I have a quick question @Warkeymon , what is the status of our priesthood? Do we obly have priests of valaya or are the matrons a special thing? Idk it seems odd to me that such an expedition wouldn't have priests of the other ancestors, especially grimnir and gazul.
Currently you have the Matrons who are fully fledged priestesses of the Cult of Valaya. In the quest set up it was voted for that Cult to be the patron for the reclamation expedition so they're the only priests with you.
Although there's a Beardling with the Blood of Gazul who has been acting as a Priest for the Cult of Gazul and Rhunrikki Gutfroy counts as a Priest of the Cult of Thungni.
Eventually, should we keep extending to different mounts as time goes on, the underway would become a wonder of the world. A vast highway connecting the realms of the Dawi. So enormous that a hundred men could walk in ranks within its enormous passages, with every tenth step marked by a statue of a worthy ancestor from ages past.
@Warkeymon if an update takes a little longer that's more than perfectly fine. An update a day is a screaming fast update schedule. Thank you for all the work that you do.
@Warkeymon
I'm unsure given you once referenced 7th edition Runes and use the Master Rune of Dismay (also from 7th), but you also allow for cumulative effects of two Runes of Warding so do you have your own set of rules for stacking the same (non-Master) Rune, or is 8th edition a good guide?
@Warkeymon
I'm unsure given you once referenced 7th edition Runes and use the Master Rune of Dismay (also from 7th), but you also allow for cumulative effects of two Runes of Warding so do you have your own set of rules for stacking the same (non-Master) Rune, or is 8th edition a good guide?
Along with the One Ring Gladden Fields also have the original Elendilmir or the Star of Arnor, a crown jewel of the kingdom made of mithril, lost along with Isildur there. Saruman found it in 2851 TA. While a search for the Ring is foolish for obvious reasons, finding this thing by accident may be a great boon with certain people to the West and South.
Gutfroy sighed in a mixture of frustration and disappointment as yet another prospective student failed his test and was sent away with his head bowed in shame. The young fool had presented himself with pride, carrying with him his first forged axe, a shoddy piece of work though above the usual standard for a beardling, however when put to the test he quickly withered under his stern eye.
Everyday beardlings would enter his hall, each carrying the pride and hope of their clan, but in the end each was sent away with a dismissive wave as none bore the blood of Thungni.
Since his kings command to find an apprentice the clans of the hold had sent him their most talented Beardlings in hopes one would pass his test and earn the honor of his tutelage, but none bore the gift, not even the sons of the finest Greatmantle Warsmith's had the spark, none could hear the song of the runes as they where struck.
So Gutfroy delved deeper, he scoured the lower halls of the Stonebeards and walked among the herders of the Ironploughs, but his wandering brought him no comfort, just a growing sense of disappointment as the truth became clear to see. He inspected every Beardling he could find, even those that had not been sent to him to test in the vain hope one would bare the gift. But none did, none resonated with the Runes, none could hear its song.
Usually Gutfroy would never go to such lengths to find an apprentice, back in the Karaz Ankor there was an endless line of applicants to choose from, if he truly wished for an apprentice he could find one. But the Kings announcement that the local Dawi where not truly Dawi struck him with a stark realization.
He was the last of the Rhunrikki.
Unless by the ancestors grace the hold was reunited with the Karaz Ankor, he was the last barer of runic lore. If he died, ages of lore would die with him, it was a bitter truth to swallow but it only served to strengthen his resolve like tempered Gromril.
It was with this resolve in mind that he made his way down into the holds healing halls, passing under the eyes of Valaya in a last hope to find one of the blood.
Gutfroy had realized a few beardlings had passed beneath his notice due to minor injuries confining them to bed rest. So with a nod of respect to the matrons he carefully inspected the dozen or so Beardlings laid upon the stone beds. But his hopes where quickly turned to ash, just as before he knew none bore the gift, he did not even need the full test to plainly see the truth.
None of the Dawi of this generation bore the blood of Thungni.
With his last hopes dashed Gutfroy quietly made his way towards the exit, brow creased in distress as his hand absentmindedly passed over the decorated walls, his mind elsewhere while he processed the outcome of his efforts. While deep in thought, his fingers registered every detail carved upon the halls walls, his digits tracing every rune engraved into the stone. He knew how each was shaped, his minds eye adding each rune until it slowly formed a payer to Valaya. He stopped to stare at the wall, whoever had carved this section of the hall had an eye for quality even he could acknowledge.
It was then he felt it, a resonance so minor he would never of noticed it without directly touching it. Tracing the feeling he looked up, only for a carved face of Valaya to stare down at him with eyes of hard stone.
But his attention was drawn to a small carving in the likeness of a necklace around Valaya's neck.
His eyes widened fractionally as he instantly recognized the mark.
Before him was a finely carved master rune of Valaya, engraved with great care within the locket.
Turning around with a sense of urgency he questioned one of the matrons about the carver of the wall.
She pondered for a moment "Oh that wall was carved by Linn Skaldottir, a fine young lass, poor thing, her father died fighting Urki, she has been helping us in the healing halls ever since."
"what clan does she hail from?" Gutfroy questioned.
"She hails from Clan Greatmantle, only child by her telling, she is supported by her kin until she is of marrying age"
"Thank you" Gutfroy replied, finally making his way out of the healing hall.
A female dawi of the blood? it would be unorthodox, alien to even contemplate. But was it not Valaya who struck the first rune that safeguarded the Dawi against chaos. Was it not Valaya who gave birth to Thungni and was the proginator of the most ancient runic lore?
Perhaps it was a mistake to only test the beardlings, if he is right about young Linn he wondered what he should do.
Notes: Right, I hope that is ok.
Btw its not an actual Rune of Valaya, just carved in its likeness.
Eventually, should we keep extending to different mounts as time goes on, the underway would become a wonder of the world. A vast highway connecting the realms of the Dawi. So enormous that a hundred men could walk in ranks within its enormous passages, with every tenth step marked by a statue of a worthy ancestor from ages past.
Mmm, i wonder why the Children of Aule logically wouldn't have made underground highways, and I feel there's either a wanderlust to them or they just prefer to stay in one place. I dislike the latter because it implied they didn't have the population to expand and I like the idea of smaller, minor halls existing.
To anyone more learned than I, how hard is it supposed to be to find Rivendell? I understand it's meant to be hidden but also a homely house, we have random Pass traffic apparently making it a lot louder than usual but Boromir struggled to find it it OTL.
Now obviously the works of the Eves are such that there's some magic/not-Magic/normal-stuff-that's-metaphysically-better going on and is probably especially potent against servants of the Enemy, but I'm trying to get a solid idea.
Basically it's easy to find if yo are welcome, but if you are not it's near impossible. Sort of a 'you have to know where it is already and be welcome there to find it at all' kind of deal, as most people we see entering it in the books are guided by others to it that have already been there. A sort of...character reference system you might say.
Basically it's easy to find if yo are welcome, but if you are not it's near impossible. Sort of a 'you have to know where it is already and be welcome there to find it at all' kind of deal, as most people we see entering it in the books are guided by others to it that have already been there. A sort of...character reference system you might say.
Perhaps it detects evil intent? or works better against corrupt creatures. So when the Dawi appeared it was much less effective as they had no bad intentions other than cautiousness.
True. His character and power isn't like Galadriel's, who would emulate Melian her teacher of old if it were but another age and she a different manner of being, and lock up her demesne entirely.
Whereas Imladris was meant to be a sanctuary in a time of war whence the Shadow had overcome almost all of Middle Earth, ergo, hidden but not undiscoverable.
I would point to the Dawi resistance to magic. Not enough for them to be aware of Rivendell before actually stumbling upon it, like was shown in the update, but enough for the same magic to not be able to actively direct them away from it like it would everyone else and thus make it possible to actually stumble upon it by accident.
The King's Matters
Grazur to Mithlond
Beautiful towers and graceful archways and elegant walls ringed the twin harbours of Mithlond. The city straddled the Gulf of Lune where waters like blue crystal flowed out to the sea and was the largest of the cities of the Quendi that remained. Bridges and raised walkways danced through the low sky between great houses and slender towers. Gardens wove through and amongst streets and there was a central market where the plaza was alive with all of the different Quendi groups and some Umgi as well.
The greatest house of Mithlond flew a banner of deepest blue upon which a white ship floated over the waves and under a star that even on a banner seemed to shimmer with light. The house sat partway into the water and jetties went out from it and near it into the south-harbour which was more populated than the north-harbour. Grazur and his Longbeards went to the water and there parted ways with the South Throng who went with the Deadeye across the long bridge over the Gulf and to the north-harbour.
To the west went up the harbour walls, capped with pearlescent towers that reflected the sunlight in a calm white wash. And Grazur went to the greatest house of Mithlond and passed into the House of Cirdan. He was greeted there by a gaggle of children who spoke Sindarin and wondered at why Dwarves had returned to the Ered Luin.
And by Lord Cirdan himself who strode through the children like his ships parted waves. Lord Cirdan was the eldest of the Sindar and had governed Mithlond for thousands of years. He invited Elder Grazur and the Longbeards to enjoy the comfort of his house, for it was well used to unexpected guests.
From this place, Lord Cirdan explained at dinner, the Quendi who had grown too tired to bear the mortal east would set out across the sea to the immortal west upon one of Lord Cirdan's creations. Most of Mithlond's harbour was used by fishing ships and merchant ships and indeed across the Gulf at north-harbour was kept the warfleet of the Sindar. But every once in a while Lord Cirdan awoke from a dream and set to work on a fleet to make the Crossing and it would invariably finish the night before his new guests arrived.
It was his great purpose to see all the Quendi one day make the Crossing that had been denied to him since the first days of the world. Grazur listens to the woeful tale of the prices of loyalty and the dark days that Cirdan had suffered in the mortal east. Of two centuries of faithful search for his King in which he missed thrice the chance to go to the land his heart most coveted to visit.
Lord Cirdan had spoken with Lord Elrond a number of times since the Dawi discovered Imladris. Neither, he claimed, had totally made up their minds on the Dawi but perhaps it was natural for someone who had lived so long as he. Indeed, Lord Cirdan estimated himself as being more than twice the age of Lord Elrond and perhaps more than tenfold his years and counted only seven in the mortal east as his elders. Although he frowned then and said he would concede to eight though Iarwain Ben-adar was rarely counted by anyone.
He asked then if Elder Grazur had come upon the Old Forest on his way west and the one who dwelt within. An answer to the negative saw a shrug on Lord Cirdan's shoulders. The Dwarves had called him Forn, those few who had met him in elder days, and it meant something of belonging to an older day for none could say when he had entered into the world, not even he himself.
Conversation moved towards the state of the world, for the Haven at Mithlond often received news. Minas Ithil, the great city of Gondor that watched the way into Mordor had been lost to the Nine. With the loss of the Seeing-Stone within that city, Lord Cirdan had gone up to the White Towers nearby and concerned himself with it for a time but determined that when it had been set it had been parted from the others in Middle-Earth forever. All the same, the host of Lindon kept warriors in the White Towers to guard the Seeing-Stone as if it were a lesser Haven.
The Dawi were welcome in Mithlond until they had proven themselves otherwise. Elder Grazur and his Longbeards remained in the House of Cirdan for three months waiting for the return of the South Throng. They watched as Lord Cirdan woke and set to work on a fleet of white ships, they watched as a pilgrimage of Quendi came from the east and after a night in the House of Cirdan they set sail for the immortal west.
Determined to return to the Karak, the Elder left a message with Lord Cirdan to direct the Deadeye to return home for he had already gone on ahead. But that day the Deadeye arrived with a thoroughly exhausted Throng.
Surface Hold
Extensive North Pass Fortification, 117/240.
(2 Farmer Dice)
55+88-5-5-5-5+4 = 117
The Ironploughs have been sent into North Pass. They have laid out the foundations for the two outer walls of the North Pass fortification and dug out the trenches along the walls of North Pass to raise up the embankment carrying the carven road out through that Pass. In the later stages of the year the Ironploughs have steadily carved paths up from the inner wall to claim the flanks of North and West Peak where towers will eventually stand.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Guest Housing, 308/190. Completed.
(2 Brewer Dice + 1 Beardling + 2 Eotheod Dice)
77-5-5+47+61+37-15+88-15+10 = 280
A great stone shape in the Valley and connected by arched bridges to the Stables has been finished. Here the Eotheod now dwell within the safety of the Hold. It is something of a miniature castle, a low ring wall with deep battlements and narrow towers protects both the Stables and the new Housing. Something like a keep, a square structure with four round towers at the corners rises from the Valley floor.
Within the keep are many floors of luxurious suites in which families may gather and rest. There are beds wrought with hardened timber and the skins of goats, the Eotheod have gone about the structure and carven animalistic imagery. Beasts of all manner roam the hallways although the horse is the most common motif. Each floor appears to have been designated to a different colour of horse, there are white horses running through the level where the bridges adjoin to the stables, brown horses gallop through the lowest level and somewhere near the top are horses of a golden hide.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Guest Housing completed.
West Peak
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Engineering Hall, 297/190. Completed.
(1 Engineer Die + 1 Beardling Die.)
93+36+4 = 133
With his expedition to the Ered Engrin denied, Nendumir has gathered the Glintgears to hand and set to work on finishing the Engineering Hall. The Engineers have made swift progress and finished installing the last workshops into one side of the Hall. Work then turned to raising the decorations of the Hall into place. There's the statue of Morgrim that dominates the far end of the Hall, and the back wall is dedicated to the tall of the day he created the first crossbow.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Engineering Hall completed. -5 to Highest Engineer Die. +5 to Quarreller and Ranger Combat Rolls. +10 to Engineering Challenges.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Shatterspear Clan Residences and Tomb, 316/220. Completed
(2 Stonemason + 2 Beardling Dice.)
99+26+10+78+95+8 = 316
The Shatterspears have gone across into West Peak and turned free from the mountain their new Clan Residences. An expansive Hall that stretches out from the Surface Level Receiving Hall behind a masterful bulwark of stone. The Gate into the Shatterspear Clan Residences has been carefully wrought such as to appear to be solid wall. Only a Shatterspear might know the way to trigger the wall to open and reveal the hallway behind.
The Shatterspear Clan Ancestors and legendary Shatterspears through history line the hallways, the Shatterspear heraldry has been carved into the main event hall and there are tapestries of the great workings of the Shatterspears of ages long past cut into the walls. You recognise the great shape of the Horn of Karak Hirn as it spirals along one edge of the main hallway. At the back of the Residences lies the Shatterspear Clan Tomb, here the dead of the Clan may be interred in smooth, stone caskets.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Shatterspear Clan Residences and Tomb completed.
Equip the Eotheod, Success.
Challenge Level: 40
(2 Warsmith Dice)
63+97-5-5-5+8 = 153
The Greatmantles have gone into the Forge Hall and stoked the forgefire. You have sworn to gird and arm those of the Eotheod who serve with the Throng. The Royal Huskarls have so far ridden with East Throng on their duties beyond East Pass and so there is an oath to uphold.
The Huskarls are well equipped, by Eotheod standards, and the working of equipment suited for riders and horses is unusual for the Warsmith Clan. But that is not to say their standards are at all lacking. The Greatmantles draw up from the Forge Hall the lances that the Eotheod wield in the charge, and the cavalry swords that they wield in the melee. Naturally the Warsmiths have sought to replicate the general aesthetic and style of the Eotheod armour for both rider and horse, although the reinforced steel shapes have some distinctly Dawi aspects to them.
Goat leather has been worked under the interlocking plates to provide a soft underlayer for the riders and the helms are rimmed with fur for the Umgi who are not used to mountaintop living. Each set of armour has been decorated with the traditional style of the Eotheod, flowing curls to mimic the wind and the metal has been coloured shades of green and brown.
When Captain Hagrim takes up his new armour you note that the pauldrons are more similar to the intricate scaled joints of a Hammerer's suit than to the old disks of leather and the face plate of the helm is a tighter fit than the loose panels that once swept over the cheeks of the riders.
Royal Huskarls deal additional casualties and suffer fewer casualties.
The Underhold
Under-Armoury, 99/50. Completed
(2 Miner Dice)
64-5-5-5-5+47+8 = 99
The Stonebeards have gone out into the tunnels of the Depths and decided on a suitable place to carve out the rough shape of an Under-Armoury. It is of some importance that the location is not too close to any of the prospective tunnels marked out for future mines and that the weave of the network under the hold does not harm the security of the room. It is sealed from the Depths by a single heavy stone door that the Stonebeards have avoided smoothing out so that it appears at a glance to be but a roughly hewn tunnel.
Here are kept Az for the Stonebeards to claim if there is a breach in their tunnels and some shields that have been modified to satisfy the needs of battle in a narrow tunnel warfare environment.
Under-Armoury completed.
The Prospectors
67
The Master Prospectors of Clan Stonebeard have gone down into the Depths and sniffed at many walls of the tunnel network. One, somewhat newish tunnel, has turned up the scent of Silver. The Stonebeards have dug a small way down through the Depths towards the Silver, but the scent is quite clear, this is only a minor vein.
Minor Silver Vein discovered.
Runelord Challenge
A Guardian's Commission, Failed.
Challenge Level: 80
28+10 = 38
The Rhunrikki has gone into his Hall bearing the Hammer of Thane Nirvid. A gromril masterpiece of Karaz-A-Karak that had been gifted to her by the High King when she ascended to the title of Guardian of the Gate. Alas the Grim had not chosen to engrave her Hammer with Runes at that time.
Perhaps it was because the Rhunrikki had meant to meet the standards of not-done Runework wrought by a Living Ancestor, but he had returned the Hammer to Thane Nirvid without having completed the commission. He simply cannot set into the Hammer the Runes that he had envisioned to the standard he desires.
Personal Challenge
King Gisilhari (Commanding a Throng), Failed.
Challenge Level: 20.
(King Gartrim)
10
Gisilhari's lesson for the year is on the subject of commanding a Throng. He goes with you to the Training Yard in the Valley where you command the West Throng in fighting with some gathered volunteers from amongst the Eotheod. It might be expected that you would win most of these battles, indeed the vast majority, but you had hoped that Gisilhari would start to develop the tactical acumen to at least defeat you when he was commanding the West Throng.
Sowing division in his own forces, falling for bait and trying to wield complicated formations are but his most common failings. You try to drill into him that controlling each individual warrior is impossible on the field of battle, but he will not delegate.
Learn Rohirric, Success.
Challenge Level: 40.
(Queen Daungrumm + King Gartrim)
40+28-5 = 63
You attend lessons in Rohirric along with Daungrumm. Although perhaps she is attending the lessons and you're trying to decipher the conversations she's been having with the Eotheod. Captain Hagrim, when he's in the Hold, sits with you both to translate between Sindarin and Rohirric and teach you to translate between Rohirric and Khazalid using Sindarin as a go between.
Until at last you decided you'd had enough of Sindarin and Rohirric and Dwarvish. The Mountain Tongue you would hear again from mouths not your own. Perhaps it is part of why Gisilhari fares so poorly in his other lessons, you have told him he may command the West Throng only in Khazalid and in exchange you have been commanding the Eotheod volunteers in Rohirric.
You think your lessons have gone well in this regard. Both you and Daungrumm are more than adequate in the tongue of Rhovanion. Meanwhile Gisilhari, Hagrim and the Royal Huskarls have taken to using Khazalid as a code-tongue when speaking with one another.
The Lorekeepers
Carpenters, 4/5 turns completed.
The Carpenters continue their studies in the Hall of Remembrance. They work on more intricate creations, the likes of complex locks and exquisite artistry. Decorative panels have gone up in one of the workshops and there's a nice puzzle box that is more secure than it is efficient. The twisted and gnarled woodwork takes quite some time to open even if you do know how to do it.
The Throng
Meet with peoples of the West and Range into the Ered Luin
Elder Grazur, some Longbeards from Clan Greatmantle and the South Throng have gone across the High Pass and into the lands of Eriador. Led by the map that Elder Grazur gained from the Noldor the group have gone down past Imladris and followed the Great East Road and gone West.
The Deadeye sniffed unhappily as the South Throng forded the Bruinen, there are watchers about and that the waters calm and recede as the Dawi cross is the working of far too much magic for his liking. They go west to Amon Sul where a great tower once stood upon the natural vantage of the stone hill. The remnants imply that there was once an impressive structure upon the peak and the Throng pick through it for a time. A path goes into the north and follows a ridge of hills away from Amon Sul and Elder Grazur remarks that there are a few smaller fortifications marked out on other hills of the region.
They continue again along the road and arrive at a set of earthworks that round a small wooden town. The map names her Bree. The gates are open when they reach it and the Throng visits there. There are Halflings and Umgi intermingling in the town. The Deadeye sees a tavern and goes in to gather rumours while Elder Grazur and his Longbeards speak with the locals.
Sindarin does not get him very far, nor does Rohirric. The Halflings are soonest to mutter and walk away but there are some taller Umgi who understand Sindarin in the tavern and gather around the Deadeye. The general flow of conversation weaves through such topics as the Hobbits of the Shire who dwell to the west, and that these folk are the Dunedain who patrol Eriador at length to ward it against the darkness. Their once great city of Annuminas stands to the north though it has been shattered by Angmar in recent decades.
The Chieftain of the Dunedain is Aranarth and he is at Fornost for the time being, though he rides regularly through the old lands of Arnor and is rarely in one place for long. The Deadeye tells that the Market Hall of Kazad Urbaz is open for visitors and the Dunedain agree to spread the word through the survivors of Arnor and amongst the Hobbits of the Shire.
To follow the road west even further is to go into the Shire itself, and there the Hobbits will not be able to speak with the Dawi for they are not an adventurous folk and wander not from their hills far. They speak the Westron Tongue that came from Numenore with their colonies and supplanted the tongues of the people who dwelt in Middle Earth. There was a day, hundreds of years ago, that the Hobbits dwelt in the east and might have spoken Rohirric but that has passed, and they adopted Westron since.
With merchants and traders in Bree set to be informed of Kazad Urbaz when they visit the town, the South Throng continues past underhill-halls where none speak a tongue recognisable. The road ends, the map does not. They continue on to the sea and the Gray Haven of Mithlond.
There Elder Grazur and the Deadeye part ways. The South Throng goes on into the north and follows the Ered Luin to a great parting in their range. Here are the twin cities of Nogrod and Belegost, now fallen and uninhabited. Further to the north goes the ancient kingdom of Balin's Folk and to the south lies the kingdom of Uri's Folk when those two lines were still Kings.
The two peaks on either side of the rugged pass are sheer and smooth cliffs with each one hosting balconies looking down onto the pass at varied intervals. The southern city of Nogrod is come upon first and her main gates could swallow the North Peak whole from Valley floor to snow-capped height. There are beside the gate two huge Dwarven warriors wrought from stone with their two-headed Az crossed above the frame of the gate.
But the doors themselves are broken things, they have torn at their hinges such that great rends in the skin of the mountain exist where there was once the mechanism that would move the doors and the panels of the structure are shattered and cracked. Alas, someone has broken a way into Nogrod and cut away a part at the bottom of the door. South Throng goes in to the Entrance Hall of Nogrod and are swallowed by a great space lit with blazing flame.
Much of the floor has given way and down amidst shadowy depths are the bubbling and roiling rivers of magma that pour from above in monstrous magma-falls. The pillars that once held up the mountain have been torn and mounds to mimic the Ered Luin weave their ridges through the Hall.
The Deadeye leads his company past terrible chasms and the bubbling fires of the earth below, they cross narrow bridges that could not take the weight of three Umgi at once and duck through collapsed hallways. A staircase whose missing steps reveal a terrible fate for those who might fall twists up to the next level of Nogrod. The hallways are regularly lost, blocked up by smooth walls of basalt, there are crystals of many sort hanging from ceilings as the Tunnel Sense grows ever more confused as the Throng goes up through the Levels.
A hallway that the South Throng had previously passed through is now sealed with basalt, a hall that they had previously explored has fallen away or the ceiling has come down and released great rivers of magma to chase the Dawi. They come out onto a balcony of Nogrod's defences, looking down on the pass between Nogrod and Belegost. There are great burns upon the balcony, and they weave up the cliff erratically, other balconies have melted against the mountain and the battlements are ridden with holes.
Here they find a crew of Dwarves, long ago dead, their armour is a silver-like metal that has been cut through cleanly in some cases and in others has been pulverised by a single brutal strike. Only the armour remains, even the bones are gone.
Nogrod shudders and shakes as the South Throng goes back into the mountain. The hall that had led out onto the balcony has a scorched round hole in the centre of it and the is a terrible cloud of smoke spiralling up from below. The floor begins to crumble into the fires of the earth and smoke grows ever more terrible.
The Deadeye has had enough of Nogrod, for all the grand empty halls and the mighty overwatch this mountain clearly held over the pass below it has since been claimed since by the tumult of an unusually active volcano.
The South Throng descends, their Tunnel Sense strengthening as their determination to leave is set and though the hallways continue to shudder and grow ever more difficult to travel, they escape again into the sun. The way behind them burns and the next visitors will have a hard time getting as far in as the South Throng had reached.
Across the pass stands Belegost. Its own main gate rivals the one at Nogrod, though the doors are gone, and a cold shadow reaches out from the Entrance Hall and into the pass. Here too are plinths where stood ancient warriors, though they are gone besides one foot between them. The South Throng enters Belegost, and it is a chill place. The light of lanterns will not extend further than three paces in the encumbering gloom of the hold.
Without warning the floor will give away to fathomless depths and with the barest touch the columns of the hall will collapse into dust and a great cloud of ancient masonry will drift through the hall and choke the South Throng. They progress slowly through the dark and carefully ascend tight and twisting staircases where the hallways will go out at seemingly random. There are more Dwarves in Belegost than in Nogrod. Their bones yet remain within their armour, though the silvery metal they wore lies around them in shards.
The Tunnel Sense withers as the South Throng ascends and there is a chill wind blowing through the hallways that they travel along. Chattering and clattering and chittering echoes off of stone walls and the Throng attempts to retreat into a nearby hall. The door is stuck, refusing to crumble into so much dust like the other doors of this place. With great effort it bursts backwards in a rain of shattering stone and crushes Dwarves who had been holding it from the other side.
Where the collapsing door strikes the Dwarves it breaks and turns into a cloud of fine dust and the Dwarves crumple revealing that only armour and bone remains. These armours have sharp holes the size of a fist over the place where their hearts would have stood, and behind the dead are great rods of the silvery metal. They are as thick as the Deadeye's arm, and they stretch from wall to wall. A group of Leadbeards sniff at the unfamiliar metal and try to haul it up onto their shoulders together.
It scratches a groove into the wall as they twist, and the skin of the mountain falls away to allow the red light of the sunset to illuminate what had once been utter darkness. There is a silence as the sunlight works its way into the room and reflects off of the metal. The Deadeye peers out from the hole and sees that they've managed to find their way up to almost the very top of Belegost. There's a crowning fortress atop the mountain and great statues looking out across the Ered Luin from the summit. One of them appears to be leaning quite dangerously over the cliff.
And the Deadeye leaps back into the room a Dwarf the size of a tower scrapes its way down the cliff and shatters in the pass below. It has taken several balconies with it as it goes. There is a tapping at the door into the room, but the darkness beyond the door is impenetrable. The South Throng gathers close in the sunlight and whatever is outside the door does not enter. Until the sun goes down.
The battle at Belegost was bloodless, and the Deadeye can't swear that they actually fought anything. But they battled down through the whole mountain that night and several of the younger Leadbeards collapsed in the pass in exhaustion and had to be carried by the Longbeards back to Mithlond.
There they caught up with Elder Grazur who was preparing to return to Karak Drekfut.
Guard West Pass
West Throng stood watch over the West Pass as Elder Urtain went down into the woods in a heavy cloak that hid his Az and rations. Through the course of the year, they reported little in the way of activity on the western slopes.
The Elder went amidst the trees and lay upon a low rock outside the cave of the last trolls in the woods. It was an unfortunately comfortable rock and so the Elder had to battle over the next two weeks not to fall asleep lest he miss the moment the Trolls departed. But they went shortly after dusk and took a great horde of belongings to the north. They never caught scent of Elder Urtain, and they made so much noise hauling their things and shouting at one another that he could have walked across in front of them and gone unnoticed.
The Trolls travel northwards camping in caves through the day and moving only at night. They do not follow any real pattern as they move besides this, sometimes they stay in a cave for several days and sometimes they move as soon as the sun sets. They move up into the mountains after a few weeks of meandering through the foothills. The Elder follows them into the mountain tunnels and down twisting ways that lead to smooth and well worked stone. Shattered statues and filthy walls mark out a small hall within the mountains that did not initially belong to Trolls. But they have gathered here in some number and there is the scent of Urki as well.
Range Beyond North and East Pass
The Greatbeard takes North Throng out into the mountains, they pass the Goats and the Eagles and go out in search of Eotheod who might have fled the Urki into the high mountains. They comes across a few smaller bands of Urki amongst the peaks but none of the Umgi and turn back later in the year having gained a view over Framsburg. The castle is swelling with Urki who have begun to turn the place into their own home, there are bands going from the Framsburg into the east and south and there are ever more Urki coming down out of the north.
East Throng and the Eotheod go down into the Near Vale. You have informed them of your dream and Captain Hagrim knows of a number of small barge docks on the Anduin that the Urki may intend to attack. The Beornings host one such dock in the Near Vale which the East Throng have observed from a distance before. But it is within a town and so not the site of your dream.
It is likelier that the dock is Eotheod or Woodsman and is further upriver. They decide then that they will cross the Anduin at the bridge south of the Beornings and march up the eastern bank to seek out the dock. But they do not make it to the bridge, for the Urki are in the Near Vale. The vanguard is chasing the Eotheod of their southern town and the rear parties of the Urki are dismantling the cabins of the Near Vale.
Thane Nirvid commands East Throng into battle positions and great horns alert the Urki that there is a hardier enemy to face than fleeing Umgi. The Royal Huskarls swing about one low hill to cut between the vanguard and the Umgi survivors and the Urki turn to meet the East Throng.
The battle rages for several hours, the Eotheod making use of their Dawi steel to hold in melees for longer and to turn thundering charges into true lances of death and carnage. Quarrels cut through the Urki even as the Dawi shift in their lines to form a great square as an island in the blackness of the Urki host. And there are little islands out there as well.
Grimnir is displeased. The Slayers go in search of honourable Doom and the Valiant denies them again and again. There they are with Az in each hand carving through the black ranks and where they go the Urki stumble and fall and some even turn to flee. And none of this has turned aside their shame. Not a one of the Slayers is granted their Doom.
Instead, they are gifted to the melody of Noldor war horns. A thunder rolls out of the south and a silver light shines across the horizon. A golden thunderbolt crashes into the Urki and is followed by two hundred bolts of silver. The Eotheod wheel and charge as well from where they are in the distance, parted from the Throng by sheer number of Urk. But the shining example of riders with hundreds of times their experience has emboldened them, and their next ride cuts deep into the Urki and cuts at their head.
The combined ferocity of a Dawi Throng, an Eotheod Company and the Companions of Glorfindel turn back the Urki and leave behind a field black with their arms and armour and flowing blood. The champion of the Noldor rides up to where Thane Nirvid is assessing the aftermath. 'This talisman is more than mere protection. Your King should have many thanks from those whom he has never met. And you might be glad for it as well.'
Glorfindel and his riders go west across the High Pass and back to Imladris. Captain Hagrim guides the Eotheod survivors up the East Pass who settle in swiftly and eagerly. There is a Lord amongst them. Lord Dernmod ruled in the southernmost of the Eotheod fortified towns until the Urki washed over their walls and drove them out.
now that...was a fucking good turn. looks like unintended consequences is happening, and with us culling the Urki in such greater numbers...were going to have to go out and cull the damn trolls soon enough if we can catch them. Should have done that earlier, but ya know how it goes...but hey, at least now we can get bolt throwers and grudge throwers up and running soon enough!
get enough crazy shit up and running and things can turn for the better...hopefully next turn we can get the Umgi to delegate military matters, as well as stewardship matters. He might also have to do some learning expertise...hopefully...
Is every single ruin in Arda haunted? I really wasn't expecting those old dwarf holds to be so hostile.
I wonder if Grazur will be wanting to visit Old Tom next? That would be pretty amusing.
The silver mine is nice, even minor silver mines seem by far the most efficient moneymakers we have at 5 silver for a single -5.
Thoughts for next turn: Is it worth sending the throng out again looking for more Eotheod? I'm not sure when to stop, I don't want to fill our entire hold with them or end up with a lone throng getting ambushed but I also don't want to abandon any who remain to the orcs. What should we put the runesmith on next? I'm tempted by that new helmet request but open to anything. What should we teach the king next? Try again with command or move on to something else?
and if you're sufficiently skilled or lucky, and bring no harm..well, i imagine the outlook is you earned your visit.
