Book 6: Act 2 - Men-I-Naurgrim

[Shurijo]

Borir nods and slaps his axe's handle against off hand's palm. The dwarf then straightens his helm and continues onward. For now, the dwarf holds back his temptation to bang on his shield with his axe to draw whatever is out there into the light, but his urge is strong and his will begins to waver.

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Finn follows the others, sword drawn. Behind him comes Tom, quiet as a mouse, but clearly nervous.

[Vardaen]

You press on, you are "being watched" so says Rathar, and you have little reason to doubt him. Yet whatever is watching you doesn't show itself not for a while. The sun sinks, the day is gone, and evening sets in. Night arrives quickly under the canopy of Mirkwood. The moment the last rays of the sun are gone you find out what's been watching you.

From out of the darkness you spot them, eyes, hundreds of spider eyes. They are black and pitiless, and are all around you. From each side of the road a wave of large spiders charge forward hissing with reckless abandon. There is easily a dozen of them, maybe more, each one the size of a large wolf hound. Some leap from the trees, others scamper along the ground. You are flanked on either side, north and south. Bofri shouts, "To Arms!" and draws his long hafted dwarven axe. Nalir and Brok circle up around him as best they can to form a wall against the ambush of the spiders.

OOC

Alright: You aren't ambushed, meaning you'll act first, but you get Open Volley along with the spiders.

Combat Advantage Checks

Varuthil = Gandalf = 1 Die
Rathat 19t = 2 Dice
Finn 20t = 2 Dice
Borir 15 = 1 Die
Belaran 13 = 0 Dice

Map

6 of them to the north of the road
You Guys
6 of them to the south of the road

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Hearing spiders behind them, Finn turns on his heels. He charges the nearest two spiders, attempting to kill them both with a series of swift strokes.

Action

Open. Swift Strokes called shot, pg 111 AC. Use 1 bonus die + 2 Inspiration dice.

[Shurijo]

Borir raises his shield and follows alongside Finn, hoping to finish any spiders left wounded by the man's quick strikes.

Action

Open stance. Charge (sorry been a while since we've done combat, I remember the stances, but not actions/charge if that exists, otherwise, move/attack). If Finn's attack leaves one wounded, then attack the wounded ones, if he kills both, then move to another spider. Looking to kill\reduce the initial numbers rather than wound fresh target, if possible.

[Muskrat]

Varuthil hisses as she sees the spiders approach, then looses several arrows at them in rapid succession.

Action

Opening Volley: Bow vs. giant spider
Woodland Bow: 2nd Opening Volley: Bow vs. giant spider

Round 1
Stance: Rearward
Action: Bow vs. giant spider

I'll attack the same giant spider until it's dead, then move on to the next one.

[Vardaen]

Initiative

Opening Volley: Varuthil, Borir, Finn, Rathar, Dwarfs
Round 1 Varuthil, Borir, Finn, Rathar, Beleran, Dwarfs


@shipwreckeck
@silverfoxdmt73

You guys can post BOTH your opening volley and round 1 in one post. If you have no opening volley that's okay too.

Varuthil is ready in a moment, as the spiders present themselves in the trees she opens fire. A volley of arrows whiz into the underbrush. The first arrow pierces a spider's face and slays it instantly, but her other shots vanish into the foliage without finding targets.

Finn charges forward with a great effort and crashes into the swarm of them with swift and brutal strikes. His blade slices one across the belly ending its life just like that, while he backhands a second taking off two of its legs and causing it to curl up into a dead ball of spider.

Borir crashes into the spiders along side Finn with a shout and lodges his axe in the side of one, its live, if barely as it howls from the dwarf's strong blow.

Rathar just before Bofir and his companions...

Roll

Open Volley
Varuthil: Woodland Bow: 2 Shots: Rolled: Feat Die: 10* Success Die: 6t,1,4 Totaling: 21 with 1 success = 11 End Piercing Blow [ Protection Test: 12 Fail] = DEAD
Rolled: SAURON Success Die: 2,3,4 Totaling: 9 = Miss, Draw Attention To Self


Round 1
Finn: Open. Swift Strokes Called Shot + 1 Combat Dice +2 Inspiration: Rolled: Feat Die: 10* Success Die: 6t,5,4,4,5 Totaling: 34 with 1 success = Hits BOTH Targets - 10 Endurance Each [Piercing Blow: 15 Fail, 15 Fail] Both Dead
Borir: Open. Rolled: Feat Die: 4* Success Die: 5,3,2,3 Totaling: 17 = Success - 11 Endurance
Varuthil: Rearward: Shoot: Rolled: Feat Die: 1* Success Die: 1,1,3 Totaling: 6 Miss

Map

North of the Road 6
Your Group
South of the Road 3 (1 Wounded)

[shipwreck]

Action

Opening Volley with Spear, Forward Stance, Attack most vulnerable spider

Rathar cries, "For the forest!" and rushes at the evil beings.

[Vardaen]

Initiative

Round 1 Heroes, Spiders

Round 2 Heroes, Spiders

Rathar lets his spear fly into the woods drawing the attention of a spider as he charges forward with his axe in both hands. He leaps shouting and slaughters one of the hairy legged creatures with a single chop.

Brok, Nalir, and Bofri charge into the spiders on the other side of the road with hammer and ax. Only Brok, a veteran of Nanduhirion, lands a blow and wounds one of the arachnids.

The spiders then leap forward. Two of them badly wounded, flee but the other six press in behind you. Finn is struck hard, and only by sheer luck does his armor turn the fangs of the spider at the last possible moment. Varuthil too is pounced on, even in the rear of the group the spider makes a great leap from a branch and lands on her pinning her to the road before stabbing her with a poisoned stinger! The wound is already going numb and the poison is quickly spreading about her body!

Luckily for the others, Rathar, and Borir all dodge and parry strikes, even Brok manages to turn the attack aimed for him with skill.

The company presses the combat...

Roll

Rathar: Forward: Rolled: Feat Die: 4* Success Die: 5,6t,3,4 Totaling: 22 with 1 success = Grt Success: 13 = DEAD

Dwarves: Bofri Miss, Nalir Miss, Brok: Grt Success: 10 End
Spiders: 2 Retreat from Wounds, 6 1 Attach Each
vs Finn 19 Hit for 3 End, Piercing Blow: [Pro Test:Rolled: Feat Die: 2* Success Die: 4,4 Totaling: 10 = Fail + Hope 5 = Success]
vs Varuthil Called Shot (Previous Sauron) (Leaping Strike, Poison) 18t HIT for 6 End, Poison Victim
vs Rathar 16 Fail! (Woodcrafty)
vs Borir 13 vs 14 Miss
vs Brok Gandalf - Auto Fail for Them

Map

Everyone is engaged with a spider, Brok also.

Varuthil - Poisoned (Wounded)
After 6 Rounds you will topple over paralyzed.

A Poisoned character is considered to be Wounded. Thus, if an already Poisoned character is Wounded once, he falls unconscious as if Wounded twice (likewise, a Wounded character falls unconscious when Poisoned).

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Finn uses his shield to push the spider back, giving him space for a sweeping strike at its legs. He keeps an eye on Varuthil, and needs space to rush to her aid if needed.

Action

Defensive, attack engaged spider. Defend Varuthil (spend Hope to take any attack that would be a piercing blow or a called shot. Use Battle die for any protection test.

OOC

For Poison, it's a Piercing blow that the player gets a Protection Test for. At least... that was my understanding, that you still have to fail the Protection Test, if you do you are Wounded and Poisoned...