"The treasure remains unimportant, honestly. Ridding the tower of the dead was far more important, as we will prove to ourselves as we sleep tonight!"
None of you find anything beyond the mundane treasure, 20 points total, enough for 5 each.
The rest of the night passes pleasantly. Your road takes you south now, to Trader's Isle. Everyone make Travel Rolls for Fatigue!
I would like to give one of my bonus die to Caunlaigdir. A good roll, plus a point of Hope, will keep him from his Fatigue rising;
I will assume that Caunlaigdir does so.
Similarly, Galadhon may give Aeddan a dice and roll it; over a 14 beats the check and no Hope will need be expended.
Please, do. I didn't want to fail that roll that badly, and if I can convert it to a success!!
All right; Caunlaigdir, a point of Hope brings you to a success. Everyone else that got below a 14, unless a point of Hope will allow you to succeed, you add 2 to your Fatigue score.
Due to the fact that Aeddan rolled an 11, I would like the Company to nominate someone to face a potential Hazard.
Aeddan, make a hunting roll please.
Aeddan; you discover that a large, dangerous predator of some type has been tracking your party. Perhaps even a large, wild bear! However, you are able to pick up on sign and muddy your trail enough to throw the creature off, and you are all fine.
After some time, you reach Trader's Island, a sandy spit of land in the middle of the Anduin River. It is populated by the ealfolc; river people that make their livings mostly through trade.
If you ask around, it will not be difficult to find Widulven, the man you have a letter of introduction for.
You may make Lore rolls to determine what you can learn of the man.
Rambler relies on his allies to find out the man's character; he merely focuses on finding this Widuven.
The Sindarin seems uncertain where to begin a search in this human settlement.
Gori is surprisingly unskilled in lore.
Aeddan asked around and found some information on Widulvan's character.
Galadhon is learned in lore, though much of that has to do with elvish history and tales of the Enemy.
Indeed, Galadhon! You learn that Widulven is a fair, honest trader. He is likely to treat with you however you wish, and will be equally swayed by any social skill you make.
Widulven is also easy to find, having the largest and, apparently, most successful shop on Trader's Island. Widulven himself stands behind a counter, keeping an eye on the shop. He's a thin man, with dark hair and a bit of grey in his temples. He has a full beard, but seemingly a relatively easy-going demeanor.
If you wish to interact with him you may all roll Insight to determine bonus dice, and then introduce yourselves using Awe or Courtesy, unless you wish to elect a spokesperson to speak for the party.
Ayluin approaches Widulven, smiling openly as he does so. As he approaches, he gauges the man's reactions, taking in his awareness, his posture, and attempts to discern his mood.
"Greetings, friend! I am called Rambler. These are my companions; Galadhon of Rivendell, Aeddan, a hero of the Woodmen I'm sure you know, Gori son of Oin and Caunlaigdir of Mirkwood. An interesting group, to be sure, but we are recently of Mountain Hall, where Beranald, the doorwarden, enlisted our aid in a task. He named you as a man that might help, and wrote this letter on our behalf. If you'd care to read it, we can see what might be done to help our mutual friend, eh?"
Widulven takes the letter, but does not open it. He smiles warmly.
"Ah, Beranald's a good man! But, come, I would rather hear the tale from you than from a parchment. Tell me, what brings you down here?"
"It is a somewhat long tale, and I am not the closest information, but I shall do my best! Tell me, do you know of the lay of the Lords of Mountain Hall?"
Ayluin begins to rattle off an old song he knows, celebrating the Woodmen of old.
"Aye, I do."
Widulven even joins in for a bit.
"Tell me, though, what has this to do with your errand here?"
"Why you see, friend, our errand here is, through Beranald, on behalf of Hartfast, the Lord of Mountain Hall! You are clearly a man of quality; surely, much like myself, you have no patience for traitors or oathbreakers. We are hear seeking one such. Tell me, have you recently met a man called Cilderic?"
You see a flicker of recognition in Widulven's eyes.
"Aye; one such man has come through here recently, and about a dark business, make not mistake...though perhaps not dark in the way you're expecting. He did come through here, with some great golden cup. Most men with such treasure look to sell it. I have no interest in fencing stolen goods, so I am sure to question them whenever an item of obvious worth and dubious heritage comes my way! But he did not sell it. No, indeed, he was here for one reason; he wished to put an end the the River-hag."
Ayluin blinked. This, he had not been expecting. He had heard no tale of any River-hag, nor, he was sure, had any of his companions. He consulted his own stores of knowledge to be sure.
"I am not familiar with this...River-hag, Master Widulven. What is it? And why would Cilderic be looking to find it with a golden cup? If it has anything to do with defeating such a monster, I ask that you tell me true; for we here are a mighty Company, and few terrors of the old world can stand against us."
Old-lore doesn't pop up much useful information; this seems specific to the Ealfolc. Other Companons, feel free to roll Lore; you might learn some interesting facts.
I'll give you Lordly on that, Ayluin, so take your advancement point.
Widulven strokes his beard, thinking for a minute before answering.
"The hag...she has been present for a long time, before my grandfather was born. How long, I could not say, but several lifetimes of Men. She resides on an island south of here. It is a bit difficult to get to, but can be done. She hoards treasures, loving gold; some sort of Dragon-lust, I think, though she is certainly not one of those!
Cilderic talked of finding the hag and slaying her; I think his head was full of heroic ambitions. The cup was meant to be a lure. I told him it was a fool's errand, for one man to attempt to fight so powerful a foe. But he did not listen, and he did not return."
Widulven eyes your Company, chewing his lip thoughtfully before responding.
"You all could stand a chance, though, if you're willing. And to be honest, I have long desired a token from this monster; the tales say that her hair is golden and magical. I wish to weave strands of it into my swords, and see if the tales are true! I am willing to tell you where the island is and offer some advice, and if you consent to bring back some of the monster's hair, we might be able to come into quite a fine arrangement as well. What say you?"
Ayluin grins widely.
"Any help you can give would be most appreciated, and I do think we would be quite willing to explore the possibility of mutually beneficial arrangements as well, Master Widulven! Tell me, know, what should we know of this creature?"
Ayluin recalls a recent song, created after the Battle of the Five Armies, telling how people of the different Free Folk came together to fight evil.
Widulven happily joins in; Ayluin, right now, seems to have an almost preternaturally majestic voice. The fact that the tune could be carried in a bucket is lost on everyone.
Widulven laughs and claps your shoulder.
"I must say, Master Rambler, it's been quite some time since a group like yours has passed through our island! Let me tell you of the hag.
She rarely leaves her lair, but for years, she has laid cunning traps about her island. So you must be wary. Her island lies to the south of here, in the Anduin. It is not overly large, but it is in the middle of some dangerous rapids. You must take care not to approach from the east; the current is strong there, and the waters dangerous. No, the west approach is best.
The monster has dangerous claws, and I have heard she can spew golden fire, though I am unsure as to that last claim.
I do have some boats that I own; I would like you to use them for this journey. They are sturdy and will not fail you!
Finally, it may be that there is some item here that may benefit you. I don't think I have something that will assist, but one of the other Craftsmen might. Take a look before you go, eh?
If you return, and with what I've asked for, I will modify your weapons. I don't know if there's truly magic in the hag's hair, but we can find out together!"
You get the sense that that is all Widulven can offer in the form of aid. If you have other questions he is happy to answer them. Otherwise, he introduces you to the traders and readies your boats.
Everyone in the Company now gains one free use of the Fellowship Undertaking; Visiting the Market at Trader's Island.
The markets of the River-folk are a supply of curiosities from the length of the Anduin. Companions spending a Fellowship phase in Mountain Hall can go visit the éafolc’s market. When heroes choose this undertaking, they spend 1 Treasure to make a roll on the table below. A hero possessing the Folk-lore Trait or who is an Éafolc-friend (see page 44) must roll too, but considers any result different from an 11 as if it was a 12.
- 12; Choose an item of any type except Mab’s Liquor , or roll again.
- 1; Nothing useful! You bought something that either broke very soon, or proved completely ineffective. Better luck next time!
- 2-3; Food and Drinks. You spent your money drinking and playing games with the éafolc: the next time you visit their market, you will roll on the table twice and pick a result.
- 4-5; Southern Wine. You bought yourself three bottles of southern wine. You may open one during a future encounter to raise its Tolerance rating by +2. Raise it by +4 if the people you meet are Elves or Men from the South.
- 6-7; Good bargain. You found furs and wares that you may sell at three times their cost at the market of Lake-town: you may invest up to 5 Treasure, and receive three times that amount the next time you go to
Esgaroth.
- 8-9; River-charm. You bought a lucky amulet of the éafolc. For the length of the following Adventuring phase, if you are inside the Vales of Anduin you may spend 1 Hope to roll again if you get an 11 Feat die
result.
- 10; Mab’s Liquor. For your money you got a leathern flask containing three sips of an amber liquid, concocted by Mab the Spinner. Sipping from the flask restores a number of Endurance points equal to the drinker’s Wisdom or Valour score (the highest) plus the roll of a Success die.
- 11; You have been tricked by the River-folk! You got something for your gold, but at a higher price: spend another point of Treasure and roll again (if you don’t have any Treasure left, you cannot roll again and have received a worthless trinket).
Ayluin does not reckon he needs anything but Urfael and his companions at his back for the journey, and so instead he picks up some fine wine that might be enjoyed at a later date. Ayluin thanks Widulven and promises to return. Once all of the Companions who wish have visited the market, Ayluin makes for the boats; there is no sense in tarrying.
I will assume Caunligdir wishes to roll;
And rather luckily comes away with a flask of Mab's Liquor!
Everyone please make rolls for the market if you wish.
After you visit the market, you board the boats and make your way south. Widulven spoke true; the rapids are strong and the channels narrow, but thanks to his warning, you make your way to the western channel and to the island with relatively little difficulty.
The island is not large; perhaps two miles across. In the center, clearly visible, is a large mound of some type. If you had to guess, that's where the creature would be.
Everyone please make me Awareness rolls as well.
Galadhon is lost in moody thought and says little on the river, only dimly aware of what passes around him.
Aeddan makes the best of his time in the market finding many bargains.
Gori will hold onto his treasure
Caunlaigdir, Aeddan and Ayluin all notice this.
As you set foot on the island, everything seems all right. It is verdant and seems quite untouched by man; a patch of true wilderness. As you move forward, however, the three Companions I mentioned notice odd things. The most glaringly obvious are patches of grass that, moments before you step onto it, you realize are not solid at all, but in fact cunningly concealed pits. Clearing away the thin layer of foliage, you find that the pit is filled with spikes slathered in some foul substance. Even if the trap did not kill you, your wounds would surely become infected without expert care.
Moving on, you find several other traps, but manage to avoid them without incident. Making your way to the mound in the center of the island, the greenery gives way a bit, leading to a more muddy terrain. Eventually you come to the mound, and find an opening that seems to lead into a large central chamber.
What do you do?
Bow at the ready, the younger elf turns to his companions. "Not many places she could be but in there. Think we can draw her out?"
You certainly may, Caunlaigdir.
Aeddan draws his long-ax and grips it tightly in his calloused hands, "It is worth a try Caulaigdir but I think we may be waiting awhile for this cunning adversary to come forth."
Ayluin rubbed his jaw, thinking.
"I do not trust this. It is my thought the the quietest and craftiest amongst us should enter into this lair, carefully. I deem it wisdom that some should remain outside, in case anything goes awry. Who can move with the greatest stealth?"
"I can move quietly with moderate skill."
"Either Aeddan or myself, his displayed skill matches my own."
He looks at his companions, each in turn. "I have no objection to going in myself." Grinning, slightly, "We all know I'm less likely to try to go toe to toe with her by myself."
Ayluin grins a bit.
”Then go, and take care! See what awaits us!”
Anyone who wishes to enter please make Stealth rolls.
Taking the time to stow his bow and pull only his dagger before beginning to move into the open maw, "May the Valar guide my feet."
He begins working his way in . . ..
Aeddan warily watched the elf's retreating back and eventually he lost sight of him as he disappeared into the darkness.
The ground is rough at first, mud and stone and grass muddled together. As you go a bit deeper in, however, you see the light from outside reflected back at you from the floor. After a moment, you realize that the light is coming from a hoard of treasure, scattered about the floor and completely covering it in some places. Coins, gems and more beside are all about; this is likely the largest amount of treasure you've ever seen in one place.
Before you can get overawed, however, you notice something in the corner that turns your stomach; the half-eaten remains of a man that, by what few garments he has remaining, was surely a Woodman. You can guess his identity rather easily.
It is at this moment that you hear commotion outside...
Roll Awareness at TN 12. If you succeed, you may act in the surprise round. If you fail, you must wait until next round.