Event 11: Allies and Ruffians

Lodin remained alert and standing at the ready, axe not drawn but easily drawn at a moment's notice while he considered his companions. “Get some rest, Maeathordan, let the salve do what it must.”

The rest of the day and into the night of November 11, 2965, nothing but the occasional rabbit drew their attention. Gandalf had excused himself around midnight and left hastily on “urgent business” he was to look into – something a raccoon told him, he had said, though he’d not shared whatever this message was.

As they gathered their belongings and had breakfast, Lodin brought up the topic of the fight against the ruffians the night before. "Some things I see that could be improved. Fay, you should not move forward toward any potential enemy, concealed or not, maintain distance for your safety. You won't be tending to anyone's wounds if you are run through. Maethordan, your forward position was very useful for information but was too bold for an ambush with a bow you should fall back so we can take shots from a distance. For my part I need to get to the front more quickly as I am the best to stop them in their tracks and survive them. Maethordan you will engage any who get by me, otherwise you continue to fill them with arrows. What do you think?"

Fay listened and nodded. "If that’s the case, then I will trade this dagger for the bow. Though I hope I never have to use it." She handed Londin the dagger, who in turn handed it to Strider. Strider nodded and grabbed the bow that had been leaning against one of the shattered pillars of Weathertop. Lodin thanked Strider with a silent nod and handed to bow over to Fay.

Maethordan also nodded in agreement and said, "Seems a sensible way to fight.” He packed his bag and looked up, “Would you like me to continue as guide?"

“We can discuss it as we travel down Weathertop,” Lodin nodded.


The sun had just begun to crest over the horizon on the foggy morning of November 12, 2965. Descending down Weathertop, the journey down, despite how Gandalf had made it seem when he’d left, was not nearly as easy it seemed. Having returned to the ruffian’s camp, the grassy, forest floor was still stained with blood where the ruffian leader had fallen and crows had already begun to circle and peck at the flesh of the orc. Nothing else looked disturbed.

Lodin scratched the back of his neck with his right arm as he rummaged through the scattered crates, looking for any clues that they might had overlooked during the starless night. "I have training in tracking enemies, but I lack natural aptitude for the task. I imagine Maethordan would track them best?"

Maethordan glanced around the camp, examining the footprints left by the two ruffians who had fled. As he looked at each set – one running eastward, the other running northwest, he knew there wasn’t much Northwest from here that the Rangers were not already patrolling. The one who had run that way was hoping to lead the party away. “We should go east,” he pointed to the tracks. “Northwest is heavily scouted by Strider and my brothers in the Rangers,” he said. “He was a distraction. The eastward runner I believe is the one returning to their base. The northwest runner was probably hoping to lead us away and eventually move eastward.”

Lodin nodded. "You clearly know what you're doing with that Maethordan, keep at it, we'll handle the rest. Fay Foxglow, you know the area better than I and perhaps know your way around a map better than I anyhow, you plot our course working with Maethordan to avoid ambushes and optimize our route. I'll do my best to cover the rest."

Biting her nail she studies the two, "Ok." The simply replay carries the tones of reluctance but determination. Fay, who knew that Maethordan would need to focus on tracking, stepped up, “I could try and track them, but I do not know if I am more skilled then Maethordan but I know he must stay focused on the tracks of the ruffian” She paused and bit her lip, “I am not sure if I should leave the group to track ahead if there are ruffians out. I have had some education in the lands surrounding Bree. Anna Wintermoss, my teacher, the one who has gone missing and seems to be captive to these ruffians – she used to travel outside of Bree, for many of the herbs she needed, and she often spoke of the lands and what to look for. I could perhaps guide us, since we’re still in the areas that Anna spoke of.”

“I shall be the scout and the look-out then,” Lodin nodded. “We will make sure no harm comes to you, Fay.”

Dolly, standing next to Lodin, gave a huff in agreement.


Fay had thankfully paid attention in class when Anna had spoken of her travels and what she looked for. Anna never ventured far off the Eastern Road, and had spoke of how she had met many travelers, who often offered her protection when she did need to travel off the road.  Fay’s mind wandered – Anna, in many ways, was like Fay herself. Both of them bore a look and an accent, though Fay’s sounded much more Bree-like because of her time growing up there; but neither of them were native to Bree-lands. One day, after the bothersome Lenny Appleton had gotten in a fight with Gabriel Greyfield, after school, Anna, after breaking up the fight, had seen someone or something that frightened her, and she quickly retreated to the class. Fay had asked her what was wrong, and Anna seemed as though she was about to say something, when she drew herself up and shook her head and smiled and said that everything had been all right. This had been one month before Anna had gone missing.

“We’re not alone,” Maethordan’s voice pulled Fay from her wandering thoughts. Maethordan pointed at the ground. “Fresher tracks here, next to the ruffian tracks. We’re not the only ones pursuing the ruffian it would seem.”

Maethordan observed the new tracks closely and confirmed. “Dwarven,” he said, though he knew not if these tracks were allies of the Ruffians or otherwise. “We should be careful.”

It’d been several hours of tracking, just as the sun was setting on November 12, 2965. Thankfully, the stars twinkled and the moon watched, casting her light down. Maethordan saw a dwarven figure hunched down peering over a small ridge at the ruined towers ahead, which were a common place for ruffians to gather this far off the path.

The fallen tower here was known as “Gwathpind” – or “Shadow Ridge” for these towers over looked a deep chasm.

The sounds of voices could be heard, and orange campfires lighting up, casting their light and dancing shadows against the ruined walls.


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Fellowship Points:

4 (1 per player) + 2 (Gandalf) = 5

Fellowship Bonus: Gandalf

You can spend a Fellowship point to roll an additional d20 after a saving throw (but before the outcome is determined) and choose which of the d20s is used.


GUIDE: Fay

LOOK-OUT: Lodin

SCOUT: Lodin

HUNTER: Maethordan


The party is about 60 feet from the dwarven figure (which does not seem to be aware of the party) and one hundred feet from Gwathpind, the Ruffian base.


To share the chart...

1 - 2 = Terrible Misfortune. Fatigue sets in, +2 DC.  The tracks are difficult to track, and the party spends extra time, sometimes in the same area trying to find the tracks again. Party loses a day's travel.

3 - 4 = Despair. Fatigue sets in, +2 DC. The party comes across a gruesome scene of some victims of the ruffians. Slain in their wagons and robbed blind, the party takes pity and takes time to bury the victims, delaying them further. Save vs Shadow (Source, Dread, 1 Shadow). Party loses a day's travel.

5 - 6 = Ill choices. Fatigue sets in, +2 DC. The party believes they know where the ruffian is heading and try to short cut, but lose the track and are forced to backtrack, losing a day's travel.

7 - 8 = Mishap. Fatigue sets in, +1 DC. Party momentarily loses the tracks. Spends an hour relocating before continuing again.

9 - 10 = Short Cut. Party believes they know where the ruffians are going and find a short cut, getting to the ruffian base before nightfall.

11 -  15 = Chance Meeting. Party encounters someone before reaching the Ruffian camp.

16 - 20 = Joyful Sight. The party encounters Great Eagles that provide additional information about the ruffian camp.