Hobwise; Legolas looks at you, puzzled and amused, and accepts the jerky.
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Most of you are given a fairly neutral look and nod by the pair of Elves. Legolas frowns slightly at Anar, and both Legolas and Irimë look upon Hobwise kindly; Legolas with a wistful smile, and Irime with curiosity. Legolas speaks. “Greetings. As Cereidh has said, I am Legolas, son of Thranduil. This is the lady Irimë, of the House of Finwë. The lady is journeying west, to the High Pass. It was our errand to take her there, but these Orcs are about for some fell purpose and must be driven from our land.” He pauses and glances at the veiled woman, then goes on. “The lady has requested that you bring her the rest of the way.”
Insight DC 12:
This is no small thing. The house of Finwë stretches back to the time before Man walked this world, and for one of the Noldor to ask a varied Company such as yours to escort her to safety is a thing that may never have occurred. Approach this with the care it is due. Insight DC 14:
Legolas is surprised that the Lady wishes to entrust her journey to you. Insight DC 16: The Lady is one of the true Firstborn, of one of their greatest houses. She will not be impressed by over-boasting, but courtesy, respect and confidence will win her over.
Galion purses his lips, then nods, seeming to accept your answer. "If that be the case, then you are well met indeed, and I would say more than chance guides our meeting. You, all of you, must come forth; the Lord and the Lady wish to speak with you." Galion beckons for you to follow and starts to walk away, deeper into Mirkwood. After a few minutes of walking, you come to a lovely clearing, and two Elves stand there, awaiting you. These Elves seem... different. Are they brighter, perhaps? Or more solid than the rest? It is hard to put one’s finger on it... One is dressed in green and brown, and carries a bow upon his back. He appears young, confident and brave. The other Elf wears a gown of shimmering white and cloud-grey silks, unmarked and untorn despite the thickness of the undergrowth in the forest. Her face is hidden by a grey veil, but her arms are adorned with silver bracelets, and upon her finger a ring glimmers with its own inner light. The pair spend a few moments speaking to one another in the Ancient Tongue. Lore or Wisdom DC 16 (Cereidh auto-succeeds): The male is is an Elf-lord in his prime, but beside the woman, even his radiance is dimmed. You know she must be one of the Noldorin, of which few are left in Middle-earth.
Cereidh, you know this to be Prince Legolas, and Lady Irimë, of the House of Finwë, a long time guest of Thranduil.
Hobwise:
The journey to Dale might be seen as arduous by some, but given your recent experience as a "guest" of Valter and his ilk, simply making the trip as a free person is liberating, and your steps are light and quick.
Upon reaching Dale, you find no word of those you traveled with, yet still, you are able to finagle a meeting with King Bard. As you relate your story, he is moved by your tale and expresses his sorrow at the events that unfolded, and his earnest hope that your travelling companions may yet be found. Bard recounts his experience with Bilbo, and thinks well of Hobbits, and is willing to act as a Patron for you. The journey back is a bit harder; you had hoped that some of your companions would have made it to Dale, and your heart is troubled, but still, you have accomplished your goal. Given Thorgrim's recent elevation among his people, the most logical place for your Company to join up again is the Easterly Inn. You head there, sharing tales of your recent travels. Hobwise, upon arriving, you do find out that your companions survived! They were able to make their way into Wilderland and, though badly injured, found their way to the Easterly Inn. There, they have been receiving care from Dody, Dindy and Agatha Brandybuck, the fine Hobbits that own the Inn. They are all overjoyed to see you, as they thought you lost. Their injuries are likely to severe to see them to Dale any time soon, but they trust you to serve in their stead. A group of travelers enter the Inn one night, and say that they spotted a group of Orcs around Mirkwood. With these recent directions, your party is able to track them to the location they were sighted. While moving in the forest, however, you have an encounter that you did not expect. Several Elves come to meet you, and there are more of them concealed in the forest, armed with bows. None of them are aimed towards you, and you are not greeted with any kind of threat or aggression; indeed, you have been sought out eagerly. Cereidh, you, and any that may have encountered him before, recognize the Elf that approaches you as Galion, the former cup-bearer to King Thranduil. "Mae govannen", Galion calls as he approaches you, "It is well to see one of our folk about in the wood! Fain would we have vagabonds scouring our lands for ill purpose. And indeed, it may be that your arrival here is fortuitous indeed. Tell me, travelers, what brings you to Mirkwood this day?" Insight DC 14: Normally the Elves are insular, though they give great latitude to their own. Still, Galion seems more interested than normal in your presence here, and he is appraising all of you and your war gear with a discerning eye.
Seems to be mostly votes for finding out what the Orcs are up to, with Bree-land the runner up. Details to follow later today...
Thorgrim: At that night, around the cookfire, you speak with mighty Beorn himself. He praises you for your valour and strength. He does note that you must take care, if you would be a Thane and a leader of men, not to let your passion overrule you; to use it, rather than be used by it. If you can do that, surely great things await you in the future.
You are granted a share of land that is relatively close by to the Easterly Inn. Given the Companies' positive relations with that locale, Beorn thought it might prove beneficial to set you near to those that think well of you.
Apologies Thorgrim! I missed that. I would say that it is appropriate for you to gain a Title from Beorn, given your status and your actions in the battle.
You are fairly isolated from the events in Bree-land, and no story or bit of news survives so much travel and retains it's true shape. From what you can tell, someone in town has fallen ill, and there have been strange lights seen in his house. Some of the livestock around town has been showing up dead, as well. As far as the Orcs and the men of Tyrant's Hill, as far as that goes, you know what you know. Those places are much closer, however, and the knowledge you have is probably very reliable. Cereidh:
As you return to the halls of the Woodland King, you find that great events have been occurring. The King's son, Prince Legolas, is out and about with a party of some of Mirkwood's best warriors and hunters. They are escorting a person of great importance, but their identity is not made known to you. Eothain: Beorn is happy to meet with you, considering his people's recent good fortune. As you ingratiate yourself with the company, he welcomes you to his lands and acts as Patron for you.
That's definitely a solid option. Plot-wise, too, if you go down that route you will have opportunities for further development of your Elven magicks...
While taking your ease in the lands of Beorn, following your mighty victory, a stranger to Rhovanion enters the scene. His mount, and his raiment, mark him as a man of Rohan. Beorn's people are as welcoming to him as they are to any other traveler. Eothain, in your sojourn out of the Riddermark, you have heard tales of a band of adventurers that has been active in Wilderland. They have rescued wayward Hobbits from Goblins, and word has reached your ears that they have just struck a mighty blow against those that would threaten the free folk of Wilderland, destroying a would-be bandit army. You find the Beornings in high spirits; their losses were few, and their victory great. All of the current Companions have been honored; Hobwise, you may count Beorn's House as a Sanctuary. Jaunter, your new ally, does take his leave of your group. He reveals to you that he is one of the Rangers, and he has responsibilities to take care of to the west. Eothain, it is easy to find the Company; they are gathered to discuss what to do next. You all have heard news of various events occurring all around Rhovanion. Apparently, there have been strange happenings in Bree-land; there is rumor of an unnatural death that has occurred there, though details are sparse and likely tainted by traveling. It seems there is a group of Orcs roving about near Mirkwood. They have been spied by scouts, and they seem to be searching for something, but what they are looking for is not well known. Finally, it seems that there is a new power growing in Southern Mirkwood. Word has reached you of the men of Tyrant's Hill. Though ill named, the men and women do not seem to be hostile, and have made themselves known to the Woodmen, who they seem to claim some kinship to. If you wish to know more of any of these, you may make a Riddle roll to try to parse fact from fiction. I would like everyone to specifically state what Fellowship Undertaking your characters performed. If necessary I will adjudicate the outcome. Then, your characters meet, and you may interact.
There... might be some significant quest threads in Eriador. Maybe. I dunno >.>
Excellent.
You all have the opportunity to rest and recover your hurts and weariness. The dead are gathered and buried, far more of the enemy than of the Beornings. The outlaw army was utterly decimated, their power broken and the lands of Beorn made safe. Beorn himself is not ignorant of your actions. He calls you to attend him, and tells you that through your warning, his people were made ready and lost less than they otherwise might have. Also does he set your slaying of Valter at great worth, promising your the friendship of the Beornings as long as he and his line hold sway over his lands. At this point you are entering a Fellowship phase. Use the Discussion tab to talk about what you might like to do!
If you would rather re-work Hobwise with some rolling, that's fine by me! I came in at the same time you did; I will ask the group, did you level up just before this adventure? If you've been 3 for a while, you may have leveled up, but if not, it will probably be a little while before you ding.
Also if someone could list for me all of the Sanctuaries and any Patrons the Company currently has, that would be great.
Oh heeeeeey there guys! Mae govannen! I thought this would be a good time to take a *slight* break and formally introduce myself in my official DM-ing capacity, let you know a bit about me and my style and expectations, and take any questions you have. I've been playing RPG's for a good long while, and have a deep love for Middle-earth. I try to stay relatively active on the forums, but, well, you know, life. As far as the game I'm going to run... I generally like to do a sort of "job board" style of game, offering the Company the choice of several adventures. If you don't pick one and pursue others, some adventures might eventually disappear, or become more complicated; the wide world won't wait, will it? There is an overarching plot (a few big ones, really) that I'm going to be weaving together from a lot of the extant material for AiME as well as some of my homebrew stuff. Thematically, my games tend to be more about who you are and what you do than the numbers on your sheet or how rare your gear is. That said, one of the things that appeals to me about this particular time frame for AiME is the fact that not all magic is gone from the world yet. It is fading, to be sure, but still there are the Eldar, mighty and strange. Still the Naugrim work their forges and produce marvels (though they are not the equal of the craft of bygone Ages). Still the Istari wander the world, and still do the minions of the Enemy seek to bend Middle-earth to his will through any and all means. What appeals to me in a game like this is seeing how your characters behave in this world. How you strive against an Enemy that you know you ultimately cannot defeat. How you attempt to keep the worst of the darkness from the hearts of men and women in the parts of the world that you travel. I'll do my best to post at least once a day during the week, though I will take weekends off, and I may occasionally miss a day or two. I have a full time job and friends and romantic partners so I've a full plate. Others do, too, so as long as you pop in a few times a week we're good... but the more often you respond, the more the game will move around. I'm going to be focusing a bit more on the social and travel aspects of the game, so expect an uptick in that. It's probably a good idea for every skill to have someone that's proficient in it. If you want a bit of time to move some things around on your sheets (re-assigning proficiencies from overlap or anything like that), I'm fine with you doing that. I'd also love for you all to list for me a couple of bullet point goals for your characters. These can be grand or common, but it will help me get an idea of what the character is looking for. I'd also love you all, as players, to tell me what *you* want out of a game. Maybe what you crave is epic, meaningful combat; making a stand to rival the defense of Helm's Deep. Maybe you want to roam the wilds and see what the winds of fate blow your way. Maybe you want to ingratiate yourself with the Wise, and offer counsel to the great lords that still live in Rhovanion, planning for the future with Gandalf and Beorn and Elrond. Maybe you want to discover dangerous items of power to keep them safe... or keep the world safe from them. Maybe you want to recover family heirlooms to restore your house to it's once-noble status. Whatever it is, it'll help me weave bits of personal plot through the larger story I have planned. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here, or through PM if you'd rather they not be public. I don't begrudge a character their secrets, after all :)
Praetor will lay into the one nearest to him;
Arkon, you, and Orz take down one, aided by Lackspell's previous bomb. Chrona, you and Ren manage to take down the other, and Praetor's powerful strokes do for the final one. Now that you're in the room and out of combat, you're able to look around. You're on the bottom floor of what was clearly at one time a prison. Any prisoners are long gone, however, and many of the bars have rusted; the room is in disrepair. There is a door to the east.
Shae, you find out that Father Tobyn's daughter, Nualia, wasn't fully human. The townsfolk weren't clear if she was an Aasimar or a true half-Celestial, but there was clearly divine lineage in her. Father Tobyn was fairly strict, and Nualia wasn't the most devout of children. When she was a teen, she dallied with a local boy and became pregnant. It was quite the scandal. Several months after, there was the fire. Father Tobyn's bones were found, but Nualia's body was never recovered.
Okay. You learn that Ameiko is skilled as a bard, so might appreciate items that a Bard might use. You learn that Ameiko is a particularly skilled singer and string musician, with her preferred instrument being the samisen. She also enjoys works of art, exotic spices, and good adventuring stories.
Make a Diplomacy check, Merrick.
14 hits!
They all FAIL their saves! Lackspell, you target the one assaulted by Praetor, and that one is incinerated. The rest are singed by the blast wave. The one demoralized by Chrona attempts to attack Varak with two claws;
But it is clearly shaken and misses both attacks. The remaining one tries to bite Praetor;
But misses badly! Your turn, gang.
Eloisa- Voon squints a bit at you. Recognition seems to dawn, and they smile at you, suddenly radiant.
Go ahead and take a 20% discount, Eloisa. Rast- You can certainly find a Masterwork Breastplate. Calin- If you're looking for a darkwood shield, specifically... then yeah, she has the hell out of a Darkwood Shield. In fact, she has a normal one and a +1 Darkwood Shield. Also, Calin, make sure you leveled up to 3. Asa- your work on the scabbard goes smoothly, and you end up with quite the piece. Korvut grunts approvingly as he sees your hands ply their craft. "I mean, yeah, but it would take us a while. I could certainly start, though. It would be easier if Savrah and Dante got in on it....which, maybe they would. First step is definitely to talk to Hemlock, though!" Merrick, did you want to do anything?
Asa, Korvut nods. "Not to worry! I think I have what you're looking for, just look through the leftover supplies. As far as the guard, well, you'll have a better in there than I would. Maybe you should speak to the Sheriff about that?""
You can buy those at normal price, Selaros. GM Rolls:
At the Feathered Serpent, an androgynous person stands behind the counter. They are wearing an elegant long-sleeved shirt and trousers, and have immaculately manicured nails and styled hair the color of the midnight sky. "Greetings," the person says, voice silky smooth. They smile warmly.
Among the openly displayed wares, Eloisa, you see several scrolls; one of Protection from Evil, one of Web, and one of Disintegrate. you also see several other magic items, including a Ring of Protection +5 and a Wand of Color Spray.
Varak, you and Arkon combine to bring one down. Chrona, your check is successful. Praetor will wade forward and strike at one of them;
He gets in a good strike! Waiting on Lackspell, then bad guys go.
Yeah...not much more, though, worry not!
Calin, that does still apply. Looking around, you see one of the more impressive pieces in Savrah's armory; a repeating crossbow. It is finely made and crafted from an exotic wood. A word is carved into it; "Vasanya". Other than that, it is a fairly standard allotment of arms and armor, though all are extremely well made. Asa, Savrah does in fact have what you are looking for; it's in her "exotic" section, along with a scant collection of other equipment from the East. Eloisa, Ameiko also lets you know of Ilsoari Gandethus. He is an older man that runs the local school, but he was something of a wizard in the past. He might have something for you. Nisk welcomes you, and has an assortment of first and second level potions for sale (let me know if you want a list). He does not seem to possess any scrolls or the like, but does suggest you go by The Feathered Serpent. It's a shop that stocks sundry magic items, and the proprietor has contacts in Magnimar, so they generally have a good selection.
There is Nisk, a potion maker.
A hit and some definite damage! Take your actions, gang.
Selaros; no problems there. Asa, Savrah is still opening up her shop, but smiles upon seeing you. Your group clearly has her favor. "No worries, I was just opening up! What can I do for you today?"
Praetor will move closer to the creatures.
So we're looking at;
Not great for the bad guys! Lackspell, you still have a surprise round action.
Interrogation:
Asa, Tsuto looks at you. He hasn't been given any magical healing, so he's still in rough shape from the beating you all gave him. Still, he musters the energy to laugh, though he coughs and wheezes after a moment. He flips his hair out of his face, and spits at you. The distance between you isn't quite enough for it to hit you, but the intent was clear.
"Maybe that's my destiny. But I'll never help you. This town is sick. The people here are all lifeless mannequins, blind deaf and dumb to the truth of the world! It would be doing Sandpoint a favor to eradicate this hick town, and my love will do so. I only hope you'll suffer long enough to enjoy it." Everyone not at the Sheriff's Office meets back at the Rusty Dragon. You make it there without incident; it is still early in the day. Bethana bursts into tears and fusses over Ameiko, who is clearly embarrassed. She does instruct Ameiko to get word to Shalelu. Ameiko sits down, helping herself to some food. She is quiet, and somewhere in her eyes you can see the reality of everything that just happened begin to take hold. Still, she shakes her head a bit and speaks.
She chews on a piece of sausage, lost in thought. Eloisa, Charm Person is a relatively common spell. A shop might have a Scroll of it. Alternatively, you could see if you can find another Wizard in town.
At the Cathedral:
Merrick, as you speak those names, Ameiko's face darkens. She stands, and Father Zantus glances at Rast before going to gently guide Ameiko back to the bed she had been sitting on. She moves away, though.
"I know, I need rest, but I can't right now, Father. I know some of those names, and there's someone I must get word to. Shalelu will have more information. I'm not going to do anything crazy; I can make it back to my tavern." Father Zantus argues a bit, in his gentle, paternal way, but Ameiko will not be swayed. Agustianna, too, does not wish to stay any longer. Players, you are welcome to accompany them back, though Ameiko doesn't have much more to say on the matter. Rast, Father Zantus is grateful for the update. He doesn't have any information for you; it's the first he's heard of a device like that under Sandpoint, but he promises to let you know of any new information that comes his way. At the Tavern:
*"I will think on it, Master."* At the Sheriff: Sheriff Hemlock tells any newcomers the same; Tsuto is saying nothing. They will not torture him, short of that, they believe that unless magical means are employed, he will not talk.
Praetor kicks open the door! You are standing on a wooden platform above a room. In the northeast corner of the room, four Sinspawn are gathered, and they seem to have been discussing something. They were not prepared for you group. You have a surprise round. You may each take one move or one standard action. Since you are on a platform, charging is not possible. They are thirty feet away but you have to move down stairs to get to them. They are all within five feet of one another. What do you do?
Black Blade: "I require no sustenance; I am bound to your life-force. If you are well, I will be well. As for a name...no. My former Master gave me a title, long ago, but it is too murky...I cannot recall. You needn't name me, though you may if you wish."
"Come on, now, you don't think what's going on with Naboo is an accident? A lot of eyes are focused there. The main Mandalorian forces were tipped off because someone planted a tracker on your ship. I don't know who, or how...I might tell you if I did. Might not, sort of depends on how I feel at the moment. But you should know, not all Mandalorians are united. A good chunk of us see this conflict with the Republic for what it is; a fool's errand. The Clans are getting played, but some of them are too sodding dull to realize it. I'm not one of them, nor is my clan. I've still got some friends in other clans, though, and they tipped me off. So here I am." Anyone may make a Sense Motive check if you wish. Now that he has stood up, Jango is impressively armed. He has a fully modified, kitted out suit of armor, a customized carbine on his back and two custom pistols on his hips. There's surely more weaponry and tech concealed in his armor. He has made no move towards his weapons, and seems fairly at ease despite the weapons pointed his way.
Ren, you clearly hear several voices on the other side of the door. You can't make out what they're saying, but it doesn't sound as though they're speaking any language you recognize. They aren't right on the other side, you can tell, but farther into whatever room is on the other side. What do you do?
Silver dust pouches are 5 GP each. Gold dust pouches are 50 each. Shae, that post has the correct value.
At the Rusty Dragon:
Those of you that choose to regroup and eat up, you find Bethana waiting, extremely anxious. After reassuring her that Ameiko and Agustianna are fine, she calms down and is extraordinarily grateful. She puts on some food for you, creating heaping plates of sausage and bacon. You are well fed. At the Sheriff's Office:
When you arrive, Sheriff Hemlock is waiting for you, grim-faced.
"My men reported the heinous crime in the Glassworks. It's good that you stopped who did it...you even managed to take him alive, which is damn impressive! I'm worried that he'll prove...a hostile captive, though. He's returned to consciousness and he seems like...well, he seems like a zealot. Just vague threats and shouts of loyalty to "his love". Maybe that Wizard friend of yours knows some spells that can gain his trust?" At the Cathedral: When you arrive at the Cathedral, you find Father Zantus, as well as some other Clerics, healing Agustianna and Ameiko. They're using lower level spells and going slowly. Father Zantus tells you, Rast, that they are doing this because the women have been through a lot; it is better to aid them a bit more slowly and talk to them than simply patching their wounds and sending them on their way.
Shae, you're a bit over-eager, but Rast covers for you. Ameiko offers you a weak smile.
That haggling check will not fly, but you can purchase whatever you like and add it to your ship. You may continue to RP in the shop a bit, just place it in spoilers. Obi-Wan, JonJon is using Force powers around you, so I imagine it would ping, yes. You can also attempt to make UtF checks to Sense Surroundings if you like. Ralk, he flashes some hand signs at you. Smuggle Hand Code:
"Other Mandos. Looking for you." After a second, you all hear the shuffling and crunch of many, many boots outside. A deathly silence falls over the shop. After a few quiet, tense moments, the footfalls move father away from Watto's, eventually fading into the general din of Tattooine. The man that burst in stands up, slowly, relaxing a bit. He regards you, Panaka, holding your pistol at him. He doesn't seem particularly concerned; if anything, it seems like he approves of your caution. "Apologies for the entrance," he says in a somewhat gruff, accented voice. "As I was attempting to relate to your Bothan friend, there's rather a lot of Mandalorians on this planet right now, and they're all looking for you. Good news for you is, I'm not with them. And I'm much better. You can take your fingers off the triggers, kids, I'm here to help. Name's Jango, and I can get you back to your ship safe. What do you say?"
Arkon and Ren, you notice, as you pass by the statue, that the ranseur is not stone and is not attached; you could pull it free. North of the statue is a closed door. You may make a Perception check to listen through the door if you wish.
So Merrick is going to the Cathedral. Everyone else?
Calin, you have the right of it regarding the Feat tax and repurposing already purchased feats.
You have one route you haven't explored; north past the statue. As you near the statue, make Perception checks.
Roll, if it's lower than half +1 take half+1 instead
It's probably fine!
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