All players together again for this session and it went well. Players interpreted what they found/saw with good in-game ideas, good decisions and plans. They aren’t working with any time constraints, unlike previous sessions, so can side-track a little, or put things off to a later date.

Interesting debate between players when a goblin surrendered to an elf PC, as to how to react… in terms of race relations in Middle Earth, morality & ethics. There was much less debate and a faster decision in the previous session when a human bandit did the same thing.

Bree, 14th May.

Many in Bree are roused early in the morning by a deputy Shirrif arriving from one of the small villages near Bree. The young man asserts that “Archet is being attacked by trolls” and that the heroes must go to its assistance. Meneldir (the Guard Captain) orders two guardsmen to aid the party, and urges all to ride fast for Archet. He will rouse the town militia and get them moving as soon as possible.

Archet, the north most village of Bree, is on the edge of the Chetwood. Nearly two score houses sit amid low hills and farms. The group riding into the middle of town draw curious glances, but no-one seems alarmed. Shirrif Redmoot greets them and is quite surprised when they ask about trolls… After some confusion, the Shirrif makes a connection to a few things earlier in the morning. His deputy rode out suddenly this morning to “alert Bree”, just after two farmers reported a “plague of moles.” The Shirrif decides to send the guards back to tell Bree that it’s a false alarm.

After a discussion about the trolls a week back, the Shirrif decides he has a job for the heroes. He would like to be certain that trolls in Breeland are a once in a century occurrence and the region isn’t under attack by orcs, trolls, hummerhorns or anything else. He turns up a map of the Chetwood Forest and surrounds, and marks the location of four known ruins. He suggests they head across to Combe, and follow the Rushlight River out to the Midgewater, then head north and back through the forest road to Archet, searching the ruins on the map, and investigating anything unusual. He would appreciate them defeating anything that might be a threat, and report back on anything they have learned. He feels that this will keep them busy for three or four days.

The party decide to take one horse with them to carry their gear, and leave the rest in Archet. They are warned that while the forest road is in good condition, most of their travel will be through forest or rocky grassland along the river. The group can make a good pace on foot and set out heading south east towards Combe. They soon enter pass the forest edge and begin a slow climb up the hill between Archet and Combe. They soon sight a few pillars or stone markers in a line. Broheim identifies them as Dwarven work. They are old, tall, worn and damaged and seem to be in an east-west line, regularly spaced. They backtrack west until they find no more pillars, then return east, counting nine pillars in total, with no sign at either end that any have fallen, or been removed. Each has a single b rune carved into them. They also check for signs of a road alongside, or other buildings but find nothing else. Celeblason and Filencë wonder if they point to something, or mark a tomb. Broheim thinks the rune may relate to the Dwarf who carved or placed them, but can offer nothing more. The far side of the hill is very rocky and steep, and they carefully make their way down into a steep valley, following a stream into Combe. A few other streams join and become the shallow, slow moving Rushlight River.

Perhaps thirty ‘homes’ make up the town (some hobbit-holes, but of mostly man-dwellings), and they decide to stop for lunch at the Blue Trout, which is apparently known for its beer. They speak with townsfolk about the forest and river, and what they might encounter. They are told of pigs which are often allowed to forage (or wallow) close to town, small fen boar as they approach the marsh and recent sightings of humanoids (larger than a hobbit) closer to the marsh end of the river. There is suspicion they are goblins out of the marsh.

Heading out of Combe, they follow the road to the Combe bridge, where it branches north-south. The bridge is a large solid stone construction, which shows sign of regular repair. Just past it, following a trail along side the river, they come across a dozen large pigs. Some roll in the mud at the river edge, others dig in the grass. One large male stands at the edge of the path, watching them as they pause, then continue calmly past. Not long after, there are voices on the wind. One sings badly about courting hobbits, alternating with another possibly reciting poetry. Broheim and Aglann move up quietly and sight two hobbits sitting on a fallen tree, possibly drunk and vocal. Broheim realises that both are more alert they appear to be. When the rest of the group arrive, one of the hobbits jumps up and draws a sword, then apologises as he sights elves… Tobold and Folcard from Combe introduce themselves. They have heard rumours of possible bandits along the river, and decided to see if they draw out any prowlers. After a short talk they decide to head back to the village, and as they leave out, Hérehort notes movement to the north-east between trees. Celeblason heads north, then east trying to get around the humanoid sighted, while the others move up as stealthily as they can. The Ranger spots are lone goblin join two others. He moves past them and climbs a tree close by with a good view and a position he can shoot from. Filencë has pointed out that the figure seen will likely out-distance them, and they break into a jog along the river bank. As they catch up to the goblins, Filencë, Aglann and Celeblason loose arrows, while the others charge in. The goblins try to separate, but one is stunned, and the others are soon in melee. Two are downed and the third drops its club, calling “surrender” to Filencë. When he moves to bind it, it tries to stab him with a knife in its other hand. Celeblason knocks it out. They had little of value, so they are stripped and left to the wildlife.

Further on, the group hear harsh voices, a loud splash and laughter. Moving up as quietly as possible, they see a goblin floundering in the river, while three more gesture at him from the bank. Filencë prepares a Sleep spell, and when he casts – dropping on goblin – the rest are attacked with axe, sword and arrows. This fight ends with two more goblins unconscious and bleeding, while the last climbs out of the river on the opposite bank. Broheim hefts a dying goblin to throw at the fourth, who dodges, but is brought down by arrows. This last goblin when dragged back to the others holds part of a larger fishing net. Again, they kill and strip the strip them. Celeblason takes an ear from each goblin – he wants convincing evidence to show the Shirrif that goblins are making their way up the river. While the party rest and heal, he runs back to the previous corpses and cuts an ear from them as well, then rejoins his comrades.

By late afternoon, they find themselves moving more away from the river and travelling the forest edge along animal trails. With surprise, Broheim realises that the rocky ridge on the edge of the path they are on is actually a low wall. When he points out the mortar between stones, Aglann also notes the difference in trees on both sides. Those towards the river are mostly oak and beech trees, while the very uniform (in placement and size) trees behind the “wall” are all elm and holly. She feels that they are very old, but not as tall as she’d expect for their age, ranging from 40 to 70′ high. They make their way along the formation. In some places the wall rises to seven feet high and is in better condition. The trees behind – now growing over it – are densely packed, with vines, shrubs and thorny bushes leaving no open space between. They reach a corner, then another corner, and eventually return to the original trail. The wall and tree barrier encompasses a rough rectangle, about twenty-five by thirty yards in size. Broheim hacks at the undergrowth for a while, but decides proper axes, and saws would be more suited to cut through. No-one seems willing to climb so high to see within, and they decide to continue onwards to the first ruin and camp there for the night.

An old overgrown road leads into the forest from a rise above the river. There are about two dozen old stone buildings with the four largest on a crossroads of sorts in the centre. Two Caru, large deer, bolt out from one of the ruins as they approach. There are many signs of small animals, like rabbits, about the ruins. Some buildings appear to have been dug out from the dirt and overgrowth many years before. There are also signs in one of the larger buildings that people have made fires here. Broheim finds some stone steps leading out of the village edge into thick undergrowth, where a fallen tree blocks a possible path onwards. They make camp and choose watches. Celeblason has the first, and at one point, hearing something move nearby, moves out and tries to creep up on it. He sights a large four-legged animal move through trees, but quickly loses sight of it, and returns to camp. Filencë and Broheim note nothing on their watches, though Aglann’s hears an animal noise once before daybreak.

15th: They rise and ready themselves. They decide to look at Broheim’s steps. Aglann points out unnatural rows of trees on each side, and pushing under the fallen tree they find a long hall with broken columns surrounded by more tall trees. It appears that a former second story has fallen into the ground floor. Filencë finds chewed bones, and a symbol carved into one wall. After much thought Celeblason recalls what it is – the three-pronged iron crown of Angmar. The carving is old, and they believe marks the building as something special. They find the same carving on another wall, and partly obscured by fallen stone, a cracked slab in the floor that Broheim believes is a trapdoor. While digging it out, there is a distinct cough above them – and they look up to see a huge grey wildcat standing on a tree branch looking down at them. It yawns and Celeblason tries to draw his weapon and step back, but at his movement, the cat leaps down. It knocks him back, lightly bruised. Filencë blows his magical horn, and while the feline fights angrily, they group managed to block most of its strikes, and hit back inflicting many bleeding wounds before it falls. They drag it aside and resume moving rocks.

Aglann gets a chisel into a space to help shift the stone panel. Broheim uses a length of rusted metal found in the hall to wedge under it and they lift it aside. A shaft with a rusting ladder is revealed. Hérehort readies rope, and Broheim climbs down. Celeblason follows, but slips, falling the rest of the way, though without injury. As the others start to descend, Filencë with a lantern, Broheim moves past a skeleton on the floor in corroded mail, into a short passage where he can see flickering light and square chamber ahead. It’s surprisingly cold. A man in leather with a drawn black blade appears from a second passage and threatens the Dwarf. Broheim manages to push into the chamber leaving room for the others to enter behind him, and the two trade blows. Hérehort and Celeblason move forward to flank the man, while Aglann and Filencë stay back. Insults made by the warrior suggest that he is from Angmar, and they start to notice strange things: his leather armour shows no mark from the blow Broheim struck earlier, the man blade inflict a chill like it was made of ice, his clothes are too clean and light (not from Filencë’s lantern) around them flickers but the torch sconce in the wall is empty. They suspect their foe is a spirit, possibly a wight. Aglann puts an arrow through his knee, and the wound that should have debilitated that leg only makes him falter for a moment before standing upright again. Filencë calls to Broheim to draw the dagger he gained from the barrow – it has power against undead and those of shadow. Blows are made and blocked, with damage inflicted against the Angarim, though the only sign of this is a slight fraying on his edges. Broheim has changed weapons, but is having trouble landing a hit with the dagger. Eventually he sees an opening and plunges it into the man’s chest. With a cry that his fellows avenge him, he drops to the floor and fades away. The light fades with him, leaving only the beam from the lantern.

With a torch to provide more light they search the passages and chambers. They find the skeletons of four men in total, many rotted or corroded weapons, moth-eaten papers, and signs of mice. One room has a large iron crown engraving and a smaller eye symbol on a loose circular stone carving in the wall. The panel looks like it can be pushed in and moved aside, but Broheim sees a thin wire behind it and believes it’s trapped. The wire is unhooked and the panel safely opened. Within is a rigid leather wrapping, a locked casket and two black painted ceramic globes. Unlocked, the casket holds many Animist Rune Papers. They all seem to be related to healing injuries, though Hérehort will need more time to study them. The leather is carefully softened and unwrapped from three black crossbow bolts. Filencë finds them to be enchanted and claims them happily. The two globes seem to have some liquid inside. They manage to loosen the seal on one, but lacking someone with alchemical skill, their best guess is that breaking the globes will mix the contents producing smoke and/or flame. Aglann takes them, as no-one else is confident throwing them.

With nothing else to keep them here, they return to the surface and make a thorough check of all the other ruined buildings in case any have markings or may have been anything other than a normal dwelling. After some discussion, they decide to continue their patrol, and return to the wall/tree mystery on another day, when they have suitable tools to help them pass the trees. They move on, sticking close to the forest edge as it turns away from the river and towards the north. As they come in sight of the Midgewater, one of them sights figures moving in the trees across the way to the east. The smaller forested area here is on distinct rise above the marsh, and the trees are young and spaced far apart, though many overgrown stumps or mounds lie between them. They start to sight bits of yellowed bone, and broken pieces of old weapons, then realise that the “stumps’ are old gravestones. There are stone columns in semi circles nearby and as they approach two humanoids are spotted hiding among them. As the party moves forward, the dirty skeletal figures stand, hunched men with clawed hands. Two more emerge from the stones behind the group, and all charge. They look like living corpses, and the group believe they are ghouls, but uncertain whether they are truly undead. Filencë blows the horn to encourage them in their attacks. Two hits seem sufficient to drop their foes. As three are defeated, another four approach. Broheim blinds one, and he and Hérehort place themselves in front of the archers to maximise the party’s effectiveness. They soon have the remainder of the creatures out of action.

The Dwarf and the Rohir are primarily melee fighters; Aglann and Filencë ranged support, with Celeblason changing from bow, to sword and shield as required. They have also been learning to block blows rather than attack when the foe is more powerful. Overall, they have been finding a strategy that suits each of them and works well together.

The Midgewater looks like a plain, but long grass and firm ground turn soft and wet with just a few steps. There are many small bushes and occasional trees, with clouds of small insects floating over it all, and the noise of neeker-breekers rising and falling. Heading north along the forest edge, buildings become visible over the grass, perhaps two miles ahead. This turns out to be a rather large ruined village where an old road from the north turns west into the Chetwood. A lesser road leads east and vanishes in the marsh. There’s a distinct line between buildings on this side, where either the land has dropped, or the water rose and eroded a slope. At least a dozen structures, little more than low broken walls lie partially submerged. Perhaps two dozen buildings (in slightly better condition) cluster along the main road, amid large trees, tall grass and fallen stones. Smoke rises from one of the larger, more intact western structures. While Celeblason is generally the quietest of the group, Broheim is often up front seeking a challenge. He is pleased to note that five goblins are clustered about a fire, while another goblin is looking towards the north. He reports back, and all move up with Filencë preparing his reliable sleep spell. Broheim and Celeblason engage the guard, just as the others drop to the ground. They have nothing of real value, though there are signs that more than six have camped here. The group spread out a bit and sweep the village from the forest side across to the north. Four more goblins are spotted coming out of the marsh. The group choose cover along the road and Filencë casts another sleep spell. Only one falls this time. These goblins seem a little tougher, though in the middle of the fight one slips as he swings at Broheim. His legs go in different directions, with an unfortunate strain causing the goblin to collapse in sudden pain, dropping his club. Broheim laughs so hard at the spectacle that he can’t attack. The other two goblins are overwhelmed, but not before a well placed club knocks Hérehort out.

There’s been more exploring than walking today – so this seems a good place to stop for a meal, before taking the forest road west.