Imladris Maze: RP Game - Closed!

[Laintaen]

@Quill - You head North. You follow the path until you come to a clearing. The path splits into three directions – East, South and West – and in the centre of the clearing stands a huge tree. Perhaps a view from the top will give a hint as to which way to go, but a fall could be dangerous. Will you climb the tree or ignore it? And which way will you go?

@Tarawen - You head South. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a wolf from the mountains appears. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head West. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a wolf from the mountains appears. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

@Moriel - You block low. The Warrior rolls a 5 and attacks low. You attack high. The Warrior rolls a 1 and blocks low. You win!

The Warrior lowers his sword. “You are noble and strong. You have beaten me and I can no longer stand in your way. Go forth and live in bliss under Lord Elrond.” He steps aside and you follow the path into Rivendell to join a great feast.

Congratulations on completing the Maze!

[Zôrzimril]

"Ahhhh, another of these crossroads," Tara muttered. She had no sooner spoken these words when she heard a low, rumbling growl. A wolf padded out from a cluster of trees, eyeing horse and rider with a hungry, fierce gaze.

Sirdal had seen wolves and outrun them before. Still, he tossed his head nervously and pawed at the ground. Tarawen knew he was well up to the task of scaring off a lone wolf, too - he had quite the kick - but did she dare bet that this wolf wasn't a scout for his pack? The wolf edged into the clearing and around them, showing its teeth. Tara weighed her options. At best, she could toss the wolf some of her food and make an escape. At worst, she'd have to kill it. She didn't relish the prospect of killing the creature, so she decided to appease it then run.

She reached into her pack and found the strips of dried venison that sustained her on long journeys among rocky foothills, where game was scarce. "Do you want this?" she called, waving the meat high in the air. The wolf's ears pricked at her voice and it stopped growling when it caught the scent of the venison. "It's all yours! Go and get it!" she threw the food of as far into the trees as she could, then urged Sirdal at a gallop down the Western path.

[Moriel]

The keen edge of Gellam's lochaber stopped a whisker's breadth from the warrior's neck, perfectly under control of the Fool's lean body. His eyes danced and he grinned at his defeated opponent, who in turn lowered his sword and stepped away. “You are noble and strong. You have beaten me and I can no longer stand in your way. Go forth and live in bliss under Lord Elrond.” Gellam set the butt of his lochaber in the ground and bowed deeply to the warrior. "I thank you my friend, and I thank you for keeping this valley safe! I shall see if I can't manage to send you a care package from the feast!" Skipping with delight, Gellam sped off down the path towards Rivendell, joining in the song from afar, and already salivating at the many delicious pastries in which he would soon be indulging.


@Laintaen Thanks for a great game, this was fun!!

[Silky Gooseness]

Starting the maze, Silarien

Silarien was lost again. This was unfortunate, but not unexpected, when one was trying to find the way to the Hidden Valley. The instructions she had been given were vague and incomplete. Why were there no maps? The whole landscape was a maze, the lush ground concealing strange trenches as though they were natural hohos. Or were they hahas? At any rate, Silarien was not laughing. She brushed her silver hair out of her eyes and ventured forwards. At least it was a beautiful day and a beautiful place to get lost in...

[Aerlinn]

The wolfhound paused at the edge of a new clearing and stuck his head, carefully, into a blackberry bush. He nipped at one, but no, still too tart. He eyed another, but no, already full of bugs. He tried one more, five more, a dozen more and soon his snout was stained blueish purple from the juice of unripe berries. But at last, Yávië distangled himself from the leering thorns with an unsatisfied snuffle and tossed his head. Why did they take so long? They were only plants.

He scented the air again and his nose swung south. Surely there was a treat waiting for him at the end of the path in that direction--his favorite bread, or an egg, or...his eyes lit up hopefully, cheese?

[Laintaen]

@Tarawen - You head West. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Sil - Welcome to the maze, Sil. Do you know from which direction you want to start: North, East or South?

@Aerlinn - You head South. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a wolf from the mountains appears. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

[Zôrzimril]

The westward path was much the same. More trees, more hedges, more quiet scurryings of forest creatures ("Hopefully not more wolves," thought Tara).

She was much more on her guard now; she hadn't expected an unfriendly encounter this close (she hoped) to Rivendell. No more letting her mind wander as they traversed this maze. Before long, this new path led to yet another clearing with yet another split in the path. "Have we been going in circles?" she wondered aloud. She thought about retracing her steps, but the wolf had shocked her a bit - she wasn't afraid to admit that.

She had so far been laboring under the assumption that heading South (she had entered the maze from the North, after all) and then attempting to go East and West to figure out where she was might be a worthwhile approach. But maybe the time had come for something different; perhaps they'd come too far South. With a squeeze of her heels and a gentle turn of the reins, Tara and Sírdal headed North.

[Silky Gooseness]

A warm breeze was soughing through Silarien’s hair, lifting the silver strands as she turned her face into it. A faint smell of blossoms seemed to be carried upon it, as well as the hint of something cool and refreshing. A change indeed from the darksome gloom that clung to much of Mirkwood. When in doubt, follow your nose, Silarien mused to herself, tapping the appendage in question. She turned NORTH.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zarâm pounded along the path until she came to yet another clearing. "How many of the damn things are there?" she spat, hitting a handful of leaves with her spittle. "I must be going in circles." Thankfully, she was not going in circles, at least this time, because there was no spider to be found in this clearing. But at the same time, the clearing wasn't entirely empty. This time a wolf was standing in the centre and unfortunately it appeared to not be a warg, so Zarâm had little hope of appealing to its dark side. She stood in the shadows, not quite entering the clearing and glanced around, trying to decide on the best move forwards. It was probably in her best interest to try and ignore the wolf and head for the nearest trail. She slunk along the edge of the clearling, hoping that her orc feet would be quiet for once and that she would make it to the Northern trail without becoming lunch.

[Laintaen]

@Tarawen - You head North. You follow the path until you come to a clearing. The path splits into three directions – East, South and West – and in the centre of the clearing stands a huge tree. Perhaps a view from the top will give a hint as to which way to go, but a fall could be dangerous. Will you climb the tree, or ignore it and take one of the existing paths?

@Sil - You enter the maze from the North. You follow the path until you come to a clearing. The path splits into three directions – East, South and West – and in the centre of the clearing stands a huge tree. Perhaps a view from the top will give a hint as to which way to go, but a fall could be dangerous. Will you climb the tree or ignore it and take one of the existing paths?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, an Orc appears. He has obviously been looking for Rivendell and became lost in the maze as well. You may kill this Orc, or you may greet your kin and continue on your way. What will you do, and which way will you go?

I was so hoping this would happen! Any other race that encounters the Orc must kill it, but I figure Zarâm can do whatever they like.

[Silky Gooseness]

It was not long before Silarien came to the start of a pathway, bordered by tall hedges and with tracks worn faintly in the ground by those who had passed that way before her. Tracks to follow, or tracks to deceive, she wondered, continuing in north.

It was not long before a clearing opened up ahead of her with several directions leading away from it. Each of them looked appealing in their own way, but Silarien’s eyes were drawn to the tree planted there, like a guardian of the maze. Yeah

She went to the tree and placed a palm flat upon the ridged bark. It felt friendly enough - not like the mossy malevolence of many of the Mirkwood trees. An Elf raised there learned to climb almost as quickly as they learned to ride. Silarien placed her other hand in the crook of a branch and vaulted UP THE TREE lightly.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Nerwen Meneldur, a dwarf

Nerwen took the wooden door, fitting just beneath the frame which would have been too big for a man and certainly for an elf. The path on the other side seemed similar to those she had already followed so far this day. Bordered with tall, close trees, muffling the sounds around her though a gentle breeze lifted the leaves and was soothing to the ears. As she rounded a corner, the path opened out into a clearing and as she took a step forward a large Mirkwood spider dropped from the trees. Nerwen immediately tucked and rolled off the path and behind a large oak, pulling out an axe. She was banking on the spider having bad eye sight and being dazzled by the shaft of sunlight falling through the canopy. Tentatively, she peered around the tree. The spider hadn't moved. Keeping low, Nerwen gradually stepped a little further away from the main path and into the thicket. Her military training, her time in the Khuzdul was coming into effect; her feet was sure and quiet and she gradually made her way North.

[Zôrzimril]

An enormous tree loomed up before Tarawen as if out nowhere. "What the . . ." she murmured, eyes widening with astonishment that she hadn't seen this tree from other parts of the maze given its height. She caught a quick glimpse of someone (Sil) climbing the tree. Tara craned her neck to try to see into the tree's heights. She briefly considered following suit but didn't like to risk leaving her horse unattended with wolves about. She could always come back to it if the situation became more desperate. "Well, now. I suppose it can't hurt to turn East, as long as we don't go too far in that direction," she thought.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zarâm continued on the northern route until she came to yet another clearing. Before she could mutter something about too many clearing for a mazes own good, she was surprised by the fact that a (clearly lost) orc was standing in the middle of the clearing. "Ashdautas Vrasubatlat" she said in greeting. The other orc was clearly surprised to see a fellow evil comrade and stumbled through the standard reply of "Nar Udautas"

"Have you too gotten lost trying to find that vile home of the elves?" Zarâm asked. Without waiting for a reply, she continued, "Follow me, we'll attack that too-good-for-himself-elf together. Not bothering to see if the other orc followed, Zarâm continued down the eastern path.

OOC: Laintaen, that was fun.

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You climb the tree. Unfortunately, you have not the tree climbing skills you thought you did and slip from the boughs. You crash back to the ground, sustaining bruises and a sore back. You abandon the attempt and head down your chosen path - East, South or West?

@Queen Nerwen - You head North. You stumble your way into a clearing and can hear the sounds of laughter and music. You have reached the end of the maze! Rivendell is close. But barring your way is a large Elven Warrior. “Greetings wanderer,” he says. “You have travelled long to find your way here. But I cannot let you pass so easily. If I cannot beat you, you may enter the Hidden Vale.” He levels his sword at you. Do you attack high or low? Do you block high or low?

@Tarawen - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head East. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the top of a sheer cliff face, with no way down. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

[Silky Gooseness]

The leaves are rustling a warning at her. Peturbed, Silarien takes her hand from the bough - when the branch beneath her feet breaks suddenly, launching her straight to the ground. Dazed, she lies still for a moment. A snapped off twig is still in her hand. Silarien side-eyes the tree.

"I think that hurt you as much as it hurt me," she says wryly as she rises to her feet, rubbing her bruises and knuckling the small of her back, "but I get the hint. Not to be disturbed, I see. I guess that would be cheating."

She sets the twig down and wanders off WEST

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Queen Nerwen, a dwarfette.

Nerwen leaned against a tree and breathed deeply. She counted slowly, willing her racing heart to steady. The idea of battling a Mirkwood spider made her stomach turn and her hands clammy. It was just so many legs and eyes! And the venom! She swallowed, her throat moving nervously. Nerwen had heard tales from her relatives about the creatures which came out of Mirkwood and she was pleased to have only every ventured close in the company of many hairy, angry, heavily armed dwarf warriors. As she calmed, her attention wandered to the bark behind her fingertips, it was a completely different texture to stone, and a different sort of warm. Her gaze followed the tall trunks around her, lifting up to the leafy layers above, shielding her from sky and clouds. Woods really were beautiful, in their own way, she mused.

Nerves collected, Nerwen continued her journey. As she followed the path, gentle sounds began to prick her ears. Gentle music, laughter and merry making was clearly going on somewhere close but as she entered the clearing a warrior stepped in her path and proclaimed his challenge. She swung her axe and settled automatically and then moved into a high attack followed by a low block.

[Zôrzimril]

Tarawen jumped down from the saddle and led Sírdal on along their chosen path. It was time she stretched her legs a bit; they had been wandering in this maze for what seemed like forever, and she wanted to walk. They came in time to another (or maybe a familiar, she could not tell) crossroads. "Ugh," was all she could say. She stamped her foot on the ground in frustration, then pondered her options. She had thought about going back to climb the tree earlier, and now seemed like it might be time. These endless choices of paths seemed to be getting her nowhere fast. So she decided to head West, back the way they had come.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zarâm had barely started down the Northern path when it suddenly came to the end at the sheer cliff. Startled and nearly falling down the cliff, she stepped back, kicking a few loose stones down the cliff-face as she did so. Muttering some words about mazes trying to hill their intruders, she turned around back to the clearing, where the orc still stood. "Don't go that way unless you want to fall off a cliff," she said before turning and headed for the Northern path.

[Durien]

Durien breathed in the fresh air, pulling into the depths of her lungs. She could swear the clean smell of Imladris was drifting on the wind. She was so close to her end destination, if only she remembered how to get in. Had it really been that long since she had visited the Last Homely House? Reaching forward, she gave her new mare, Théa a pat on the neck. Théa was the firstborn of Arael, the black stallion whose sire she had ridden before him, and his sire before him, extending back into the ages of time ere Rohan existed. After all, although she may spend quite a lot of time in Gondor posing as a Gondorian, she was in fact one of the long lived. It felt wonderous not to have to hide her ears and elven heritage here. Orignally being of the Falathrim and never having dwelt in Lord Elrond's valley, she felt she could be forgiven for not remembering exactly where the entrance was located. "Which way, pretty lady?" She idly asked her mount as they stood unmoving. The young smoke gray mare with black points snorted an unhelpful response. Pulling out an apple, she ate while she thought. Why did she have no memory of this place? She had been here before, she was sure of it. Was she north or south of the entrance? She couldn't tell if she couldn't remember where the entrance was. The only thing she was sure of was that it didn't lay to the west of her, meaning she wouldn't be approaching the entrance the east. Now she was confusing herself.

Giving the core of the apple to Théa to eat, Durien decided she should check her equipment before proceeding, just in case she ran into some unexpected company. Both long knives were secure in their scabbards on her back, albeit in easy reach, as was her quiver and long bow. She had plenty of arrows, and the knife in her boot was in its familiar spot. "Well, I guess I'd better make a decision, then." She muttered to the twitching ears. Urging the mare forward into a trot, she decided she would approach from the North, which meant heading south from where she was at. Not at all confusing. She liked going south. As an ent once told her, it felt like going downhill for some reason.

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You head West. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: North, East and South. Which way will you go?

@Queen Nerwen - You attack high. The Warrior rolls a 2 and blocks high, blocking your attack. You block low. The Warrior rolls a 6 and attacks high. You lose!

The Warrior lowers his sword and looks at you in disappointment. “You cannot beat me and I must stand by my orders. I cannot let you into Rivendell and I am sorry you have come so far only to fail now.” The Warrior raises his sword again and ends your life. At least the last thing you heard were sounds of happiness.

Sorry Nerwen!

@Tarawen - You follow the path West. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the foot of a sheer cliff face, with no way up. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Durien - You enter the maze from the North. You follow the path until you come to a clearing. The path splits into three directions – East, South and West – and in the centre of the clearing stands a huge tree. Perhaps a view from the top will give a hint as to which way to go, but a fall could be dangerous. Will you climb the tree or ignore it? And which way will you go?

[Silky Gooseness]

Silarien hasn’t been walking for long. Or has she? The path unwinds seamlessly, endlessly under her feet, and her back aches with her bruises as she steps over the springy grass. It is a relief to come to another crossroads. Silarien’s eyes track over her options - each featureless, with nothing to guide her. She looks up. A scudding cloud wisps lazily across the sky, and she follows the breeze - NORTH

[Zôrzimril]

"You would think a Ranger would do better in a situation like this," Tarawen thought. They had come to a stop; Tara was shocked to see that they had not arrived at the tree they'd passed earlier, but in front of a massive cliff wall that she could not scale, and which Sírdal certainly couldn't. She dismounted, walked over to where the cliff and the ground met, and kicked the rocky wall.

"Well, old friend, it looks like we're good and lost," she said, turning back to her horse. She felt only slightly better for having vented her frustration. "I suppose we'll have to go back."

So go back they did. The sight of a crossroads had never infuriated her as much as this one did now. It was utterly unlike her to get so lost and confused. She blamed it all on the daydreaming she'd done earlier while they navigated the earlier parts of the maze. "Okay, fine. We'll go East this time."

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

"Another fredegaring clearing?" snarled Zarâm. "How many of these things are there?" At this point she had basically given up on determining which way was which. And she was certain she'd forever be stuck in the middle of the maze, like her comrade from the previous clearing who hadn't chosen to follow her. Zarâm stood in the middle of the clearing, spun around three times, and began to head in a random direction, which ended up as the Eastward path.

[Aerlinn]

Distracted by wistful daydreams of food, Yávië scented the wolf only seconds before it emerged into the next clearing. His ears and tail shot up and his hackles began to rise, but he stayed quiet and still at the edge of the trees. There was no one to defend, and thus no need to provoke such a creature. Slowly, he turned his head to and fro, sniffing for signs of the rest of the pack. Nothing yet.

Wolf and wolfhound stared at each other, eyes locked as Yávië began to pad carefully across the grass. "I'm more trouble than I'm worth," he indicated with a quiet growl and deep-throated woof. "No need for either of us to come away from this the poorer." Their snouts were mere inches apart. In a moment, either might have leaped in attack, or, perhaps--in a different clearing, on a different day--in play. Then Yávië broke for the southwards path at a trot, his muscles poised to make for a dead run at the slightest sign of aggression from the beast. Battles were for darker times and uglier places.

***

"Not yet."

An elf sat against a tree just out of sight of the sentry post and tossed a pine cone from hand to hand. It felt strange to be here, away from the salt and the gulls and the work that had occupied her for more than half a decade now. It was a second chance she had neither expected nor sought. Indeed, in a different mood, she might call it simply a pointless delay.

That had been Mithlond's reminder to her, then, that delaying the inevitable was not necessarily wasted effort. Evidence of such was in the new scars and callouses of her hands. Not rough with combat, or swordplay, but with planes and chisels and the making of things.

Evidence of such was in every stone of Imladris. Not yet.

There were still firesides, and songs, and words left to say. And where was that dog, anyways?

(OOC: Sorry, please ignore the introspective elf-ramblings. They are not actually relevant to the maze at all XD, but I thank you for the thread to gently nudge Aerlinn back into existence.)

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You head North. You follow the path until you come to a clearing. The path splits into three directions – East, South and West – and in the centre of the clearing stands a huge tree. You've been here before! Which way will you go this time?

@Tarawen - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a crazed Orc appears. He has obviously been looking for Rivendell and became lost in the maze. You must kill it before he discovers the secret location. How do you kill it? And which way will you then go?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But in this clearing, the Orc remains. You've been here before! Which way will you go this time?

@Aerlinn - You head South. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a large spider native to Mirkwood drops out of the trees. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

[Quill]

In spite of her hopes, they did not see progress anytime soon. After a short ride, they came to a clearing in the forest, where the pathway split yet again. It was as though it was determined to frustrate her. Instead of cursing, Quill glanced around the clearing for something that might give her a hint as to which way to go. An enormous tree grew tall at the center of the clearing, and though the branches at the bottom seemed sturdy enough, they grew thinner and more tenuous at the top, where she would need to climb to see anything useful. She set her jaw. “Come stand under the tree, Shanstrin,” she told her mare as she urged her up to the shade beneath it. “Give me a boost.” She found a precarious perch on her saddle, lunged for the lowest branch of the tree, and began to climb.

[Zôrzimril]

She had no time to be annoyed at the sight of another crossroads, for a new threat had appeared - and this one far less desirable than the wolf. A snarling orc had stepped out from behind a tree as Tara and Sírdal entered the clearing, no doubt alerted to their presence by the horse's gentle footfalls.

The orc locked eyes with Tarawen and smiled - the kind of impish grin that invites a slap, or perhaps a severed limb. Tarawen sized him up. Bow-legged and unpleasantly hairy, the orc stood about a head shorter than she did. And she had the advantage of being on horseback. "What do you want?" she called, skeptical that she'd like the answer.

"I've come to feast on elven-meats," the orc hissed in a low voice. "You're no elf, but you'll do." He drew a curved blade. Tarawen was unsurprised and unamused. This maze had robbed her of all patience, of which she had very little even on a good day.

"I'm afraid the truth is that you've come to die." She drew Laegrist, her longsword. Sírdal gave a whicker at the sound of unsheathed steel. The orc raised its blade and screamed its battle-cry. She gave her horse a kick and they charged; they met in the midst of the clearing. The orc flinched at the oncoming horse and rider and cried out as Tarawen cut its sword arm to the bone. Wounded but clearly still famished, the orc pivoted quickly for another attempt. It was not so lucky the second time. With a swift swipe, the orc's head rolled away and its body collapsed with a thud. With that behind her and hoping she wouldn't find more orcs waiting at the next blasted crossroads, Tarawen and Sírdal fled North.

[Laintaen]

@Quill - You climb the tree. Thanks to your skill and good balance, you reach the top. From your vantage point, you can see a secret trail heading North. You decide to take this path.

You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a crazed Orc appears. He has obviously been looking for Rivendell and became lost in the maze. You must kill it before he discovers the secret location. How do you kill it? And which way will you then go?

@Tarawen - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Once again Zarâm found herself in the same clearing as the orc. "No wonder you got lost," she said. "I swear the maze moves once you enter a path. There's no way it can be this confusing." In a huff, she decided to go back the way she came. Perhaps going in a different direction from the previous clearing would prove better luck. With that, she turned and headed West, hopefully back in the previous direction to try a different path.

[Quill]

Quill

She was a much handier climber than she’d remembered. Quill had no trouble clambering to the very top of the tree, slender branches or no slender branches, and as she balanced precariously at the top she shaded her eyes with a hand and peered into the distance. Mortal eyes, perhaps, could not have placed the path that her elven sight plucked from obscurity: a faded, overgrown, secret trail heading north. Gleeful, Quill practically slid down the trunk of the tree and hopped back into the saddle. “I’ve found it, Shanstrin,” she told the mare, but before she could encourage her northward, an unexpected noise ripped from the trees, accompanied by the appearance of an Orc, brandishing its weapon and snarling as though mad.

“Gilthoniel!” Quill cried in alarm. But she was no stranger to peril on the road, and her instincts served her well. Her hand flew to the hilt of her sword Tasartir, and the blade shone in the light of day. She did not give the Orc a chance to act; she rushed him with her sword.

[Laintaen]

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head West. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a wolf from the mountains appears. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

@Quill - You killed the Orc! Which way would you like to go - North, East, South or West?

[Silky Gooseness]

Silarien’s steps slow as she recognises a tall, green, leafy presence ahead of her... the tree. It rustles at her.

“Well, I guess we meet again,” she says to the tree. “Want to be friends after all?”

The tree drops a leaf on her.

It’s tempting to climb the tree again, but Silarien thinks better of it - her elbows are still scraped from her last letdown performance. Instead, she pats the bark goodbye and heads SOUTH.

[Zôrzimril]

Her adrenaline high from the quick fight with the orc, Tarawen slowed Sírdal when they approached yet another clearing. It seemed to her that they'd been this way before. Then again, this whole maze was starting to look exactly the same wherever she went, so she had no idea if that actually was accurate. "Please don't tell anyone about this," she said to her horse, patting his neck.

Four choices; four directions. With a sigh that blew some wispy strands of hair out of her eyes, Tara chose - completely at random, once again - to go West.

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You head South. Your path leads you into a small cave. Before you are three doors, a steel door, a stone door and a wooden door. Upon trying these, you find they are all solidly locked. But on a ledge in the cave, you find three keys, a gold key, a silver key and a brass key. Which key will you try in which door?

@Tarawen - You follow the path West. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the foot of a sheer cliff face, with no way up. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

[Silky Gooseness]

There’s a cool draft blowing towards her. Strangely, it’s coming out of the mouth of the cave just ahead of her. Blinking in the sunlight, Silarien enters, waiting for her eyes to adjust. The shade is pleasant, but metal glimmers in front of her. Three doors: and three keys.

She picks them up and handles them - pushes perfunctorily at one of the doors, although she knows already: they will all be locked. That’s how this works, isn’t it?

She turns the keys over in her hands a couple of times, until the metal begins to warm under her fingers. Then Silarien rises from her crouch, and shrugs. Here goes.

She slots the silver key into the wooden door.
She puts the brass key into the steel door.
She places the gold key into the stone door.

Now to see if any of them will turn...

[Zôrzimril]

Tarawen could not help feeling grumpy about this maze. What was the point of trying to get to the Last Homely House if she died of starvation along the way?

Their latest path brought them once again to a cliff. "I have a feeling I've kicked this wall before," Tara thought. She eyed a lumpy rock that looked familiar, and scowled at a tree that grew near the base of the rock wall.

She closed her eyes and thought about what she'd done the last time she had been turned back by this accursed wall. East. They had gone East. "FINE!" she shouted, and turned Sírdal to head back to the crossroads; when they reached the previous clearing, they veered South.

[Durien]

Durien reluctantly urged Théa along, ducking underneath overhanging branches as she went. The young mare's steps were hesitant and careful. There was good reason for the caution, and the rider's own indecision regarding the direction they were traveling did not inspire confidence in the mare. Yet if they were going to make it to Rivendell ere their food supply ran out, they needed to pick up their pace. Of course, wild apple trees and berry bushes were common in the wilds around the Last Homely House, and game aplenty, but one could never fully anticipate encountering such finds if one happened to end up traveling in circles. The smoke gray mare with ebony points delicately navigated her way over a particularly rocky patch on the narrow trail. Although unshod, the mare had tough hooves and agile climbs, and the strewn boulders posed no true obstacle.

The elleth had not gone terribly far along the path when she spied a massive oak tree, it's branches stretching high above the others in the forest. The path she was following seemed to lead directly to it. That was a promising sign. Encouraged, the horse and rider picked up pace until they found themselves in small clearing directly beneath the heavy branches of the old tree. Dismounting, Durien walked up to the tree and lightly placed her palm against the thick trunk. If she climbed the tree, perhaps she would be able to recognize some of the landmarks nudging against the corners of her memory. She tried not to grind her teeth in annoyance over the fact that she could not recall the path without assistance. The trunk of the old oak tree was massive and the branches far apart. It did not lend itself well to climbing. The last problem she needed to add to this inconvenient dilemma was an injury or two....or three. Still, her agility had never failed her before, nor would it be the first tree she climbed....this week...much less over her long lifetime.

Taking a deep breath, Durien began to climb the tree. If she could make it to the top, she hoped to be able to see what lay to the East, as she had a faint urge to head in that direction. She made it at least to the first limb, grasping the thick branches and pulling her lithe frame upwards with as much force as she was able to generate. Slipping a black boot over the branch, she breathed a quick sigh of relief, shook out her arms, and stared at the branch above her, plotting a way to continue her climb. Below, Théa moved slowly about the clearing, taking advantage of the green grass growing beneath the heavy boughs. The still growing mare needed as many opportunities to graze as she could muster up.

[Quill]

Quill

Her invocation of the Star-Queen had clearly done the trick; the Orc hardly had a chance to react before she impaled it on Tasartir. Black blood spurted from its mouth and dribbled down its chin. She wiped her blade clean on her travel-soiled cloak and sheathed it with a feeling of distaste. Quill had never been much of a warrior, hence her proclivity for the healing arts, but she could take care of a problem when necessary. She turned Shanstrin away from the Orc’s body, now crumpled in a pile of leaves, and spurred her North, in hopes that they would soon find the secret path that she had sighted from the treetop.

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You try the silver key in the wooden door, the brass key in the steel door, and the gold key in the stone door. No locks turn. You must try again.

@Tarawen - You head South. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But in the clearing waits the wolf you encountered earlier. You've been here before! How will you deal with this creature this time - fight or flee? And which way will you then go?

@Durien - You climb the tree. Thanks to your skill and good balance, you reach the top. From your vantage point, you can see a secret trail heading North. You decide to take this path.

You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a crazed Orc appears. He has obviously been looking for Rivendell and became lost in the maze. You must kill it before he discovers the secret location. How do you kill it? And which way will you then go?

@Quill - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

[Silky Gooseness]

None of the keys turn. Silarien sighs and clicks her tongue. She waggles the silver key hopefully one more time, but nothing gives. She’ll have to try again.

Withdrawing all the keys, she chooses a different combination:

The silver key into the steel door;
The brass key into the stone door;
The golden key into the wooden door.

Will any of them click?

[Zôrzimril]

"This is RIDICULOUS!" Tarawen cried as she spotted a familiar grey wolf standing in the next clearing they came to. It seemed to remember her, too - it lifted its nose and sniffed hungrily at the air, but refrained from growling as before. It to Tara that it was looking for more food.

The ranger rummaged in her pack once more. She dismounted and knelt down on the ground, tossing half of a strip of meat in between herself and the wolf. It approached cautiously, eyeing her even as it swallowed the morsel practically whole. She repeated this process until it was about a foot away. Tarawen was astonished that it had learned so quickly - not to mention that it hadn't attacked. She gazed into its amber eyes and said, "I think I like you, fuzzy friend." She offered it the last bit of meat with an outstretched hand, and it took the food from her delicately.

Tara stood up, stretched, and hoisted herself into the saddle once more. The wolf watched them go. The last time she had been in this clearing, they had gone West. This time, they started North.

[Durien]

Although she tried to take the climb slowly, Durien's steady pace and agility, combined with her endurance conquered her lack of strength and her progress upwards was more rapid than she anticipated. Grasping the upper limbs of the mighty oak, she swung a small booted foot into the crevice between the two and stood upright. A few leaves yet fluttered above her ebony covered head, but her view was unhindered. Gazing across the landscape, her memories of the way into Rivendell became much clearer and she smiled. At last, she knew which direction she needed to travel - north! Thank the Valar for small favors. This high up, the breeze wafting towards her carried the fresh clean scent of Rivendell, so she took a moment to close her eyes and inhale deeply. The morning sunshine felt wonderful on her face. She had learnt long ago to savor the simple moments in life, and this was one.

As wonderful as it was, Durien couldn't stay in the tree forever if she hoped to reach Rivendell in time for dinner, or at least by nightfall. She was hoping for dinner though, as Lord Elrond's table never lacked for delicious food. Descending as steadily and as carefully as she ascended, it was not long before her booted feet were safe upon the ground once again. Hearing the dull thud, Théa stopped chewing and looked up, her ears pricked in the elleth's direction. Long stems of green grass hung from the gray mare's black muzzle. "Well, I can still climb a tree." She said to the horse, as if the horse required a response or comment of some kind. The slender mare's ears twitched and she shook her head, raven forelock flying before settling back in to eat. Durien paused to brush all of the twigs and leaves from her garb.

Remounting Théa, the pair continued on their merry way. Having seen from the tree that she needed to head north, Durien followed that path until it lead to another clearing. She hadn't seen this far ahead from the top of the tree, so there was another decision to be made. She dismounted once again, this time to examine the clearing for any clues as to which direction she should head next. Théa paid her no attention as the mare bent her head to graze in yet another tasty clearing. She was not going back in the direction from whence she had come, so left her to continue northwards, or to follow the cross path either east or west. East, she decided, they might as well try going East.

Before she could interrupt the mare's munching once again, something or someone else did, for Théa suddenly raised her head and tensed, her ears sharply pricked and nostrils flaring. Durien whirled around to face in the direction the mare was looking, just in time to see a crazed orc charging blindly through the brush, but not quite in her direction. She realized the orc must have heard her voice, and assumed he was on the correct path to Rivendell, but that the foul creature had not yet spotted her. Calmly but quickly notching an arrow to her bow, she followed his path with her eyes. She couldn't let an orc find its way into the Last Homely House. Following his path with her eyes, she waited until he came closer before drawing the bowstring to the corner of her mouth. The movement caught the orc's eye and he rushed towards her. She released. Her arrow was faster than the orc, but not by much as he fell to the ground dead less than a body's length away from her, an arrow running through his right eye and out the back of his head.

Grunting, she rolled the orc over and pulled her arrow free. Using the orc's own filthy clothes, she wiped the black blood from the arrowhead and shaft while debating what to do with the body. She didn't want it's presence to attract unsavory sorts, but her only real options were to bury it or burn it, but the first would take too much time and the second, too much smoke. Heaving a sigh, she looped a rope around the prone from and drug into the deep brush at the far side of the clearing. She'd tell Elrond's warriors where it was when she arrived, and they could dispose of it however they wished. Unless the carrion birds got to the corpse first.

Pulling Théa from her latest snacking effort, Durien mounted and headed East, more hoping than knowing it was the correct direction.

[Laintaen]

@Sil - You fit the silver key into the steel door, the brass key into the stone door, and the gold key into the wooden door. All three locks turn and all three doors open. Which door will you take - steel, stone or wooden?

@Tarawen - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But in this clearing lies the body of the Orc you killed. You've been here before! Which way will you go this time?

@Durien - You follow the path East. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the top of a sheer cliff face, with no way down. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

[Aerlinn]

The thing dropped from the trees to the left and scuttled into the middle of the clearing, a clicking, shadowy mass.

Wolfhound, depending on circumstance, might feel some sort of kinship towards wolf, but giant spiders were another matter entirely. Yávië gave a single snarl of warning and then leaped directly at the monster's throat. He would see it and its kindred dead a hundred times over before they moved unchallenged through his territory.

They crashed together into the dirt, a pile of flailing limbs. The spider twister and jerked, large enough to drag Yávië along the ground but the dog would not be shaken off so easily. He ignored the half dozen legs that thrashed and pummeled him and sunk his fangs in more deeply. His own back claws tore at the spider's underbelly where he could reach and the harsh growl in the back of his throat could be heard even above the sounds of the scuffle.

The spider's blood tasted like ash and rot. Yávië wrenched himself away as it finally went still, furious snarling unabated, and stalked towards the eastern path. His tail stood stiff and his lips curled back, daring another creature to cross his path.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

"Where the bloody hell was she?" Zarâm groaned as she entered yet another clearing, but this time the clearing was not empty as a mountain wolf was lurking near the centre. "At least I'm somewhere different," the muttered, wondering how best to get around this wolf. By this point Zarâm was deeply regretting the choice of entering the maze in the hope of pilfering some items for her stall in the Black Market. Why she had thought it would be easy was beyond her. But now, there was a wolf to deal with. Zarâm knew she was capable of strangling it, so she leapt onto its back and tightly wrapped her hideous arms around its neck. Once the wolf was out, she would try her luck with the Northern path.

[Silky Gooseness]

Click. Click. Click.

Silarien sighs in satisfaction, a hum of contentment moving out through her nose as she surveys the doors before her - each open just a crack as the locks release, a gleaming hint of promise behind each one. But which one is the right way? She rubs her knuckles over her chin thoughtfully, half-lidding her eyes, but they all seem equally inviting. Eventually, she reaches out, and pushes open THE DOOR OF STONE

[Zôrzimril]

"Ugh, gross. I forgot how messy these things can be," said Tara as they came across the orc she'd killed earlier. She hadn't really thought to clean up after herself in her haste. Giving the orc's ugly head the side-eye as Sírdal walked past, she decided she'd best be moving on if she didn't want to freeze to death overnight. "At least we know we've been here before."

Having previously gone North, Tarawen chose to head West this time. What could possibly go wrong?

[Quill]

Quill

Together she and Shanstrin found the secret path she’d spotted easily enough, and Quill was feeling rather good about herself as they rode northward as planned. By and by, though, the path inevitably shredded itself into multiple directions, which brought the elleth the closest she’d been yet to cursing. “Really?” she settled for muttering under her breath. “Is there no end to this?” With a begrudging sigh, she turned her horse West, choosing at absolute random.

[Laintaen]

@Aerlinn - You head East. You follow the path East. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the top of a sheer cliff face, with no way down. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head North. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But in this clearing waits the Orc you encountered earlier. You've been here before! Which way will you go this time?

@Sil - You take the stone door. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a wolf from the mountains appears. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

@Tarawen - You head West. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But in the clearing waits the wolf you encountered earlier. You've been here before! How will you deal with this creature this time - fight or flee? Which way will you go this time?

@Quill - You head West. You follow the path West. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the foot of a sheer cliff face, with no way up. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.