Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

It is the year 2946 of the Third Age, and the lands east of the Misty Mountains are astir. From the cloud-shrouded peaks above the High Pass to the spider-infested gloom of the forest of Mirkwood, paths long-deserted are trodden once again. Busy merchants carry their wares to new markets, messengers bring tidings from foreign realms, and kings send forth armed men to extend their influence and the rule of law. Some say that a new age of freedom has begun, a time for adventure and great deeds to reclaim glories lost in long centuries of oppression and decline.

But adventures are not really things that people go out and look for. They are dangerous and rarely end well. While it is true that a handful of valiant individuals set out to make their mark on the world, for others it seems that adventure chooses them, as though it is the path they are fated to tread. They are restless warriors, curious scholars and wanderers, always eager to seek what was lost or explore what was forgotten. Ordinary people call them adventurers, and when they return successful, they call them heroes. But if they fail, no one will even remember their names...

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Vardaen » Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:46 pm

The orcs have in fact not followed the men from their long flee from the Forest Gate (which is a good days travel north of the Easterly Inn). Heading that direction isn't hard, and following the trail left by the men is also simple enough, they made no effort to conceal their way in their haste. For several hours you move away from the Inn further and further toward the eves of Mirkwood and the last sighting of the orcs.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Shurijo » Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:41 am

As the three move farther away from the Inn, dread sets into Borir's mind. "Hold up, hold up." He calls out to the others.

"What if those men just tricked us into leaving the inn? There's just Dindy and Freir there now. You can't trust all of those men that pass through the area." The dwarf considers it for a moment. "They looked scared, but I..."

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by TetNak » Fri Jan 01, 2016 6:42 am

"Trick? Orcs?"

Aerth looks around, "There was no sign of orc anywhere around the inn. They would have attacked immediately if they were nearby." Aerth lifts a finger to his lips and then points to a spot about fifty feet away, "I hear something." He looks at Borir, then moves his hand in a circle-like motion to the left side of the spot, where he makes his finger point inward. He does the opposite to Pipkin. He finally points to himself, then straight at the spot.

It was clear Aerth wanted to flank the position.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Shurijo » Fri Jan 01, 2016 2:13 pm

Borir starts to correct Aerth that he was impling the men tricked the group to believing there were orcs to get them to leave the inn unprotected so the men could steal from the inn, but the dwarf's words are cut short when Aerth shushes him.

The dwarf nods to Aerth and holds his axe in hand and shield in his other hand.

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Trogdor » Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:02 pm

PIpkin nods as well, draws his bow and readies an arrow. Then he quietly starts to move in the direction that Aerth indicated.

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 05, 2016 5:47 pm

Aerth silently calls the group to a halt then motions forward. The trio splits up and moves toward the treeline ahead. Aerth and Pipkin are silent, stealthy, Borir -- not so much. As you close the gap you start to see it, a spear sticking up from the ground, the lower half obscured by the tall grasses that lead up to the forest. As you close in you can hear a buzzing of flies now around the spear, and you spot it.

A corpse, face down in the grass, the orc spear sticking up out of its back! There is no doubt now, orcs are about the area.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by TetNak » Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:35 am

Immediately Aerth frowns. "Orc," he says, "They are about." He begins looking over the ground, trying to find their trails. He had never known them to be overly stealthy. He was surprised they had not come upon them yet.
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"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."

- King Stannis Baratheon, First of His Name

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Shurijo » Fri Jan 08, 2016 1:27 pm

Borir holds his nose at the stench as he looks around for more corpses and signs of a fight. As Aerth begins searching for tracks, Borir scans the horizon looking for any possible signs of an ambush or more orcs.
Oops, sorry, Missed this post a few days ago. Still here! :)

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by Vardaen » Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:39 pm

The corpse might be one of the friends the men were talking about, the spear sticking from his back confirms orcs are about. The small trio search for more signs of trouble. It isn't hard to find them, the grass if stained with blood, and mattered ad crumbled in plenty of places. A bent sword lays on the ground in one place, a broken bow and scattered arrow in another.

You find track and follow then to the very edge of Mirkwood, the dark forest threatens you, but you move into it, not far, and the silence there is deafening. Broken branches suggest a path the orcs may have taken further into the wood.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Book 5: Act 1 - The Borders of the Forest

Post by TetNak » Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:42 pm

"Odd," Aerth says, "It looks like the orc have head straight to Mirkwood." He rubs his chin, looking back down at the dead man. Why wouldn't they follow the man that burst into the inn? The thought gave Aerth some pauses. "I do not think they are going to the inn. They might not have known it was there." He waves Borir and Pipkin forward, "Let us get the body back to the inn, we can have him buried at least." He sighs and yanks the spear out of the man's back and tosses it aside with a grunt. He closes his eyes and says a prayer in elvish that his mother had taught him as a child.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."

- King Stannis Baratheon, First of His Name

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