ROTN: Chapter 2. Mount Gram

Waiting until the rays of the sun have no more yellow in their colour, and the western sky is a hot orange red glow, the Company follow Jots cautious steps forward: seeing broken ground ascending slightly as they wend their way to the eastern side of the main mountain mass.

Still a good mile to cover across this ground before they start climbing upwards, and at the pace they are moving it will be half an hour or more to reach the foothills that are the edge of Mount Gram. The sun will be almost gone by then, and proper twilight all around.

Creeping carefully, and staying broadly in the shadows of the sides of these gullies and dips helps then go a long way. Sometimes Jot makes a mild hiss and sinks to the ground: by agreement, none look up - if Jot has picked up on the approach of any bird, their upturned pale faces - even under their hoods - would be an easy spot. The breeze from the west carries any scent over to their right, away from Mount Gram.

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Lets try a Stealth or a Travel roll each TN14.
Btw: close to the time we moved from TK to GP, we had a Fellowship phase where all of us picked up a Luminescent elf Dagger. They will give us some warning if goblins are "nearby" - by nearby we can assume within bowshot?

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The Company move carefully: Unsurprisingly, those with the most experience find it the most straightforward to glide over the terrain. The advantage of moving in the dim light is something that the Rangers exploit regularly when avoiding unnecessary notice.

In this forsaken place, there are very few animals other than those spiteful quarrelsome birds: even the smallest mammals are not to be found living within walking distance of the mountain - rats in particular, being a common goblin delicacy, will not be anywhere nearby. Jot is confident that not even frogs or small snakes will be able to survive in this environment; if such ever did, the birds or the goblins would notice their nests soon enough to catch them.

Insects there are aplenty however: some feed on the scant rotting vegetation, while others feed off them. A few are around that can exist on goblin blood, but tolerating such a diet (fortunately) makes the blood of others totally unattractive.

As the night finally comes in, Jot moves around to make physical contact with all the others: he gathers them again into a patch of ground he has chosen.

It is time to halt forward progress and to simply lie still and watch. For Goblins, orcs and trolls the "day" has begun. Their routinue activities will start up, patrols and the like will be made.

In the middle-late period of the night, the moon will veer into the sky and re - illuminate the area until dawn.
It is Jot's view that they should observe for an hour or so and then retreat before that happens, or act on their observations.

The success of their stealthy approach will mean that the guardians of Mount Gram are not aware of these spies so close to the base of operarions.

As such, only typical goblin movements will begin as twilight settles into night. They will take no especial care while moving around, and will not increase nor curtail other routine behaviour.

The Observers will find that the difficulty to see what is going on is not challenging (TN 12)

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Use Hunting, Explore and Awareness to notice what is going on.

At the very least they will see red glows emittted from within the mountain as gates or doors are opened whenever some of its "citizens" enter or return.

After an hour, or a little more , there is a loud brash call of several trumpets or horns from the mountain. It comes from the western side, and the Company are some way around to the south and the east of this action.

Harsh singing and shouting follow and the tramp of many feet.

Fascinated by this new event, it is hard not to creep up the western side of the gully to peer cautiously over the lip and look away to the area where all the hullaballoo is coming from - is it an attack?




The extra glow of yellow-orange torches carried by more than a hundred goblins is spread over the side of the mountain. Already several lines of goblins are assembling at the western foot of Gram; and a long line is descending to join them.

There are not simply goblins here though: several of the torches are held aloft by beings the size of Men; and shadows of (very few) mounts can be seen as they cross in front of some of these torches, carrying officers or commanders around the space. Figures on the horses point and seem to be shouting: issuing orders to the line of descending goblins and men.

And Trolls. Even at this distance, and in this light, anyone can see the trolls. Jot silently counts six. Oderic is less sure; reaching seven, then possibly eight as they move in and out of different pools of torchlight.

The spectacle continues, and it soon becomes most likely that the Company are looking at a parade or assembly for some purpose.
Suddenly the orders and the mounted figures seem to get frantic: rushing around and ordering the lines into straight ranks and - for goblins - truly impressive discipline.

From above there is a sharp call of horns; and the lines start to rapidly settle down into a quieter and stiller anticipation.
The horn call is replaced by the beat of what must be a very large drum.

Douf. Douf-douf.

Douf. Douf-douf.

A line of green lanterns on poles appears, illuminating the path down the mountain. The reduced noise down below freezes into motionless silence.


The Observers at the edge of the dark gully can sense the terror in the ranks. The minds of all those waiting minions of the Shadow seem to be all thinking.... "HE IS COMING.."

A sense of Dread begins to slide up the spines of the members of the Company. And it intensifies as the sounds of heavy horseshoes echo across the extreme silence that has descended...

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FIRST Dread (Fear) Test: since this is only at the start of the proceedings - and the company cannot yet even see what is coming - this Test is a Valour Test set at TN 16. Failure at this test will mean that a PC cannot spend Hope to assist any future Fear(Valour) test while this scene progresses.

Any PC who fails with an Eye result must retreat down into the gully and can no longer bear to watch what is happening.
Any PC who passes and rolls a '6' can permit a re-roll of a single 1d6 for any Pc who fails this first test.
Any PC who passes with a Gandalf can permit another Player to re-roll their Feat die (d12)

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she has also rolled one '6'. Her example here will inspire any such waverer, just a little. If any subsequent PC fails, ONE of the d6 Success dice can be re-rolled if it might lead to a Pass.

valor 18

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