Chapter 2: A Fool's Hope

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin will strike at any remaining spiders in reach

Long Sword Attack [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14 (THACO=19)
Long Sword Damage = S/M: [1d8+1] = 1+1 = 2 / L: [1d12+1] = 6+1 = 7

[Inferno]

Mirkwood Forest, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
Dawn. March 21, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Three. Damp, cold




Red succumbs to another poisonous stinger, but no more heroes join the fallen upon the forest floor.

The two grievously wounded spiders (S2, S4) try to flee for their lives into the gloom of Mirkwood, shrieking and cursing bitter oaths of hatred and revenge.

But neither craven crawling horror can escape unscathed! Both of them fall, vanquished beneath the gleaming swords of Elbenarin and Gilwennen!

The battle is ended. The company is victorious but not triumphant. For unmoving upon the ground lies a Dunedain ranger, two dwarves and their dog, all poisoned by the insidious venom of the great spiders!

Elbenarin touches his brother's lifeless hand and finds his body not yet cold.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Mirkwood is so overgrown that for movement, 1" = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Good: [1d6] = 1, Evil: [1d6] = 2 Evil wins. Their morale broken, they will flee.
For PCs currently adjacent to a spider, the PC's attack roll will serve as their free opportunity attack against a foe fleeing a melee, with a +4 modifier to hit.

PC Status:

• Elbenarin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 30/30
  Elbenwin: Male Dunedain Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/30, Poisoned
  Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 13/21
  Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 22/28, Poisoned
  Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 22/24, Poisoned
  Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 8/8, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 8/8, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl
  Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 7/7, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 22/22
  Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 7/7, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

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

"The effects of the venom will pass, it is a paralytic only very rarely lethal."

He will check and see if anyone needs healing then stand watch and make sure no more spiders show up.

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen sheathes her sword and runs to her fallen companions. She attempts first aid, hoping that the poison has not taken full effect yet. She does the same for Red.

First Aid (16) [1d20] = 13

First Aid (16) [1d20] = 12


First Aid (16) [1d20] = 13

First Aid (16) [1d20] = 2

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin aids his brothers wounds as he can, “fight the poison brother! There is much yet to be done to set the world a true! Come!”, he exclaims to those closet, “ease my brother - I will search for Athelas to help and our friends wounds!” With that he’ll ensure his brother is tended and then search the trees and shrubs for the healing plant.

[Urson]

Therone

Therone joins the search for medicianl plants and mosses. She keeps her sword ready, however.

[ChubbyPixie]

Stowing Naringë, its blade ringing as it slides into its sheath, Gilwennen watches the fallen carefully. "Are they truly only sleeping?" she replies to Rumil's assertion. "I stand ready to grant healing, by the grace given to me by Enwë, should any truly have need of it."

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco hops up from his hiding spot and approaches the dwarves and their dog on the ground.

"I thought dwarves were supposed to be a hardy folk?"

He looks at his two bite wounds and shrugs innocently as he nibbles on a corner of lembas bread while the healers get to work.

[rredmond]

Seeing that Tinuwen has stabilized all the folks who were injured, and hearing that the poison will work itself out, Naruthirdor takes some deep breaths as he tosses the lit branches back on the fires. "If I am to be of any use on our quest, I'll need sleep to regain my magics," he'll remark, half to himself and half to the others, "I hope we have no further incursions into our camp." If there's nothing else that needs doing, or if they aren't moving anywhere else, Naruthirdor checks his scroll against the night sky, counts his newts' eyes ("really do wonder where that fourth eye has gone" he murmurs), and then wraps himself back up in his bedroll, in the center of camp, and goes to sleep.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot





.....

[Inferno]

Mirkwood Forest, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
Late Morning. March 21, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Three. Damp, cold



Their companions felled by poison, Elbenarin and Therone urgently search the dim recesses of Mirkwood for the healing plant Athelas, or Kingfoil as it is sometimes known. They find some of the precious leaves and Tinuwen uses it to aid their fallen friends.

After they've been made comfortable, Rumil of Mirkwood counsels they've done all they can for the stricken. What they need now is rest.

The company had been sleeping by day and traveling by night through this shadowed realm where day and night have little meaning. They continue their watch rotation until sunset. Everyone is rested and the poisoned, free from their paralysis, awaken hungry and thirsty. Red happily licks Gilly's face.


Actions?! (and Gilly roll 2d8 for me, please)



Map of Mirkwood:

X = the location of the Company.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

First aid gives 1 hp healed.
Kingsfoil adds another +1 hp to the healing.
And as per the house rules, overnight healing is 3hp + the PC's hit point bonus from their Constitution.

PC Status:

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

PC Magic:

• None currently.

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]

Gilly struggles to wake up...her legs stiff, her shoulders stiffer as if her neck has scrunched them up under her head. As she breathes deeply and begins to relax, she feels something washing her face...something hairy...with a familiar smell of...
"Red!" she jerks upright, the big hound giving her a few more licks before she pushes him away.
She looks around at the others, her brother sleeping beside her. She slaps him across the chest and says, "Wake up, spider bait! Red! Have at 'im."
While Red washes Glasik's face, Gilly stretches and rolls to her knees, slowly pushing herself to her feet. Stretching again, she yawns and says aloud, "By my Da's beard, I'm so hungry I could eat a frozen dog!"

[2d8] = 9

[wolfpack]

Elbenwin stretches his stiff muscles, after getting up he walks over and spits on a spiders corpse.

cursed wood, cursed children of shelob, there will be nothing more satisfying than destroying this evil.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

"Agreed there my friend, destroying evil is most satisfying."

[ChubbyPixie]

Gilwennen stands at the edge of the camp, looking forward into the unchanging gloom. “Let us continue before more of them come. Or before something worse does,” she says. She hurriedly readies her gear.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco rises with the others, his face thankfully dry and free of dog slobber. He checks his gear over and readies to set out again.

"Perhaps a quick meal would be in order before we depart? It must be nearly time for elevensies."

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Pushing the dog away, Glasik groans as he awakens. Eh, leave me be, Red! Free from the poison only to drown in dog slobber! He stretches as he rises, trying to work the knots out of muscles frozen in position for far too long to be comfortable. Please tell me there is something other than frozen dog or giant spider on the menu.

[rredmond]

"The Enchanted River should lead us to our goal, correct Rumil?" Naruthirdor asks, adding, "we should continue on with all due haste."
Naruthirdor takes a burning branch from the fire, nodding at it with a smile, and checks the spiders for anything of use - he doesn't expect to find anything of actual use, them not having pockets, but anything that might be of magical or scientific use he will check out as well.

How dark is it?

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

"Yes we should still be following the river. Eat a quick meal everyone and we will be on our way."

[SocraticLawyer]

Yes, let us be on our way, says Tinuwen.