw a Giant Eagle flying over your valuable flock and you fired a warning shot to drive him away. Now I must tell you something very interesting. We have met that very same Giant Eagle, who is intelligent and actually spoke to us! His name is Westerly and he was honestly not after your flock - just enjoying the updrafts over this valley. We can summon Westerly here and put the matter to rest. Would you kindly agree to that?"
Tom puts on his best smile and tries to look reassuring...

[choie]

Letting the others dig for information treasure, Rowena listens to the woman's responses and tries to assess her mood. She hopes Briagha sees Tom's explanation as sensible and fair.

Still, Rowena's concerned by the prospect of Westerly confronting the woman whose arrow wounded him. The way the Eagle had described the shepherdess was pretty harsh--understandably so, but that's neither here nor there. Might he take his anger out on someone he perceives as an enemy? The Druid among them might be the best mediator, especially coupled with Tom's good-natured friendliness.

[Malacandra]

Briagha listens to Tom's explanation but appears unconvinced. OOC: Despite his high Charisma, Tom has no training in Diplomacy and the dire d20 of destiny did him no real favours this time . In response to his words and to Eli's, she gives a firm nod of the head and says "If you're done eating, let us go and look at something."

A few minutes later the party are out in the sheep pasture being invited to inspect what's left of a dead sheep. "Foxes and crows will clean the bones in time," Briagha explains. "We never use sheepmeat as dog food, so what's left of the poor beast is no good to us. When bones are clean, we'll burn or bury them.

"Now, Master Magician, riddle me this -- if yonder eagle's so smart as you make out, why couldn't it eat the rest of this one instead of taking another and wasting all this? Beyond having all its inwards torn out, there's hardly been a bite taken out of it. And for you, Master Eli, that's not just a hungry predator -- that's spite and meanness."

OOC: The crime scene seems to have been largely shunned since the dead sheep was found. Bruno or Arewe, or both, could probably put their Survival skill to use here

[glee]

Tom bows to Briagha. "I am very sorry about this crime. Please let us investigate this - if successful, we could stop it happening again."

Tom mutters to the rest of the party that Westerly's story clearly suggest that there is another sheep killer!
He invites everyone to use their skills on the deceased sheep...
(In the spirit of inquiry, Tom casts Detect Magic on the corpse. He doesn't expect to find anything, but it should hopefully impress Briagha...)

[What Exit?]

Bruno suggests, "Before anyone else stumbles through the area, let me sniff around and see what I can see. Maybe another tracker can assist me?"

[choie]

The sight of the brutalized sheep makes Rowena regret the bread and cheese she ate earlier, as it's now churning in her stomach, threatening to escape back through her throat. She swallows and does her best to focus on the conversation.

She can see Briagha's doubt. Understandable, to a degree, but her mistrust of the Eagle shows ignorance of wild animals. "Madam, I greatly sympathize with you. This--this poor sheep was cruelly mistreated for no apparent reason; as you say, it seems spiteful, mean. But that's precisely why it couldn't have been Westerly--the Eagle, that is, or likely any eagle, great or otherwise. Not because of his noble personality, which you don't know and frankly neither do I, not very well from a brief conversation. But because.."

Her mind envisions a scene and she quickly weaves it into a narrative. "I've spent much time, traveling from one town to another. Sometimes we take the chance to sit near lakes and meadows where fish and beasts roam freely.

"I've watched birds of prey wheeling in the air, eyes aglitter from sunlight like dark gems as they cast their hungry gaze on their next meal. When some slow or unsuspecting animal meets their sight, they'll swoop down and grab at it, clutching it with their talons, lifting and carrying the unlucky creature away. Away. To its nest, a cliffside aerie, or some other safe place. They don't leave their prey uneaten where some competitor could snatch it from them.

"Nor," Rowena continues with a sad but brief glance at the sheep, "do they toy with or torture animals like this. At least, normal sky predators don't. I can't speak for fell beasts, having not seen any, fortunately." She can't help scanning the air warily before returning to Briagha. "It seems the work of some land-based animal, maybe a wild cat or jackal.* In fact, something like this..."

Again Rowena forces herself to face the blood, flesh and bone that used to be a lovely, placid sheep. Her complexion pales the longer she looks. "Something like this, well, I--I hate to say it of our kind, but it's a brutality that speaks more of Man than Eagle."




OOC: * Assuming they have cats (leopards, panthers, etc.) and jackals on Arda? If not, substitute some other predator as needed!

[Malacandra]

Bruno looks at the dead animal and the ground, which is well-grassed and firm underfoot; here and there something draws his eye, and he points wordlessly to draw the Ranger's attention. Arewe nods sagely, remembering her training. OOC: PM sent, appleciders

[Elendil's Heir]

Eli is not quite willing yet to refer to this as a crime scene, as such, nor to say that Westerly might not have done it, but will look around carefully, too.

[Malacandra]

Eli does notice a mark or two on the ground that look out of place, but this is more Arewe's field, as you might say.OOC: While Perception is a very useful skill and Eli's is good, this is more a Survival matter. I have activated the RNG and let appleciders know what info results from it but I would prefer Arewe's dialogue to come from the player, not me

[glee]

Tom makes sure not to get in the way of anyone examining the crime scene. Like Eli, he does look around, just in case.
(He refers to it as such because a) he thinks the mutilated sheep is a crime and b) because he wants to investigate a crime!)

[Malacandra]

Arewe looks up from her inspection of both the sheep and the surrounding area and looks grimly thoughtful. The indications are that this animal was killed by weapons, not by beak and claw, and the footmarks she has been able to find look orcish in nature - shod boots, but of a different pattern to those used by either the Men (or women) in this party or by the shepherdess herself.

Sheep-stealing is very unusual for orcs, who are not very fond of sheepmeat although they will eat it if they must -- but it would be very like them to gorge themselves only on the bloody inwards of a fresh-killed animal if they were in a hurry. And there are signs that when they left they were carrying something heavy.

[glee]

Tom explains to Briagha that Arewe has found that the sheep was slain by weapons and that there are also footprints confirming that this was an evil act - probably by orcs.
Tom asks our trackers if they can follow the footmarks.

He turns back to Briagha and asks if there have been reports of any orcs in the area. Also is there another sheep missing?

[choie]

Having received no response from Briagha, Rowena flushes in embarrassment--she must have said too much, perhaps offended the shepherdess somehow--and steps away to watch Arewe and Eli's examinations. But it's not easy to do without seeing the sheep viscera, so she changes direction to walk farther away from the others. She hears Arewe and Tom say something but her mind's busy searching for a way to be useful. At last she decides the best option is to allow the trackers to track and the magicians to, well, work their magic.

[Malacandra]

Briagha gives a half-nod and pulls a bit of a face. She says to Rowena, "Maybe so, but I'll want to see more than a word from a stranger for proof. Lady here in green and white, she shapes like she knows her trade, and she says this and says that, and I'm not saying she's wrong, but seems to me Tom here has put his finger on it: can you find us the thieves?

"I've heard nowt about sheep-thieving goblins or whatever, and it can stay that way for as long as it likes; we had enough of their kind before I was born, and it weren't just sheep they came after either as I heard. But if they carried off something heavy, maybe 'twas my good ram I told ye about. Like as not dead: he'd have gone mighty hard while he was alive, and they'd drive or drag a live animal, not carry it. Still, if you can run 'em to earth, deal with them if you can, find out for sure it was their fault at any rate -- then it's peace between me and yon Eagle you're so fond of. But I want proof.

"If you need provisions before you go, likely I can let you have some."

Arewe is able to see that there seems to be enough of a trail to try to follow, especially with Bruno to help.

[What Exit?]

Bruno, "I'm willing to hunt the vermin. Don't shoot at any more Eagles for now though."

[Appleciders]

Arewe nods. "These tracks are like to those of the orcs my uncles fought in the Eastfold. Putting them down or driving them from these lands would be a goodness. I offer my assistance in the matter."

[Elendil's Heir]

"As do I," says Eli eagerly, "and some provisions for the journey will not go amiss and would be much appreciated, ma'am. Thank you!"