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[The One Ring] The Marsh Bell

OOC: Authiel has 1 in all of those skills except 2 in Awareness. Guess she's lookout? Depends on what everyone else is doing, she could assist with any of the others. Most of those are favored skills so if need-be she could make them happen barring terrible rolls.

OOC: I think that makes Authiel the best hunter in the group, unless I'm mistaken.
 

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Glóin stands, looking pleased. "Now that that's settled, dinner! And then I'm sure you'll be glad of a warm bed. Tomorrow you'll be bedding down in swamp!" He chuckles.

But after a hearty meal of wild boar, fresh lake fish, and honey cakes "made from a Beorning recipe", washed down with black Dwarven beer, Glóin pulls out a harp and his son Gimli a small drum, and they begin singing songs of the glories of the Lonely Mountain. Glóin seems in much finer spirits than when you arrived, as he calls for song after song. He asks the hobbits to sing songs of the Shire, which it seems he visited several times as a trader - in fact, he recalls the ale of the Green Dragon fondly, "though it is light," and remembers some drinking songs well enough to ask from them by name. Authiel is also asked to reprise her song of the Battle of Five Armies, and the dwarves fall silent as she sings.

Eventually you are forced to excuse yourself, or it's clear your host will keep you up and sleepless all night. Glóin bows deeply to you, and asks Orin and Borin to show the others to guest rooms before returning to their own chambers. You fall into deep feather beds and all, even those who find the bedding strange, sleep deeply until morning dawns grey and drizzly.

Now you have a choice to make: if you decide to follow Glóin’s intended route you will enter the Long Marshes, trying to reach the point where the Old Forest Road exits Mirkwood and encounters the Running River. It is a long and treacherous trek to cover on foot, as it goes across swamps and bogs for approximately eighty miles. Going the distance on a boat should be much safer and, as the river waters run hurriedly south.

You can use Glóin's letter of credit to borrow boats, row across the lake, and then let the river carry you downstream through the marsh. Or skirt the lake on foot and then follow a trail beside the river - this will take about twice as long, and be more dangerous, but you will be following Balin and Óin's route exactly, so there is less chance of missing signs of them. (Of course, you could plan to take boats part way and then land and continue on foot. Or split the party...)

OOC:
See the map in this post.

Also at this point I'll need each player to decide which of the roles described above they will take, including exactly one Guide.

Plus, everyone may make a TN 14 Lore roll to help with planning the journey. Successes will make the journey easier. However, every failed roll will extend the journey by one day as the character contributes bad advice.
 

Kurin feels happy with the abundant dinner and the songs. He likes songs as well as any dwarf, and knows a few himself. He remembers specially well the song he sang with other dwarf, those heavy days working in the mines. Of course, Gloin knows the song as well, since he was forced to work on the mines, before he could collect the treasures from under the Lonley Mountain, in his memorable adventure, so they sing it together.

No one works harder,
Than the proud dwarven miner!
into the mountain's heart,
we make our works of art!

We chisel the Stone,
We pickle the Ore,
We carry the boulders,
All on our shoulders!

No one works finer,
Than the skilled dwarven Crafter!
into the mountain's heart,
we make our works of art!

We craft the mails,
We forge the swords,
We shape the clays,
For the dwarven Lords!


And the song continued, describing all the arts in which the dwarfs exceeded, omitting wisely those in which they didn't.

Thye next day, Kurin was very tired, as he kept singing songs with Gloin and his son. His advice for the journey, were one of the things he'd come to regret.
 
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Borin

Borin would have only something to say if it involves orcs...
For the travel, he plans to keep with the main group and his eyes open.

[sblock=OOC]
Borin

Can I use somehow Orc Lore for the Lore check?

Will use awareness for the travel, unless we lack people with the explore skill.
[/sblock]
 

"I think we should take the boats, it would be our best way to keep away from danger, I don't want to find myself a meal for the swamp spiders. Also, to speed up our journey, unless some of you have a long lasting friendship with the Eagle Lord and could ask him for transportation. We could, on travel, see if we find strong solid ground from where to continue on foot, to better track Balin and Óin. We need to pack food and water, I'm sure the water in those swamps will be deadly if drunk." Says Kurin, pointing at places in the map as he speaks.
 

OOC: Hobnob will serve in the Lookout roll. Short on time, but didn't want to hold everything up. Lore success below.


Hobnob listens along, contributing when appropriate.
 

Authiel nods to Kurin, pointing at the map to identify the locations of landmarks, shortcuts, dangerous areas, and the like to help the group plan for the expedition.

OOC: Lore 17, success. Guess Authiel is hunter.
 
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[sblock=OOC]
Borin is aware that Orcs tend to be found to the west, northwest and north, and favour mountainous and hilly terrain. Whatever dangers lurk in the swamp, it's unlikely to be orcs. So, no help on the Lore roll, but that information might be helpful separately...

You'll only really need a hunter if you run out of supplies, and you can never have enough lookouts, so all the people choosing "hunter" should probably go with their second-best skill, and switch to hunting if necessary.
[/sblock]
 

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