ROUND FOUR - FINAL ROUND
I’d make you all winners if I could because I truly enjoyed reading each of your lovely forest/orchard/desert/island descriptions as well as your Tree-herding characters! However, there can only be one Ultimate Middle-earth Tree-Shepherd and that honor goes to...
@drifa as Rowantine (with feathered friends Oyo and Goa) for growing a herd of 132 rowan trees!
well done, drifa!
Feel free to play out your final scenario or not (or declare war on a fellow Ent?)! All I ask is that you have fun. Do what you want and thanks for playing!
@Lirimaer /
Lya - You have done an admirable job of herding your orchard in spite of some challenges along the way. The brambles will likely keep out some dangers in the future though it won’t help against another drought. Your grief is felt so keenly, a gentle and steady rain begins to fall and with it comes new life. 15 new trees sprout and spread their leaves among your orchard. (+15)
97 trees
@drifa /
Rowantine - When you return to your herd again after a nice rest, a wind rustles the leaves and brings a Lorien-blessed soil akin to what Samwise Gamgee was gifted by the Lady herself. You are lucky indeed! 8 new trees sprout to life among your herd and they make nice perches for Oyo and Goa. You are a very fine Tree-herder and you should be proud! I hope you spread your wisdom to others for the benefit of all. (+8)
132 trees
@Moriel /
Old Man Saguaro - I am sad to say living dangerously has not done you any favors. Your cacti may be fire-resistant, but they are not used to the cold. A cold front moves in, which brings a rare blizzard of torrential snow and ice down on your cacti. Fortunately it extinguishes any last flames but it’s hard for you to see through the blinding white, stay warm and protect your herd. After the worst passes, you find 17 cacti were lost to the cold. (-17)
73 cacti
(OOC: Since you wound up with a cold front, I took the liberty of fixing your fire for you but feel free to react to both scenarios if you want!
)
@Vampire Bob /
Thornspawn - You seem to have some luck on your side (you actually rolled a bonus this time - what are the chances?
). Amidst your planning for world domination, 8 new trees reach out their branches; perhaps they share in your ambition to cover the world in golden locusts.
Treebeard sends you a shipment of his special Ent-draught and it helps you grow twice as many new trees! Word of your plans must have spread. Seems like he’s on board with it but all he may have heard was “trees” and “world domination.” (+8 x 2) 118 trees
But that’s not all that is in store for you (carryover your extra roll)! Things couldn’t stay good forever, could they? No, no. A few pesky orcs pass by and take a few swipes at your trees. 4 are killed leaving you with
114 trees. (-4)
@Zôrzimril /
Pinecrown - Perhaps the orcs were in search of a Yuletide tree - who knew they celebrated holidays? You were too slow to save those 13 trees but you are victorious in saving those that remain! A Great Eagle witnessed your battle from lofty heights. He is duly impressed with your might and drops a heap of pine cones to you. Inside those cones, 20 seeds germinate and spring to life. (+20)
130 trees
@Menolly /
Needlecrown - After a lot of waving your branches, you manage to shoo the woodpecker off to a tree that was already dead and save the rest of your trees. Good for you! Uh oh...what’s that? An errant dwarf appears. What a dwarf is doing in Eryn Vorn is a mystery, but she happens to be a lumberjack and goes where the trees are...and unfortunately she cuts down 7 of yours. (-7)
98 trees
@Aerlinn /
Mekaru, gecko-friend - You and the gecko’s harmonies help heal the land. Soon a storm of dark clouds approach and empty themselves upon your island. Too bad it didn’t rain a little earlier and save some of your trees! At least 18 new trees spring up. Somehow your island is doing better than it was when you started. (+18)
127 trees
@Taethowen /
Wildlimb - The loss of your nineteen trees is devastating. But you are right - new life can rise anew from the old. The lost trees allow more sunlight to reach what remains of your herd without having to do any thinning yourself. The seeds you planted sprout into 2 new trees. While it doesn’t replace all that was lost, it is a start and that’s something. (+2)
112 trees
@Androthelm /
Quagomar - It is never easy to lose a tree no matter how strong and stern you are. Do not be ashamed of your tears, Quagomar, but you may have a few more to shed...you scared away the dwarves and now a howling wind comes rushing in! Branches fly and the trees groan and creak and your crows hunker down for safety. Miraculously, the storm is short-lived and you only lose 1 tree. (-1)
71 trees
@corlisswyn /
Kulunin - Bob, the last new tree, giggles - his chin is particularly ticklish! All of your trees rustle fondly at you, their caretaker. Such cozy sweaters you make them! But sweaters will not help them now. Rain has not fallen in months and the ground is dry and cracked. Leaves begin to wither and fall and 7 trees die of thirst. (-7)
94 trees
@Giliathriel /
Mosshollow - It seems like you have some miscommunication ongoing with your herd. Or maybe they are all just rebellious teenage trees! You tell them to move and they stay still. Tell them to stay still, and they move. Worse, you just don’t have any luck lately. A swarm of beetles arrives and begin to munch greedily on their leaves; these beetles really love that sweet, sweet maple! All the leaves of 10 trees are eaten bare and do not survive. (-10)
68 trees