Chapter 4: In Darkness and In Peril

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen follows along, carefully and quietly, bringing up the rear.

[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



The cave is as dark as Middle Earth's fate.

Groping blindly through the rank orc warren, Vindo turns right and nearly plummets down a stone stairwell! All that saved him from plunging to his death in the darkness was that he brushed the ground before him with one hand. He warns the others back.

Folco turns left and, feeling his way along the cold rock wall, creeps deeper into the orc lair, hearing only silence ahead in the dank black depths.

The Company follows Gilly and the little hobbit through the impenetrable pitch by touch and by whisper. After two changes of direction, and one near death, they believe they might be ready to risk some light.

Far behind them at the cave mouth, Therone stands vigil alone, watching the Uruk torches continue their relentless approach!


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 watches the Uruk thrash around, searching for the Company. She stays silent, fidgeting a bit. Have they forgotten me?
Struck by a sudden thought, she closes her eyes and listens, hoping that she's wrong- and that there are no Orcs with their damned Darksight moving around in the trees close to her.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil continues to follow along, carrying his load.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Perhaps we should risk a light now,” says Gilwennen, “Then use the illumination to make our way yet further in.”

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Whispering, "Perhaps just a candle? I have some in my bag."

[rredmond]

"We will need to pick up Therone, before we get too far in," Naruthirdor says. Since he is one of the ones in back, he will go back to the big H corner and peek around to whisper to Therone that it's safe to follow now.

[Urson]

Therone
Therone says nothing. She makes one last scan across the gully, then follows Naruthirdor, only relaxing slightly as she goes.

The Uruk are scattered across the valley, at least a bowshot away. They don't look like they have any idea where we are. I didn't see or hear any Orcs- so we should assume they're out there.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco continues searching deeper into the tunnel. He risks drawing his sword from its sheath to see if it glows, indicating the presence of any nearby orcs.

Once he hears about the near drop down the stairs behind him, he too begins sweeping ahead with his blade on the floor for steps or pits.

[ChubbyPixie]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Whispering, "Perhaps just a candle? I have some in my bag."

”Yes, a small light should suffice,” says Gilwennen.

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen keeps her bow ready, hoping the orcs leave them alone long enough for the companions to recoup their strength.

[Starbeard]

Vindo reluctantly voices his agreement that a little candlelight now might be worth the risk. "We can travel much faster with some light, putting us more deeply into the cave and away from detection. If anything greets us further in, we will need the light anyway."

He continues to press ahead with Folco in the same manner until light is given.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Glasik shuffles along, carefully carrying one of the Dunedain.

[Rex]

Rumil of Mirkwood

Rumil will stop, easing his load down, dig in his pack for a candle and light it with his flint & steel. Once lit he will hand it to Folco, Whispering "Here my friend, to lead our way."

He then picks his load up and follows along.

1 Candle removed from inventory.

[hedgeknight]

Gilly pats Red and tells him he's a good boy and then sends him along with Folco to lead the group deeper in the tunnels. One hand around the hilt of the elven sword and another on the wall, Gilly follows, glancing over her shoulder now and again to check on her brother.

[Urson]

Therone
When she catches up with the others, Therone falls in at the rear, often looking and listening behind to try and provide a rearguard in the dark.

[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




Rumil lights a candle against the darkness and its flickering glow reveals to Vindo the stone stairwell that almost took his life.

The Mirkwood elf passes the luminous taper to Folco whose magic blade is only weakly limned with cold light. The little hobbit inches deeper into the ominous desolation of the subterranean orc lair. The Company follows and Gilly and Glasik detect a rising slope in the crude tunnel.

Therone retreats from watching the Uruk torches in the dense thicket of the ravine below. Her whispered warnings are passed forward and Folco can't help but think macabre thoughts of sinister orcs watching him from the pitch blackness just beyond his candle's glow!


Actions?!


Map:

Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.



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)

[Starbeard]

Vindo whispers, "Let's continue up this sloping path, at least until we come to a more defensible position."

[Urson]

Therone
Therone continues her rear guard position. Despite the darkness, the stench of Orc, and the dangers, she finds herself beginning to relax.

[OGRE MAGE]

With the new light source to see by, Folco continues up the sloped passage with caution, checking for traps or secrets as he investigates.

"At least it doesn't appear that anyone is home at the moment. Well, no orcs anyway."