TEXT: ADVENTURE SCHEME ‒ THE CUP OF TRUE LOVE      
   – THE CUP –
  OF TRUE LOVE
  • When:  The company may undertake this quest anytime
  from the year 2946 on, but it may work best in the year
  2958, when Hartfast son of Hartmut calls for aid from
  Mountain Hall (see The Darkening of Mirkwood,  page 50).
  • Where:  The adventure begins at the Anduin River and
  moves to Mountain Hall in the West Anduin Vales. From
  there, the heroes turn back eastward through the Wolfswood
  to Trader's Island and finally south upon the rapids of the
  Great River to Hag's Island.
  • What: After rescuing a herd of goats from a Warg attack,
  the  companions  are  sent  to  Mountain  Hall  as  heroes.
  Beranald, the Doorwarden, hires them to go on a quest to
  retrieve  the chieftain's family cup, recently stolen  by a
  traitor in their midst. It is then that they travel through the
  Wolfswood to Trader's Island where they learn of the tale of
  the Treasure-eating Hag. To reclaim the cup, they must find
  and slay the monster.
  • Why: The cup of Hartfast is made of gold and inscribed
  with  a  note  from  his  mother  to  his  father;  it  holds
  immeasurable value to the Woodman's family. Returning it
  to Mountain Hall will bring great joy to the chieftain and
  earn the companions reward, respect and influence.
  • Who: Beranald is the one who sends the company on the
  quest,  but  they  also  meet  Widuven,  a  craftsman  from
  Trader's Island, who tells them about the River-hag.
  ADVENTURING PHASE
  This adventure is made up of five parts and an epilogue.
  Provided below is an Adventure Scheme, an outline ready for
  an experienced Loremaster to embellish. For tips on running
  an adventure, see  The One Ring Roleplaying Game, pages
  210-212. See page 151 for using preliminary skill rolls at the
  beginning of every journey, combat, and encounter; and see
  pages 160-162 for generating Hazard episodes when needed.
  IMPORTANT:  Before running this adventure, Loremasters
  should also study  The Heart of the Wild, pages 43-47 for
  information about the West Anduin Vales, along with a review
  of  Tales  from  Wilderland,  pages  84-106  for  details  about
  Mountain Hall, Hartfast, and Beranald.  
  PART ONE – A SNACK OF GOATS
  While tracking a band of Orcs in the West Anduin Vales, the
  company  stumbles  upon  a  herd  of  goats  under  attack  by
  hungry  wolves  ranging  far  from  the  Misty  Mountains.
  Interrupting  the  killing  makes  them  local  heroes  to  the
  Woodmen  farmers  of  the  valley.  They  are  rewarded  with
  sturdy mountain ponies and sent to Mountain Hall where they
  can  warn  the  chieftain—Hartfast,  son  of  Hartmut—of  the
  Wargs.
  Loremaster Tips  
  •
  Start the adventure  in media res. The player-heroes have
  just crossed the Anduin 80 miles directly east of Mountain
  Hall and are tracking a band of Orcs headed westward.
  •
  There are at least 1-2 Wargs per player-hero and a Wolf
  Leader (core rules, pages 246-247).
  •
  To make things even more sinister, use a Hound of Sauron
  (page 248) hidden among them that escapes west before it
  can  be  killed.  “I'll  warn  the  master!”  it  says  before
  disappearing.
  PART TWO – TALES IN FIRIENSELD
  Arriving  at  Mountain  Hall,  the  company  discovers  that
  Hartfast is away mustering allies against a growing threat of
  Goblins under the mountains; but Beranald the Doorwarden
  receives  them  warmly.  He  is  old  and  filled  with  many
  harrowing tales, including the recent tale of the stolen cup. It
  seems that a bodyguard of the chieftain robbed his personal
  chest of valuables. Among the items taken was a precious
  golden cup—a family heirloom that was given as a gift from
  his loving mother to his father. On the base of the cup was
  written the following message: 
  THIS CUP IS MY HEART, 
  FILLED WITH MY LOVE FOR YOU. 
  DRINK FREELY MY HARTMUT, 
  FOR IT SHALL NEVER RUN DRY. 
  YOUR GELVIRA 
  Old Hartmut cherished the item dearly, but he gave it to his
  son when his beloved Gelvira passed of extreme sickness
  several years ago. Hartfast is greatly distressed that it has been
  taken, especially by such a close, trusted warrior—a Woodman
  named Cilderic.
  Beranald believes Cilderic fled to Trader's Island where he
  most likely used it to barter for lesser things; but not before
  stopping in the Wolfswood at his thieving brother's hideout.
  The key to finding the cup's whereabouts is to find Cilderic.   
  1
  
  ADVENTURE SCHEME ‒ THE CUP OF TRUE LOVE      
  Loremaster Tips
  •
  Review the steps for entry into Mountain Hall found in
  Tales from Wilderland, pages 90-91 and  The Heart of
  the  Wild,  page  45  under  Beranald,  Doorwarden  of
  Mountain Hall.
  •
  When encountering Beranald, set the Tolerance based on
  Valour and add the highest Standing of any Woodman in
  the company. If they succeed at  Courtesy, the doorkeeper
  takes them to the Great Hall where the Interaction phase
  begins around a large fire-pit; otherwise they must give up
  their  weapons  and  retire  to  Beranald's  quarters  for  an
  Interaction phase.
  •
  The purpose of the encounter is to swap stories and ask
  questions. Therefore, Beranald begins by asking for a story
  of their recent adventures. Any spokesman can make an
  appropriate skill roll to tell the tale. If he wishes to make up
  a wild story, he can use the Hobbit Tales card game to help
  him. Afterward, Beranald tells them the tale of the cup and
  the companions may continue the conversation. If they offer
  to go on a quest to retrieve the cup, evaluate the outcome of
  the encounter as follows:
  1: Beranald seems to have little hope in the company, but he
  mentions that Hartfast will surely reward them if they
  succeed in the quest. He retires to bed early and does not eat
  breakfast with them in the morning.
  2-4:  Beranald tells them that they should be wary while
  camping in the stone forts at night in the Wolfswood, for
  they are often occupied by brigands and ghosts. He also
  recalls the story of Ivina of the Green (see The Heart of the
  Wild, page 46) and swears by invoking her name, she will
  rescue them from any trouble.
   
  5-6: As above; and he writes and seals a letter to be handed
  to Widuven the sword-trader on Trader's Island. It should
  be enough to gain his trust and assistance in any way they
  need it.
  7+: As above; and Beranald also offers a personal reward
  of 2 Treasure each to be added as a bonus to whatever
  Hartfast decides to give them if they return the heirloom.
  PART THREE – GHOSTS OF THE WOLFSWOOD
  Traveling eastward brings the company to a forest of thick,
  tangled  trees  known  as  the  Wolfswood  where  they  come
  across a crumbling stone fort. If they camp out or explore the
  structure, they will find leather satchels of gold lying next to
  dead men. If they take the treasure, they will face the danger
  of collapsing walls, and the visitation of ghosts! Only Ivina the
  Green can keep them from harm and chase the spirits away. 
  Deeper in the wood, they are stalked by a more malevolent
  and grizzly creature—a Wood-wight made of bone, branches,
  and leaves.  Before the thing can be defeated, hunting horns
  can be heard in the distance along with the sound of hooves.
  One hero swears he sees ten elves in shimmering armour of
  silver and gold riding on beautiful white stallions. The Wight
  is driven away quickly, vanishing without a trace.
  The company continues east 30 miles before reaching the
  Great River and Trader's Island.  
  Loremaster Tips
  •
  The  ponies  will  not  enter  the  forest  out  of  fear.  The
  company must send them back to Mountain Hall or release
  them into the wild. If you are using the Eye of Mordor
  rules  (Rivendell,  page  111),  a  revelation episode might
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  ADVENTURE SCHEME ‒ THE CUP OF TRUE LOVE      
  include the death of the ponies in some way.
  •
  It  should  be  sunset  or  night  when  the  company  finally
  discovers  the  dead  bodies  and  satchels  of  gold  in  the
  crumbling stone fort. They should not find them until after
  a great effort of moving rubble and looking thoroughly. 
  •
  Discovering the dead may require a Corruption test.
  •
  If  you  are  using  the  rules  for  magical  treasure  (see
  Rivendell, page 85), consider making the bags of gold a
  hoard rated at Treasure 20*; but you'll need to compile a
  magical treasures index in advance. 
  •
  If the company takes the gold, Spectres (Rivendell, page
  80) will ambush the company with their Dreadful spells (no
  ambush if they were warned by Beranald about the ghosts!)
  and an ill wind will knock a wall down on top of them.
  •
  There  is  at  least  1  Spectre  for  every  two  companions.
  Unless the player-heroes have weapons that can harm the
  ghosts, they must invoke the name of Ivina or run out of the
  fort to escape the haunting spirits.
  •
  Create a background for the Wood-wight (The Heart of
  the Wild, page 119) and consider making it more powerful
  with an enhancement such as Formidable (Rivendell, page
  67).     
  PART FOUR – TRADER'S ISLAND
  The eafolc's market is found on a sandy spit of land in the
  middle  of  the  Anduin  river.  Many  river-folk  families  are
  traders at the market and they make their camps on the banks
  of the isle. It is here that the company meets Widuven, a sword
  trader, who may have rescued them after stumbling into a pit
  of soft mud. 
  Widuven listens to the story of the cup and of Cilderic the
  traitor. He then recalls that the infamous Woodman never sold
  the cup, but took it south with him on the Anduin river to
  Hag's Island where he hoped to use it as a lure to kill the
  treasure-eating creature. He never returned from the island. 
  Widuven offers to craft each of them a custom sword if they
  can bring back strands of the hag's golden hair believed to
  possess magical properties. He wishes to weave them into the
  hilts of his swords to increase their value.
  Loremaster Tips
  •
  To  get  to Trader's Island,  the  companions will need to
  navigate the river and hidden pits of soft mud.
  •
  If anyone gets stuck in a mud pit, Widuven the sword trader
  helps to rescue the victim. Otherwise, they encounter him
  soon after arrival on the island, perhaps among the camps.
  •
  The  goal  of  the  encounter  is  to  learn  of  Cilderic's
  whereabouts. Set the Tolerance rating based on Wisdom
  and modify it by the highest Standing of any Woodman in
  the company. Add +1 because they are on an errand from
  Mountain Hall; but -1 for every Barding or Man of the
  Lake present (Widuven does not like northerners; he feels
  they are snobs and elitists).
  •
  During the Interaction phase, using Inspire to tell the tale of
  the cup may draw curious folk to gather around and listen,
  prompting  Widuven  to  speak  about  Cilderic  and  Hag's
  Island. The companions can use  Riddle  to ask questions
  about  the  Hag  or  Persuade to  convince  him  of  the
  importance of finding the cup. Song will bolster Widuven's
  confidence in them further. Below is a suggested evaluation
  of the encounter. If the company presented Widuven with the
  sealed letter from Mountain Hall, increase the results of
  the encounter by one level:
  1: Widuven sends the heroes away to Hag's Island, but they
  must pay 1 Treasure for some old boats.
  2-4:  After talking with the companions, Widuven offers
  them free boats to complete the quest and tells them to avoid
  the rapids on the eastern side when approaching the island.
  5-6:  As above; but he also promises to craft them each a
  sword if they return with strands of the hag's golden hair.
  7+:  As above; additionally, he introduces the company to
  the  craftsmen  of  the  market  and  each  of  them  may
  immediately get one free use of the undertaking: Visit the
  Market at Trader's Island (The Heart of the Wild, page
  46).
  PART FIVE – LAIR OF THE RIVER-HAG
  Boating south on the Anduin, the company fights a series of
  rapids to reach the small island of the River-hag, which is
  surrounded  by  thick  river-mists.  Once  ashore,  they  begin
  searching for the creature, but the island is riddled with snares
  of various types:  large  spiked contraptions, needle-shooting
  vines, and falling nets! 
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  ADVENTURE SCHEME ‒ THE CUP OF TRUE LOVE      
  If they survive the dangers, they eventually find a path leading
  down under the roots of an old gnarly tree that opens into a
  dark and musty chamber. A small pile of half-eaten treasure is
  discovered there, but it is nothing more than a clever trap. The
  River-hag,  hidden  under  a  pool  of  mud  on  the  surface,
  emerges to follow the heroes down into her lair, attempting to
  ambush  them  unexpectedly.  After  defeating  the  legendary
  creature, they uncover a hoard of stolen gold, retrieve the cup
  of Hartfast from her belt, and take her golden hair back to
  Trader's Island.  
  Loremaster Tips
  •
  The rapids of the east channel are extremely dangerous.
  The company must make a choice to continue east or make
  for the western passage. If Widuven warned them, they will
  know  to  paddle west,  but it won't be  easy to  fight the
  current without being overturned. If they cannot avoid the
  east channel, things become even more difficult and their
  lives  are  in  grave  peril  as  they  face  the  possibility  of
  drowning  or  being  battered  against  their  own  boat  or
  obstacles in the river, such as tree branches and rocks. 
  •
  Create a map of the island with the largest tree in the
  centre (the lair of the River-hag). All around it, place trap
  locations.
  •
  For a description and stats on the River-hag, see below.
  •
  If all the companions enter the River-hag's lair, she will
  attempt  to  ambush  them,  cornering  them  inside  the
  chamber.  If  they  keep  any  look-outs  on  the  surface,
  however, only the look-outs can be ambushed.
  •
  Consider making the cup a wondrous artefact possessing a
  magical Blessing of Healing for anyone who drinks from
  it. See page 93 of Rivendell about how the heroes might
  discover this enchantment before returning it to Mountain
  Hall. Of course, if the cup also produces a Magical result,
  using it may qualify as an open display of magical power
  and  increase  the  Eye  Awareness  score  of  the  company.
  Revealing the enchantment to Hartfast would double each
  hero's reward  from the chieftain.
  •
  Some Loremasters may prefer that the cup of Hartfast be
  recently eaten by the River-hag and the only way to find it
  is if she spews it up, or they cut her open when she's dead.
  •
  Evidence in the chamber suggests that the River-hag gave
  birth not so long ago, meaning she is not the only hag on
  the island...
  •
  It is recommended the hoard has a value of Treasure 50**.
  •
  Widuven makes each companion a custom sword, braiding
  the River-hag's golden hair into the hilts. While the hair
  possesses no Magical qualities as hoped, it does increase the
  value of each sword to 5 Treasure (more than the cost of a
  fine war horse in Lake-town). The wielder also gains the
  Éafolc-friend Trait for the life of the weapon.
                  
  THE RIVER-HAG
  Long ago this lonely creature of violence and lust, clawed its
  way out of the muddy bed of the Anduin from the deep places
  of the world and chose for itself a small island on which to dig
  its lair. At first, the hag would feed on shipwrecked wanderers
  and the gold they carried; but soon brave adventurers came to
  slay it,  hoping to avenge their friends and recover their gold. 
  Hunched over at eight feet tall, the gangly monster is a wicked
  sight to behold; its long strands of golden hair partially cover
  its cold black eyes, pointed nose and spiked teeth; its osseous
  limbs end in iron-hard claws.
  4
  
  ADVENTURE SCHEME ‒ THE CUP OF TRUE LOVE      
  THE RIVER HAG
  Attribute Level: 6
  Endurance: 42; Hate: 6
  Parry: 12*; Armour: 3d
  Skills: Personality 2; Survival 2; Movement 3; Custom 2; 
  Perception 3; Vocation 1
  Weapon Skills: 
  • Slash ♦♦♦; Damage: 7; Edge: C; Injury: 16; 
  Called Shot: -
  • Golden Regurgitation** ♦♦♦; Damage: 6; Edge: 8; 
  Injury: 16; Called Shot: -     
  Special Abilities:
  • Seize Victim
  • Snake-like Speed
  Notes:
  *The creature's high Parry rating reflects a Battle-hardened
  enhancement. It has survived many years on the island killing
  numerous opponents attempting to slay it.
  **Golden Regurgitation: On the round after seizing a victim,
  the creature may attempt to spew several gallons of a burning
  mixture of water, sand, bile, and gold into the victim's face and
  mouth. If it is successful, the target will continue to suffer
  damage automatically each round as it suffocates in the muck
  and must make a TN 16 Protection test to keep from being
  Wounded. This continues as long as the victim is seized.
  EPILOGUE – RETURN TO MOUNTAIN HALL
  If the companions have found the cup of Hartfast, they return
  it to Mountain Hall and are rewarded with 5 Treasure each
  from the  chieftain's personal  chest. They are also granted
  sanctuary  (for  as  long  as  Hartfast  is  alive)  without  the
  requirement of spending a Fellowship phase in the fortress and
  choosing Open New Sanctuary as an undertaking.
  – CREDITS –
  Written by James R. Brown
  The One Ring designed by 
  Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi
  Tales from Wilderland, The Heart of the Wild, and The
  Darkening of Mirkwood written by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan,
  with Francesco Nepitello
  Art by James R. Brown
  Editor Derek “shipwreck” Kamal
  The One Ring, Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the characters,
  items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul
  Zaentz  Company  d/b/a  Middle-earth  Enterprises  and  are  used  under  license  by
  Sophisticated Games Ltd and their respective licensees.
  This work was not authorized by Sophisticated Games nor Cubicle 7 Entertainment nor
  The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises and makes no challenge to
  their intellectual property. All terms in this document are the property of their respective
  owners and are used without permission.
  This work is offered free of charge to all interested parties and is not to be sold in any
  form.  This document may be printed and/or reproduced for personal use only, and this
  copyright notice must be left intact.    
  If  you  have  any  questions  or  comments  please  contact  James  R.  Brown  at
  pastorjamesrbrown@gmail.com.
   
  5
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/The One Ring/Third Party.Homebrew/Adventures/The Cup of True Love.pdf