Hello, this is Why Stephen from Table Story. If you'd like this podcast,
please make sure to rate and review it. If you'd like to listen
to more of our podcasts, you can head on over to tablestory dot tv
for a variety of other shows. If you would like to support us,
you can head on over to tablestory dot tv slash pledge, and if you'd
like to join our community, you can head on over to tablestory dot tv
slash discord. Thank you, joy Blade will be fore. One of the
Nine stands before you, descending from a fell beast, slicked worm like creature
with wings, iron armor resting upon it, saddle and straps, gnashing teeth
and claw. A massive wingspan spreads as this creature lands and sort of hops
onto the dilapidated stone of the ruins around stones crumble and fall from these ancient
walls. As one of the Nine begins to move, slow steps sh sh
as if in slow motion you see it's iron armor begin to move on its
legs, this simple black cloak and hood resting upon its head. Just for
a moment, you can see this ethereal sort of green face for just a
moment, just resting upon nothing, void of blackness. Sword in hand,
flail through its side, this rictus face, flesh that is no longer there,
feeling the bone below Piper. You see this face for a moment,
you recognize it from your dreams. And when you see this face for but
a moment, you recognize this face from yours and Piper's dreams. This as
an ancient king of old, someone that has made a pact with dark powers.
You have never seen this person before. When you know them, you
feel it in your blood. A curse is bound to you and your bloodline,
and now Piper, and it is clearly a part of This creature.
Upon its head rests no crown, but you know it to be a king
once no longer you have lured them. Me well, my servants, the
ones that I have searched for for some time. The witch king will not
forget it. Ah, see the inscriptions already. As this creature speaks,
Strider has held still next to you, Hoddles. A wolf, a wolf
that brought you here, is bearing its fangs. It's wearing this sort of
strange amulet around its neck with animal bones, and they're also sort of bound
up in some of its hair. It's fur It's larger than most wolves,
but not quite the size of a war. As this happens, we switched
to re oth re Oath. You hear this shriek and see something dark descend
from the sky over towards where you saw the rest of the group go.
You are filled with chills. Something is wrong, Oath. Mm hmmm.
I knew they shouldn't have left me here. There are sounds from the bushes
and trees around you. You see eyes similar to before, and you were
lured here. There are many of them that look upon you, and I
can't leave with those those surrounding me, and my charge is with mister proud
Foot. I shall do what I can to keep him safe. I will,
however, try and scan to see if there is some sort of opening.
Maybe moving might be in order if they can reach us here, I
need to be there, not just for proud Foot, but for all of
them. Please take a scam roll. I have two extra successes. How
would you like to spend them? Let me have a look quickly at special
successes here. I want to hmm, go quietly. Perhaps I don't want
to be seen doing what I'm doing right now, and perhaps I want to
also gain insight because I am trying to get information here it seems like the
best thing to do. Here. You see four flickering lights in nearby ruins,
one near where the other group went, two on hills nearby, one
on either side of you to the north and the south, and one to
the south east. Rest of very headed north northeast are seed. From what
you can tell, there are nine sets of eyes around you, nine sets
of eyes around me. Had I been in better shape, perhaps I would
try. But hopefully, in going quietly, I'm not as much of an
attraction to them. However, if there is no helping it, I shall
do my best to try and keep us alive. Up Here? Are you
standing your ground? Then? On the tree? Hi? Okay, you
are in the tree with London. In the last scene, we were hoisted
above on a high branch because we figured that the wolves or whatever creatures around
it would not be able to well reach us. Once again, if it
ever proves that, maybe that theory might you know, get a bit of
working. I do have ideas very well with your scandal. You also noticed
something else? Oh at first it manifests maybe in a cold feeling around you
and your skin tingling sort of sensation. It's reminiscent something you've fount before,
dark magic. Mm hmmm. This is no good. There is good at
all, something very familiar about it. One you don't see anything, you
feel it on your skin at first, and then you can hear it.
There is a sort of screeching hum kind of sound. He hears something moving
aside from these animals, something stirs in the night. Foul wind brings the
smell h of death, unmistakable. Oh no, kills you to your bones.
You hear something moving. Notice as you breathe, it's gotten cold enough
you to see your own breath. M mhmm, yeah, oh yeah,
something moves nearby. Where are the horses? That is a very good question
from what I think happened last time. We never talked about it. No
where do you think that they are rusty? Would never be too far away
from me, even with Anne Darwin who rode him earlier. The others did
not go into that area with the horses. I know that for sure,
So they should be close by. I'd imagine that. Being said, we
were being chased by those creatures, I believe were we not being chased chasing
on foot? Because they took young miss Tuttles. So suffice to say,
Rusty is not here. Neither are bread, butter or cheese. Think you
mean jam? Cheese? Is the jam of the toes? Now is not
the time, little master, No, it is not. Because the light
flickers, seems to dim, and you hear this loud, bellowing screech coming
from where you saw the others go, and it's so loud that you are
forced to cover your ears from the pain. Ms seems to rustle the leaves
of the tree and wake the dead. As we switch back to our other
group, you and your family. The witch King did not forget you,
bang Ma has not forgotten bye or this wraith stands before you all. Strider
seems to wake up a bit in the situation in the moment, and he
looks a school, not school one of the nine. He holds up his
sword and he says, go back, tying Ma, where you belong?
You do not belong here? And who are you? Why do you protect
this? Why do not answer him? Strider? Thank you for your help.
We're getting us this far. You questioningly, he is not here for
you. He's here for me. I have known since the second we met
there's something different about you. You are destined for greatness. I know not
exactly who are what you are, but I know your destiny does not end
here. I need you to take the Hobbit, take the Hobbits and go
de Riven down, take them and leave. No no, no, no,
andwin. It's okay. In this moment, I finally understand my sense
of purpose. This is the being which cursed my line and slaved my ancestors
to sayim, I was destined to meet here. This is why I felt
restless at home and could not stay. I was compelled to come here,
and I was compelled to confront him and end this. You cannot heal it,
you cannot defeat it. It is one of the nine. I understand
that I am not here to kill him. I'm here to end a curse
on my people. You will end nothing by dying, will I. The
curse is beyond our power to break, but it's not beyond his. I
understand it now. I finally understand all of it. The curse he placed
on my line to make us weak, the temptation to where we would suffer
from cowardice, so we could be lured by the temptation. Of power.
That's all of my ancestors have before. I would sooner embrace death than take
his temptation. And if we cannot break the curse, then I'll let him
do it by his own hand handling. If you die, the curse still
runs with me. Do you understand it won't be broken? It's mine too,
It's not worth it. You can't break a curse if you're dead.
And truly we are lost. Strider looks back at you, says, no,
we are not lost. He turns back towards this wraith. He holds
his sword. I am a ranger. You will not harm them, do
you hear me? Wraith? I will send you back into the dark,
maybe not forever, but not this day. You will not touch one hair
on their heads. I am a warden of the North. I will have
your name, creature before I send you back into the void. Strider says.
This creature begins to take on a fighting position, and I'm tottle stay
good ball, dear money first of her line, and he stands not alone.
And I stand up trembling, and I try to take a fighting stance
as well. The wraith holds large sword in its left hand. Flail and
it's right you to the white skin. And as this creature breathes out this
word, darkness begins to spread from it. It extinguishes nearby campfires all about
you see darkness begin to fall all around you, and you all can hear
this strange sort of screeching hum as the fell beast also lets the loos a
shriek enough to wake the dead. And as it does so, I'm going
to bring you over here as we begin combat. Riothe and Lnton are in
a tree down below, while the rest of you are in the northeast.
As the screech happens and this darkness begins to fall, campfires to go o
out. Let's bring up a turn order because several things are going to happen.
I'm going to need first and foremost, re Oath. Please roll me
a D four A D four okay, oh one D four two okay,
re Oath. Finally you can see these wraith like creatures begin to emerge from
the darkness nearby, from the north, from the north, mhm okay,
okay, Uh Toddles, please roll me a D four okay, I'll go
through. Let me refresh, h I still haven't seen it, yeah,
I'm refreshing Oliver all twenty here. Okay, Piper, please row me up
more. Okay, emerging from the darkness from the crack in the wall to
the east for wraiths begin to move. You are in two different locations,
Fellowship. So what I'm going to say is going to happen is based on
the situation and the kind of positioning here. You will judge your stance based
on where you are in relation to whatever it is that is engaged with you.
All right, So I'm going to say that Schrider is probably right here
stepping in front to address the White King. Okay, fell beast, it
is obviously that giant creature that is on the ruins the south there. Let's
add everybody to the turn order. Oh boy, Okay, I'm going to
need somebody to make the first move. Who will it be? Mm hmm?
I would like to try something against So these are the rates eye shadows
creatures like the ones we found in the farmstead, right, yeah, I
would like who I would like to see if it is possible to craft something
in order to scare them away, to drive them away. Perhaps I would
like to take my sunstone, use some explosive powder and the last of the
hope I have to spare. You can have mine. Oh I can't,
you're too far away. I think London can give you hope. London can't
speak words. I want to say. We're fellowship, and I don't think
the distance matters right now. A little more bread, please, Mom,
I'm not quite full. So what we can say I think in this case
is I will allow it, primarily because you can certainly think of each other.
That's what I was thinking, Like, where are you? Also?
Yeah? I I however, to get a magical success with a broken spell,
it requires my own hope, sadly, Okay, okay, So when
you say you're using the sunstone, this is something that you had on you
it is indeed, you may check my inventority this black powder. This is
something you carry in my tinkers tools black powder. Well, I mean,
if I don't have the black powder, I would like to. I suppose
invoke broken spells a dwarven thing I have. I can say a prayer to
out to owl, for all dwarves are forged in the fiery depths of as
a bizarre, as a bizarre. And I take all these things and I
mix them together, and I have rudimentary flaming device that I want to throw
in that area with craft. I don't know if it's gonna work or not.
Absolutely, you can spend the hope get your magical success that you're looking
for. Heree, go ahead and make the role. Let's see what happens.
Okay, a great success. How would you like to spend your extra
success in this case? Okay? So for this special successes, I closed
it. It's here now. WI did influence very well. Please forgive them
if they're just a little bit nervous today, chat. This is the penultimate
episode and everything is pretty much against them right now. They've fallen into a
trap. Re Old, you toss this sunstone? What does this look like?
As you do this? It is I don't think it's really much of
anything at all. You know. It's a simple device that we use for
traveling, in which I will no longer have for traveling, And it's equal
parts of the compass and the bit of a lantern as well. And I
throw it in that direction, and I think initially you don't really see anything
to spectacular. It's a small little flame coming from me towards the creatures over
there. But as or just before it lands, I think, as I
am invoking Aurli, the god of the dwarfs, and the fires of as
a new Brazaar, you'll see the lantern the sunstone go from a glimmering orange
sparks and flames to more of a hotter, purer, ethereal blue. And
as it hits the ground, I'm just not going to damage them, I
don't suspect, but you see it's like a flashbang. So in so far
as what you see, you don't because it's now white in your eyes with
warmth, and I'm hoping the warmth of the sunstone is going to at least,
you know, give us some respite with spite. As this flame shoots
up briefly, everything is sort of illuminated. As it is illuminated before you,
you see for a moment something below the shadows of these creatures, a
skeleton and flesh sort of below the shadows, you can see a figure what
appears to be, you know, a half skeleton, half corpse of a
person moving below this shadow. And they hold up hands in front of the
light, and again you hear these horrible shrieks of pain. And as this
occurs, you can see them sort of back pedaling a bit from the light
and falling back behind the ruins as this happens. Okay, who is next?
I go next, and I pull out Toddle's bow and I throw it
to her. Okay, we'll say that that's an action for you. That's
my motion. Yeah, okay, that's it, thank you. Okay,
who's next? I'll go next. Well, Toddles, there is a wolf
in front of you bearing its fangs. I ducked down very quickly and move
to the side as Piper tosses me my bow and quiver, and I as
quickly as I can, pull out knock an arrow, and I turn and
try to strike the the one right in front of me, which is now
sort of to the side. I imagine that his face followed me the whole
way through. But I am small and quick, so hopefully this works out.
Do I can use this token? Correct? Absolutely? Okay? Ah,
great success, very well. How would you like to spend your extra
success? Ah? Damage? You can do a piercing blow if you would
like you? Yes, yes, absolutely absolutely? What is your injury rating?
Fourteen? Uh? Sorry? Yes, yes. You shoot your bow
at close range, sort of spinning as you do and at close range,
the wolf begins to leap towards you. You you connect with the with the
creature, and as you do, this creature takes this wound and transforms back
into Yes. Sorry, hold on, what appears to be a man.
You see a man sort of covered in leathers and sort of ratty looking clothing
with a staff at the side, just sort of reforming from the from the
this fleshy hound like creature that you just shot. You see a blood spattered
face, the arrow still embedded in their shoulder, snarling at you. This
man stairs obvious it's not right back at them. Okay, who's next?
I know how to speak dog m. I think for the past few moments
I have been in a stupor, so to speak. I had a cold
resolution in my mind, not but a few moments ago, ready to do
what I thought needed to be done. The Piper's words have shaken me somewhat.
I question whether there's actually a point to fighting this wraith. But as
I sit here questioning my purpose, Toddles being attacked is enough to jolt me
out of it, and watching this other creature use up bastardized version of the
power that my people once possessed, I will not applied it. I turn
and I target this creature that is attacking Toddles. Its very existence is an
affront to me. Okay, I would assume that you are either in open
or forward stance for this. I am in a very forward stance as I
attack this creature. Okay, I just targeted myself. Bear with me a
moment while I re roll this. Oh oh weird? Oh no, not
a weary failure, miserable. Actually, I don't think miserable has an effect.
I just rolled very poorly. Hmm. Okay, very well, I
think in my haste to attack this creature, I have accomplished very little.
Okay, you rush forward, maybe you make noise on the ruined cobbles below
your feet, and this man sort of turns and harries the blow from the
sphere to the spear and says, sort of between you and Toddles, says
you what you are? No kids? This sort of ratty looking hair and
visibly like sharp canines in their mouth sets this eerie glare towards you. As
you approach and get close of that, you can be sure we are not
kill any longer. Who is next? Oh? Look at that Lanton,
Well, you're unconscious, Lawton. Strider looks back towards the rest of you,
swallows and rushes towards the White King. It begins to engage in combat.
As the White King moves, you can see practiced millet terry like attacks
as Strider and the White King go back and forth in combat. Okay,
okay. Strider you can see approaches first with a faint to the right,
then a faint to the left, and then as he approaches he will strike
at the White King, and the White King spins to try to avoid the
blow. Strider ducks and sees the flail fly over his head. It looks
like it's almost as big as he is. As he ducks underneath, you
can see him sort of spin, and as he does, he will strike
towards the sword of this creature. As the White King blocks with the sword,
you can see these swords sort of get blown back for a moment.
Strider then spins and stabs. As he does, the creature looks down at
the sword that should be going through its mid section. Strider goes a little
bit wide eyed, and then he looks towards his sword. You see a
grimace on his face. He sort of pulls back and he's holding his sword
in one hand. You can see he wants to drop it badly, but
he holds on a he screams in pain. You can see what appears to
be this sort of of sort of like eerie green frost climbing up his hands.
You cannot defeat me, Ranger. No man can kill one of the
night. Strider looks wide eyed, and he again sort of looks back,
and he says, run run. Now, the enemy's turn first. I
think we will start with the White King. Okay, oh boy, the
White King will since he is engaged with Strider. I think we will have
him attack. Let's start with that Ypsoran. They get some special bullshit here.
Oh I need to click this. That's why that's not working. Sorry,
Okay, that is a Failuh. First this, this creature seems to
be unaffected by Strider's strike, and the creature sort of shoves Strider away with
his boot and will then sort of spin and there's a heavy sword strike that
just sails over Strider's head and well then spin an attack with the mace.
Another miss, This one just barely who the may? The may sails over
Uh Strider's head. He just kind of barely dodges it. This time,
he maybe uh tries to smack upwards with his sword to send it off course.
The creature yells, and as it does so, it's fell Beast will
go next. Okay, fell Beast fly upwards and move you just above you,
Piper, I would like to begin yelling at it if possible. Okay,
as soon as it enters this area, Hi, I'm the one you
came here for, not them, and I will do my best to stand
up straight and widen my arms to look as threatening as possible and keep him
off of the Hobbits. Sure you can make an all role here. Because
of the circumstance, I'm going to give you a minus one bonus. You
can have hope. If I give you hope, then you get two.
Right, So I will do that very well. I will take it.
That is a terrible role from me, but still a great success regardless thanks
to extra piles of hope. Felby s towards you and with its second action,
will try to Since it is there, I think it will try to
bite you. Okay, that is a failure. As it tries to reach
out, you see its sneaklike neck whip towards you and to win. You
are expecting this attack, and it is fast, but you are faster.
In this moment, you managed to just barely get out of the way.
And I think the size of this thing is really strange, right like it
it's not massive in anyone's spot except for its wingspan, but it is still
quite large. You know. Its neck is still as thick as probably both
your legs put together, which is massive for this sort of snake like head
on this creature. It's horrible stench and oily skin and gnarly looking jaws and
teeth are sort of all pointed in wrong directions inside of its mouth, and
it looks like if it did get a hold of you would rip and tear
your flesh to no end. But it does miss. The wraiths begin to
move. They begin to flood in to the ruins, and I'm gonna make
some roles here because I'm curious to see where they're gonna go. Okay,
this one begins to head towards tottles. I'm going to uh see where they
move first, and then I will assign their uh basically what what their what
their plan is here? Later. Uh okay. Uh so the second one
also moves towards Tottles. You see the shadows growing around you, Tuttles.
This one will move towards Strider. Last one here, we'll move towards Strider
as well. One's down by Rioth are essentially held back for this round.
The oath Okay, and this man that is currently engaged with Andowin and Toddles
will now go and will sort of spin and will attack with its bone staff.
Uh okay, this will be towards and a win. Okay, that
is a success, sas and to win take three damage. This sort of
odd bone it's it's made of various animal bones and human bones. You can
see there is a probably like a fanged wolf skull on the end of it.
And as he spins the staff, that bit of the the staff sort
of clips part of your arm and sort of tears your flesh as it strikes.
And yes, that's is three damage. Okay, next round it was
first. Okay. Those creatures are looking at us, and it seems as
if they're capable of coming to this way. I this tree is not safe.
Am I able to surmize that much? U? There are still wolves?
In the darkness, they appear to be moving. Okay, But but
as far as the wolves go in your immediate situation, from what you understand,
they don't climb trees. That's what Andlin said. And you haven't seen
what these wraiths can do, so I don't think you know. In general,
you have to protect launchon. I look around to see if there's any
no master, what is my movement, so whatever seems reasonable in the moment.
There's no set movement. What technically would happen is, in terms of
game mechanics, you would switch between I've got you in like real word stance
right now kind of in my head. Why So you can switch between stances
mechanically, or you can move in what you think is reason in a reasonable
fashion on the map here if you want to sort of change your position.
Okay, There is not much I can do aside from oh wait, the
coming storm to leave London up, he would be folly to go down the
tree. I need to carry him and that wouldn't be easy, and I
have nothing ranged. All I can do is stay here and defend. You
are simply taking a defensive posture, okay, okay, so are you taking
an actual like defense any height. No, I mean they know where I
am. I threw the thing out of them. You have a battle as
a skill. I do have battle as a skill, and I will remind
you at this moment. You have the option of using a battle role to
fixate yourself on a certain piece of terrain for an advantage, to make enemies
take a minus one or you gain a plus one. If they are trying
to climb a tree to attack and you are simply waiting there, strategically,
you can use a battle role for that, okay, in which case I
would like to do that. Is that something I do actively now or in
response to them, because otherwise I could use the role for to give them.
Is it weirdiness on their attacks? Yeah? No, I would not
barukaz right now because that'd be a waste of an attack role. You can
actively make a battle role to take advantage of terrain and set yourself up to
where they have a penalty and you have an advantage. It's I would like
to do that. Master, Absolutely make a battle Thank you very much for
that fair light reading the book. Hi, I thought I had been too
different pages. It's interesting. I need hope If anyone has it. Otherwise,
I'm just going to rule. Pick mine that gives me one die I
yes, okay, actually I am already miserable from shadow. You might as
well take one of mine. They are worth two, thank you, and
I shall. And let's see what it does. One great success excellent?
How would you like to spend your extra success? I think it increases the
benefits of the role I've just done. I so instead of a minus one,
it's now a minus tool for them. You could consult the book,
but I would argue that you have a plus one and they have a minus
one as they are trying to climb a tree and strike you from underneath.
But it's ultimately up to the low master. I understood. Agree, okay,
in which case what happens is I now have my long halted axe,
the blade of which aims down towards the tree. And look, in a
sense, I've turned this tree into what looks like a very dangerous looking grandfather
clock, in which the axe is the pendulum. Okay, very well,
it was next, I have a question. The fell beast is right in
front of me, right, It's like standing in between me and Edwin and
Toddles. It's I mean it's looming up above on the okay, the sort
of stone wall, the sort of dilapidated ruins, right, this is very
stupid. I'm trying to remember, Piper would remember. I'm margles Is trying
to remember how I fought the sea beast in Tharbad. I climbed atop its
head, right and stabbed it through its skull. Uh. Used, I
think you stabbed under. I think you went under under mistaken I stabbed under.
How close is this thing's head from the ground. You are currently engaged
in combat with this You could try to do that thing if you would like.
If you could try to do the same, if you would like.
Yeah, okay, I would like to be very sorry to say that this
is going to be forward stance. I am yeah, okay, I'm in
forward stance already, and I would like to hobbit speed swift a foot stab
it in the bottom of its head very well. Okay, I'm sweating,
So that's fun. Okay. Does anyone have like a lot of hope?
No, No, we're we're all yeah, Okay, I'm going to use
a hope for this because huh, I believe you get a Q bonus because
of your if I'm not mistaken. Okay, you're wordy, I think Uh
no, I shouldn't be weary. I'm not weary. I think it's just
the one then, so, uh. The other one that I have is
so I'm brave at a pinch and smallest one he's talking about. Yeah,
he's talking about braving a pinch, but it's it's weary, miserable or wounded.
Right, but small folk, when you're engaged in close combat with a
creature bigger than you, you add plus two to your ferry Rayton. Yeah.
Okay, but I think I've already done that, uh on my my
sheet. Sorry, I just want to double check before I roll, because
this is kind of a big role. Okay, So I'm setting that bonus
side to one that is correct. Okay, whoao extraordinary success? How would
you like to spend your extra success? Ah? I can't do a piercing
blow. I can You can't. I can't heavy blow heavy blow? Then
get you can do too heavy blows or you can do a uh there's you
have other options as well. Okay, let me just look because there may
be something advantageous that I I don't want to jump on. You can do
heavy blow you can do fend off. Heavy blow give you more damage.
Fend off gives you a parry of an additional two for this round. Great,
So I'm going to do a heavy blow and a fend off on that.
Good plan. Yeah okay, So Piper, what this looks like?
This creature? I mean, it's sort of like snapping towards andowin and you
see your opportunity, right, you rush in to do something to it,
maybe hoping to stab upwards. You go for the attack. You don't get
a wound here per se, but you do strike it. What's your your
strength rating? My strength rating is three? Okay, so that will be
an additional four damage. Very well. Describe how this looks as you strike
this creature. So I I just I run in and I try to duck
while it's engaging with andwin uh and the other things that are going on,
and I try to go for its head and the base of its head,
its neck. Any any slice in that I can do, Any stab in
that I can do? Yeah, okay, if I could, if I
could hit like a jugular, if I could get this thing bleeding all over
the place, that would be fantastic. I wish you rolled well enough to
make that happen, but he didn't. I had an extraordinary success. Well,
if you got a piercing blow, then maybe, oh okay. Unfortunately,
you do strike it, and you hit it hard. You do,
you do slice right into its flesh. It's kind of wasn't really acknowledging you
as a threat at first, and rush in and uh you see some black
ach or like splatter and it sort of like looks around screeching in pain.
You probably have to like cover your ears as it does, so the sound
reverberates off of this, off of the ruins around you, just sort of
bouncing off the walls. You can almost feel it in your body as this
happens, and then the creature fixates its eyes upon you. I'm sorry that
was the best response. Okay, all right, okay, uh okay,
let's see who's next. I ran over here to assist Tuttles, but now
I'm being targeted by this massive fel beast. I think I want to wait
and see what Tuttles does, if she manages to kill this guy on her
own or get out of the corner somehow. Uh yeah, I'll go first.
There is no attack of opportunity is there No, so I can maybe
run over to another corner. You can definitely use your action to switch like
stances basically, and we can say thematically you're moving. You managed to sort
of like duck. It's like that scene in Maria, you know, when
they've got that small environment and they're just kind of like using the hobbits or
sort of using the environment to their advantage, using the ruins to block attacks
and stuff. You know. No, I'm not going to do that so
lovely, but I don't want to waste it. Well, I'll do it
if it's dire straits, but for now, I'm going to attack the one
I've already hit. Okay, the uh, this one right in front of
me. Up, the one that's already back into a man. Yeah,
that one, duck, Yes, okay, that is a Gandalf piercing blow.
Okay, let's see here. I have a very good role. Let's
see if they can make it. They managed to avoid the wound, but
they do still take the damage from this attack. And let's see that is
three damage and what was your damage from before? Again? That was you
did a heavy blow? Right, so three? It did Pearson blow last
time? And right right? Yeh yeh gotcha. Okay, so okay,
so this should be that okay, alrighty m yeah, tititles you sort of
spin. Explain what it looks like when you hit them. This is not
a major wound, but you do, you do hit them, Okay,
I think. So he's turned into a man and he's growling at me,
and then I growled back at him, and then I reached down and I
pull out another arrow, knock it, and I just immediately hit it right
to his knee. He snarls and turns to okay, um, who is
next? And one? I guess now, yes, it's my turn.
I'm a little bit torn between trying to fend off this fell beast, trying
to help Toddles out of the corner, and on top of that, Strider
is now fighting three against one. I'm fine. I will call out to
Strider then fall back. If you cannot slay that thing, you are wasting
your time. And then I have an idea. Perhaps if he cannot fly,
he cannot chase us. Killing this witch king may not be possible,
but killing his pet Piper is right. We thought off the sea, serpent
of thought bad? What is a fell beast? I'm going to lunge and
strike at the fell beast, attempting to recreate more or less similarly to how
I charged at the sea serpent, using the walls of the ruins here to
jump up and get in striking range. Okay, go ahead and make an
attack, roll very well. I am going to invoke my distinctive trait of
being extremely tall, because at this point it's very relevant. This creature is
up high. But I'm going to jump up on the wall and use my
great height to drive my spear up into its underside. M Can I give
him a hope for that? And he can have to he can? That
would effectively be the same thing as me invoking my trait. I can use
your hope if you prefer. I don't know how much you have left,
Oh, not very much, so maybe we should save it if you have
another right thing so you If he uses his trait, he's spending hope himself.
Well if I'm spending my own hope to get too, Oh I see,
Uh okay, I have four currently left, as do I I will
simply use mine no no if I okay? Right? Okay? Uh use
mine, use mine, use mine, use mine, okay? All right
then that is a piercing blow andowin. Oh okay, I need to make
a role here. I rolled up to seven success dice and still did not
get any extra successes. But that one feet die gets me the piercing blow.
Okay. Uh, let's see here. It's going to use its snake
like speed and spend some hate to make the roll ill favored. Please roll
another d twelve. Okay, this doesn't reroll any of the skill dice,
does it, only the No, just the feet die. Oh you,
because it's an ill favor. It's an ill favored. I understand. I
still hate you at this moment, but I understand the rule. Yes,
that will negate my my. Yeah, yeah, so it's going to negate
your peers. This will be still an attack, it's still a hit,
but it will spend some of its hate to make it ill favored. Okay,
um, this is still a hit, though it is not a piercing
blow. So what does it look like as you attack it? I attempt
to recreate the success that I had fighting the Sea serpent as I run along
this rubble and use it jump and elevate myself and drive my spear into it.
But it turns out the height of this creature is just supernaturally thick,
and so though I score the hit and the spear drags along the side of
its skin, making a long gash as opposed to penetrating into the organs.
It hurts, but not enough to kill it, and then of course gravity
takes hold and I drop back to the ground underneath it. Mm hmm.
You can see it's sort of like wheeling around and spinning like it's very fast,
and it has that that sort of whip like movement with its neck and
its tail. You know, they sort of like move and uh in sort
of this uh symmetry along its body. You know, they sort of uh
whip both the tail and the neck as you do this, Lawton, I
would like to roll from you. Please please roll valor role for me.
A great success, Lnton. What are you dreaming about right now? As
you've fallen unconscious? We're traveling through the barrow downs again, well next to
it, there's a dense missed all around. You can't see more than five
feet in front. I should be scared. I was scared, but I
see my friends, each one a beacon of light themselves. The dangers out
there we all know it, we all feel it. But there there,
and they've been there, and I know if it be their choice, they'll
stay there. It's a very dark, oppressive dream, just a twinge of
hope hanging on. I look forward and we continue to move through the mist
with the smallest glimmer of light. It's not particularly bright or warm, but
it's there. I look over to them and they're all looking at me,
and they're giving me the biggest smile, nodding. I smile back. I
look forward and I continue to walk. You hear your friends yelling for you.
Lonton. Yeah, but mister Proudfoot, what Lonton? Yeah, good
to see you again, my little friend. Hi, Hi, it's so
good to see you. Yeah, welcome back. I love you. Oh,
I love you too. You truly had me worried, Lonton, No,
go all right? What I think it's at this moment? I feel
a lot of aches and paint. Oh oh, Launton, eh, daunting,
it's the Proud Foot. Are you there? Are you? Hi?
You are in a tree right now, Lawton, Please take a scary roll
the D four for me, the one you have one endurance? Okay,
what are you doing up here? I lean from those defending, from those
I look out and I see the rights. I see not not well,
we just need to breathe ye, why what's going on? Well? They
took this thread good. We followed as best we could to this clearing,
and it was clear that we couldn't go any further with you in your state,
so I stayed behind. Oh, y oh, you should be with
them. I'm fine, we should be at them. And you are not
fin none of this, None of this is fine. Sure it is,
sure it is. We've gotten through worse. I'm sure of that. I
doubt, but I shall try to retain some of your optimism, mister proud
foot. My face drops for a second, and then there's a wee ry
smile on the side of my face. Optimism is right, And I'll ask
Lord Master, is that the end of my turn? Not yet? Give
something to do? First? I do real? Helped me sit up a
little bit. I need a little bit more air in my lungs. Arm
there we go. Okay, No, I take a deep breath in.
I look out over the battlefield and I begin to sing, and the shie
were shutos gently feed hobbit homes a tune of hope, displayed as dawn unfold
with a golden kiss, A tale of sunrise, a moment of bliss.
Oh, the rising song with warm so chasing away the night's lingering care in
this Hobbit's heart, Oh hopeful tune for every day brings hat chance to bloom.
And I sit back, and I take a breath. I hope everyone
hears and despite the din of battle creatures about you, the darkness surrounding you,
hear Lawton's voice, verberate through the ruins. You are still alive,
So are your friends. Not waste this opportunity. Strider's turn. You hear
that, all of you hear that it's London. Don't give up London.
There is still light, There is still fight in London's heart. You're not
let it die out from all of yours? Do you hear that, mister
Wolf, that's our version of Howland. Strider spins and he will attack the
wraiths behind him. Both wraiths fall as Strider attacks. You can see him
slicing through both of these corpses, covered in shadow. They sort of dissipate
as Strider turns, not forgetting that one of the Nine stands before him.
Ranger. You in my way. As the White King barrels down upon Strider
rushing forward. White King will strike towards Strider. Okay, first with an
ancient sword. Oh shit, okay uh an extra success on this one will
be a mighty blow. Uh. A Strider to fends, felling the wraiths
around him. They sort of dissipate and he returns the White King's glare,
raising his sword, and as he does, the White King strikes, raising
his left hand in a mighty strike with the sword. Strider's sword shatters.
He stands looking befuddled towards the sword as the blade breaks. Then the White
King spins to attack with the mace, and it is also a success.
This time. Strider, without sword in hand, tries to dodge out of
the way of the mace, but is not in time. He is struck
with as he tries to avoid the attack. You see it still catches him
in his midriff and he is splayed out, flying backwards towards the tree behind
him as his sword falls to the ground. You will fool, Ranger,
and then I will take your friends and I will bring them to Angmay next
the fell beast will go and as it has been surrounded both by Piper and
and Win. It will do some special bullshit. It will use hmmm,
it will screech. And I need Piper and Win and Tottles to please make
me a shadow roll. This will be valor, I believe. Who Oka,
that is quite the little rule happened before to you on a shadow roll.
Well, well, we've got two failures from and Dowin and Tottles.
They succeed oh not on a shadow roll, unfortunately, So if Tottles had
succeeded, yes, but in this case, Hyper do you take no shadow
points? Wow and Win something. I don't think Tottles's role is correct though,
I don't think so either. But also when I'm doing them, when
I'm doing the role for everybody, I'm supposed to roll inhearten, not wisdom.
You mean that like when I'm trying to help everybody, right, shadow
inheartened? So uh yeah, go ahead and make an Inheartenal Okay, that
was for your own being. Okay, that is the success. You've lowered
the shadow by one for everybody. However, you and Andwin are still going
to take one each, as this creature spends a lot of hate to do
that. But it's kind of worth you all hear this horrible screech covering your
ears again. It's enough to sort of almost forget that Lanton is okay.
It sort of takes you out of that moment and reminds you just how dire
the situation is. Okay, I think we're going to have the pack leader
go next Wait, it's not going to attack us. That was its that
was its action used The screw made you take shadows, is it? It's
uh, may not affect the Hobbits. The Hobbits of a different perspective for
them. It's not a big deal. It's kind of a problem for me.
Yeah, it's okay. We're gonna have the uh the guard pack leader
go next garden and never going to predict pronounce that right, it's actually au
and I spelled it wrong on the sheet there. Okay, Uh, let's
see probably going to stay after and Awin. I think now that the wraiths
have surrounded Toddles, I think we're going to have him attack you and Awin.
This will be that is the wrong character. What did I just do
this one? Okay, with bone staff, we'll attack that does a miss?
The bone staff strikes this time, maybe you hear you hear this snarling
person rushed towards you, and you turn quickly enough to parry the blow and
awin. Okay, the wraiths first, the two that are surrounding you,
toddles, Okay, they will attack with a pitted blade. You see this
sort of shadow wrapped blade come down towards you to attack. Shit. Oh
no, oh that's so bad. Okay, Uh, triple success piercing blow.
Holy shit, this is really fucking bad. Oh no, oh god,
Okay, yeah, I think that's it. Uh, okay, so
titles, yeah, uh, you need to make a protection role. This
is injury rating of sixteen. You can receive hope for this. Yeah,
I'm singing. Yeah, so you're getting one of mine, which that means
I get two too. I'm sorry, I'm doing a protection roll. Yeah,
it's goes to show you how often I've needed to do this. Where
are the bottom right? Heck? Bottom right? Okay? Okay, Oh
my god, you rolled well on your success dice. That's good because you
rolled a one on the feet die, which barely gives you a pass.
Oh no, so you put the it was sixteen for the injury rating on
that, but you still made it. It still made it fourteen, which
was mine. I'm sorry you still made it because you got a sixteen,
which will stop this from being a wound. However, it is a triple
mighty blow, yeah, which is gonna hurt real, real bad. I'm
sorry. This is gonna be four Oh my god, that goes into potential
one shot territory. That's a law of dage. I'm preparing myself, so
this will be eight twelve, sixteen damage total total. Okay, I'm still
up. I think maybe you miss judge where the blade is coming down because
it's kind of cloaked in shadow, or you're expecting to dodge it. Here
toddles, and the the blade does come down, A can I actually say?
I don't. I'm not trying to dodge it at all. I think
I'm looking at Piper with the thing screeching above us, and I just miss
it. I just don't see him coming to hit me. It leaves this
horrible, bloody yeah. Yeah, then the next race will attack you.
Yeah, pitted blade, I don't forget. I'm in rear word. If
you're in, you get a plus two tier. Okay, there's it's already
calculated. I'm sure when he clicks on my token, I didn't. I
didn't mouse over it till now about that raith that just hits you for that
damage World sixty six six, Yeah, it's success time. Yeah. The
second one, however, misses it strikes with its pitt had blade. That
slash that has hurt you deeply, uh toddles you. Wakes you up a
little bit as you try to process everything. Lanton is awake, he is
singing, He's trying to give you some hope here and still it seems grim
a new round. Look down and I'm bleeding all over. And then I
look back up, and I look over to Andowin, and I think I'm
just dumb struck. I think i'd like I think I would first. Unfortunately,
something else happens first. Since you decided to try to go first,
Lanton, let's have you rolled the die? Please roll the D nine,
which I know isn't a normal die. Five five wolves begin to emerge from
the darkness around real than you, Lawton snarling old fast m hm. You
can see drool just dripping down their fan as they begin to surround the bottom
of the tree below you. I'm still ready. I look around on I
don't know how much I can see from here, but I'd like to petition
to do a protect companion role. Okay, now that is one of the
combat actions, but this is in tandem with me singing. I just would
like to use the battle role for it. Okay, So these wolves begin
to get close. I can see a lot of movement. Maybe even here
turtles cry out a little bit, or maybe she doesn't, but I gret
my teeth. I raised my voice as loud as I can, and before
I sing, I do want to roll. We'll see how this affects my
singing. Who that? That's that? Let me just read this before I
sing. On a successful role, the enemy's morale has been shaken in.
All opponents with might one are made weary on their next attack role if the
role produces a single success icon, and also all adversaries with might two suffer
the same penalty. If the role produces two success icons or more, the
penalty is applied to all adversaries and the fight Yes, umm, pretty good,
pretty good? So pretty good? What happens as I think I'm I'm
hurt pretty bad and I know that I was tied to like the tree,
so I wouldn't fall out. Actually take the rope and I tie tighter to
try and get some of the strain off from my breathing, and I begin
to sing louder and a little faster. Beneath the hill where drains take flight.
The first light's touch a comforting sight, and the quiet of the morn.
I promise anew our world, raborn in the morning's do the rising sun
with warm so rare, chasing away the night's lingering care in the hobbit's heart,
A hopeful tune for every day brings a chance of bloom. As you
speak up, filling everybody's hearts with hope, Please roll a D four for
me, a D four three. Everybody regains three hope. That is right
on the money. I am no longer miserable that d buck is cleared.
Okay, Longton has gone first. Who goes next? Okay? Sorry,
you can go if you'd like. I mean, I was just going to
swing at the nearest beastie for it. Okay, I swing at the nearest
BEASTI Okay, it would probably be a wolf in this case. Okay,
So the whites are not engaged anymore, or what are they? In rear
Wood? I'm sorry, say again, the ghosties to the north are not
engaged anymore? Or are they in real certainly not engaged? I see you.
Okay, you drove them back, Okay, with your with your effects.
In which case, I swing swang at this wolf over here with my
plus one bonus dice from my position, and I two extraordinary successes. Okay,
how would you like to spend them to kill it? I'm heavy blow.
Okay, that should do it. How do you kill it? It
tries to climb up the tree, you know, its paws up, snarling,
turning back off, and literally the pendulum swings to the right, and
in a second it's been hit and it falls to the side, dead,
falls to the ground dead. I'm next to turn, go ahead Downas I
look down, I am bleeding profusely. I think I'm starting to see like
the world's getting fuzzy, a little bit dark. I'm blinking slower, and
I look around. I see Strider. They're crumpled. I see and Piper,
and I think about maybe ducking down and running away from these raiths,
but then they'll just turn and attack andowin and Piper. So I stand and
I fight, and I knock an arrow and I try to hit the closest
one to me. Actually I don't. I still fight the motherfucking guy who's
on and awin. Okay, And that's the icon, not the one right
in front of me, right, it's this one because I hit the other
one last time. I used the other icon, so hopefully that's okay.
Sorry I thought it was the one right in front of me. Sorry,
they have different okay from stats, and I will lose the bones stye.
Wait, I shouldn't be wary anymore. Oh, I didn't put the hope
at Weary is because of your endurance. The hit you took last turn was
enough to make you weary. Yeah? Ah, okay, Now that said,
is that guy supposed to have a Perry rating of twenty one? Wasn't
that high before she clicked on the wrong one before? It is pretty high?
Aren't they negative now? Or is that only to attack? Uh?
They have a weary They are weary so when they roll on you, right
yepes, okay, that's the way they take the penalty. I'm I'm too
weak. I go to lift the bow and I I try to it's the
air on and I just can't do it. Okay, I would like to
go next if possible? Hyper? Yeah, Can I run to Tommles from
where I am and attack one of these guys that are on her? Uh?
I'm I will say you're in forward stance right now? I'm in forward.
Yeah. I will say yes because I think you're in close enough proximity
to do that. Okay, okay, uh yeah, I run over here
and I I would like to attack one of them. Okay, yeah,
and I'm going to use the hope cool. That is three extra successes?
Holy shit? Uh? How are you spending them? Yeah? Uh?
Piercing blow? Can I do a pierce and blow? Yeah? You cannot?
I cannot. You can do triple mighty blow if you want. If
she puts all three into piercing, it would get up to ten. That
should do it? Should it not? Uh? Maybe? Where you mean?
She'd have to basically give up all damage, but she could get the
pierce. I believe spend one success icon to modify the feet die uh,
plus one if using swords. So no, oh, never mind, I
thought it was a two. Okay, sorry? Can I just so mighty
blow and you have mighty blow you also? Yeah, I'm gonna doing possible
with this right right right, I'm gonna do two mighty and one fend off.
Okay, so what is your strength rating? You said three? Yeah,
that's right. Okay, so that's plus four, so plus eight three
okay, and you are attacking the wraith. I'm attacking this wraith right here,
that's right in front of Okay, yeah, alrighty uh, you strike.
I think that's the one that threw the shadow, and you can you
feel you feel your blade connect and draw some you know, did you draw
some kind of horrible fluid from this creature as you strike? It's still up
Okay, okay, but you do have a bonus totals. Okay, I've
loved this adventure. Don't think for a second I didn't. Don't do that.
Just in case I don't get to tell you later. You're gonna tell
me later. I'm gonna make you. I'll remind you. I'll remind you
later too, But just in case, I'm really glad we came out.
I love you too. M Now, get off her, and I'm gonna
keep fighting them, obviously on my next turn, but for our purposes,
Okay, who's next? I believe I'm the only one left Rio. There's
also left Striker. Yeah, he went before me. I'll spring again.
Okay, if it's a low master forgets, it's another turn. Anyway.
What would you like to do? I am, I am torn felt.
Beast needs to die, but Tarlos is probably going to die if I don't
intervene. But also Strider is down. I cannot do all three at once.
I'd like to take a moment to observe this witch king. Well,
first of all, Strider getting white King. Sorry, is Strider getting back
up? That's the first thing. Is he down for the counter? Or
is he standing back up? Strider has been sort of knocked down. You
can see he's kind of had the wind knocked out of him, and he's
a bit wobbly. But it does look like he's moving I see. But
he also has no He also has no weapon. If you glance back at
us as well, I'm gonna glare at you with teary eyed determination of don't
you dare fucking help me? Right now? I can do it? Yeah,
And I'm I'm I'm stabbing things, I'm fighting and it looks like I'm
doing an okay job, like I've done some damage. All right, I'm
going to unsling that curse or not cursed. But like that eerie magic spear
that we took from Timber all that time back, the Ruins scored magic spear,
and I'm just going to send it at this thing that Piper just hit
the Wraith to try and finish it, and if possible. The reason I
am making arranged attack, to be clear, is because I want to start
walking the other way. If I were going to walk towards it, I
would just stab it with my own spear. But I want to move towards
Strider because I feel like without his sword and cornered by the White King,
he is probably going to die. But I also feel compelled to help Topples,
So I just want that spear. If anyone has hope, I will
take it, and if not, I will simply have it from me and
take two. I will take it. This is the Rune scored spear I
was rolling. I ask you a question, Sure before you throw this spear?
Sure, how shall I phrase this? What are you thinking in a
moment? What am I thinking? I'm thinking that I have been going about
this all role. I've always had it in my mind that when I confronted
the creator of this curse, that it was through stubbornness, fortitude, and
strength of will and maybe even strength of spear that I could defeat it.
But I recognize now it was never about any of that. It was simply
about self acceptance, learning to forgive myself for that which I cannot change,
forgive my ancestors for that which they could not change. To see Toddles willing
to fight to the death to save a man she doesn't even know, to
see Piper throw herself into the corner, almost certainly dooming herself. To see
Rios, who I randomly met on a road one day, has now in
the span of issue a few short months, agreed to stay here and fight
to the death for London. I'm feeling quite inspired. If anything, perhaps
the sense of purpose I lost at the beginning of this fight, London's singing
and the circumstances have brought it back. I am, for the first time
in this entire adventure, finally feeling a sense of harmony. I have peace,
but I also have rach I retract the spear throw I want to do
something else. Sure now that I feel like I have finally balanced peace and
acceptance with this animal, fury. I want to become a bear, not
a bear. I want to become the bear the spirit of nature that empowered
bay On when everything looked hopeless, that same fury of nature. I want
to reach out to it. I am finally ready. You will spend three
hope to do so. Can you have one of my? Can you have
one of mine? Will counters two, one from each ob, but this
will be this will be from yours only, And that's fine. After all,
London gave me back three. I will simply use that very well.
What does this look like? I stop, and I simply start speaking as
I realized that I have spent my whole life running from my own cursed nature.
The name and Awin of the River was simply a name taken out of
shame to avoid the name of my ancestors. I would never say Andwin's son
of anyone, because I wanted to distance myself from my cursed past. But
now no more shame. My voice booms out louder than it should to where
even Lawton and Rios can very clearly hear every word. I am and Doin,
son of Vandergar, son of Doon, son of Dorn, son of
Tall, son, of Door, son of Taigar, son of Hammar,
son of Calderon, son of Koran, son of Bar, son of Vantis,
son of and Doran the Chire. I'm not ashamed anymore. My body
shifts and contorts, my own arm. Hair's lengthen and become thick. My
skin is no longer skin, It is hide, just like they. No
weapon can pierce it, and no weapon can bite upon it. I grow
up till I am the same size as this nascual beast, and I crab
it with my arms, and I pick it up, and I turn and
I throw it on top of this glena dark chieftain. I attempt to use
the fell beast to smash this chieftain. Absolutely in your bear doin state.
I've given you a bonus to your endurance and your strength rating. It should
have been a plus two, sorry, and should be eleven. There we
go. You should see a bear doing cheet, Yes, a bear doing
youow. Oh, I see it. Your wits have sort of gone down,
but your strength has gone way up. Please make either This sounds like
a swipe attack, I think on the film. I see there is no
have a bear sheet. Yes he does. Loveless should be down at the
bottom. I see. Is it already coded to roll properly? Or do
I need to be? Okay, because I have no idea how many skill
points or whatever I have in swipe, it's tied to your spears, I
see, am I targeting the fell beast? I assume? Then yes,
I will naturally use all the hope I can get my hands on, be
it others online. You can have one of mine. If you have one
of mine, you get too. Oh I rolled a one, and yet
with the hope and the great success, I still have a great success.
Did you take only the one hope or did you take the two? I
took both. I took pipers. Okay, all right, okay, just
check in. Okay, Uh, you've got an extra success. So what
would you like to do with it? I'm not sure what the options are.
I've not been a bear before. Standard combat options. So you can
do a mighty blow or you can fend off if you'd like. I think
a mighty blow seems fitting for a bear absolutely all right, and that's gonna
be a plus eleven for the mighty blow. As you strike with your massive
claws, Uh, you rend the flesh of this creature ah, and it
screeches in pain as you send it sort of against the wall, and it
sort of falls collapsing. Doesn't fall on top of the guardon, but it
does sort of like fall around the guardon as it does, and you can
see you have dealt it a mighty blow. Large rends in its flesh on
its side. Have struck it. Okay, okay. I will conclude by
roaring at the White King, hoping to draw it away from Strider. Take
an all roll for me. That is a great success. I'd like to
widen the influence, Yes, to also potentially scare these whites off of tottles.
Yes, these wraiths begin to uh sort of turn as this magic nfurrals.
That's all I have. As it does angling, there is a butterfly.
It begins to fly just in your vision. Strider stands up. What
in the world, I'm the horey indeed, and a Strider stands sort of
surveying the White King around him. An arrow sails into one of the wraiths
next to Strider. As he looks for a second, confused by the arrow,
mkh from the trees, you hear la chonnin melin. Strider looks see
lithe female form, and there is a moment of pure bliss on Strider's face.
I kind of nan yell un noun h as you see a beautiful eleven
woman merged from the tree, bow in hand. She looks towards the White
King and she says, you do not belong here. You will leave this
place. You will fall by my hand. Creature. There is a momentment
of silence. The Strider smiles, turns towards the White King, pulls out
the dagger. You have not defeated me yet, Creature. I am not
alone. No, you're not Holy speared tacoon. There is slowing to the
rain, final peal of thunder stepping forth from the shadows. See the familiar
face of gandalfh. He called staff high, stayn and hancelon in my mind.
And as he does so, morning begins to shine through all the rise
at sun with warm soa shay set away the night's lay director. Hello,
this is why Stephen from Table Story. If you'd like this podcast, please
make sure to rate and review it. If you'd like to listen to more
of our podcasts, you can head on over to tablestory dot tv for a
variety of other shows. If you would like to support us, you can
head on over to tablestory dot tv slash pledge and if you'd like to join
our community, you can head on over to tablestory dot tv slash discord.
Thank you, Joy,