SPEAKER_06 0:05

This is the Fellowship of the North, an actual play of the one ring from Stories with Dice. If you're enjoying our actual plays, please subscribe to Stories with Dice so you'll never miss an episode. Don't forget to rate and review us. It really helps others discover the podcast. Follow us on social media to stay updated. You'll find the relevant links in the description of each episode. Hello everyone and welcome to Stories with Dice. We're playing the one ring from Free League Publishing, and this is episode eight, Farewell to Rivendell. When last we left the company, they had entered a two-week fellowship phase in Rivendell. There they spoke with Damron, chief among the Smiths of the Hidden Valley in one of the last Elven rites of Eregion, who revealed to them more of the blade of Baronor. They conferred with Master Elrond as well, laying out the Soutron maps and recounting all they had witnessed upon the road. Thereafter Elrond sought solitude in his private library, delving into lore in hopes of discerning the shape of the threats that stirred in the dark. Meanwhile the company dwelt in peace, the weight upon their hearts grew lighter, and they turned their minds to study and reflection. Each pursued their own quiet labours, some in practice yards, some in archives, others in contemplation beneath the birches of the hidden valley. Thus, when at last they were summoned once more to Elrond's council, they were astonished to learn that three weeks had passed. For in Imladrus the flow of time softens, and many a traveller has lost count of the days beneath its gentle peace. So tell me what each of you were doing when you received the summons. Were you pouring over texts in the library, practicing in the arts, or were you alone or with one of your companions? And how did you feel when you realized that you'd lost track of the days and that you'd spent a week longer than you had intended?

SPEAKER_00 2:17

I think yeah, I think for Danyon it's not a surprise, you know, as an elf who is used to tank pass and not care about it. Probably Danyon has been enjoying the time, learning new rhythms, you know, because he's kind of uses music and kind of remember, you know, facts and histories, and probably the rest of the time, well, he was not just enjoying this the music, was probably in the library seeking for old tombs or perhaps looking at relics or artifacts that are probably all around Rivendell. And just taking everything in and you know recovering hope.

SPEAKER_06 2:58

In the library, was there anything particular or pertinent to what has occurred on the road, what you've learned on the road that you may want to might want to have looked for? Like, did you want to look up Morlos or Zakruk or any of these other any of these other sort of tidbits that have cropped up?

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Yeah. Yeah, and I was thinking about this queen thing. Do you remember the name of the no this queen? There was this the queen.

SPEAKER_06 3:26

Well, you you don't have her name, you just they referenced the queen, yeah, yeah, but you don't have a name, so it's hard that would be hard to Yeah, yeah, no, no, it's trying to see if I can decipher this thing based on all the other things I know, you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

This is a proper library investigation. Like, can I is is this name appearing in some way, you know, reference in books and things like this.

SPEAKER_06 3:50

Give me a laurel. Great success. You have found recent references to Zakruk, the voice from beyond. He had he has been encountered before years ago by some of Elrond's scouts. And and they've they wrote that the orc Zakruk is deemed ill-tempered and malign even by the measure of his own kind. His skin is mod is a mottled hide, blotched with sickly pale patches, and his face and hands bear etched scars in the shape of sorceress runes. He moves with the crooked gait, leaning heavily upon a knotted staff crowned with the skull of an owl, and among his possessions is a pendant of deep red stone shaped like a malorn flower and inscribed with the name Phaloth. It's a Sindarin name. He also carries a monstrous iron mask forged long ago in lands beyond Mordor, and through this grim relic, unhoused spirits possess his body.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Doesn't mention where we can find this, where was he found or encountered?

SPEAKER_06 5:04

Yeah, he was he was encountered in Merkwood, but he is from the Misty Mountains. So he spent time in Dol Guldur.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

So he shouldn't be in Eriador then. Or now he's in Eriador, but before he was not.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

I guess I think Halburn is probably gonna spend his time in the gardens of Rivendell and sort of like the surrounding land within sort of like the valley, thinking about everything that's kind of happened over the last, I guess, is a month and a half or so, and just trying to kind of make sense of everything. Probably in a little bit of quiet contemplation, and probably spending quite a bit of time speaking to Baronwyn as well. Just kind of seeking a bit more counsel, although she kind of gave me some harsh love last time. Get your ass in gear, sort it out, instead of oh, they're there, they'll be fine. Um I've kind of like spent a bit of time kind of just musing over that, trying to get to grips with my we'll call him my sort of like stepdad, his passing, and just kind of trying to sort of piece together my loss, the I guess the shadow scars that I've had or I've got, and just trying to get to grips with trying to get hope back to where I to where I'm actually trying to do more good rather than get lost in that. So probably, yeah, I'll I'll so when I get the when I'll get the call, maybe I don't know, Peran and I might have been chatting or or just kind of like amusing ourselves with I don't know, is there some kind of like local game or or just something, you know, even if it's just like wandering around like the gardens and just looking at herbs and such stuff. Just you know, we've got that in common, the hunting and the and sort of like the living in the wilderness and just kind of you know, just to kind of like forge some kind of thing. So um I know we were looking for who was gonna be our our fellowship focus. Unfortunately, Charlotte, I pick you.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Oh darn. So as for games, first off, she would tell you that the wilds are no place for a mulling pup, but hide and seek because I increase my hunting, which could tie in nicely with that, being able to track better, be able to stay hidden better.

SPEAKER_03 7:34

Yeah, I mean that's my highest skill as well.

SPEAKER_06 7:37

So right, and Halburn, you haven't you've increased your wisdom. So you're you now have endurance of the ranger, correct? Which increase your endurance by one point, but then it also allows you to incur no fatigue during a journey, which is quite a big thing. So learning, yeah, and learning from the last thing and Rivendell is not a small place, so you're you know, the two of you are probably out practicing or or what have you, living in the living sort of on the edges and in the wilds and in the woods of Rivendell.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Yeah, I guess it's that common sort of thing that binds us. And because I've I've I I don't I don't know Bjornings that well, you know, it's the first one I've ever met. So actually that kind of commonality helps like bind those things. And I guess it it accidentally became like she accidentally became my my focus, my fellowship, my fellowship focus, you know, rather than anything else. Is he your fellowship focused, Brian Wynne?

SPEAKER_06 8:32

Yeah, I think so. Okay, excellent. So now that we know what the two of you were up to, was there anything was there anything else you wanted, did you want to add to that, Charlotte?

SPEAKER_01 8:41

I would have also probably spent some time with the elves just working on combat, showing off my skills, which would also represent my increase in valor. My skills are being known a little bit wider along among the lands. I would still be trying to chase down information about the gem that I had. Have, had, have. Yeah, it's in Elrond's possession now, right. Every two days, have you had a chance to look at this yet? Just following up, as per my last email, or as per my last missive, have you had a chance to look at this?

SPEAKER_06 9:16

And the answer is the same. No. We don't know anything yet. Asil, what about you? What have you been up to? And and where are you when you receive the summons?

SPEAKER_05 9:26

Probably sitting near the waterfall. Just contemplating.

unknown 9:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:31

All of three weeks he sits near the waterfall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Space of the bee. Yeah. That's true.

SPEAKER_05 9:41

No, it's Assel kind of thought he knew what his job was, his place was in the whole thing. He was just a messenger and a support person, but now this sword has turned up, it's kind of suggesting that he should maybe stepping closer to the front line, as it were, which is not something he's really got his head around in the past. So he's just sitting there trying to plan whether to actually step up, which he knows he should, and what's the best way to do that. And again, he's probably already knows he can only do that by getting out there again. But he's sitting there contemplating, and probably once he gets the summons and finds out it's three weeks later, he's probably quite annoyed at himself for wasting all that time coming to the same conclusion he had at the start of it all.

SPEAKER_06 10:34

So the four of you make your way to the front porch of the house of Elrond. It's the afternoon, so there's like this warm glow of the afternoon sun. So on the porch are chairs are arranged around a silver fountain, and the fountain is shaped like a tree bending over a marble basin. And in a high back chair sits Elrond. His face is ageless, neither young nor old, yet marked by all the ages of the world, with a graceful sweep of his arm he gestures for all of you to take your seats. Strangers and friends, both old and newly come. I must speak plainly and confess this before all gathered here today. When the Lady Gilrayan first came to me seeking my counsel, I advised her against the course of action that brought you together. I now see that my counsel was in error. Even I cannot foresee all ends. I have thought long on the ill tidings you've delivered, the foes you have encountered. I believe they work at cross purposes with one another, yet each strives toward the same end, to serve the dark designs of the great deceiver, our common enemy. For my part I have doubled our patrols, and sent scouts south to Tharbad. If South Ron's spies are venturing north, they will pass through the ruins of that city. As for this Morlos, the Dark Whisper, it is a name unknown to me. Zakrup the Orc, however, he is known to my scouts, for they encountered him in southern Murkwood many years ago. He is an orc of the Misty Mountains, and it is said that he earned the favor of the necromancer during his time in Dolguldur. Somehow Morlos and Zakruk are bound in purpose. They command many allies and servants, it would seem. I believe the queen the orcs spoke to to be among them. For in Idanin's tale, the captured men were taken to her, while the elves were delivered to Zakruk. Who she is is a mystery to all. You may have already met one of their spellbound servants, however, in Bri, the man who spoke of ancient standing stones in the North Downs with Assel. So I say it falls to you to complete the task the Lady Gilrayan entrusted upon you. If you have the heart, for our struggle is long and perilous. You must continue to probe the shadows of this Morlos, and uncover the schemes it weaves, seek out the truth behind its servants and their deeds, and learn who this queen is, for only by understanding these threats may we hope to thwart them. In the meantime I shall continue to study the iron crown and the jewel set within it. And then he gestures to one of the other elves who comes forward and they hand Buranwin her buckler, which has now been reinforced by the Elven Smiths. And then they also give you the traveling cordial. So those of you who drink from it will gain one less fatigue on the next journey event after you've after you have drunk from the cordial. So you can drink it ten times. So use that sparingly. Halburn won't need it, so the rest of you will have will have extra. And then he says, if there isn't anything else, farewell, and may the blessings of elves and men and all free folk go with you. And may the stars shine upon this fellowship of the North.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Lord Alron, forgive my interruption. But the stone, have you learned anything about it yet?

SPEAKER_06 14:24

No, I have not, which is why I will retire to my library and continue to study the crown and the stone.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

I hope to find more information about it on our return. Speaking of which, is there a safe space here that we can use to store stuff that we may not want to carry on this next journey?

SPEAKER_06 14:45

Yes, you may consider the guest house that you stayed in such a such a place.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Okay. I want to stash the ten gold. Actually, no, nine. I'll keep one on me just in case.

SPEAKER_06 14:55

You should make Halburn carry it. He should be the beast of burdens, and she gets he gets no fatigue.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

If only I cared about th such things as gold and that kind of malaki. Is there anything else before you begin your journey?

SPEAKER_04 15:10

I will probably also get a new long sword. Ah. You don't have a sword, yes. And I'll probably need a leather vest. Because I lost mine as well.

SPEAKER_06 15:20

That's right. So then after they after they be after they give the elves give Beren her reinforced shield back, they they hand I Danyon a a sword and they and they give Assel a leather shirt.

SPEAKER_03 15:34

I guess we'll kind of leave in the morning, that makes more sense. Which I guess means us gives us time to have a conversation about what we want to do and where we want to go and what the sort of like next steps will be.

SPEAKER_06 15:45

Yep, so Alaron has suggested that you investigate the standing stones because he believes that man was a servant of Morlos. But yes, by all means make your plans, choose your route when you get back to the house.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

Well, yeah, basically head back towards Brie and then head north up to where we've got the marker on the map. But I might suggest that we don't actually visit Brie so as not to give a heads up that we're coming.

SPEAKER_06 16:14

Yeah, and you can so you can you can break the because it's a long journey from Rivendell to the North Downs, so you can break that up into smaller legs and and find a like you can go from here to Weathertop, rest at Weathertop, that's sort of a safe spot, and then from Weathertop continue on to the North Downs. You could do that if you wanted to. But it is a long way, so it is a long way, yes. Do they have horses we can borrow? Sure, you can have horses.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Yay, I got us horses.

SPEAKER_03 16:44

I don't think they actually really kind of speed up the travel, do they? I think they just kind of helped.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

No, is this their load now? Yeah, I think it's just that.

SPEAKER_06 16:53

I mean So at the end of a journey, player heroes traveling with a mount reduce their fatigue total by the beast's vigor rating. So you have common mounts, so they all have a vigor rating of one. So you'll all reduce your, except for Halbrin, you'll all reduce your travel fatigue. At the end of the journey, you'll negate one for that.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

So looking at the map, it's about it's about eight days to the last bridge. It's about eight days to weather top, it's about eight days debris. And I guess then once we're there, where is the Yeah?

SPEAKER_06 17:29

So the question is do you want to take the road up to Fornost and then over to the Standing Stones, or when you're at Weathertop, do you want to just go through the Weather Hills, which would be probably shorter? It's up to you guys.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Well it might be shorter, but it's probably easier going on on the road. No roads. I mean. But yeah, we're more likely to be seen that route, but This is true. So if we wanna I suppose if we want to not be seen, then yeah, we can we can kind of get to Weathertop. Well, before we get to Weather Top, if we hang before the mid-water marshes, we don't want to get stuck there. It's terrible when you get contact uh leaker breakers. Well, what about halfway from the last bridge to Weather Top, we start heading north and then sort of place before we hit the Weather Hills and then skirt the Weather Hills so we're on the flats, yeah, and then make our way up to the north that way. And then we can kind of once we pass the Weather Hills, we then aim for like that sort of hill outcrop. It's about three and a half weeks worth of travel.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Yeah, okay, cool.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Is Weathertop considered safe? Yes.

SPEAKER_05 18:40

Yeah, there is a camp there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

So I wonder if it'd be beneficial to go to Weathertop first and rest to uh Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_06 18:47

Yeah, you'll be able to take a prolonged rest at Weathertop. So yeah, you're gonna get that patron bonus, and you're also gonna get that fellowship under phase undertaking bonus. And we'll we'll yeah, we'll do that once we get into the actual mechanics. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03 19:05

And we also have any other ideas if that is that something we should do, or do you want to kind of stop off anywhere else? Or you know, we we avoid Brie, we avoid any other real kind of like civilization. But hang on, wasn't the guy in Brie though? Yes. So we So we're not gonna then speak to him, asshole. We're gonna go to the standing stones as instead of speaking to the guy who has the darkness on his back. Yeah. He's got a direct connection to whatever's up there, so that makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 19:42

Okay. You spend the evening planning your journey over a warm meal, and at last you retire to your beds, taking what comfort you can from the final restful night you are likely to know for some time. With the first flush of dawn the valley stirs, and the day of your departure is upon you. You take a simple breakfast on the porch of the guest house before readying your mounts, and Elrond and Glorfindel see you off as you depart Rivendell on this fair summer morning. Leading your horses you ascend the switchback trail from the hidden valley into the green, pine swept foothills of the misty mountains, bound for the fords of Brunin and the Great East Road. Go ahead and make your marching test, asshole. Why? Why?

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Why what why what? That was a great success. Nothing I know, but there was a but I was like don't no for a second I was like, you rolled one, what? No, and then I realized it was not that.

SPEAKER_06 20:49

For four days your company has ridden westward along the Great East Road, bordered by the shadowy troll shaws to the north and the lands of the angle to the south. Halberin scouts ahead of the company, ensuring the road remains safe and unshadowed by hidden danger. So go ahead and give me an explore test, Halberin.

SPEAKER_03 21:14

I'll give you an explore test. I'm just gonna use a straight roll, not adding anything to this. That is a failure. That is a failure.

SPEAKER_06 21:24

So far, so consistent. Yeah. So the memory of Rivendell lingers behind you, but only faintly, like the last gleam of twilight fading from a distant hill. And the air carries no special clarity for you, and the miles pass as they always do, neither swifter or lighter. And at night the stars wheel overhead and the road stretches steadily beneath your feet, and in the morning the quiet warmth of the last homely house seems to have stayed. Behind, leaving the road to its own ordinary cares. Everyone except for Halberin gains one fatigue point for the journey so far. Assel, give me another marching test. And the weather is still absolutely beautiful. Summer day. An extraordinary success. So that's five days, I believe. Does that get us? No, that just gets us. That just gets us past the last bridge. Past the last bridge. Okay. So now, Tony, I want you to roll a D6 for me.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

That rest is really doing asshole wonders.

SPEAKER_06 22:38

One. One. That is the scout again. Now roll a feet die, but make it favored. Okay, so that is a mishap. Bubba. Joy. Ed. Hello. Make an explore roll.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Make an explore roll, yes. Okay. Well, I've been really enjoying the uh the the road. I've been enjoying the the sun. It's exactly what I enjoy being out in the wilderness, even when even when we're on the road. And so I'm gonna spend a point of hope on this. Okay. Let's uh let's roll. Oh there we go. There you are. One Gandalf rune, an automatic success.

SPEAKER_06 23:27

You are now nine days into your journey. You have crossed the last bridge, the troll shaws lie behind you. Suddenly without warning, a heavy fog rolls across the road, thick and silent and cold. The way ahead all but vanishes in the grey shroud, and the trees and distant hills fade as though swallowed by the mist. Your horses grow uneasy. You dismount and take the reins, leading the animals carefully forward. Halberin reads the subtle signs of the road beneath his feet, and leads the company along its hidden course without incident. By the afternoon the fog begins to lift, and at last the road before you is clear once more. Goodness we're following the road. Assel rolled an eye. So I forgot to I neglected to mention that the eye the eye awareness reset after your fellowship phase, so it went back to its slacky. Yep, but because Assel has an enchanted item, it's one higher than it was before, so it's it's three instead of two. I like that. That's a cool uh crap. That's a cool rule. Charlotte, roll a d6 for me. Two. Let's roll that again, because Ed has been getting all of them so far. I am the scout off to roll as four. Okay, that's the lookout. Now roll two d12s and keep the best results. Let's change that to a two. How about a nine? Okay. That is a shortcut. Tony, roll a awareness test for me. It has been two days since the fog rolled in and swiftly lifted. Eleven days on the road in all. And now the sky darkens beneath heavy clouds. The early evening light is swallowed by a dim, shadowed gray. The road bends sharply, and as you round it, a sudden obstruction stops you in your tracks. Great oak trees lie across the road, their roots ripped from the earth. There's a shattered pushcart among the fallen trees, and pots and pans and children's toys scattered across the dirt, and there's a torn dwarven cloak half buried at the side of the road. You're caught off guard. You dismount to inspect the wreckage, when all of a sudden the trees north of the road start to sway as if caught in a storm, though the air is still. A low, heavy thud vibrates through the ground. You see trees bending, shifting, crashing aside. Something massive is forcing its way through the woods toward the road.

SPEAKER_00 26:19

What do you do? Yeah, I just signal everyone Quiet, hide, hide. And I signal them to go to the side to the to the trees. It's a little late for hiding because you've failed your role.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

So it's just a hobbit, no? One hobbit. Excellent. We can take him. No, it is an maybe, maybe. I mean. It is a stone troll.

SPEAKER_06 26:45

Okay. You won't be able to make opening volleys because you failed your awareness test. And he is actually going to go first. So choose your stances, ladies and gentlemen.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

I'm gonna be for your with my nice bowl.

SPEAKER_03 27:05

I'm in open stance. Well, I can't change the actual stance. I think we have to start the combat in the combat tracker to do that, all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_06 27:12

Okay, you're in open, and I'm in defensive. Renwin is in defensive. I don't know why you're so defensive, Charlotte. I don't know. She seems to live longer than I do, though. Alright, so now because he has a might value of two, it means he gets two actions each turn. And he's so he comes he comes barreling out of the out of the woods with this massive club, which is just basically like um, you know, a broken tree trunk, and he just comes barreling out and swings it right at Halbryn. Yeah. I like trying pull my sword out, and it's like, oh shit and he just swings right over, swings that club like right over your head, and then he goes in for a second of course he does for a second swing. Oh, geez. And he still failed. Now you know, you know that stone trolls are dull-witted. So mechanically, that means that you can attempt a special combat task, but only if you're in forward stance. The special combat task is that you can make a riddle roll as your main action for the round, and on a success, the troll loses a point of hate plus one point for each success icon that you roll. So, Halburn, you're in open, so that means you are next.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

Okay, well, I guess I'm going to do my very best to distract him while Eradwin and the rest of them stab him. So I guess I'm gonna I'm gonna engage him as I would expect. Having a weapon equipped would be very handy, right? Usually, yes, in situations such as this. Okay, alright, so let's um let's attack him, shall we? I fear this might require a point of hope from me as well, and we do everything we can do to kind of make sure he doesn't run rampant, plus he's obviously hurt some other people, so far, so normal. You aren't you aren't you ruined the day, you didn't increase your sword skill. Absolutely. I guess I kind of like dance around him, I try and stab him, but you know, my blades are sort of like just bouncing off his skin, or or kind of he's swinging that massive tree around, and I can't quite get close enough to to actually engage him.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

So keeping myself in a bit of a defensive stance, knowing that he's got big swings and I want to stay as nimble as possible, I'm going to try and use my axe one-handed. Yeah, that is a failure.

SPEAKER_06 30:01

He's got some pretty sturdy knees. He does have some pretty sturdy knees. Mr. A S A L Assle. So you're I you're shooting your bow, right? Yeah. Oh, and that is a failure? Yes. So your arrow, yeah, your arrow flies wide and goes into the woods. I Danyan.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

Alright, so I'm gonna shoot my arrow. I got a special a great success. Apparently I can do more damage. Should I click on it? Yes. A damage.

SPEAKER_06 30:39

Okay, yeah, so your arrow flies, you get him right in his shoulder, and he's he goes, stop dancing around, I'm hungry. And he swings at Halbern again. Yay! This time he's spending a point of hate. Ouch! Son of a f Okay. Make a protection roll, Halburn.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Uh, let's see what happens. So I take six damage, right?

SPEAKER_06 31:13

Yes, you do. Yep. Okay, thank you very much. Now remember, he can go twice. Yeah. And his second swing fails, so he smacks you with that club. Right, just right now, right square in the chest, sort of knocks the wind out of you. And then the second one it swings right over your head as you're as you're recovering from that from that hit.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Okay, so hold on a second. At the start of this round, I'm gonna see that he's focused on Halburn, so I'm gonna move to open stance. Okay. That's good, because I have a plan.

SPEAKER_03 31:47

Oh, you have a plan, do you? We'll see what we can do. I mean, it might not work. I mean, who knows. Seeing Baranwan kind of like move up, I'm going to use my combat task to rally comrades using Enharten. Having sort of like danced around him, I'm kind of like trying to keep his attention. And I'm gonna basically shout at uh Baranwan. Shout, encourage Buranwin. Well, I move this way, you catch him this way, or or something to that effect. We've got this. We're the Fellowship of the North. Indeed. So I'm gonna use Enharten to do that. Okay. That's my combat task. And I'm gonna spend a point of hope. And let's see what happens.

SPEAKER_06 32:36

I do not feel unheartened. That was like the worst speech that you've all heard, probably in your lives. We thought Elron's speech was long-winded and dull.

SPEAKER_03 32:46

It's not even long-winded. It's just like nothing. Get him back, go off! No, no, no, no, and you know, scream like, you know.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Alright, I'm going to take a swing at him. Automatic success. And a piercing blow. Bob has failed his protection roll.

SPEAKER_06 33:06

Takes an axe to the knee. Takes an axe to the knee. However. Take that, you filthy troll. He is not out of the fight yet. But he does stumble back. Oh, and he's like grabbing his knees, jumping up and down on one foot. He's dropped his his club. Oh I'm gonna cook you, little missy!

SPEAKER_01 33:33

You can try, but I don't taste that good.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

Assile. Yep.

SPEAKER_06 33:38

I'll just let loose another arrow. Okay, and just before you do that, you hear some shouts, and four rangers jump out of the woods into into the road, weapons drawn. Help has just arrived. Help has arrived, yeah. In the one ring, NPCs or lore master characters, you don't roll for them, they they help you. So they they give you dice or or or what have you. So add a bonus die to your to your role, asshole. Extraordinary success. Ten damage. Holy smokes. Okay, yeah, so he stumbles back. You've peppered him with the arrows, and these rangers have jumped into the road, and they're just they're also sort of swinging their swords and landing blows against him as well. A poor thing.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

I will go for it again with my arrow. Okay, and give yourself a bonus day.

SPEAKER_06 34:44

Thanks, has three damage. He grabs his club up off the ground, swings at one of these rangers. So one of the rangers gets knocked right down onto the ground with a with a a pretty bad blow. Then he drops his he drops his sword. And he goes in for the kill.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

But he doesn't kill him yet. Haha! That's what they get for jumping in. We had this. Fucking nosy rangers never leaving well enough alone.

SPEAKER_03 35:14

Halbereth. Well, seeing as that the uh we've been joined by our fellow rangers, and he is about to like smush one of them. I am gonna go defensive. I guess I should have done that, or should I have done that at the beginning of the round?

SPEAKER_06 35:28

You were we're at the beginning of the round, yeah. So you can go ahead and change. Yeah, everybody can change their stances right now if they want to.

SPEAKER_03 35:33

So I'm I'm gonna go defensive. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

Um, and I'm gonna step in between the the troll and the when you change your stance, it changes your position in the combat order. So we all make the declaration of our stances, and then based upon our current stance, then that'll affect what order we go in. So I'm feeling emboldened, so I am going to go forward stance.

SPEAKER_05 35:57

Yeah, I'm going forward.

SPEAKER_04 35:58

How do we do that?

SPEAKER_06 36:00

So if you for me, it's left clicking. I'm not sure if it's the same for you.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

Yeah, click on your top token and then a flyout will open up and then you'll be able to select it from there. Right click on your token, yeah. And then you go. Is it right-click?

SPEAKER_06 36:12

Yeah, it's right-click.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

Yeah, right-click. Tony, you're staying in rearward? Yeah. Okay. He's doing good with them arrows. Like, yes, we then go back up to the top. Yeah. So now it's Bernwin. Actually, you know what? I think I might intimidate him. Let out a big bellow right in his face, or as close to his face as I could get. And intimidation succeeded.

SPEAKER_06 36:37

He is weary. Okay. Tell us what you've said to him to intimidate him in such a manner.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

I'm just gonna yell in his face. You're gonna yell at his face. Like, if I had the strength, I try and pull him closer to me so I could like just look him in the eyes and yell at him. Just a war cry. Maybe some spittle flying his way.

SPEAKER_06 37:00

Okay, so you you just sort of give him this earth-shattering or yell or bellow, maybe you're banging your axe on your on your shield.

SPEAKER_04 37:12

Castle. I've drawn the blade. Charged in. Give yourself a bonus die for the rangers. And I'm gonna spend a point of hope as well.

SPEAKER_05 37:23

Cause this is the first time I've drawn Defender of the North to use in a battle.

SPEAKER_06 37:29

Ooh, a great success. That was almost an eye. So sort of you've charged in, like, what have you how have you made this blow?

SPEAKER_05 37:38

It's just a I mean, he's still above me, so it's just a slicing blow behind the effectively behind the knee.

SPEAKER_06 37:47

As I've gone charging in. So you get him in the other knee, the the w because Branwin got him in, like, let's say his left knee, you get him in his right, and he he now is stumbles, he's fallen to both of his knees, and and he just starts bellowing in pain, and he's you've got he's got all these arrows sticking out of him, and he's bleeding, and he's just kind of going he's just sort of swaying back and forth a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 38:15

Halberin. Well, I was going to use uh the thing, the combat stance to protect companion on the ranger that fell down, but I'm not gonna do that now. I'm gonna try and attack him. But I appreciate I'm in defensive, so it's gonna be slightly worse off. But at least I'm in between him and the fallen ranger. Let me attack him. Surprise, surprise. Why are you only rolling one d6? Because I'm in defensive stats, so I will lose my one dice. Yes, but you get a bonus die from the rangers. Ooh, I forgot the bonus dice. Let me just roll d6. I don't know. Yep. Well no, just roll the whole thing again. Roll the whole thing again, okay, we'll do that. Okay. Ratcon a success. Hooray! What is that, four damage?

SPEAKER_06 39:03

Yeah, I think I'll put four damage from Farrah Shadow. Okay, so tell me how you kill this stone troll.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

I guess as he's sort of like swaying in front of me, he's kind of gone down to his knees. It gives me a I guess I'm I've got more access to his throat and neck area, and I just basically shove the sword straight into his neck and and then just pull it out and then move sideways as he falls.

SPEAKER_06 39:33

Yeah, so it's you all this you you get him in the neck, his hands go up to his throat, you yank the sword out, and just all this blood just starts gushing out. Just a a waterfall of troll blood is just in the road, all over you, and he just goes he just his neck goes his whole head goes limp and he just crashes and thuds to the ground. And the rangers, they wipe the blood off their swords and sheath them, and one of them steps forward and he says, We heard the sounds of your struggle and came at once to lend you aid. We are glad to stand beside fellow rangers and their companions. Perhaps when your errand is complete, and he's speaking to you, Halburn, perhaps when your errand is complete, the favor shall be returned in kind. There is a manor in the Weather Hills, north of Weathertop, where my family dwelt of old. I long to reclaim this estate, but our numbers are too few. Were you to lend your aid, I am confident of our success.