ROTN (TOR1E) Prelude to Adventure

The Company have reassembled at Imladris, and so have been able to take time to recuperate and recover to their full strength and vitality. (Just how much time has passed is a little hazy to the mortals, even Jot, although he is at least familiar with this sensation.)

Yet the mortals realise that something important is building. Elrond has taken some time to speak with each of them. He has been asking about the details of their adventures, and how they see the world around them. The elves are also interviewed, and find that Elrond is clearly preparing each of them for a decision. The mortals do not gather this directly, but their elven comrades point it out to them.

One morning, after a light breakfast, they are exercising on the weapons ground, with the waters of the Bruinen sounding clear in their heads, and songbirds flitting overhead. The air is a little colder and damper, so most work quickly in order to prevent any chill settling.

One of Elrond's advisors arrives to admire their efforts, and to deliver some news that there will be a meeting, a discussion, in the late afternoon of this same day and they are all requested to attend. It is made transparent that Lord Elrond will be explaining a "situation" to them and will be asking for their "views".

Elrond gathers the company on the upper mezzanine deck of a section of his library



His face is set like an image of an elven king in stone; were it not for the breeze lightly disturbing his cloak, he could be one, he stands so still

Elrond waits for them all to troop in and to assemble. He bids them sit with a wave of his hand. The Lord of Imladris walks around as he speaks, sometimes looking at them, and sometimes indicating a shelf, a book a picture or a scroll to illustrate his words.

"I want to share some news and some of my thinking about that news with you all.
Hardly any time at all now, you returned several lost, stolen, hobbit children to their families. A great and worthy set of deeds... and your old comrade Guilon recounted it all to me and to my scribes.

Since then my librarians have been busy. In this very room there are other sources and records. By comparing old and new, it is possible to deduce the minds and intentions of some of our external adversaries.
Alas, that ever the Shadow is in the outer world, and that it still makes inroads direct into our lives.

I have powerful and ancient allies and friends. warriors I can send out to take on the Shadow. Your comrade Guilon is with one of my Wandering Companies even now, over the Mountains.
Yet ever there are other threats; other calls on the People of Imladris and those of the Dunedain. So I must choose what to oppose with the resources I have.

(He looks at both Jot and Oderic for a while, directing his words to all, yet wishing to impress these two with his words)
Damron, one of my Smiths, has as you know, been labouring on the Black Weapon of the Captain Mormog you vanquished. He has separated and cleansed part of it: and now it will be Invested on you Oderic. In this I believe that more than mere chance has occured. When you left here last, it was clear that you were entering your Manhood, no longer the boy of the Anduin. Damron was confident that you could take this weapon and wield its power when you returned, but it seems that you have grown even more again.

And Master Jot, long ago your own people held you in poor esteem - now your story is longer and clearer to them, and they hold nothing back from you being inside their communities again. What doubts were held against you I am pleased to see have faded like dew in the morning. Your Travels to Dale and beyond have served you well.

Both Oderic and Jot are imbued with enhanced ability to my senses. Courage sits well on you both. Such power will serve you well and bring Doubt to the creatures of Shadow.

Tonight we shall honour you both with a little ceremony in the Hall of Fire: Arwen Undomiel will present you both with your weapons - I rather fancy she may have suitable scabbards for them too.

(he turns to spread his attention across them all.) And the others in this Company are not forgotten. You have all been gifted items of worth from Elves and from the Dunedain: these are yours to help you in your further endeavours. Tonight's ceremony will include formal recognition of these awards and plaudits to you all too. None of you should feel coy! (He looks at Cora when he says this.)

Elrond gets to his point.

"My news concerns the Dark Priest who opposed you. From your words and the Lore held here I see a need to go North.
Much further North than the Ettenmoors where you defeated Captain Mormog.
It is my belief that dark things are being encouraged to stir in the ancient lands ruled by the Minion of the Deceiver that laid waste to Arnor and its Successor kingdoms. I speak of the one still called the Witch King of Angmar.

Nay!I do not speak of him directly, but of his old fortresses and the lands that he used to rule. It seems to me that these lands, emptied of foes and abandoned - even by the goblins since Glorfindel ousted Angmar at that very place you have just returned from - these lands are no longer silent and empty.

The Dark Priest you faced may have set out from Old Angmar. His intent is to stir the remnants of the Hill Tribes again. To refurbish Angmar. The children may have been intended for slaves or worse. But Spies have been found, wearing the apparel of Hill Men and tokens such as once Angmar gave his lieutenants. Spies sent down as far south as the trollshaws even. Some were pursued back through the Lone Lands, and then into the goblin settlement of Mt Gram.

Here is my wish: I need to find where these spies may be based, and the paths they use to approach these lands. To know their purpose or their commands would help our own preparations and counter actions.

It is a dark and dangerous place to Adventure to: I could not ask lesser folk to take this Journey nor seek these foes. "

The Lord of Imladris waits the response of the Company.

A single clear bell is rung, and anyone looking out of any window to the west will see that the light on that side is gaining an orange tinge.
The time for the "formal" meeting has arrived.

There is a light meal available to go with a collection of different drinks being offered here.

In fact there is little protocol here: Elrond is bestowing certain objects from his armoury onto the Company - the other elves here are in witness of this Gifting, and the long history of each of these objects will be having a new Chapter opened. Each object has an elf to carry it in and to present it to its recipient: should the new owner wish, they can ask somewhat of the previous History given to that object by those who used it before.

The exception is Oderic's blade. This is a new discovery and little is known of its history - what feats it did before it was blended with another, darker device and forced into action with the Troll Captain are full unknown.

LARSI has had his new amulet/necklace strung on a strong steel wrought chain. (Once per session/chapter; Larsi will benefit from the Fortune of Mandos; and an Eye rolled on the Feat die is considered a Gandalf result. The only exception is that it cannot be exploited for an ATTACK roll)

AHNO / Laicamiril Has a newSureshot bow, strung with elf hair to enable very rapid firing. It has been
Blessed so that when shooting against a BANE creature, the enhanced Biting Dart ability is in force: permitting a second attack roll independent of the first in each round of firing. (Ahno chooses which creature is particularly vulnerable). Against all other enemies the second shot can be attempted but needs a point of Hope. Unlike the common Biting Dart skill, the second attack does NOT automatically miss if the first shot misses.

AEGLIEF Is handed a surcoat to go over her leather armour. (Whatever adversary type Aeglief has agreed with Elrond will have its Bane Sigil decorated on it). She knows that when she faces this type of foe, she will be effectively screened from it's attacks in some manner, as if someone was holding a shield for her. (PARRY increased by Valour rating against the attacks of this Adversary; ALSO if Aeglief attacks in Forward stance at the beginning of Close combat, then this adversary type will miss its first attack if it rolls a Piercing blow).

JOT is presented with a blade, CALCAMIL, a blade of intense justice.
The weapon itself has a balance and a weight that encourages deft light moves, and enables a stroke to be made even as it is recovered from an attack. ( Extra damage is always inflicted, = Valour, even if the To Hit die roll total does not provoke an hit) Calcamil is designed to be used against two specified adversaries.

Elrond himself has recognised that with Jot the blade has a particular resonance - if he is in the correct frame of mind he can gain a brief period when he is a part of the blade (once per session/Chapter Jot will be able to improve the capability of the blade, while it improves him : he gains +1d6 Success die in a combat battle and the sword gains an improvement to Keen 9+ . )At this time his very fury permits an awesome image to surround him and his sword, gaining in impact against the more weak willed minions of the Enemy.

CORA has been shown how best to apply the studded leather surfaces of the armour she acquired from the cronies of the traitor Bellam Stock's in Tharbad. ( +3 to the protection of the armour, she is given some exercises to use, that when practiced carefully, will enable her to use the suit as a dynamic barrier to enemy weapons, but not just yet )

And Elrond requests Damron to present ODERIC with the new sword recovered out of the troll weapon.

The young man is already well experienced in wielding a blade to maximise its momentum: but this weapon echoes his own bravery (bonus damage = Valour, 5, now). It has the Bane ability against the Shadow itself. Such a capability is particularly powerful against the wraiths and Wights sent by the Enemy to terrorise the world of mortals.

Finally Elronds daughter, Arwen steps forward. She is wearing a long deep-blue and grey dress, and also has two vambraces bearing an elven sigil on her lower arms.
She presents each of the six warriors with a small lapel pin shaped like a flower and painted in blue and white.

This is an image of a Sapphire Mallow flower. I offer this as a token to you, as a sign for your mission. Should you come across any of our people out in the wild, they will know by this that you are on an important concern for my father.
And in addition, it will serve to remind you that this flower grows on firm ground in the marshes and sedgebeds of the lands you will cross in the first stages of your journey.

Take up your arms with our hopes for your Success.

The time after the ceremony is more relaxed and allows the members of the Company to speak with any of Elronds Folk that they wish to.
By the middle of the next morning they will have had enough time and opportunity to pack their things and set off. Elrond has organised two small pack ponies and an elf handler to carry some additional consumables which will get them off to a good start on the journey north.

Larsi will be pleased to meet the elf mason Gondril again, who was supervising the repairs to the Last Bridge last winter before they went on to pursue the trolls from that area. She will be the pony handler and will spend the first four days with them.

Oderic is handed several dried herbs by Erestor, medicinal supplies and some others he has found useful before.

But even these fleeting minutes pass, and eventually they are ready and set off.
This time Elrond has sanctioned the Company to use a different path away from Rivendell. They progress along a narrow track bordered by high walls: it is as if they were moving along a deep trench, that ducks and weaves away. After a short time, the trench crosses another such track, but they progress on. Their pony neatly picks its way on, as they are led by Gondril for some hours, to reach yet another crossway trench, where they turn right following a new track that winds and curves a lot.

Another half an hour or so, and they come to a dead end. On the ground there are several pieces of long wood. Planks. Gondril lifts the end of one of them and sets it to the lip of the trench wall above and in front of them, then another: the planks now make a rudimentary ramp for the pony to get up.
As they emerge from the trench system they find themselves in a high Moor environment. The Misty Mountain wall is immediately ahead of them. They are facing east. At their feet is a small collection of white stones. A marker.
Behind them Gondril lowers the planks down - there are thin ropes like roots attached to them, so she will be able to haul them up and re-enter the trench with her pony!

Looking all around the Company can see no trace of any path back to Rivendell. Even the valley of Imladris is not to be seen from here.


Gondril looks at the markers to refresh her memory. They trudge along in the wilderness for some more time, reaching a small tor where they pause for a first meal. These stones provide a screen from eyes at ground level. But looking up, Ahmo will see at least one pair of Eagles circling high. Her suspicions are confirmed by Gondril "Elrond has the help of the Lords of the Wind in this region. No bird spy of the Shadow will fly these skies. We will not be seen nor reported on by the likes of crebain here, nor for many miles around.