A tangled skein - adventures in western Middle-earth using the LOTR5e system

Aethelbrim Strength Save:  10

Aethelbrim:

Despite her best efforts, Aethelbrim is savaged once more by the wolf and taken down in a heap!

Seeing Varg continue to savage Aethelbrim, Hildebrand's courage finally outruns his common sense. "Get away from her, you mangy brute!" He lets fly another stone from his sling and immediately begins shouting and waving his arms, doing everything in his power to convince the wolf that a noisy hobbit is a more interesting target than the Captain. "Come on then! Try someone your own size!" The challenge is ridiculous coming from a hobbit, but Hildebrand appears not to notice.

Sling Attack: 7 Damage: 10 (with sneak attack)

If Hildebrand's well placed rock hadn't been enough to put the beast down at last, Orin doesn't waste the opportunity to drive his own blade deep into the beast as well for good measure! But had it fell, the goblin's above get a steely eyed glare from the dwarf, before he's off again, huffing and puffing and hobbling his way into the next fray with seeming reckless abandon. "One side Gwinion!" Orin called out breathlessly as his dagger found its way into a free hand; only to be delivered into an orcish hide had all gone accordingly, one way or another.

Free Action: Draw forth dagger in free-hand.

Action: Main-Hand Attack with Shortsword into Varg (or if Varg was slain, moving to engage orc hunter if at all possible)
(Melee, Lethal)Shortsword - Attack #1: 15 to hit, 7 piercing damage (inc. Sneak attack)

Bonus Action: Off-hand attack with dagger into Hakmogg.
(Melee, Lethal)Dagger - Attack #2: 14 to hit, 4 piercing damage. (if 14 hits)

Aethelbrim:

Expecting to die, Aethelbrim is momentarily confused when a rock comes whipping in and hitting the wolf above her.  As its body falls atop her, the air is chuffed out of her lungs.  Severely wounded, she nonetheless forces herself out from under the wolf, intending to rejoin the fight.

With blood loss starting to catch up to her, she drops shield and sword and uses the bulk of the wolf as cover against the foes.  Aethelbrim rises to a knelling position behind the dead wolf and draws her bow, shooting at the orc who just embedded an arrow in her poor Constance!

Fierce Shot:  20 to hit, 8 damage (rolled in game log)

Gwinion is begining to sweat, as the fierce melee with the orc continues.  Again he raises his blade and slashes at the orc before him

To hit 1+5=6

Eryndis attempts to keep Constance calm, despite the arrows peppering her hide.

Animal handling: 8

Day 10 – Battle of the Rocks (Round 4 ends & Round 5 commences)

Combat order:
Hakmogg (Orc hunter), Eryndis, Varg (Wild wolf), Hildebrand, Orin, Snagash (Goblin archer), Aethelbrim, Zarak (Goblin archer), Gwinion.

Synopsis/New Actions
1) Snagash's arrow slams into Constance's rump. The pony trembles and stamps her feet. The despite Eeryndis' efforts to calm her the pony turns and gallops back down the path towards the Crowned Hill.
2) Aethelbrim clambers her way out from under Varg's body and leaving both Orin and Gwinion to battle Hakmogg - albeit ineffectually, uses  he wolf's body as cover (+2 to AC and Dexterity Saving throws) she engages in a duel with Snagash and Zarak. She kneels and turning the bow into a horizontal plane calmly nocks an arrow and releases it towards Snagash. The goblin curses as the arrow pierces its thigh.
3) Despite his best efforts, Gwinion fails once again to land an effective blow against the Orc.
4) From his position atop the rocks, Zarak joins the archery duel with Aethelbrim. It calmly nocks an arrow and releases it towards the Barding (Attack: 14 Damage: 4 {12 To hit / 7 To damage}
5) Hakmogg continues to battle both Orin and Gwinion, thrusting with its spear towards (1 {1-2 = Gwinion / 3-4 = Orin} Attack: 6 Damage: 8 {19 To hit / 4 To damage}
(note: as Orin and Gwinion outnumber Hakmogg they have advantage for this round)
6) Eryndis - you're up
7) Hildebrand - you're after Eryndis
8) Orin - you're after Hildebrand

Eryndis attempts to hold onto Constance's reins as the pony turns, but the leather slips through the leech's fingers as she gallops away.

"No!" the young woman says ineffectually. She starts to give chase, but then the sounds of combat catch her.

She turns, picks up another rock, and throws it at Hakmogg. "Leave us!"

Athletics: 13; damage: 4

Hildebrand's stone strikes true, and for a brief moment triumph overwhelms everything else. "YES!" he cries, thrusting a fist into the air. The celebration lasts all of a heartbeat. As Varg collapses, the hobbit's grin fades. The wolf had been a vicious beast, certainly, and it would have gladly torn apart his companions. Yet seeing the creature fall still leaves a knot in his stomach. "Sorry about that." he mutters quietly toward the fallen animal. "But you really weren't giving us much choice."

There is little time for reflection. His eyes dart across the battlefield. Orin and Gwinion remain locked in combat with the Orc hunter. Eryndis is trying desperately to manage both the battle and the fleeing pony. Meanwhile Aethelbrim has engaged the goblin archers, and arrows continue to fly from the rocks above.

Hildebrand watches Zarak loose another shot. "Oi! Over here, you ugly little sneak!" he shouts, waving one arm dramatically. "If you're looking for an easy target, try someone who can shout back!" Quickly stooping, he snatches up another suitable stone and settles it into his sling pouch. The cords begin whirling above his head once more. "Leave the ponies alone!"

Sling Attack: 18 Damage: 4

With that, he releases the shot, sending the stone hurtling toward Zarak atop the rocks, hoping to divide the goblin's attention and give Aethelbrim a better chance in the archery duel.

Orin staggered back as the spear is driven into his side. At the same time dwarven muscles tense up, and in that moment, Hakmogg sowed the seeds of impending doom. For when he tried pull the spear back, he'd find it caught up in the muscles and fat born of the contradiction of someone who's walked long roads, and yet always seemed have found plenty of comfort at almost every stop along it!

Shocked to alertness from the pain of the attempted withdrawal, Orin then gritted teeth, hooked one arm around the haft, and mustered what felt like almost the last of his strength to pull the fanged menace further off balance just long enough to drive his shortsword into the gullet of his foe in turn! But afterwards he's practically so spent that even had Hakkmog fell, he wouldn't have had the strength to really turn his dagger effectively upon another.

(S/N: I missed the original note about having advantage this round for outnumbering hakkmog, so I ended up rolling the adv. dice separately. As things stand, the first attack with short sword was a nat20 thanks to adv, but the offhand attack which was a 15 with its highest dice still missed.)

Action: Main-Hand Attack with Shortsword into Hakmogg.
(Melee, Lethal,Outnumbering)Shortsword - Attack #1: (Nat 20)22 to hit, 18 piercing damage (inc. Sneak attack)!

Bonus Action: Off-hand attack with dagger into Hakmogg(if still up).
(Melee, Lethal,Outnumbering)Dagger - Attack #2: 15 to hit, 1 piercing damage. (if 15 hits)

.

(@Orileo: Hildebrand took care of Varg in the last round.)

Aethelbrim:

Lurching to her feet, Aethelbrim calls out, “Constance,” and starts heading back the way her pony fled.  Her mind is filled with visions of the escaping orc stealing or savaging her faithful mount.

(Move and dash, calling out for her pony, but with arrow to bowstring in case the orc makes an appearance).

With the battle seeming to have been won, Orin breathed a sigh of relief while cleaning some of the blood on his blade using the body of the orc. Though when that proves less than effective, he grumbled, leaned back against a nearby wall, and fussed and fumbled his way through finding a rag on his person for the job. "Is everyone... Is everyone alright?" He called out breathlessly. That's when he finally registers Aethelbrim's actions, and lets out a long, exhausted sigh. "Aethelbrim! Aethel, get yer--ah.. hah... *huff*... Some... Somebody please reign that girl in 'fore she catches an arrow fer her troubles

." 

Day 10 - The Battle of the Rocks (immediate afterwards)

As Aethelbrim dashes backwards up the track she hears the unmistakeable sounds of a horse at full gallop. However, not only do these appear to heavier than she would expect from Constance they are also getting louder!

As Aethelbrim takes off, Eryndis is momentarily torn between helping the knight or aiding the others. Her hand pulls at her braid. Finally, she glares at Hildebrand and points after the fair one. "Go help!" she commands.

The leech then approaches Gwinion from behind and grabs hold of his arms to push him toward a rock to sit down upon. As he sits, she looks at Orin. "Come! Now!"

She begins pulling herbs and torn strips of cloth from her belt and binding the wounds of the two men. She is not fussy or doting; she works with efficiency and skill. "Must watch for foulness," she comments. "Will check tonight."

She knows Aethelbrim needs more attention than these two, and she hopes Hill will return with her soon. And with Constance in tow.

This was bad, but it could have been worse. She doesn't allow herself to imagine what it would have been like if she had been alone.

Aethelbrim:

Slowing down and keeping her bow at the low ready, Aethelbrim watches for the arrival of the unknown rider.  She scans the area for recent tracks (possibly of orcs) or hoof marks (possibly of Constance).  If she can distinguish the direction her pony went, she will follow.

Perception:  5