Chapter 3: In the Deep Places of the World

[wolfpack]

elbenwin hides arund the corner so he can't be seen by the enemy and applies first aid

[1d20] = 7

We will not survive this, we are outnumbered and injured we need to move down the west tunnel or out back into the forest

[SocraticLawyer]

Cursing, Tinuwen stows her bow and runs to pick up the body of her fallen sister and runs with it back to the western corridor, assuming Gilwennen is still down after the healing/first aid.

If Gilwennen can move on her own, then Tinuwen retreats to the western corridor with her sister, joining the rest of the party. She redraws her bow and knocks an arrow, ready to fire upon the Uruk-Hai in the east.

[Urson]

Therone
We're not likely to survive this, no matter what we do. I would rather stand and fight- and die- than run and be cut down.
att [1d20+4] = 16+4 = 20 missile
arrow[1d6] = 4

Therone shoots once- hitting more by good luck than good sense- then steps back into the dead-end tunnel so she won't get shot at again.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco hops up onto the dead troll and down to the other side. He continues to watch and listen down the tunnels as he checks over the dead orcs in the intersection.

[Inferno]

The Lost Halls of the First ElvenKing, Mountains of Mirkwood, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
Night. March 22, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Four. Damp, cold




The black storm of arrows hurtling out of the darkness does not abate!

Cruel barbed shafts rip and pierce the heroes without mercy! (-6hp and -2hp damage to Elbenwin and Therone respectively!)



To the west, Folco scrambles over the immense troll corpse and finds among the slaughtered orcs blood-stained silver coins engraved with the dread, all-seeing eye of Sauron! Then the little hobbit hears voices to the northwest! Dread voices.

The wicked spawn of Morgoth are returning at the horn blast of the Uruks! The fell voices in the dark grow louder, singing chilling songs of murder and mayhem!

• "Bake 'em! Toast 'em! Fry 'em! Roast ’em!
  Beards blaze! Eyes crack!
  Fat melts! Bones black!
  
  Dwarves will die! In cinders lie!
  
  To light the dark to our delight,
  A funeral pyre in endless night!"

On the eastern front, Tinuwen watches in horror as her sister falls beneath the onslaught of arrows! Without hesitation, the valiant elf maiden plunges into the heart of danger, scoops up the lifeless, bleeding form of Gilwennen and carries her back to safety!

Rumil of Mirkwood rushes to her aid, healing Gilwennen with what grace is given him. (+6hp) But she does not awaken!

Once Tinuwen is clear, fierce Therone fires another arrow into the pitch blackness! Her deadly missile is swallowed up by ravenous shadow; its destination unseen! Then she takes cover. Elbenwin also ducks around the corner out of the line of fire and binds his grievous wounds! (+1hp)

Gilly and Glasik the dwarves race to bolster the rapidly collapsing line as another horn blast erupts from the east, followed by more roars of malice and unholy joy!


Actions?!


Map:

Only the lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Good: [1d6] = 2, Evil: [1d6] = 3 Evil wins again.
Arrows at Elbenwin: [1d20-3] = 17-3 = 14, [1d20-3] = 14-3 = 11, damage: [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 1 One hits for 6hp damage.
Arrows at Therone: [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 19, damage: [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 2 One hits for 2hp damage.
Arrows at Rumil: [1d20] = 11, [1d20] = 8, damage: [1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 1 Both miss. One, narrowly.
Arrows at Tinuwen: [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 14, damage: [1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 1 Both miss! One, narrowly.

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 8/30
  Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 21/21
  Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 23/28
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 21/24
  Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: -1/8, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl, Light spell
  Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 8/8, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl, Torch
  Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 2/7, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 20/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 7/7, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 2-8, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 60 rounds

Player Resources:

• In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
  Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
  The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
  History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[hedgeknight]

"Way I see it, we got three options: One, hunker down behind the troll and form a line of defense. Two, set up an ambush from three sides and hope to flank 'em. And three, run like hell!"

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil casts Cure Light Wounds on Gilwennen again, staying along side her.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 1

[rredmond]

Has Rumil had the elven first aid done? If not then I'll do that: First Aid vs WIS 16 [1d20] = 13 while talking:
"If we leave this intersection we don't know if they will leave and get reinforcements, if we go behind the troll we have no clue if reinforcements are coming up behind us. They know the cave system better than us, and it is likely they have other exits than this," Naruthirdor says in a thinking out loud sort of way. "Our safest bet may be to leave by whence we came in and give ourselves more options of defense and offense," he continues, "I do have one more bit of magic left, but nothing but curative magic that will help in this situation. Tinuwen or Gilwennen, do you think a hold portal spell will work on the door to the outside?"

[ravenn4544]

Elbenwin doesn't like the sound of another force approaching and see's peril with every option. "They know we are here and soon the whole mountain will know we are here. I say we back out and attack from the entrance way where we can control it - and keep an eye on the valley for any need to retreat to the woods."

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Cure Light Wounds [2d4+1] = 5+1 = 6

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco smiles deviously once he hears the orc voices returning. Using his tiny size to the best of his advantage, the thief hides away in the small alcove along the wall, pulling the dead orc bodies closer or over him to hide away even better. He smears some of their black blood upon himself, covering any shiny spots and trying to make himself look dead, in case his hiding spot fails him. He hopes that the magical light might disrupt the orcs dark vision enough for them to simply pass him by, attacking the last of their numbers as they attempt to scale the troll carcass to get at his friends.

Oh, the songs they will sing about this move, if it works..... the hobbit thinks to himself as he makes his preparations.

[Urson]

Therone
Therone presses a hand to her wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. She grits her teeth as she hears the sounds of Orcs approaching from all sides. This must be a good day to die.

[ChubbyPixie]

Gilwennen stirs and gasps, the sound swallowed by the uncouth bellowing of the spawn of Morgoth, yet is for the moment too disoriented to stand. Her hand moves to Naringë at her side.

"Did it work? Did we defeat them? I hear more approaching now..." she says.

[wolfpack]

We must exit back out int the forest we are nothing but fodder in these caves

[hedgeknight]

"So what the frack are we doin'? Stayin' or goin'?" Gilly says, looking both ways nervously, Red growling at her feet.

[wolfpack]

Elbenwin will dart across the hall back to the entrance tunnel

[SocraticLawyer]

Let's go, says Tinuwen to her sister. The elf maiden stows her bow and runs to the entranceway. She takes a position at the front and draws her sword, waiting.

[Inferno]

The Lost Halls of the First ElvenKing, Mountains of Mirkwood, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
Night. March 22, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Four. Damp, cold




Firelight takes root in the west as the dread orc songs in the deep grow louder!

• "Burn, burn! Elves shall learn!
  Shrivel and scorch! A blazing torch!
  
  To light the dark to our delight,
  A funeral pyre in endless night!"

Whether foolhardy or courageous, Folco the little hobbit does not retreat! Instead, he buries himself beneath the ghastly, blood-soaked orc corpses just in the nick of time as the western intersection fills with squat, slavering, stinking, filthy orcs, emboldened by the Uruk's war horn!

They carry oil and torches and by their blazing light, Folco can see more of the warren of tunnels around him. The vicious repugnant creatures surround the hidden hobbit and he feels oppressed by their number, their heat and their stench!

The malicious fiends' twisted minds are ever bent upon devices of slaughter and mayhem. They hold glass bottles filled with amber liquid and stuffed with rags, ready to rain fire down upon the heroes, making good the dark promise of their chilling hymns!

While to the east, the ebon swarm of uruk-arrows has driven the Company to take cover! For a frantic moment, all is chaos in the heroes' ranks! Rumil and Naruthirdor attend to Gilwennen's many wounds (+6hp and +1hp respectively) and the dauntless elf-maiden awakens! Therone grits her teeth and prepares for battle as most of the Company suddenly fly across the killing zone, into the northern shaft!

Then, with a ferocious battlecry, the Uruk-hai lunge out of the pitch darkness toward the heroes, hungering for their blood! Deprived of victims for their arrows, they come seeking victims for their swords! The first two Uruk-hai to burst into view wield great swords! (U1 and U2) Uninjured, they wear no armor save iron helms emblazoned with the fell hand of Saruman!



Uruk-hai berserkers! Terrifying, murderous monsters that know neither fear nor pain!

Fiendish, diabolical orcs to the west and savage, brutal Uruk-hai to the east! The company is all but surrounded!


Actions?!


Map:

Only the lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Fortunately, the Uruk-hai cannot "charge" (move and attack) this round because they could not see the PCs when their movement began.

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 8/30
  Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 21/21
  Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 23/28
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 21/24
  Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 6/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl, Light spell
  Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 8/8, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl, Torch
  Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 2/7, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl
  Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 20/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 7/7, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 2-8, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 59 rounds

Player Resources:

• In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
  Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
  The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
  History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Therone Edited
The rest of the Company have moved- but Therone hestiated a moment too long. She is cut off, in a position to do or die.
For a split second, she considers fading back, hoping to hide in the shadows. But she knows, even as she thinks of this, that it's too late.

[1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14 sword
Longsword s/m [1d8+1] = 5+1 = 6
She attacks. She holds her position and attacks (U2) as soon as he's in range. Gryaznyye svolochi! she screams- all the Orcish she knows.

*** She will _absolutely NOT** leave the mouth of the tunnel she's in, hoping to still gain some tactical advantage.

[SocraticLawyer]

Snarling in rage, Tinuwen attacks the nearest Uruk-Hai (U1).

To hit with sword [1d20+1] = 10+1 = 11