Feeling Lucky?

[+TIME] Middle-earth time is:

Midnight on Midyear\'s Day.

Execute the +TIMEFRAME command for year information.

Real time is: 16:55:12 MDT on Tue Mar 23 2010.

SouthWest Corner of Mirkwood - Dol Guldur Road

You stand at the south and west edge of what was once Greenwood the Great, now Mirkwood the dark and feared. The wood is thick and heavy with foliage, and stretches off to the north and east. Below you the ground is grass covered in the warm midnight setting. You can make out that the ground is heavily trodden into a smooth, bare track that skirts the edge of the forest.

The forest blocks your path to the northeast, but its outline serves as a pathway to the north and east. To the west and south lie open spaces.

Silvery outlined clouds backlit by the light of the moon can be seen stretchout out across the sky. The night time black is consumed in smokey grey clouds.

Contents:

Haldir

Uruk Camp

Obvious exits:

South, Road NorthEast, and SouthEast

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

Wispy clouds consume the darkling sky, and the faint outline of the moon can be seen through a parting in the canopy. It is midnight, and the forest is alive with the scuttling sounds of its nocturnal inhabitants.

As always, one group of creatures in particular is stirring up the majority of the nighttime noises. The Mordain camp is alive with activity, and there seems to be a rather excited aura among the tents this eve...a joyous feeling almost. It would appear the orcs are relieved that their rafts are ready for the final touches at last. A party of somesorts is underway, and many forms are gathered around firepits, where they eat and jabber. It is toward one of the nearest flickering fires that Bagaglok moves, the light flaring the red of his robes into a bright color. In his hands he holds a tray, upon which many cups are placed. It seems the injured claw is healing at last.

[Haldir(#25231)]

Surtha, a wiry orc clad in ashy-gray rags, is kicked out of the ring of feasters. He tries to scrabble his way back to the meat, to no avail. With a scowl curling his crooked face, he snatches scimitar and stone and sets to grinding one against the other, sulking upon a rock.

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

Slowly, purposefully, the shaman edges along the border of the throng, and the numerous drinks set across the dirty tray are proffered for any to take, if they would. But none of the partiers make a grab for one perhaps they know through experience of a foul taste, or perhaps there is a better reason...

Frowning and grumbling at the ignoring, Bagaglok seems to be the only one not enjoying the feasting -- until the uruk espies the sulking form of Surtha. A sickly grin creeps across the Malkog\'s face, and, stepping away from the others toward the lonely ragged orc, he sets his feet in that direction. Slosh, slosh, can be heard from inside the cups.

[Haldir(#25231)]

Scrape, scrape. The rasp of rusty iron on sandstone comes from the orc-soldier\'s bent back, along with a steady stream of hungry, unhappy mutterings. At last Surtha hears the slosh of drink and the step of the orc-shaman, and glares over his shoulder. \"What\'ya want?\"

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

\"Neglected by the festivities, eh?\" the sly grin remains, though no other emotion can be discerned on the shaman\'s countenance. \"A pity. Here,\" Bagaglok says, taking up one of the wooden drink containers, and holding it outward. Inside there is a greenish looking liquid. \"Here, a piece of the party.\"

\"Ha!\" another orc laughs suddenly over the noise from behind. \"Drink it if you\'s want to be poisoned! Fine with me.\" And the speaker goes back to his eating amid the others. Bagaglok gives him a dark glower, but says naught more. Instead, he watches Surtha, waiting with the cup hovering in midair.

[Haldir(#25231)]

Surtha scowls up at the shaman, his twisted face deforming even further. \"Don\'t need no booze,\" he mutters, scraping the stone upon his scimitar extra loud in an attempt to irritate Bagaglok away. \"A good side o\' elfer is all I need.\"

At the festive orc\'s shout, the skinny orc\'s yellow eyes glitter dangerously. \"Yew trying to kill me, eh? Well, better to offer it to them elfs. Shoo, shoo.\"

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

\"Kill you, and waste a whole mouthful of poison?\" scoffs the other, though his eyes narrow at the increasingly louder grating that the stone and scimitar are creating together. \"How would you like to catch one of them leaf ears and yourself enjoy its taste alone? It is a potion to make its consumer lucky...perhaps you shall have better fortune than I did with the tree monkey scum.\"

Bagaglok tilts his head a little, still observing the sitting orc in front. \"But if it would set your mind at ease that it is not poison,\" he raises the cup to his own mouth and swallows the substance in one gulp.

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"Really, now. If yew didn\'t do so well wid the elfer, why not have some earlier? Tch,\" spits Surtha, though he wipes a little drool from the corner of his mouth with a furtive claw. \"Err, yew better not be tricking me. I got nothing \'gainst yer, but it\'d better work, \'kay? Gimme the lucky brew.\"

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

\"It required a far longer length of time to brew than I anticipated,\" is all the shaman replies to the first question then a new cup is held out for the rag-clothed goblin to take. He looks about to say something more, but choses rather to bite his tongue. Bagaglok is unable to stiffle another grin, however unpleasant, as he looks on in obvious excitement. \"It had best work,\" he nods at last. \"It seems too good to be true that the elves are gone.\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"Yew think? Mayhaps they got scared away by our boats, thinking we\'re gonna rush their land,\" replies Surtha, grabbing the beaker and downing it. The empty vessel clatters on the stones by his dirty feet. \"Ey,\" he says, tugging on the shaman\'s sleeve. \"I feel kinda tingly. Is that what it\'s supposed to do?\"

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

The fanged smile broadens. \"Yes, there would be an odd sensation involved,\" answers the shaman, looking down at the second uruk and being careful that the tugging does not topple the rest of the containers. \"Do you feel lucky now?\" he laughs, but whether there is any ill intention in his tone, it is well concealed. \"Can you walk?\"

In the background, the feasters carry on, oblivious or either uninterested in the separated pair.

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"Uhh ... my legs are tingly, but,\" Surtha wobbles to his feet, swinging the scimitar precariously about for support.

\"Whatya want me to do? How do I know if I\'m lucky now? Agh!\" The orc-soldier smacks his own shins with the flat of the blade to evict the nasty prickling sensation.

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

Bagaglok waits until the wild flinging of the blade is done before stepping a pace closer to Surtha, and he quickly glances around to make certain no others are listening. \"You shall put your fortune to the test soon enough,\" the robed orc hisses quietly. \"We wish to be rid of the cursed light lovers for good, isn\'t that so? Well, here is what I want you to do, but it must remain a secret for the time being...the others might become jealous of your accomplishments and reward, you see.

\"Go into the deeper parts of the wood and fetch me some of the spider venom. Then we shall see about your prize for your deed. Should be easy with your new luck, yes?\" A slightly malicious leer forms on his lips, and he takes his empty hand to thump his companion on the back.

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"...Err? Umm, uhh,\" says Surtha uneasily, scratching his elbow as he looks right and left. \"I hope your dozage was strong enough, yarr. Wh\'ll I get when I come back? N\'how much you want me ter get?\"

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

\"Now, now,\" says the shaman. \"Telling you would ruin the surprise would it not? No, you shall have to wait and see regarding your reward. I will make it worth your while, and nerves.\"

A claw taps against the wood of the tray as Bagaglok ponders. \"Take as much as you are able...better you return alive with less, rather than falling dead and leaving the venom behind with you. Wouldn\'t do us much good then. I shall find a way to expand its amount enough to cause trouble for the leaf ears should they dare sprout up again. Give them a suitable welcome of toxin...\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"Okay,\" says the other orc worriedly, rubbing his nose. \"Why d\'yer think they\'re still here? When we leave the woods, they shouldn\'t follow us anymore. That\'s why we have them rafts, isn\'t it?\"

He hefts the scimitar, then reaches for a greasy pack, strapping it to his waist.

[Bagaglok(#24847)]

\"Indeed, but who\'s to say they won\'t pull a strike against us before we set to the water? Better to be prepared this time.\" The claw scrapes against the wood a little harder. \"We\'ll cut them to pieces, skai,\" growls Bagaglok.

\"You\'re ready? Then begone, and do not come back until you have obtained what I have sent you for.\" He waves a sleeved arm dismissively.

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"..umm, goodbye,\" says Surtha, his voice quavering a little as he backs into the tall, dark wood all alone. The pattering of his feet quickly disappears, along with his low muttering, something suspiciously like \"lucky lucky lucky, please save me.\"