A light from the shadows shall spring (Tolkien AU reboot)

Turn 4 Options
After the war for Fornost, everything seems to return to normal. The Bree-folks know the kin of their forgotten kings have watched them since the fall and they learn of many exploits who had been concealed. The Shire opens itself a bit more, exporting food right into the hamlets and villages of Eriador. Yet this is not the time for the rebirth of Arnor judge the Dunedain. They continue to pursue errant shades and wights, emboldened by new hope. Some of it is symbolic of course. Fornost will be purged of darkness alright but it will remain a ruin for many years still even if folk come from Dunland and Enedwaith to help repopulate. Still there is the thought they have not to fear you anymore. You have pledged to never come in arms against Eriador if due cause was not given first and you intend to keep that oath. What good would be the region if its people was slain in needless war. To do what the Witch-King did to Rhudaur is more in your interests.

Yet this can wait. You have withdrawn to your ruined fortress and gathered around you your councilors. A diverse assembly. Two of the Edain, one silver-tongued and the other made for war and ambush. Two of the Orcs, one a capable leader and the other a captain bold. One of the Rhudaurim the Men of the West call disparagingly the Men of Darkness, sorcerer just as you but listening to other voices. And Lindir your friend and your foe, dweller in shadows, bound to the Discord even more than you are. You speak of the coming and goings of the world for even in your hermitage news come from birds and beasts just as merchants. Echtelion the Steward of Gondor is dead and his son Denethor renowned for his far sight has been made commander of the white city of Minas Tirith. He will continue the watch against Mordor and has two able sons to succeed him.

Yet even as you sit deep in thought, messengers come with a warning. A lone traveler has come to Angmar and a strange one at that. Tall and strong and with eyes filled with light who puts wraiths to flight. He comes in silver armor and with a keen blade. You recognize an Elf-Lord from this description, a flame-eyed one from beyond the Sea who came long ago to break the power of Angband and passed into the East as foes of the Eye. Your subjects did not attack him for they feel his power and refuse to risk their lives in vain. You are tempted to sigh as a visit of courtesy from the Noldor is unprecedented.


You must assign actions to your characters. High Chieftain Ghulgash has three (3) actions while Lindir the Wraith, Barzud, Roth Kurgoth, Iorthodaer and Nelineniel have one (1) each. Precise in your vote which action you assign to which characters.

You have a total of nine (9) Actions
The Lord of Golden Flowers (Exclusive Options; Must be chose)
An Elf-Lord is riding towards Carn Dûm with what seems to be peaceful intentions. What to do?
Meet him coldly: Ride to meet the Elf and do not let him enter the ruined city. Whatever he has to say can be said in the wilderness. You will not risk yourself without caution.
Meet him warmly: Receive the Elf with all the warmth ruined Carn Düm is able. You would not offend one who saw the defeat of your own lords in times gone by. Moreover he is only one and you are many.

The Workings of Magic
Craft a weapon of power: Sing a song of sharpening and work metal upon metal. There you will make something who is a bane for the flesh and a terror for the soul.
Craft an armor of might: Sing a song of enduring and melt scales to scales to birth a shield against harm.
Craft an amulet of potency: Sing a song of cunning and imbue an amulet with the Discord who struggled against the Music.

Explore the Temple to Melkor/Maïron: At the center of Carn Dûm stands the ruins of a grand edifice. In your youth it was a temple dedicated to the Mighty who Arises in Might. Now only remnants are seen and yet you never knew how thorough the armies of Rivendell and Gondor were in scouring the place. You know from experience there are things in there frightening to any living man.

Explore the possibilities of Necromancy: Spirits ride the winds, the souls of those Firstborn who refused the call to the west and can be summoned back in the world, and the fragments of the Powers who were sundered beyond repair. You can call on them and offer them audience and perhaps even the flesh they desire.

Try and Understand Carn-Dûm: The fortress of Carn-Dûm was wrought by powers beyond your current understanding. The Lord of the Nazgul ordered his construction and he was very specific about the details. You remember tales of blood and pain when slaves made mistakes. You hear the rhythm of creation and as such as uniquely placed to truly understand what exactly was wrought here.

The Lesser Voices: Roth son of Golf, shaman of the Rhudaurim, communes with spirits who are not those wraiths and demons you consort with. You are intrigued for you are Orc and your songs to affect the natural world are limited to destruction. Perhaps it's time to retake studies and see what the creatures of the wild can teach you. You already know there is more than one Song.

The Spears of the Red Peak
Concentrate on the procurement of food: Your establishment in Carn Dûm has many advantages yet a basic and inescapable flaw. Your food stores are hanging on a thread, more precarious than you would like. To solve this problem you can order your forces to raid for food and hunt the forests.

Train the troops in basic drills: Orcs were made for war but you have long tired of the mob and crowd. You remember a time when the Lord of the Nine and Morgomir were your commanders and forged you into the army who ravaged the north. Beginning to train your forces will be a good first step on the path to these heights.

Seek Trolls to Tame: Long ago the same power that crafted you made the Ologs or the Trolls. They have the strength of the mountains and their bones are harder than stone. Their intelligence varies but those you seek now are little more than beasts. Seek them and ply them with gifts of food and promises of hunting and your forces will grow.

Confer with the Wolves of the Mountains: Among your people it is said there was a time where servants of the Master came unto wolves and entered their bodies, or perhaps they took their aspect. In any case they bred true and the wolves of the North are fierce and free and more cunning than any wild beast. Their elders are your equal in age and deadlier than many of your troops by far.

Visit the Hill-Men of Rhudaur: The Hill-Men and you have ambivalent relationship to say the least. They are one of the rare human people to not cower in fear as they remember your old alliance with them. Yet you raid them and they raid you. Still their forts hold most of what was the smallest of the Dunedain kingdoms. Dealing with them one way or another is key to future success.

The Long War Ends
Who heard of Rivendell?: You now of the Last Homely House. You fought against the household of Elrond and know of the torment of Celebrian his wife in the caves of the Misty Mountains. Yet you feel tired of war and strife and would offer peace, if you manage to find the valley.

Descendants of Arnor's slain: Officially the Dunedain of Arnor are all dead. You scoff at the thought and laugh when younger souls see whole bands be swallowed by the wilderness. You know the nobility of the kingdom slunk into the shadows at your coming. Still to find them and perhaps have a truce between your people… This is a most difficult endeavor.

Black Edain: Not all the descendants of the Great Isle were greatly good. Some of them became the Nazguls and some never denied their kinship with them. There are in the dark forests small havens where tight-knit families have dwelled and meditated on the dark arts. They are your allies by blood and oath sealed in the darkness beyond stars or moon. They are your allies yet you must convince them to help you anew.

The Four Hamlets: Eriador is a disputed land where somehow Men survive and even thrive. Most of them would refuse to entertain the notion of alliance with the Orcs but to be fair they fight mostly their own kin. From what you know they are simple folks and you could bring them many things for you remember what the world forgot.

Walkers on the Sea of Ice: In the uttermost north rules the Lossoth of the Bay of Forochel. They are a proud people even if their tales don't travel south since they helped the last king of Arthedain. You know few things about them. They cross the icy wastes and survived the dragons, the migration of these Orcs still haunting the ruins of Angband, and the dark sorcery of the Lord of the Nazguls. They would be unlikely allies but the world is changing.

Mount Gram
Gram Goblins are taken by their experiments and the need to unleash them. They are working on some strange black powder who provokes explosions. The substance did not astonish Iorthondaer much as it is known the wizard Gandalf produces fireworks. Iorthondaer suppose the Goblins are experimenting with the same substance but he cannot say how they obtained it. He is sure though they don't make it themselves but receive it from another source. Mordor perhaps? The Dark Lord is crafty indeed.

Gulduruks, the sorcerers who worship the Dark Lord as a god, are calling for a great crusade against the people of the Light. According to them the Nine will soon return even as their fastness in Dol Guldur was overtaken. In truth they are mainly spurred by the rumours the Dwarves of Erebor are gazing to Moria. Gram was nearly taken in the War of Dwarves and Orcs and they fear for their survival. Interestingly enough Iorthondaer describes them as wary of something. They say the year the Dragon fell in the East, nameless things under the Mountains of Mist awoke from their sleep. Not all creatures of the Mighty are well-disposed to the Orcs after all.

Gram Malthuruks, great and mighty warriors to a man, are led by impiety. They gaze upon the world and see the power of the East is falling. They know not why but they are not sure the Dark Lord will win the coming war. At least they hope so for they long to establish their own kingdom in the mountains perhaps collaborating with you. Iorthondaer asked them why they would prefer Angmar reborn to Gundabad and the answer was simple: Lug is speaking openly of waging war against everyone and descend southwards even to the marches of Gondor. The warriors of the Land of Stone are reputed enough to make even the Mathuruks nervous.


Feed the People
Black Wheat: Very few things grow in the Ettenmoors. Very few but not none. You know of several hardy plants who can be cultivated there. They are crops of forgotten Beleriand made for you during your service to the Iron Hells.

Cold Herds: There are beasts hardy enough to survive your lands. The Hill-Men of Rhudaur have led their flocks and sounders well enough for the better part of an Age. Husbandry is even more difficult to your subjects than agriculture but it is necessary for you hunger for blood and flesh.

Oil from fat: The production of lamp oil is nothing glamorous but even your eyes are not Goblins' accustomed to the endless dark and it serves well in trade with the villages of Rhudaur. It would be a jolly thing to be known to purvey the means of illumination but such is the way of the world.

Dreaming Incense: Prospering in your lakes is a species of black fish whose liver once burnt with some herbs of your knowledge grants vision. Preparing the incense is a lengthy process but is an obvious prerequisite to using it. Lindir seems to think it could be used to reach the Vala Irmo through the path of dreams.

Tax Rhudaur: Technically the Hill-Men of Rhudaur are your vassals. You are sure they don't see the situation that way but you offer them protection from ravening Orc bands as well as charms against the terrors of the night. In exchange they can give you the produce of their farms and larders.

Blood of the Moon: Lindir has found deposits of silver through the mountains. To be honest you dislike this metal. It seems almost hateful to your dismal hands. Yet you are not going to let superstition keep you from an independent source of riches. Silver can be fashioned in many things and you have recently discovered a love for beauty.

Slave of Battle: There are deposits of iron in the mountains, the same who led Men to call these lands Angmar. Iron is always useful and unlike what the Free People think, you are able to smith it and even obtain steel. Nothing you make will be called beautiful by others, but it serves well.

Child of Draugluin: At the heart of the forests of Angmar dwell one of the Werewolves, these spirits who took wolfen shape to hunt and stalk in the service of the Dark Lord. He is surrounded by the court of his brood and blood never dries on his claws and his teeth. To seek his lair is perilous but necessary to see if he has to die or to join.



Barad Durhen: The Tower of Dark Sight: (Exclusive Options)
Numenorean: You will begin to raise the Tower again in the style of forgotten Numenor and there draw on the ancient magic they wove in Amon Hen and the Argonath. In this way you honor the Edain who joined you but also celebrate their own secret harmony between mortal and divine for the Numenorean aesthetic is both human and elven.

Elven: You will call on Lindir's memories of the tales of Tirion upon Tuna, the slender houses of Rivendell and the sad majesty of Mithlond. The tower will be a symbol of the light your ancestors have been deprived of, a memory of the West who perhaps will gaze beyond mere flesh and stone.

Shadow: You will raise the Tower in memory of Angband and Barad Dur itself, calling to the powers who long ago built it. It will be the first thing to raise across new Carn Dûm and power will course through the stones for the songs you know are mighty in the laying of walls and of curses both.


The Watchers of Carn Dûm: (Exclusive Options)
The King has his crown anew: You will throw away the addition the Witch-King made to the Numenorean sentries. You will have the Watchers stand in wisdom, sentries still but not instrument of torment for your foes.

The Blasphemies of the Orcs: You will rebuild them in the image of what the Nazgul have accomplished at Cirith Ungol in the land of Mordor. They will scream as the Ulairi when a foe will approach and strike it with terror beyond any mortal feeling.


Agalgimilzadan: The House of Dead Stars (Exclusive Options)
Training Ground: You see no problems in using the catacombs for their intended design. Be it yourself or one of your lieutenants, you are going to send someone in it and see how they fare against the wights. There are treasures in the crypts to reward the ambitious seekers as well as a study of the arts of the Nine

Cleansing: You see no use in the creatures of the Nine. Lindir is one of them but from what you understood and what himself says there were factors at work in how he kept his sanity intact. Destroying the wraiths here would free the space of the catacombs for other projects, perhaps to house your own dead. It would also allows you to take all the grave goods who were interred there.

Binding: You are certain you can commune with the wights left there. They were made to give their knowledge among other things, and they are vulnerable to your enchantments. While you know from Lindir, and these wraiths are lesser in stature and lineage, you can't deprive them of their treasures without angering them beyond all bonds, you can learn from them. They were mighty men in their time