It is the year 2946 of the Third Age, and the lands east of the Misty Mountains are astir. From the cloud-shrouded peaks above the High Pass to the spider-infested gloom of the forest of Mirkwood, paths long-deserted are trodden once again. Busy merchants carry their wares to new markets, messengers bring tidings from foreign realms, and kings send forth armed men to extend their influence and the rule of law. Some say that a new age of freedom has begun, a time for adventure and great deeds to reclaim glories lost in long centuries of oppression and decline.
But adventures are not really things that people go out and look for. They are dangerous and rarely end well. While it is true that a handful of valiant individuals set out to make their mark on the world, for others it seems that adventure chooses them, as though it is the path they are fated to tread. They are restless warriors, curious scholars and wanderers, always eager to seek what was lost or explore what was forgotten. Ordinary people call them adventurers, and when they return successful, they call them heroes. But if they fail, no one will even remember their names...
The last leg of the trip is both exhausting and exciting. You know you are nearing the western eves of Mirkwood and the Anduin Vale where the Woodmen live. Soon you will be out of the darkening forest. Autumn is well on its way now, and the air if cold this far north, and gets colder each day, but winter still is a month or two away. You are tired, and it shows, nearly everyone but Borir and Aerth are just spent from the constant travel. The fatigue is setting in, you are running low on good cooking supplies for Pipkin to use, and poor Belgo is just in need of a good long rest.
It is twenty five days since you left the Elf Halls of Thranduin before you near the Elf Gate on the western edge of the forest, but finally you put foot to cobbled stone and each step lightens as you suddenly find the Elf Gate and step out from the eves of Mirkwood.
The light of day washes away your fatigue, and the shadow growing in many of your hearts is lifted. Baldor lets the ponies move out into the grass lands and graze as he stands, one hand on his walking stick, the other on Belgo's shoulder. "We made it! We made it through."
Fatigue Tests: We have 3 Fatigue Tests left before you are out of Mirkwood so here we go....
Travel Tests TN 16
You guys gave your Guide a bonus on the TN for your Lore rolls when planning things so Borir's TN is 14.
Tally: No Hazards, no one rolled a "Sauron"
Aerth +2 Fatigue
Borir +0 Fatigue, Hardy On Top of It
Pipkin +3 Fatigue
Varuthil +3 Fatigue
Wren +3 Fatigue
During the trip Endurance heals up from night time rest.
Corruption Tests. I was supposed to be making 1 Corruption test each week you spent traveling in Mirkwood, it took 25 days to cross, so that's four tests. Which I'm going to make now. I will be spending Hope for you to avoid these checks.
TN12 -- You stayed on the path for most of the trip, otherwise its a TN14.
A Corruption test is made using the Feat die plus a number of Success dice equal to the character's Wisdom rating. (Use Heart for Hope Points spent)
As they trudge on, fatigue finally starts to hit Pipkin. No longer is the group on the early part of the journey, where it's easy to keep your spirits up. Now they were in the grueling latter part where you just want the trip to be over. Add to that the fact that food supplies were dwindling, and the hobbit is in generally low spirits. He's even heard to grumble once or twice about the trip, and once is so cross he's heard saying, "Bother this whole trail" - a stern exclamation for a hobbit.
But all that ends when they reach the Elf Gate at the western edge of the forest. With the sunlight comes a return of the hobbit's cheery disposition.
"What a glorious day," he says, walking out of the shade of the forest. "I could soak up this sunlight for hours."
Belgo breaks from his father's grasp and run out into the field of autumn grasses, brown and yellow now. He run away, and for a split second you almost want to shout out, "No come back!" but you aren't in Mirkwood now, and the ten year old leaps into the grasses and rolls around ending on his back, "A wonderful idea Pipkin!" He just lays there soaking up the sun and the hope your arrival here has renewed in him.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
If anything, Varuthil seems in a darker mood than usual for the rest of the trip. When they come out through the Elf Gate beyond the eves of Mirkwood, she says nothing, but she stops and stretches in the sunlight. She is clearly as relieved as any of the rest of you to be away from the shadowed realm.
Taking a deep breath, Aerth sighs as he walks into the light. He smiles as the sun hits his face, pleased that he everyone has made it unharmed. It was not a particularly successful trip, there were more hazards than he had ever experienced before on the trip. That worried him. That worried him greatly.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
Baldor stands in the sun for a few minutes, and then turns to the group. "Well, I guess that's that then. I hired you to bring me safely to the other side of Mirkwood and you've done that." He leans on his stick a bit more now, "I guess I owe you your rewards now." He moves over slowly to the ponies. "I'll be continuing south to Wood Hall, little over a week trip, but its easy going from here." He isn't sure of his next words, "I suppose you'll be wanting to head home?"
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Borir grunts and gruffs at the others. When Pipkin and the boy takes off, the dwarf smiles and begins to laugh. The dwarf says, "I'd rather be anywhere than that forest."
Taking in a deep breath, he peers out and wide. "Ain't nowhere to sleep here and I'm not heading back that way anytime soon. I might accompany you to the town, fetch a few dwarven ales, check on the local wares, before I'm heading back home."
Baldor sighs a breath of relief when Borir says he'll go the whole way. "Well that's mighty kind of you. I'm glad to hear it and welcome the company." He glances at the others, there is clearly some hope in his eyes more of you will want to come south to the Woodman's villages along the boarders of Mirkwood and the Anduin Vale.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"I as well," Aerth says, "I have kin there," he says offhandedly, "Though they are unaware of it." He wraps his head back up with the green piece of cloth, which he had went without since his secret was discovered.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
