Middle Earth [TA 2997]: The Phantom of the Northern Marches
- Thread starter Inez Hull
- Start date
Inez Hull
First Post
The party gathers to lick its wounds and bask in the glow of a sweet victory against the shadow. Despite the pain of recent wounds, all of you wear the grin of death cheated and grim justice meted. Breor makes sure all the Troll and orcs are finished as Valandil inspects the state of each of his comrades in arms. His healing touch is appreciated as he resets Belegon’s shoulder and wields his magic to numb the pain and then ministers to Antroine and lastly himself. Meanwhile Arathorn searches the Orc bodies for aught of note but finds little aside from their hodge-podge armour and crude looking but well forged cleavers.
The company spend an edgy night until dawn eventually creeps through the mists, few of you able to sleep after the adrenaline of battle and the threat of more orcs lurking in the wilds. As the company stirs and Belegon prepares a simple travellers breakfast, Arathorn investigates the tracks of the orcs and finds an obvious trail back out to the east and also the corpse of another orc that fled and died of his bleeding wounds. Valandil spends the morning in prayers and meditation and then uses his rejuvenated powers to further heal the company, leaving none of you with more than a few scrapes, cuts and bruises that will heal of their own accord. The camp is struck and you debate the merits of following the orcish trail back to more of their kind, but eventually the same decision as yesterday is reached, the folk of Nothva Rhaglaw await and there will always be orcs in need of hunting in the North.
So, the party turns to the northwest once more and within a couple of hours have regained the old highway. The rest of the day is spent travelling cautiously northeast, the threat of more orcs ever-present in all your minds. The day is uneventful though, as is the night, which is spent in wearisome double watches.
The next three days pass swiftly, travel along the old highway is good and there is little to distract your passage through these lonely lands. Midafternoon of your fourth day travelling on from the orc attack sees the company crest a small rise which grants a view of the lands below.
The old road meanders out to the east, running for several miles alongside the shadowy boles of a great wood, which stretches northward. The road can then be seen to curve around to the north where it bridges a river and stretches up to the walls of a town. The river’s flow has carved itself deeply into the earth, becoming a great ravine as it flows quickly south away from what must surely be Nothva Rhaglaw. Heartened by the first real sign of civilisation in days your company move onwards in rejuvenated spirits. Tendrils of smoke spiral lazily upwards from several of the town’s chimneys creating a welcoming sight as you approach the walls in the waning afternoon. As you follow the now obviously well-travelled road you see that the town’s high stone walls have obviously never been completed and stand as three isolated segments which would do little to repel any attacker. You travel up the final stretch of stretch of road to where two isolated gatehouses bestride the dirt of the road and a militiaman in leathers, bearing a longspear, walks out from the northern tower hailing you, “Ho travellers, what brings you to Nothva Rhaglaw? Visitors are rare in these parts.”
The company spend an edgy night until dawn eventually creeps through the mists, few of you able to sleep after the adrenaline of battle and the threat of more orcs lurking in the wilds. As the company stirs and Belegon prepares a simple travellers breakfast, Arathorn investigates the tracks of the orcs and finds an obvious trail back out to the east and also the corpse of another orc that fled and died of his bleeding wounds. Valandil spends the morning in prayers and meditation and then uses his rejuvenated powers to further heal the company, leaving none of you with more than a few scrapes, cuts and bruises that will heal of their own accord. The camp is struck and you debate the merits of following the orcish trail back to more of their kind, but eventually the same decision as yesterday is reached, the folk of Nothva Rhaglaw await and there will always be orcs in need of hunting in the North.
So, the party turns to the northwest once more and within a couple of hours have regained the old highway. The rest of the day is spent travelling cautiously northeast, the threat of more orcs ever-present in all your minds. The day is uneventful though, as is the night, which is spent in wearisome double watches.
The next three days pass swiftly, travel along the old highway is good and there is little to distract your passage through these lonely lands. Midafternoon of your fourth day travelling on from the orc attack sees the company crest a small rise which grants a view of the lands below.
The old road meanders out to the east, running for several miles alongside the shadowy boles of a great wood, which stretches northward. The road can then be seen to curve around to the north where it bridges a river and stretches up to the walls of a town. The river’s flow has carved itself deeply into the earth, becoming a great ravine as it flows quickly south away from what must surely be Nothva Rhaglaw. Heartened by the first real sign of civilisation in days your company move onwards in rejuvenated spirits. Tendrils of smoke spiral lazily upwards from several of the town’s chimneys creating a welcoming sight as you approach the walls in the waning afternoon. As you follow the now obviously well-travelled road you see that the town’s high stone walls have obviously never been completed and stand as three isolated segments which would do little to repel any attacker. You travel up the final stretch of stretch of road to where two isolated gatehouses bestride the dirt of the road and a militiaman in leathers, bearing a longspear, walks out from the northern tower hailing you, “Ho travellers, what brings you to Nothva Rhaglaw? Visitors are rare in these parts.”
Inez Hull
First Post
The guard seems taken aback and stammers out, "W...well yes, I'm sure your help would be greatly 'preciated. I'm s'prised enough that word has reached other ears, let alone that others send their help. If indeed it's needed...." He pauses in thought for a moment and then suggests, "I should prob'ly take you all to see the Thegn, see what he makes of all this."
The guard calls out to his fellows inside the guardhouse and then ushers you to follow him. He leads your company through the streets of the town, which is filled with closely huddled but neat houses of mixed stone and wood construction. You pass a few gawking townsfolk as the guard leads you down a few streets to a larger and more lavishly decorated house with a large herb garden and a workshop attached. He walks up to the door and his knocks are answered by a handsome middle aged woman who reappears shortly afterwards with a tall, muscular man. His initially open countenance becomes stern as he sees a group of armoured strangers on his doorstep, then as the guard introduces you he seems to relax somewhat and offers a tentative invitation into his home.
"You are here to assist us with the hauntings of late? Passing strange..., I would not have expected word to travel so fast to the outside world. Perhaps firstly you should tell me what you have heard and why it has brought you here, for even here folk are uncertain about what manner of dread creature stalks the Wyd, truth to tell."
The guard calls out to his fellows inside the guardhouse and then ushers you to follow him. He leads your company through the streets of the town, which is filled with closely huddled but neat houses of mixed stone and wood construction. You pass a few gawking townsfolk as the guard leads you down a few streets to a larger and more lavishly decorated house with a large herb garden and a workshop attached. He walks up to the door and his knocks are answered by a handsome middle aged woman who reappears shortly afterwards with a tall, muscular man. His initially open countenance becomes stern as he sees a group of armoured strangers on his doorstep, then as the guard introduces you he seems to relax somewhat and offers a tentative invitation into his home.
"You are here to assist us with the hauntings of late? Passing strange..., I would not have expected word to travel so fast to the outside world. Perhaps firstly you should tell me what you have heard and why it has brought you here, for even here folk are uncertain about what manner of dread creature stalks the Wyd, truth to tell."
Last edited:
rangerjohn
Explorer
"Arathorn, at your service. My order heard of your problem where none had been before. They asked me to gather these companion and investigate the matter. As for what we have heard, well strange disappearances is what was brought to my attention. Are there other happenings as well?"
Inez Hull
First Post
"Your order?" The Thegn looks over your company and turns to Arathorn. "You are Rangers then? The remnants of Arthedain, now shiftless wanderers, and protectors of the west. I have heard of your folk, but never around these parts. We have always looked after our own with the protection of Gerse and the Sleeping King. Why now then, and what of these others", he asks looking at the three southerners.
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