We played The Lord of the Rings last night!!! This just might be just as kick-butt as our last LotR campaign even. Here's the rundown on chapter 1 (I haven't named the campaign yet):
Soros the Bleak, a scholar studying under the Witch of Isengard arrives in Bree. He bears a sealed letter that was given to him by the Witch to be delivered in Fornost, where he is travelling to. As night falls and he is looking for an inn, he is accosted by strange creatures: orcish, but ghastly pale with empty eye sockets. He is dragged into an alley and weapons are drawn. He fends them off for a few seconds, but is overwhelmed. Alerted by the noise, a fiery-haired pretty hobbit girl comes out of the inn brandishing a heavy tankard. She throws it at one of them, knocking him silly. The creatures clamber up the walls of the alley and are gone from sight within seconds. The girl is Cyan Cullin, a friend of Soros' who had been worried when he did not show up at the inn when expected. Soros, angered by the attack, tracks the creatures by the symbol painted on the hoods of their cloaks. He askes all around the city until late at night. Cyan goes with him to keep him from getting his throat slit.
In a horribly seedy dive called The Brazen Sword, he spies somebody wearing an identical cloak. The person is an emaciated begger, sunken eyed and gaunt faced, who is being set upon by a feral looking dwarf. The dwarf is having angry words with the begger, whom he calls "orc-scum," while the gaunt man is trying to calm him down and draw attention away from himself. Cyan intervenes and probably saves the life of the seedy begger, who is named Kouglar. THe dwarf refuses to give his name.
Kouglar tells Soros that he found the cloak outside of town and took it to keep warm. He tells Soros he will show him where he found it, for a price. The dwarf offers to go with them, saying he will be happy just to vent his rage on something. Kouglar leads them to an ancient, crumbling ruin outside of Bree that was once a lodge. He tells the others that sometimes he comes here to be alone and drink in peace. Soros discovers an area of floor recently moved away. They decend into labrynthine dungeons and discover a large room that was once a holding area for local criminals, but is now something darker. It is now piled high with bones. On a table they find documents written in what Soros recognizes immediately as Black Speech. The only rune that he can make out clearly is the sigil for Ellesar.
The blind orc-things return, scampering down the walls of the chamber like dozens of spiders. They blow out a black powder that makes the heroes choke and start to black out, even as they fight for their lives. Soros wraps his scarf across his nose and mouth, gaining a few good hits in against the creatures. Suddenly, a high pitched keening whistle pierces the chamber. The creatures shriek in pain, covering their ears. They flee up the walls as a new figure enters with a silver whistle. It is Kestral Brokksmere, known as "Kes," who is Cyan's adopted brother (his own parents dead by disease years ago). Kes, a rare hobbitish warrior who had fought many campaigns against orc-kin, says the creatures were "uruk ungol," and that they are considered a bane even to other orcs. He knows little else about them. Soros suggests that they travel to the nearby new Orc land West of Fornost to learn more about them. The dwarf howls in rage and blatently refuses. Soros says he is traveling to Fornost anyway and plans to stop by the Orc land at any rate, even if they do not come with him. Cyan says she will travel with him to keep him out of trouble. Kes agrees as well. Kouglar appreciates Soros being kind to him and Cyan keeping the dwarf from harming him, so he agrees to help in any way he can. The dwarf remains undecided.
End of chapter 1.
For those of you who keep track, the first campaign started in 4A: 39. This one begins in 4A: 88.
