Need ideas for adventures around The Toft

[Celebril]

Two of my players are off touring Scotland this week and the other 6 are begging me for a game. So I need a filler adventure and I thought the area around the Toft would be a good location. Unfortunately the Darkening of Mirkwood doesn't deal with The Toft so I only have the Heart of the Wild to go by. So I am looking for suggestions for adventures around there. I thought about maybe injecting the Fellowship into some intrigue concerning Vidugalum and his quest for immortality. Another idea I had was maybe having Radagast send the Fellowship on a diplomatic mission to The Toft to keep them from allying with Tyrant's Hill. Any other ideas or suggestions would be most welcome.

Hantanyel órenyallo!

Edit: I made Vidugalum a little more immortal and a little less immoral.

[Hermes Serpent]

Vidugalum and his quest for immorality.

I don'y think this means what you think it means, and it doesn't mean prolonging your life by corrupting maidens.

[Rich H]

Vidugalum and his quest for immorality.

I don'y think this means what you think it means, and it doesn't mean prolonging your life by corrupting maidens.

I'd be well on my way if it did, though.

[Celebril]

He could be that to. But I really meant "immortality". I better fix that or everyone will think that Vidugalum is a pervert or something.

[doctheweasel]

He could be that to. But I really meant "immortality". I better fix that or everyone will think that Vidugalum is a pervert or something.

Why can't it be both?

[Celebril]

Ok I fleshed out The Toft. So here is a little of the background of how I prepared for the game. I wanted the Fellowship to adventure around The Toft. First I needed to give them an excuse to go to The Toft. So I had them attacked by Tyrant Hill raiders. This attack set off Radagast who wanted to know what the relationship between Tyrant Hill and The Toft was since the raiders had come through Toft lands. So he summoned the Fellowship and asked them to be his ambassadors and seek an audience with Vidugalum to gauge his political leanings concerning Tyrant Hill and if possible seek his neutrality. Since there is precious little written about the Toft I wanted to give it a life of its own. In order to do that I gave it an identity crisis which reflects the same kind of struggles that the ruler, Vidugalum, is having. The top folks like Vidugalum want the city to become a center for trade and to exert itself in the world of Middle Earth. This means a more lawful and good leaning environment. On the other hand the ex-spies and informants of Dol Guldur found themselves without a job when Sauron fled. They banded together and now form the underbelly of The Toft. They took the name, Blackwold (which is a personal nod to Lotro). This underbelly gave me a chance to have the Fellowship explore the more seedier side of Middle Earth. It also allowed me to have an outlet for a couple of players that lean a little more on the Shadow side of things.

The Toft scene needed players so I created a whole inner circle of advisors to Viduglum and some villains. Here are the players:

Avina, the red haired northwoman who is in charge of Viduglum's household. She is kind of like Eowyn in that she is fiercely devoted to Viduglum. She is incorruptible and idealistic. She is also the point of contact between the Fellowship and Viduglum's court.

Gazrat, he is the orc leader of the brigade of orcs that Viduglum commands. When he saw the Fellowship dwarf he commented, "Look master they have a pet dwarf".

Holdred, who is the chief advisor to Viduglum. He is well traveled and wants to see The Toft flourish and take a leading rule in this part of Middle Earth. He is practical and more predisposed to favor the Fellowship.

Maracar, is also an advisor but if anyone has his hand on the pulse of the seedier underbelly it is him. That is all I can say about him since the adventure hasn't finished yet.

Aregisel, he is the mysterious leader of the Blackwold. No one seems to know what he looks like or resides.

There is a host of minor players that I came up with like the miller, Euric, who knows more about the Blackwold than he lets on. I created several quest possibilities for the Fellowship but in the end they went completely off the rail and decided to take out Aregisel. That is kind of where I left it in the last game session.

[shipwreck]

Hermes pointed us this way and I have to say this is some good stuff that I will one day steal. Thanks!

[Glorelendil]

Ok I fleshed out The Toft.

More word play?

[doctheweasel]

In plotting out bits of Darkening of Mirkwood, I'm realizing that the Toft fils a similar space as Tyrant Hill and Viglund up north. Since I am featuring both of them prominently, the Toft seems superfluous (which is unfortunate, since there is some cool storytelling pieces in it).

[theMoon]

For those same reasons I'm also having a hard time fitting it into my campaign. I'm thinking it might serve better as an isolated and mistrustful Woodmen settlement that used to participate politically and socially with Woodman-hall, etc, but was seduced away by the Necromancer. The PCs might have to rally warriors or reinforcements at the Toft towards the end of the campaign, or attempt to redeem the town and its leaders. Or it could just be a good place to hide something the PCs want. A famed axe, a map of Dol Guldor's dungeons, the hideout for an NPC they need the aid of (I forget her name, but the woman with the fox-hame of Radagast may fit here also)