A5 - The Jury is Still Out

Almost a year has passed since our last adventure, rescuing the hobbit merchant from the goblin caves. The Boerning attempt to eradicate the goblins unsuccessful; the leaderless cowards slinking further into the caves evading the woodsmen. At least the High-Pass can be declared open. As our group rejoins for drinks at the Easterly Inn, Rambler still absent, Ladee retells rumors he’s picked up: 1) King Bard has sent a human special envoy east beyond Rhun trying to extend his trade region; 2) What was assumed safe passage now in doubt as a party traveling the old forest road is reported overdue and missing.

Finally, Rambler enters the bar sporting a shiny silver badge, “Beorn requested us scout south into the East Anduin Vale, per rumors goblins seen moving into southern Mirkwood.” Pulling out a 2nd badge, the woodsman flips it into the air, “Who wants to be my deputy?” The haughty elf Galanon ignores the clamor. Rowlie scrambles but bangs his knee on the table. Ladee is already climbing atop the table to spring for the silver when the dwarf Brackrog grabs him by the ankle to snare the badge for himself.


Gear collected, the group departs: Brackrog as guide, Rambler and G-non as scouts, Ladee as hunter, and Rowlie as lookout. It’s a crisp early fall day as we walk past the fields where farmers gather their grain and harvest their honey. The road south angles toward the river. Hours plodding along, occasionally stopping for the hobbit’s next meal. And it’s during his hunt Ladee spies birds circling far distant. Carrion, hours away. We continue at a quicker pace till G-non signals halt. A rhythmic thumping of wood draws the elf closer to the river where he finds a beached canoe; waves lapping the boat against the shore.

The motion causing an arm hanging over the rail to bang against the side. Vertical arrow shafts explain the death inside the canoe, “Orc arrows.” The scene suggests the orc attacked from the other side of the river.

Rambler and Brackrog find 2 dead humans sporting boerning badges. Rowlie searches the canoe finding a backpack…maybe a days’ supply of rations. Curious why short links of rope lie in the canoe. Ladee checks the bodies, “Cold and stiff. Died early today.” G-non calls out, “Human tracks. A survivor.” Brackrog and Ladee want to pay proper respect to the fallen boernings (calls for a festival), but the others wish to follow the tracks soonest. A compromise: Brackrog drags the canoe ashore and flips it over the bodies to preserve from the carrions above. Gloom and shadow for the dwarf and hobbit who know boerning customs have not been honored.

It’s dusk when we halt for camp. During watch, Ladee spies a distant large fire. It’s flickering caused by many bodies moving in front of it. The hobbit awakens Rambler for next watch and points out the potential orc camp. Caution has Ladee dousing our own fire.

It’s a cold breakfast before we resume tracking. Rowlie agrees with Ladee’s ponder, “I don’t get it. Why run south when he was so near Beorn?” Hours later we encounter a trader caravan traveling north (they were the source of the large camp fire). The suspicious Rambler prefers to keep secret the canoe scene and threat of orc. Rowlie on the other hand, tells all, gaining thanks and friendship before we part ways. Continued tracking has us arriving at a farmstead front door.

Old Geral tells of a young beorning spending the night, “Queer fella, paying a full silver for food. Had a bag of coins and a large blade. Called himself Oderic. Left before sunrise.”

Rowlie offers a revised suspicion, “This Oderic was a prisoner of those killed. Now on the run home.” We press on, soon arriving at the Old Ford toll bridge where we question the guards, “Yeah, Oderic passed here earlier, heading home to Stoneyford a good day distant. Says Marvich and Odo escorting him north released him. The hot-head accused of murdering his step-sister’s husband. I guess the beornings found him innocent.” Brackrog mentions the now dead escorts preserved under the canoe. The dwarf finds relief when the guards agree to send help carrying the bodies northward to Beorn. We press on south till dusk and a warm fire.

It’s mid-day when we come upon the ford in the river. Tumbled stones of an old fort now ring a settlement of wooden huts (Stoneyford). As we cross the shallow river, 3 boerns step forth to greet us: an older man, a 40ish woman, and a young man wielding a large blade. Mention of Oderic has them intent at turning us away, “He was banished months ago. None of your business now.” To Rambler’s dismay, Rowlie does the talking, “Then ya don’t want Beorn’s aid against the orc spotted across the river?” Reconsideration as we are begrudgingly invited into their village for drinks in the common hall. The mood changes when Ladee offers a bag of Longbottom-leaf pipeweed!

We soon learn Orderic a cursed young man. Parents killed by outsider. Seeks revenge. Adopted by Helmsgut who treated him like a true son. Step-mother Ava. But Oderic attracted to step-sister Brumhild who was married off to Rathfic (a brutish man especially when drunk). Brumhild wore long sleeves in summer heat rumored to hide bruising. Oderic soured and got into fight with Rathfic killing him. Rumor Rathfic came home finding Oderic in bed with his wife. Village leader Hartwolf banished Oderic. When boernings Marvich and Odo came to village, Ava told them of Oderic’s actions. They arrested him, taking him back to Beorn for true sentencing.

Brackrog and Ladee continue to interact; the others have heard enough. Rambler, G-non, and Rowlie slip out to confront Brumhild. G-non suspects she killed her abusive husband letting Oderic take the blame. Rambler has another interpretation: Oderic is guilty and deserves death. A drunken Helmsgut wails from within the hut; overcome with reminded grief for his lost son. He gruffly confronts the visitors…by making a face-plant on the floor; a drunken collapse. Brumhild tries to escape out the back but is confronted by Rowlie. “Yes, Oderic was here earlier today. Thought fate was giving him a 2nd chance when his captors killed by orc. But father sent him away for his own safety. West across the river. The murder? Oderic had come to me telling his plans to leave to find his parents’ killers. My drunk husband arrived. There was a scuffle. Oderic was only protecting himself. I do not grieve for my departed husband, but rather for my brother.”

Morning finds our group readying for travel into the west Anduin vale. Brackrog no worse the wear despite his long night of drinking. Rambler takes the lead as guide, “These are my lands…like the back of my hand.” Ladee and G-non are the scouts, Brackrog the hunter, while Rowlie takes lookout. But the scouts fumble at their task needing Rowlie to find the tracks going south. Rambler notes, “The Mountain Hall is in that direction.” Lunch break has Brackrog hauling in a string of trout. Off again, and lost, “Elf, you keep disturbing the tracks. Let me lead and I can follow them easier.” At least now Ladee is successful at trailing the runaway murderer. Come nightfall, the hobbit even finds a decent campsite. Per Rambler it’s still a 10-12 day journey to Mountain Hall.

Morning brings discovery of multiple human tracks intercepting Oderic’s footprints at the edge of the forest. A scuffle, some blood splatter, and drag marks imply Oderic was unconscious when drug away. Galanon is ready to conclude our journey, “The murderer will face an appropriate death.” Brackrog and Ladee remind all we are representatives of Boern and thus bound to bring the accused into HIS hands. Continued tracking brings us to a large abandoned camp. And we are now angling away from Mt. Hall.

A little further and Rambler signals halts and hide…he hears voices speaking common, “Always sent on patrol when there’s no one out here.” From our hiding we recognize these 5 humans are not boerning nor woodsmen; they wear a turbin covering their head and mouth. Curiosity and the thought of capturing a prisoner of our own has Ladee stepping forward, “Have you seen my young human partner Oderic?” The surprised men smile at the lone prospect, more than willing to reunite the hobbit with their prisoner.

But as they turn to advance on the hobbit, Galanon’s arrow sinks into the side of one assailant. The fight is on, whether the others wanted one or not. Rambler shoots at the same assailant who closes on Ladee. The smaller hobbit surprises his attackers by slipping to their rear, allowing Rambler to flank. Soon one foe is dead; two left facing Rambler and Ladee, another squaring off with Galanon, the 4th confronting Brackrog who struggles to even hit his attacker.

We can only hope we are distant from the main force as the sounds of battle echo through the woods. Soon Rambler and Ladee succeed in felling a foe unconscious. Rowlie aids the dwarf in killing his opponent before the dwarf runs to aid the elf. The last foe realizes his plight and turns to run. Brackrog’s hammer comes down with a splat!

“OK, now let’s revive our prisoner to find out who these invaders are! Anyone need healing?”