Hello, This is Why Stephen from Table Story. If you'd like this podcast,
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slash discord. Thank you joy. Our group is traveling across near the Last
Bridge as they make their way to Rivendell. They have been hunted and harried
the entire way, chased by goblins war riders nipping at their heels, with
Strider helping them to get to Rivendell to help hyper and Andowin get rid of
a curse that may very well condemn their souls. Our group is under fire
from one of their chiefs, an orc by the name of Gulfach. As
you each hear the sounds of the goblins upon the wargs red and painted.
These are veteran riders. A large bow is drawn an arrow held as goole
Thac finds a target. The war riders chant, oh, fuck, fuck,
Oh, the FDA saying I need each of you please ro only a
D twelve five, three, six, nine's an arm of six. Oh
no, I'm the last one. Oh god, hold on, I have
to refresh roll one, as if there wasn't enough tension. Yeah no,
this is perfect. Let it, let it ride, let it savor just
for a minute, favor while we're all still here alive. Okay, yeah
two, take same at Toddles. Oh god, he's determined the real threat.
Yeah, Toddles is still full health. Honestly, the best thing for
us, I think yep, yep, I think so too, unless it
one hit kills me. Unless, yes, it takes her head off,
in which case it's not a good thing for us. It's gonna be all
right. Just for those of you who are watching this for the first time,
there's no healing mid battle, so there's no healing. There's no healing.
Actually, just time time heals all of the wings. In this game.
You lay down and put a bandmate on it, just like real life.
And then we wait, and then we wait. Spread this Chief will
go ahead and spend some resource to negate this. Weary or no, I'm
sorry, We'll make this a favored role. They are different. I cast
vicious mockery and make him so sad that he doesn't want to do anything.
You look dumb, cheap, black arrow, black feathers fly past your hair,
sort of whistles as the arrow sails past you, toddles and sticks deep
into the ground as it passes. Then draws again. What was that?
I don't know. Everybody draws roll the D twelve for me? Please?
It could just cut the up arrow eleaven. Oh no, is it gonna
pick me again? I did buy surns this time? We have a worse
problem. Oh well, I rode the worst. I rode the siren?
Right. Can I argue that it aims at me again? We can?
Actually, yeah, I will take it. I will take it. You
know it's bad. This one is not favored this time. Okay, And
it's gonna hit me, of course, because that's the way it works.
Oh, thank pete two weary failures. Rio's baruk Khazade is doing work here.
Yeah, arrow sales pass you reoth and and win and you see it
sink into the ground deep near near the pony of Piper. Okay, the
pony of around. That's uh, that's meet with a travel roll. Need
a travel roll from you, Lawton, We're right failure. Oh it was
so close. It would have been right on the money if not from weary.
Yeah, all right, so two chase, two chase rolls. Yes,
I'm so afraid to do with this. I'm so afraid. All right
to one two two? Road is clear. You continue padding along as you
all are, rushing at a furious pace. The Orcs, the Goblins,
the wargs behind you, charging breakneck speeds, but your road is clear.
In the distance again, you can see the last bridge miles away, but
it is. It feels so close but yet so far away. Who's going
first? Oh, I'll go first. Well, I was gonna say me
Orrioth like. I don't know if he can do that same move again to
make everybody weary this turnaround, but it cannot. Okay, oh lord,
okay, so let me let me go first. Okay, Well, what
are you doing? Because I think now is the time to table talk or
we're gonna die? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, how much? How much?
How much hope do you have enough? What do you need? I
might need one from you, because absolutely I would like to do a battle
role. I am going to attempt if if I can like the I don't
know how far away the bridge is, but checkpoint, I mean that's the
last one. If we can get across it, we live. I'm I
want to guide us in a way that can give any manner of cover or
something. Now, this wasn't a fairly open roly hill. There were a
few rocky ledges and places. I'm I guess I'm trying to find anything that
will give us an edge. I don't know if there is any. Don't
you have you have hold on You have an ability that is your battle role,
but it buffs people, right, what is it? You can't use
it? Yeah? A couple a couple of rides back sort of couldn't use
that one. So I can't do the battle role. Yeah, isn't it
a special skill or do you have to be on your feet? Or what
it was for combat? The battle role was a leading the group on shared
pony with adults. No, I think that the role was that you can't
use it if we're not using it combat, if we're not doing a combat
role. But I think some of us are going to be doing combat this
turnaround, right, So what I was going to try and do is the
battle role. He's driving, you're on the back. Yeah, so he's
got a kind kind of restrict himself to driving. There's not much I can
do because I can't fight, I can't grab stuff like I'm I have to
continue to I thought your battle role was equivalent to my shouting to encourage people
roll though. Right, So there's the uh it is the battle role or
am I thinking of someone else protect companion defense stance which I can't do.
Actually I'm a defense stance. But what it does is it a rare word
stance right now? Oh, that's right. You have to be in the
middle to be in defense. That okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry.
For some reason, I thought it was like my bolster role where it
gives everybody a plus one or something. Okay, it's the opposite. It
makes everybody weary. But I would have to have a means of making myself
do that because I tried to get the horn a little while back from Yah.
Yeah it is okay, okay. So what I'd like to do is
I would like to try and do something that could potentially give us a bonus
or something on our protective rolls rolls against us and as ridiculous as this is.
I would love to argue if I can do a hell of a good
like plus two extraordinary battle roll or something wild weary, what do you think
you're trying to do? So the landscape right now, it's still dark the
sun. Is there any glimmer of light? Yeah? Okay, so I'm
not There is but one glimmer of light. It is a bridge in the
distance. So we had established that there were these little rocky bits and bobs
here and there. It's mostly rolling hills, but there are some because I
was able to outsmart one of the riders and made them tumble over it.
So what I want to kind of do is guide the group through some of
that. If there's a few more, it might provide a little bit of
cover here and there. Maybe if I'm lucky at the time someone's going to
shoot an arrow, maybe it gives them a wee bit of cover in I'm
really grabbing straws here, But I'm trying to think of the battlefield as it
is. Perhaps I should go first. I may be able to buy us
sometime. Okay, what are you going to try to do? Well?
Last week I had sort of had a plan, but I don't think I
communicated it to whack very clearly. So this time I will be much more
blunt. I want to use my Bayoane's enchantment magical crafting to summon the trees
and the plants and the nature of this area to entangle the road behind me.
Oh okay, this is a while wind river moments. What are they
not the mechanics behind doing that? Sure, I will read you the exact
wording from the book. Okay, choose three skills from under the strength categories,
so awe athletics, awareness, hunting, song, or crafting. I
chose awe, athletics and crafting as my three magical specialties. You may spend
a point of hope to achieve a magical success when attempting one of these activities.
Yes, okay, that's all it says, So it's mostly up to
your discretion. Very well, Uh, you're going to spend a hope to
do this, please make a crafting role. I may need to petition somebody
else for hope. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I take it.
No, I cannot if I can't get help. You can't double other
people on this one. Oh no, I do not have any extra successes
that is enough into what does uh, what does this look like to heal
one of these war riders off. It looks very similar to what aer Gorn
was doing when he spoke to his horse. I lean down low to the
ground. Nature has been the friend and guide to my people for many years,
and right now it must be our savior. And as I lean down,
I whisper something in my native tongue which is not really understandable to anyone
else in the group. But as I do this, the roots and the
grass begin to reach up and almost attempt to take hold force. Warks are
big and strong. It takes quite a grip, so I cannot get all
of them, but as you said, at least one of them, as
it is running its feet just stop and the war flips over frontwards and the
rider goes flying, who is then also grabbed, and I'm able to stand
up the warg and warg rider goblin that is raising like a scimitar up to
try and strike at you. As you're sort of leaned over, rusty and
rushing forward, your head is sort of down your focused. You can feel
the wind blowing the pollen hitting you in the face. As you're rushing forward,
the dew of the night and the morning is peppering you as the horse
trods through the ground, and with each bit of nature around you, you
seem to be more connected to it. This is absolutely the time to commune
to save others, save yourself, this since the veil of the ages that
has protected my people. One of the wargs is tripped up as it doesn't
anybody looking on the outside wouldn't see. It's not like vines jump from the
ground or anything. It's a subtle thing. It's as if a shrub maybe
blows in the wind and and sort of, just because of the way that
it blows, some of the some of the branch from the shrub gets entangled
in the warg's footing as Rusty sort of jumps over it and Warg falls behind.
Who's next? Me? Can I go next? Yes? Yeah?
Yeah, okay, okay, okay, okay, all right, so he's
managed to Oh sorry, I'm thinking for a second, did you already go
lonton? No? I still can if you want me to go first?
Is there a way? Okay? First of all, where are the thorns?
Are they only in stare in one person? Or are they also potentially
in the way from other people getting towards us because the sky is now slowing
down. It was one of the war riders got caught up in and it
just kind of falls back. You're all traveling very quickly, but will they
be traveling over the thorns as well? Seem to part and move around.
Okay, okay, okay, I'm just wondering, Lonton, if you could,
if you could light my arrows on fire and then I fire them.
I don't know what that would do, if that would give us like a
bonus die or something like that. Here's what I'll say, Lawnton. You
can make a battle role for this, all right, Yeah, I will
use my turn to attempt to light her air on fire. That's wonderful.
Well yeah, okay, do you think this is something worthy of hope because
this is different? Oh yeah, take it, take it, take it?
Okay, take it. Do you get two? I just need to
do as much damage as gospel. So either it's a bonus die or it
adds a bonus die to damage, it doesn't matter. Sure, I'm just
trying. Oh that's an extraordinary success too. Okay, Toddles, your arrow
is a light Okay, I am going to shoot the one that is closest
to re oath. Okay, I'll do you, hope, even though that's
the only one. I thank you. I appreciate that. Now is the
time. Yep. Uh. Let me just double check something really quickly.
Yep. So, I just noticed something that is a little worrying from last
session your sheet, and I think it was a mistake. But it is
the appropriate role for this situation. I'm giving you a favored role here.
Your conditions and modifiers currently have it as favored. It should be normal right
now, but this particular role is favored. So I don't know if you
rolled all last week with favored or not. I think no. I think
it was only when there's a certain attack I can do with a bowl that
makes it favored. But it's specific, so I don't imagine I was doing
it the whole time. Could be the habitability shore at the mark, which
would in fact be favored on every bowl roll every bocal, which is why
I leave it on here. But it's not for every role. It's only
if I'm using my bowl. Okay, uh, clicking target and your plus
two nailed it. Okay, this is a piercing blow. Yeah, it's
yeah, all your ranged attacks are favored. If you attack by throwing a
stone, the roll produces a piercing blow on the result of a gand off
room with an injury rating of twelve. And this is on fire right from
what I did, so ye, so hopefully it gives us like extra damage
or something. And they're still weary. I hope they're no longer right?
Okay? This is versus A fourteen? Okay, it is, uh,
you still have it is a an extra success on top of a piercing blow.
Are you doing your heavy blow? What what did Blunton's bonus get of
us? So I can count? I'm going to tell you then a mighty
blow then, and what's your strength rating? Two? Okay? So uh
six six? Yep? You fire the arrow literally it uh, there's a
basically like a fireball that happens as the warg rider is is hit and you
you immediately hear uh the scream of pain as the the Goblin is basically lit
on fire as the war is as well. All of the wargs seem to
react to the fire. They start to spread out and hyper romeand I'm sorry
it tottles Roman and D four Okay, Oh, come on. Please don't.
I'm assuming it's like we want four chat because I think it affects four
of them, so busses or busses and the chat please is good? No,
it's good. We want to one. How you kidding me? I'm
sorry you channeled the energy the wrong way and I didn't know. I didn't
know. It's not your phone chat? How dare you? So the wargs
sort of spread out. You can see there's definitely reaction from the fire,
though, and they quickly regroup. All four of them are still an engagement
range of real It's okay, okay, good plan. That's still a good
plan. Maybe I'm telling you no. And I wouldn't have had to waste
your t a chance roll. It wasn't weird we do it again, I
know, but it would have been like it's two chance rolls. Then you
have to roll, and then I have to roll, and then I have
to roll again to potentially get probability. Okay, it's only a thing we
can do, really, Yeah, all right, Okay, who's next.
I'm I'm completely useless. I've gotten rid of my lantern. I can't I'm
useless with a ball. We're not close enough to actually use Do you have
a rope? Listen? It worked once before? Yeah, that's true.
I have, I have flint and steel, and I have a heavy cloak.
Could I set my cloak on fire and throw it at them? You
can definitely try. I would like to try. Do you have sure at
the mark? No, it'd be like throwing a stone. Yeah, okay,
I wouldn't do that. No, yeah, I think that. I
mean, just I have close caught. Everything I chose was close combat things
so that I could use my short sword all the time, which is maxed
out. So I'm basically useless. I'm like a depressed hoommet. So I'm
not helpful there either. Okay, I mean, have you a dagger throw?
Huh? You have? Have you a dagger or a secondary short sword
that you could throw? Because that would be a sort of tech. Would
it count as a sort attack if I threw one of the swords? Sword,
I throw one of the swords. Okay, so this is the sword
was given to you by uh? Okay, yeah, this is it,
though. I just want to know that if we if we get into a
position, the only other sword I have is Apple, the cursed demon sword.
Okay, Okay, the alternative is we all die? Yeah? I
hope there ever was a time to make a pact with the demon. It's
right now. Oh absolutely, someone's been playing too much boulders Kate, the
first Warlock, Hobbits. Please, I'll take it. Okay, I'm I
guess I will aim at one of these guys. I mean you can at
them. Uh, question the stance while we're riding. What are options here?
A gun? Fir stances? Yeah, if you're throwing the sword,
you'd have to be in a rear word, real word. Okay, all
right, I will aim at this one here. I think using any hope
is probably a bad idea right now because I'm so close to Shadow. So
I'll use you. I want to mine. You're gonna want to mine,
and he'll take it. Okay, now's the time to drain this Hope battery.
Let's go. Okay, and which one? Which one? Were you
using it? I'm aiming at. I don't know how to market the third
one from the top that's near Reuth the top. Yeah, go to the
select tool and just hold left, click down on the map to pank You
mean that one, right? Yeah? I meant this, I meant this
one. No I actually I selected this one. Yeah, okay, okay,
So piercing blow and two extra successes. How would you like to spend
them? Double heavy? Yeah? Okay, what is your strength rating?
It's three? Okay, check and see what the fuck this is gonna be?
Okay, uh, they will try and get out of the way of
this. Sixteen is the injury rating? That is a fail. Piper,
you turn and throw this sword. What does this look like as you kill
this barg rider? Okay, So I'm riding and I'm like, I'm of
absolutely no use, and then I look down at my swords and I think
this is probably it, right, So I take the sword and I,
in one fell quick movement, I turn super fast and just unleash it on
him and hit him through the neck head decapitated. Nobody's expecting this, like
side arm throw from Piper, just and when you probably like see it in
your periphery, just the sword flying past you. The worst thing you can
do is throw your weapon away, But then you see it connect with the
goblin who's just like you, forging that like right in the mouth this goblin
and very nicely done. Another two change points as well. Okay, wow,
all right, who's next A lost one, I think, and then
and then striding our strider. Yeah, okay, Well, as Park has
said, this is probably I'm injured. I have a taping wound under my
shoulder. I think I'm going to not look behind me and improvise. I
want to move forward past andowin and let him fight for a turn or two.
What you were about to say? Yes, character growth, I'm here
for it. Come on with you? No, yeah, no, stubborn
dwarf. Oh while he's thinking about it, I had to pull something up
for Piper's sword throat. When I see it going past, you get you
get get this for those who can say it's the gift of the man.
I can't remember the name. Redford's Robert Redford. M hmm, the nod
of approval, that's my hobbit. Good job, all right forth, Have
you determined your method of self deletion? Or are you going to get past
me? Faith? No, faith trome on Rio. If he eats another
whole round of attacks from all of them, I don't think he will live.
I agree, I had made my decision, but the moment's over.
I think i think I'm going to Hey, I think after this last round.
We've come so far, I think perhaps there might be a chance.
There are only three left after all, So I I will ride ahead of
Van dowhen I think so being right, you rush forward? Okay, I
mean a double check on something like? Was that more powerful than a character
that I know? Right, I'm like, just listen to what I told
him to do. Please make a travel right? He like, you know,
that's a big deal. A dwarf was swallowing pride to you know,
and it wasn't It's not even cowardice. It's so that we don't lose him.
This is gimly allowing. It's gimly allowing himself to be tossed, is
what just happened? Travel role please yeld. Sorry sorry that you rush past
and you allow andwin to see as much as you would like. I'm injured
and a dwarf and I'm trusting him, but I'm still there. I think
you would see a solemn recognition of the situation and not much more from me.
I am focused HM Strider. Strider is currently occupied by two war riders
in the South that have come charging in. Let's see what happens there.
My mother died. I have to struss it. I have to dissociate.
I have heartburn right now. It's no like as in, that's so uh
huh like. Oh ship, this is about to be sick for you all.
I don't know if he might be counting. I think counting dice,
rolling more dice. You stuck that way? Oh my god, he's doing
head man, he's doing math atarting. Well, it's Strider's turn. That's
a good thing, based on so much damage that we can't add it up.
Strider, looking over his shoulder, quickly takes aim with his bow.
Let's loose with an arrow. It sinks into the first war rider and they
veer into the other one, taking both out. Sorry for screaming, Sorry
for screamings, turn O warders. Oh no, okay, here's where it
gets bad, okay me. The riders are first before the Chief. Three
of them will be engaged with andwin. Come on, buddy, they are
no longer weary, and I think it's time for them to spend some of
their resources. Oh, I will say the song. The music just dropped
the beat as they come to destroy me. First attack is a spear attack.
Uh, that's gonna miss. It's gonna miss, right, oh okay.
You can see the wargs begin to move quickly as you hear the chiefs
in the background yell uh something in uh in the black speech of more door
and they begin to move quickly like a snake. It seems like they are
moving uh. And the first one will attack you with a spear and win
busses in the chat. But for reverse fail this is going to be fair.
First bosses, beep beep beep. Throw the bus into reverse. That
is a fail for the first one. Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Second we could do this. The second attack at least a SAP five.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
Another fail so hard. I'm gonna make a diamond the last war rider.
Bring it. It's an eye of Sarah on piercing blow. Can I
bring itting of fifteen? You need to protect you? Can I can?
I can? I can? I can? I give him a hole?
Can you give him a hope? Yeah? I can get to hope?
Ye yeah yeah yeah, yeah, you get too. That's try to what
have we learned on this show? Don't say it? Don't say it,
or it will happen. I must say it's saying things. Yeah, Okay,
that's fair. Yeah, but you call it you know. Okay,
I'm not going to tell you what I've rolled a one on protection. Oh
okay, three ones? You are Does the rerolling with fatigue count with these
combat roles? Oh? Oh shit, yeah sure, Oh I can do
it. Okay you hold on. I'm gonna say this is going to cost
another round of hope if you want to do it. I'm already miserable,
so I will give him another hope alternately, which means he gets to alternately,
I can take the hit, and for the second time this campaign,
the chief still has to go. No, that's true. I can't aford
to get hit by him. No, very well, all right, extra
fatigue for the fun of it. Here we go. One more roll hime
on plus two. I just need not another one. Don't see it much
better? Okay, that is a great success. You've an extra success,
which means that your parry is going to go up by one for the remainder
of this round, which could be a very good thing. Yeah, the
war Riders are done. The chief goole sock will now go. Let's see
special bullshit. Stop somending so pleased with yourself? Whack you stop that right
now. It's a tough call between these options that I've got. Uh okay,
I think the bow is loaded with another arrow and he's trying to find
another target. Everybody roll a D twelve. Me me me me me me
me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me
me me, rolling eleven, rolling eleven, rolling eleven, rolling eleven.
It is coming towards me. There's no reason for anyone else's roll rolling eleven.
God damn it so close this time the attack is headed towards Lawton.
Weet Weetweed twelve is gandalf ring? Right? Can I argue that I use
the power of oky I was trying so hard? Well, I mean technically
I am in the way. I'm literally in front of him. On a
positive, I do. If you had gotten eleven or one, I would
have given it to you. But unfortunately, as she is literally tied to
him like a human shield, even if he is aiming at London, I
wonder if as a possibility, he could hit Tottles instead. Unfortunately, can
see how much damage that is? This is six damage, Lawton. I
think our hobbit goes to sleep rack cool. The arrow sails pass. Uh
Tottles. As you we're firing these these arrows. Uh, you're You're just
lean slightly to the side, and as you do, a black arrow sails
pass right through your hair and you feel the thud and this yelp from launching
in front of you. Lonton Tottles, please make an athletics check for me.
Talk talk Lawton. Holy shit, M trying to do this on beat
to the music. Okay, No, I was trying to decide if I
was going to use a hope or not. That is a Gandalf room.
You succeed in managing to keep Lanton on the horse, Okay, However,
you don't have control of the horse right now. Okay, it's the second
attack from the chief. Now fuck everybody rolled a D twelve? Should I
roll as well? I mean would he? Would he go in for another
while I'm down? Well yes, yeah, okay, Oh no, how
can you hit him? I'm in the way, I'm slumped to this.
What's probably hold keeping you on the horse? I rolled Agandal to put you
on the horse. There's no way that he'd be able to shoot London over
me. I'm literally up shield. He's the size of a pucking child.
I understand what you're saying, but I'm saying that because of the nature of
the movement of these animals and you're trying to get control of the pony,
maybe it's zigs when it should have zagged. Yeah, okay, buddy,
good luck. Thanks. I don't know how to figure out harrier ratings here
when somebody's unconscious. I would argue you simply leave it the same you have
just said. As he's zig zagging around on a horse, he's not an
easy target. I'm trying to see if there's actual mechanics for it though.
Okay, I'm just gonna roll like a role because I can't find it on
a pinch. Oh no, oh no, uh, Lanton, you are
wounded. Uh, this is a great success. I'm gonna say that this
is a double wound. How do I mark that? You have to first?
Your mark wound here, but if you are not seen to in the
next hour you will die. Does he not need to roll one D twelve
first? Uh? Well, does it not matter anymore? Ten? Okay,
you had to roll because it could have been a sourn room which it
had killed you, which is instant death. Yet so I didn't mean button
so I did this because it was a great success and he was already down,
which is why I did one, did two. I think for the
audience for people listening, should probably be made well aware that you just missed
instant death by one on the die. Yeah, I got a tin.
I needed eleven to die. Okay, right, God the chief fist pumps
and glory round three his first. I need to know if Toddles is able
to control the horse and continue forward, or if London being injured has stopped
us. Toddles, You're gonna have to make a travel roll. I can't
win a travel roll unless I get again off. Hold on. I'm trying
to think of what a state of mind. I'm literally strapped to the back
of London. I can't hope if that's possible while down, make you're allowed.
I can't give them. I can give you need to keep your home
for underwe it's already done. It's already to keep your heart. You're just
hold on. It doesn't matter, keep your whole thematically. This is good.
I'm I'm hurt, I'm bleeding, I've got two arrows in me,
but I do reach out and grab your hand. Oh Lord, Oh my
god, Hey, Toddles, you've got a great success on this roll.
Very good. You regain control of the horse. You are leading the pack.
Please make uh to chase Roys. I don't think. I don't think
chat understands. I have no points in travel at all. It's not checked.
It was only because Lawnton held my hand that I was able to do
this. What am I rolling for this chase? Oh? Just the chase
button? Okay, Toddles. Up ahead, you see the bridge. It
is within range. There's one round left. He's going first. Mem I
cannot do the healing role in the middle of combat. I have to wait
till it's over. Correct. Yeah, okay, I'm going to fire my
bow at the chief. Are they still on fire? Are my arrows still
on fire? Your arrows are not on fire anymore. Okay, I'm still
going to fire at the chief, maybe taking him down a little upset everybody
else? I don't know. Okay, Longton, can I have another hole?
Oh? Yeah, yeah, I'm I'll squeeze your hat this time.
I'm hanging on other piercing blow. Okay, now, uh, what was
your other die here? I'm sorry, they have some special bullshit that is
currently active. You rolled a two with your other feet die, which would
have made this still a twenty one. It is not a piercing blow though
they have some special right just doesn't matter. Oh they don't cancel each other
out. Okay, this is going to be a two instead of the nine
because they have they're moving. They have special thing called snake like speed,
so that was the indicator that they activated that and they were harder to hit
however, Okay, still a success a regular regular hit. Your arrow sinks
into a raised arm. You see an arm come up from this. Chieftain
pulls out the arrow immediately. Okay, okay, who's next? Can I
table talk? Yeah? I would like to do the same thing that I
did with that last sword, but with my cursed sword now towards the chieftain.
I want to take him out. Draw apple. You have to draw
apple to do that, though I don't think it's not quite the dire streets
to do that personally, like it's dire streets, but I would do like
defense or something. Right, we were literally one number from one instant death
last turn. True, I did tot will say anything about this hiding spot.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I pointed it out and
shouted like we're almost there. Hang on, okay, you know, like
we got one round. If we just survived this round, we'll be okay.
I can't recall last time we found a hiding spot. Did we have
to finish the works that were following us first? As if no, you
managed to hide, yeah, oh, but that means we have to roll
for it in that case. But I mean that would be the right time
to pull out the curse sword. Then if we had to roll and then
fight the chieftain in order to him. I'm simply concerned that if we try
to move into a hiding spot with this chieftain on our heels, he's simply
going to watch where we go. Well, we would have to roll successfully
to hide. But last time we got the option to hide, Whac told
me I could. This time he said, you're one round away. So
I'm assuming that means we just have to survive the round, right Whack,
It's not gonna see you have to have faith? What No, no,
no, Because if I could have taken us into a hiding spot, I
would have done it. If I could have rolled to hide, I would
have done it. But he said, we've got one round to left.
I'm assuming that's what that means. I'm not going to get into specifics.
Okay, just come on right for Ruin, Okay, Okay, god damn
it, all right, I will. The thing is is like, yeah,
again, I don't know what happens with this curse sword, so it
could be like extremely risky to do this now if we are able to survive
the round. But if Andwin gets hit five times in a row, I
need to know, Like, if if one of us can roll to hide,
it needs to be you. It needs to be one of the Hobbits
because we're good at hiding. So if that's even an option, we should
know because you're the only one that can do it. That's just not quite
accurate. I am quite sneaky. Sorry, it's image if you recall I
spent a whole day sneaking around with the rangers. Okay, if she fails,
then you've got another attempt to try to hide, if that's even possible.
But I don't know. He said the bridge is ahead of hiding.
Yeah, the bridges a head. We just need one more round, is
what I'm gonna I think. I'm sorry I'm taking so long. It's just
that like I do not like any wrong movement and people die at this maybe
wait, I'm just trying to figure it. Yeah wait, somebody else go
first? Yeah yeah yeah. They also don't want to make the joyce are
We're just waiting on someone to make a move. They are taking our turns.
Yeah, then I'll take I'll take my turn then in that case,
oh well I'll take my first. Oh dari and Darwin, how injured are
you? Not very? They haven't hit me yet, well one of them
did, Otherwise you're fine. I I clance across to Strider to see where
he is heading and determine what his move is about to be. Okay,
uh, Strider is also you never told me I rolled an armor checked as
if I'd be injured, but you never told me a damage number. How
hurt did I get? Yes? Sorry, I forgot about that until real
vast this was by the chief or it was this just a spear attack.
I think it was just an underling that hit made three damage damage? Okay,
I am I am still able to fight. There's not that many of
them, and we have Strider, So I'm turning to see if Strider's thinking
what I'm thinking. No more running strider is rushing towards the wars. I
wheel Rusty around and I take my great spear and I hold it forward like
a lance, and I charge. Okay, and please make an attack.
Role going to say, this is as forward a stance as you can get.
It's pretty forward. Yes, I must agree. Here we go,
I will be targeting. I don't know if I can get to the chief.
I will target one of his minions. Have all three of these fresh
or have any of them been hit yet? I think all three look like
they're fresh. Very well, I will simply target the closest one. Here
we go. That is a success, and turns and sort of starts to
fall back away from the rest of you charging the war riders and connects the
war riders start to move. What was your other role? Roll another D
twelve? Sure I rolled again? It would be also a three. Yep.
That is a hit. You see the war rider sort of manages to
partly bat your spear away, but you leave a You leave a mark right
across the thigh of this war rider yowls and pain as you hit it.
Okay, good now, all right. At this point I'm more or less
trotting in a circle. I'm not moving any further. Make an awe roll
for me with one bonus die for me. I cannot get extra success to
save my life, but this is another regular success okay, andwin you turn.
You see that the warg rider, the one that you hit, sort
of circles around and starts to fight you. The others continue to chase.
Does that include the chief running past me? Yes? Mm hmm, very
well. I am not to be outdone here. I see on Darwin spin
around and I do the same on this one. The closest one towards me
very well. Please attack. Okay, this is forward stance, by the
way, forward stance. Hi, that's a great success. What would you
like to spend your extra success on? Okay? Which is an extra eight
from you? Is that correct? Strength rating plus seven? One? Correct?
Okay? Uh? Very nice, meaty heavy blow connect. You sink
your your axe deep into the arm of this war rider. You can see
their arms sort of like go a little bit limp as you hit them,
and they're sort of spinning and engaging with you. Now, reod, please
make it. Make an awe role for me rio okay, Since it's an
a roll and you have a bad this is done from me, okay,
from yourself. But do I get an extra from my distinct feature, which
is proud because I spun around, joined the fray injured? Yes, okay,
oddly ship a simple success. Okay, that is enough to peel this
war wrider away from the rest. The Chief and the other war wrider are
still following the others, however, Yeah, whoops, Okay, let's put
that on a mappler. Let's do that. Okay, okay, Piper,
yea our writer and great or chief. I've gotten close to you. Now
you are within melee range? What would you like to do? Am?
Yes? I mean you guys ha ha Yeah. This is like an impossible
This feels like an impossible decision because I could attack the Chief. I'm in
melee range. I would have to draw Apple to do it. Can I?
Can I say something that is probably do really not great? Uh?
What would Piper do? There? You go? All right? If everyone's
okay with me doing what Piper would do? Piper puts her hand on the
hilt of Apple and pulls it from its scabbard and screams, Piper, you
draw Apple. You hear Strider yell no, And as you draw apple scene
sort of goes black and white all around you. Everything gets sort of hazy.
You see these creatures distorted in your vision. You see blood pulsing in
their veins. You see it moving, almost as if you could see through
their skin. You see arteries, show weak points. You know when to
strike, and as you look down at your hands, they are covered in
black, theeal gauntlets. What do you do? I strike where I can
see them, where I can see their weakest points. I want to take
them down. Please make an attack. Roll you have you bonus die for
me? No one can get Okay, yeah that makes sense. Do I
have to choose a target? Yes? The war Writer is closest to you
right now? Can I aim for the chief? Can I go for the
chief instead? You roll? Well enough? Okay, You dodge past the
war rider and aim for the chief. When you attack the chief, you
can see this sort of smirk on this Ghoglethox face as he's readying this scimitar
to strike at you, And you can see like everything sort of unfolding,
like this broad, powerful swing, huge arms on this creature, horrible spittle
splashing everywhere, this focused and intent. Look that alone you feel like could
kill you, but not right now. You just ade out of the way
and bring Apple upwards. You take the chief's head, severing it from his
body. I need you to please make me a valor role. Okay,
I can do that success. Instead of four shadow points, you take three.
The rest of you. At a glance, I imagine maybe Hoddles,
maybe Rios might see this launting are uh And when you feel it, something
is wrong. And when very very wrong, you hear this horrible sort of
screeching sound, howls and moans of the day head stir and as you turn
your head around in this moment, you look towards Piper and you see Piper's
eyes have gone completely white. There is a moment where you think all of
the color has been leeched from Piper's body and clothing. As this weight sits
upon her, you see Apple clenched tightly in her hand, lack gauntlets clad
around it that you know for certain she did not have before. I can
see these gauntlets. Yes, they are shadow like, as if a thin
piece of black clothing flaps in the wind. I take all this in almost
in slow motion. I think it's less what my eyes are seeing, and
it's more the shared curse and connected emotions and memories that I have with Piper,
allowing me to feel it more than see it. But although that one
second of observation feels like an eternity, I am fighting an orc. I'm
turn back to what I am dealing with. Turn back to what you're dealing
with. But something has something bad has happened here. And when you feel
it in your stomach, schrider Strider yells through the bridge quickly and he will
rush at the war rider that is engaged with Piper. H wow, Uh
Strider draw his uh draws an arrow quickly sails through the neck from the back
of this war rider. He falls off of the warg to the ground and
will closely fall behind Piper. Piper. You can hear this kind of strange
sound. It sounds like someone is talking through a piece of clothing at you.
hipA hipA pipa, but it seems to get further and further away.
You can roughly see a shape sort of pointing ahead of you towards the brick
bridge as you look over your shoulder, but it's so hard to hear war
riders currently engaged with Rios and and doin the attack wait, they haven't had
their turns yet, have they and went unreal? Okay, we have Okay,
okay, I thought Piper went first for some reason. Okay, nope,
we made our bed and now we lie in it. The first one
attacking and Dowin missus striking with a spear. This one, who has taken
a bit of damage, will just go a bit wide as they strike out,
circling around you and win. The next one currently engaged with rie oath
the oath you are in forward stance. I am indeed in forced on say,
because I just clicked it and it was not correct. Uh it should
have been mm Okay, it's been clicked the entire time. That is a
success. This is another shot Rioth. As maybe you hear Strider yell,
you quickly like try to see out of your periphery, losing focus for just
a moment. A war rider strikes with a spear, leaving another trail of
blood behind, jabbing quickly with the spear. The Hobbits and Strider have crossed
the last bridge. You are currently out of combat. Hobbits are across the
bridge and currently circling with the war riders. We need to resolve what happens
there as you cross the bridge, and when the old he's going first,
I will go first. We must settle this quickly and catch up to the
others. We cannot afford to get bogged down way. How much hope do
you have? I have none, despair otherwise you're gonna get a very stroppy,
very bad dwarf Mm hmm. I am in a similar boat. All
right, I will strike without it. There we go. That is a
great success and a heavy blow from me. Okay, Gray, total of
fourteen damage on top of what I did last round. Please tell me it
dies. It is still up. Okay, you're meant to do it like
this and doing Oh for those roles, three extraordinary successes. Once again,
the roles support in the narrative. How would you like to spend your extra
successes? Kill it dead? Heavy? Heavy heavy? I can't do anything
else, can I? Person? Well, I think it's your best move
to strike with the heaviest blow that you can. How do you kill this
war rider? Well, it's a heavy blow, as heavy as I can,
and in fact it is heavy in more ways than one. As I
fall off my horse pretty much to put my weight onto the axe to slaughter
this creature, but in a tucked role. Obviously, I can't use my
right arm. It's been done with, and I fall like a tree and
as the axe it makes the target, I let go of a roll and
grab the axe, get back on to the button and say like that and
doin, And then I plod back to my horse. M hey, I
need to get me one of those great dwarf and axes. It droven for
a reason. Last war rider, looking to see that it's chief has fallen.
Two of these warriors remain, will try to run away. You see.
It's sort of circling, sort of like holding in its guts, maybe
like from some of these spear attacks. It will try to run away.
I'm gonna say andowin. Do you have any arranged weapons? Can I simply
dismount and pick up the spear of the one that just killed, and from
my standing position take a calm throw. Yes, I think I will simply.
I will simply hop off the horse and say, bracket with my I'm
gonna say, you've got a minus one bonus for this, though, that's
fair. Do you have I will any distinctive features to counter that? I
am so tall? In fact, that I can see over all the vegetation
and such quite easily. I don't think so. In this case, I
hop off of Rusty and I keep my eyes on the walk the whole time,
and I've reached down and I pick up the goblin spear from the one
that Rio just killed. Without even looking down at the spear, I stay
on the walk the whole time, and I put it in a javelin nerves
position, and I go for that long throw to catch it. As this
thing tries to run. I was in forwards dance. Would I now be
in rear word? Oh? Okay, and then it's a minus one,
so I would have three? Ah No, So Ron Willy, I think
you see the spear get launched. What do you think happens as this rider
escapes? I think I don't actually throw it, I think as I go
to pick it up and I track him, I just get the cold chills
in my neck, and I think of Piper and what just happened, and
I realized I don't actually care about killing this thing, and I just tossed
the spear back on the ground. And tossed the spear back on the ground.
We must get back to the others for real. I'm not sure what.
I'm not sure what Pipa just did, but it cannot be good.
She invoked some sort of evil. It may have saved our necks here,
but it cost us our souls later. What are you? What do you
mean? Does go to you? Yes? Right ahead to the bridge.
I will catch up in a moment. H Meanwhile, Hyper, Toddles,
Lanton and Strider make it across the bridge. Lonton, Lonton, wake up,
pick up? What do I do? Can we stop here? Piper
screaming, Piper, Hyper London's heart, We have to stop. What are
you doing? There is a sort of panicked scream coming from Hyper right now.
It's getting like the point where Piper is sort of running out of streaming
herself hoarse. Ah, I can't do it, lip stream door somebody,
Piper, Piper, Piper, Piper, focus on me, Focus on me.
We're here, We're in the shire, We're under the tree. It's
you me, and it's London, and we're having honey now and it's your
birthday. Piper, please please make an inheartened role for me. Tottles,
holy shit, oh oh, Piper, you start to hear Tottle's voice.
Piper, Piper, Piper, were under the tree. It's you me,
it's your birthday. Right. The sun is shining and the wind is light.
We can smell the flowers. Flowers, yeah, flowers. What happened?
What's happening? They won't grow the flowers? Is her sort still out
swords gun tightly in her hands. Okay, okay, See your hands are
sort of wrapped in that looks to be like a like black gauntlets. There.
There's no depth to them. It's like a black fabric with no light
on it. Okay, okay, Ah, Piper, you're you're you're holding
onto the honeycomb for my bees. Right. You gotta put it back.
You gotta put it back. Can you do that? Bees gently? You
gotta put it back. You see it, it's in your hand. I
I would like to put the bees back comb. I attempt to drop the
sword. Please make a valor role. Oh my God, seeing through the
darkness, you see your friend loved one, Toddles holding your hand. You
find the strength deep buried within you. You're Andolin's voice. You feel his
spirit putting a hand on your back. You sheathe the sword in the shadows
away m hm. See taddles there before you, holding you. It's all
right, it's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You
did good. You did good. You did you take good, you did
good. Mh you did good. You're so very good. Mm hmm.
Okay, okay. Strider approaches and he looks you over, and the win
and we're old. They've finished off the last of the wild riders. Help
me get London down, please God. London Strider is ever so gentle Wanton
helping you bring him to the ground, ragged breathing. The arrows are Oh,
don't do that. He is wounded very madly. Okay, I'm gonna
try to do my healing role, and just no, you're not allowed.
I don't think for these are. Yeah, unless the GM will allow it.
But just so those listen and understand, I'm pretty sure unless I have
it wrong, which I hope I do. I think I can only roll
once an hour, and he's got the hour condition. So if I fail
this role, then I cannot save him. Is that right? That is
correct? You can give Bottles hope here, Okay, I give her hope.
Once you get to own in the grass, she runs so quick.
Oh, Strider and Piper help you slowly. I was the boy that she
did pick. Break the tips off the arrows, come on, cut them
out so that they are not going to nick any arteries or anything. Strider
helps you, watching you the whole time. That is good you are doing.
Look at me, Toddles, ooh, you are doing well. You
will say that this is not his last breath, and neither isn't yours?
Wrap there, keep pressure on the wound. Ah. Shortly thereafter, Reoth
and Andowin make their way to join you. I make my way alone ahead
of Andertwin, injured as well, but trusting as he said he'd be right
behind me. And right behind me he said he would be. Are you
still well, master Dwarf? I never better, I say, As you
see blood pulling from the green of my tunic, as I was injured in
the fight, I will, I will come and I will help you.
Lord. Just pin down, h I sit down. I'm using a hope
success, but I was hoping to help it heal faster. I do you
help I one day essentially, so we have some three days to two.
Yeah, oh yeah, yep, that's the ticket. And then I just
I just like I'm overwhelmed, and I just argue, I'm so glad you
didn't lie back to three days of course? Hey, you and me booth,
Sir, we have to redo my eyebrows. Serve him in this tent
for one very large man from the east. Always good. I am back?
Oh oh wait? Did you also need helen? I don't think he
was injured? Okay? I took no real injury did anybody? If nobody
else took any of them? We're good? Okay, pretty, you are
a madman, hey man, Both the best, the best and the worst
way is possible. No, sir, you are a madman. I am
a mad Yeah, Ah, Piper, where's Piper? And this show?
Okay, I'm huddled over London and looking back and forth to Tottles. I
will go to Piper. Oh, I'm so glad you're okay? Are you
all right? Did anything happen? I am not the one to be worried
about. It is not in the fires of battle that I will be tested.
Make an awareness check please for me? Awin a great success. This
is in regards to Hiper. How would you like to spend your extra success
additional insight? Piper's hands, they're no longer covered in those gauntlets that you
saw, but they are but stained, as if Piper has held some some
black dye or some ink in her hands. I know you did what you
had to do, but don't do it again. I would rather die on
the field of battle than see one of my friends consumed by shadow. You
understand. I don't know if I can make that promise well, but if
it's to save one of the other two, but once, then perhaps give
up. Do not give up your soul for me. You understand, no
one would. Won't you giving up your sword for any of us? We
like your soul where it is. But perhaps how different bladly, perhaps this
will make it easier. Then I stayed behind to retrieve something from the field
of battle. Have a sword again that is not cursed, and I will
retrieve the sword that Rios gave her end it over. I went back for
this. I know you would need it for the road to come. You
know, pretty rude to throw away a gift. By the way, that's
dwarven craftsmanship, is right, your dwarf and craftsmanship killed one of them.
Ye, so multiple did you see that when when he went tumbling over and
around and then back up again onto the onto battle. His dwarf and aero
dynamics on that sword errow what I don't know? Rio said something about it.
It through, It flew like an arrow arrow dynamics right right? Aerodynamics?
Should I call it arrow? The arrow? The strangest name for a
sword. That's perfect. We have horses named after bread and sundry, so
why not. What is the dwarf and word for arrow? Perhaps we call
it that? That is a secret. You've seen the disposition can go completely
steal it that the joke's over? No, all right, you keep your
secrets, most dwarf. I think I will. I believe we've had some
rest. We should make our way into the forest. The troll shawls are
ahead. It is not time for us to give up hope. Yeah,
one step closer to riven down. But you must still be wary. The
troll shaws can be dangerous. Come right, let's make camp. Hello,
this is why Stephen from Table's story. If you'd like this podcast, please
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Thank you, Joy,