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

Tom is almost bouncing up and down with excitement!
Only a while ago he was up to his ankles in a bog every day, earning just a basic living.
Now not only is he recognised as a Magician :cool: , but he's going to hunt Orcs with a splendid party.

Tom turns to Briagha. "We will do our best to track down these evil orcs and deal harshly with them. If we can recover any of your sheep, we will do so. We would enjoy some of your provisions, so we can concentrate on the hunt."
He adds "And if we are successful, with your permission we will introduce you to a noble Giant Eagle."

Briagha can't help smiling at Tom's obvious glee, however he tries to contain himself. "Well enough," she says. "I'll need to ask a fair price for as much cram as you care to carry, but I'll add a leg o' mutton to the deal. We've some ale I can sell you a small keg of too, likely not more than the big man there can carry."

She gives Bruno a tilt of her head to show what she means and adds, "Tales speak well of the Eagles from old days, but like I say, it'll be time enough to be friends when the blame's fairly proved. Till then -- If I don't see him near my sheep, I'll take it that the first warning was enough. But if all you say's right, then it's like I'll owe the creature an apology".

---

A day's worth of cram for the whole party will cost 1 gp in game terms, though actual gold is rarely seen hereabouts and most in-game references will actually stand for an appropriately-sized silver coin. You don't need to pay too much attention to this. The keg of ale she is offering holds a full gallon and is priced at 2 gp. The meat is free, but would benefit from being cooked and eaten within a day or two. Also Briagha is able to offer a small crystal flask containing a healing elixir that she took in trade "a while back", but she says it is worth 50 gp and she cannot afford to just write that off to passing strangers even if they are looking to do her a good turn.

The well has plenty of good water and you are welcome to all you are able to carry away.

Eli will dig into his bag and pay his fair share for the provisions.

Tom thanks Briagha for her offer of cram, ale, meat and the healing potion.
Like Eli, he is happy to pay his share.

Tom again reminds Gabe to cure his wound (and points out how useful the Curing spell is, since a healing potion costs 50 gold!)

Rowena draws nearer the others once Briagha speaks. The consensus to go after orcs alarms her; she's no fighter and what skills she has don't seem likely to affect such a creature. As she listens to the various vows and pledges, she feels a nagging doubt that she can't quite place. Certainly the promised leg of mutton isn't as appetizing as it might have been before seeing the poor butchered animal nearby.

And yet she can't ignore the fact that the incident triggers a sense of higher purpose that would certainly be fodder for a rousing tale or ballad. Hopefully it's just one of or two them, she thinks with rallying optimism.

She says nothing, except when leans in toward the shorter Hobbit and murmurs tactfully, "I think Gabe has already refreshed himself, Tom. He seems well enough, quiet though he is."

OOC: At the last count the Druid was 1 hp down after the night's rest, rendering a whole Cure right here and now possibly a sub-optimal use of his spell

Duly provisioned, the team heads more or less Eastward away from Tupsmead Farm towards higher ground where the grazing is less good. Arewe, backed by the not negligible woodcraft of Bruno, finds the trail one she is able to follow at a fair pace. You should decide how you are deployed as you head into possibly hostile country. Several miles ahead, the land grows hillier and rougher still.

Tom suggests that the party use the previous marching order (especially as it puts Arewe and Bruno at the front:

- Bruno and Arewe at the front
- Tom and Rowena in the middle
- Gabe and Eli guarding the rear

In suitable areas (e.g. open ground), Aster can look ahead.

Eli is a trained scout and is both willing and able to go out front.

OOC: trackers need to be upfront, Glee's looks solid to me.

Bruno says, "Let trackers track, keep casters safe."

Some hours later, as the party is following a trail which leads through a narrow gully as it winds towards higher ground, Aster (who is flying ahead) circles once or twice in a manner that suggests to Gade that it has spotted something unusual, then drops low to the nap of the earth and returns to its master. The gully is not very deep, but is steep sided. The ground generally is rough, dotted with bushes and some other undergrowth, although not exceptionally difficult to negotiate.

Bruno, "Who is stealthiest? Please investigate."

Tom quietly congratulates the trackers on doing so well in following the trail, then mutters to the party "This could be an ambush. If our trackers think they can pick up the trail on the far side of the gully, then we could unleash Eli (scouting ahead) to spot trouble. What do you all think?"

"A fair tracker and observant enough, I am, but stealth has never been my strength. I am pleased to allow good Master Eli to take the fore, and follow at some distance in his need."

Eli nods, says, "Then so I shall," and heads out.

Making his way with exceeding care up the left side of the gully and keeping to the shelter of whatever big rocks, bushes and so on that he can find, Eli creeps in the direction of whatever Aster was circling over before he dropped out of sight. His own breath seems to roar in his ears, but he controls it as best he can, aware of any number of loose stones, dry twigs and leaf-drifts from the last winter that might betray his presence with a single careless footstep, while his eyes search the landscape ahead with all the fieldcraft he can command. Here and there he notices a good place for a would-be assailant to skulk, had they the mind, and in one patch of furze that would barely conceal a large hobbit Eli spots something that brings him to a halt.

There, well placed to overlook the gully, the top few inches of a bent and strung bow can be clearly seen, and just jutting out of the lower part of the furze is a single iron-shod boot as far as the ankle, as though the wearer were knelt on that leg. Nothing more can be clearly seen. There is ample cover both to this side of the gully and to the other, Eli notes professionally, that might conceal more than this one waylayer. To date nothing seems to have noticed Eli.

Eli will carefully try to gain a new vantage point in order to see and learn more of what seems to be a bowman lying in wait.

While Eli is able to find one, he is unable to see more of the "bowman" or to find out whether there might be others present. He hears a voice in the furze mutter something in an ugly language that he does not recognise... but he is reasonably sure it is neither common, elven or Shiretalk.

(To clarify, Eli is on the higher ground to the left side of the gully -- making his way "up" wasn't altogether clear. So is the owner of the boot and the bow.)

Eli will withdraw, equally carefully, and go back to report to his friends and companions on what he has observed.

Rowena watches somewhat anxiously and states the obvious--that she hopes for Eli's safe return.

Although Tom asks Eli a reasonable-seeming question about what he overheard, Eli is unable to articulate anything recognisable (not that the mutter was especially clear anyway). The boot and the top of the bow would be about the right size and distance apart for something a little smaller than a Man, maybe, or even fully Man-sized but no more. As an old soldier of Eli's acquaintance put it only a few months back: "I don't say it was an Orc, for certain, but I don't say it wasn't, either".

You are presently on the floor of the gully with some cover screening you from where Eli saw the potential ambusher, but it's not too hard to climb out either to left or right.

Tom suggests two ideas to deal with the ambush ahead:

- 'area effect' spells (sadly Tom doesn't have any of these)
- if we have a second Stealthy member, perhaps Eli + that person could sneak back and attack from Stealth

He looks around for reactions...

"Druid Entangle?"

(Last I heard, someone was on at the druid to load all the cures he could. Too bad, this would indeed be an excellent set up for an Entangle)

Tom is sorry to hear that there is no Entangle.
However Cures are always needed (especially if only one party member can cast them) ... any other spell is a luxury.

Eli thinks for a moment and says, "I'll go back and sneak up on him and attack him, if I see clearly it's an orc or some other villain, if we have no better plan. Or... we might all just go far around him."

Shaking her head, Rowena takes a few breaths to calm herself. "It doesn't seem very... orcish, I guess... to lie in wait like that. At least not that I've heard," she admits. The tales she's learned, and those she herself has relayed to new audiences, tend to make the enemies far more brutish than crafty.

She feels out of her depth--as indeed she is. But she can't help her speculation. "Who would they be waiting for, do you think? If that's the the same orc that made away with the sheep, they'd be a day ahead of us. Maybe we should just go around to avoid him. Or them."

Realizing she's probably sounding like a coward, she swallows and tries to remember how a true adventuress would act toward an obstacle like this. "Anyway, whoever they are, I--I don't know if this would help, but sometimes... sometimes some songs I've played have been very good at relaxing people. Or maybe they just bore them to sleep," she adds with a nervous smile. "I could try that, if it would mean preventing Eli from risking himself alone."

OOC Apologies for absence!

Gabe is reasonably stealthy and carries a staff for times like these so happy to be part of a stealth group to outflank these bow wielding folk. Sadly no Entangle is available, carrying 2xCLW at the moment.

If Aster has not returned then Gabe will use a simulated pice of Bird song, understood by both him and Aster to mean come, intent on keeping the bird safe.

So what's the plan then? A non-stealthy group to continue up the gully while the stealthy flankers creep up the left side and try to flush out the bowman and any putative allies? Arewe says she is not stealthy, above, Bruno clearly is not as he is the heaviest-armoured of you, Tom has nothing but "being an unarmoured Hobbit" so far as that goes and might just as soon have the reassuring presence of Bruno close to hand if I'm reading this right.

Aster is already back with the group, but yes, any of the listed "Tricks" can be executed on command as long as the bird can either see or hear you and I am happy to assume that there is both a visual and an audible trigger for each of them so you can use whichever you want. They're all virtually impossible for a stranger to imitate, just as you might be able to tell that a shepherd had just whistled something that one of his dogs seemed to act on but you would never be able to repeat without a lot of training, and could well be mistaken for real animal noises. Anything listed as a "Trick" is routine enough that passing the signal is a Free Action just as talking to a team-mate would be, and the companion will comply willingly as long (in most cases) that it's not going into danger; an animal that is attack trained will go into action at least as willingly as a hound would against a wolf or bear.

Tom agrees that having a couple of Stealthy Flankers in position (to attack when the rest of the party appear) is a jolly good idea.
Personally he would like to advance directly behind the reassuring armoured presence of Bruno and Arewe (and no doubt Rowena will join him there...)
Tom informs the party that he will cast twice just before we make our 'entrance' - a personal protection spell (Shield) and 'Dancing Lights', which resembles a 'glowing humanoid figure' and can easily be moved up to 110 feet in front of Tom.
Hopefully this figure will both draw fire and reveal any other ambushers to our Stealthy Flankers.

If Rowena has a suitable song, that would be great too.

So Tom looks for comments and approval of this plan:

- Eli and Gabe creep ahead stealthily and take up positions to attack ambushers
- Tom casts Shield, then Dancing Lights (Rowena is most welcome to sing at this point)
- the Dancing Lights rush forward (and the Stealthy Flankers act when they like)
- next round the remaining party of four appear with missile weapons and spells at the ready

Bruno is prepared to advance but hates the idea of being a pincushion.

"I can join Arewe and Eli," Rowena says slowly. "I've crept up on a few... strangers." She decides swapping 'drunk pickpocket targets' for 'strangers' is probably a good idea. "You know, as a lark, to, um, startle them. Point is, I'm not bad at being quiet. And if my song can send the orc, or man, or whatever-it-is to relax and even sleep, wouldn't that be safer to do early on? Rather than risk a bunch of us walk in there together?"



OOC: Rowena wants to take her +6 stealth bonus out for a test drive.

aside: I believe that was "Gade and Eli", since Arewe says she is not especially stealthy (although neither is she massively armoured; beginning with a really good bow costs a fair bit of scratch).

A few seconds after she finishes her sentence, Rowena corrects herself. "I'm sorry, not you, Arewe. I mean Gade, or.. Gabe." The druid speaks so strangely, and almost reluctantly, as if beings other than animals or plants are hardly worthy of address. She'd like to get to know him, because a better character for a myth or fairy tale she couldn't invent.

Well, yes I could, she defends herself proudly. But not one based on a real live person!

She nibbles her thumbnail, anxious to see what the others think.


OOC: Thanks, Malacandra, sorry about that!

Tom says "Don't worry Rowena - the key thing is that you have shared with us your power to cast Sleep. And that makes our plan even better!"

So now Tom offers:

Eli, Gabe and Rowena sneak up on the ambushers (as a caster, Rowena is behind the other two.)
Once they are in position, Tom casts first Shield and then Dancing Lights - sending a mysterious glowing figure into the gully.
Hopefully this causes the ambushers to reveal themselves; when they are sneakily attacked by Eli and Gabe (and slept by Rowena.)
If that doesn't work, Bruno and Arewe lead Tom forward.

N.B. If it all goes to plan, should we try to capture one ambusher? (rather than kill them all)

If no-one objects to this plan, I will run the first few rounds of the action scene until some further player input might be necessary. With this set-up, Ro is probably not going to be able to lullaby the ambusher(s) first but will go straight to casting sleep when targets present themselves -- or at least on the hidden bowman and any random person who might be close by since the spell affects a burst radius including anyone you don't happen to have noticed, should the bowman remain hidden and still despite the advance of the party in the gully.

Rowena opens her mouth to object to Tom's characterization of her so-called 'powers' or 'casting,' when Elves' Lullaby--she only knows the Common lyrics--is just a particularly lovely, deeply relaxing song she learned from Heribert. But she knows the Hobbit believes in this sort of thing and perhaps needs the comfort of believing everyone has the same abilities he has. And time is wasting. She'll address this some other time; she's dealt with superstitious types before, and Tom is even more enthusiastic than most.

So she just nods, agreeing to the plan, and walks closer to the two very different men she'll be accompanying. She'll use her voice, not her instrument. It seems less suspicious for a person to be out alone, singing to herself, than to be walking around playing a kit.

Eli proceeds, sword drawn.

As the stealthy trio prepare to advance, Tom's dancing lights figure flickers along the floor of the gully like a wraith of living flame. It is unclear what response this provokes OOC: no-one's Perception check was high enough to tell but moments later, as Eli is waving the other two into position, he has the ill-luck to inhale a fly and cannot suppress the urge to clear his airways. Though this lasts a mere moment, it is enough to betray his (and only his) presence to any nearby enemy, if they have their ears open.

A rustle of movement from the bushes persuades Rowena that this is indeed the case, and she cuts short the lullaby she was about to begin, going straight to the verse about going to sleep right now and concentrating on the bush Eli pointed out and the area nearby. She is rewarded with two soft crashes of bodies hitting the turf.

Down in the gully below, Tom is able to see another bow-wielding orc preparing to loose, and the maze of elf-letters before his eyes condense into the magic missile formula. A glowing bolt darts from his pointing finger at the part-concealed target, recking naught for bushes, undergrowth or any such trivia. The bolt tears into the creature, but it keeps its footing and snarls defiance.

Seeing a couple of enemies falling and bearing in mind the stated aim to secure a prisoner if possible, Eli rushes over with one hand rummaging in his belt for a handy thong with which to lash the creature's wrists, and nods at the other for Gade's attention. Moments later the infuriated orc that just wore the blast of Tom's sorcery aims to return the favour in more mundane fashion, but the shot doesn't even test Tom's barely-visible shield spell. As Gade follows Eli's lead, Arewe looses and fires twice with swift hands that might attract an Elf's tolerant nod of approval, but achieves no more than to make her nimble foe duck. Still, there seems to be no pressing need for Bruno to remain down here when any remaining threat is on the high ground to the right of the gully, and he begins to scramble up to see what can be seen.

Rowena begins singing her familiar song of courage to hearten all folk of good will that hear it, and puts an arrow to the string as she moves closer to the gully to ensure that she can be heard. This has no effect on the second bolt Tom launches it, but it has no need to: the snivelling bow-orc lacks the hardihood to withstand a second magic missile from him, and goes where the wicked cease from troubling. But as Bruno seizes a handful of turf to haul himself onto the high ground, a second orc rushes from hiding and hacks at the temporarily-disadvantaged Beorning with its ragged-edged scimitar, choosing a favourite spot just between ear and shoulder! Bruno instinctively ducks, but not far enough to dodge a blow that nearly takes the top off his skull like a breakfast egg. Snarling defiance at the blow, though OOC: 5 points of damage to Bruno , the burly Man brings his free hand to the butt of his axe's helve and prepares to teach the creature a lesson in the value of fighting fair.

Aghast at the near-decapitation of Bruno, Eli quickly lets his small sword fall, draws and looses his sling, knowing that it is a difficult shot to make with the orc part-hidden by the huge Beorning but trusting his aim... and he strikes true with all the force his rather slender arm can muster. OOC: At least the bard's song compensates for the damage penalty owing to his low Strength; but 3 points of damage only . The shot is too hard for Gade, and Arewe curses in ripe but fortunately untranslated Rohirric as the nock tears loose from the arrow she was letting fly, fouling the string and requiring a few moments to clear. But this is probably all to Bruno's liking. With a furious overhand smash he deals the despicable orc a blow that splits it like well-seasoned firewood, and as the red mist clears from his eyes he is able to see that all of the enemy are either slain or secured.

Arewe looks over the enemy with a Ranger's professional eye as she clears the debris from her bow and fortunately finds it still fit for use. "Four of the smaller breed," she sniffs. "Snaga is the word some use. Whether or not they cared to be told off to watch the thieves' back trail, I doubt they were given much say. We could have fared worse but for our lookouts and some planning, though, and it may be a sterner test awaits ere we are done."

Bruno looks ghostly pale when the battle ends and sinks to his knees. "I think I'm bleeding."
He then sits on his butt and takes several slow deep breaths.

Tom calls for healing for Bruno - and also please can anyone check whether the Snaga blade was poisoned?!

He advises alertness in case any Orc was watching to see the fate of the Sanga group.

When it all stops, when the orcs are dead or sleeping and her comrades are still, Rowena stands hugging her arms that tremble with chills despite her burning face. Arewe's words float over her, fog she barely perceives.

She doesn't understand. The dead orcs, the others--including those in her party--injured but fortunate to be alive, the planning, the motive. None of it makes sense.

Gradually Arewe's comment seeps into her befuddled mind. The tall woman seems to be saying that these attackers were left behind by the thieves, or, perhaps likely, their fellow thieves.

Rowena shakes her head and again takes in the carnage. "All this," she says hoarsely--her throat is sore, which usually happens when singing through emotion-tightened vocal cords. "All this violence...for a ram?"

In truth, she's not only talking about the injuries inflicted by the orcs' side. But she holds her tongue. The companions around her acted in self-defense. She wishes it had been non-lethal, but she can't deny that's probably more her fault than theirs. Perhaps if she'd chosen a better song, sang more powerfully, there'd be more orcs subdued without death.

She sees and hears Tom, and turns toward Bruno in a daze that is washed over by alarm. Again she regrets not having learned any real healing skills. Heribert has long warned her to study such things, but Rowena's foregone that area of training. She doubts music could truly have any healing abilities other than, perhaps, to distract someone's pain. But to actually heal? That seems beyond her ken. Still, she's learned very basic wound care. Winding a cloth around a bleeding injury is well within her abilities.

Forcing herself to stumble toward Bruno, she kneels down--almost falling off-balance--while drawing her bag of belongings from behind her. She searches for a head scarf to staunch the blood--if she does find anything appropriate, she'll gently ask Bruno's permission to dab at his wound. At least it will help until Gade manages whatever hocus-pocus he can to help the large but weakened Bruno.

"You were very brave," she murmurs to him, the sentiment entirely sincere despite her still feeling remote. "This would've been a killing blow for anyone else, I think. Gade will put you to rights."

Tom can see that Rowena is distressed and waits for her to finish giving Bruno first aid.
Tom is already calming himself down after the excitement of combat and tries to gently reassure Rowena. "Sadly all this was indeed over the theft of a ram. But these villainous Orcs will keep killing unless somebody stops them. And we are the ones on the spot."

Rowena looks carefully at Bruno to see if she's causing him pain, and speaks softly as if her voice might injure him further. "I suppose you all know best. I know stories, not... experience. It's just..."

She pauses and tries to articulate her confusion. "They attacked one sheep and stole another, and had more than a day's journey ahead of us. Were these--" Her head tilts awkwardly toward the slain and sleeping orcs around them. "Were they lying in wait for so long? And such a large number?" Now Rowena glances from Tom to Eli and Arewe. "Is that what you saw, back at the pasture?"

Sighing, she shakes her head again. "For a ram," she repeats. "Either they were starving or there's something special about the poor creature."

Bruno, "Maybe it is a ram of door opening?"

Shakes his heads and then winces.

"Sorry, I think I'm a little dazed. Orcs are terrible creatures. They often kill just to kill or worse."

Tom repeats his call for healing Bruno (grinning at the pun.)

Also, does anyone speak Orc? (Maybe these Snaga speak Common?)

Rowena's eyes widen in surprise at Bruno's pun. It's the first note of humor he's shown, or at least that she's seen from him. Despite the grim situation she chuckles and continues to clean the wound. "You can't be too bad off," she murmurs, mindful of his wince and dabbing more gently. "It takes a quicker tongue to joke like that than a worse injury'd allow."

Arewe, done tending to her bowstring for the present, gives Rowena a sympathetic nod. "Ay, sister from the North, life is cheap sometimes once you leave home and hearth behind. Leave it at this - that these folks chose to waylay us by none of our will, and must abide what comes after just as we would had they done their work better or had more numbers.

"This I will say: what we do to one of these we must do to both, showing no favour; what by word or by silence we promise, that we must do; and we're not in such straits as to excuse any orc-conduct on our own part."

Eli curses himself for giving away his position. He knows better than that - it was a foolish mistake. He puts away his sling and, drawing his sword again, will keep a lookout while the others are conversing or tending to the wounded Bruno.

Gabe rubs is hands and mutters a few sing song words as he touches Bruno to do what healing he can (CLW). Looking around at the orcs he curses and mutters about the lack of respect these creatures show for nature. He does not seem sad to see them dead and if looks could kill then those still alive and bound would just be bound. making a sound in is throat that sounds and a symbol with his hands he send Aster off to seek anything else of interest nearby.