Book 2 - Chapter 3 - Isengard

[Muskrat]

Halleth uses the relative safety of the journey from Isengard to Tharbad as an opportunity to hone his wilderness survival skills, tracking and hunting animals for food, thereby sharpening his senses and his ability to move quietly through the woods, as well as skill with the bow. The rugged landscape also presents plenty of opportunities for him to simply exert himself and build his strength and endurance.

Action

Increase Bows, Athletics, Search and Stealth

When they reach Tharbad and begin traveling through it, seeing all the chaos, he turns to Dwrgi and says, "Well, it looks like my liege Aravule has been at work. But it looks like he has a long battle ahead of him. I am glad I came to lend him my aid."

Eventually, in the midst of all the chaos, Halleth finds Aravule. He kneels before him and says, "My liege, I know you told me not to come. Call me daft, but I am too faithful to you to follow your orders. I felt compelled to come here and put my sword and bow at your service. If you are angry with me, well, you have every right to be, given I disobeyed you, but I beg you, now that I am here, please accept my service." He looks up, staring Aravule straight in the eyes. "Any great deeds I perform, you may claim for your own and I will not deny it. I want no glory for myself, only to see you restored to your rightful position as king of Cardolan."

He gestures to his companion, "This is Dwrgi, one of Saruman's followers, who he directed to come with me to aid you in your fight."

[Vardaen]

Aravule face betrays his happiness as seeing Halleth. "I told you not to come. Thank you for not listening to me!" He pulls Halleth up and gives him an embrace, "It is good to see you Halleth." He has had some difficult times and having a friendly face he trusts is a great relief to Aravule. "Now that you are here, let me fill you in on things. First something to eat!" He shakes Dwrgi's hand and gives her a polite greeting and then orders her to join her kin along the south camp if she would like to join. She does, and so leaves you both.

Then he goes on to explain what's been happening here. He arrived in Tharbad, rallied the various folk against the man on the Island, but found many were unwilling. "There are terrified of him," he explains. He did what he could politically (but sounds like for for very long) then launched and attack on the Black Numenorian's holdings along the south bank of the river with great success. The attacks were sudden, ruthless, and without mercy giving Aravule a good foothold and quickly. Then things ground to a slog and he's had less success.

Arguzagar has redoubled his grip since then, and the terror in the north half of the city has grown. In places Aravule has started a rebel like campaign, hitting places with fire, or quick strikes but that's taking its toll. So he's been working on a plan to lay direct siege to the isle, step one has been to get enough men and boats to do so.

[Seosaidh]

Dubhthach spends his time in Isengard learning from Saruman what he is willing to teach, as well as learning what he can from his companions. Mostly, he listens, trying to learn what he can of the wider world, hoping to be able to improve the lot of his people with new knowledge.

[Muskrat]

Halleth sighs with relief as Aravule pulls him into an embrace. He had indeed made the right choice in showing his loyalty to his liege by disobeying him.

As Aravule describes the situation to him, Halleth thinks the matter through. In truth, though he is a skilled warrior, he was never trained in the arts of war and strategy. Instead, he had taught himself how to sneak about and get into places that were inaccessible or guarded. This shaped his thoughts as he suggested to Aravule, "Perhaps instead of striking out as if this were a war of old, we should be more subtle. We could send groups of men who are small in number but skilled in stealth and battle to scout out where this traitor to our people Arguzagar and his forces are--and then strike quickly, doing as much damage as possible, before withdrawing and hiding. We could harry his forces into exhaustion while trying to keep our own safe."

OOC

Halleth is essentially arguing for guerilla warfare, though actually using the term would feel really anachronistic.

[Vardaen]

Aravule, slaps Halleth on the shoulder, "That was on the table as an option. I don't know if I have the forces to storm the island in a frontal assault. I've been trying both tactics where I felt they were working. Come, let's get a meal and wash up a bit, you've been on the road a long time." He sniffs and winks at the man. After something to eat, and washing up and the like the two men return to talk tactics. Halleth offers his advice, buts nothing new or surprising, nothing that Aravule hasn't thought of.

After a few days new missions have started. Men and women are making strikes here and there, still Aravule is collecting boats, and taking out the boats of the man on the isle. Limiting his ability to leave the isle could prove tactically sound. The battle rages on in parts of the city, small skirmishes, night raids, talking to the locals to get them to join you, this is the order of the day for a week non stop after Halleth arrives.

Roll

Battle: Rolled:
Feat Die: 8*
Success Die: 5
Totaling: 13 - Well Halleth isn't a battle master I guess!

[Muskrat]

Halleth stands by his liege or goes where he is ordered, doing his best to help with the war effort. He is no general and indeed no soldier. He is used to hard fought battles against foes met in the wilderness, but not this grueling experience of battle day after day, hour after hour. He does not, however, complain, simply resolving to see it through to the bitter end, one way or the other.

[Vardaen]

During the struggle in Tharbad word is sent back to Isengard about the situation there. News comes to Telurin and Hartley and Dubthach's ears. It seems that Halleth and Aravule could use some aid, and Saruman, kind and benevolent as he is has a wagon of foodstuffs, and other supplies prepared (arrows, spears, blankets, etc), and gives you his blessing to go and aid Aravule. With no other purpose in Isengard, and with friends in need you make the trek from Isengard to Tharbad.

It takes a few weeks with the wagon, and during those days Halleth aid in the gorilla style warfare taking place. It is rather striking how much of a stale mate is taking place. Both sides are evenly matched, and both leaders share many of the same tactical skills and strategies. Halleth manages to talk Aravule out of a few plans, plans that honestly are ones that lack the moral high ground. He's grown more and more sour, more and more consumed with this fight, to the point of climbing down off the moral high ground many times. If one was neutral looking in it might be hard to see who is the hero and who is the villain in this case.

Late in the fall of 2957 of the Third Age, the Fellowship arrives in Tharbad. Smoke rises as many parts of the city are burning, fires from the battles never put out. The locals are strained and stressed from the constant fighting. Resources are starting to run thin all around, and no one travels alone any more. People are scared, children are kept inside, and the graveyards and carrion birds have eaten their fill and more.

OOC

Going to move in everyone to this scene. The plan is to use this to explain some weapon XP and to tie up all the loose ends together. So everyone is here.

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Soon after Telurin, Hartley, and Dubthach arrive in Tharbad, the Elf finds himself in a group of guards protecting areas on the Southern bank of the Gwathlo.

He had told Aravule that he would be willing to lend his aid offensively, only if it was directly against the Island. He did not feel he should be involved in anything where innocent civilians could be caught in-between. And so he was instead focused on stopping the Black Numenorean's men, whenever they tried to harry the folk on the Southern shore.

While he hoped they had been effective, Telurin hoped further still that the conflict would come to an end. The stragglers of Tharbad would find it difficult in the cold months, even without battles further destroying the already ruined city.

OOC

Raise Spear 3 to 4.

Action

If you want to make a roll, you can do Battle or Awareness, to see how effective Telurin and those with him are at stopping attacks... Not a must though.

[Wbweather]

Once back in Tharbad, Hartley tries to find ways to assist those in league with Aravule. He already has a very good knowledge of the local inns and various eating and drinking establishments. He decides to start there, to see if he can set up a spy ring of sorts to exchange information. After all, many tongues drop hints when loosened with ale and most inn keeps are rather astute, even if often ignored as part of the background. Trade still goes on between the northern and southern half of the city, barrels of ale and bags of grain must still change hands no matter who rules and collects the taxes.

Thus, Hartley the hobbit once take advantage of these southern men's inability to recognize him as anything but a child. He can walk freely where the men and elf could not. The locals see a small lad and never suspect him of espionage. Before long, he has some trusted men on both sides of the river who are feeding him information about the movement and plans of the enemy.

[Vardaen]

Hartley does what he can to get some intel back to Aravule using the taverns and inns and his ability to move about as a child might. He finds two of the taverns he knows about burnt down, and another abandoned. There isn't much in the way of drinking and enjoyment these days. People do not go out after dark, they are clammed up and closed mouthed. He has some success personally, he's sneaky and perceptive, but what he can find himself isn't enough to change any tides.

Telurin has better luck, he is a skilled spearman, and where he joins the fight he wins. He doesn't lead any assaults against any targets, but he moves to defend the people where ever he can. The battles are ones of attrition, neither side is having any luck with pushing back the others. For weeks this is the case, and Tharbad is suffering greatly for it, the fires are spreading, the places that were once built up are destroyed, and people now have taken to fleeing the city for the country side. If things go on like this much longer Tharbad will be a shadow and ruin with no hope of coming back from the brink.

Roll

Telurin: Battle
Rolled:
Feat Die: 4*
Success Die: 6t,4,5
Totaling: 19 with 1 success

Hartley
Riddle Rolled:
Feat Die: 7*
Success Die: 3
Totaling: 10 = Fail

It is late one night, Aravule has called a council of all his captains, "We will make one final push to dislodge our enemy. Though luck and skill we have gathered enough boats, and made enough rafts to try at last." You know you have not enough men to make this a fair fight, you are out numbered, and the defenses of the isle are strong, you will take great losses. "If I can kill Him, cut the head off the snake, then this whole thing is over," says 'The King' Aravule.