This thread is designed to hold some of the private 'off camera' RP that might take place while PCs are away. Its not public knowledge, but I would prefer to not loose the RP.Prelude: The Hidden Valley
While tracking the dwarves in the South Downs Halleth and Hartly scout ahead...
This thread exits the main thread here: http://www.dicefellowship.org/viewtopic ... 29#p300829
This thread returns to the main thread here: http://www.dicefellowship.org/viewtopic ... 16#p301016
The pair of you slip around the large rock, now beyond sight of the party. As you circle around you spot something terrible. A swath of blood stained earth. There is blood about, tufts of fur and hair, and the clear signs of a struggle. A search of the area doesn't take long for you to guess that a pack of wolves descended on a pony here, and got the better of it. You find signs too that some one, likely the dwarves, beat off the wolf attack, but not until the price was paid in blood.
Halleth shakes his head sadly at the sight of the ruins, imagining the great cities of the Dunedain they might once have been. But he says nothing and turns his mind back to the matter at hand.
When the reach the site of the struggle, Halleth kneels down to more closely examine the site. "Well," he says softly but grimly, "I guess we know why the wolves didn't attack us last night--they found easier prey." He unexpectedly finds himself feeling bad for the dwarves--he has his own bone to pick with them, but that doesn't mean he wants them falling to the servants of the Shadow. He scans the ground, looking for more detailed clues as to what happened here. As he does so, he tries to remain alert for any remaining dangers.
Hartley is actually quite impressed at how silently Halleth manages to move through the tall grass as they approach the ruins. Maybe there was more to these rangers than he had given them credit. He was mindful of his surroundings as they approached the ruins. He tried to imagine what they looked like when they were still lived in by great men of old in the time of the kings. There was something sad about them, abandoned and fallen as they were.
At the sight of the blood and hair, he immediately tenses up, looking about for wolves that might come springing over the walls looking for another meal. Then when he notices the remains of the pony, he is immediately filled with a sense of sadness for the poor animal. This could easily have been his Nobs.
"What foul creatures would attack a poor pony? What's a pony all weighed down with his pack going to do to harm them? I hope the dwarves made them pay."
He looks at the ranger, who obviously has seen more of this sort of carnage than anyone ever should.
"Halleth? Do you think any of them made it out alive? What do you make of this?"
Hartley glances around the scene, looking for clues as to what happened here.
"To wolves, a pony is just food, like any other beast of the wild they might hunt, such as deer or rabbit," says Halleth. "And though I might pity the beast, I'd rather the wolves killed it than one of the free peoples, even of the treacherous sort we're hunting." Halleth thinks the hobbit needs to hear a few harsh truths--but in part because Halleth sees potential in the hobbit, if he can toughen up and survive this adventure.
"Still, it's a shame to see such a fine pony suffer so. Most ponies are nicer than the folks who own them. Still I would feel worse for any Dwarf that was injured by those wolves. Whether or not they are thieves. Lets look for signs of them. They may need our help, even if they aren't expecting it."
The scene is gruesome, but little remains of the pony, its carcass clearly drug off into the hills. Halleth and Hartly go to work searching and piecing the scene together. You believe the dwarves and their pack animals were camped here, a small set of blacked stones and ashes suggest they had a small hidden fire among the rubble. The wolves must have attacked, and it looks like the dwarves won the day for there are no signs of dead dwarves left around, and there is plenty of fur that would suggest the wolves were wounded. Where the wolf bodies are however, you can only speculate. Bloody foot prints, and hoof prints lead off to the south. Further search of the area turns up something less bloody.
Among the stones is what must have been a hidden cache. Its a good sized hole among the rubble, freshly dug out, with larger slabs of stone moved to leave it uncovered. You can only guess that it must have held some various items at one point but now the space is empty.
Hartley examines the scene, climbing into the hole to look for clues. Finding nothing he climbs back out and approaches the ranger.
"It appears we are gaining on them. They are certainly slowed by the loss of the pony and any wounds which they may have taken. Perhaps we should head back and gather the rest of the company to see if we can catch up with them."
Halleth looks crossly at the hobbit. "Now see here, laddie, you're in no position to be tellin' me what to do. I've been roaming the wilderness for probably as near as long as you been alive." He looks at the empty cache. "We may be gaining on the dwarves, but from the looks of that, they've been through here before--they may know the land better than us." He looks back at Hartley. "But I suppose you're right enough--there's nothing more to be learned here and we had best head back."
Hartley smiles at Halleth, undaunted by his bluster. "Well then, we are agreed on something. Anyway, unless the wolves told them about us while they were attacking, I don't think the dwarves suspect they are being tracked. At least they made no effort to cover their tracks. That should play to our advantage. All in all good news for us."
Hartley crosses his arms and looks at the ranger.
"Now go ahead, tell me how bleak and desperate out situation is and how mistaken I am."
"Ha!" shouts Halleth and pounds Hartley on the shoulder, perhaps too hard, but meant in a genial fashion. "You've got spirit, Master Sandheaver, I'll give you that. And I reckon you're right enough that the dwarves have no notion we're tracking them." With that, the Ranger turns around and heads back to the others.
Whistling a merry little tune, the hobbit follows after Halleth, pleased to know that despite all his gruffness, the ranger does have a heart somewhere in that big body.
Halleth shakes his head sadly at the sight of the ruins, imagining the great cities of the Dunedain they might once have been. But he says nothing and turns his mind back to the matter at hand.
When the reach the site of the struggle, Halleth kneels down to more closely examine the site. "Well," he says softly but grimly, "I guess we know why the wolves didn't attack us last night--they found easier prey." He unexpectedly finds himself feeling bad for the dwarves--he has his own bone to pick with them, but that doesn't mean he wants them falling to the servants of the Shadow. He scans the ground, looking for more detailed clues as to what happened here. As he does so, he tries to remain alert for any remaining dangers.
Hartley is actually quite impressed at how silently Halleth manages to move through the tall grass as they approach the ruins. Maybe there was more to these rangers than he had given them credit. He was mindful of his surroundings as they approached the ruins. He tried to imagine what they looked like when they were still lived in by great men of old in the time of the kings. There was something sad about them, abandoned and fallen as they were.
At the sight of the blood and hair, he immediately tenses up, looking about for wolves that might come springing over the walls looking for another meal. Then when he notices the remains of the pony, he is immediately filled with a sense of sadness for the poor animal. This could easily have been his Nobs.
"What foul creatures would attack a poor pony? What's a pony all weighed down with his pack going to do to harm them? I hope the dwarves made them pay."
He looks at the ranger, who obviously has seen more of this sort of carnage than anyone ever should.
"Halleth? Do you think any of them made it out alive? What do you make of this?"
Hartley glances around the scene, looking for clues as to what happened here.
"To wolves, a pony is just food, like any other beast of the wild they might hunt, such as deer or rabbit," says Halleth. "And though I might pity the beast, I'd rather the wolves killed it than one of the free peoples, even of the treacherous sort we're hunting." Halleth thinks the hobbit needs to hear a few harsh truths--but in part because Halleth sees potential in the hobbit, if he can toughen up and survive this adventure.
"Still, it's a shame to see such a fine pony suffer so. Most ponies are nicer than the folks who own them. Still I would feel worse for any Dwarf that was injured by those wolves. Whether or not they are thieves. Lets look for signs of them. They may need our help, even if they aren't expecting it."
The scene is gruesome, but little remains of the pony, its carcass clearly drug off into the hills. Halleth and Hartly go to work searching and piecing the scene together. You believe the dwarves and their pack animals were camped here, a small set of blacked stones and ashes suggest they had a small hidden fire among the rubble. The wolves must have attacked, and it looks like the dwarves won the day for there are no signs of dead dwarves left around, and there is plenty of fur that would suggest the wolves were wounded. Where the wolf bodies are however, you can only speculate. Bloody foot prints, and hoof prints lead off to the south. Further search of the area turns up something less bloody.
Among the stones is what must have been a hidden cache. Its a good sized hole among the rubble, freshly dug out, with larger slabs of stone moved to leave it uncovered. You can only guess that it must have held some various items at one point but now the space is empty.
Hartley examines the scene, climbing into the hole to look for clues. Finding nothing he climbs back out and approaches the ranger.
"It appears we are gaining on them. They are certainly slowed by the loss of the pony and any wounds which they may have taken. Perhaps we should head back and gather the rest of the company to see if we can catch up with them."
Halleth looks crossly at the hobbit. "Now see here, laddie, you're in no position to be tellin' me what to do. I've been roaming the wilderness for probably as near as long as you been alive." He looks at the empty cache. "We may be gaining on the dwarves, but from the looks of that, they've been through here before--they may know the land better than us." He looks back at Hartley. "But I suppose you're right enough--there's nothing more to be learned here and we had best head back."
Hartley smiles at Halleth, undaunted by his bluster. "Well then, we are agreed on something. Anyway, unless the wolves told them about us while they were attacking, I don't think the dwarves suspect they are being tracked. At least they made no effort to cover their tracks. That should play to our advantage. All in all good news for us."
Hartley crosses his arms and looks at the ranger.
"Now go ahead, tell me how bleak and desperate out situation is and how mistaken I am."
"Ha!" shouts Halleth and pounds Hartley on the shoulder, perhaps too hard, but meant in a genial fashion. "You've got spirit, Master Sandheaver, I'll give you that. And I reckon you're right enough that the dwarves have no notion we're tracking them." With that, the Ranger turns around and heads back to the others.
Whistling a merry little tune, the hobbit follows after Halleth, pleased to know that despite all his gruffness, the ranger does have a heart somewhere in that big body.