# [[003_20221026 Rhys the Orc Slayer]] ## Session Summary > [!tldr] [[003_20221026 Rhys the Orc Slayer]] > After spending some time in Bree *not* winning the famed *Bree Blowout*, we were approached by a distinguished gentleman named Gandalf, who gave us our next quest. He said that a cartographer and historian of Bree, Rolanda Minsool, had gone missing. She'd left Bree three months ago and should have returned two months ago. Gandalf asked us to find her, help get her out of whatever trouble she's in, and return her to Bree. > > Gandalf also introduced us to our new friend and companion, Rhys the elf-dwarf. (She looks like an elf but is dressed like a dwarf, and is from Nogrod.) Gandalf gave Brand a Staff of Vëantur to help with exploring. > > We started the journey really well, and eventually met a group of peasant farmers travelling in the opposite direction. They told us they knew Rolanda, and that she'd arrived before they started having troubles with their cattle. Their animals went mad and began killing each other, and neither they nor Rolanda could do anything about it. > > We got to Fornost, which turned out to be a ruined fort that nature had overtaken. We found a bracelet, as well as some things that were certainly Rolanda's. Unfortunately, it seemed that Rolanda might have been affected by an evil force that caused her to believe she was god. In a journal that we found, she mentioned heading north to "unlock Anor". > > That night, unfortunately, we were besieged by orcs! We got out of the battle alive, but two of our number were wounded. ^summary --- ## Recap ![[002_20221005 All dwarves know each other#^summary]] --- ## Log [[Bree]] Blowout, a contest of smoke rings. Winners get a pipe and special longbottom leaf. We all enter except Rhys, but we all fail! A Breelander wins it-- [[Mearl Dirk]]. A tall fellow with a pointy beard approaches us and asks us to join him on his evening stroll. He speaks to us about [[Balin Son of Fundin|Balin]] and seems to know about our trip to the [[The Blue Mountains]]. It's been three months since we saw him apparently! It is [[Gandalf]]. He gives us a quest - a shorter journey. Find [[Rolanda Minsool]], a cartographer and historian of Bree. She set out for [[Fornost]] three months ago but she didn't say why. She found trouble somewhere-- or trouble found her. She has long red hair with a shocking white streak that peaks at her widow's peak. She has a walking stick, dagger, and a thick, leather-bound journal. Go to Fornost, find Rolanda, and return her to Bree. Fornost - City of Stairs - used to be ... Numedors? - "Dead Man's Dyke" - evil: wild men, orcs - Pursue her to [[The North Downs]] if needed? Enter [[Rhys]] (pronounced "Reece"). She's always looking for mercenary work. She's from Nogrod. She is an elf dressed like a dwarf. She's stocky, has a buckler, a spear, and her skin is the colour of wet clay. Colour of milky coffee. ![[tor-rhys.png]] [[Déorbrand of the North|Brand]] gets a [[Staff of Vëantur]] to aid him while exploring. +2(d). Brand gives it to Minty for explore. Gandalf is our patron! - +2 Fellowship points - When we do a Shadow Test, spend 1 Fellowship point to make it *favoured*. ### Journey Log --- **YEAR:** **SEASON:** Summer **JOURNEY FROM:** Bree **DESTINATION:** Fornost **DAYS OF TRAVEL:** #### The Company | Name | Journey Role | Travel Fatigue | | --------------------------------- | ------------ | -------------- | | [[Amaranth Proudfoot\|Amaranth]] | Hunter | 3 | | [[Mintford Heathertoes\|Minty]] | Scout | 3 | | [[Rhys]] | Look-out | 3 | | [[Déorbrand of the North\|Brand]] | Guide | 3 | #### Ponies and horses | Name | Vigour | | ---- | ------ | | | | #### Journey Path Right on the road to [[Fornost]]! #### Event 1 **Target:** Brand (awareness) **Event:** **Result:** Success #### Event 2 **Target:** Amaranth (hunting) **Event:** **Result:** Success #### Event 3 Along the road, we meet a group of peasant farmers. They are weatherbeaten and they're putting their carts themselves. Rhys approaches them. All their animals went mad and started to fight each other until they all died. Rhys seems to think it was sorcery that did it. They're heading south and we're heading north and going to Bree. ^955fcb They did see [[Rolanda Minsool|Rolanda]]. She arrived before the troubles began. She is a learned woman but even she couldn't figure out why the animals were fighting. She ran for her book when it started happening, like something had clicked for her. By nightfall, we spot a farmstead. We try to stealth in, but Rhys and I fail. It's ok, though, because the animals are dead. Minty finds [[Longbottom Leaf]] that we can smoke - it will let us spend a fellowship point to add 2(d) to our rolls to ?? [[The North Downs]] is above Fornost. It's a dark place. There is evil there. It is said that every 11 years, there's a stone gate through which something arrives. It's called [[The Defiler in the Dark]]. Its tentacles spread far throughout the region. It's a source of evil and despair. **Target:** Everyone **Event:** We camp! **Result:** I get a Great success and cancel Minty's failure. Chunky fails. Brand gets an extraordinary success. He hears orc war drums from [[Weather Hills]]. #### Event 4 Next morning! Brand, our guide, fails! We don't get as far as we'd like. **Target:** Amaranth **Event:** I find game, but it's not the best meal. **Result:** +2 Fatigue points. #### Event 5 It's Day 4. Brand fails! **Target:** Amaranth **Event:** I find some beautiful geese that inspire me... and then I kill them and cook them for everyone. **Result:** We gain 1 hope point back! #### Journal The next day, we get to [[Fornost]], a fort with collapsed walls. Nature has overtaken it. The hills to the northeast would have water passed through aqueducts, but they've been destroyed. The city itself is in ruin. Skill challenge! We need 9 successful checks. - Awareness - ✅ ✅ me. We find a pond that has a pink glow. The water isn't very deep. Minty finds a rose gold bracelet! It's of Numenorian make. Brand has Numenorian blood - Scan - Explore - ✅ Minty, ✅ Minty again. He finds the kitchen and library. - Lore - ✅ Rhys. She finds a campfire that's out. In the fire, she finds sheets of paper. He finds a walking stick, a dagger, and a leatherbound journal. - Stealth - ✅ Brand, ✅ ✅ me - Athletics - ❌ Chunky Brand > I am knowledge. I am lore. Why bother to record my findings? To share that which I discern and know? That which I spent my life seeking? To be shared with the lesser minds of my age? The less intelligent, the less deserving? No longer will I record what I discover. I finally know now what I seek. That I did not know was the goal of my search. I now understand. It is the key to the unlocking of the Fire of [[Anor]]. Anor is the source of all light and creation. I will unlock the single doom of Man. And that is death. No longer will we be chained by mortality. We will be free and immortal. I go now to the North. To unlock Anor. To free man from his only doom. I am a god. Brand fails his awareness check! Orcs attack us! Orcs have 2 hate points that they can spend like hope. Orcs have 1 wound, but bosses might have more than one wound.