Chapter 4: In Darkness and In Peril

[Urson]

Therone
Therone helps ensure that everyone is inside the cave, then takes a knee at the cave mouth, an arrow nocked and ready. She watches the torches.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil moves into the cave following along behind the scouts.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Once inside the cave, the dwarf will carefully lay Elbenarin on the ground against the wall before wearily taking a seat beside him. He takes a drink from his waterskin, savoring the refreshing liquid as it trickles down his throat.

[hedgeknight]

Gilly is glad to have stone over her head once again. She pats Red and says, "Go on a bit boy, quiet like, and see if this place is empty."
She takes a few more steps inside, feeling her way along the wall, then squats and listens as Red explores on ahead deeper into the cave.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco ushers everyone inside the cave entrance in the darkness, pointing out rock and root along the way.

Once inside again, the hobbit looks up to Vindo and comments. “Can you repeat that bit you said about no orcs going near one of the caves again? It wasn’t this cave by any chance, was it?”

[Starbeard]

Vindo shakes his head. "No, it was the regal Elf-King cave at the end of the vale (K). Hopefully this one will do, though—unless you wish to wager that whatever keeps the orcs away from that cave means us no harm?"

The town-tamed wild man suggests moving down the right passage, to be further out of sight from the torches. Whichever path they take, he hugs the righthand wall, crouching nearly on his knees, one hand on the wall and the other brushing the ground ahead. "We should at least put some distance and a turn or two in the corridor before we light a torch, otherwise they will see the glow issuing from the cave's mouth."

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil moves into the cave continuing to following along.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Glasik picks up Elbenarin and does his best to follow along in the dark.

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen follows along, arrow knocked just in case.

[rredmond]

Naruthirdor follows along with everyone else, "did you say you had something that quickens healing," he says to the newcomer. "When we are able to stop, it may be all the healing we have."

[ChubbyPixie]

Making her way in the dark, Gilwennen regrets the loss of her starlight blessed stone. Gracefully treading behind the others as they inch their way into the cave , she says softly: "Even assuming only three Uruk-hai per visible torch, the number in the ravine is far more than we could conceivably handle, in our present state or at the peak of our current power. Varda has guided us to safety, may her light never fade."

[Inferno]

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



At the Mountains of Mirkwood, the Company takes refuge within the concealed cave maw, bearing their bravely injured with them.

At Gilly's urging, Red disappears into the waiting shadows. Behind the faithful hound, Folco and Vindo feel their way through a darkness that is absolute.



Blind. The persistent stench of orc thick in their noses. Careful fingers probing cold rock walls as they creep ahead sightless. Rumil and Tinuwen follow slowly in their footsteps while behind them, the wounded pause to recover their strength.

Suddenly, Folco and Vindo each feel their wall turn outward at a sharp angle, abruptly widening their path.

Meanwhile, an arrow fitted to her bowstring, Therone watches from the cave mouth down into the thorn-choked ravine below. There, she sees Uruk torches inching nearer; slowly, inexorably closing in on the Company.


Actions?!


Map:

Lit areas are visible. All else is by feel and by memory.


Ravine Map:

One square = 10 feet. The Company is at the white X. T's mark the approximate location of torchlight.



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:

• 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)

[Urson]

Therone
Therone continues watching, her body tensing like her bowstring. Getting closer! Hurry! she whispers urgently.
If any of the Uruk get closer than about 45 feet, she'll pull back into the darkness, out of sight.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil keeps advancing further in with his precious load.

[Starbeard]

Vindo continues to move along the wall. "Let's move as deep into the cave as we can, until we're satisfied that any light we make won't spill out into the night."

"Once we rest, one of you can use this goblet." He pats a cup of horn and worked metal. "It steels the resolve and strengthens the spirit."
(Once a day, drinking from it will add your CON modifier to the effect of one healing source, such as a spell or natural rest. Not much, but every little bit helps at this point.)

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

The dwarf continues quietly carrying his injured charge.

[rredmond]

Naruthirdor nods at Vindo. "I hope there is an exit from this passage, so that if we are found we are not boxed in," Naruthirdor says matter of factly.

[ChubbyPixie]

Gilwennen will creep along with those carrying the injured, relying on her hearing alone for guidance.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco moves in and to his left, still using the wall as a guide to aid his search.

He strains his ears to help determine if they are alone in here or not.

Hear Noise

[hedgeknight]

Gilly moves on ahead...following Red...feeling her way, trusting her hound.