AiME S1E2 Distant Shadows

"Distant Shadows" (1x02) is Fabled42's second episode of the "Adventures in Middle Earth" campaign. The characters are traveling through Mirkwood, meeting new friends along the way while still ever wary of the dangers that lurk behind the dark veil of trees...

Player Characters Present
Iorwyn, Berenor, Imrahil, Oldhin, Turin, Wren

Synopsis
As the group recover from the death of their ally at the jaws of a warg during the battle at the farmstead they meet with a pair of travelers on the forest road. One is tall, dressed in grey robes, an old man with a long beard and a big, blue, pointy hat. He stands before them leaning his weight on his staff. The second is a stout and tanned dwarf, with a shock of red hair and a beard that doesn’t quite reach his chest. A little taller than average for a dwarf, he introduces himself as Turin of the Iron Hills and almost with ‘elven’ swiftness he points out that he is prone to fits of anger!

Gandalf introduces himself to the group. Not all of them are strangers to him, for with a little prompting he remembers Berenor from years back. Gandalf requests the company of the group as they all appear to be traveling east through Mirkwood. It isn’t long however before Mirkwood Forest makes its presence known to the party and a thick mist rises up from the damp ground, something the shorter members of the group find more than a little distressing!

Iorwyn, keen to know news of the region, asks Gandalf if he has heard anything of important or dire consequence. Hr recalls that a great shadow looms over the south of Mirkwood; a portent of something to come perhaps? More noteworthy is that something seems to be poisoning the flora in the Dale and it is for this reason Gandalf travels east.

Oldhin gets a feeling of wellbeing swell inside him as he studies the old man, remembering him from legends of old. Gandalf is certainly very enigmatic and most likely had cast some sort of boon upon his travel companions. However, this feeling of good spirits doesn’t last long. Twisted trees, wicked black squirrels and the malignant webbing of unseen spiders leaves the fellowship feeling oppressed by the dark nature of the wood.

The following day the group encounter large paw prints, possibly more warg or a really large wolf. Imrahil and Berenor scout ahead and Berenor uses the moment to console his ally over his remorse lingering from the death of their friend. As they talk Iorwyn gathers up some strange sticky sap from a tree she has climbed. As she does, she begins to hear strange whisperings in her mind and fearful, she returns to the party only to find many of them have also been assailed by the insidious tones. Oldhin warns that the noises are most likely made by the giant spiders that lurk in the deep wood and they should ready weapons.

Noise from the north spooks the group and a figure bursts through the fog, begging for help. A child, distraught and wide eyed, begs them to save his father from their own guards. Stealthing through the mist the group encounter five thuggish brutes menacing an elderly fellow, who has backed himself up against a tree.

Oldhin springs into action and the fellowship set themselves to ambush the guards before they can harm the old man. After a rather generous amount of “warning shots”, the lethal blows finally begin to land. Inrahil does his absolute best to “distract” the mob by allowing them the opportunity to club him into unconsciousness. Luckily, the thugs are no match for well placed arrows and steel and eventually succumb to overwhelming odds.

Iorwyn uses her skills to find an ethalis leaf and swiftly makes a salve with which she nurses Imrahil back to health. A mule sized spider takes the opportunity to scuttle down from a tree to snatch up a corpse in front of the heroes and Oldhin decides, correctly, that it is time for the group to leave.

The old man wishes to return to his caravan. Son and father are reunited. Baldor the merchant and Belgo his son are from Woodhall, travelling to sell their wares in the Dale. Baldor offers 50 silver to each of the group, to protect him on the road, and though Oldhin offers his aid for free, Turin reinforces the stereotype of dwarven greed!

Gandalf disappears in the mist. Paw prints disturb the ground, once more reminding the group of the warg they fought. They decide to press on into the night, Berenor offering his waterskin which magically refreshes those who partake, but also casts a shadow over them as the water was stolen, not taken with the blessing of its ancient owner.

The road ahead is crossed with webs. The spiders of Mirkwood descend upon the party. Imrahil defends the cart while archers loose arrows at the chitinous horde. Turin spots a spider and tosses his axe at the monster, wounding it deeply. Wren, back to the caravan, draws her sword and nervously awaits her fate. Oldhin, on top of the cart, is jumped on by an arachnid, which sinks its fangs into its victim, poisoning him.

Turin decides it would be best for all if the forest were on fire, so he sets about doing so.

Things take a turn for the worse as Imrahil falls to spider bites. Spiders attack the ponies pulling the cart and one rears up, shaking the stunned Oldhin off of the cart, to smash into the dirt below.

Berenor saves the day, pouring out the remains of his ill gotten water, dousing the flames. The magic of the water scares off many of the spiders attacking the group. Turin rushes to the aid of his fallen comrade and applies a salve bringing Imrahil round from his second near death experience and the plucky Wren finds her courage and her aim is true, finishing off the spiders which were biting the ponies.

Having survived the attack the party gather their wits. Iorwyn tries to chase down the ponies and calm them enough to retether them. Imrahil goes for a little ride, having grabbed a-hold of the cart and finds himself dragged along. Finally the cart tips on the road and Iorwyn is able to catch up to the distressed ponies, soothing them. One of the rear wheels on the caravan is broken and Baldor appears to have injured his back.

The group set to fixing the cart so they may continue on their journey. Belgo, the young boy is very frightened, for the spiders of the forest can still be heard. Soon the mist begins to lift and they come upon a river, water barely moving, with a boat drifting towards them from within the distant mist. Its cargo, two bodies, bloated and pierced with arrows. Imrahil recognises their insignia as his own and this disturbs him greatly. An ominous note is found upon one of them which seems to indicate that the land itself has been poisoned, becoming infertile. What dark magic could have caused this?

Deciding they should camp for the night, the party takes time to gather logs for a fire, arrows and herbs. During the night a straggly old man walks straight into camp and tells Oldhin and Berenor to rekindle the fire. Shanker, as the man is called, is a mass of smells and gruffness. He starts to make himself at home, smoking a pipe and airing out his disgusting toes. He completely bamboozles the party but does leave them with a little knowledge. They should be no more than two days from the North Pass.

The following morning, Wren and Berenor become enamoured with a black dark stream of water. As if in a dream, the magic of the dark water calls for them. They snap out of it before they bring harm to themselves, aware that they had almost fallen to the dark magics of Mirkwood. As they look around, Belgo throws himself into the dark waters. Oldhin, acting on instinct, dives in after him. Visions of old Elven Kings assail him. Mighty battles as the boy sinks in the water before him. One by one the allies succumb to the waters, each seeing visions personal to their own lineage before fading into unconsciousness.

Turin, Oldhin and Berenor begin to drown but Imrahil rallies Iorwyn and the old man to help drag his allies out of the water before it is too late. The old man, full of strength, desperate to rescue his son, pulls Oldhin and Beranor out. Deciding it looks better if the elf shoots the dwarf, Imrahil gives his greatbow to Oldhin and once pierced with an arrow they begin to haul Turin in. Finally Berenor drags Wren and the boy from the waters and collapses, exhausted. Iorwyn, remembering the teachings of Radagast the Brown, saves the life of the boy.

The magic of Mirkwood seems omnipresent and weighs heavily upon each of them as they arrive at the Elven Halls. But arrive they have and in one piece they are; well at least…. for now.