(082) The Darkness Below

[waysoftheearth]

With the strange visitor departed, Leudigar leads the weary, sleep-deprived team on a night march through the last hours of the night... they occasionally hear distant howls and echoes behind them, but never do they sense a pursuit gaining ground upon them. By the time the grey dawn comes everyone is spent, and a short rest is called to break their fast. Their treasure laden packs are heavier then ever!

Clatter of ref's dice from the other side of the world...

[waysoftheearth]

The travelers push on through the morning and into the afternoon. The rough hills begin to flatten out, giving way to rolling grasslands ahead. The camp can't be far now, Leudigar is sure. Ten, fifteen miles perhaps? He is just considering a swing to the west when all of a sudden the grass seems to spring up around them!

"Drop your weapons!" orders a high voice from behind them in the common tongue.

A sizeable group of Elves have sprung out of hiding to form a wide semi-circle all around our weary fighters, at 20 yards range. Even so, the sound of a dozen or more bows creaking under strain carries ominously to their ears.

"I said drop them!" squeals the Elf, when our company doesn't immediately respond.

Hours after dawn 1d12=9, so that's mid afternoon.

Do the players surprise? 1d6=1, so no. Do the non-players surprise? 1d6=6, so yes. Ooooh dear...

Encounter distance 1d3=2, so 20 yards.

So, what do we have?
1d8=3, so it's the so called "giant-class" which in fact means it's "humanoids" in the modern parlance.
1d12=11, it's elves!

How many Elves?
At most there would be 30-300 Elves in a "lair" so 3d10x10=180.
And then, according to the Arneson FFC method, 10-60% of these are out and about at any time.
So at this particular time, 1d6=2, so 20% are out and about. That's 36 Elves.
According to the FCC there's 1 in 6 chance the wandering group is split, but I prefer 1 in 3.
1d6=6 so now we have two groups of 18.
1d6=2, so the first group is not split again. 1d6=1, and nor is the second group.
So we have a group of 18 Elves...

What NOW?

Remembering the Elves have a surprise segment up their sleeves, and guess what they could do with it?

[coffee]

Karl drops his sword.
"We mean you no harm," he says. "We are simply passing through."

[mgtremaine]

Zem is caught off-guard! There is a gnashing of teeth as he slowly lowers his Axe to the ground and lets it stand head down, haft up, in front of him. Again ever so slowly his hand inches away from the haft. But he remains silent for now, knowing that his words are mostly likely going to provoke the elves.

[ehiker133]

Leudigar carefully lays his sword down in front of him.

"We are just making our way back to Manfred's camp," Leudigar adds to Karl's start,"after doing what we can to harass the snorks. We've seen much fighting the last few days, killed many snorks and even some things I'd rather not revisit even in my memories. And with not very much to show for it, honestly."

[Eris]

With a sigh, Fried releases his scabbard from his waist and lets his sword fall to the ground. He drops the sack from his other hand.

He slowly raises his hands over his head showing they are empty.

[waysoftheearth]

"Killed a lot of snorks; the four of you? A likely story." Responds the elvish Captain; a fierce young maiden, it seems. "Heading back to that treacherous Manfried's company, I don't doubt at all." she continues, as a several elvish soldiers efficiently confiscate the weapons. "With a dwarf confirming your complicity." Zem's axe is yanked unceremoniously from his reach. "Ilthus yethid!" orders the Captain sharply, in the Elvish tongue. Most of the elves retain a deadly bead of drawn arrows on the company, but several sling their bows in order produce rope from their packs, and look as if they intend to bind the company.

Karl and Leudigar are 8 and 12 charismas, respectively. No adjustment between them... reaction check to see how the elves will react: 2d6=4. Ouch, that's a negative reaction.

Nobody in this group speaks Elvish.

What now?

[ehiker133]

"There were 12 of us initially," Leudigar says. Then, frustrated, he says, "Look, if you don't believe us, then send someone scouting back the way we came. Pretty sure you'll come across a band of snorks trying to track us down."

[coffee]

"Yeah, you might find them," Karl says. "That is, if my friend hasn't scattered them to the four winds."

He smiles.

[waysoftheearth]

"Drop those packs," the Elf Captain orders, unimpressed. "You'll run faster."