Wilderness, Weathertop, and Wild Things Discussion Thread

[Nuranar]

Saurreg:

In my post, it's AIDWAIN and Silrûth who kept off the orcs.

[Nuranar]

The last battle is scheduled for tomorrow and the day after - Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd of November. We're a good day behind schedule, for which I claim responsibility. But the schedule is, after all, more like a guideline, anyway. Here's the plan:

1. Envinyatar's post (when he fills it) will, I presume, get us some way down the road to the Ford. As he already said, it will take us a day and a half's hard ride to get there. That means

2. We will reach the Ford in the evening of the day after Dagor Teryggond, that is, the Battle of the Stone Trolls. Our baddies will attack once more. They will be winning when

3. Reinforcements will arrive. Envinyatar, will these be Elves from Rivendell, Rangers from the Angle, or both? Either way,

4. The baddies will be driven off/held off long enough for the KEM to retreat to Rivendell.


At the beginning of this RPG, the King charged Veryadan, Tarondo, and Luinien:

'I want you three to travel north to Breeland to find out what is happening around the area of Weathertop. Take what action you can against the ones who are the troublemakers, taking care to keep yourselves and what companions you might bring with you as safe as possible. I’d rather have you back here with a report for me, than for you to go haring off after some wicked foe who will easily overpower you.'

Therefore, once everyone is safe in Rivendell, our duty will be to return to Minas Tirith. We're clearly not capable of clearing up this business ourselves, as our worthy bad guys have demonstrated. So,


5. Veryadan, Tarondo, and Luinien will leave for Minas Tirith.

6. The real muscle from Gondor can't arrive for 3 months, minimum. After recovering, Thoronmir, Silrûth, Aidwain, and Osric, along with other Rangers and Rivendell Elves, can become a sort of pre-emptive strike team to harry the orcs and trolls. The idea is to keep them busy and away from the defenseless people of Breeland.

7. The road back to Bree will be still very hazardous, so Andas can't return to Bree immediately. Nor do I think he is fitted for guerrilla warfare. So Andas will travel with us three back to Minas Tirith, and return with the King's forces. A very roundabout but safe route.

[Nuranar]

Kransha, you have done a superb job of coordinating the baddies on this RPG. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. At the risk of enroaching on your preserve, therefore, I would like to propose these guidelines for the final action:

• The KEM have gotten farther down the road, and are in better shape, than the baddies had envisioned.
• The baddies will not want to approach much nearer Rivendell than the Ford at the Bruinen.
• They will make their final attack on the western side of the Ford.
• The baddies will still have the initiative, but just barely. More explicitly: The KEM have been traveling fast and the baddies have had little time to prepare.
• The baddies will not lay elaborate battle plans; they will try to crush the KEM by brute force before they cross the Ford.

Can you work with this? I realize that much of this will have to do with Bazzog, so you are free to modify it in keeping wth his character. But I want to keep it relatively simple. We have only three days to conduct the entire battle AND wrap up the entire RPG.

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EVERYONE:

Make it clear what will happen to your character in the battle. Baddies, this applies particularly to you. I need to know who will die and who will live. We won't have time for negotiating between battle posts, so specify, if you like, who will kill/injure/fight whom. If you want to fight a particular good guy, say so now.

Goodies, in my post above I have specified what each of you will be doing/planning on doing after we reach Rivendell. If you want to change something, speak now or forever hold your peace. And if you want to fight a particular bad guy, say so now.

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We're almost done! I hope you've enjoyed writing on this RPG, and I'd especially like this final part to be fun and not stressful. For me, that translates into no wee hours posting. So please make sure you're clear on things, and then get to it!

And if you have ANY questions, post them ASAP!

[Kransha]

A plan, m'lud! A plan!

Here is a little, simple, to-the-point layout of what might happen. O troll brethren, if you have any contension, please clarify. Otherwise, the orcs will be going with this:

In the beginning, I estimate that there were around 100 orcs. If there had been much more, than there would have been little point in trying to make monet off raiding, since the funds would be thinly distributed. So, I'm just gonna say that all 24 of the orcs, minus Kransha, at Dagor Teryggond, where either killed, or too tuckered out to be in action again so soon. Something around twenty were killed at the Fifth - or Sixth or Seventh - Battle of Amon Sul. So, roughly 50 remain. That's a lot, and they're all going in. So, that's 50 orcs against a few men and Elves.

Lousy odds, but the KEM will gain the upper hand.

I suggest that Bazzog be knocked out early on. The orcs are strong, but the Elves, and 'dem dirty tarks, are smart. They would be able to single out the leader. Those who can fight, ought to head for Bazzog, if they're not busy with the trolls. If they all gang up, or more than one at least, they can take him down (he's large and strong, but very slow and not graceful enough to maneuver against +1 combatants). Leaderless, the remaining orcs, probably over 30 of them, would be somewhat disoriented. That way, it will be easier for the KEM to survive until the Rivendell/Rangers/Whatever arrive and wipe them out.

Kransha, though (the character) does not have to be knocked out immediately. Being semi-mute, he's not much of a leader, just eminent. Also, Grathgrob may die, so if anyone steps forward, he's all yours. He's really more the brains behind the orcs, and would probably be lousy in a fight. I actually think he would be the ideal orc for ol' Andas Loudwater to dispatch, considering, but, that's up to y'all. So, in the long run, I would really appreciate it if:
1. 2-4 people volunteered to fight and eventually kill Bazzog.
2. 1 person volunteered to have a mono-a-mono duel with Kransha, ending in his death.
3. 1 person volunteered to put an untimely end to Grathgrob, who is not much of a fighter, really.

[Saurreg]

I'll take up the challenge and try to dispatch Grathgrob.

Envinyatar and Nuranar, when you take the RPG to the ford, would one of you please post a vivid geographical layout of the last battlefield? I've got some ideas in mind but that depends on natural features and topography.

[Envinyatar]

rutslegolas

Aidwain has been sent to Rivendell. Elven warriors will return with him, along with a small party of Rangers who were also there.

What do you say to 5 rangers and 10 Elves - all with horses? The numbers can be adjusted as wanted.

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Anyone

Can you get us near now to the Ford of Bruinen? It should be evening by the time the river comes in sight. And much like what was in the movie - a forested area giving on to a rocky river's edge with some clear beach along some stretches on the western side. The water is shallow enough, of course, to ford. There should be forest also on the eastern edge.



Situate us just prior to the ford crossing and begin the battle if you wish, or at least sight the Orcs and Trolls as they begin to advance on the companions . . .

As Nuranar said - the Orcs will nearly overwhelm the companions. Then Aidwain and the cavalry should come charging in across the river and drive back the Orcs.

Do we want all their leaders killed? Or should one survive, taking what's left of his little band of marauders back west to recuperate, regroup, and begin their little reign of terror again?

Just a thought.

[Nuranar]

Kransha, great plan. Perhaps Tarondo is the fitting one to battle Kransha? Although I quail at the thought of comparison with your superb swashbuckling style. Luinien is unwounded and can help bring down Bazzog - that is, if no Trolls have other plans. Fordim, have you any thoughts about the suggestion in my PM?

Picking up on Envinyatar's suggestion: Kransha, when you write your ending/after battle post(s), you may want to raise up another leader from among the survivors. Either that, or not kill off the leaders you've got.

We will plan on 10 Elves and 5 Rangers, fully armed (bows & swords) and mounted, as reinforcements.

Primrose and Fordim, I need to know what fate you have in mind for your Trolls.

Edit: I just checked my PM's, and rutslegolas has not read the message I sent him on Friday. So don't wait on him to post anything specific.