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Two weeks ago we played through some more (of the retaking of the Greydelve), this time using Adventures in Middle-earth. As far as my summaries go, it's caused me to break up the whole thing a little more, being as we've actually done most of this at the table now (rather than hand-waving over it as originally intended).

We actually haven't even played the very last part yet, though many sessions ago (when it was just an overview), the players expressed their intent to not allow Frár to be murdered. I think we'll play that one (possibly as an Encounter with AiMe) to begin the next session. Here's how it now breaks down (most of it redundant here, the only new stuff is in the entry below for "The Greydelve", which is the part we just played):

“An Army Gathers”
Spring 2964

Escorted by Elven warriors, the four adventurers accompany Ormal as he travels to Woodmen-Town in the spring to see the Lamp of Balthi. Along the way they meet Beorn and Gandalf, who have returned from the far north, and learn of displaced Viglundings seeking homes. Ardorwyn and Idril bestow riches upon the community of slaves that live west of Woodmen-Town, and encourage them to begin trade with the Woodmen. Months later, emissaries of Frár arrive and explain that he has been granted permission by King Dáin to reclaim the Greydelve, though he must assemble his own army to do so. The four heroes join many warriors, sell-swords, and mercenaries, mostly men from Dale and Lake-town, north of Mirkwood, as hundreds of fighters assemble in the shadows of the Grey Mountains.

“Rallying the Troops”
Autumn 2964
Scouting near the Grey Mountains, Giant Bats and Hobgoblins ambush Idril, Me’lereal, Ardorwyn and Falandor in dark tunnels, cutting them off from a large group of mercenaries. The Hobgoblins prove to be extremely tough, and eventually both sides disengage and retreat back the way they came. Having suffered heavy losses, Ontoral and many mercenaries plan to leave. Frár begs the heroes to intercede, and they successfully persuade the men to stay. Over the winter bands of Dwarves join the cause and food becomes scarce, so the group hunts and brings in much game.

“Dwarven Gifts”
Spring 2965
Frár tells the adventurers rumours of a secret entrance on the north side of the mountain, so in the spring the four Elves travel there. After solving a riddle, they find a cache of treasure, armour, and ancient records, though a cave-in blocks the way to the main complex. After many more months of fighting, Frár gives magical gifts and treasure to the Elves, in thanks for their great help. The Free Peoples’ army then assaults the main citadel, battling hundreds of Orcs and many Trolls. They accomplish most of their objectives, killing the opponent’s commander, breaking down the outer wall, and destroying the enemy food supply lines before they are forced to withdraw.

“The Greydelve”
Summer 2965
For more than a year the heroes and their allies face pitched battles in the shadows of the Grey Mountains. On one occasion, Me’lereal, Idril, Falandor, and Ardorwyn find themselves far outnumbered by a score of elite Orc warriors and a couple of Wolves. They end up slaying so many of their foes that the piled bodies create walls, preventing the superior enemy numbers from being able to continue to surround them. After clearing the once-proud citadel above, and defeating countless Orcs and Trolls in the iron mines below it, the Free Peoples root out the last of the Orcs from the deepest dungeons.

“A Test of Loyalty”
Summer 2966
The companions learn that many of the mercenaries plan to murder Frár once the fight is finished, intent on recovering some supposed vast treasure. They put an end to the potential coup with minimal bloodshed, and are rewarded for their loyal service by now Lord Frár with Dragon-gold. When they return to the Woodmen, the Elves learn that the Lamp of Balthi was stolen while they were gone!

“Return to Dol Guldur”
Autumn 2966
Ardorwyn, Falandor, Me’lereal, and Beorning Alaric the Jagged are called to Rhosgobel, where Radagast urges them to accompany him on a rescue mission. The companions first travel to Tyrant’s Hill, getting intelligence from Mogdred before making the cruel slog into the darkest depths of Mirkwood. Radagast then heads to Fenbridge Castle to create a distraction, while the heroes take out multiple Orc patrols in the swamps. As the marshland suddenly comes alive, the adventurers ambush the enemy caravan, taking out many Orcs and two Hill-Trolls, rescuing fifteen Woodmen prisoners and recovering a chest containing the Lamp of Balthi!

Append the following to the last episode:

A falcon brings a message from Togo Proudfoot at the Easterly Inn, and after their return to Rhosgobel, Me’lereal, Idril, and Ardorwyn journey north to meet him there.

then we rolled into the next adventure:

“Treachery in the Woods”
Spring 2967
Idril, Ardorwyn, Togo, and Me’lereal cross the Elf-path to the Woodland Realm, to find many representatives from the other Free Peoples have arrived for a council with the King. Discerning that Hanna, daughter of Halbrech the Wineseller, is upset about her father, they gently push the old man until he confesses his own treachery. He explains that he has long been a spy in Thranduil’s court, terrorized into cooperation by a black-cloaked servant of the Enemy. They promise to protect him and his daughter, and Halbrech takes them to his room, turning over sketches, notes and plans he has hidden there. Ardorwyn researches and determines that the Ringwraith manipulating the man is the Messenger of Mordor. The four implore Thranduil to show mercy, and he listens to their counsel, forgiving the wineseller and offering to protect Halbrech and Hanna in his Halls.

We finally had another Encounter that was dicey for a bit. The Tolerance suffered going in (lots of bad blood with the Elves and recent events concerning the Lamp), and I think it was an earlier Revelation Episode which had made the Tolerance -2 (so it started at a 3).

But then they opened things with a failure, and an Eye triggered another Revelation Episode (my group has two High Elves and begins each time only one Eye away from triggering it again). I told my players the Tolerance was down even more!

It added some excitement to the scene, as they were no longer guaranteed their usual 'breeze through it' ability to make easy work of the Encounter.

Majestic wrote: But then they opened things with a failure, and an Eye triggered another Revelation Episode (my group has two High Elves and begins each time only one Eye away from triggering it again). I told my players the Tolerance was down even more!

It added some excitement to the scene, as they were no longer guaranteed their usual 'breeze through it' ability to make easy work of the Encounter.

Thats's almost bizarre - to have a new Revelation episode on every Eye. Since people roll eyes all the time you must have like ten Revelations every adventure? I guess that takes away a bit of the element of something special and evil happening? Do you play it out every time, or just adding difficulty? I am getting near a high hunt value myself with all five heroes going for at least 4 in Valour/Wisdom and three of time bearing Legendary weapons. I will probably raise the hunt threshold a bit, to avoid just the situation you describe.

The characters have realized the predicament they're in, and it seems at least one of the High Elves is realizing that it will soon be time for him to make the journey West and to leave the shores of Middle-earth.

I think we had four of them (Revelation Eps) last session, and that was a session without any combat (combat often provides a respite). They're only one away when they're in dangerous territory (which includes the Elf-path, in this case, for a month's travel across). I was able to come up with appropriate and different things each time. The first time was during the journey, and I imposed Weary upon all of them (A Weariness of the Heart). Then I had the Elves greet them more cautiously and distrustful than usual (Láthspell), and another time it lowered the Tolerance of their critical interaction with Thranduil to appeal for mercy towards Halbrech. There might have been a fourth, but I don't recall what I did there.

I've had them get the bonus from a wizard's blessing, when appropriate. But running around with High Elves and massively powerful items will tend to draw Sauron's gaze, and I think it fits pretty well, showing the players that they have significant risk.

Last Friday we played again; it was an especially spooky and terrifying session, and the players had fun with it.

“Nine in the Hall”
Winter 2968

Thranduil urges the company to investigate the rumoured disappearance of a missing village in the East Bight, where carved runes spell out the word ‘Raegenhere’; Ardorwyn determines it is the name of an ancient Northman king, buried in the same barrow where the adventurers saved Ceawin from a Wood-wight 17 years earlier. Me’lereal, Ardorwyn, Falandor, Togo, and Idril venture south and near the Woodland Realm discover a recently abandoned camp and mass grave with at least a dozen bodies. The weather gets worse as they take a boat down the Running River and make their way along the forest’s edge. They barely make it to a longhouse as they seek shelter from a terrible snowstorm with fell voices on the winds. They are welcomed inside by mostly Woodmen: host Mordern, his mother Old Geleswinta, farmer Ingel, his wife Berana, and their daughter Radagasa, warrior Grimfried (who had fought alongside the four Elves at the Greydelve), along with Dorwinion trader Gwina and miserly merchant Dwarf Burin from the Lonely Mountain. The others have been holed up there for some time, their provisions scarce and having run out of lamp-oil weeks ago. After the group shares a meal, ill-favoured man Angivisell arrives, claiming that the hall is surrounded by white faces in the snow! The firewood stacked outside is found to be missing as well. Burin slips away, and it soon becomes apparent that Angivisell and Radagasa are sick. Drunk on mead, Grimfried attacks Berana, but the heroes knock him unconscious and tie him up. The adventurers quickly dispatch Wood-wights outside, and when they come back inside Angivisell chokes and spits blood before dying from his illness. Geleswinta suggest finding simbelmynë to aid the sick child, so Idril, Togo, and Ardorwyn venture out to find the herb. As they reach the barrows where the flower grows, they find Burin, killed by terror, and are attacked by more Wood-wights. In the longhouse, blood begins dripping from corpses stashed in the thatched ceiling, and Falandor and Me’lereal are suddenly attacked by Mordern, possessed by the Wood-wight Raegenhere! The trio at the burial mounds defeat their adversaries, but the undead king fells the Mirkwood Elves and slays all of the others. The other three arrive back at the haunted house just in time to save the lives of their companions. Later, Me’lereal learns that Antar, his Woodmen friend watching his cottage outside Rhosgobel, died after having his blood sucked by a hideous Vampire-Bat.

Whoa, you weren't kidding about a creepy episode! It's very cool how many of your PCs have made it so long (both in real and game time).

Thanks, Rue! I've got a few campaigns that have gone for a bit longer than people ordinarily run them. For example, my supers campaign (using the Villains & Vigilantes) system, is now about 26-1/2 years old, with most of that time us getting together every other week! Though everyone ends up making and running new characters from time to time, you can imagine how experienced and powerful one PC is, who began play in 1991 (I think he's level 24!).

I really like how TOR is set up to encourage generational play, and the passing of years goes by in the background, with the world changing around the PCs.

Well I can't wait to see what happens next, these summaries of your gameplay are a real boon to those of us who want to develop our own LM muscles--so thank you for posting them.

Thanks!

Glad you're enjoying them!