Chapter 4: In Darkness and In Peril

[Starbeard]

The newcomer nods to Folco. "I watched this place for a night and a day, and the only caves that betrayed any activity were on this side of the ravine. Those on the opposite side seem altogether abandoned. We should bypass the great entrance to the Elvish ruin at the far end, though: all of the orcs have avoided that place like cowards."

Looking Folco's wounds over, he offers up a goblet made of metal and horn. "You are badly hurt. When we rest, drink from this cup. It strengthens the resolve and quickens healing."

As an afterthought, while helping to investigate the orc's corpse: "I am Vindoboduoc, The White Crow. I'm still not sure if my father intended it an insult."

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen keeps her bow ready as she joins the others, hoping to find a safe space to rest for a bit.

[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




Gilly, Glasik and Therone venture west through the rank detritus of the orc nests.

The she-dwarf's blazing torchlight melts away the pitch, revealing a chilling tableau at the orc-chamber's western wall.



Blood-stained knives and saws hang from chains near an iron cauldron that sits atop cold coals. Scattered around the large fire-blackened pot are bones the size of Men or Elves, boiled clean.

Three dark tunnels range off into the unknown. The fiendishly cunning orcs have the advantage in their own subterranean lair. They know exactly where the Company is. They could be mustering reinforcements right now to lay an ambush, or launch a counterattack. In their current condition, the Company could not long survive either event.

Behind the trio, potions foul and fair are carefully administered to Elbenarin, Elbenwin and Rumil. (+5hp, +4hp, +7hp, respectively) Only Rumil, who drinks deep of the ElvenKing's remedy, opens his eyes. Orcish swill and elvish elixir are both spent.

Folco whispers to someone unseen as he examines a grisly smoldering orc corpse. Upon the charred carcass, the hobbit finds nothing of value that survived the conflagration.

Then a young Man unexpectedly enters into the light, coming in view of Gilwennen, Naruthirdor and Tinuwen. The tawny newcomer called Vindoboduoc brings ill tidings: a noose of Uruk-hai is slowly closing around the Company. They must leave in haste if they would live, the stranger warns urgently as he glances back toward the troll cave. "We must press further into the ravine for another exit."

Folco replies, "Maybe you know of a place we could hide out for a while? We’re in pretty bad shape right now.”

"I watched this place for a night and a day, and the only caves that betrayed any activity were on this side of the ravine. Those on the opposite side seem altogether abandoned. We should bypass the great entrance to the Elvish ruin at the far end, though: all of the orcs have avoided that place like cowards," Vindoboduoc answers, not realizing that the Elvish ruin at the far end (at K) is the desperate Company's goal.


Actions?!



Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:



Ravine Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

This post encompasses 2 rounds, so I'll include Elbenwin's dose of healing:
Healing potions: Elbenarin, Elbenwin and Rumil: [2d4+1] = 4+1 = 5, [2d4+1] = 3+1 = 4, [2d4+1] = 6+1 = 7

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -3/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -3/30
  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: 5/28
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/24
  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: 2/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 3/7, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 8/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16
  Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/19

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 29 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)

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil gasps for air. Looking around wide eyed, "Thank you my friends." Seeing the newcomer, "A stranger visits us here, how odd."

[rredmond]

"We are out of healing," Naruthirdor announces to the others, in a loud whisper. "We have two we shall have to carry, and four, including myself," he continues after looking down at his own wounds, "who likely will not survive a nick from an orc blade." Naruthirdor takes a deep breath, wipes the cave crud from his brow, and sits back off his knees, "we need rest and healing." He will follow the others, and help with carrying any party-mates that need it.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

"Agreed, I am in the same situation."

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco moves to the other dead orcs to check their possessions as well.

“If the caves on the other side aren’t being used, maybe we could find rest in one of them?”

He suggests they try the third cave in, (C) so they aren’t on ground level and aren’t the first one to be searched from the east.

[Urson]

Therone
Therone looks both furious and nauseous when she sees the Orc's kitchen. There's no way to secure this hole. Let's go join the others.
She holds position until Dwarf and Dog are heading back, then falls in with them.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Agreed. We need to get out of line with those tunnels now! We know they'll shoot us from darkness like the cowards they are. We can't survive an ambush. The dwarf attempts to lead his sister out of range from any possible ambush from the tunnels. We should get back to the rest and figure out what we do next.

[Starbeard]

Vindoboduoc

Vindo ponders the angles. "The cave I came through (E) is obscured by trees, and we should have plenty of tree cover to mask our movements back to the cave Folco speaks of (C). There is also another cave nearby it, hidden in brush (H)."

"It would be best if we found another exit farther back, but none of you look suited for extended exploration. If we leave through this exit nearby (E), we should leave immediately, lest they close in and spot us with their torches."

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

"Once all of us are here we move, I will carry the heavier brother."

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen nods. Let's go. She keeps her bow ready, and waits for the rest of the company to exit before following.

[hedgeknight]

Gilly's stomach turns over when she sees the grisly remains, knowing where the hapless beings caught by the Orcs ended up. When Therone and her brother hastens to leave, she collars Red and follows readily.

Seeing the pale newcomer, and hearing his advice, Gilly groans inwardly (and perhaps outwardly) of the thought of going outside.
"Wish there was a way we didn't have to go back into the ravine. Are you sure they won't be able to see us? And where in the under hill did you come from anyway?" she asks the Man. "Why should we trust you?"

[Urson]

Therone
Well, for one thing, he hasn't tried to kill us yet.

When the group moves out into the ravine, Therone take a spot on the left side of the column, watching for trouble.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Pausing momentarily when he sees the newcomer, Glasik quickly realizes that he would have had plenty of opportunity while the party was split had he wished them harm. Picking up one of the unconscious bodies, he growls, Let's get moving while we can. Lead the way to this new cave!

[Starbeard]

Gilly's stomach turns over when she sees the grisly remains, knowing where the hapless beings caught by the Orcs ended up. When Therone and her brother hastens to leave, she collars Red and follows readily.

Seeing the pale newcomer, and hearing his advice, Gilly groans inwardly (and perhaps outwardly) of the thought of going outside.
"Wish there was a way we didn't have to go back into the ravine. Are you sure they won't be able to see us? And where in the under hill did you come from anyway?" she asks the Man. "Why should we trust you?"

"Were I against you, wouldn't I have simply let you blunder into their trap? By my count, the uruks lack their orc cousins' ability to see keenly at night. They will be relying on their torches. As long as we can stay hidden in shadow and copse, and move quietly, it will be difficult for them to spot us."

[hedgeknight]

Gilly shrugs. "Then lead on, whitey."

She looks at her brother and growls in Dwarvish:

"If the prick leads us into a trap, I'm killin' him first!"

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

In Dwarvish:

We don't need him to lead us into a trap- we blundered into them all on our own in here. If he wanted to hurt us, he could have done a pretty good job while we were in the other room. Or just left us alone and waited for the Uruks and the Orcs to come back and finish us off.

[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



Deep in the orc tunnels, a ghastly kitchen is discovered.

Suddenly, a mysterious stranger urgently warns the Company they must leave now while they still can!

Folco harvests almost a dozen silver coins from the slaughtered orc cadavers before the party retreats. The industrious little hobbit's hands are black and wet with warm orc blood.

Under cover of night, the wounded Company steals through the dense thicket of bramble thorns and twisted, withered trees at the bottom of the ravine floor.



Rumil and Glasik carry the fallen Dunedain brothers.

The darkness here is nigh absolute. Faces are lacerated by briers and nettles as they slowly follow Vindoboduoc single file. Their fate was now in his hands. Could they trust him with their lives?

Torchlight flickers in the east, at the mouth of the canyon (between B and D). From there, fell voices are carried on a chill wind.

The Company doesn't believe their presence has been detected... yet.

From a thick tangle of unnatural, misshapen trunks and roots, the desperate heroes look up the sloping canyon walls at the black cave openings that loom 50 feet above them (C and H).


Actions?!


Ravine Map:

One square = 10 feet. The Company is at the white X



PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -3/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -3/30
  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: 5/28
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/24
  Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 5/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
  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: 2/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 3/7, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl
  Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 8/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16
  Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/19

PC Magic:

• Light (Gilwennen): Duration: 19 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]

"Let our new friend guide us where his wisdom deems best," ventures Gilwennen quietly, gazing up into the darkness of the hillside that looms over them. "Varda, by her grace, has put us in his hands. We place our trust in him or we perish."