051 - The Numarii King

This session began where the last one ended, in the middle of an interrogation of an orc sergeant that had been put to sleep by Kasper's elf twig hoodoo voodoo. 

Thannolf bent down to the orc's face and repeated his question. The orcs smiled but didn't answer. The northerling lost patience and locked his elbow at a very awkward angle. The orc tapped out from pain and told the company that the dwarves should still be loyal to Farathu. Halin kicked him as they decided to let him go. The only way out was back to his bethren (and into certain death).

K18 - Cold rain over Mirkwood

This session introduced our new PCs and se the stage for the next chapter of the campaign. 

The dust is settling over Browek Bridge

At the end of the last session, the Mirkwood elves had learned from the dwarves that there was an orc nest with live elven sacrifice deep underground. Gormiel, the leader of the elves, managed to secure one of the key from Khazek. Four of them entered Sarn Goriwig, four accompanied the dwarves back to Browek Bridge while two other remained at large. After a few hours of grueling hiking, the orb was safe within the dwarf fort. 

On the following day, Drolf appropriated the second key of Sarn Goriwig and handed it to Gror. Drolf announced that the Ardacer was to leave to open the road while Gror would stay behind to hold the bridge. Gror, worried about giant spiders and orcs, ordered the Ledge-Lot to close the perimeter and the rangers to take stock of the surroundings. Gror's hold on the troop was very good (MoS 3), and his defensive plan excellent (MoS 3). The combination of patrols by the rangers and his own axmen allowed him to build a precise mental map of the surroundings (Intelligence Analysis, critical success).  The bulk of the orcs had melted away soon after their expedition within the tower. The reasons of this scattering was unknown, but probably related to the death of the wizard. 

Khazek, now solely at the head of 21 rangers, launched into increasingly far reaching patrols. His command of the troop was adequate (MoS 0), his tracking effort highly effective (MoS 7), which was instrumental in providing Gror with a clear situational awareness. About a few days later, Gormiel linked with the ranger. The tower was sealed, and elven wraiths were haunting it for now. Khazek realized that Gormiel was uncomfortable with the situation. Gormiel told Khazek that Prince Imeptanen was on his way to Browek Bridge to resolve the dispute over the ownership of the orb and the tower.   

Blowback and Character awards for "The Palantir Commission"

This last session was rather eventful. Here are the awards and things to keep in mind for tomorrow the next session.

• Arnadil
• Lasting effect: Claw wound on chest while in dirty water, possible infection.
• Lasting effect: To fullfill your compulsive carousing after all this excitement, you must get yourself to the drunk level (or else get bad temper...) once that the company has a down time. You aren't sure that you'll have enough booze to get there. Maybe the orcs have a stash of moonshine... It was a hard day, and it ain't over.
• 2 cp in whatever makese sense, or 1 LUCK point.
• Finbert
• Great session! 1 free cp for the spotlight award.
• 2 cp to whatever you want (stealth would make sense, but your are free with them)
• Halin
• Lastin effect: Uncorrected nearsighteness. -2 combat, -6 PER. You may use your one scratched lense and have -2 PER while using one hand. You are temporarily under a Social Stigma (infirm) for as long as you are squinting this heavily.
• Irina
• Whoa swordplay girl! 1 cp to shortsword and 2 cp to a brand new HP (ceiling raised, not actual HP!)
• Lasting effect: You have a bleeding gash in your chest. You may want to put a bandage on that!
• Lasting effect: How many arrows are left again?
• Kasper
• 1 cp into Fear (yes, a critical spell failure is a learning moment).
• 1 cp into Panic (the old staple)
• 1 cp into tactics.
• Nilppi
• 1 LUCK point
• Nimrodel
• Lasting effect: you are missing a nose!
• No sense of smell (disadvantage)
• -2 reactions because you are grotesquely disfigured.
• 1 cp into bow
• 1 cp into Fast draw
• Thannolf
• Lasting effect: You are traumatized by the close call on your groin area, for this one session alone, you must break off combat reach of your opponent if you fail an active defence. The effect is dispelled once you cause someone's bodily harm and get your mojo on (HP, FP or pain damage).  
• 2 cp into whatever makes sense. 
• 1 cp into tactics (you learned a lot doing pitched battled this time).

The Naugrim Path of Ritual Magic

Gesdrek's Compendium of Naugrim arts

These rituals uses the Energy Accumulation variant of Ritual Path Magic. Base time in low-mana 1h for dwarven practitioners.  The cost of rituals is indicated within []. The mystic powers derive from Ritual Magic (Naugrim Arts). Each chapter is considered to be a Path, with specified default. Path skills cannot exceed Ritual Magic (Naugrim arts). Each individual spell is a hard technique. 

• Chapter 1 - Ritual Fires (defaults to -6)
• Salamander Fire [8] : Invoke salamanders which will live in the furnace of a forge to attain the extremely temperatures required for the making of many enchanted alloys.
• Requires a missing rune, and Khazad-dum's "True-Coal".
• Cold Fire [15] : Ignite Khazad-dum's cold forge with the help of a mystic drummer. 
• You are key missing runes for this ritual.
• The mystic drummer may be Tov
• Chapter 2 - Shaping Earth (defaults to -4)
• Earthquake [6] : Used for mining dangerous veins, dislodging dangerous rocks overhead and the defensive collapse of caves. 
• Missing at least one rune to cast this
• Magma Surge (volcano) [6] : Manipulate lava flow to create Laen (Enchanted volcanic glass) and for defensive purposes. 
• Will work only within Khazad-dum apparently. 
• Hasten Geological Processes [10] : Unknown use. You have fragments of information on the ritual but are missing too much for it to be used.
• Chapter 3 - Communication (defaults to -2)
• Ancient History (Cost as per M106):  Cast Ancient History on rocks that are first marked with a run. Can be used as History spell on marked stone if the rune uses Moon-metal (which you don't have). 
• This is the only ritual that you can perform at the moment.
• Chapter 4 - Mystical alloys (default to -3)
• Eog [8], extremely hard, rare steel-alloy
• Ithildin [2], Moon Metal, run writing. Mithril derivative.
• Ithilnaur [2], very hard, weapon and armor, Mithril derivative.
• Laen [5], Volcanic glass.
• Mithril [4] , True-Silver. 
• Ogamur [3], Magic bow string
• Tasarung [3], glowing, flexible, unstretchable fibers.
• Non-magical (Khazad-dum specific): 
• Ardacer: very hard. Can cleave steel.
• Galnin: Aluminum, light and strong.
• Naukomalda, dwarven gold, glows.
• Neukotelpe, dwarven silver, glows.
• Chapter 5 - Runes (Not a Path)
• Rune Syntax and Semantics ( your reference for Symbol drawing)

Gesdrek Delver, Loremaster of Erebor

Lets define Gesdrek by attempting to piece together fragments of his biography. 

Gesdrek according to Throdar, son of Ilkrik

There is more to Gesdrek than the eyes can see. I can't quite pin down anything substantial about his past other than he came from the Gray Mountain at the same time as Balin. Gesdrek made my sword, he is a keen smith and an erudite. Yet, his demeanour is very unassuming. When you talk to him, it does feel like he let you in only on the surface of things. 

Character Award for Reclaiming Khazad-dum

Every player receive a 1 LUCK point award. This LUCK point can be used to reroll 1 to 3 dices on a single check. Alternatively, 

• Arne 
• 1 LUCK point
• Vadek
• What will Vadek do with the Obsidian Rod? Drolf would be amenable to buy the trinket from you.
• Bain
• Roleplaying Vadek throught this chapter: You may spend 4 cp on Bain, this must somehow make sense with what he has been up to: preparing for the Emerald's departure, travelling from Erebor to Browek Bridge (where the adventure will resume) 
• Jason
• 1 LUCK point
• Khazek
• Khazek has gained an artifact Dagger ( highest quality, yet to be determined properties)
• Khazek has gained an Obsidian rod.
• Khazek had 2cp on Acrobatics or climbing from the previous session, did you spent them?
• 4cp: What did Khazek learned in this chapter? Wrestling? Dagger and sword? Hidden Lore?
• Paul
• 1 LUCK point for Throdar
• Thordar
• 2 cp in survival (forest) or survival (woodland) 
• 2 cp worth of contacts/allies within the Emerald-Unit
• Douglas
• 1 LUCK point for Gesdrek
• Gesdrek
• 2 cp worth of contact/allies within the Emerald-Unit
• 1 cp Area Knowledge (Mirkwood)
• 1 cp Cartography
• Gordon
• 1 LUCK point for Gror
• Gror
• 1 cp Intelligence Gathering
• 1 cp Strategy
• 1 cp Leadership
• 1 cp survival (forest)

NPCs

• Drolf has gained 1 artifact dagger.

K17 - Yavanna's eye

Heading back to the light...

The dwarven company turned to Drolf for guidance. Gimvar's shoulder was mangled and the ranger was on the cusp of collapse. The wraith had had the best of Donarik, which was laying on the ground, breathing weakly. Gimvar, usually a go getter, reminded the company that to get in the Obsidian Tower, they had to bypass a large force of Mirkwood orcs camping a few kilometers down the vale.

Vadek was fidgeting with the obsidian rod. The air coming from beyond the gate was bad. Any dwarf could tell that unless some mechanical pumping of air from the surface was arranged, that this cave would soon become dangerous. Drolf, Kalin and Khazek seemed to be more interested in the daggers pulled out of the elves. Without much debate, they agreed to try to get out of the tower before the trap sprang on them for good. 

They dragged Donarik up the tunnel, into the great hall where the Huorn died. As they passed by the hall's door, Khazek noticed that the elven wraith was circling slowly above the green orb. Donarik was put down against the stairway's walls. Gimvar and Kalin sat down for a rest. Khazek, Vadek and Drolf entered the hall to inspect the orc once more.