As the arrow flies through the air it strikes Bill right in the middle of the chest punching straight through the crude leather armor of the man. As a patch of red seeps up around the run Bill collapses to the ground and then falls face down.


OOC: Celegnor you may take your second shot now if you wish.  I am going to wait to see if any Brigands are left after Gundolph and Eradan get their opening shots in.

Even as his first arrow clears the string Celegnor is turning to survey the scene of the impending battle. The muffled thump of impact and gurgled cry of surprise justifies his confidence in his shot even as an arrow is set to the string once more. Spotting Narieth separated from the company he moves the tip of his arrow to follow any brigand making his way towards her. The distance is greater and the target is moving and his shot misses ahead of the brigand, but perhaps the shot was enough to draw attention and make the man think twice about running headlong towards Narieth. Drawing his sword and girding his left arm with his shield, Celegnor sprints to a forward position, aiming to come into the fray with the brigands as quickly as may be and to angle off any that would seek to surround Narieth.

OOC: 21:02, Today: Celegnor rolled a total of 9 (6 if weary): a failure using the The One Ring with a target of 15 with rolls of 2 (Feat Die), 4, 3.  Second Volley Against Brigands.

When Eradan sees the bandits, he takes a shot at one, nailing the man in the chest.


I had rolled with the wrong TN (15 vs 14), so if you'd like me to reroll I can - honest mistake.

20:23, Today: Eradan rolled a total of 19: a great success (same result if weary) using the The One Ring with a target of 14 with rolls of 9 (Feat Die), 6, 4.  Opening Volley, Bow.

The brigand that Eradan shot falls to the ground the arrow sticking out of the dead center of the man’s chest, as the man falls onto the ground his shirt looks wet around where the arrow struck. The man hits the ground and doesn’t move from his spot. Seeing two of their band on the ground has a noticeable effect on the other brigands.


OOC: Just waiting for Mr. Bolger to either shoot or abstain from shooting before we move on.

  The Hobbit nocks an arrow and lets it fly but in his haste he shoots too high for the shot to hit either brigand. Both the brigands shoot back at the company missing their shots with a cry of “ Fall back these travelers are to well armed.” from the bandit chief the two remaining brigands slink off into the woodland. Borin surveying the dead brigands says “ I reckon one of us to stay behind to bury them as I have the tools and knowledge that lot should fall to me. I will tell you how to get to Weathertop and if I have time before you set out for Mount Gram I will join you. But delay not our errand on my account.” With that the dwarf shares what route he would have taken the company by to the hill where the watchtower of Amon Sul once stood.


OOC: The brigands will escape if you let them but at this point they are not a threat to most travelers.

The flush of battle is still hot upon Celegnor's cheeks as the bandits and their leader turn to attempt an escape into the woodlands. His eyes track their movements even as Borin speaks. When the dwarf is finished he calls out, voice passionate,

"Fairly spoken Borin, they are still Men, whatever deeds they turned to whether from evil or desperation. Yet I believe we should pursue these brigands, lest they prey upon those less capable than we. It will add but a day to our task, a day which we have likely already gained by the path which I lead us upon. What say you companions? Shall we root these bandits from their pair so they cannot regroup to trouble the roads once more? We shall not have such a good opportunity again if we allow them to disappear now!"

Narieth takes a breath and watches carefully to see which way the brigands have gone.

“Yes, Celegnor, I think we should at least track them to see if they are part of a larger group.  We should not kill needlessly, but perhaps a few words would encourage them to find a more suitable occupation.”

While the others debate over whether to follow the bandits or not, Gundolph moves Moonshadow close to where his errant arrow had ended up in the trunk of a tree.  Fortunately it was low enough that he could reach it while still perched upon his mount for he wasn't a very good climber and would have had to leave it there.

He placed the arrow back into his quiver and turned back to the others to see what they had decided.

In reply to Celegnor (msg # 38):

Eradan frowns as Celegnor says the group should rush after the bandits. "With all due respect, Celegnor, I disagree.  While following them should be our course of action, I feel like mindlessly killing them after they have already fled forces us to be the agressors."

Celegnor pulls up on the reigns of his palfrey, the horse tossing her head and whinnying as she paws the ground.

"Perhaps you are right, Eradan. I would not say pursue them to slay them but here, several days from Bree, what else could we do? Trust to their word that they will surrender themselves at Bree or ask them to go back to their old lives and be on our way? There would be no guarantee of reform and then it might be sword work. I shall abide by your wisdom in this, if Narieth and Gundolph agree. Truly the Dunedain are the best suited to dole out justice in Eriador and though it galls me to allow brigands to escape and perhaps work ill again your folk are seldom wrong in these decisions."

With the continued talking and the moment to reflect most of the flush has now faded from Celegnor's cheeks, and the furious light in his eyes is lessened, his overall posture more relaxed once again.

Gundolph listened to the positions as put forth by both Eradan and Celegnor. The hobbit then ponders his own position regarding the matter at hand:

"Ta be huntin'em down and murder'n'em, based solely upon our own perception of their intentions seems a decision for those possess'n more wisdom that we lot have at our disposal.

If'n they'd intended to but rob us, then kill'n them would be a punishment greater than they deserve. And if they'd intended to kill us, well then kill'in'em afore they kill'd us would only be fair.

But who among us can say with any degree of certainty what their hearts and minds intended so that we might lay proper judgement upon them?

I be say'in that we let'em run.  We've already killed two of their number...seems a fair price given we be the aggressors in this here encounter.  When chance permits we can notify those of some true authority to search them out and deal with them appropriately."

---

OOC:  We just killed two people without a single mention by the GM that any of them were carrying weapons of any kind.  Odds are they were, but we don't know that.  Perhaps they were merely going to rough us up and take any valuables that we possessed?

“Well, while we’ve been standing here talking, they have been running.  It would take some time now to catch them, and then we have the question of how to deal with prisoners out here in the wild.  Let’s let them go and make our way to Amon Sûl.”

  Due to the excellent path-finding skills of the dwarf the rest of the trip to Weathertop without further incidents along the road. As the party arrives at that great hill the wild seems quiet around the hill, the ruins of Amon Sul gloomily line the top of the hill.

Narieth leads the party to the sheltered dell she knows on the west side of Weathertop, where rangers often make camp.  She looks for signs left by any rangers who may have stayed here recently, and leaves a secret message of her own to say ‘Narieth goes East’.

Climbing to the top of the hill, she looked out to the east, just as the last rays of daylight emerged beneath the clouds behind her as the sun dropped to the horizon.

She saw the faint ribbon of road stretching ahead, and in the distance to the left of it the dark smudges of the Trollshaws.  Following the line of hills to the north, she knew they became the Ettenmoors, before finally dwindling to where she imagined the distant peak of Mount Gram must be.

“My companions speak sense, counselling that we should take the road as far as we can,” she thought to herself, “but my heart tells me we may encounter peril if we stray too close to the dreaded Ettenmoors.  Only the bravest of my people now go there, and even they only in dire need.  I must prepare well for this journey and be ready to face whatever danger awaits us.”

Celegnor squats at ease upon the top of the hill within the worn ring of the former tower. Chewing idly upon a morsel of trail rations he comments,

"Our pace is good thus far and I hardly consider the encounter with the brigands a misfortune as ridding the road of a menace is a task I would have sought out myself! But now that Borin has departed us what now for our route? Shall we hold to the road as previously suggested? I am ready and keen to continue whatever is decided but in this I defer to the wisdom of the Dunedain -- no-one no knows these paths as well as you. Lead and I shall follow!"

Having arrived at the great hill, Gunner was surprised at the silence of wildlife and he wondered if that meant there was an absence of wildlife to match and if so...what could have caused such a thing?  He squinted a little and put a hand up to block the sun as he looked intently at all that was within his field of view to see if he could see anything that might be of interest or importance to them.

---

OOC:

22:57, Today: Gundolph Bolger rolled a total of 19 (16 if weary): a success (failure if weary) using the The One Ring with a target of 18 with rolls of 7 (Feat Die), 4, 3, 5.  Awareness (the hill and the ruins of Amon Sul).

  The Hobbit was not use to staying in a place that most beasts seemed to avoid whether it was by instinct or training Mr. Bolger could not say. After a day of waiting he was happy when Narieth had the company pack once more to move out further down the Greenway to the Last Bridge from there they would leave the road and continue to Mount Gram. The next three days were yet more travel and like the first part of the trip from Bree uneventful.





OOC: I need an Explore roll from the Scout which in this instance is I believe Gundolph Bolger

Gundolph had been off scouting the area ahead of the main group.  He stopped in his tracks as he rounded a bend in the road; his eye's having spied something that warranted his caution as well as a swift retreat.  He did his best to be stealthy as he made his way back to the other's as quickly as his short little legs would take him.   Once he'd made it back to them he signaled for them to stop and then in hushed, yet laboured breaths:

"Four humans...Green-grey cloaks...skulking around in the woods up ahead...."

---

OOC: Stealth 21 vs TN 14

20:28, Today: Gundolph Bolger rolled a total of 21: an extraordinary success (same result if weary) using the The One Ring with a target of 14 with rolls of 7 (Feat Die), 6, 6, 2.  Stealth check.

"Four? Hmmm, it would seem like ill luck to be waylaid again upon the road, but whether they are simply fellow travelers or not I feel we should meet them. It could be they are of Rangers as we are not far from Weathertop which is one of their hold fasts."

Hearing no dissent from his companions Celegnor approaches the stand of trees boldly, showing forth openly upon the road. As he nears the copse he calls,

"Hail! The keen eyes of one of my party members spotted you in the woods. I am Celegnor of Rivendell, who might you be? We have already been waylaid once upon the road and I hope this meeting may be more friendly!

Gundolph was surprised when Celegnor abruptly made their presence known to the strangers he'd warned them of.  The man had done so, so quickly and so unexpectedly that he couldn't scoot off into hiding before Celegnor had acted.  Why couldn't the man give advanced warning when he' was about to do something like that? He offered a smile to the strangers as their attention was drawn in their direction, along with:

"And I am Gundolph the Great...not to be mistaken for Gandalf the Grey!!" He laughs at himself as he says this...in an attempt to let the strangers know that he was jesting...as regards the title (the great) and the inference that they might mistake him for the much taller (and less handsome) wizard.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Sun 29 May 2022.

In reply to Celegnor (msg # 52):

Eradan follows Celegnor's lead, making himself visible to show he isn't a threat should the traveler wish to speak. "And I am Eradan," he calls out.

Narieth is nervous, as usual, but hopeful from the description that these may be some of her kinsmen.  Nevertheless, she stands back behind the rest of the group, slightly to one side, and makes sure her bow and quiver are close to hand.

  Four Green-Grey clad figures emerge from the woods, one of them steps forward and says "Hail and wellmet kinsmen, elf, and master hobbit we are but four Rangers patrolling this section of the wild. What business brings you out to this part of Eriador? The four figures are armed with bows and spears but you can see a grim determination in their eyes.  As they stepped forward the forest path seemed to brighten just a tad bit more than it was a moment ago.

Approaching the group of rangers, Narieth introduces herself.  “I am Narieth, Forlong’s daughter of the company of Hallas at Sarn Ford.  I am travelling with my cousin, Eradan, and these worthy companions Gundolph and Celegnor, at the request of Gandalf.  We are going east, seeking more information on the reports of the orcs around Mount Gram.  We would be grateful for any assistance.”