TEXT:  
  33 
  5.0 Chapter 4 – Seeking aid 
   
   
  5.1 What’s going on? 
  At the end of Chapter 3, ‘Into Darkness’, 
  the characters had discovered that Gailhen 
  had opened a door leading to a secret 
  complex in a cave in the Trollshaws and 
  removed an item from the depths. Since 
  then Gailhen is nowhere to be found. An 
  inscription on the block that held the item 
  might reveal some clues as to its nature 
  but not only is it written in Feanorian letters 
  (which the characters might be able to 
  interpret) but it is rather ambiguous. 
  Leaving the caves they rendezvous with 
  Belegilf the ranger and discuss their 
  findings. 
   
  Meanwhile, back in Gailhens’ homeland of 
  Southern Gondor, the forces of the 
  Shadow are moving. Gwilbil, the disguised 
  vampire that originally corrupted Gailhen, 
  has reported his success to his superiors 
  at Minas Morgul, informing them that 
  Gailhen left with a party of men to seek the 
  Rod of Annatar, and that he holds the key 
  to unseal Taglos Gwathren. The powers of 
  Minas Morgul understand that Gailhen, in 
  possession of the Rod, could prove a 
  useful asset for darkness in Eriador, and 
  so they have ordered the Ashdurbûk (the 
  Goblin King) of Gundabad to help. 
  Grudgingly, the high Goblin has ordered 
  his fiefdom Mount Gram to despatch a 
  group of Orcs to the Trollshaws to aid 
  Gailhen. The Orcs were requested to travel 
  in stealth and so only a small force has 
  been despatched. However, a larger host 
  is being prepared. Luckily, the Orcs 
  mistimed their departure and so have 
  missed Gailhen, but of course they do not 
  know this. This gives the characters the 
  opportunity to discover how far-reaching is 
  the evil they have uncovered has become. 
   
   
   
   
  5.2 Scene 1 – Belegilfs Suggestion 
  The characters should leave the cave 
  system and meet with Belegilf by the west 
  road as they had agreed. When they arrive 
  at his camp, Belegilf has food cooking 
  enough for all the characters and can help 
  treat any injuries. He will ask them what 
  they discovered in the caves and will be 
  extremely interested in what they have 
  found. This is a good point at which to lead 
  the characters to draw some conclusions 
  about 
  what 
  they 
  discovered 
  in 
  the 
  complex, specifically that Gailhen took 
  something from the stone block in Taglos 
  Gwathren. 
   
  Based 
  on 
  their 
  discoveries, 
  Belegilf 
  suggests that it is imperative that they 
  discover what Gailhen took from the 
  complex and that the inscription on the 
  block is the best clue. He suggests that the 
  party rest until the following day and then 
  travel with him to see an elven Loremaster, 
  wise in the ancient history of Eriador who 
  might be able to shed some light on the 
  mystery. The elf’s name is Maenist and the 
  dwells to the north of their present location. 
  Assuming the characters agree, the party 
  will set out for the north the next morning. 
   
   
  5.3 Scene 2 – The Journey 
   
   
   
  For the most part the journey is uneventful. 
  The weather turns for the worse and the 
  snowfalls 
  become 
  heavier 
  and 
  more 
  frequent as winter fully sets in. Belegilf 
  leads the way, telling the characters that 
  Maenist dwells at ‘the Hideaway’, a place 
  often used by the Rangers. He will say no 
  more abut the place, answering questions 
  by smiling and saying that the characters 
  will get to see all for themselves. 
   
  
   
  34 
  The falling snow deadens the land and all 
  is quiet as Belegilf leads the characters off 
  the road and into the wilderness to the 
  north west of the Trollshaws. The group 
  travels through this quiet region for three 
  days as the land slowly flattens and the 
  forests of the Trollshaws are replaced by 
  stands of stunted trees dotted over low 
  hills. When the sky is not darkened by 
  snow, the Misty Mountains can be seen in 
  the distance. On the third day, the weather 
  turns for the worse and a heavy mist 
  descends onto the land, cutting vision 
  down to 20ft and not clearing through the 
  day. Belegilf presses on, saying that he 
  knows where the Hideaway is as he has 
  stayed their many times and could find it in 
  the dark. 
   
   
  5.4 Scene 3 – Voices in the mist 
  Suddenly as the characters are walking 
  through the mist the most sharp-eared 
  amongst them will pick out the sounds of 
  movement ahead. After a few moments, it 
  becomes clear that a fairly large group of 
  creatures 
  are 
  heading 
  toward 
  the 
  characters. Belegilf retreats into a stand of 
  trees and hides low against a trunk, silently 
  urging the characters to follow. 
   
  As the group near, it becomes plain from 
  the harsh voices, the swearing and the 
  complaining that the creatures are Orcs. 
  Eventually, out of the mist a party of about 
  forty Orcs and several Uruks move into 
  view. It is important to stress to the 
  characters that attempting to take the Orcs 
  on would be extremely reckless. They stop 
  Just in front of the stand of trees, throwing 
  their gear onto the ground. Those listening 
  to the Orcs chatter in Westron will learn 
  that they are from Mount Gram in the 
  Ettenmoors and that they are on a special 
  mission for the Ashdurbûk (the Goblin king 
  of Gundabad) searching for something. 
  They often make muttering references to 
  the ‘Nag Burdâk’, which if anyone knows 
  Black Speech translates as ‘The Stalker’. 
  They look particularly dispirited, even for 
  Orcs, and it soon becomes apparent that 
  they are upset about travelling with ‘Old 
  Yellowface’ – the Sun – in the sky, even if 
  the mist does hide dim it. One member of 
  the group is particularly vocal, and is 
  clearly inciting the others (this is Grakak – 
  see NPCs section). 
   
  A tall thin shape steps out of the mist. By 
  his height and stature he would appear to 
  be a human boy or young man, tightly 
  wrapped against the cold in a thick cloak 
  with the hood drawn close. At the sight of 
  him the Orcs immediately quiet down. The 
  figure walks into the middle of the group 
  and faces the lead Orc who under this 
  scrutiny no longer seems so sure of 
  himself. In a thin, dry voice the man states 
  that the Orcs have to travel by day to reach 
  ‘the caves’ quickly – from his tone of voice 
  it is clear he has repeated this many times. 
  He follows with by saying that if the 
  ‘Snaga’ were not so weak this would not 
  be a problem, and that if they do not wish 
  to travel this day, then they will die this 
  day. This completely silences all of the 
  Orcs 
  and 
  the 
  leader 
  cowers away, 
  although the sneer on his face indicates 
  that he considers the matter far from 
  closed. The Orcs gather up their things 
  and set off into the mist at a loping pace, 
  the black clad figure following with long 
  strides. After a few moments the voices of 
  the Orcs fade away. 
   
  The characters are then free to move, and 
  will no doubt leave the trees to either follow 
  the Orcs or get away from the area. 
  However, as soon as they rise, more 
  figures step silently from the mist. These 
  are five men, dressed in brown and grey 
  garb, carrying drawn bows that they aim at 
  the characters. The leader of the group 
  stands slightly forward of the rest and 
  raises a finger to his lips to indicate 
  silence. However, as soon as Belegilf 
  comes into view the men visibly relax and 
  the leader comes forward to embrace him. 
  He then points to two of his men and 
  signals them to follow the Orcs, signalling 
  the characters to follow him, and strides 
  away with the remaining two men who 
  store away their bows. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  35 
   
   
   
  Figure 6. The Hideaway. 
   
   
  
   
  36 
   
  5.5 Scene 4 – the Hideaway 
   
   
   
  The men are Rangers, part of a group that 
  are currently staying with Maenist. During 
  their stay in the north of the Trollshaws 
  they stumbled across a large group of 
  Orcs. Strangely, the Orcs were travelling 
  by day and by night and was clearly not a 
  hunting band appearing to have a clear 
  destination in mind. Even more strangely, 
  a dark-cloaked man, no larger than a tall 
  boy, who seemed as at ease in the wild as 
  the Rangers themselves, was leading the 
  Orcs. 
  Gravely 
  alarmed 
  by 
  this 
  development the Rangers have spent the 
  last week shadowing the Orcs trying to 
  discover their purpose. There are ten 
  Rangers in the group. Four and the leader 
  of the group, Sadron, are tracking the 
  Orcs. The remaining five men remain at 
  the Hideaway with Maenist. 
   
  The Rangers escorting the characters will 
  lead them to the Hideaway which is shown 
  in figure 6. During the journey (which takes 
  twenty minutes) the Rangers will not speak 
  and will urge the characters to remain 
  silent. If pressed they will state that noise 
  carries easily in the cold air.  
   
  The Hideaway is described below. An old 
  hunting lodge constructed in the early days 
  of the kingdom of Arnor, the site is well 
  hidden 
  but 
  was 
  chosen 
  not 
  for 
  concealment but because it is also the site 
  of an ancient grotto dedicated to the Valar 
  Yavanna. 
   
  1. Outside – the Hideaway is a natural 
  depression in the bottom of a small 
  limestone valley formed by the 
  passage of a now long dry river 
  through the soft rock. A stand of 
  trees surrounds the site obscuring 
  the view from the outside, the valley 
  bottom is also scattered with loose 
  stone carried by ice in the distant 
  past. A narrow defile leads between 
  the trees into the Hideaway – the 
  entrance is well hidden and Maenist 
  and the Rangers ensure that no 
  trace of their passing can be seen 
  on the ground at the entrance. 
   
  2. The Stone King ‘Elendil’ – The defile 
  leads between two shear rock faces 
  and opens out into a wide clearing 
  open to the sky. Rocky cliffs on 
  average 30ft tall form a ring around 
  the clearing with several tunnel 
  mouths leading into the cliffs. In the 
  centre of the clearing a low circular 
  balustrade encircles an area of 
  chipped white gravel. In the centre 
  of the circle is a statue of a crowned 
  man with his hand raised. His 
  bearded and crowned head has 
  been heavily weathered but it is still 
  recognisable as a statue of Elendil, 
  first king of the kingdom in exile 
  founded by the faithful of Numenor. 
  The statue is carved from black 
  stone and is raised on a granite 
  plinth facing the entrance. The 
  Stone King has magical properties 
  and serves to provide a warning of 
  danger to those within the Hideaway 
  - if sentient beings draw within 
  1000ft of the site those within the 
  Hideaway will feel a strange sense 
  of ‘alertness’ as if they were being 
  watched. The intensity of this feeling 
  is roughly related to the numbers of 
  beings nearing the Hideaway and 
  how far away they are, and this 
  allows the Rangers to talk normally 
  within the clearing without fear of 
  being spied upon. 
   
  Several cave mouths lead off from 
  the clearing, each approximately 
  15ft high and ten feet wide. Those 
  leading to locations 5, 6 and 7 are 
  natural caves originally cut into the 
  limestone by the passage of running 
  water, whilst tunnels 3 and 4 are 
  
   
  37 
  man-made. The passages slope 
  downwards. 
   
  3. Stables – Within this chamber (once 
  a feast hall) the Rangers keep their 
  horses. Holes fashioned into the 
  roof of the chamber, hidden from 
  above in a rough area of loose 
  stone, providing some natural light 
  and fresh air. The stalls are cleaned 
  regularly and well maintained so the 
  horses 
  are 
  quite 
  comfortable. 
  Currently, there are 12 horses 
  stabled here. 
   
  4. Lore chamber – This is where 
  Maenist spends most of his time 
  when not in the Grotto or travelling 
  in the wild. This room feels fresh 
  and airy and filled with the smell of 
  herbs. The walls are white and the 
  whole chamber well lit by smokeless 
  lanterns. Rich rugs cover the stone 
  floor. Maenist keeps a well-stocked 
  library here detaling his knowledge 
  of the fauna and flora of the wild 
  and of the history of Eriador. Those 
  wishing to learn these things would 
  do well to study here. 
   
  5. Store – This chamber, once a guest 
  room, contains the stores and 
  supplies 
  of 
  Maenist 
  and 
  the 
  Rangers. Kept here are sufficient 
  supplies to keep ten men well fed 
  for three months. Maenist also 
  stores dried herbs here which he 
  uses to make healing ungents and 
  salves. This room is not lit. 
   
  6. Rangers chamber – Within this 
  chamber live the Rangers currently 
  staying with Maenist. The room is 
  sparsely furnished with just a table 
  and several chairs; the Ranger’s 
  equipment is spread out on the floor 
  (including their bedrolls). Currently, 
  there are ten Rangers staying here. 
  This 
  chamber 
  is 
  lit 
  by 
  four 
  smokeless lanterns. 
   
  7. Grotto of Yavanna – This ancient 
  natural site was the main reason 
  why the kings of Arnor developed 
  the 
  Hideaway, 
  to 
  escape 
  the 
  stresses of the Royal court and to 
  find peace in meditation. The cave 
  entrance in the clearing slopes 
  steeply downwards for nearly a 
  hundred feet before exiting into a 
  natural cavern. A wide and high-
  roofed chamber, stalagtites and 
  stalagmites link the floor to the 
  ceiling and large crystalline deposits 
  of green stone are dotted about the 
  walls (extremely unusual for a 
  limestone 
  cavern). 
  Filling 
  the 
  chamber is a still pool formed from a 
  natural spring. There are four pillars 
  of black stone at the corners of the 
  pool which were not natural to the 
  cavern, carved into representations 
  of four of the Valar; Oromë the 
  hunter (a man drawing a mighty 
  bow), Ulmo of the sea (a figure 
  rising from the waves), Aulë the 
  smith (a man with a mighty hammer 
  and anvil) and Námo the keeper of 
  the dead (a robed figure). In the 
  centre of the pool is a large block of 
  white stone carved into the likeness 
  of a beautiful young maiden bearing 
  a basket of flowers. This is a 
  depiction of the spirit of Yavanna, 
  the mistress of the Earth. The pool 
  surrounding her is full of water 
  creatures 
  and 
  plants 
  that 
  are 
  strangely still green despite the 
  season. Wall climbers escape from 
  the water and wind up the sides of 
  the grotto. The green crystalline 
  deposits provide illumination as the 
  small amount of light entering the 
  cavern from the surface is captured 
  and magnified many times, lighting 
  the whole chamber a subtle and 
  restful green hue upon which the 
  plants thrive. The waters of the pool 
  have healing properties – a draught 
  will relive any weariness levels 
  immediately. Several stone chairs 
  occupy the area facing the statues 
  and provide the seating in the 
  chamber. 
   
  When at the Hideaway Maenist spends 
  his time either amongst his works in the 
  Lore chamber or in the Grotto  
  
   
  38 
   
   
   
   
  Figure 7. The ambush site. 
   
  
   
  39 
  meditating. Regardless of where the 
  characters meet him when they arrive 
  he will ask them to accompany his to 
  the Grotto to talk, commenting that not 
  all caves are places of shadow. When 
  they arrive he will ask each characters 
  in turn to introduce him/herself and then 
  to drink of the waters using a silver 
  ladle stored by the pool.  
   
   
  5.6 Scene 5 – Maenist’s Council 
  Maenist will tell the characters what he 
  knows of the Orcs that the Rangers 
  have been following for the last four 
  days. The characters should have 
  guessed that the Orcs may be heading 
  for the caves in the Trollshaws – if they 
  do not then Belegilf will suggest this. 
  The characters can then discuss with 
  Maenist what they discovered in the 
  caves of the Trollshaws. Maenist can 
  offer 
  the 
  following 
  information 
  depending on what the characters tell 
  him: 
   
  • 
  If 
  they 
  mention 
  the 
  smithy 
  complex, Maenist will say it is 
  probably a site occupied by the 
  Witch-king in the early third age. 
  If 
  they 
  mention 
  the 
  figure 
  outlined in red on the wall of the 
  Smithy chamber of the complex 
  (chamber 2), Maenist will stiffen 
  and say that the image could be 
  that of Annatar. 
   
  • 
  If they tell him of the inscription 
  they found and the nature of the 
  block 
  it 
  was 
  carved 
  upon, 
  Maenist 
  will 
  translate 
  it 
  if 
  necessary and will tell them that 
  they entered Taglos Gwathren, 
  the fabled Smithy of Shadows 
  that was thought lost since the 
  fall of Eregion. 
   
  Maenist will tell the characters firstly of the 
  history of the Elves in Eregion and of their 
  fateful association with Annatar (see the 
  introduction to this chronicle). He will then 
  talk of the Rod of Annatar telling them that 
  the Rod was a powerful tool constructed by 
  Annatar to mould the minds of the weak, 
  and is an extremely dangerous force of 
  evil. He will conclude that it seems likely 
  that Gailhen took the Rod from Taglos 
  Gwathren for his own use. Presumably the 
  Orcs 
  are 
  connected 
  with 
  Gailhen’s 
  recovery of the Rod but Maenist does not 
  know why they are so far from their home 
  – perhaps their master knows the Smithy 
  has been disturbed and they have been 
  despatched to recover the Rod. Maenist 
  will say that it is imperative that firstly the 
  Orcs are stopped, as they must not be 
  allowed to meet with Gailhen – they could 
  capture the Rod and return with it to Mount 
  Gram, or Gailhen with the power of the 
  Rod could dominate them and turn them to 
  his ends – both outcomes would be 
  disastrous. It is also vital that the rest of 
  the Rangers are warned of the danger 
  posed by Gailhen. 
   
  Belegilf says then that it is best that the 
  characters join with the Rangers to 
  eliminate the Orcs and that after this they 
  could travel to Bree to meet with the rest of 
  the Rangers. Maenist agrees to this and 
  suggest that he also comes to help press 
  upon the Rangers the danger that Gailhen 
  and the Rod pose. 
   
  Maenist brings the characters to meet with 
  the rest of the Rangers at the Hideaway. 
  Sadron will listen to what the characters 
  have to say regarding Gailhen and the 
  Orcs. Maenist suggests that the Orcs 
  destination is Taglos Gwathren but that if 
  the Rod has already been removed then 
  the Orcs will recover nothing from the site. 
  However, the caves provide an excellent 
  ambush site. Sadron suggests that the 
  Rangers, characters and Maenist take the 
  horses and travel to the Trollshaws to 
  ambush the Orcs. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  40 
  5.7 Scene 6 – Ambush! 
   
   
   
  Assuming they agree, the characters join 
  with the Rangers, Belegilf and Maenist, 
  collect their gear for travel and the horses 
  and leave for the caves. Sadron will bring 
  all of the Rangers from the Hideaway 
  ensuring that no trace is left of the group’s 
  exit from the defile as they leave. The 
  Rangers who continued to track the Orcs 
  have left signs of the route that the 
  Rangers can follow. 
   
  The group can take the journey relatively 
  easily. Even at their full speed, the Orcs 
  are still one day away from the site even 
  assuming they travel during the day. So 
  the party can afford to rest properly in the 
  evening. 
   
  When the group near the caves the two 
  Rangers that Sadron despatched to track 
  the Orcs will meet them in woods three 
  miles from the site. They will explain that 
  the Orcs have travelled by day and night to 
  reach the caves and have set up a camp in 
  the depression. They have placed sentries 
  around the top of the cliffs. The site of the 
  Orc camp outside the caves and is shown 
  in figure 7. 
   
  During the day the camp contains only a 
  handful of guards who have been forced 
  outside by the Orc leader Grakak (see 
  NPCs section). They spend their time 
  seeking shelter from the light under the 
  boughs of some of the trees and are very 
  unhappy and irritable, as are the sentries. 
  The remainder of the Orcs are sheltering in 
  the upper level of the caves as the Nag 
  Burdâk will not allow them to enter the 
  lower regions - two dead Orcs can testify 
  to his insistence upon this. 
   
  The characters can discuss with Sadron, 
  Maenist, Belegilf and the Rangers how 
  they plan to eliminate the Orcs. An attack 
  by day would prove the easiest fight as the 
  Orcs do not perfom well in sunlight, 
  however Sadron will point out that by day 
  the Orcs are unlikely to leave the caves 
  and fighting so many Orcs in the dark 
  passages could prove very hazardous. 
  Unless the characters come up with 
  anything better, Belegilf has a suggestion. 
   
  He suggests that they take advantage of 
  the vicious natures of the Orcs. If they 
  could be lured from the cave they could be 
  more easily dealt with, so perhaps an 
  attack by the night when they are not afraid 
  of the sun is the best option. Luring them 
  out should be easy – it just requires some 
  ‘prey’. The group wait until the middle of 
  the night and then the Rangers could 
  silently 
  eliminate 
  the 
  sentries. 
  The 
  characters could then make their way to 
  the top of the path and charge down into 
  the clearing to dispose of the Orcs on 
  guard duty outside, being sure to make as 
  much noise as possible. Once the guards 
  are dealt with, the characters could retreat 
  to the narrow path leading to the tops of 
  the cliffs. Hopefully, the noise will alert the 
  main force of Orcs within the cave and 
  they will not be able to resist rushing out to 
  the attack. When they have all left the cave 
  the Rangers can seal the cave entrance 
  from the cliff top and pick off the Orcs with 
  their bows. The characters just have to 
  ensure that they can defend themselves in 
  the melee. 
   
   
  5.8 Scene 7 – The fight. 
  Unless the characters over-ride Belegilfs 
  suggestion, this is the plan that will be 
  implemented. The ten Rangers will silently 
  travel around the cliff tops and dispose of 
  the sentries. The characters can then 
  charge into the clearing and engage the 
  guards. It will take sometime for the Orcs 
  in the cave to react so they should have 
  time to kill the guards and retreat before 
  the main force pour forth. The Rangers will 
  
   
  41 
  then drop a cask of oil in front of the cave 
  entrance and set it on fire. In the light of 
  the flames they will begin to shoot the Orcs 
  as they mill about the hollow in confusion. 
  Eventually the Orcs will come to the 
  conclusion that the only way out is through 
  the characters and will charge toward the 
  path and the chanracters should expect a 
  stiff fight. Belegilf will wait at the top of the 
  sloping path to despatch any Orcs that 
  make it passed the characters. 
   
   
  5.9 Aftermath 
  Once the Orcs have been despatched, the 
  Rangers will enter the caves. However, 
  they will find no Orcs – all rushed out to the 
  attack. Grakak the Orc captain has been 
  captured alive by the Rangers. However, 
  of the mysterious ‘Nag Burdâk’ there is no 
  trace. 
   
  Grakak, sorely wounded, will gabble under 
  pressure from the Rangers that his troop 
  has come from Mount Gram ‘searching for 
  something’. He does not know what the 
  ‘something’ is; only the Nag Burdâk knows 
  that. Apparently it was in the caves. As to 
  the Nag Burdâk, Grakak knows nothing 
  about him except that he ‘came from East’. 
  It is obvious that Grakak fears him. 
  However, the most interesting information 
  that Grakak knows is that more Orcs are 
  coming. This group seems to be an 
  advanced party. 
   
  The dead Orcs are piled in the clearing 
  and left for the crows. The Rangers 
  release Grakak with dire warnings to the 
  rest of the Orcs from Mount Gram of the 
  consequences should they enter Eriador. 
  Belegilf says that the rest of the Rangers 
  must be warned – this is best done by 
  travelling to Bree. Many of the Rangers 
  keep a watch on the town and so this is the 
  best place to meet them. Belegilf says he 
  will 
  accompany 
  the 
  characters 
  with 
  Maenist. Sadron and the rest of the 
  Rangers will retreat to the Hideaway to see 
  if any more Orcs come down from the 
  mountains. Sadron gives the horses to the 
  characters to speed them on their way. 
   
  With the characters on their way to Bree, 
  the adventure continues in Chapter 5 – 
  ‘Honeyed Words’. 
   
   
  5.10 Enemies and NPCs. 
  Use the following descriptions for the 
  enemies and NPC’s encountered in this 
  chapter. Stats should be tailored by the 
  narrator to the strengths of the party. 
   
   
  5.10.1 Maenist (S. ‘Wise, skilled’) 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 12 (+3), Nimbleness 8 
  (+1), Perception 10 (+2), Strength 8 (+1), 
  Vitality 7 (+0), Wits 11 (+2). 
   
  Reactions: Stamina +1, Swiftness +2, 
  Willpower +3, Wisdom +3, Defence 11, 
  Health 8. 
   
  Order: Lore Master. 
   
  Skills 
  (selected): 
  Armed 
  combat 
  (longsword) +4, Ranged combat (short 
  bow) +6, Inspire (Wisdom) +4, Lore 
  (Eriador) +8, Survival (forest) +5,Teamster 
  +5, Track (forest) +6, Weather-sense +4. 
   
  Equipment: Maenist is dressed in dark 
  green clothing with provides excellent 
  camouflage. He carries a small pack 
  containing waybread, herds etc. He has a 
  knife at his belt. He also carries the First 
  Age longsword named Gwindnaur (S. ‘Pale 
  blue flame’) which is described below. 
   
  A Sindarin Elf, Maenist is very wise in the 
  lore of Eregion. Originally a warrior, he 
  fought in many wars in Beleriand and 
  Middel earth with the sword Gwindnaur, 
  however he soon tired of war. Now he 
  delights in the study of the natural world 
  
   
  42 
  around him and in contemplation of the 
  works of Yavanna. He has lived at the 
  Hideaway since the demise of the kingdom 
  of Arethdain, sharing his home with the 
  many groups of Rangers that help defend 
  the free peoples. Friendly, straightforward 
  and relaxed, maenist is not typical of his 
  kind. Since his discovery of the wonders of 
  the natural world he has developed a 
  newfound respect for the works of Eru, and 
  considers Men, Dwarves and Hobbits his 
  equal. 
   
   
  5.10.2 Sadron (S. ‘Faithful’) 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 7 (+0), Nimbleness 6 
  (+0), Perception 9 (+1), Strength 9 (+1), 
  Vitality 9 (+1), Wits 7 (+0). 
   
  Reactions: Stamina +1, Swiftness +1, 
  Willpower +0, Wisdom +1, Defence 10, 
  Health 10. 
   
  Order: Warrior. 
   
  Skills 
  (selected): 
  Armed 
  combat 
  (longsword) +5, Ranged combat (short 
  bow) +3, Inspire (Leadership) +3, Survival 
  (forest) +4,Teamster +3, Track (forest) +3, 
  Weather-sense +2. 
   
  Equipment: Sadron wears typical Rangers 
  garb of greys and greens with a thick and 
  heavy winter’s cloak. He carries a pack 
  with 
  his 
  camping 
  essentials 
  and 
  a 
  longsword strapped across his back. 
   
  Sadron is a typical Ranger – stout, 
  dependable and commited. He is the 
  natural leader of the small group of 
  Rangers currently staying with Maenist, 
  and his men trust him implicitly. He is a 
  firm friend of Belegilf and the two have 
  known 
  each 
  other 
  for 
  many 
  years. 
  Pragmatic to the end, Sadorn realises his 
  limitations 
  and 
  will 
  happily 
  concede 
  leadership to a more able individual. 
   
   
  5.10.3 Grakäk 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 8 (+1), Nimbleness 8 
  (+1), Perception 8 (+1), Strength 9 (+1), 
  Vitality 10 (+2), Wits 7 (+0). 
   
  Reactions: Stamina +3, Swiftness +2, 
  Willpower +1, Wisdom +1, Defence 11, 
  Health 11. 
   
  Order: Warrior. 
   
  Skills (selected): Armed combat (scimitar) 
  +7, Ranged combat (short bow) +3, 
  Intimidate (fear) +3, Observe (spot) +4, 
  Track (forest) +3, Weather-sense +2. 
   
  Equipment: Grakäk wears a long shirt of 
  black chain mail over stinking animal 
  leathers. A scimitar hangs at his waist and 
  a whip on his belt. 
   
  Grakak is a typical Orc of the northlands, 
  with a thin rangy body, crooked limbs and 
  a foul mind. His face is sharp and angular 
  and his skin is dark grey and dotted with 
  tufts of wiry black hair, giving him a 
  fearsome appearance. An accomplished 
  warrior, Grakak has served the forces of 
  Mount Gram well for many years. This is 
  mainly due to the fact that he couples his 
  racial disposition toward aggression with 
  an innate ability to assess odds – he 
  understands it is better to loose than to die. 
  He has been sent as a high-ranking Orc to 
  lead in the hunt for the Rod, though he 
  truly does not know what it is that the Orcs 
  seek. He is a wise leader in an Orkish 
  
   
  43 
  sense, 
  never 
  to 
  slow 
  to 
  deal 
  out 
  encouragement to his men by whip or club. 
  However, his leadership has seriously 
  been undermined on this expedition by the 
  presence of the Nag Burdak – clearly the 
  superior, this man has usurped Grakak’s 
  role and the Orc does not like it. Tensions 
  are running high and Grakak is waiting for 
  a moment to seize control. This will occur 
  as soon as Grakak thinks a favourable 
  outcome is a realistic possibility. 
   
   
  5.10.4 Nag Burdak (BS ‘The Stalker’) 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 12 (+3), Nimbleness 10 
  (+2), Perception 8 (+1), Strength 10 (+2), 
  Vitality 10 (+2), Wits 9 (+1). 
   
  Reactions: Stamina +2, Swiftness +2, 
  Willpower +3, Wisdom +3, Defence 12, 
  Health 12. 
   
  Order: Warrior. 
   
  Skills (selected): Armed combat (scimitar) 
  +9, Ranged combat (short bow) +7, 
  Intimidate (fear) +4, Observe (spot) +4, 
  Track (forest) +6, Teamster (horse) +5, 
  Weather-sense +5. 
   
  Equipment: The Nag Burdak wears a suit 
  of light scale armour under his cloak, and 
  in his pack is a fearsome helmet with a 
  snarling mask face. He carries a wickedly 
  serrated longsword across his back. 
   
  The Nag Durdak has no other name, at 
  least none that he cares to mention. 
  Originating from a desert tribe far to the 
  south of Mordor, he is small and wiry, 
  coupling his tribe’s boy-like stature with a 
  surprising strength. With skin burnt dark 
  brown by the southern sun and mysterious 
  dark tattoos crowning his hairless head he 
  is an imposing sight despite his lack of 
  height. However, it is his jet black eyes that 
  are the most unnerving. A servant of 
  Mordor, he has lived in the North of Endor 
  for more years than he can remember. He 
  is a skilled outdoorsman and, as his 
  nickname amongst the Orcs suggests, is 
  primarily used as an assassin by his dark 
  masters. However, due to the importance 
  of the Rod to the Shadow he has been 
  charged with leading the Orcs who cannot 
  be trusted alone with such a task. 
   
   
  5.10.4 The Rangers 
   
   
   
  Use stats for ‘Dunlendings’ from the Core 
  Rules but with Armed combat (longsword) 
  +6. 
   
  The Rangers are a sturdy lot, resolute, 
  committed and determined. They are not 
  afraid at hunting down the Orcs – they 
  consider this their calling, to protect the 
  free peoples of Eriador and those not able 
  to defend themselves. 
   
   
  5.10.5 The Orcs 
   
   
   
  Use stats for ‘Orcs’ and ‘Uruk Hai’ from the 
  Core Rules. 
  
   
  44 
   
  Surely, crude and malicious, these Orcs 
  are typical of the race. Hailing from Mount 
  Gram, 
  they 
  are 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Thrakburzum tribe. They are very unhappy 
  about travelling by day, but the thick mist 
  hides the yellow face and so their penalty 
  to combat roles is only –2. The shear 
  numbers of Orcs in the party should 
  dissuade the characters into launching into 
  a direct assault against them. 
   
   
  5.11 Items 
  This section outlines some of the special 
  items encountered in this chapter. 
   
   
  5.11.1 The longsword Gwindnaur (S. 
  ‘Pale blue flame’) 
   
   
   
  A sword of Gondolin, Gwindlaur was given 
  to Maenist by the Elf lord Voronwë before 
  he sailed into the West. A weapon of great 
  craftmanship and beauty, Gwandlaur is so 
  named due to the pale blue flame of 
  intense cold that licks along its length 
  when in the presence of the agents of the 
  Shadow, be they Orcs or men. Against 
  these foes a successful hit with the 
  weapon inflicts a further 1D6 of damage 
  due to cold burns. The weapon has a long 
  and gloried history, fighting in the wars or 
  Beleriand and of Middle earth including the 
  War of the Last Alliance, and is a great 
  heirloom. 
  
   
  45
  6.0 Chapter 5 – Honeyed Words 
   
   
  6.1 Introduction 
  This chapter follows directly from 
  Chapter 4 – Seeking Aid, and that 
  chapter 
  should 
  be 
  completed 
  before this the events in this 
  chapter take place. 
   
   
  6.2 What’s going on? 
  While the characters have been 
  discussing 
  their 
  findings 
  with 
  Maenist, Gailhen has been busy. 
  Once he had retrieved the Rod of 
  Annatar from the depths of Taglos 
  Gwathren, he made directly for 
  Bree wishing to try the fabled 
  powers of the Rod for himself. 
  Once in the town he began to 
  subvert the people to his will. 
  Meanwhile, 
  Gwanthilf 
  has 
  resurfaced in Bree and joined with 
  Gailhen. Together, they effectively 
  rule the town. When the characters 
  return they will find the people of 
  Bree even less friendly toward 
  Rangers and adventurers than in 
  the past. All is revealed to the 
  characters regarding the Rod of 
  Annatar in a dangerous encounter 
  with Gailhen, an encounter that not 
  all of the characters group will 
  survive… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  6.3 Scene 1 – The return journey 
   
   
   
  The return journey takes just over a 
  week. Winter has truly set in – 
  snowdrifts block much of the road 
  and a biting wind blows down from 
  the north. Belegilf leads the way, 
  his face turned down against the 
  wind and his cloak pulled tightly 
  about him. Maenist, in common 
  with his race, seems oblivious to 
  the weather. Few encounters occur 
  during the journey, giving the 
  characters 
  to 
  reflect 
  on 
  the 
  ominous events of the previous 
  chapters. 
  Although 
  Belegilf 
  is 
  happy to talk during the journey 
  and Maenist is willing to discuss 
  the history and lore of the region to 
  those who are interested, this 
  cannot lift the feeling of foreboding 
  that builds as the weather worsens. 
   
   
  6.4 Scene 2 – Chance meeting 
  When the characters are about 
  three days outside Bree, they will 
  come across a merchant’s wagon 
  winding down the road through the 
  snow. The wagon belongs to 
  Burlas, 
  the 
  merchant 
  the 
  characters helped in chapter 2. 
  Assuming 
  they 
  rescued 
  her, 
  Rosallow his daughter is also with 
  him. This should be a cheery 
  meeting, when they helped him the 
  characters became friends for life 
  with the old merchant who is still 
  strapped up from his encounter 
  with the robbers.  
   
  
   
  46
  It is rare for a merchant to travel in 
  such 
  bad 
  weather, 
  and 
  the 
  characters may inquire why Burlas 
  is moving on from Bree. He tells 
  them that he has been forced out of 
  town and that the characters may 
  find Bree is not the friendly place it 
  used to be, especially for strangers. 
  The Rangers who were once 
  treated with suspicion are now 
  openly talked against. Many of the 
  town’s people had heard the story 
  of how Burlas was rescued in part 
  by Belegilf and seeing his close 
  association with the Rangers he 
  became a target for abuse, such 
  that he felt he was no longer 
  welcome. 
  He 
  concludes 
  that 
  strange sentiments are stirring in 
  the town of Bree. 
   
  He will happily feed the characters 
  from the food in his wagon and give 
  them some warmth from the cold, 
  but he is keen to press on and the 
  characters 
  should 
  not 
  tarry. 
  Leaving Burlas they move onwards 
  towards Bree and their meeting 
  with the Rangers. 
   
   
  6.5 Scene 3 - The Gate to Bree-
  land 
  When the group finally arrive at the 
  town they draw up to the large 
  wooden gates of Bree-land. The 
  gates are closed, which is very 
  unusual in daylight. There is no 
  sign of life as the characters draw 
  close and it takes several study 
  knocks at the gate to rouse any 
  action from within. Eventually a 
  small window in the gate opens 
  and peering out is the gatekeeper 
  of Bree, the owner of a very old, 
  wrinkled and surly face. He tells the 
  group to go away and that Bree is 
  no longer open to strangers.  
   
  No matter what the characters say, 
  the gatekeeper will not let them in 
  to the town. If any of the group tries 
  to persuade him by reasoning, he 
  quickly becomes confused and 
  agitated and will slam the window 
  closed. Perceptive characters will 
  have noted real fear in his face 
  underlying the confusion. 
   
  This along with Burlas’s tale should 
  be 
  enough 
  to 
  persuade 
  the 
  characters 
  that 
  something 
  is 
  seriously wrong in Bree, but to find 
  out more they must decide how to 
  get into the town. Belegilf and 
  Maenist will try to dissuade the 
  characters from any rash action 
  such as breaking down the gates – 
  the people of Bree are good people 
  no matter how strangely they are 
  behaving. The easiest option is to 
  move around the wooden wall of 
  the town and to climb over it, there 
  are no guards so the task is 
  relatively easy. 
   
   
  6.6 Scene 4 – Meeting at the 
  Square 
  Within the town, the streets are 
  empty of people and the normal 
  hustle of town life has evaporated. 
  All the doors are closed and the 
  shutters pulled tight. No matter how 
  much banging the characters do no 
  one will open his or her door; it is 
  as if Bree is a ghost town. Maenist 
  again will dissuade the characters 
  from acting too rashly such as 
  kicking down the doors. 
   
  As they travel through the town, the 
  sharp eared among the group will 
  hear the sounds of voices coming 
  from the market square in the 
  centre of the town. It seems that a 
  large 
  crowd 
  of 
  people 
  have 
  gathered there and are talking 
  quietly amongst themselves. 
  
   
  47
   
   
   
   
   
  Figure 8. The square in Bree. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  48
  No doubt the characters will want 
  to approach the square to discover 
  the source of the commotion. 
   
  The square is shown in figure 8. 
  and the scene is described below. 
  Prudent characters will try to find a 
  way to creep toward the square 
  without being seen - this is a 
  relatively easy task and the streets 
  surrounding 
  the 
  square 
  are 
  disserted. However if they decide 
  to just stroll into the square then 
  events will occur slightly differently 
  (see below). 
   
  1. The square – This open 
  area used for markets once 
  a week and everyday is 
  usually filled with people, it 
  is the natural focal point of 
  the town. In the centre of the 
  square is a well cut deeply 
  into the ground supplying 
  water for the surrounding 
  traders and stallholders. At 
  the moment the square is 
  packed with people, perhaps 
  a hundred, all facing the 
  wooden platform at the front 
  of the Winter’s Night inn. 
  The people are women and 
  men of all ages and their 
  dress reveals them to be 
  some of the towns’ folk of 
  Bree. 
  They 
  are 
  talking 
  amongst 
  themselves 
  and 
  are apparently not happy 
  about something. 
   
  2. Wooden platform – This 
  raised wooden veranda runs 
  alongside the front of the 
  Winter’s night Inn. Currently 
  it is occupied by two rough 
  looking men carrying clubs 
  who are louging against the 
  railings that run along the 
  front of the veranda.  
   
  The Winter’s Night Inn – A 
  popular 
  destination 
  with 
  traders and merchants, this 
   
  Inn is often filled to capacity, 
  especially so on market day. 
  The Inn is well maintained 
  and 
  usually 
  houses 
  a 
  slightly better class of tenant 
  than the Prancing Pony.  
   
  3. Stables 
  – 
  This 
  building 
  provides stables for guests 
  of the adjacent Inn. At the 
  moment the stalls are all full. 
   
  4. Great House – This building 
  houses the offices of the 
  major 
  of 
  Bree 
  and 
  is 
  considered 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  grandest buildings in the 
  town. However, it does not 
  look it’s best at the moment 
  – someone has smashed 
  the downstairs windows and 
  attempted to kick the front 
  door down. 
   
  5. General Store – One of the 
  most important buildings in 
  Bree, the store has been 
  broken 
  into 
  and 
  looted. 
  Dropped items of food litter 
  the floor by the entrance. 
   
  6. Fletcher’s 
  Store 
  – 
  This 
  building has been boarded 
  up but again someone has 
  forced there way in to loot 
  the place. 
   
  7. Weaver’s 
  Store 
  – 
  This 
  building appears untouched 
  – whatever the looters have 
  been after cannot be found 
  in the weaver’s store. 
   
  Gailhen has been using the power 
  of the Rod of Annatar (see the 
  Items section below) to dominate 
  
   
  49
  the people of Bree. Gathering to 
  him 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  undesirables of the town, he has 
  sent them looting amongst the 
  shops collecting equipment for his 
  next expedition, wherever that may 
  be. So far Gailen has used the Rod 
  to keep the towns folk hidden 
  indoors, 
  but 
  the 
  looting 
  has 
  reached such a degree that the 
  people have gathered outside the 
  Winter’s Night Inn to confront 
  Gailhen. However, it is a testimony 
  of the power of Rod and the fear of 
  the people that they have not tried 
  to bring Gailhen to justice but 
  remain relatively quietly awaiting 
  Gailhen’s appearance. 
   
  The people filling the square are 
  many of the prominent towns folk of 
  Bree, men and 
  women 
  alike. 
  Dotted amongst them are several 
  rough 
  looking 
  types, 
  mainly 
  distinguishable by the clubs they 
  carry. As the characters draw close 
  the people are talking amongst 
  themselves 
  as 
  if 
  waiting 
  for 
  something. Evidently the action is 
  to take place on the wooden 
  platform in front of the Winter’s 
  Night Inn. The rest of this scene 
  assumes that the characters are 
  keeping a low profile in one of the 
  side 
  streets 
  leading 
  onto 
  the 
  square. If they march straight into 
  the square, things will progress 
  somewhat differently. 
   
  After about ten minutes, the figure 
  of a woman walks out onto the 
  platform 
  from 
  the 
  Inn. 
  The 
  characters should be able to 
  recognise her as Gwanthilf who 
  they first encountered in the caves 
  of the Trollshaws. As she steps 
  lightly onto the platform, smiling 
  amiably at the people below her, a 
  silence descends upon the crowd. 
  She walks over to talk to one of the 
  rough looking men at the side of 
  the platform, and he nods and calls 
  two other over to him. She returns 
  to the centre of the platform and 
  looks out over the crowd. 
   
  A few moments later, Gailhen 
  strolls from the Inn. He looks much 
  the same as when the characters 
  last saw him, except in his righ 
  hand he carries a short wooden 
  staff with a large pale stone on the 
  top. In case the characters haven’t 
  guessed Maenist whispers that this 
  is the Rod of Annatar. Gailhen 
  strides forward to address the 
  crowd, holding the Rod up to call 
  for silence. The characters are too 
  far away to here what Gailhen is 
  saying, but it has a peculiar effect 
  on the crowd. As he speaks they 
  visibly settle down, frowns become 
  smiles 
  and 
  they 
  even 
  laugh 
  occasionally as he talks. After 
  about five minutes Gailhen lowers 
  the Rod, smiling to the crowd. 
  During this time, the characters will 
  find themselves lulled, such that 
  even the most alert among them 
  will loose their alertness. 
   
  When Gailhen stops speaking, the 
  characters 
  will 
  suddenly 
  hear 
  voices around them (regardless of 
  where they are), and suddenly find 
  themselves in the midst of a group 
  of townsfolk, who push and shove 
  them toward the square. Maenist 
  will sharply warn any of the group 
  that try and fight back that these 
  people are innocents. Suddenly, 
  the characters will find themselves 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  square 
  surrounded by angry people. It is 
  important for the following scenes 
  that the characters cannot act – 
  spellcasters should be discouraged 
  from displaying their power, if they 
  insist 
  on 
  casting 
  spells 
  have 
  Gwanthilf counter them. 
  
   
  50
  6.7 Scene 5 – The Power of the 
  Rod 
  Gailhen holds the Rod aloft to calm 
  the town’s people. However, the 
  characters will find themselves 
  surrounded by a press of people 
  and unable to move. Once the 
  noise dies down Gailhen speaks. 
   
  Holding the Rod aloft, Gailhen 
  begins to speak of the evil of the 
  Rangers, wicked men of the wild 
  who come to prey on the town of 
  Bree. He speaks of robbers and 
  thieves, of men of darkness, and 
  the people jeer at the characters as 
  he speaks, and characters with 
  magical sense will be able to feel 
  the subtle emanations of the Rod. 
  As Gailhen talks the characters 
  may notice Gwanthilf staring at 
  Maenist. 
   
  Gailhen stops speaking and raising 
  the Rod higher, he tells the towns 
  people it is time to remove these 
  evil men from Bree. But before he 
  finishes, Gwanthilf stops him, and 
  tells the towns folk to push Maenist 
  forward. 
  There 
  are 
  too 
  many 
  people present for the characters to 
  stop this happening. Gwanthilf tells 
  Gailhen that perhaps the Elf knows 
  something of the Rod. Gailhen 
  looks toward Maenist but he bows 
  his head. But then Gailhen points 
  the Rod at Maenist and commands 
  him to speak and tell what he 
  knows of the ‘Voice’. 
   
  The characters can feel the power 
  moving between the two and 
  Gailhen’s head springs with sweat 
  and Maenist clenches his teeth. But 
  however he resists, in the end 
  Maenist speaks. 
   
  He says that the ‘Voice’ was moved 
  many years ago by the men of 
  Arnor. Threw twisted lips he says 
  that the Voice now rests at Mindon 
  Lamath on the shores of lake 
  Nemial. 
   
  Gailhen draws Meanist toward him, 
  revelling in his control. Gwanthilf 
  steps forward and leans down to 
  kiss the Elf. Maenist stiffens and 
  Gailhen lowers the Rod to release 
  him and the Elf staggers backward, 
  a knife in his breast. 
   
   
  6.8 Scene 6 – Maenist’s passing 
  As Maenist falls pandemonium 
  breaks over the people. They run 
  screaming and shouting around the 
  square, shoving and kicking all in 
  their way in confusion. Gailhen and 
  Gwanthilf disappear back into the 
  Inn, and the Ruffian move in to 
  guard 
  their 
  exit, 
  kicking 
  and 
  shoving people out of the way. The 
  confusion will give the characters 
  time to get to Maenist. He lies 
  mortally wounded on the ground. 
  He will tells the characters that he 
  could not withhold the secret of the 
  Voice. He says that the Voice is a 
  devise that amplifies the power of 
  the Rod, and that the two items 
  must not be united. He says that 
  the tower Mindon Lameth lies on 
  the shore of lake Nemial near the 
  ruins of Annuminas. He says that 
  the characters must reach the 
  Voice before Gailhen. Finally, he 
  offers the longsword Gwindnaur to 
  one of the characters to bear – this 
  could be an Elf or one of the 
  warriors of the group that Maenist 
  thinks is most worthy. After this 
  final act, Maenist dies. 
   
   
  6.9 Scene 7 – Escape from Bree 
  By the time Maenist has delivered 
  his final words, the people of Bree 
  have gathered again ready to 
  chase the characters from the 
  
   
  51
  town. The folk are not foolish 
  enough to attack the characters 
  outright, but they will Harry them by 
  shouting 
  taunts 
  and 
  throwing 
  stones. The characters have no 
  choice but to leave. Gailhen and 
  Gwanthilf are nowhere to be seen, 
  and nor are their Ruffians. 
   
  During the whole visit to Bree, the 
  Rangers are nowhere to be seen. 
   
  The chronicle continues in the final 
  Chapter 6 – Voice from the Past. 
   
   
  6.10 
  Non-player 
  Characters 
  (NPCs) 
  Use the following descriptions for 
  the 
  enemies 
  and 
  NPC’s 
  encountered in this chapter. Stats 
  should be tailored by the narrator to 
  the strengths of the party. 
   
   
  6.10.1 Gailhen (S. ‘True-eyed’) 
  See description and statistics in 
  Chapter 1 – The Robbers Cave. 
   
   
  6.10.2 Gwanthilf (S. ‘Beautiful 
  heart’) 
  See description and statistics in 
  Chapter 1 – The Robbers Cave. 
   
   
  6. 10.3 Ruffians 
   
   
   
  Use statistics for ‘Dunlanders’ from 
  the Core rules but with reduced 
  combat skills and Wits. 
   
  Every town has them. These dregs 
  of 
  society 
  are 
  particularly 
  susceptible to Gailhen’s suggestion 
  and they have flocked to his 
  ‘cause’. A motley bunch of young 
  and 
  old, 
  down-and-outs 
  and 
  drunks, these Ruffians would pose 
  little opposition to the characters if 
  there were not so many of them. 
   
   
  6.10.4 Towns folk 
   
   
   
  Use statistics for ‘Dunlanders’ from 
  the Core rules but with much 
  reduced combat skills. 
   
  The good people of Bree are held 
  by Gailhen and the power of the 
  Rod. 
  Many 
  feel 
  deep 
  within 
  themselves that what he says is 
  wrong but they cannot fight the 
  Rod’s 
  power. 
  They 
  will 
  obey 
  Gailhen’s orders seemingly without 
  question but perceptive characters 
  should be able to see the conflict 
  raging within. These are basically 
  good people and innocents so the 
  characters 
  should 
  be 
  strongly 
  discouraged 
  from 
  slaughtering 
  them to get at Gailhen. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  52
  6.11 Items 
  This section outlines some of the 
  special items encountered in this 
  chapter. 
   
   
  6.11.1 The Rod of Annatar 
   
   
   
  The Rod of Annatar, the focus of 
  this chronicle, is an exceptionally 
  powerful magical item. Annatar, the 
  name chosen by Sauron in his 
  attempts to bring the Elven-Smiths 
  of 
  Eriador 
  under 
  his 
  sway, 
  constructed the Rod as a tool for 
  extending his influence and control. 
  The Rod represents that most 
  abhorrent trait of the Shadow, the 
  control of others and the loss of 
  free will. Powerful and strongly 
  manifesting magical weapons are 
  not a part of Middle-earth and the 
  Rod is not a weapon of brute 
  strength 
  but 
  a 
  subtle 
  and 
  mysterious tool of evil, and must 
  always be presented in this way. 
   
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  Rod’s 
  construction, Sauron was using a 
  pleasing guise to entreat the elves, 
  and so the Rod itself is pleasing to 
  the eye. A shaft of dark wood 
  approximately 3 feet long and 
  topped with a disk of silver metal 
  upon which is mounted a globe of 
  milky glass-like material, similar to 
  a large pearl roughly 4” in diameter. 
  There are no markings on the 
  wood, the disk or the globe, and 
  the 
  whole 
  piece 
  seems 
  unremarkable. 
  However, 
  the 
  workmanship can be seen to be of 
  the highest quality (Sauron was 
  once one of the greatest Maiar of 
  Aule, the smith of the Valar).  
   
  The powers of the rod are many. 
  The 
  principle 
  function 
  was 
  to 
  increase 
  Sauron’s 
  power 
  to 
  overcome the Elves with words, 
  even as his true bearing was held 
  back by his guise. The Rod grants 
  all those who hold it a bearing 
  (wise) +3 bonus and a wisdom +2 
  bonus, the demeanour of wisdom 
  projected by the Rod will over-ride 
  the bearer’s own natural bearing. 
  Secondly, the Rod grants the trait 
  ‘Honeyed tongue’ to the bearer, 
  allowing the holder to win over 
  others to do his bidding. The Rod 
  also gives +3 rolls to intimidate and 
  inspire tests. Finally, the Rod will 
  allow the bearer to cast the sorcery 
  spell ‘Command’ as if the bearer 
  were 
  a 
  magician 
  (with 
  the 
  accompanying weariness test). The 
  rod can also be used as a staff 
  focus 
  for 
  other 
  sorcery 
  and 
  magicians’ spells. 
   
  Actively using any of these abilities 
  against another, even the Bearing 
  bonus, 
  costs 
  the 
  holder 
  a 
  corruption point. The shadow cast 
  by the lies and eventual betrayal of 
  Annatar, the ‘bringer of gifts’, is so 
  ingrained into the rod that its evil 
  can overcome even the strongest 
  minds. It should be noted that due 
  to the nature of the tasks for which 
  the rod was invested – to overcome 
  and coerce free minds with sweet 
  words - the powers of the Rod 
  always manifest subtly. The real 
  powers of the Rod are actually far 
  more than those listed here, but to 
  
   
  53
  utilise all the full range of the Rod’s 
  abilities requires a powerful mind 
  such as Sauron’s. Compared to 
  this, Gailhen use of the Rod has 
  the all the finesse of a surgeon 
  carrying out a delicate operation 
  with a two-handed sword. 
   
  
   
  54 
  7.0 Chapter 6 - Voice from the Past 
  The events in this chapter directly follow 
  from Chapter 5 – Honeyed Words, and 
  that chapter should be completed before 
  this one is attempted. 
   
   
  7.1 What’s going on? 
  The characters have discovered that 
  Gailhen and Gwanthilf, in possension of 
  the Rod of Annatar, have bent the people 
  of Bree to their will and gathered a large 
  band of ruffians in the process. However, 
  the characters have been powerless to act 
  against them with so many innocent Bree-
  landers under the influence of the Rod. 
  With the characters helpless, Gailhen has 
  used the Rod to force Maenist, the Elven 
  Lore Master, to reveal all he knows of the 
  Rod of Annatar, and learnt that the Rod is 
  just part of an ancient device called the 
  Voice of Annatar the second part of which 
  is at Annuminas in a place called Mindon 
  Lamath (S. ‘The tower of echoing voices’). 
  Gailhen has struck Maenist a mortal blow 
  and escaped with his men to seek the 
  tower, leaving the characters to escape 
  from the enraged Bree folk. 
   
  In this chapter, the characters race to 
  Annuminas to reach the Voice of Annatar 
  before Gailhen arrives. At the site of the 
  tower they gain new allies and confront 
  their enemies in the final battle with 
  Gailhen. 
   
   
   
   
  7.2 Scene 1 – Flight from Bree 
  Escaping the misguided townsfolk, Belegilf 
  leads the characters back to the horses 
  waiting outside Bree together they set off 
  for Annuminas. Before they set off Belegilf 
  leaves a message for the Rangers should 
  any return to Bree. Belegilf says that it is 
  vital that they reach Mindon Lamath before 
  Gailhen – they dare not stop to confront 
  him in case they loose valuable time which 
  could be used in trying to destroy the Voice 
  whatever it may be. It would seem that 
  Gailhen has set out on foot from the 
  ancient city and therefore on horseback 
  the characters should have a clear 
  advantage. 
   
  Belegilf leads the characters from Bree 
  through the wilds toward the ruins of the 
  ancient capital of the lost Dunedain realm 
  of Arnor. Should the group approach the 
  road as they leave Bree, they will see a 
  large group of people marching down the 
  great road toward the Shire – this is 
  Gailhen and his ‘servants’. By the time the 
  characters see them the ranks have 
  swollen to over one hundred, including 
  both Ruffians and ordinary townsfolk – 
  men and women, humans and hobbits. 
  This is far too large a group for the 
  characters to attack and even so they are 
  mostly innocent people ensnared by the 
  effects of the Rod – combat is not an 
  option. As Gailhen’s party march onward, 
  the weaker ones fall by the wayside, 
  waking hours later far from home, but 
  others come from the wild to answer the 
  call of the Rod, including Hillmen, outlaws 
  and worse, and the ranks of the makeshift 
  army swell. It will take this group less than 
  two weeks to reach Annuminas, but this 
  should give the characters ample time to 
  skirt through the wilds toward the city. 
   
  The journey should be tense as clearly 
  there is much at stake. The characters will 
  be turned away from any dwellings they 
  approach; even the folk of the wilds seem 
  nervous and worried by something they 
  cannot name. Belegilf says that the land 
  does not feel ‘right’, as if something has 
  tipped the balance of things – this is dark 
  mind of Sauron as manifested through the 
  Rod. People that the characters pass 
  seem surly and unhelpful, and as the 
  journey 
  continues 
  travellers 
  become 
  downright aggressive to strangers as the 
  Rod’s influence grows. 
   
  The narrator can play any encounters he 
  wishes during the journey, but it should be 
  borne in mind that the shadow of the Rod 
  lies over the land and a dark and 
  foreboding feeling should permeate any 
  scenes. 
   
   
  
   
  55 
   
   
  7.3 Scene 2 – The Wight at Deadman’s 
  Dike 
   
   
   
  Approximately one week into the journey, 
  the group will draw close to the ruined 
  hilltop 
  fortress 
  of 
  Fornost 
  Erain, 
  or 
  Deadman’s Dike as it has been known 
  since being sacked by the armies of 
  Angmar. The crumbling towers and walls 
  can be spotted for miles around, and the 
  blood red light of the setting sun casts long 
  silhouettes 
  which 
  reach 
  across 
  the 
  intervening distance like black fingers. The 
  surrounding countryside is silent, and the 
  characters should be only too aware of the 
  noise made by their horses as they pass. 
   
  As they draw close to the city Belegilf 
  leads them along a path which moves 
  through an area of woodland Belegilf tells 
  the party that they will stay here for the 
  night – the ruins of Fornost are not a place 
  to approach during the hours of darkness. 
  The characters should organise their camp 
  and settle down for the night. 
   
  Unknown to them, they have chosen a bad 
  place to stop. Nearby is the tomb of an 
  ancient king of men. Empty except for 
  bones for many ages, the tomb after the 
  sacking of Fornost has become the 
  habitation of an evil Wight from Angmar. 
  Asleep for many years since the end of the 
  darkness in the north, the Wight has been 
  awoken by the evil shadow the Rod is 
  casting over the land. 
   
  During the night, the Wight will watch the 
  camp, waiting for what he perceives to be 
  the best time to make his move. Assuming 
  the characters post a watch, he will wait 
  until the ‘weakest’ character is guarding 
  the camp and then use his ‘Holding spell’ 
  to immobilise the guard. This will be felt by 
  the guard as a freezing grip on the his 
  heart and the fire will stutter and die. The 
  Wight will then move forward to slay the 
  guard, however, as he moves into the 
  camp the building cold will wake one of the 
  sleeping characters so the Wight will lose 
  the element of surprise. 
   
  The Wight should not be used to seriously 
  harm the characters; he should serve only 
  to 
  build 
  the 
  tension 
  felt 
  since 
  the 
  characters left Bree. The Wight will fight to 
  defend itself but once the characters have 
  awoken if they appear too strong he will 
  retreat to his tomb. 
   
  If the characters wish to destroy the 
  creature they will have to wait until daylight 
  and then tear open the tomb, which lies in 
  the woods 30ft to the west of the campsite. 
  It will take at least three hours to open the 
  tomb but when the sunlight hits the central 
  chamber, the Wight will expire with a 
  deathly wail. Within the tomb there is the 
  moulding equipment of the ancient king. 
  Amongst the rot is a thin band of 
  untarnished gold to be worn about the 
  head – the ancient king’s crown (see items 
  description). It should be suggested to the 
  characters that perhaps the power of the 
  Rod is stirring the evil in the land and has 
  drawn the Wight out from his tomb. 
   
  The party can then travel passed the ruins 
  of Fornost, the broken towers acting as a 
  stark reminder of the folly of men. 
   
   
  7.4 Scene 3 - Mindon Lamath 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  56 
   
   
   
   
  Figure 9. Mindon Lameth and the local environment. 
   
  
   
  57 
  Eventually, the party will approach the site 
  of the ruined city of Annuminas on the 
  shores of the beautiful lake Evendim. 
  Unlike the chilling ruins of Fornost, the 
  broken avenues and shattered halls of 
  Annuminas evoke sorrow rather than fear. 
  Belegilf says that if he remembers correctly 
  the tower called Mindon Lamath (S. ‘The 
  tower of echoing voices’) lies along the 
  shore of the lake on a small promontory. 
  Belegilf leads the party onward. 
   
  Figure 9 shows Mindon Lameth and the 
  land surrounding the tower, individual 
  locations are described below. The tower 
  itself 
  is 
  constructed 
  in 
  the 
  typical 
  Numenorean style of fused blocks of dark 
  stone and is nearly 200 feet in height. 
  However, the Arnorean architects had not 
  the skill of the forefathers and the tower 
  shows some signs of decay. There are 
  windows running around the tower (on 
  levels one and two, see below), although 
  these show some signs of age with 
  crumbing stone work they are stoutly 
  blocked by intricately worked steel bars. 
   
  1. Mindon Lameth – The ruins of the 
  tower sit on a small promontory 
  which projects into Lake Evendim. 
  The tower occupies the top of a 
  small hill, 30 feet high. A few broken 
  and gnarled trees are dotted about 
  the island. 
   
  2. Path – A small and now long 
  disused path winds from the tower 
  through the gates. Under the turf 
  paving slabs of marble can be seen. 
   
  3. Broken walls – 12 feet high near the 
  gate towers, these crumbling walls 
  fall away to nothing as they move to 
  circle the island. They are wide 
  enough near the towers for a man to 
  stand upon. 
   
  4. Gate towers – these two small 
  ruined towers once supported the 
  gate that barred entry to the island. 
  They 
  are 
  15 
  feet 
  high 
  and 
  crenulated. A man could stand on to 
  of the towers and receive some 
  protection from the battlements, but 
  the towers are now hollow so a 
  platform 
  would 
  need 
  to 
  be 
  constructed. The gate has long 
  since gone. 
   
  5. Beaches 
  – 
  Two 
  small 
  sandy 
  beaches cover either side of the 
  neck of the promontory. 
   
  6. Deep water – Evendim is a deep 
  lake, typically the lake floor drops to 
  20 feet within 30 feet of the shore 
  but the water behind the tower is 
  especially deep, dropping to 50 feet 
  within just a few yards of the rocky 
  shore. 
   
  7. Lower chamber – The door to 
  Mindon Lameth is constructed of 
  steel and is still very strong, too 
  strong to be broken down even by 
  siege equipment. On the door is an 
  inscription in Sindarin, reading: 
   
  ‘You cannot hear me, you cannot 
  see me, you cannot touch me but 
  you cannot escape me, for when 
  you pass into darkness I will be with 
  you in your grave. If you know the 
  secret of Mindon Lameth you can 
  speak my name and enter’ 
   
  The answer to the riddle is ‘silence’ 
  or ‘dîn’ in Sindarin. If this word is 
  spoken clearly in front of the door it 
  will swing silently inwards. The inner 
  chamber is a wide, cool space of 
  white marble, with a ceiling over 60 
  feet high. A central pillar supports 
  the roof and a winding staircase 
  curves around the wall to the 
  chamber above (there is no rail). In 
  recesses in the walls are four small 
  marble statues of the kings of 
  Arthedain, each sitting on a throne 
  in silent contemplation. 
   
  8. First level – The winding stair leads 
  to a second wide chamber of white 
  marble. Light is provided by the 
  narrow, high barred windows. The 
  central pillar continues from floor to 
  ceiling in this chamber and again 
  the ceiling is over 60 feet high. 
  
   
  58 
  Around the wall is a mural which is 
  split into three separate images. 
  The first shows the men of Arnor 
  defeating an army or Orcs and wild 
  men in a vicious battle. The second 
  scene 
  shows 
  the 
  Arnoreans 
  removing what looks to be a large 
  throne from a broken tower of dark 
  stone. The final mural image shows 
  a king seated on the throne atop a 
  tower 
  which 
  bears 
  a 
  strong 
  resemblance to Mindon Lameth. 
  The winding stair begins again, 
  winding upwards (again with no 
  rail). 
   
  9. Second level – The second level is 
  considerably 
  different 
  to 
  those 
  below and a pair of steel shutters 
  blocks the top of the stair from 
  location 8. There are no windows 
  and the chamber is very dark. The 
  walls are nearly 80 feet high. Near 
  the top holes have been cut through 
  the rock walls allowing the sunlight 
  to stream in striking the central pillar 
  which is constructed on shiny 
  obsidian. The holes have been cut 
  into the arrangement of the stars in 
  the night sky, such that an image of 
  the heavens is cast onto the pillar. 
  Around the room stone chairs have 
  been set against the walls to allow 
  the 
  occupants 
  a 
  place 
  to 
  contemplate the image of the stars 
  in the middle of the day. The stone 
  stair winds around the wall of the 
  chamber again giving access to the 
  roof but half way up 40 feet above 
  the floor of the chamber the stairs 
  have fallen away. The gap left is 10 
  feet across and will require some 
  ingenuity to safely navigate (climb 
  test at TN 15). Again there is no 
  guardrail. 
   
  10. Roof – the stair opens out onto the 
  roof of the tower. A pair of unlocked 
  steel shutters prevents light from 
  above spoiling the star-effect in the 
  chamber below. The roof itself is 
  wide and smooth surfaced. The trap 
  door opens onto a narrow lip of 
  stone which circles the top of the 
  tower. The rusted remains of a 
  balustrade can be seen running 
  around the tower’s edge. From the 
  stone lip the floor slopes upward 
  toward a large stone throne which 
  occupies the top of the tower, facing 
  south. The throne is in fact the 
  Voice of Annatar, a hole bored into 
  the stone near where the right hand 
  of a seated person would rests is 
  the slot for the Rod. For a 
  description of the Voice see the 
  ‘Items’ section of this chapter. The 
  throne is set into the fused stone of 
  the rooftop and there is no way to 
  prise it from the tower. On either 
  side of the throne are two huge 
  stone ‘pincers’, the tops of which 
  are separated by 5 feet above the 
  top of the throne. 
   
   
  7.5 Scene 4 – The Green Elves 
   
   
   
  Once the party arrive at Mindon Lameth, 
  they have several problems to overcome. 
  Firstly, they must answer the riddle to enter 
  the tower. Climbing the smooth stone 
  tower is simply not practical, nor is 
  breaking the door down. Secondly, once 
  they are in the tower, they must determine 
  what is exactly the Voice of Annatar. This 
  shouldn’t prove too taxing to intelligent 
  players. 
   
  As the characters ponder the tower, the 
  feeling that they are being watched will 
  slowly build. Only 100 feet from the water’s 
  edge is one of the many stands of trees 
  that dot the landscape. A mixture of 
  coniferous and deciduous tree the woods 
  
   
  59 
  provide good cover to those hidden within. 
  As the day wears on the characters will get 
  a growing impression that something is 
  watching them from the trees. However, 
  nothing will occur until they manage to 
  open the door and enter the tower.  
   
  Watching the party is a group of twenty 
  Nandor or Green Elves. They have dwelt in 
  the wilds around Lake Evendim for many 
  ages. Since the fall or Arnor they have 
  taken it upon themselves to guard the 
  Voice of Annatar which the kings of old 
  decided to mount on the top of Mindon 
  Lameth. As long as the characters fail to 
  breach the tower the Elves will content 
  themselves just to watch. However, when 
  the party opens the door the Elves will 
  move against them. 
   
  The Elves will not attack the party outright, 
  but will come forward in force with their 
  curved bows to call the characters down 
  from the tower. To the characters is should 
  be clear that these are Elves, and it is 
  important that no blood is shed (Belegilf 
  will argue vehemently against attacking the 
  Elves). The leader of the Elves, Tintestel, 
  will then request that the characters are 
  bound and blindfolded. He will not answer 
  any questions, but will say that all will 
  become clear if the charcaters follow his 
  orders. Assuming the characters can be 
  persuaded he will lead them away from the 
  tower, any characters who refuse to be led 
  in this way may remain but will be 
  accompanied several Elven guards. 
   
  Tintestel will lead the characters into the 
  woods, winding down ancient Elven paths 
  that even a skilled Ranger could not 
  discern. After an hour, the group reach the 
  Green 
  Elves 
  encampment 
  and 
  the 
  blindfolds on the characters will be 
  removed. 
   
  Tintestel will question the characters on 
  what they are doing at Mindon Lameth. He 
  will 
  listen 
  impassively 
  as 
  they 
  talk. 
  Assuming the characters tell Tintestel all 
  that has happened so far, he will say that 
  dark days are ahead. Providing they can 
  convince Tintestel of their sincerity, he will 
  then tell the characters what he knows of 
  the history of the Voice of Annatar. He 
  says that when Sauron was defeated by 
  the last alliance of Elves and Men in the 
  third age, his dwelling place amongst the 
  Elves of Eregion was pulled down. In the 
  topmost chamber of his tower in the city of 
  Ost-In-Edhil (S. ‘City of the Elves’) was 
  found a great throne of stone, carved from 
  the blackest obsidian. The remaining Elves 
  of Eregion wished the throne destroyed, 
  but the men of Arnor claimed the throne as 
  their own and took it to their capital 
  Annuminas. There the throne rested, until 
  one of the kings of the daughter kingdom 
  of Arthedain, Argeleb I, built the tower 
  called Mindon Lameth. He found the sight 
  granted by the throne to be useful in 
  conducting 
  his 
  petty 
  wars 
  with 
  the 
  kingdoms of Cardolan and Rhudaur. 
   
  When Annuminas was finally deserted 
  after TA 250, Mindon Lameth and the 
  throne were forgotten. But the Naldor did 
  not forget the Voice for the memories of 
  the Elves are long, and they set watch 
  upon Mindon Lameth against those who 
  would stir the ancient power of the Voice of 
  Annatar. The skill of the ancient Anoreans 
  is such that the Voice cannot be removed 
  from Mindon Lameth. What is paramount is 
  that Gailhen and his band are not allowed 
  to gain access to the Voice. Tintestel 
  immediately orders some of his finest 
  woodsmen locate Gailhen’s war band and 
  report back their whereabouts. He also 
  sends men to contact the Rangers. Then 
  he says in case Gailhen’s war band arrives 
  they must prepare the Mindon Lameth to 
  withstand a siege. 
   
   
  7.6 Scene 5 – Preparing for Siege 
  Mindon Lameth is fairly well prepared for a 
  siege. The following table describes the 
  structure and protection factors for the 
  structures on the promontory (see the map 
  in figure 9 above). 
   
  Location 
  Protection Structure 
  3, walls 
  3 
  6 
  4, towers 
  4 
  60 
  1, door 
  5 
  8 
  1, tower 
  7 
  100 
   
  
   
  60 
  The door to the tower cannot be picked but 
  can be opened with the password. There is 
  no gate to the compound, to block the 
  entrance one must be constructed from 
  wood from the nearby forest. This task 
  requires a challenging Siegecraft skill test 
  with the degree of success indicating the 
  quality of the gate. The walls can also be 
  improved with the crumbling stones that 
  litter the promontory with an appropriate 
  Routine Stonecraft test. Unfortunately, 
  there is insufficient stone to fortify the 
  perimeter of the island and anyone willing 
  to swim the cold lake waters could get 
  around the walls. The Elves will provide 
  fifty men to aid in these constructions, and 
  anything else the characters wish to 
  perform. 
   
  Two days after the characters have talked 
  with Tintestel news comes that Gailhen’s 
  force is two days away from the tower. The 
  Bree folk have all left the band; instead the 
  ranks have been swelled with wild Hillmen 
  and Orcs apparently from the Misty 
  Mountains, and the band numbers five 
  hundred or more and is growing daily. Of 
  the Rangers no news has come. Tintestel 
  leads a force of 150 fighting men with 
  which to defend the tower. 
   
  The characters must decide how they wish 
  to defend Mindon Lameth from Gailhen, 
  and how they intend to improve the 
  defenses of the tower in the restricted time 
  they have. Presumably they will command 
  a force of the Green Elves within the tower 
  and on the promontory during the attack, 
  but Tintestel will suggest that a small force 
  of the Elves is hidden in the trees to 
  outflank Gailhen’s troops. 
   
   
  7.7 Scene 6 – The attack 
  As Gailhen and Gwanthilf have travelled 
  across Eriador, the power of the Rod has 
  drawn much evil to his cause. The Bree-
  folk have all fallen by the wayside, to be 
  replaced with Hillmen and Orcs. The 
  Hillmen are led by Caras, a warlike 
  chieftain from Rhudaur. These Hillmen 
  were encountered by Gailhen as he moved 
  across the land and he used the Rod to 
  win Caras to his cause. 
   
  The Orcs in Gailhen’s force are the second 
  group from the Ettenmoors, again led by 
  Grakak who met the Orcs as they travelled 
  down from the hills. Orcs are used to being 
  dominated and coerced by a strong will 
  and have easily come under Gailhen’s 
  sway. Some wolf packs led by Wargs have 
  been influenced by Gailhen (and his 
  amulet which gives him affinity with 
  Wolves) have also joined the group. It is 
  now truly a war band. 
   
  Gailhen will lead his band to assault 
  Mindon Lameth two days after news of his 
  band reaches the characters. He will attack 
  by night so that his Orcs are at their 
  strongest – a clear night, with the moon 
  riding high. He will use the Orcs and 
  Hillmen to storm the gate and gain the 
  island so that he can reach the tower. 
  Before the attack, the Hillmen will also 
  construct rafts from nearby trees to attempt 
  to circumvent the walls. 
   
  The actual attack can be played using the 
  Battle Rules in the Core Rules book. The 
  battle should be started with the Elves and 
  characters at ‘Losing (-1)’ on table 9.23 – 
  Battle Resolution. The hero Combat rules 
  can also be used to enliven the battle, with 
  Caras or Grakak representing powerful 
  enemy leaders should single combat 
  ensue. If desired, a full ‘Units’ style battle 
  could be played. 
   
  However, the main point of the assault is to 
  provide a backdrop to the drama of 
  Gailhen’s fight to gain the voice of Annatar, 
  and therefore several events must occur 
  during the battle regardless of any dice 
  rolls. Firstly, the battle should generally go 
  badly for the characters – if they appear to 
  be 
  defeating 
  Gailhen’s 
  forces, 
  fresh 
  reinforcements could arrive to bolster his 
  hand. Secondly, at some point in the 
  battle, 
  whatever 
  makeshift 
  gate 
  the 
  characters have erected will be breached 
  and the Hillmen and Orcs will gain the 
  promontory. The Elves will be able to battle 
  with the small number of enemies rushing 
  over the narrow land bridge, but Gailhen 
  and Gwanthilf should make it across to the 
  tower. At least some of the characters will 
  
   
  61 
  probably be in the tower when Gailhen 
  arrives, if not then the narrator should be 
  sure that some of the characters spot him. 
   
   
  7.8 Scene 7 – The Voice of Annatar 
  Gailhen, Gwanthilf and a small number of 
  his ‘personal guard’ of powerful Orcs (use 
  Uruk statistics) gain the foot of the tower. 
  Gailhen knows the password to open the 
  door, and no matter how the characters 
  have tried to stop the door opening it will 
  still swing wide. The number of guards that 
  enter with Gailhen must be carefully 
  balanced by the Narrator. Sufficient must 
  be there to ‘tie up’ the characters and allow 
  Gailhen and Gwanthilf to make it to the 
  stairs and climb towards the roof. When 
  the characters have despatched the Orcs, 
  Gailhen will be on the roof. If there are any 
  characters on the roof, then some of the 
  guards will make it that far to engage them. 
   
  Once on the roof, Gailhen will make toward 
  the throne. However, before he has time to 
  place the Rod in the holder carved into the 
  Voice, Gwanthilf, standing behind him, will 
  stab him in the back and tear the Rod from 
  his grasp. Any characters fighting on the 
  roof will see this, otherwise when the 
  characters reach the roof they will find that 
  Gailhen is laying slumped before the 
  throne and Gwanthilf is holding the Rod 
  aloft. 
   
  Gwanthilf will then attack the characters. 
  Her first move will be to try to control the 
  biggest and toughest looking character 
  with the ‘Command’ spell granted by the 
  Rod. She will be aided in her venture by 
  the sudden appearance of another figure 
  on the tower top – the mysterious Nag 
  Burdak will step from around the throne 
  and leap to her defence. When Gwanthilf 
  has the characters tied up with fighting, 
  she will place the Rod in the holder and sit 
  upon the throne, activating the Voice of 
  Annatar. 
   
  Immediately, all noises of combat will 
  cease. The characters will feel a soothing 
  wave of pleasant feelings wash over them, 
  one they are powerless to resist. It appears 
  to them that Gwanthilf has become the 
  most regal being they have ever seen, 
  seated on a mighty golden throne and 
  smiling beneficently toward them. Unable 
  to resist, they will drop to one knee in 
  supplication. 
   
  But then, just as suddenly, the feeling will 
  pass and the noises of the night return. 
  Looking up, they will see that Gwanthilf is 
  not longer on the throne. She has been 
  torn from the seat by Gailhen, who is 
  grappling with her by the stone seat, 
  fighting to tear the Rod from her grasp. As 
  the characters watch Gailhen throws 
  Gwanthilf down behind the throne and 
  advances 
  toward 
  her. 
  Simultaneously, 
  several Orcs attempt to barge their way 
  onto the roof (summoned by Gwanthilf 
  using the Rod). Below, the tower the 
  sounds of combat begin afresh. 
   
  When the characters get around the edge 
  of the tower where Gailhen and Gwanthilf 
  rolled, they will find Gailhen standing at the 
  edge of the stone lip. ‘Give me the Rod 
  and I will pull you up!’ He will shout over 
  the edge. A shrill woman’s voice will reply 
  ‘Never!’ Gailhen screams ‘No!’ as he 
  stares over the edge. He then turns to face 
  the characters, draws his sword and, 
  rushes to attack. 
   
  At this point the sounds of the battle will 
  suddenly falter, as if half of the combatants 
  had suddenly paused in their attack. Just 
  then, the sounds of men shouting the 
  name ‘Elbereth!’ will sound, along with 
  noises of combat renewed. 
   
  Gailhen 
  will 
  fight 
  with 
  a 
  passion, 
  completely 
  disregarding 
  his 
  personal 
  safety. When he is struck down by the 
  characters he will raise his fist and scream 
  the name ‘Gwilbil!’, before staggering and 
  falling from the tower. 
   
   
  7.9 Scene 8 – Aftermath 
  Just as the characters fought with Gailhen, 
  a party of Rangers under the command of 
  Sadron joined the battle, charging the rear 
  of the Orc and Hillmen ranks. However, as 
  soon as Gwanthilf fell from the edge of the 
  tower the power of the Rod disappeared 
  
   
  62 
  and the Orcs and Hillmen lost their driving 
  force. Soon after the Rangers joined the 
  fray the ranks of Gailhen’s force will scatter 
  and break for the hills and woods 
  surrounding the tower. The Rangers will 
  follow them into the night to eliminate the 
  stragglers. 
   
  After the battle, no trace of Gwanthilf or the 
  Rod will be found. Presumably when she 
  and the Rod fell from the tower they rolled 
  into the deep waters of lake Evendim. 
  Gailhen’s broken body will be found at the 
  foot of the tower. 
   
  Tintestel will thank the characters for the 
  aid in defending the Voice of Annatar. He 
  will say that with the Rod not destroyed his 
  people will now resume their vigil, should 
  case the power of the Rod rises again, but 
  that for now darkness has been averted. 
  Sadron, reunited with Belegilf, will explain 
  how the Rangers had to meet and destroy 
  a third force of Orcs which had been sent 
  by Mount Gram to plunder Bree. Once this 
  threat was met and dealt with, the Rangers 
  returned to the town. However, finding the 
  destruction left by Gailhen, they tracked his 
  war band, eventually reaching Annuminas 
  in time to join the battle. 
   
  With the power of the Rod lost in waters of 
  lake Evendim, the dark shadow of its 
  power is lost and this chronicle draws to a 
  close. 
   
   
  7.10 Non-player Characters (NPCs) 
  Use the following descriptions for the 
  enemies and NPC’s encountered in this 
  chapter. Stats should be tailored by the 
  narrator to the strengths of the party. 
   
   
  7.10.1 Belegilf (S. ‘Great heart’) 
  For a description of Belegilf see Chapter 2 
  – Deception revealed. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  7.10.2 The Wight 
   
   
   
  For statistics use the description in the 
  Core Rules page 294. 
   
  Equipment: The Wight eerily bright suit of 
  chain mail and wields a wicked long sword 
  and a round shield. 
   
  A creature of Angmar, the Wight was sent 
  from that dark land at the same time as 
  those that haunt the Barrow Downs. 
  However, with the sacking of Fornost the 
  Wight moved at the bidding of the Witch-
  King to haunt that broken city. Finding the 
  tomb of an ancient Edain king, the Wight 
  has dwelt there since adding to the terror 
  of Deadman’s Dike. 
   
   
  7.10.3 Tintestel (S. ‘Spark of Hope’) 
   
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 10 (+2), Nimbleness 11 
  (+2), Perception 10 (+2), Strength 9 (+1), 
  Vitality 8 (+1), Wits 9 (+1). 
   
  
   
  63 
  Reactions: Stamina +1, Swiftness +2, 
  Willpower +2, Wisdom +2, Defence 12, 
  Health 9. 
   
  Order: Warrior. 
   
  Skills 
  (selected): 
  Armed 
  combat 
  (longsword) +6, Ranged combat (curved 
  bow) +6, Inspire (leadership) +5, Survival 
  (forest) +5, Track (forest) +5, Weather-
  sense +4. 
   
  Equipment: Tintestel wields a longsword 
  and carries a long dagger at his waist. He 
  also carries the curved short bow of his 
  people and is dressed in browns and 
  greens typical of the Green Elves. 
   
  A wise and strong leader, Tintestel has led 
  the Green Elves of lake Evendim in their 
  unceasing guardianship of Mindon Lameth 
  for the past two hundred years. A skilled 
  fighter and woodsman, Tintestel serves his 
  people well. Although slow to show his 
  trust, he can be won over by the 
  characters relatively quickly because he 
  can feel the evil blight of the Rod 
  spreading over the land. 
   
   
  7.10.4 The Green Elves 
   
   
   
  The Green Elves did not travel into 
  Beleriand or cross the sea to Valinor in the 
  first age, but remained in the regions of 
  Lindon and Eriador. A secretive and 
  elusive 
  people, 
  they 
  are 
  so 
  named 
  because they dress almost exclusively in 
  camouflages of green in summer or dark 
  brown in the winter. They are shorter in 
  statue than the Nordorin or Sindarin 
  cousin, with slender whip-like bodies and 
  dark hair and eyes, but they make 
  extremely good hunters and can travel the 
  wilds leaving virtually no trace. They are 
  fearsome fighters, especially with their 
  small curved bows. Now few, they still 
  inhabit their ancestral home around lake 
  Nenuial 
  (lake 
  Evendim 
  in 
  Weston), 
  unknown to most other inhabitants, and 
  guard the free peoples from the forgotten 
  threat of the Voice of Annatar. The Elves 
  are willing to sacrifice their lives so the 
  power of Annatar cannot be raised again. 
   
   
  7.10.5 Caras and the Hillmen. 
   
   
   
  Attributes: Bearing 12 (+3), Nimbleness 10 
  (+2), Perception 6 (+0), Strength 12 (+3), 
  Vitality 12 (+3), Wits 5 (+0). 
   
  Reactions: Stamina +3, Swiftness +2, 
  Willpower +3, Wisdom +3, Defence 12, 
  Health 13. 
   
  Order: Warrior. 
   
  Skills (selected): Armed combat (long 
  sword) +5, Ranged combat (long bow) +2, 
  Intimidate (rage) +4, Siegecraft (attack) +3. 
   
  Equipment: Caras wields a short broad 
  sword. He wears a mail shirt and carries a 
  shield. 
   
  For the Hillmen use the statistics in the 
  Core Rules for Dunlendings, page 289. 
   
  
   
  64 
  A chieftain of Rhudaur, Caras is a greedy 
  bully and as such was easily swayed by 
  the influence of the Rod. His Hillmen, long 
  disgruntled by the Dunadain, did not take 
  much persuasion by Gailhen’s soft words 
  to march with him. Having made alliances 
  in the past with Orcs, they felt no qualms 
  about fighting with servants of the shadow. 
   
   
  7.10.6 Grakak 
  For a description of Grakak see Chapter 4 
  – Seeking aid. 
   
  Escaping the Rangers, Grakak made back 
  for the Ettenmoors only to encounter the 
  second party of Orcs sweeping down from 
  the hills. Eager for revenge, Grakak joined 
  the 
  larger 
  party 
  hoping 
  to 
  wreck 
  destruction of the Rangers. 
   
  7.10.7 The Orcs 
  For a description of the Orcs see Chapter 
  4 – Seeking aid. 
   
  This group represents the second party to 
  travel down from the Ettenmoors at the 
  command of the Goblin king. They were 
  easy prey for Gailhen once they fell within 
  the range of the Rod and flocked to his 
  call. 
   
   
  7.10.8 Gailhen (S. ‘True-eyed’) 
  For a description of Gailhen see Chapter 1 
  – The Robbers Cave. 
   
  Gailhens use of the Rod has left his mind 
  twisted and raw, such that the sight of the 
  sun pains him – he has not the power to 
  properly control the Rod. Waking the Voice 
  of Annatar has become his only goal. 
   
   
  7.10.9 Gwanthilf (S. ‘Beautiful heart’) 
  For a description of Gwanthilf see Chapter 
  1 – The Robbers Cave. 
   
  Gwanthilf 
  has 
  become 
  increasingly 
  disturbed by the erratic behaviour that 
  Gailhen 
  has 
  exhibited 
  since 
  taking 
  command of the Rod. She believes he 
  lacks the Will to operate the device fully. 
  Now 
  she 
  merely 
  awaits 
  the 
  best 
  opportunity to rest the Rod from his 
  control. 
   
   
  7.10.10 Nag Burdak (BS ‘The Stalker’) 
  For a description of the Nag Burdak see 
  Chapter 4 – Seeking aid. 
   
  As the Nag Burdak led the Orcs toward the 
  caves in the Trollshaws he detected the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  Rangers. 
  Once 
  he 
  determined that Taglos Gwathren was 
  sealed he quietly slipped away and hid in 
  the Trollshaws Following the characters to 
  Bree he watch Gailhen command the Rod 
  and shadowed the war band as they left for 
  Mindon Lameth. He desires to see the 
  Voice of Annatar operated and does not 
  care who wields the power – once it 
  appears that Gwanthilf has disposed of 
  Gailhen and claimed the Rod for herself he 
  will spring to her defence. 
   
   
  7.10.11 Sadron (S. ‘Faithful’) 
  For a description of Sadron see Chapter 4 
  – Seeking aid. 
   
  Sadron and the Rangers have been tied up 
  fighting a third force of Orcs sent down 
  from the mountains to take advantage of 
  the chaos caused in Bree to plunder and 
  destroy the town. The Rangers had to 
  draw all their usual guards away from Bree 
  to meet the force head on and effectively 
  eliminated them. However, once they 
  returned to the town and discovered what 
  had happened in the meantime, they 
  rushed 
  toward 
  Annuminas 
  to 
  try 
  to 
  intercept and destroy Gailhen’s war band. 
   
   
  7.10.12 The Rangers 
  For a description of the Rangers see 
  Chapter 4 – Seeking aid. 
   
  Battle-hardened by their conflicts with the 
  Orcs of the Ettenmoors, the Rangers have 
  travelled 
  night 
  and 
  day 
  to 
  reach 
  Annuminas. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  65 
  7.11 Items 
  This section outlines some of the special 
  items encountered in this chapter. 
   
   
  7.11.1 The band of Gold from the King’s 
  tomb 
   
   
   
  This simple band of gold acted as the 
  ancient Edain king’s crown. Some of the 
  authority of the ancient king has become 
  imbued in the band despite the passing of 
  the centuries, such that any who wear it 
  receive a +1 bonus to roles to resist the 
  effects of fear. 
   
   
  7.11.2 The Voice of Annatar. 
  Seemingly a simple throne carved from 
  black obsidian, the Voice of Annatar is a 
  source of great evil. Once the Rod of 
  Annatar is in place, it allows the sitter to 
  greatly extend the powers of the Rod. 
  These powers are largely unknown and 
  shall not be listed here; needless to say 
  the Voice is a device of great evil. However 
  it is a testament to subtly of the dark magic 
  that the Voice was not destroyed when 
  captured but was transported to Mindon 
  Lameth. The main reason for this is that 
  even without the Rod in place, the Voice 
  grants anyone seated upon it the ability to 
  see 
  over 
  seemingly 
  vast 
  distances. 
  Argeleb I and the subsequent kings of 
  Arthedain used the throne to gaze upon 
  the neighbouring kingdoms of Cardolan 
  and Rhudaur. However, the Voice is 
  entirely evil and the sights it chooses to 
  reveal are distorted by Sauron’s malice. 
  When seated upon it Argeleb I saw only 
  plotting and treachery and the Voice 
  contributed in no small way to the petty 
  wars between Arthedain, Cardolan and 
  Rhudaur. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  66 
  8.0 Chapter 8 – End of the Chronicle 
   
   
  8.1 Rewards 
  Experience should be awarded as each 
  chapter of this chronicle is completed in 
  the normal way (see table 11.2 on page 
  279 
  of 
  the 
  Core 
  Rules 
  for 
  recommendations). As a general rule, each 
  chapter of this chronicle should be worth 
  approximately 2,000 experience points to 
  divide amongst the characters.  
   
  Renown can also be awarded during the 
  chronicle. 
  Suggestions 
  include 
  the 
  characters gaining the trust and respect of 
  the Rangers (a fairly widespread but 
  relatively small group) and the Green Elves 
  (a very small and secretive group). They 
  have also gained some notoriety with the 
  folk of Bree (who returning to their town 
  rebuild the damage and carry on as 
  normal, 
  steadfastly 
  ignoring 
  what 
  is 
  referred to as ‘that business’), and are now 
  branded the same as the Rangers – 
  untrustworthy. 
   
   
  8.2 Further Adventures 
  There are several possibilities for further 
  adventures. Searching Gailhen’s body will 
  uncover 
  the 
  amulet 
  which 
  allows 
  communication with wolves has been 
  smashed in the fall and is now useless. 
  However, there is a scroll of parchment 
  with the following written in Aduniac: 
   
  ‘Gailhen, you have done well to secure the 
  whereabout of the Rod. As I have foretold 
  it will allow you to regain the standing you 
  deserve amongst your people and to 
  remove that usurper Melator. I await you 
  triumphant return, your servant Gwilbil.’ 
   
  If the narrator wishes, uncovering who 
  Gwilbil is could become the focus of the 
  next chronicle, no doubt requiring a trip to 
  the South lands of Gondor.  
   
  The Orcs of Mount Gram have also 
  featured in this chronicle; perhaps a further 
  chronicle could involve reducing the threat 
  of this menace to the free peoples. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lord of the Rings (LotR)/LotR (Decipher)/Adventure/LotR - The Bringer of Gifts Part 2.pdf