Book 8: Act 1 - The Troubles of Men

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...

Run by the Loremaster Vardaen
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Re: Book 8: Act 1 - The Troubles of Men

Post by Blubbo_Baggins » Wed Feb 12, 2020 5:44 pm

"We can look for this place tomorrow early, before we set back out on the water if you like," says Finn.

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Re: Book 8: Act 1 - The Troubles of Men

Post by Muskrat » Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:32 pm

Varuthil says, "I would be curious to see any ruins, but let us not dally too long. We do not know how much time we have till the foe we are trying to gather intelligence on resurfaces."

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 1

Post by Vardaen » Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:44 pm

You have a nice fire tonight, it is large and warm, and its just want you needed to push out the chill and damp of this cursed marsh land. You have a nice meal, and manage to get some of your clothing actually dried out and hung up along some low branches. You set a watch out of habit, and turn in for the night.

Finn wakes Hild, who wakes Gerwald who is sitting on watch late into the night. He has a long stick and is poking at the fire watching the embers dance about up into the air. His mind wanders to the Dragon Smaug and Lake-town and how it must have been a terrible sight to see the mighty dragon burning that town of wood down to the water line. It sends a shiver up his spine just thinking of all the death and destruction. Yet the people have endured, they have thrived in fact. A reminder how all things can persist even against such terrible odds.

That's when the crashing of the leaning tree rips through the sleeping camp. The entire tree, some thirty foot long, is hoisted into the air and tossed a half dozen feet across the bog. Standing behind the crashing tree is a massive beast. Humanoid in shape, draped in mud and cloaked in weeds and moss the Stone Troll's tree trunk plows into camp the beast with a primal howl on its lips. The noise is enough to wake the camp, but its too late for Gerwald who is the sole target of the Troll's wrath and ruin.

The airborne tree lands square atop Gerwald crushing him down, kicking smushing the fire down and sending a shower of sparks into the air. The log rolls clear into the water with a splash and Gerwald lays there in the mud battered, bruised and bleeding from his mouth and nose. He's managed by the grace of the Valar to not have been pierced through by the branches of the tree as luck would have it thanks to his mail shirt he was wearing while on guard. He is in almost no shape to stand let alone stand, but the troll now plods forward as you all awake.
Your awareness rolls was abysmal. Gerwald rolled on watch randomly.

Stone Troll vs Gerwald: "Rolled: SAURON Success Die: 6t,5,6t Totaling: 17 with 2 successes [Piercing Blow: Protection: Rolled: Feat Die: 6* Success Die: 2,4,2 Totaling: 14 Success] Extra Ordinary Hit: -18 Endurance! Gerwald Weary! @ 12 Endurance

Now then only Gerwald who is on watch has his armor on, cause sleeping in armor in a bog is uber uncomfortable and not reasonable. No time for battle dice, but the noise of the troll's opening volley is enough to wake you, and so you can all act now.
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"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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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 1

Post by Muskrat » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:22 pm

"Blast!" shouts Varuthil. She scrambles up, grabbing her bow and, positioning herself behind the others, looses an arrow at the troll.
Stance: Rearward
Action: Attack with Bow 3 vs. troll

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 1

Post by Blubbo_Baggins » Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:54 pm

Gerwald does have the option to get Knocked back and lose his action, but take only half the End dmg.
Finn jumps up, grabbing his shield and sword, and stands guard over Gerwald while he gathers himself. In the meantime the Lakeman looks for an opportunity to hit the Troll with both his sword and shield when it is distracted.
Defensive, Defend Gerwald. If I do hit with the Sword - spend Hope if I miss on a possible Great+ success, remember I have Shield-Fighting:
You have learnt to wield a shield like the boatmen of Esgaroth do when they fight to repel enemies trying to board their ships.
• If you are fighting using a shield of any type, when you successfully hit an enemy roll the Feat die again: on a roll of 8+ you inflict an additional loss of Endurance equal to your Damage rating (5) plus the Encumbrance value (5 for Great Shield), for a total of 10.

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 1

Post by Othniel » Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:45 pm

Glirion awakens next and has just enough time to grab his weapon, brandishing his spear in another defensive stance that mirrors that of Finn. "Torog!" he utters in his native tongue.
I'm guessing Gerwald is out of the fight, so I can't go Rearward too? In that case, I'll go Defensive and stab at it with my Spear (Spear 2).

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 1

Post by Wbweather » Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:11 am

If Gerwald can take a knockback he will, but if not, I guess I'm pinned under the tree for the time being. Also, if there is just one enemy, the rules allow for the LM to ignore the limit for rearward combatants.
Gerwald tries to dodge the flying tree, but he just cannot move fast enough. Suddenly he feels as if the the whole world has fallen on top of him. He is too dazed to breath, let alone call out to the others. Pain overcomes him and he is struggling to remain conscious. He tries to move, but nothing seems to work. In the darkness he hears the roar of the troll and his companions running to engage the beast.

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 2

Post by Vardaen » Tue Feb 25, 2020 5:37 pm

Round 1 Heroes, Troll
Round 2 Heroes, Troll
Gerwald is knocked back and manages to roll out from under the tree at the last moment. His leg is stuck, but the whole thing looked much worse than it was. He manages to get clear as Hild grabs his hand and yanks him clear "Come on Gerwald!"

Finn and Glirion step between him and the stone troll. Glirion stabs with spear, but the troll is rather nimble for its size and the spear misses by a wide margin. Yet its distracting enough to allow Finn to slice at it with his sword, the weapon cuts a long line through the stone like hide of the troll. Finn leans into it and pushes his shield forward, but its already moving clear to avoid the bash.

Then an arrow whistles through the air and lodges itself in the troll's shoulder, but hardly seems to care about the little arrow stuck in its hide. It leaps forward and its club crashes into Finn. Finn hoists his shield up and drives some of the blow to the side, sending the club down into the mud instead of into his skull. Still the impact from the blow sends shock waves through his arm and his bones rattle from the force of it.

The troll is howling now, mad with rage, and looking for something juicy to eat.

You heroically counter attack...
Gerwald: Knockback only 9 Endurance Loss

Round 1
Finn: Defensive: Defend Gerwald: Rolled: Feat Die: 5* Success Die: 4,4,6t Totaling: 19 with 1 success: Great Success for 10 End, + Shield Fighting Rolled: Feat Die: 1* Success Die: Totaling: 1 = No Shield Dmg
Glirion: Defensive Spear: Rolled: Feat Die: 3* Success Die: 3,3 Totaling: 9 = Miss
Varuthil: Rearward Rolled: Feat Die: 8* Success Die: 6t,4,1 Totaling: 19 with 1 success = Hit for 13 End
Gerwald: Knock Back
Stone Troll vs Finn: Rolled: Feat Die: 9* Success Die: 5,1,2 Totaling: 17 Hits Horrible Str (Hate): 12 Endurance Loss
"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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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 2

Post by Blubbo_Baggins » Tue Feb 25, 2020 6:30 pm

Seeing that Gerwald is out of danger, Finn begins to encourage his friends and to distract the Troll, singing a Hobbit-song about how dirty the Troll is, and how it needs a bath; if the laughter does not distract them from hitting their foe, he hopes it will lighten their hearts.
Open, Rally Comrades - Song 4

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Ruins of Men and Trolls: Round 2

Post by Muskrat » Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:05 pm

Varuthil shakes her head in disbelief at Finn's choice of battle song, then aims at the troll and looses another arrow.
Stance: Rearward
Action: Attack with Bow 3 vs. troll

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