First the disclaimer: The thread is for the game itself. Questions and peanut gallery stuff should go on the control thread: D & D on the Straight Dope setup thread. (In Middle Earth FA63)
First Adventure Thread
Middle Earth FA63 D&D Game, the Second Adventure, Scouting Ered Lithui
Middle Earth FA63 D&D Game, Third Adventure, Ered Lithui Mystery Creature
It is **July 3rd.**The Party is headed to Rivendell via Stonewaith Valley and a shortcut through the Drúadan Forest. They will then head for Edoras and perhaps Aglarond. Finally they will go to Tharbad then cross-country to the Last Bridge and finally to Rivendell. They are escorting Curunauth son of Celebrimbor to Rivendell and Lorliana a Gondorian Loremaster who is 22 and a party of 10 dwarven merchants as far as Tharbad
Minas Tirith to Tharbad has good roads the entire way. At Pony speed the journey of 825* miles to Tharbad should take 20 days. Then the small paths through the lands between Tharbad and the Last Bridge which are 250 to 300 miles and finally 120 miles from the Last Bridge to the Valley. So 20 days to Tharbad, 10 to 20 days to the bridge and 3 days to the valley. So 33-43 days.
Here are the marching order and watches:
Miron
Gwaelur, Ghan and Mulligan
2 Pack Ponies
Pack Renee and Thoroncir
Dwarf Deor Dwarf
Pack Curunauth Pack
Dwarf Lorliana Dwarf
Pack Pack Pack
Dwarf Pack Dwarf
Spare Spare Spare
Pack Pack Pack
Dwarf Spare Dwarf
Pack Pack Pack
Pack Pack Pack
Dwarf Spare Dwarf
Pack Pack Pack
Gil-Gandel
Elfstan
By night we have the following:
Renee, Elfstan and Mulligan on first
Ghan and Gwaelur on second
Deor and Thoroncir on third
Miron will be on watch until midnight, Gil-Gandel after. Neither needs as much sleep as the others and both can daydream during dusk and dawn to rest themselves, saving their superior senses for full darkness.
The Role Call **
Gil-Gandel – Malacandra - Trainee bard, Sindar (“Grey Elf”) 4th level
Miron Daelhind - Omi no Kami – Ranger/Archer, young Silven Elf of Ithilien 4th level light on tracking, good with Herbs & healing.
Mulligan Took – CatInASuit - Burglar, Hobbit (Sister-Son of Peregrin Took himself) 5th level
Elfstan Fairbairn – RogueRacer - Burglar, Hobbit (Son of Elanor the Fair, so heir to Samwise Gardener) 5th level
Deor – appleciders – Mage or Rohan (Brother of Theogrim) 4th level
Ghân-buri-ghan – glee - Druid, Wild Man (“Wose”) 5th level
Gwaelur son of Gwaelin – NAF1138 - Fighter, Dwarf of the Glittering Caves. 4th level
Sir Thoroncir Knight Errant– Elendil’s Heir - Fighter, Man of Gondor a Sea-Knight of Linhir 5th level
Princess Gilraen(Renee)- NPC – Beautiful young woman of Gondor and trained Healer of Estë 4th level
Theogrim – OneCentStamp – Knight of Rohan * On Hiatus Staying with the cavalry
Brin – D_Odds – Ranger of Dale 4th level On Hiatus Returning to Dale
Notable Animals:
Folca: Deor’s really well trained Red Tailed Hawk. He is often invisible.
Cúran: A very swift and well-trained horse of the Elves, Gil-Gandel’s mount.
Kali: A fine Silver Grey Mare of exception stock. Her lines trace back to Shadowfax. She is Renee’s mount.
Missy: The strange green eyes, white fur cat, companion of Renee. It will not talk to Ghân but seems very intelligent and dutiful to Renee. She is an excellent night guard and usually invisible now thanks to Deor.
Anca the War Dog: He is over 200 lbs, looks like a long legged English Mastiff. He stands a 36” at the shoulder and is long legged.
Fang: The ¾ Wolf Friend of Ghân
Brownie: The Owl Friend of Ghân
Swift Wing: A well trained Goshawk that works with Miron
Moose: An occasional talker and Orc Killer. He has now departed for somewhere to the West.
Theogrim’s Rohirrim War Horse: She is a large, well-armored, superbly trained War Mount. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curunauth son of Celebrimbor. Curunauth is a master smith of Imladris. Celebrimbor was of course the 5th Son of Curufin, son of Fëanor. He rides a fine Elven Horse in very nice silver white mail.
Lorliana is a woman of 22 and was raised in the Minas Tirith and has studied for 12 years with the Loremasters. She has the money to pay a small fee and purchase a spare horse as soon as one can be found. She was hoping in Edoras. She mentions that she has a few small magics at her disposal. She hopes to study Elven lore first hand and learn much. She is around 22 and a fairly pretty blond, probably part Rohirrim and part Gondorian but not Dunedain. She is not evil and is in fact Lawful Good.
Dwarven Merchant group happy for the extra escort, there are 10 of them and they have 15 ponies for themselves and 20 packhorses. They will gladly bring the food supplies and take the dark watches. None are evil and of 2 checked, one was Lawful Good and one was Neutral Good. They are headed all the way to the Blue Mts, so they will go as far as Tharbad with you.
The Leader is Haro son of Tamin. He is 3rd level. The others are Frenin, Krenin, Ganil, Dumin, Janin, Drogan, Hartur, Bammar & Tumin. They have 15 ponies for themselves and 20 packhorses.
Some background, it is 63 years since Sauron and Barad-Dûr fell. King Elessar & Queen Arwen are in their prime and young Prince Eldarion is in his early training at age 20. There is still a constant struggle to tame the brown lands, Umbar, Harad, Nurn and the North. The court summers in Evedim near the lake and spend 9 months in Minas Tirith. Aragorn has campaign more often than not in the last 63 years, but far less than the prior 67. He and Arwen have had 4 daughters. Silmariën (FA45), Gilraen (FA47), Telperiën (FA51) & Fíriel (FA55)
Legolas has removed a small number of his people to Ithilien to support Prince Faramir in this fair land. He visits the courts of Faramir, Elessar, Éomer and Gimli son of Gloin often.
Faramir and Éowyn have two sons: Elboron & Caramir. Both are hardy Warriors. They say the Prince Elboron has the look of his father and Caramir of his mother’s people. Prince Caramir is a great Horseman and loves his visits to his Uncle. Both appear to take strongly after Faramir as they are aging slowly. It has been noted that Éowyn has remained very youthful for all her long years. She could be taken for Éomer’s daughter or even granddaughter rather than his sister. She looks to be in her 50s more than her late 80s. Some wonder if this was a gift of King Elessar’s healing or a reward for slaying the Witch King of Angmar. Faramir is of course still a hale and hardy man. A little over a hundred he too looks to be in his 50s.
In 61 Samwise Gamgee left Middle-earth via Mithlond. Merry and Pippin got their affairs in order and headed south to live in Gondor. Mulligan Took was among their escort. Samwise’s eldest Grandson Elfstan Fairbairn has recently arrived in Minas Tirith.
Elladan and Elrohir of course remain the Masters of Rivendell and assist in the running of Arnor. They in no way have finished with hunting Orcs. Indeed, they have driven the Goblins far underground with their constant attacks on Goblin Gate and often roam north against Angmar itself. Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel seem tireless these days in hunting the scattered remains of these ancient enemies to the North. They often leave the care of Rivendell to the wise Celeborn. He did leave a thriving Sindarin kingdom in Southern Greenwood from where Gil-Gandel most recently hailed.
Thorin III Stonehelm rules the Durin Folk (Khazad). He rules from Erebor of course. His lords include Gimli in Aglarond, Lord Gíon of the Iron Hill and some lesser lords in the Blue Mountains and Fornost. The dwarves are again thinking of Khazad-dûm. Dori and Bofur are still alive, but quite venerable and rich.
Currently Minas Tirith and their allies are fighting a two front war in the South and a Campaign wiping out orc lairs in Ered Lithui.
Gondor is expanding and trying to build up a large force of horseman to supplement the Riders of Rohan. They are building a great road to Rhûn to create trade and build an alliance. They also hope to increase trade to Erebor & Dale. There is a project underway at a slower pace to improve travel along the Anduin. It is expected to take decades.
Arnor is repopulating as is the Anduin Valley. The Shire’s population is growing and their produce is helping to feed the North and even the South. They have steady wains heading to and from the Dwarves of Ered Luin are even supplying produce and pipeweed to the Grey Havens in exchange for salted & smoked fish.
A bridge at Tharbad has been built and the great bridge is being rebuilt. Tharbad is already a thriving and growing town under the command of the family of one of the Grey Company. The population is mostly just men of Eriador. There are small Dwarven and Hobbit communities.
The Great South road is rebuilt and maintained from Fornost to Minas Tirith. All the additional trade has brought much prosperity to Bree and the town and the Prancing Pony have both expanded. Fornost is still small, but growing. Most of the remaining Northern Dúnedain have moved near Fornost.
