Anyone remember the included Herubar-Gular adventure in the original Merp Book? It featured a fallen Rhudaurian Noble (Ar-Gular) and his band of merry Orcs, captained by the insufferable "Thuk" and including it's very own Watcher in the Tower, some roving nearby Wargs, and a squadron of Crebain for good measure.

So, for the sake of my brother with whom I used to play MERP when I was a kid, I'd like to have my group revisit Herubar-Gular in the Trollshaws of Rhudaur.

Has anyone attempted such an adaptation? If so, what did you do and how did you do it?

No comments? You make me sad.

Ok, well here is what I'm going to propose.

Ar-Gular, the nefarious Mage of the original adventure is a Rhudaurian Nobleman (Edain), who conflicted with Arthedain over the use of the Palantir at Amon Sul. Ar-Gular knew full well the power of the Witch King on his Northern Border, and after failed attempts to marshal forces for a first strike, he sought the Palantir with which to directly communicate with the other Kings of Arnor and even Gondor to the South.

As other Nobles fell to the power of the Witch-King around him, he resolved to make a last stand and resist the forces of Angmar. He was pledged assistance by other Lords in Arthedain and Cardolan, but during the last stand, no help came, and his barony fell to the siege of the enemy. During this climactic battle, his beloved wife was slain, and this outcome more than any other turned his heart to the inevitable course of shadow and darkness that it fulfills to this day. Betrayed, he cursed the faithful Numenoreans, and the Valar and the Elves of Lindon, whom he felt had counseled the other kingdoms to not help Rhudaur, fearing it a lost cause. But neither did he throw in his lot with the Witch King.

Given the choice to keep his lands, not as a sovereign state, but rather as a Vassal of the Lord of the 9, he chose to stay alive. But he harboured no love for his new master, only hate and fear. So he turned to a new path to fuel his rage. On an annual pilgrimage to Carn Dum to pay his respect and tribute to Angmar, he found himself wandered into a chamber with all manner of fell knowledge and occult influences. He stole away with some of these ancients scrolls and fastened himself to his keep in Rhudaur, where he diligently studied them.

He learned Morbeth, there in the solitary darkness of his ruined keep and with that knowledge he was able to read the other texts. They told of ancient cults and ancient secrets. He came to the worship the demi-god Morgoth, (unknown to him was his true nature) through an ancient secret cult devoted to the drinking of blood (Thuringwethil). In time he sought greater power to take his vengeance on the world: on Angmar for his beloved wife's death, and on the kingdom of Arnor and Lindon for their betrayal. But to do this he had to surrender himself to the unthinkable.

He started small; his first victims were common animals of the forest. But he soon overcame his inhibitions and conscience, and it was not long before he had taken to capturing men. At first he sought out low-life Hillmen and other commoners, but soon he realized that the blood of the faithful was even more potent and it fueled his blood with even greater power and life. And at the top of the food chain were the Eldar; the blood of elves was immensely powerful, and in drinking it he tapped into a portion of their immortality. For the blood of a single Elf could sustain him for a decade or more!

But there was a great price for this power. Like all the servants of darkness, he soon came to loathe the sun and to this day he cannot suffer it's presence. In addition, though he has extended life and near immortality, he must rest for long periods of time in the tombs beneath his castle, and he is forever bound to the memory of his beloved wife who rests in sarcophagus beside him. He feels the presence of the Valar more portently than others (not unlike the Ulairi), and has difficulty crossing rivers and being in rain, where the spirit of Ulmo retains it's presence in Middle-earth. The invoking of blessed Valar names he fears and curses as they are the mirror to the guilt and shame in his heart.

As he consumes the blood of animals, so has he taken on some of their attributes. Indeed his "normal" form is more beastial than man, and he can only appear as his previous self for short periods of time, and even then it is taxing on him. Peculiarly, when he takes the blood of elves, they do not die, like men or beasts. Rather, they wither unto a form not unlike the present day Orc, though much more potent and intelligent. (I have speculated on the idea that the first Orcs that Morgoth perverted were created by a system not unlike this; many of the Orc interpretations appear as nosferatu style vampire thralls and they share some qualities, not the least of which is their bloodthirstyness and hatred of sunlight).

My story/legend for this came after watching the Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I very much enjoyed (though it does have its flaws), and I wanted to reintroduce the Vampire as a monster to my group, as they are technically speaking canonical.

I'm thinking of Ar-Gular as an attribute level 8 or 9, with a bunch of dreadful spell affects, about 15 hate, 40-60ish endurance, 8 parry, and the ability to assume a couple different forms a man, a wolf and mannish sized bat-like/demon creature.

I was longing for someone to answer as well

For my part, lack of comment wasn't so much lack of interest as lack of knowledge on the source material...

I'm keeping an eye on this tread, curious to see how it will turn out.

Yup, same here.

Still your villain and his background are well thought out and nicely presented. I would consider using the Crimson Shadow (Red Shadow?) Vampire as your base critter. Just up the Attribute Level and perhaps a better definition of how the shapeshifting actually works. I believe it had something to do with the Shadow Ability of Bewilder but was quite vague.
One thing though, 15 points is a Huge amount of Hate and I would seriously consider dropping that to about 10 at a maximum.
Have you any idea about what you want his Dreadful Spell to do?

Thanks for the praise Halbarad.

I agree that 15 points is a huge amount of hate. My hope is for the PC's NOT to engage Ar-Gular in a stand up mono-y-mono style fight, and that if they do, they will probably lose.

Rather, I'm hoping that the PC's find a way to force any of the following as advantages (and that they do the necessary research to KNOW about these weaknesses):

-Fight outside, during the day
-Fight during rainy weather or force him into a natural pool of water.
-Successfully learn that he has a weakness to the naming of Valar.
-Force him into repentance by invoking the memory of his wife and shaming him with his actions.

Any one or a combo of these could/should potentially weaken him. Ideally, I'd love a violent conflict that ends in a "non-death"; essentially the redemption of the villain by causing him to forsake his curse and hatred and die in a mortal way.

Powers/Abilities.
Here's what I'm thinking of him having:

Bewilder. -1 hate point to reduce hero's parry to basic TN of stance.
Savage Assault. -1 hate point to attack with Bite if Claw attack hits.
Fell Speed. Can fly to attack anyone in any stance.
Hideous Toughness. -1 hate point to reduce endurance loss from hero attack by 8.
Seize Victim. (Used to drink blood). If claw hits, hold on to hero to reduce his mobility , cannot change stance, and half parry rating.

Dreadful Spells:

-Fell Sinews: (Ar-gular rolls "Lore" skill, TN: 14). Spend 1 hate point to increase armor value by +2d. Protection lasts against 1 piercing blow attack (2 pb's on great success or 4 pb's on extraordinary success).

-Enthrall. Spend 2 hate points to put a hero into a catatonic "stupor". (Wisdom Test TN 16). Only one victim can be enthralled at a time. Lasts for 1 "scene". Any attacking of the victim breaks the spell. During this time, the victim can be instructed to do menial tasks of servitude that do not put it's life into immediate danger. If the victim rolls an "Eye" of Sauron, Ar-Gular can choose to spend another point of hate (thus 3 in total) to fully mentally enslave/dominate the hero.

-Darkness. Spend 1 hate point to dim or snuff out the light in the area. Players must make an "Awareness" or Search Test (TN: 14) in place of the typical Valour or Wisdom test to be able to see (only roll once.) Those that fail cannot see and lose 1 point of hope.

-Encroaching Dread. Spend 1 hate point to fill all heroes in the area with a sense of dread. (Valour TN: 16). Failure = +1 Shadow Point and hero is considered to be "afraid" (treat as "weary"). Each round, the hero can attempt to make a new Valour roll at TN: 14, however failing the initial test still results in a Shadow Point award, even if he makes a subsequent Valour test.

It's a good idea Rocmistro and I like that Rhudaur area for adventures.

Do you remember when the original adventure was set? I know a lot of MERP stuff was around 1000TA.

I believe the default MERP stuff was supposed to take place in 3rd age, about 1650.

By that time, Arnor would have been split by the civil war for 800 years. The Witch-King would have conquered Fornost, and the population of Eriador seriously diminished. Rhudaur, by this time is little more than a no-man's land, I imagine, with isolated pockets trying to get by without cutting each other's throats.

By late 3rd age, Rhudaur would still be a menacing, mostly uncivilized area, I imagine, with Trolls packed into the Trollshaws, and Hillmen loyal to (or subservient to) Angmar to their North occupying the highlands before leading to the Mts of Angmar proper. I figure there is a ton of good ole' fashioned "ruined" stuff in Rhudaur that no one has even dared excavate. I think it's a very good Dark-Age type area, very post-apocalyptic feeling to me.