All Shall Fade

[Locket]

Once upon a time, there was a Ring. This Ring, so simple in its form, had passed through many hands in its time and had caused many battles. In the Third Age of Middle-Earth, it appeared again in the possession of a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins of the Shire. This Hobbit, though small, was exceedingly valiant, and with the help of eight others set off to destroy the evil token in the fires of Mt. Doom. There were battles and intrigue, romance and betrayal, death and life. Alliances were formed and friendships were strengthened. A king was crowned, a Wizard promoted, and two Hobbits raised to power. Many died in this last struggle over the Ring, and Frodo, the Ringbearer, eventually left from Middle-Earth to live across the Sea to nurse wounds that never fully healed. But that was many years ago, now. The Ring has long since been destroyed and the Mountain has quieted. The rulers have died, the alliances have faded into obscurity. But the world rested in peace, its evil vanquished once and for all...

Or so it would seem.

~~

Mary grunted as she pulled up on the leafy green of the scraggly carrot. It was small, hardly worth the effort, but the vegetable clung obstinately to the soil. "Let go, you spindly bit of-- Oof!" She flew backwards and landed hard on her rear, with nothing but a bit of torn leaf to show for her troubles. Behind her, she could hear her brother Thom chuckling. "Oh, hush." Mary grumbled.

Gingerly, she stood to her feet and wiped her hands on her faded cotton skirt. With a baleful glare, she aimed a vicious kick at the happy carrot frond. "I'll get you yet." But not now. Bending, she gathered her small collection of vegetables and started towards the hovel she shared with her brother. They would be rinsed and carefully portioned out to last as long as possible... which no matter how she scrimped and saved wouldn't be long at all.

Thom watched her go before turning back to his plowing. They couldn't afford a horse, so he had the contraption hooked to his own back. He rubbed his shoulder with his right hand, not even noticing the callouses any more. If only...

 

[Maxster211]

((Can a red-haired maniac join?))

 

[Locket]

((Please direct all OOC questions to the OOC thread from here on out. And I don't know. You'll have to put it up to the group

Dave, post for your character (he can be in the village already fighting baddies if you want, or just noticing trouble), and then I'll post the trouble spreading to my characters))

 

[Paladin Dave]

http://christianforums.com/t5921195-byrnhild-burn-argamand.html ((please only read the first post, as the second contains spoilers))

What a ghastly scene this village had become. The two Rohirrim Outriders who stood among the burnt wreckage of a village were embittered by the smoldering remains of homes, and the bloody bodies of those lost in the raid. It hadn't been very big; nor was it well hidden in the rolling plains of the Emnets. The two warriors had been drawn by the smoke from miles away, and were most frustrated to find that they were not only too late, but the raiders hadn't left behind any corpses of their own to identify them.

"I don't get it, Burn." sighed a man in his twenties with long, golden hair and rough stubble on his face. He looked to his comrade, who was covered from head to toe in brigantine and iron plate armor, with dark blue cloth hanging out where the armor didn't cover. The only visible part of the warrior's body was his long, silky black hair that came down from the back of his helmet, running down to the small of his back. "Why is it so important that we identify the race? They've attacked our countrymen, and whether they're foreigners or Wildmen doesn't change anything."

The concealed rider he'd called Burn stood and looked up to him, narrowing his dark brown eyes. "It's not Dunlanders or men of the South or East I'm worried about. They don't leave behind marks like THIS!" he seethed while hefting one of the bodies into his arm, pointing to the neck that had been savagely bitten.

The other rider frowned, holding his leather helmet under his arm as he nodded in defeat to Burn. "Well... I guess that's... NOT... typical of our usual foes." he sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to assume that we've got Orcs or Goblins wandering out this far."

The other warrior growled beneath his helmet and laid the body down, pulling its terrified eyes shut. "You think I do, Helmdyr?!" he hissed. "The LAST thing I want them to be are Orcs! You KNOW that! You know better than anyone else!"

Helmdyr raise his hands in apology, his expression clearly showing his remorse, while Burn's was hidden completely. Not that he needed it to convey his anger. "I know... I'm sorry, Burn. Look; whatever our enemy is, they're out there, and we need to warn the surrounding area. ... Possibly even help defend it. The warband split when they were done here, or so I'd guess from the tracks I inspected. Should we split up and hope we find more riders before the enemy finds another village?"

Burn stood, his armor noisily creaking as he got to his feet and marched over to his horse. "Very well then. You take care, Helmdyr. I'd hate to lose you along with all of the good Rohirrim who fell here."

Helmdyr nodded grimly as he called over his own mount. "Same to you, alright Burn? ... Don't lose your head. In any sense, alright?"

Burn nodded, but said nothing. Without looking to his comrade, Burn kicked his horse in the side and urged it on in one of the directions that the warband had taken, hoping and praying that he wouldn't be too late for yet another village.

 

[Locket]

Mary dumped the shriveled vegetables onto their flimsy table and reached for the dull knife to her right. It had been a gift from Mrs. Jumma, the village midwife, as a housewarming present. Tck. Tck. Tck. Mechanically, she sliced through the vegetables, making the pieces as small as she could. Some would be added to a watery soup while others would be tucked aside for tomorrow's only meal.

"Mary!"

Her head snapped up at the sound of Thom's cry. "Thom? Thom, what's wrong?"

"Mary!"

And then she heard it. Loud, guttural war cries, the crackling of thatch, the screams of terrified villagers, Ruber's savage barking. The village was under attack. Still clenching the knife, Mary threw aside the blanket over their precarious mantle and drew out her father's sword. She ran to the door, dragging the sword behind her and peered out. The sight dragged a ragged gasp from her throat. Orcs. The creatures, near-mythical after being dormant for so long, swarmed everywhere. Over the crest of the hill, the rest of the village burned with more villains spilling over towards their little hut. In the fields, Thom lifted his scythe to block a blow from a towering orc. Another approached from behind, sword raised. Desperately, Mary tossed the dull, rusty knife in her right hand and hit the orc in his neck, the one bare spot just below his ear. The marauder bellowed in pain and Ruber leaped in to finish the job.

"Mary!" Thom's muscles ached as he beat off his attacker. "Run, Mary! Get as far away from here as you can!"

 

[Paladin Dave]

Shortly after the Orcs arrived, so did reinforcements. Sure, it was only one rider, but one would be amazed at how much raw fury and hatred could do to compensate for lack of numbers. Burn could be seen riding over the hill that the Orcish warband had just charged down, fiercely urging his mount on towards the vile creatures. His lance was held tightly under his right arm, and a heavy round shield was strapped onto the other.

The Orcs in the rear of the group barely knew what was happening when they turned around to see just what was the source of the hoof-beats coming from behind them. The unfortunates turned to see a mass of armor, billowing cloth, and horse flesh coming straight for them, a long, deadly lance at the front of it all. All three turned to run, screaming in terror as one of the black-hearted creatures was skewered through the back. Another was ridden down by the horse's crushing hooves as Burn shook the corpse from his lance, glaring contemptuously at the Orc who had gotten away. He would be dealt with later, though. He'd been sufficiently scared for now, and there were other Orcs that had already begun assailing the villagers. They had to be stopped, first and foremost!

"Men of Rohan, take up arms!" Burn's voice bellowed out to the village as he charged and rode down an Orc who was just about to lob a torch at an untouched building. Burn's wasn't the deepest voice in the village by far. He didn't sound intimidating or especially manly; just very, very fervent and angry. And the way he lunged at and rode down any Orc in his path with extreme prejudice conveyed this just as well. "Let the women and children take flight! We just stand and fight, that they may live! To arms! To arms!"

 

[Locket]

Down the hill, the siblings were unaware of anything but their own predicament. Burn's zeal had frightened the orcs in an admirable fashion, but their retreat set them on course with the small thatch hut on the outskirts of the village. "Go, Mary!" Thom shouted again, but the girl refused to acknowledge him. Her brother was a farmer, not a fighter, and would not last against the onslaught before them. She would not leave him.

Gripping the sword with white knuckles, Mary swung at a charging orc and missed, but her second swing connected with a jolt that carried all the way up her arms. The orc gurgled and fell to the ground, making way for the next foe. As Mary bested her enemies, Thom was flagging. Around him danced Ruber, fangs dripping with black blood, but even his furry aid was not going to be enough. Swinging with his right hand, Thom stuck the sharp side of his hoe into the nearest creature's neck and ducked another's swing.

 

[Soldier_For_Christ]

(( Holy Fazzoli's! This is awesome! I'm not sure if I can join, but you can bet a good buck that I'll be around more often.))

 

[Locket]

((Good ))

 

[Narmegil]

((Don't mean to mess this up with OOC posts, but I would like to join, and I cant find the OOC thread I can just edit this to nothing if you could just give me a link or a slap or something. Looks like an awesome rpg though.))

 

[Locket]

((Go to the original LOTR RPG thread))

 

[Paladin Dave]

Burn cursed under his breath as he realized just how much he'd put the villagers at risk. His charge had frightened the Orcs, but people were still between them and the open plains on which they hoped to escape. His objective was to protect the people, and he could not allow these peasants to die for his brashness. Raising up another warcry, Burn leveled his lance with the Orc rabble before him and resumed the charge, hoping to scare them into rushing past the two peasants who stood up to them, and then killing any who stayed behind.

 

[cyberwing]

((Locket, where IS the OOC? Your mail box is full... ))

 

[Locket]

Burn cursed under his breath as he realized just how much he'd put the villagers at risk. His charge had frightened the Orcs, but people were still between them and the open plains on which they hoped to escape. His objective was to protect the people, and he could not allow these peasants to die for his brashness. Raising up another warcry, Burn leveled his lance with the Orc rabble before him and resumed the charge, hoping to scare them into rushing past the two peasants who stood up to them, and then killing any who stayed behind.

(( http://christianforums.com/t2591269-lord-of-the-rings-ii-8.html It's not a real OOC, but what used to be the OOC for this old RPG has turned into a chat thread of sorts))

All noticed the stranger's appearance, but none could take the time to acknowledge him. Ruber danced around the orcs' feet, snarling and snapping as viciously as a starving warg, as his owners fought valiantly. They seemed to be holding their own however tenuously, but then more creatures poured over the hillside, tipping the balance against the siblings. As Thom turned to parry another blow, he stepped in a shallow hole and fell with a cry.

"Thom!" Mary turned to the stranger on horse back and pointed. "Save my brother!" Even as she did, Thom ordered the soldier to take his sister away.

 

[cyberwing]

Isi raised her head. She heard furious barking, the clatter of metal and voices raised in fury. MANY voices. Deep frightening sounds from throats unlike any she had ever heard. Isi was frightened. She felt around for her trusty wooden staff and swallowed hard. "Something awful is happening... I can feel it but I don't know what it is! Why? Why was I born this way? Oh what is happening?" Isi felt the ground thumping as a whole group came thundering toward her little cottage. Isi felt hunger and anger coming her way and she tried to calm her terror long enough to think. Her mind did not wish to cooperate though.

Isi heard crackling and smelled smoke. Her cottage was on fire! Isi used her staff and tapped her way to the door. As she came out of the door a distinctive odor hit her nostrils above the scent of fire. She had never smelled it before. It smelled of earth and sulfur, rock and moss. She heard grunting as if someone had loosed the neighbors pigs. Then she heard harsh laughter around her and someone with tremendous strength seized her arm.
"Ow... Please? Who are you? What do you want?" Isi felt hands poking her...pawing her and she began to scream as pure terror took control over her mind. Isi poured every ounce of her being into screaming for it was ALL she could think to do.

 

[Locket]

((So they live in the same village? Do they know each other?))

 

[cyberwing]

((Up to you...if you don't want them to, I can write around that also. Isi will become a prisoner. Isi lives on the outskirts of the village if you do wish it to be the same village, and she can live either on the same side or on the opposite side. All entirely up to you, Locket.))

 

[Locket]

((The village thing is up to you, but know that my characters live on the outskirts due to lack of family in the village and Thom's differences))

 

[cyberwing]

((Locket I cannot get to the Character thread to search for Thom and Mary... what is Thom's differences?? Would you prefer Isi is from another village? That's fine... I can have her a prisoner of those that are attacking the village now... *shrug* You are the GM... you tell me what you want.))

 

[Ellesar]

Rica had been wandering around the plains when she saw the band of orcs converge on a nearby village. Muttering a few uncouth words about the orcs, she changed direction and ran toward the village to do what she could to help. Stupid orcs! Where did they come from anyway? Rica wondered as she ran. She already had her bow in her hand and reached back for one of her arrows. Stopping a few yards away, she aimed at the nearest orc and released the arrow.