The Heroes of the Anduin Vale (actual play thread)

[nazgul_2000]

For those who are interested, I am going to begin posting my game summaries here as an actual play thread. Some of this material is months old, and my in-game notes are pretty sketchy, so the earlier entries won't have as much mechanical information. I'll try to remember that as we continue to play (as that's one of my favorite parts of reading the other APT's - I like seeing how other LM's handle the rules and adjudications).

We've been playing a modified version of select games from Tales From Wilderland, so spoilers abound.

Heroes of the Anduin Valley is my tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the party has yet to leave that region of the map. Plus, I felt I needed to name this thread something.

The companions are:

Dag Fridwulf, a dwarf
Lucas Giant-Killer, a Beorning
Hilda, a lady woodman
Idrys, a wood-elf
Ollo Underbottom, a hobbit
Findailus ("Nea"), a wood elf

We play about once per month (next session: tomorrow!) and up next will be the beginning of The Darkening of Mirkwood.

Enjoy! And please, feel free to critique, comment, laugh, cry . . . whatever.

[nazgul_2000]

Session 1.
Source: Words of the Wise
Year: Fall 2946

From the journal of Dag Fridwulf:

I was to join a hunting party in a contest to bring down a great stag with which to roast in celebration of the fall/winter harvest, just south of Rhosgobel, under the eastern eves of Mirkwood. Notably, an elf, Idrys, made a marvelous shot at a great stag. Yet feasting was not in my fortune that day for foul smelling goblins, raiding from the mountains, suddenly attacked the hunting parties. Many were injured in the pitched battle, swords cleaved, axes sang, and bows twanged with deadly accuracy. A giant among men, Lucas, bravely charged in amongst the goblins wildly swinging, while the lady of woodman-town, Hilda, struck blow after blow fending off the goblins from the wounded hunters. With long strides, I, Dag Fridwulf, followed quickly after, striking down the foe with my ax. Arrows whizzed from Idrys’s bow, and little Ollo Underbottom distinguished himself with his archery skills. Ollo also used a particularly foul stinking weed to scare off the goblins, and they ran off in a daze.

(That was the end of our introductory session. We spent most of our game time making new characters, and play was slow as we were just learning the game. This was written by one of the players, and today I have no recollection of what the "foul stinking weed" is referring to. When we met again, Ollo (the Hobbit) was not present, so I decided that after the orc ambush, Ollo was captured, and the remaining party went in search of him. We would not return to the Words of the Wise until later.)

[nazgul_2000]

Session 2.
Fall, 2946.
Source: Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit
From the Journal of Dag Fridwulf:

Fast friends are we, who have decided to give chase to those who would raid such good folk. We saw to the wounded, staunched their wounds, and sent them back to Rhosgobel. To our great dismay, we learned that the retreating goblins took Ollo captive, and were last seen heading north, following the Anduin. We hardened our hearts and set out to discern the cause behind this heinous deed, and to retrieve our missing comrade.

Lucas (the Beorning), Hilda (the Woodsman), and I started to track this goblin raiding party northward. (The party succeeded on their various rolls, such as hunting, explore, etc.)The trail was not hard to find nor follow, as goblins get great pleasure out of destroying all that is around them, leaving a clear trail. But soon we found a clue - a metal clasp, that I had crafted myself and given one to each of my companions to mark our fellowship (I obviously cribbed this from The Two Towers, but in fact, Dag did say in our first session that he had used his metal craft to create matching brooches for the party). It was shaped of the ax and bow, and was lying trampled in the debris of the deserted goblin camp we came upon.

The trail continued north, following the Great River, and then stopped at a clearing where a smaller trail broke off and led to a small and comfortable cottage, the Easterly Inn, a small piece of the Shire all the way out here in the Wild. There we met the proprietor, Dinodas, and learned that a lone hobbit fitting Ollo's description was at the door just yesterday. "He asked if there was room at the inn, but something in his eyes told me to be wary - he was trying to warn me of some menace watching from a distance. The dogs were growling, and I caught the scent of goblins from beyond the hedge. Never doubt an Innkeeper's sense of smell! Grasping the hint, I turned him away, though it pained me to do so. I suspect he saved us from a goblin raiding party, though at what cost to himself I can only shudder to think."

We took up lodging at the inn that night. Being the handy dwarf that I am, I persuaded the innkeeper to put us up for the night in exchange for some repair work. (Dag succeeded on his craft and persuade rolls) He was well pleased with my skills. Lucas, deep in his cups, attempted to awe the innkeeper with his stories of valour and renown, but time was late, and the innkeeper fell asleep. (Lucas failed on his awe roll)

The next day we made a plan with Dinodis - we would join a caravan leaving his inn and going west into the mountains, so we would covertly follow the goblin trail into the eastern foothills of the Misty Mountains. The mountains have been long quiet, after the great goblin war. Roads, travelers, and even homesteading in this area had begun to flourish. What now? Is there something foul taking hold of the mountains again? I sense a shadow that yet lingers.

All seemed quiet for several days. The tracks from the goblins seemed to follow on the same path, so we trudged on. One day we came upon an old ruin of an ancient town, where we decided to make camp. As the night wore on, finally, it was my shift to keep watch. A strange sleepiness crept over me, but I managed to throw it off in time to see before me a hideous undead creature, a wight, me thinks. (Lucas and Hilda failed their watch roles, and were dragged off into the mud by the wight, leaving only Dag to fend it off in single combat). Quickly I threw more wood on the fire and called out to my companions to wake and come to my aid. None came. My fate seemed sealed, as I stood and exchanged furious blows with this creature from the underworld. Blow after blow, I slowly wore it down, and as luck would embrace me that day, not a one was scored back upon me. (This being just my second session, I failed to realize that creatures add their attribute level to their attack roles.)

Then surprisingly, out of the dark, the tall formidable Beorning warrior, Lucas, freed himself from the mud and charged to my aid, striking a mighty blow. The wight turned and struck at him, but shortly thereafter, I struck such a massive hit that I cleaved the wight in two. After catching our breath, we found that our companions had been dragged to the bog in their sleep. We think this creature must have cast an enchantment, for they did not wake upon entering the murky swamp. Lucky for this party, that this dwarf remained steadfast, and saved them from their watery graves.

A dwarf like me wonders, what else awaits us in these mountains? Although the mountains seem fair to my dwarf senses, I sense something foul afoot.

[nazgul_2000]

Session 3.
Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit, Continued. This time, the full party was present, including Ollo.
Fall 2946.

The party awoke, and continued their climb into the foothills of the Misty Mountains, their snow-covered peaks rising majestically into the western sky. The party tracked the fleeing Goblins off the main road and down a mountain path that eventually opened into a cavern in the rock face. At the back of the cave they found a tunnel that plunged into darkness. Leaving the caravan behind, the adventurers entered the tunnel.

The mountain tunnel was dark, dank, and ever winding. Luckily, they avoided any potential hazards, such as getting stuck in a narrow passage, or the occasional wandering troll (they succeeded on their Travel rolls). After a few hours they came upon a widening of the tunnel, whereupon two goblins stood guard. Nea, the wood elf, sneaked past them (Stealth test)and into the larder beyond, where she found Ollo, the party's missing comrade. He was chained to the wall and was furiously working on a gigantic feast. Numerous pots and pans were boiling and simmering, and the hobbit barely even stopped peeling potatoes long enough to acknowledge his friend. He was, in fact, cooking for his life . . .

The rest of the party subdued the two goblin sentinels (they fought and slew them before they could raise the alarm), then Lucas the Beorning and Dag the Dwarf donned their gear in order to stand in their place and not arouse suspicion. (I think I made take a corruption test for donning such filth). Hilda and Nea hid themselves amidst the mess in the kitchen whenever a goblin, usually half drunk, wandered into the larder from the feast hall further down the lair. And wander down they did, always searching for more food and drink. The first such goblin was slain, the second was allowed to grab a loaf of bread and depart, the third went further up the cavern to where Dad and Lucas stood guard . . . and though he detected their ruse, he was too inebriated to act on it (I had the roll persuade, I think. When they failed, the Orc attacked, but once again they killed it quickly so no alarm was raised). A fourth came and sampled Ollo's broth.

But when the goblins were not coming into the larder, Hilda was hard at work, using her knowledge of herb lore (and the well stocked larder) to create a sleeping potion (I may have let her use her Healing skill here, as she is really good at it). She finished just in time to add it to the carrot stew that was being carried out to the feast hall. It was a potent brew, and it left just six still awake (I made some kind of roll here, one for each victim, but I don't recall what). Those six eventually came into the larder, where the party dispatched them (including Ollo, who fought with a knife while still chained to the wall). The rest of the wicked host - including the Goblin Chief, with the key to Ollo's lock around his neck - sat snoring in their chairs down in the feast hall.

Lucas had a burning in his heart that no logic could dispel. Spear drawn, he entered the feast hall to slay the sleeping Goblins. (I warned him that this was a misdeed, but it is consistent with his character's traits) But alas, before he could commit the fell deed, Nea stepped on a plate and woke the Goblins up (each player had to make a Stealth roll when they entered the feast hall - she was the first to fail). The rest of the party rushed into the feast hall, save Ollo of course, who was still chained to the wall. A great battle ensued, and the party was victorious, Lucas using his rage to quickly slay the Chief.

The party made a quick search of the further caverns. Dag discovered the Goblin Chief's chamber, where he saw strange things, of which he has not yet spoken to anyone (this was the hint I embedded in the game summary for Dag to follow up on privately - what he saw was an odd collection of mummified heads - a foreshadowing of the Gibbet King's involvement). The noises of more Goblins gathering from deeper chambers caused the party to make a hasty exit from the lair, and they burst out into the twilight-lit mountainside with scores of Goblins behind. They spotted the caravan atop a flat hill surrounded by a ring-shaped earthen mound. A single narrow path led to its only opening, though the mound was lowest at the back of the hill. (Since in my story, the Hobbit was already captured, I decided to run the battle of the Ringfort on the way out of the tunnels)

The Goblins began to surround the old fortification as the party spilled into the clearing. The travelers from the caravan guarded the back of the hilltop, while the party stood strong at the main entrance. Soon, the air was filled with Goblin arrows, falling in from all around. Two by two, the Goblins began marching up the narrow path. Somewhere amidst the chaos, the party began to hear the piercing howl of many wolves.

But the party held the opening. Swords flashed, arrows flew, Goblins fell. Lucas, still seething, issued loud commands and threats that were terrible for the Goblins to hear (he was using Intimidate Foe on the Orcs as they approached the opening), and many simply fled. Two waves of marching Goblins were repelled, but then Ubhurz leaped over the wall.

Ubhurz was the leader of the war band, and the de facto Chief in the wake of the prior Chief's sudden slaying. He was taller than the other Goblins, and more foul, and he swung his black-bladed two handed scimitar in a mighty swath before him. But alas, his reign was short, and in the middle of the hilltop near the covered wagon, he died. The remaining goblins immediately fled back to the mountains.

The party traveled east, down the foothills and into the Anduin river valley. Crossing the River Anduin near the Old Ford, they were soon back at the Easterly Inn, where a great feast was held in their honor. The party stayed there many days, healing their wounds and enjoying the varied company that came to the inn - travelers from all over Wilderland, be it elves from Mirkwood or men from Dale. Perhaps one such traveler will inspire the party to go adventuring yet again . . . that, or whether the party intends to return to Rhosgobel to report what they have seen to Radagast, is known only to them. (I was using this paragraph as an open-ended plot hook to start the next adventure, in case the party couldn't think of anything.)

[nazgul_2000]

Session 4.
Fellowship Phase spent at the Easterly Inn.
Spring 2947.

While resting at the Easterly Inn following their victory at the "Battle of Ollo's Stew", the party overheard two Beorning travelers crying in their mugs of ale. Curious, the company approached them and offered to lend their ears. Turns out the Beornings were upset with themselves for behaving cowardly after spotting a boat that washed ashore on the banks of the nearby Anduin River, with two dead Beornings inside, each pierced by many arrows. The company offered to investigate, and set out at once . . .

. . . only to return to the Inn a short while later, after realizing that they did not count a boat among their possessions. A man at the inn offered to rent his boat to the party for a daily fee, but Dag convinced him to loan it out for free (Persuade roll). After using it to cross the mighty river to the eastern shore and investigate the murder, the loaned boat was promptly returned to the inn.

The party divined that the boaters were killed by orc arrows, and they also found evidence that a third person was on board, a prisoner by the looks of it, but he somehow escaped. The company took the funeral boat to Beorn himself. Nea decorated it with flowers as a testament to the fallen.

Beorn explained that the deceased was Marovech, an important follower that he dispatched to the far flung villages under his protection to investigate crimes and bring the accused back for justice. Marovech must have been on just such a mission when he was killed. Beorn tasked the party with finding the escapee, but first, they attended the funeral, where Ollo sang a beautiful dirge that moved many a Beorning to tear (Song roll).

The party returned to the scene of the crime and found tracks leading away from the river, to the south and the east, among the rolling hills of tall grass that dominate the fertile land between the river and Mirkwood. (Hunt, Explore) They followed the trail to the small village of Stonyford. They were greeted by the village elders and were allowed to enter as friends of Beorn, and learned that a young villager named Oderic had fled following the killing of his rival, Rathfic. The party interviewed key witnesses to try and piece together the mystery, including Brumhild, the wife of Rathfic and the only witness to the killing; and Helmgut, her father. Brumhild admitted that Oderic confided in her that he intended to go west, across the river, and never return to Stonyford, where he believed he was always misunderstood. The party set out to follow him.

Crossing the Anduin again, the party headed south, and came upon a small forest wherein a tribe of Easterling outlaws had recently taken refuge. Having no home, Oderic had taken up with the band. While Ollo and Nea snuck through the woods, Lucas, Dag, and Hilda walked right into the middle of the camp and confronted the outlaw's leader, Valter the Bloody. (I misread the text, as I was skimming it on the fly during the game. I thought it said "Valtar's camp is easily visible in the middle of the forest" when in fact it says something akin to "Valtar's tent is in the middle of the encampment." Of course I didn't realize this until after the game) Surrounded by him and his forty or so men, it is a wonder the three heroes survived, but Lucas' stern (yet eloquent) words persuaded Valter to let them talk to Oderic in private. (Lucas aced his rolls, probably awe or persuade, I don't exactly recall).

Once they learned that Oderic acted in self defense when he killed Rathfic, they offered to help him restore his good name to Beorn. Oderic agreed to betray the outlaws and help the party. Valter let Lucas, Dag, and Hilda go, but he secretly dispatched a handful of warriors to follow them out of the woods and kill them.

Though he was not a prisoner of the camp, Oderic was always watched by someone, usually Faron the Trapper, one of Valter's most lethal followers. Oderic was even allowed to leave the camp to wander the woods from time to time, provided Faron went with him. Realizing this, Ollo and Nea crept up on the two when they went on one such walk, and slew Faron, freeing Oderic. The three then made great haste to join the rest of the party, knowing they would soon be waylaid.

They got there as fast as they could, but in the end they were not needed, as Lucas, Dag, and Hilda turned the tables on their hunters by ambushing them. Oderic told them that Valter planned on leading his small army straight to Beorn himself, and Nea bravely went on a forced march, all alone over the edge of the wild, to get the message to Beorn (and probably would have perished had she not dodged the wandering pack of Wargs that almost came upon her). (She was given an automatic success to swim across the river due to her swimming trait, and then she passed her lone Fatigue Test) The rest of the party marched north to the old ford, and there decided to make their stand. (Again, without reading it carefully, I thought the ford still had a bridge - turns it hasn't for centuries. I borrowed the following concept from The Crossings of Celduin).

They held the narrow bridge from the first two waves of outlaws, then they joined with Beorn's forces coming up from the south. There, on the banks of the great river, a battle was fought between the Easterling outlaws bent on dominating Wilderland, and the rag tag militia Beorn was able to scrounge together on short notice. The battle begin to go ill for the heroes, as they became segregated from the main host, and found themselves surrounded by warriors while archers rained arrows on them from afar. Nea was bleeding from many wounds. But suddenly a great roar went up, and Beorn himself burst into the clearing, clad as a ferocious and gigantic bear. The Easterlings that survived his onslaught fled, and the battle was won, though regrettably Valter did escape.

Oderic fought bravely against the Easterlings, but he still had to answer for his actions in Stonyford. A trial was held at the Carrock, the ceremonial rock formation in the middle of the Anduin that is so meaningful to the Beornings. Dag gave an impassioned plea, and Beorn absolved Oderic of any wrongdoing (this was role played so well by Dag, who had taken copious notes of the whole investigation, that I did not require actual dice rolls).

[nazgul_2000]

Session 5.
Still Spring 2947.

Two days after the battle, the party having rested and healed a little bit, they decided to head off at once to find Valtar and bring him to justice. But whither did he go? I decided that whichever way the party went, that would be where Valtar went too. Turns out they began their hunt by turning to the east.

After two days overland journey the party was back in Stonyford, with Oderic in tow. He was reluctant to go back, given his history there, and when the village elders came to meet the party outside the village, Ava was reluctant to let Oderic enter. I improvised a social encounter here, with Oderic's reception in the balance. The party rolled well, and Ava begrudgingly agreed to forgive Oderic and welcome him home.

The party talked to the villagers for clues of Valter's whereabouts. That night, a village meeting was held, where the parties learned about the existence of a nearby fortification that he may possibly use. Flipping through Heart of the Wild, I saw an entry for an old quarry turned Woodman outpost (Stonehallow), and figured Valtar would find that to his liking. The party set out for it in the morning.

As the party approached two days later, two Woodmen were standing guard inside the outpost. Surprisingly, they would not allow them to enter. Unbeknownst to the party, Valter and his few remaining henchmen were hiding within. He was using the Woodmen as guards against their will by holding their wife and children captive in the caves beneath the outpost. I asked for awareness rolls as the party addressed the Woodmen, who said they were under orders not to let anyone in - the party detected that something was amiss, but could not determine exactly what.

As it was now evening, the party set up camp in a small forested area not too far from Stonehallow. Knowing something was awry with the guards in the outpost, they made a fake campsite and then climbed into the trees and waited. Sure enough, five outlaws quietly left Stonehallow under cover of darkness and attacked the (empty) camp site. The party then ambushed them from the trees, and easily defeated them.

The party immediately returned to Stonehallow, and this time the Woodmen guards let them in, knowing that Valter's reckoning was at hand, and that half his remaining band had been slain. The companions found him and his remaining band in a cave. One guard held two women hostage at spear point. I had recently finished The Children of Hurin, and I've been wanting to copy the scene where the orcs killed their prisoners as soon as they were attacked - but the party must have suspected that, because they held the initiative and killed the guard first.

Valtar fought hard, but in vain - he was slain before landing a single blow. I did not get to run Valter in the previous session, so I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, he missed with each of his swings, while the party brought him down in three blows.

In searching the cavern, the party found a mummified head (not sure if I'm ever going to run Those Who Tarry, but I did plan on using the Gibbet King, so I added this touch of foreshadowing to Valtar's motives. They previously found such a head when they defeated the Goblin Chief in Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbits). The party found his war chest, but there was nothing unusual - let alone magical - in it (this is revisionist history, as Rivendell was not out when we ran this, but later I let the parties go back in time and roll for magical treasure).

The parties returned to Stonehallow to bring tidings of Valtar's defeat.

We had a small turn out on this day, so this was a shorter adventure, more of a side trek if you will.

[Majestic]

Outstanding summaries, nazgul_2000! I really enjoyed reading them, especially the parts in green when you pulled back the curtain a bit.

[Falenthal]

I like the use of a mummified head as a cell phone the Gibbet King gives his associates. Horrible!

[nazgul_2000]

Session 6.
Fellowship phase spent at Stonehallow.
Fall 2947.

The party retired at Stonehallow for the summer, but they were not idle. Lucas the Beorning started a small homestead nearby; Dag the Dwarf sent a Raven to Beorn with tidings of the fall of Valtar; and Nea eased her tired soul with a beautiful new song (healed on Shadow Point w/ a roll of Song).

In the fall, the companions set out for Rhosgobel. The three day hike was uneventful. Arriving at the small wooded town situated between the Anduin River and the western eaves of Mirkwood, the party obtained an audience with Radagast in order to find answers to their questions. (I used the social encounter from A Darkness in the Marshes, and the party rolled well). Radagast was very concerned about the mysterious and macabre severed heads that the parties had found. He suspected their true purpose, but he was unsure what kind of power there was presently in Middle-earth that could wield such necromantic arts. Radagast deemed it important enough that he tasked the company with seeking more clues.

The party debated where to turn for more information. Their first impulse was to explore the frightful Dol Guldor itself. Radagast suggested visiting his ally Hartfast, the leader of Mountain Hall, as he is both wise and well learned in the events of the Anduin River valley. The parties agreed to see Hartfast, and prepared to set out in the morning. (This was a cop out on my part, really. I panicked a little bit when I saw this low-level (no rankings above 2 yet) party leaning towards storming Dol Guldor, so I gave them an alternative suggestion. I instantly regretted it - I temporarily forgot how easy it is to "wing it" as an LM in TOR (which was a topic of a previous post, by the way). Radagast bestowed some minor magical gifts on them before they left.

The companions awoke and charted their course (I just ran this as a straight Fatigue Test because I did not really want to run Banna as an NPC). They hiked west for three days, until they came to the Gladden Fields. Lucas thought they would find settlements there, including a boat to take them north up the river. But he was mistaken, as all they found were a few deserted Wild Hobbit Holes on the banks of the river.

Undaunted, they built a raft and took it up the Gladden River, a four day trek to the foothills of the Misty Mountains. They then proceeded north, keeping the mountains on their left, until they arrived at Woodland Hall three days later (I thought traversing the Gladden was an odd way to get there, but that's what I get for taking away their NPC guide!).

The parties hiked up the mountain and came to the gate of Mountain Hall. They asked to speak with Hartmut, but when they found him, he was in no mood for conversation. He dealt with them briskly, then left abruptly, complaining about some issue of Goblins in the mines near his. (The parties failed this social encounter before it started, as none of them have really paid much attention to Standing. The tolerance started at 2, but then I subtracted 1 for each elf and hobbit in the party, and today there was one of each (Nea and Ollo)).

Their host having left them, the party was free to mill about the hall. They met Magric the Trapper, selling furs and skins in the open air market. From him they learned about the mysterious Dwimmerhorn. Dag the Dwarf agreed to pay him one treasure for his guidance to this mysterious and foreboding structure. They agreed to set off in the morning.

As the party was not allowed to stay in the main keep, they camped outside the gates of the main hall. They even took turns keeping watch, as if they were still in the wild. Despite this, all of them failed to observe the Goblins advancing from the tunnels beneath the Hall. (They all failed their TN 16 Awareness rolls).

They were awoke by the sounds of battle and screaming. Three Goblins were fleeing down the mountain, and a wounded Woodman guard was clinging to life on the shore of the river below - he had fallen over the cliff after being stabbed. The party wisely chose to let the Goblins go, and instead rescued the guard. They earned a little bit of Hartmut's favor for this.

That morning, the party set off with Magric as their guide. It would be an eight day hike, five days to the marsh-like Gladden Fields, and then three days within the marshes until they would come across the Dwimmerhorn. On the eighth day, they were surprised to find a man running straight for them. He was panicked, and kept looking over his shoulder. The party could not get much out of him, when suddenly, it all became clear - he was being hunted by orcs and their wolves. (I kept waiting for the party to do something after meeting the escapee. I tried to make it obvious that he was running from something, but they were more interested in pumping him for information than preparing an ambush, as the adventure envisions. Thus, Magric did not get a chance to yell "ambush."Instead, I let the orcs attempt to surprise the companions when they burst through the mist, but the party avoided that by rolling well on the Awareness test.)

The party faced off against four orcs, two wolves, and for the first time in their adventuring career, a Black Uruk. Tall and grim he was, and more fell then the other orcs. On his gear he bore the emblem of a red eye. He struck Lucas a grievous blow, and wounded the Beorning - the first battle wound he had ever received. Perhaps this caused him to redouble his rage, for he slew the Uruk with the next stab of his spear. After the battle was over, the escaped prisoner remained, but Magric was nowhere to be seen . . . (to be continued)

[nazgul_2000]

At our next session, we picked right up where the party left off, having defeated the orcs in the marshes . . .

The parties tended to the escaped prisoner's wounds, particularly Hilda, the Woodwoman who was well learned in the healing arts. He told the whereabouts of the Dwimmerhorn, and also the little-known goat path that winds up the back of it. The party left him there to rest, and went off in search of the Dwimmerhorn.

Finding it, they attempted to sneak around to the back of it. Lucas was almost spotted by orc guards on the top of the hill (he failed his Stealth test but passed his Awareness test to just avoid detection). The companions began the arduous task of climbing up the goat path. Lucas slipped and would have fallen, but Idris the elf caught him from above. Dag the Dwarf fell three times trying to get off the ground in the first place, and would have taken a wound but for his dwarven armor.

When all had successfully climbed up, the group found themselves undetected at the back of the stronghold. They sneaked to the temple and looked inside, and saw Ghor, Lockmand, and the Gibbet King talking at the back of the chamber. Slowly they crept in, and overheard their conversation. At the conclusion of the meeting, the party decided that such evil had to be stopped, and they attacked! Idris fired arrows from behind a large pillar, Dad and Lucas fought with Ghor, and the Gibbet King tried casting spells at Hilda, but with little success. Lockmand crawled away on the floor. This is obviously not what the designers had in mind. I did have a couple of random orc patrols enter the fracas, which forced Idris to leave the rearward stance. The game implies that doing anything other than sneaking and running if spotted would be instant death, but I decided to give the party the benefit of the doubt. After a brief skirmish, Dag slew Ghor, Hilda smashed the corpse the Gibbet King occupied, and the orc sentries were dispatched. Lockmand had disappeared.

The party investigated the large iron chain that stood on display in the temple. It was black yet glowed with an eerie green light - the Chain of Thangorodrim. Shockingly, Dag reached out and grabbed it! (and got an instant Shadow Point for this trouble.) The party then planned their escape. Idris tied the door to the barracks, where several orcs currently slept. On the way, he investigated the grates in the ground and discovered that they covered pits that housed slaves and prisoners. Hilda found another such pit. Idris also bound the doors to the Warg den, and the party made for the front gate, freed slaves in tow.

The orcs at the main gate bid the party to stop, but Lucas brought forth his leather pouch from Radagast, and spilled its contents onto the ground. As he held the Chain of Thangorodrim up high for the orcs to see, there was a sudden flash as lightning filled the night sky, shining menacingly on the great chain held aloft by this giant-sized Beorning warrior. He seemed more tall and terrible than an elf lord of old to the orcs, and they dropped their arms and fled. (He rolled a Gandalf on his awe roll) The party walked right out the front gate, slaves and all. They brought a covered wagon from the fort with them. They knew it would not be long before the orcs regrouped and came after them.

The party had to decide which way to go - back to Mountain Hall, or to Rhosgobel, to show the chain to Radagast. They opted for the latter, and craftily turned their wagon into a boat for sailing down the Anduin. They sent the slaves back to Mountain Hall, believing the orcs would not bother to chase them. They traveled for seven days, 2.5 on the river, and 3.5 over land, all the while sensing the pursuing orcs getting closer and closer. They arrived at Rhosgobel at sundown on the seventh day, with a host of orcs hot on their heals. (I used the chase rules from the adventure, which worked very well)

Radagast bid the party to hide the chain deep within in his personal dwelling, as he hastily prepared the city's defenses for the pending attack. He knew the orcs were coming for the chain. For this, I reverted back to our introductory adventure, Words of the Wise, for the battle at Rhosgobel. Dag sang a song he called "the battle hymn of Rhosgobel" to inspire the Woodmen who defended it, a glorious ode that will be sung for years to come (he achieved a magical success with his silver torque that gives him a blessing to music - he found this in the treasure hoard of the Dwimmerhorn temple).

At nightfall, the orcs attacked. They also brought along a cave troll, who broke through the walls of the city and headed straight for the chain. I reduced his endurance and called him a lesser cave troll. After each combat round, he moved one step closer to Radagast's house, and thus the chain. The players asked if they could forego damage on a successful hit and instead push him back a step, and I agreed. In the end, Lucas slew him as he was about to cross the threshold of the door. ). Shortly thereafter, the remaining orcs scattered. After the battle, the parties could have sworn they saw a white stag suddenly appear in the middle of the melee. They also remembered hearing the sounds of birds attacking in the darkness.