Adventures
7 and 8 of the Spider Cult of Mirkwood campaign
The Characters (more information here):
- Hengil Foros (Dúnedan Warden of Rivendell)
- Ulvmund Galmund (Barding Warrior of Dale)
- Hartmut Hare-Eye (Beorning Wanderer of the
Anduin Vale)
Information on the campaign:
[A portion of Peter Fenlon's amazing map in ICE's Mirkwood]
Adventure 7: To the Mountains of Mirkwood
7.1 From Rhosgobel to the Old Forest Road (mid-April 2947)
The companions, accompanied by Quesse (a raven
of Radagast), depart Rhosgobel and travel to Woodmen Town. There they stay
(once again) at ‘The Gentle Leaf’ inn. At the inn they meet the dwarves Bofri
and Nili (‘the silent’). Hengil convinces Bofri and Nili to join the company’s
mission to the tower, explaining that removing the menace posed by the cult is
necessary for the dwarves of Erebor to open up the Old Forest Road again for
trade.
The companions deliver Radagast’s book to
the herbalist Witihis. Upon learning that the party plans to travel to the
Mountains of Mirkwood, the herbalist warns them that there are dangerous vines high
in the peaks (the ‘Yavin Girith’ [S. “Shuddering Fruits”]). The vines’
fruit is deadly and should be avoided. The vines also disperse soporific spores,
a blue mist that can induce a dreamless sleep. He gives the companions five dried
leaves that can revive sleeping people (when crushed and breathed in by those
who slumber).
The party then visits the hallowed Hall of
Balthi and gains an audience with Althyn Waulfa (the leader of Woodmen Town).
Waulfa commands two Woodmen hunters—Evoric and Grimfast—to accompany the party
on their mission.
[Central Woodmen Town from ICE's Mirkwood]
From Woodmen Town the company journeys to the entrance to the
Old Forest Road. At the entrance is a small Beorning fort, built upon an
ancient Dwarven way station. It is commanded by an old acquaintance of Hartmut,
Otbert.
7.2 The Old Forest Road (late April 2947)
The party travels along the Old Forest
Road. Two days into the forest the company encounters Geirbald and his
Brotherhood of Outlaws. Geirbald warns the company of the legendary Werewolf of
Mirkwood. The adventurers rest with the Outlaws in their hidden camp.
Two days later the company comes across an ancient statue; it
is identified by Bofri to be the likeness of Thráin I (first king of Erebor).
Later in their journey Quesse (the raven)
warns the party of an imminent ambush by goblins. Surviving unscathed, they
continue for many days deeper into the forest. Two weeks after entering
Mirkwood the company camps at another old dwarven way station. Midway through
the black night, the group is attacked by six Woodmen cultists, two attercops,
and a terrible great spider. Evoric is tangled in webs. Nili and Hartmut are
knocked out by the cultists’ sleeping poison. The great spider almost defeats
Ulvmund but ultimately is driven away. The other spiders and the cultists are
slain. Battered, sickened, and tired, the company deliberates about what to do
next.
While the party rests, Hengil has a vision
of a lost refuge. The refuge is hidden in the ruins of an ancient Elvish
fortified town, abandoned millennia ago, that lies along the old Elf trail to
the north.
7.3 Into the Mountains of Mirkwood (late April 2947)
After another day of marching along the
Old Forest Road, the party finds the hidden mystical Elf path and begins journeying
north into the Mountains of Mirkwood. (This path, which has survived the
centuries thanks to Elvish enchantments, was indicated on the party’s map by
Haldir back in Rhosgobel.) As the party ascends into the bleak mountains, the
oak and beech trees are replaced with dark pine. A sense of despair overwhelms
the companions.
At long last, the party reaches the safe
hideout in the ancient refuge of the Wood Elves. There the party rests. Hengil
has a dream of the black tower, Sarn Goriwing, and apprehends
its overall layout. He also sees the pale and beautiful leader of the cult
within the tower. To Hengil’s amazement, she looks to be of the Dúnedain! While
still dreaming, the mistress of the tower turns her gaze towards Hengil and he
awakens in a cold sweat.
[Sarn Goriwing from ICE's Mirkwood]
The party continues their journey upwards into the mountains
the next day. While travelling alongside a steep ravine, the woodman Evoric
falls over and down into some thick webbing. He is soon slain by a horde of attercops,
who then start scurrying towards the companions. Grimfast throws his torch upon
the webbing, which rapidly goes up in flames. Unfortunately, Grimast also is
slain by an attercop. However, the surviving attercops flee and the diminished
party continues its quest.
After another day of travel the party
approaches the Black Lake. About 4 miles south of the lake the adventurers depart
from the Elf path and head due north towards the lake, which is hidden high
in a valley within the mountains. As they approach the black lake between two
rough mountains (two miles apart) they come upon hundreds of Yavin
Girith (S. ‘Shuddering Fruits’). A faint blue mist emanates from the
beautiful vines. These spores cause Ulvmund and Grimfast to fall fast asleep.
Fortunately, Hengil remembers the lore regarding the Yavin
Girith (told to him by the herbalist Witihis) and crushes the leaves to awaken
Ulvmund and Grimfast.
The adventurers
travel away from the vines. Dusk falls and the party makes camp.
Adventure 8: The Tower of Black
Glass
8.1 Sarn Goriwing
The party scouts the Black Lake. It is roughly
one mile in diameter. The shores of the lake are rocky, but there are many dark
pine trees. The lake itself looks like a smooth mirror of jet glass. At the
north edge of the lake the adventurers spy the black spire rising above the
spray of the waterfall. The waters of the lake are fed by a variety of mountain
streams; the lake water flows around the tower, and down a waterfall. The
resulting river is the tainted infamous Gûlduin—the river that induces
sleep in all who drink from its waters.
On the western side of the lake are some stone plinths. The party spies two
rafts tied to the plinths. Hartmut is true to his moniker “Hare-eye” as he spots
two patrols of spiders circling the lake, and some human guards near the rafts.
The party ambushes one of the patrols. Two
spiders are slain. The third makes a deal with the party. In return for an oath
to let it flee safely, the spider tells the party the password for the tower: “Web
of Blackness” (spoken in the tongue of the Woodmen, followed by some spider
clicks). The spider then scuttles away.
The party ambushes the other patrol and
the guards near the rafts – all are slain quickly and quietly by the crafty
heroes. A raft then is used to reach the tower. Using the password, the
adventurers fool the Woodmen cultist guards into thinking that they are friendly
forces.
[Woodman cultist (image from C7's Rhovanion Region Guide)]
The tower then is explored. Many important
tomes and items are procured. Another eldritch black stone is found. At its
base is written: “Submit to the Glory of the Unlight!” (written in a corrupt
form of Quenya). Sensing its malevolent nature, the adventurers carefully claim
it.
To his enormous relief and delight, Hengil
finally recovers the lost artefact of the House of Foros: the great mithril
horn “Fuinavar” (‘gloom-refuser’)!
Heading up the black spire further, the
adventurers finally reach the laboratory and library of the tower’s Númenórean
sorceress, Ungurth Móré (‘Blackheart Deathspider’), and her mighty Woodman
guardian Urlik. Urlik is accompanied by a terrible hunter spider. They are not
pleased by the party’s appearance.
An alarm resounds throughout the tower. Woodmen
cultists from below charge up the stairs to aid their dark lady in her hour of
need. They are slain. Ungurth Móré, Urlik, and the spider flee to the top of
the tower. They are pursued by the party. A great mêlée ensues. Hengil blasts
Fuinavar to rally his companions. Urlik and the spider are killed while Ungurth
Móré leaps over the edge of the tower. She lands on a giant bat that starts to
fly away to the north.
Determined not to let the sorceress escape
justice, Hartmut readies his longbow (the reward given to him by the merchant
Thal Eolsen, many moons ago). He releases the string and his arrow pierces the
back of Ungurth Móré, causing her to tumble from her vile mount to her death.
The party is victorious!
8.2 The journey to Lake Town (late April – early May 2947)
Triumphant but badly battered, the party
leaves the tower and returns to the Old Forest Road. They travel east to Iach
Celduin. Amidst the ruins of the town, they find a recently rebuilt inn and fort.
The former is run by dwarves from Erebor; the latter is an outpost of Esgaroth.
Bofri and Nili, drained by their recent travails, decide to stay with their kin
at the inn for a while. They wish Hartmut, Ulvmund, and Hengil well, and assure
them of a generous welcome should they ever visit Erebor in the future.
The party then travels from Iach Celduin
along the old road to Lake Town.
[Lake Town by J.R.R. Tolkien]
8.3 Plans for the future (May 2947)
While resting in Esgaroth, the companions make
some plans for the future. They agree to take the black stone that they discovered
in Sarn Goriwing to Radagast for safekeeping.
Helmut then plans to settle for a while
near the Carrock. He hopes for some time of peace and reflection now that the
cult has been destroyed. Ulvmund intends to return to Dale and request King
Bard’s assistance in re-establishing the Galmund fiefdom. He smiles at his mind’s
vision of a rebuilt tower of Bar-en-Dindol. And he hopes to find a suitable
lady of Dale to ensure that his family line does not end with him. Hengil plans
eventually to return to Rivendell with Fuinavar but is considering first visiting
the beautiful elven sage Luinwen.
Now that the shadow of the spider cult has
been extinguished, the future looks bright for the three accomplished
companions!
[The characters ended the campaign at level 6. Perhaps future
adventures await them?]
[Your humble GM managing the climatic battle atop Sarn Goriwing]