First the disclaimer: The thread is for the game itself. Questions and peanut gallery stuff should go on the control thread: D & D on the Straight Dope setup thread. (In Middle Earth FA63)
First Adventure Thread
Middle Earth FA63 D&D Game, the Second Adventure, Scouting Ered Lithui
It is June 3rd. Sunrise & Sunset is 05:16 & 19:52.
Currently Riglo is prepared to lead the party out to the place where orcs travel regularly and where he found strange unidentified tracks.
Riglo estimates that it will take no more than 10 hours marching to make it to where he found the tracks. If we take short breaks we could make it by night or we could stop roughly two hours shy and make a cold camp. That would give us a fresh start in the morning and plenty of daylight. We would be marching at dwarf speed so it should be a simple journey.
The tracks will be largely gone, but at least the orc tracks might be fresh in the area. I saw signs of the paths being used for an extended period.
Here are the marching order and watches:
We will be going on foot. Riglo will lead the way – we will give him a hundred yards start. I shall flank on the right, Brin on the left, Miron to the rear, all of us a hundred yards from the centre of the group. Anything that slips past any of us will expose its rear to a skilled archer, assuming it can get past us in the first place.
At party centre, Ghân leads accompanied by Gwaelur (and Fang); Thoroncir escorts Renee; Deor is guarded by both Elfstan and Mulligan. Folca and Swift Wing shall take turns overflying us – I suggest their handlers recall them every half an hour or so; you know better than I your birds’ endurance.
By night we have the following:
Sunset to an hour before midnight:
Gwaelur in armour, Deor and Renee
An hour before midnight until two hours after:
Elfstan, Mulligan and Brin
Two hours after midnight until dawn:
Thoroncir in armour, Ghân and Riglo
In addition, Miron and I will take a short break around sunset, then as soon as it is fully dark Miron will join the watchkeepers until midway through the second watch, when I will relieve him until sunrise. Brownie will engage in normal owlish behaviour through the night, periodically moving from place to place as though on the hunt and covering the ground within a quarter of a mile of us. Our other animal friends will doubtless wake at any hint of trouble.
I assume Elfstan and Mulligan will be delighted to prepare both supper and breakfast, but once again, we must use caution in the matter of making fire – a small smokeless one while it is still light. Elfstan will know a family story about the perils of smoky fires in hostile country.
Our day’s march will end two hours before sunset, and we will begin two hours after sunrise. The nights are short, and we need not drive ourselves for fifteen hours a day; besides, our spellcasters are likely to need the extra time to recuperate. If the day is warm, we shall seek shade and water between one and two hours after noon. It is likely that our foes will be well out of sight at such an hour in any case.
Miron will set a string and bell perimeter.
*The Role Call **
Gil-Gandel – Malacandra - Trainee bard, Sindar (“Grey Elf”) 4th level
Miron Daelhind - Omi no Kami – Ranger/Archer, young Silven Elf of Ithilien 3rd level light on tracking, good with Herbs & healing.
Brin – D_Odds – Ranger of Dale 4th level
Mulligan Took – CatInASuit - Burglar, Hobbit (Sister-Son of Peregrin Took himself) 4th level
Elfstan Fairbairn – RogueRacer - Burglar, Hobbit (Son of Elanor the Fair, so heir to Samwise Gardener) 3rd level
Deor – appleciders – Mage or Rohan (Brother of Theogrim) 4th level
Ghân-buri-ghan – glee - Druid, Wild Man (“Wose”) 4th level
Gwaelur son of Gwaelin – NAF1138 - Fighter, Dwarf of the Glittering Caves. 4th level
Thoroncir – Elendil’s Heir - Fighter, Man of Gondor a Sea-Knight of Linhir 4th level
Renee- NPC – Beautiful young woman of Gondor and trained Healer of Estë 3rd level
Theogrim – OneCentStamp – Knight of Rohan * On Hiatus Staying with the cavalry
Notable Animals:
Folca: Deor’s really well trained Red Tailed Hawk. He is often invisible.
Cúran: A very swift and well-trained horse of the Elves, Gil-Gandel’s mount.
Kali: A fine Silver Grey Mare of exception stock. Her lines trace back to Shadowfax. She is Renee’s mount.
Missy: The strange green eyes, white fur cat, companion of Renee. It will not talk to Ghân but seems very intelligent and dutiful to Renee. She is an excellent night guard and usually invisible now thanks to Deor.
Fang: The ¾ Wolf Friend of Ghân
Brownie: The Owl Friend of Ghân
Swift Wing: A well trained Goshawk that works with Miron
Moose: An occasional talker and Orc Killer. He has now departed for somewhere to the West.
Theogrim’s Rohirrim War Horse: She is a large, well-armored, superbly trained War Mount. She attacks in combat, especially against men & goblins.
Prince Caramir of Ithilien leads 5 scouting parties from Minas Tirith to Ered Lithui and the Dead Marshes. He has now found many of the Uruk Hai and this scouting in force has killed the Shaman leader.
He is personally leading 4 Rangers of Ithilien.
The other leaders are Riglo of North Ithilien, and he is a skilled ranger and has been on missions into Mordor. He will be scouting by himself in Ered Lithui.
Lorinden of the Forests of Ithilien. He is of Legolas’ people and a skilled tracker. He will be leading three of his own people into the Dead Marshes to check out other leads.
Captain Helton of Lebennin. He leads a mounted troop of 60 light cavalry and archers. They will not be scouting, but riding the land and waiting for our signal fires if we think we have enough to take the orcs.”
Lady Renee of the House of Healing, a acolyte of Estë. She will be traveling with you as your healer. She is knowledgeable of undead and local history. She has just traded in her white training raiment for the gray raiment of her order. She is wise beyond her years. Renee appears to be young, not even twenty. She also appears to be a rare beauty. She has asked to just be called Renee, as she said, “I am just one of nine on this mission for the Free Kingdoms”.
Captain Helton is now building a fortified camp around the gardens of Ghân near the D in Ered Lithui on the map.
They are waiting for the Heavy infantry to arrive. Theogrim remains with them to lead one of the patrols. An Elf of Ithilien on an fast elven horse is currently stationed with them to act as a messenger and to act as archer support. He brought Mulligan back. A company of horse might be coming to help as King Elessar has indicted it is available.
Ered Lithui in June will have water. There are places where we will need to boil it. Once in the foothills, riding in might be dangerous. We may have to resort to walking. We can always arrange to leave our horses with Captain Helton’s troop. There will be many places where entangles work well and a few where they won’t. Thusly there will be places where scouts can go well in stealth and places where they cannot. There are some dangerous snakes and we need to watch out for the large spiders in the mountains themselves.
All are supplied with rations for the trip. Of course anything you find is yours on the mission and at a minimal of 25 gold will be paid to each of you. The original will be getting 70 gold in treasure share already and there is some armor & weapons to trade for gold.
Some background, it is 63 years since Sauron and Barad-Dûr fell. King Elessar & Queen Arwen are in their prime and young Prince Eldarion is in his early training at age 20. There is still a constant struggle to tame the brown lands, Umbar, Harad, Nurn and the North. The court summers in Evedim near the lake and spend 9 months in Minas Tirith. Aragorn has campaign more often than not in the last 63 years, but far less than the prior 67. He and Arwen have had 4 daughters. Silmariën (FA45), Gilraen (FA47), Telperiën (FA51) & Fíriel (FA55)
Legolas has removed a small number of his people to Ithilien to support Prince Faramir in this fair land. He visits the courts of Faramir, Elessar, Éomer and Gimli son of Gloin often.
Faramir and Éowyn have two sons: Elboron & Caramir. Both are hardy Warriors. They say the Prince Elboron has the look of his father and Caramir of his mother’s people. Prince Caramir is a great Horseman and loves his visits to his Uncle. Both appear to take strongly after Faramir as they are aging slowly. It has been noted that Éowyn has remained very youthful for all her long years. She could be taken for Éomer’s daughter or even granddaughter rather than his sister. She looks to be in her 50s more than her late 80s. Some wonder if this was a gift of King Elessar’s healing or a reward for slaying the Witch King of Angmar. Faramir is of course still a hale and hardy man. A little over a hundred he too looks to be in his 50s.
In 61 Samwise Gamgee left Middle-earth via Mithlond. Merry and Pippin got their affairs in order and headed south to live in Gondor. Mulligan Took was among their escort. Samwise’s eldest Grandson Elfstan Fairbairn has recently arrived in Minas Tirith.
Elladan and Elrohir of course remain the Masters of Rivendell and assist in the running of Arnor. They in no way have finished with hunting Orcs. Indeed, they have driven the Goblins far underground with their constant attacks on Goblin Gate and often roam north against Angmar itself. Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel seem tireless these days in hunting the scattered remains of these ancient enemies to the North. They often leave the care of Rivendell to the wise Celeborn. He did leave a thriving Sindarin kingdom in Southern Greenwood from where Gil-Gandel most recently hailed.
Thorin III Stonehelm rules the Durin Folk (Khazad). He rules from Erebor of course. His lords include Gimli in Aglarond, Lord Gíon of the Iron Hill and some lesser lords in the Blue Mountains and Fornost. The dwarves are again thinking of Khazad-dûm. Dori and Bofur are still alive, but quite venerable and rich.
), Ghân can offer a Plant Growth (at 3rd level).