Arriving at the Unfamiliar Gates

[coil23]

Hob steps out form his hiding place since everyone seems determinedly on the same side at this point. What if we set up oil lines that we could fire once the invaders are in the right position? Then we could block them in or redirect them more as we wish.

Ah, this is more like it. No direct conflicts- just misdirection, ambushes, arson. Oh, salad days...to be a child again. Wistfully he is lost in reverie for a moment and then shakes his head to focus on the present day's fire activities.

[Pulpatoon]

Sam nods. "We should get to work fast, then. We have plenty of this black goop. D'you think it's flammable?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Farmer Cotten knows these roads well. He reminds the others of the short stretch of trail that they just passed through to get here.

The road leading west out of Bywater is still quite close. The fields and countryside grow upward in elevation just outside of town and the road is recessed slightly into the earth. A pair of 6 foot tall bricked earthen walls are built along both sides of the lane to keep erosion at a minimum. Cotton sees this as a great strategical choke point. Abandoned wagons litter the sides of the lane, in town and out in the fields.

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It is almost the perfect spot to stage an ambush of epic proportions.

He also reminds the others that one of the army members already said that the black goo burned when lit. Merry and Hob like the sound of burning things. Merry gets so into the idea that he suggests setting the mill ablaze.

Suggestions of elaborate plans are made.

The half-orc army draws nearer.

[Pulpatoon]

Sam starts loading buckets of goo onto wagons, and calls the other hobbits to do likewise.

[tkrexx]

Get ON with it, Mates! Merry tries to spur those Unsure-lings to action. You know the plan, some of you grab pails of black snot, the rest get this wagon in position! Pip, let's you and me get some scrap wood from this mill and haul it out in preparation to make the back barrier.

[Bluehorse]

Farmer Cotten

Grinning wide and slapping Sam on the back jovially. That's what i like to hear. LET'S GET TO IT LADS!" he calls out. Now that there is direct work and a plan in place he is quick to action, organizing the other hobbits and leading by example. He hollers for several of the larger hobbits to get to work moving the wagons and carts into place and gets a bucket brigade of sorts started to haul the goop to wagons once they are in position. That done he begins helping the others with gathering and hauling wood, hay, and anything else they can to make a nice big fire to the blockade and the wagons they will chuck down to trap the half orc brutes and if there is enough time to additional wagons to lite and push over the edges directly onto them.

"I doubt it will be like grandma's meat and tattors, but we are going to cook up a mess for those oafs, I guarantee it!



ooc: We get to play with fire!!!

[Bluehorse]

Unless I have that backwards in which case flip it and reverse it! LOL!

[coil23]

Hob gets to work hauling the black goop and placing it as instructed. He wonders how long they have before the big folks get here. He listens for any telltale signs of their coming.

[Pulpatoon]

Sam looks for a fleet-looking hobbit or two to send down the road to act as look-outs.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sam gets to work gathering the black goo into pails to send towards the pinch point in the lane. Merry and Pippin begin hauling away scrap wood to build a barricade. The mindless hobbits still milling about ignore them completely. Hob pitches in wherever he can, wondering how long before all the excitement starts.

Farmer Cotton takes control of the others again, barking out orders and getting things done. He has a plan to block the half-orcs in at both ends of the lane and then drop burning wagons down on top of them. This plan may be a little difficult to implement in such a short time and with no way to communicate across the long road but, something must be done, and soon.

Wagons are loaded with pails of the smelly black goop and then pushed closer to the site. There seems to be no shortage of the stinking stuff as it just bubbles up out of the ground where the drill penetrates the earth. Sam gets the excellent idea of sending the fastest hobbits further down the lane to act as lookouts. That should help to determine when the fun is about to start.

The heroes still have a little time to perfect their well laid plans.

[Bluehorse]

Farmer Cotton

Once the other hobbits are in motion and working, cotton will seek out the others waving them together. "the way i see ot, we have one good shot at this, lads. I say we have a few stout hobbits ready to drop the back door on em once the army is in place. Then we need to set fire to those wagons and fast. Do we have a way to signal each other?

[coil23]

Hob adds, how many can we arm with missile weapons? The more we fight from distance with the big folk the better. Any small pots or jars we could use to make flammable surprises to throw? We could fill them with the black stuff.

Hob starts asking some of the locals to gather as many bows, crossbows, slingshots, what have you as well as ammunition. He also asks for anyone who is a good shot with these items or throwing in general.

[Pulpatoon]

Sam adds to Hob's instructions: "And every empty jug an' bottle you can find, and rags to plug 'em with. I'll show you how to make a Rohanian Cocktail!"

[tkrexx]

Even the pails themselves, Merry adds as he hurries by loaded with scrap wood, once the fires have been set, we can throw the pails of snot into their midst and roast a goodly number of them. Just set a line of pails on either side of the high walls.

[coil23]

Hob thinks a moment...um, maybe some pails could be reserved for water and some for sand. Just in case the wrong things or people were to catch. Is there a pond or horse trough nearby we could identify to throw our people in during the battle if they need it?

[greyarea]

This is Bywater, Hob. We can throw them into the river! says Frodo. I think this is an excellent plan!

[OGRE MAGE]

Preparations continue in full swing with all of the hobbits now pitching in. The dozen or so hobbits making up the hobbit army seems to be growing in number as a few more of the Bywater halflings see what is going on and leave the safety of their homes, determined to help put an end to their own subjugation.

Wagons are loaded and oiled up. They are pushed to the front and back of the pinch point in the road. Hobbits gather as many bottles and jugs as time allows, filling them with the same black oil and lining the tops of the long wall with them for easy access. Hob suggests pails of water or sand, in case things get out of hand. Frodo reminds him of the large pond nearby that Bywater actually gets its name from. Farmer Cotton suggests coming up with a way to signal each other in order to drop their plan on the enemy with maximum coverage and in perfect time. None of them are actually discussed, however.

Weapons are called for and a few are even brought forward. Not many though as the Shire has always been a place of peace before this damn Sharky arrived. One stout army member takes up one of the hunting bows brought forward. He draws back on the string a few times and speaks.

I can shoot a field mouse off of a fence post from 50 feet or my name isn't Horrace Hornblower! Fraid you aint gonna find too many bows or slings around unless you seek out the hunters. And I don't believe that there is a crossbow to be had in the whole of the Shire. Never had a use for such things here. You should all know that of course. This bow will do quite nicely for me though, if you need a sharpshooter for your fiery plans, just give me a holler!

More wood is carried around and the final ideas tossed about as the two runners Sam commanded come sprinting in from further up the lane.

There definitely heading this way! At least 50 of them, maybe more! We got about 15 minutes before they arrive here. Is there anything else we should know or do before they get here?

[Inferno]

Pippin wipes the dust from his hands and waits in wide-eyed anticipation of what's going to happen next.

He unsheathes his elven blade as his left palm rests on the ivory Horn of Gondor.

[coil23]

Hob rolls his eyes at the braggadocio from the Horrace fellow. Hornblower indeed, he mutters.

[greyarea]

Frodo tris to rally the troops. Coming towards us is the enemy. They have taken our lands, they have enslaved fellow hobbits, they have destroyed what is bright and good in the Shire! We can defeat them. We've felled their troll and now we will meet them in the street.

Fight bravely, for they will not roll over for us. Fight well, and free The Shire!