Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

“...in the Riddermark of Rohan the Rohirrim, the Horse-lords, dwell, and there are no horses like those that are bred in that great vale between the Misty Mountains and the White.” - From The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Wbweather
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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Wbweather » Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:15 pm

Hereweald is singing, so let's roll a Song:
Rolled:
Feat Die: 2*
Success Die: 6t,5,4
Totaling: 17 with 1 success
In the Dunlending camp, the group is in the process of packing up and moving. The Forgoil woman had been gagged and a sack placed over her head. Her wrists are bound and a rope is recurred around them to lead her by. They are some fifteen minutes away from leaving when suddenly the sound of a man singing in the Forgoil tongue. Two men immediately notch an arrow as the rest stand silently wondering what is about to happen.

Then much to their confusion, a wandering man, mad or drunk, they cannot tell although he does appear to be swaying some. Other weapons are drawn and Caswelan, their leader steps forward to confront the stranger while motioning to his sister, Rhonwen to take the woman out of the way and prepare to leave should there be any sign of trouble. The men are obviously starled by the presence of a foreign drunkard in the early morning in such a remote part of the world, especially since they are hiding from the Forgoil, but this fellow seems little threat by himself. They had kept wath last night and saw no sign of any large group of men hunting for them.

As he approaches, Hereweald watches as the group of Dunlendings stiffen at the sound of his voice singing. He soon has a couple of arrows aimed at him and realizes his situation is a bit precarious. Still though, they do not kill him outright and that gives him some hope. He sees them manhandle Esfled and lead her to the opposite of the clearing. As it stands now, it is him against 6 others. He hopes that they are willing to talk before attacking. For now they just stare.

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Wbweather » Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:02 pm

I should clarify, we will handle this as an encounter, tolerance will be obviously very low and consequences of failure not favorable for Hereweald. But you have a chance...

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Vardaen » Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:44 pm

Hereweald pauses, he blinks a few times and gazes at the man behind him. He smiles, and gives a little salute with his wineskin, "Friends!"

He just lifts his voice into the air, starting another song...
(he's realizing he didn't think this through)
"There once was a troop o' Dunnish dragoons
Cam marching doon through Isen-o
And the captain's fa'en in love wi' a very bonnie lass
And her name it was ca'd pretty Peggy-o

There's many a bonnie lass in the Howe o Adorn
There's many a bonnie lass in the Gap
There's many a bonnie Jean in the streets of Tharbad
But the floower o' them aw lies in Isen-o..."

He pauses, as if he can't recall the rest of the song, "What was the rest of that? Oh well, doesn't matter. Who do we have 'here? Bunch of friends, bunch of fellows? You have any more wine?" HE downs what's left in his skin for many a reasons.
"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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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Blubbo_Baggins » Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:11 pm

Torwin continues to make all haste as he guides the Lord Marshal and his company back to the glade...
I'm guessing he remembers the way, so there's really no way to "speed up" their arrival, but if so let me know and I'll try to come up with a reasonable action.

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Wbweather » Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:51 pm

The leader of the Dunlendings steps forward spear in hand. In an accented Westron, he says, "Stop there. No further. You are in the wrong place. Go home, no need to get yourself hurt."

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 06, 2020 6:41 pm

"Hu...hu....hicuup... hurt?! No no.. no need to get anyone hurt. I just need more to drink, do yea have more to drink?" He busts out singing.... luckily he knows lots of songs.

"Well a Dunlending clad in kilt left a bar one evening fair
And one could tell by how he walked that he’d drunk more than his share
He fumbled round until he could no longer keep his feet
Then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
He stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street

About that time two young and lovely lasses just happened by
And one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye
See young sleeping Dunlending so strong and handsome built
I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt

They crept up on that sleeping man quiet as could be
Lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see
And there behold, for them to view, beneath his Dunnish skirt
Was nothing more than twas had graced him with upon his birth
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
Was nothing more than twas had graced him with upon his birth

They marveled for a moment, then one said we must be gone
Let’s leave a present for our friend, before we move along
As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow
Around the bonnie star, the Duns kilt did lift and show
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
Around the bonnie star, the Duns kilt did lift and show

Now the Dunlending woke to nature’s call and stumbled toward the trees
Behind a bush, he lifts his kilt and gawks at what he sees
And in a startled voice he says to what’s before his eyes.
O lad I don’t know where you been but I see you won first prize
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
O lad I don’t know where you been but I see you won first prize!"

He smiles wide really certain he's about to get stabbed now.
"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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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Wbweather » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:41 pm

Song - Rolled:
Feat Die: 1*
Success Die: 5,2,5
Totaling: 13 failure unless you wish to spend hope.
The leader of the Dunlendings is not amused by this apparently drunken fool. He nods to the men guarding the prisoner and they begin to head off into the woods on the far side of the clearing from Hereweald. Caswelan then looks at the Rohirrim as he draws a long knife from is belt and says, "Leave now, or die. I care little either way, but make up your mind now, or I will chose for you."
You may be able to salvage this with the hope being spent, or else you let them go and hope you can track them later.

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Vardaen » Tue Apr 21, 2020 5:14 pm

Spend Hope
"Yikes, I don't want to die! I just need more to drink and a kind ear to listen to. Surely you have one or he other! Don't make me go back to those forgoil bastards! They don't know a good song when they have one shoved down their throats!"
"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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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Wbweather » Thu Apr 23, 2020 3:01 am

The leader of the men looks at Hereweald somewhat puzzled and asks, "What about the forgoils? You are one of them aren't you? What do you know about them?

For Torwin, the ride back to his companions with the Marshall and his men seems to take much longer than he had thought. They were riding at a fairly good pace and had left just before dawn. He expected that they might be able to reach the camp where Herewald and Istril waited in just a couple of hours. He thought he could make out the surroundings from memory. It should only take them another half hour or so to reach their destination. He only hoped they would arrive before the Dunlendings were aware of their presence.

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Re: Chapter 3: Red Days Rising

Post by Vardaen » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:12 pm

"Me? Forgoil? Naw! My mother's from just outside of Tharbad, little swamp town, fisher folks. Good people. I father.. well that son of a horse lover, he was Gáesela, but I don't talk about that arse hole! Didn't marry my mother proper you understand. He just took her one night on a raid, but she escaped, and so I was born. " He narrows his eyes and remembers to sway slightly to pretend to be drunk. "You want to hear my story? Its a sad one, always getting beaten up as a child because I have these Goldie locks that I never asked for, a reminder of that dead beat father of mine! But..." he spits, "...he can't hurt no one no more. Took me 6 years to find him, but I did! I did! And I put my spear through his strawheaded belly!"
Draw on some stories and tales, if they agree I'll spin a long long yarn about a poor blood dunlendings and all his troubles for as long as I can keep them focused (spend hope) and maybe buy more time by leaning on their hatred and sympathies
"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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