Chapter 4: In Darkness and In Peril

[Inferno]

Chapter 4: In Darkness and In Peril

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." -Haldir, The Fellowship of the Ring

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




As Middle Earth falls beneath the forces of Sauron the Dark Lord, the Company invade the Lost Halls of the First ElvenKing on a desperate quest to avert the fell course of the world!

Deep in the dank gloom of the orc tunnels, Folco the little hobbit discovers a thin seam in the rock wall!



Then Gilly's dog Red starts barking wildly at the darkness!

Suddenly, a cloud of hateful orc-arrows flies from the western shadows, descending upon Company! One barbed missile grazes Gilwennen's fair cheek! (-1hp) And another cruel arrow gashes Tinuwen's pale neck! (-2hp)

Folco frantically searches for cunning orc-traps and a way to open the door in the rock. He finds neither!

Gilwennen and Tinuwen sheath their elf-swords and join Therone in drawing bows!

Elbenarin bares steel, ready for whatever may come! Elbenwin, Glasik and Rumil edge toward Folco and the unopened door!

And Naruthirdor urgently tends to Gilly's wounds (+1hp) as she quickly gulps an elf-draught! (+6hp). Then the courageous she-dwarf staggers forward after Red!


Actions?!


Map:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Good: [1d6] = 3, Evil: [1d6] = 4 Evil wins.
Orc arrows at Tinuwen: [1d20] = 6, [1d20] = 4, [1d20] = 3, [1d20] = 18 One hits.
Orc arrows at Gilwennen: [1d20] = 5, [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 17 One hits.
Arrow damage to Gilwennen and Tinuwen: [1d6] = 1, [1d6] = 2

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 8/30, Lantern
  Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/21
  Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/28
  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: 5/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl, Light spell
  Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 3/8, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
  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: 8/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 5/7, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 46 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
Therone hurries to a spot just west of Folco and the hidden door. She sends two arrows into the darkness, hoping for luck.
I have no idea what the penalties are for firing blind are...

att [1d20+4] = 2+4 = 6 bow
att [1d20+4] = 10+4 = 14 bow

arrow[1d6] = 4

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil moves to the secret door and tries to find a way to open it. "Perhaps it is a hold over from the Elven time." In Elvish "Open."

[rredmond]

"I fear the runts aim as well as the normal sized evil ones," Naruthirdor observes. Having heard this tune before, Naruthirdor makes his way southward a bit. First, as he moves, he will check if the bodies have cooled at all yet. He'll hold off on the plan to pile the ones in the room on top of the ones in the passageway, just in case they need to make a quick retreat. Naruthirdor will move to be situated just to the west of the passageway they just exited so that he can have a good view to see if anyone is coming.

Naruthirdor peeks.png (431.42 KiB) Viewed 6704 times

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Get this door open- I'll deal with these new troublemakers! the dwarf growls, moving toward the source of the arrows, axe at the ready.

[Rex]

Rumil or Mirkwood

"The good Hobbit and I are working on it as fast as we can."

[hedgeknight]

Gilly Ironfoot

Gilly follows her brother forward. She grabs Red and hugs the left side wall, crouching as she goes as quickly as she can.

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin will advance forward as far as he can to buy some time for the folks to work at the potential exit.

[wolfpack]

elbenwin helps try to open the secret door

[OGRE MAGE]

Falco speaks as he searches.

"Hey! I think this door faces the same direction that we came in. I hope we dont find a bad surprise out there."

When Rumil joins him to help, he looks up at his much larger friend in suprise.

"Huh? What was that? Ya, and maybe it's just stuck! PUSH!"

He shoves on the door with all his might, hoping the others nearby do the same.

[SocraticLawyer]

Snarling in rage at having her blood spilled, Tinuwen fires off two arrows into the darkness, from whence the offending arrow came.

To hit with bow [1d20+5] = 12+5 = 17
To hit with bow [1d20+5] = 17+5 = 22
If necessary: Damage from arrow [1d6] = 2
Damage from arrow [1d6] = 6

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil will push with Folco.

[ChubbyPixie]

Touching a hand to her cheek, Gilwennen will throw the lighted stone as far down the western corridor as she is able, aiming for the center of the impenetrable inky blackness. She will then step deftly behind the protruding stone corner to her immediate south to gain cover and plan her next move.

[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




Gilwennen brings light to this darkest of places.

She casts forth her enchantment to the west, into the stygian pitch of the orc mines, exposing the skulking villains firing insidious arrows from the shadows! "BRIARK!" they cry!



Thus revealed, her sister Tinuwen, and their fellow elf maiden Therone, loose arrows at the craven fiends, felling two kneeling orc-archers with well placed shots! (G20, G21)

The path momentarily lit before them, Glasik, Gilly and Elbenarin charge west through the reforming darkness, toward the illuminated orcs at the shaft's dead end! Orc arrows assail them as they plunge forward; far more than the two surviving orcs could possibly fire! The malevolent barbs graze Red, and bite and stab Glasik without mercy! (14hp damage to Glasik, 2hp damage to Red!) The stout-hearted dwarf leaves a trail of blood, out of sight of the rest of the Company!

Meanwhile, far behind them, as Naruthirdor watches their eastern flank, Folco, Rumil and Elbenwin try to open the door in the rock. Rumil utters an elvish password to no avail. In mounting desperation, they push against the stone wall with all their might and it slides opens on hidden, creaking hinges! Elbenwin's lantern reveals an empty cave beyond! The fell stench of troll spews forth on a cold breeze that blows the bonfire smoke eastward!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Good: [1d6] = 6, Evil: [1d6] = 1 Good wins.
Orc arrows at Gilly: [1d20] = 8, [1d20] = 5. Orc arrows at Red: [1d20] = 5, [1d20] = 20 One hits Red.
One arrow hits Red: [1d6] = 2
Orc arrows at Glasik: [1d20] = 17, [1d20] = 14, [1d20] = 14 All hit.
Three arrows hit Glasik: [3d6] = 14
One orc arrow at Elbenarin: [1d20] = 6. Two more orc arrows at Gilly: [1d20] = 3, [1d20] = 3 All miss.

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 8/30, Lantern
  Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/21
  Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/28
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/24
  Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 5/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl, Light spell
  Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 3/8, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
  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: 8/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 5/7, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 9/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 45 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Not willing to fire her bow down the hall for fear of hitting one of her companions, Gilwennen whispers a prayer to Varda for the well being of her brave and foolhardy companions and flits gracefully across the cavern hall towards the open secret door, entering if there is room to do so, or taking cover if there is not.

My instinct is to run down the hall to fight, but I feel confident if she does this Gilwennen will die...

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil yells out, "Fall back, we have an escape route open."

[Urson]

Therone
Fall back! Therone shouts as she trots forward to the Tunnel opening headed south. She'll stay on the eastern side of that tunnel mouth, ready to cover the other's escape as they fall back.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco draws his elven blade to see if it glows before moving north towards the corner to have a look around the edge. He hopes to see a cave opening, or better yet, a big harvest celebration filled with his old friends from the Shire.

[rredmond]

Naruthirdor keeps eyes and ears on the rear passageways. He hears the calls behind him, and while he doesn't plan to be the last one through the secret door, he doesn't want anyone to take an arrow to the back during the retreat. As soon as he knows everyone is headed back from the western passage, he'll beeline straight for the secret door and exit through it.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Hearing that the escape route is open, Glasik reverses course, heading back to the secret door. Time to get out of this damned cave! he grumbles in Dwarven.