A Darkness In The Marshes, Interrupted (adventure spoilers)

[Jussi Marttila]

Last night I played through A Darkness In The Marshes with my crew and I came across a rather peculiar issue. After the Company had met Walar and fought the orcs, they figured that a: Dwimmerhorn was too well fortified to get into b: they thought they had all the important information for Radagast. So they left the marshes and headed back to Mountain Hall, after a brief debate.

I mentioned in the wrapup that one of the other scouts that Radagast sent found some shields and weapons of Dol Guldur-make that carry a strange symbol, and one player researched the issue and discovered the existence of The Gibbet King.

Without information about the Chain of Thangorodrim, it's rather likely that they'll end up dead in Watch on the Heath, and I'm looking for an interesting way to get them the relevant info.

[zedturtle]

When I ran it, I added some slaves that the heroes were essentially duty-bound to save. But my players never got to see the chain or the spirit either. (Because they were too busy saving the slaves). So, I had one of the slaves witness the discussions between the spirit and at the others about the chain and tell it to the PCs.

Walar might serve the same role for you.

[Majestic]

My players snuck into the Dwimmerhorn, so I was fortunate enough that one of them witnessed the exchange in the temple.

If I were you I'd either have somebody else pass it along (as has been suggested) or I'd give the most appropriate character a dream in which he sees that scene. Perhaps even a vision during Elvish Dreams?

The reason I'd prefer a dream is that I could evoke all the atmosphere and descriptions with a dream, as if the PC were actually there, and still convey all of the necessary information.

[Heilemann]

My group sent a single guy (the only one who could climb, as it happened) up the goat path. He slipped and fell to his near-death (I overwrote the scenario; what an anti-climactic way to go...). They then escaped, never seeing the chain.

It's a pretty broken turning point of the campaign, which if there ever is a revision, would do well with a rewrite of some sort.

[Majestic]

My whole group climbed up there, but then only one went over the wall to sneak around inside (another waited on the wall, keeping an eye on the Hobbit stealthing around in the compound).

But our Dwarf nearly died (getting an Eye roll) on the way down (they were fleeing, with arrows flying overhead), and only barely survived when somebody else made an amazing roll to grab him. He was already Wounded, and took a ton of Endurance loss from the fall.

[Jussi Marttila]

I'll probably have Gandalf give them a bit of info about the Chain the next time we start playing The Crossings of Celduin.

[Mytholder]

My group sent a single guy (the only one who could climb, as it happened) up the goat path. He slipped and fell to his near-death (I overwrote the scenario; what an anti-climactic way to go...). They then escaped, never seeing the chain.

It's a pretty broken turning point of the campaign, which if there ever is a revision, would do well with a rewrite of some sort.

They don't actually _need_ to find out about the chain, though. It certainly helps knowing what the Gibbet King's plan is when it's time to go to the Watchtower, but it's not vital.

[Khamul]

My group sent one scout to Dwimmerhorn but he never went inside was just below and looked up. after the orc-fight. Then they split up in two groups, one going to Mountain Hall and the elf was sent off to Radagast to inform him. So they had no clue about Gibbet-king or the chain. The elf got caugh by a orc group and transported to Dwimmerhorn. A wolf got away from the orc-attack and could inform the orc-leader at Dwimmerhorn that a group of people where nearby. So they sent orcs after the group to Mountain Hall and the elf to Rhosgobel. The Mountain Hall proup had to save their tortured elf friend and the hobbit sneaked into the temple and watched the conversation and the green glowing chain.... now they are off to Dale.

[Corvo]

I really liked that adventure, yet it's plausible for the heroes to never go inside the temple.
I avoided that problem (Heroes never going into the temple), with a different set-up for the adventure:

I had Radagast inform the Heroes up-front about the existence of the Dwimmerhorn (after all, he's supposed to know a lot about Valley of the Anduin). In my campaign he already knew that it was re-occupied: what he was unable to ascertain was who was leading the orcs.
A new Great Orc? A dangerous prospect, but still manageable for the Woodmen and Beorn.
The Necromancer himself? A dire possibility, indeed. Because the Necromancer fled Dol Guldur, but his whereabouts are unknown. And his power is beyond reckoning.
Or maybe, something else?

The mission objective was to identify the precise nature of the menace, not to confront it. It was clear that it was a most dangerous mission, so the Fellowship received the mandatory blessing on stealth (else it wasn't believable for the my players to have their PCs sneak inside the fortress), and the flask of Miruvor, to help them in the escape.

[Falenthal]

We played the adventure yesterday, and I wish I remembered Corvo's ideas before beginning.
There were only 2 players, but we decided to go on with the adventure. After the battle at the Gladden Fields (where the Uruk almost killed our great beorning, if not for a lucky edge plus a protection failure by the uruk in the last round), the two heroes were really hurt (the beorning was wounded, weary and with just 6 Endurance points left). Also they had the prisioner with them (I changed it from Walar to Arciryas, from the Heart of the Wild. A nice link to the exotic southern lands and to Saruman, who is named also by Radagast in the introduction of the adventure).

They have decided to flee to Rhosgobel and inform Radagast before planning any kind of approach to the Dwimmerhorn. But their plan is to gather strenght in Rhosgobel and return to the Gladden Fields with some help (the missing players) to spy on it.

First I thought about playing the part about entering the Dwimmerhorn as usual, but then I thougt that I had Secrets Buried (entering Dol Guldur from Darkening) planned next. And I always had the idea that Dol Guldur should be a no-no, kept in mystery and fear, even when abandoned.
So I'm working right now in an adaptation from Secrets Buried to Dwimmerhorn:
The escape of a slave and the killing of a patrol has warned the leaders of Dwimmerhorn (Ghor and, in my case, a Nazgûl Unclad and Invisible). They've decided to retire the fortress.
Radagast himself will go with the heroes back to the Gladden Fields.
So, the characters will find an empty Dwimmerhorn, but will have to face its corruption as in Secrets Buried while searching for some information left in a hurry. They'll have to go to the Dark Temple and will find information important to my campaign (a mix between the conversation from Darkness, that of Secrets and something original to my campaign).
When leaving, The spirit of the Nazgûl will appear in the Sancta Sanctorum of the Temple laughing at the Wizard, tell them that they're already late to prevent the Darkness that's coming to their lands. After disappearing, Ghor and some bodyguards will appear to ambush them and secure their silence on what they've discovered. Ghor is a formidable opponent, and with a few Uruks by his side, only the help of Radagast and some luck should allow the heroes to overcome this menace. Entering the strongholds of the Enemy is not an easy matter.

I'm still not sure if I need the Chain of Thangorodrim in my campaign, but I'll make Ghor probably escape the battle and he'll be the one leading the attack in the Crossing of the Celduin in 2951: Sauron declares himself trying to hit the North by surprise during the celebrations of the Battle of Five Armies! What a blow to the morale of the Free People in Rhovanion if it succeeds!

But first, Those Who Tarry No Longer will play in 2950, setting a melancholic feeling to the campaign, as the last good days depart from the Wild.