TM

TM

Fantasy R oleplaying in the W orld of T he Hobbit TM

and T he L ord of the R ings TM

Based on the novels by J.R.R. T olkien

 - credits -
Written by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Jon Hodgson and Francesco Nepitello
The One Ring rules designed by Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi
Additional Rules Development by Amado Angulo

Art Director: Jon Hodgson

Cover Art by Sam Manley
Art by Andrew Hepworth, Jon Hodgson, Sam Manley, Jan Pospisil, Scott Purdy
Editors: Andrew Kenrick, Francesco Nepitello
Graphic Design and Layout: Paul Bourne
Line Development Team: Jon Hodgson, Robert Hyde,
Dominic McDowall and Francesco Nepitello
Proofreaders: Jacob Rodgers and Amado Angulo

Published by Sophisticated Games Ltd, 1 Andersen Court, Newnham Road, Cambridge CB3 9EZ, UK and
Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd,  Suite D3, Unit 4, Gemini House, Hargreaves Road, Groundwell Industrial Estate,
Swindon, SN25 5AZ, UK

© Sophisticated Games 2017 © Cubicle 7 Entertainment 2017

 

 
The One Ring, Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered
trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd and their
respective licensees.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
 

2
 - contents -
Introduction 4 Echoes of Days Long Past 33
How to Use this Guide 5 The Weather 33
The Tale of Years 5 The Small Things 33
A Lonely Land 33
A History of the Bree-land 6
A History of the Four Villages 6 Adventuring in Bree 34
Things to do while in Bree 35
Bree-land & Around 8 New Fellowship Phase Undertakings 35
Bree-hill 8
The Roads 9 Men of Bree 38
The East Road 9 Cultural Virtues – Men of Bree 42
Western Bree-land 10 Cultural Rewards – Men of Bree 43
The Hall of Orgulas 12
The Chetwood 13 Old Bones and Skin 44
Bree 14 Adventuring Phase 44
Hedge & Gates 14 Part One – Stories by the Fire 45
The Quarry 15 Part Two – The Nephew’s Tale 47
The Green 15 Part Three – As Should Be A-Lying In Graveyard 50
Old-town 17 Part Four – Over The Misty Mounds 53
New-town 18 Part Five – Up Came Tom With His Big Boots On 56
East Row 18 Part Six – Old Skins and Sins 59
The Forsaken Inn 19 Part Seven – Finding the Barrow 61
Staddle 19 Part Eight – Though Dead He Be, It Belongs To Me! 62
The Smial of Staddle 20 Epilogue – Of Earth and Water, Blood and Bone 66
Combe 21
The High House 22 Strange Men, Strange Roads 67
The Thieves’ Glen 22 Adventuring Phase 67
Archet 22 Part One – At The Forsaken Inn 67
The Wood-castle 23 Part Two – The Body in the Well 70
The Elf-dell 23 Part Three – The Traders’ Caravan 72
Map of Bree 24 Part Four – Strangers in the Woods 84
Part Five – Not To Strike Without Need 86
The Prancing Pony 26 Part Six – Knives in Bree 87
The Innkeeper 26 Part Seven – Before The Reeve 89
The Staff 27 Part Eight – The Choices of Mistress Berelas 92
The Common-room 27 Epilogue – The Assault on Gorlanc’s Fort 93
The Taproom 27
Private Rooms 27 Holed up in Staddle 94
Rooms for the Night 28 Adventuring Phase 94
Bathhouse 28 Part One – Down Rode The Huntress 94
Stables 28 Part Two – Into Eastern Chetwood 96
The Kitchens 28 Part Three – Things Out Of Place 100
Brewery 29 Part Four – Watching & Waiting 102
Private Chambers 29 Part Five – Death Under The Apple Trees 106
Map of The Prancing Pony 30 Epilogue – A Harvest Moon 108

An Empty Land 32 Index 109

Up Hill and Down Dale 32
Wet Underfoot 32

3
 Bree

for starting out on an adventure from the inn, as well as

- introduction - Things to do in Bree, including some suggestions for
what sort of adventures might occur in and around Bree.

If you’re all going to meet in an inn, you may as well do The next section, The Bree-folk, presents heroic cultures
it properly. Many a famous adventure has begun in The for playing both the Big Folk and the Little Folk who hail
Prancing Pony, the famous inn that stands in the middle from Bree.
of Bree. It was here that Gandalf the Grey met Thorin
Oakenshield, and here too that Frodo first met Strider. Finally, three complete adventures are included, set in
Bree is a little island of civilisation out in the Wild, a town and around the Bree-land. They are:
that survives only by the valour of those brave heroes who
stand watch over it. Old Bones and Skin: Something’s breaking into the
graveyard of Bree and stealing corpses. The folk of Bree
Bree takes The One Ring Roleplaying Game west of assume it’s the undead, but it’s actually a hungry Old Troll
Rivendell, beyond the Trollshaws and on past the gaze digging up old bones to eat. The company must stake out
of Weathertop to where the great East Road meets the the graveyard and find the real culprit, then track him to
Greenway. As well as describing the Bree-land and the his lair in an old tomb and drive him away, but in doing
folk who dwell there, the supplement also contains three so discover a far more insidious threat.
complete adventures.
Strange Men, Strange Roads: The company set out to
The first section, A History of The Bree-land, describes meet a Ranger at the Forsaken Inn, but they find him gone,
the surprisingly long history of Bree, as known to both murdered. A company of traders at the inn are the most
local folk and the Wise. likely suspects, but who amongst the travellers is guilty?
The company must track these travellers on the Road to
The following sections describes Bree-hill and Around, Bree and spy on them, uncovering a nefarious scheme
containing descriptions about the principal locations of the afoot that threatens all of the Bree-land
Bree-land and the characters who might be encountered
there. It also describes The Prancing Pony, Bree’s most Holed up in Staddle: The company join a Ranger on the
famous landmark, providing rules for both visiting and hunt for a villain fleeing justice, following him into the Old

4
 Introduction

Forest before they lose him. But the villain has snuck into The Tale of Years
the Bree-land and holed up with a Hobbit family, taking If you want to follow the default pacing of gameplay
them hostage and forcing them to help him bring his evil suggested in The One Ring Roleplaying Game, playing
plans to fruition under the Harvest Moon. all the adventures contained in Bree should take three or
more years. Every scenario offers plenty of opportunities
How to Use this Guide to keep the companions busy for a year of game time, as
This supplement is a guide to the places and peoples of the players can easily follow their Adventuring phase with
this part of Middle-earth, and is an invaluable source a fruitful Fellowship phase, or even start a supplemental
of new gaming material that expands upon what has Adventuring phase building upon the consequences of the
been presented in The One Ring Roleplaying Game. It is previous one. The final adventure is designed to be broken
intended primarily for the Loremaster, who can use this partway through with an additional Fellowship phase.
material to greatly enhance an ongoing campaign.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable with playing one
Players – especially those playing Hobbit or Men of Bree adventure per year, we suggest that you at least let one year
heroes – may be allowed to read some of this guide, but pass for every two adventures. A tight pace of gameplay
others should generally refrain from doing so. Certainly could be as follows:
no player should read any of the adventures included.
Old Bones and Skin could be run in the autumn of
The adventures contained in this guide are designed 2950 (or any year, really). Strange Men, Strange Roads
either to be run for a starting company made up of Bree- could then be run in the early summer of the following
folk (and maybe a Dwarf and a Hobbit or two) off on their year. Holed Up in Staddle could then follow in the late
first quest, or for a more seasoned company including a summer, ending in the autumn of 2951.
Ranger of the North.
Once your company have vanquished Gorlanc, they might
While Old Bones and Skin and Strange Men, Strange like to set out on a quest beyond the Bree-land. The Ruins
Roads can be run as standalone adventures, together of the North supplement contains six more adventures set
with Holed Up in Staddle they form a short campaign. in Eriador, including one set in and around the Barrow-
If used in this way, the adventures should be played in the downs and Bree.
order they are presented in this guide.

5
 Bree

a History of the Four Villages, a copy of which may be found in the

Bree Counting House.

of the
- Bree-land -
According to their own tales they were the
original inhabitants and were the descendants
of the First Men that ever wandered into the
West of the middle-world…

Some will tell you that Bree is old.

Older than the Shire. Older than Minas Tirith. Older than
Fornost. Older than the Havens. They tell that there has
been a settlement here, on the Road, since the First Age of
the World. And the Road passing through the Bree-land is
ancient, for it was made by the Firstborn, long, long ago,
when they passed this way heading West.

For others Bree is younger, as they say that the Men of

Bree are cousins to the Dunlendings, a folk of Men that
long ago dwelt in distant dales in the far south and that
eventually moved north, to live in the foothills of the Misty
Mountains.

Of course, if you ask a Bree-lander most of the above is

just pointless chatter. Bree-hill has always been there, and
if you want to know about history, you will be regaled
with an infinitely detailed recounting of village gossip,
marriages, births, deaths, things said in the taproom of
the Pony, things not said when they should have been
said, and so forth.

A History of the Four Villages

The Bree-folk on the whole do not account for many
scholars. History, and geography for that matter, are words
that aren’t much used in the Bree-dialect, and books are a
rare sight around here, almost as much as oliphaunts. And
so it is that a definitive history of Bree is hard to come by. Any who can gain access to this book and have an interest
to read it, will learn that Lemuel traces evidence of the
But while most are generally wary of “book learning”, not existence of Bree back to the reign of the last king of
every Bree-lander is quite so wilfully ignorant. Take the Arnor. In the year 843 of the Third Age, the king ordered
Hobbit scholar Lemuel Heathertoes, for example: in the the construction of a ‘fortress and stables’ for the defence
year 2921, Lemuel finished the compilation of his History of travellers on the road. The text tells that nothing of

6
 A History of the Bree-land

this ancient fortress survives; it was likely besieged and The village was rebuilt in 1976, although some of those
destroyed during the middle years of the Third Age, who survived the war chose to leave for the south instead
probably during the sack of Cardolan in 1409, if not of remaining behind in a ruined Eriador. Without a king
earlier. The fall of Cardolan was followed by plague, and in the North, the Bree-landers elected a Reeve to lead them
Lemuel recounts how recorded incidents tell of the waking and to administer their affairs, and that arrangement has
of evil things in the oldest barrows west of Bree. lasted to the present day. A learned reader may recognise
that the recorded line of Reeves is older, in fact, than the
The book states that in the year 1300 or thereabouts, the line of Stewards in Gondor.
first Hobbits came to this region from out of the East, and
settled in the Bree-land. They chose to live mainly on the Bree prospered in the years that followed the defeat of
slopes of the Hill to the southeast, in the village of Staddle, Angmar, especially when Dwarves started to appear on
and it is still a matter of debate today if that village was the road in greater numbers. Serving their needs (and
indeed founded by Hobbits, or if it was inhabited by the relieving them of their heavy gold) became one of the chief
Big Folk before that. businesses of Bree, along with trading goods from the
Shire south through Tharbad.
In time, more and more Hobbits passed through Bree,
until in the year 1601 the Fallohide brothers Marcho and The town survived the Long Winter thanks to its sheltered
Blanco obtained permission from the King of Arthedain farmland, but other towns of the region did not. Plague
to settle in the then-abandoned lands west of the Old and bad weather and Orc-invasions left the surrounding
Forest. Many of the Bree-hobbits followed them across land empty and barren. Heathertoes notes that as recently
the Brandywine to their new home, and so the Big Folk as 2800, it was not unheard-of for Orcs to attack as far
moved into the farms and gardens (and sometimes even west as Bree, and the weapons of the town guards were
the holes) vacated in their stead. used in deadly earnest time and again.

Among the historical facts that Heathertoes records as In the conclusions of his work, Lemuel Heathertoes
relevant to the history of Bree is the burning of the town in ventures to say that it has been the close kinship of Bree
the year 1974, when armies of Orcs and Men attacked the and the Shire that helped both settlements to endure,
kingdom of Arthedain. Bree-land was overrun, the Bree- when many other towns and villages in Eriador were
folk fled and hid in the Chetwood, until the armies of the depopulated and abandoned.
South Kingdom arrived and broke the power of Angmar.

7
 Bree

- Bree-land - in thick grasses. The hill is mostly chalky earth, but there
is a small quarry on the south side, where the folk of Bree

& Around obtain good stone for building.

There was a watchtower atop the hill, long ago, but nothing
Before them rose Bree-hill barring the way, a remains of it now. Even without the tower, an observer
dark mass against misty stars; and under its on top of Bree-hill can see Weathertop in the distance to
western flank nestled a large village. Towards the east, and the Great Road with its gentle bend south to
it they now hurried desiring only to find a fire, avoid the perils of the Midgewater Marshes. To the west,
and a door between them and the night. the lines of the Greenway can still be seen, graven onto the
land, passing through the farms and pastures of the Bree-
land and out into the wild to the south.
Bree is the last little island of civilisation and warmth
in the midst of the empty wilderness of the North. Step North, too, runs the Greenway – the City Road, some in
out the gates, and you are on the Road that leads out Bree still call it, although the city it once led to is gone
into the wide world beyond. The Bree-folk are sensible, now. Further west the East Road unfolds like a dark
stay-at-home types; they leave wandering in the Wild to ribbon beyond the crossings where it meets the Greenway,
adventurers and other strange types. They know what they bordering the perils of the haunted Barrow-downs and
already have, and they cherish it. beyond, the choking thickets of the Old Forest.

Bree itself lies south-west of the hill, close to the Greenway-

Bree-hill crossing. Staddle is on the far side of the hill, on its south-
eastern slope, and Combe beyond that to the north, in
“Bree” means hill, in the tongue of the first men to live a deep dark valley. The Chetwood grows on the north-
here. Bree-hill is not a remarkable hill by any means. It eastern side of the valley, spreading out and turning
rises gently out of the rolling downs, carrying woods on its wilder and more tangled as it runs north and east. Many
back to the east, but its south and west sides are cloaked paths lead through the woods to Archet.

8
 Bree-land & Around

Bree’s farms are tightly clustered around the hill. The soil and west along the Old Forest, on through the Shire, and
of the Bree-land is rich and dark, good for root vegetables hence to the Blue Mountains and the Sea. The other road,
and mushrooms in particular. Further from the town once known as the North Road, is no longer in regular use,
proper, sheep, cows and goats graze on the rolling hills and and is so overgrown that Men now call it the Greenway.
crop the grass that grows over ancient roads and tombs. The Greenway runs south to the crossings of Tharbad, and
There are a few outlying farmhouses studded across the from there through the Gap of Rohan where it twists east
swathes of territory that make up the greater Bree-land, to reach Gondor. North, it runs to what the Bree-folk call
but the Bree-landers generally mistrust anyone who lives Deadman’s Dike, which was once Fornost Erain, the seat
outside the villages, and consider them to be strange and of the kings of Arthedain.
a little dangerous.
The East Road
The East Road is much more relevant to the Bree-land
The Roads than the Greenway, in particular because Dwarves still
pass through Bree regularly and thus can be encountered
The Greenway-crossing is where the East Road meets the along the Road going east or west with packs on their
North Road just outside the western boundaries of the backs. Those coming from Wilderland are often travelling
four villages. on some lawful business or on some errand for the King
under the Mountain, but others are of a poorer sort,
Referred to by the Bree-folk as The Road, singular, the East pedlars of iron-ware, tinkers, or road-menders going to
Road runs east to the High Pass and off to Wilderland, Bree or the Shire to offer their services.

New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: Guard the East Road

The great East Road is often guarded by the Rangers of the North, as part of their guardianship over the Shire
and Eriador in general. But they are few in numbers, and often seek trusted allies to help in their watch and gather
information. Ranger companions and heroes who earned their trust who are spending a Fellowship phase in Bree may
help the Rangers in patrolling the Road.

If a character chooses to guard the East Road on behalf of the Rangers, roll on the table below.

A. Choose any one result, or roll again.

1-3. A duty well served: Nothing exciting happens, but the Rangers appreciate your dedication. If you are a Ranger,
raise your Standing rating by 1 point for the duration of the next Adventuring phase.
4-5. Help needed: You spy a group of travellers in difficulty (Dwarves being weary and dispirited after a very long
journey, local farmers whose horses were spooked apparently for no reason and ran away, Hobbits from the Shire
heading for the Prancing Pony who expected a shorter trip, etc.). You offer your help and they reward you with their
gratitude. Recover 1 point of Hope.
6-7. Good watch: Gain an Advancement point in the Perception skill group.
8-9. Very good watch: Gain one Advancement point each in the Perception and Movement skill groups.
10. Rumours: You gather news and rumours from travellers on the Road. You gain two bonus Success dice to spend
during any one encounter in the coming Adventuring phase.
C. Scorned: For the length of your watch, travellers have given you the treatment they reserve for the Rangers:
scowling looks, scornful names, and well-aimed stones. Dispirited and angry, you gain 1 Shadow point.

9
 Bree

Farmers from the Bree-land can also be met, riding on she went “Adventuring with a Wizard”, and was never the
large fat horses on their way to the east side of the Shire, same afterwards. Her fellow Bounders consider her rather
to sell their produce to some well-to do Hobbit families. cracked, of course, if not entirely mad.
Inside Bree-land proper, the East Road runs south of the
town and is kept in reasonable repair by the Bree-folk;
within a few miles from the four villages it is kept clear
of weeds and obstacles, and free from troublemakers
(though the Rangers do much more than the Bree-folk
know on that score).

Going east and approaching the Midgewater Marshes, the

Road soon becomes very bad; for many long miles it is
rutted and pitted, and almost lost in soft bog, so much
that travellers journeying with ponies or on horseback
often dismount to trudge along on foot. Side trails lead
off the road to Staddle and Combe; the well-trod paths to
Archet go through Combe valley.

There are trees growing along the Road for many leagues
from the Greenway-crossing to the Brandywine Bridge, so
ancient that the folk of Bree and the Shire say they were Attribute Level: 4
planted ‘in the old days’. For more than half its course, Specialities: Shire-lore, Smoking
the eaves of the Old Forest can be seen from the south side Distinctive Features: Bold, Keen-Eyed
of the road, in places straying dangerously close to the Relevant Skills: Stealth ♦♦♦, Insight ♦♦, Riddle ♦♦♦
line of trees bordering the road itself. At times in the past,
the forest had to be driven back with axes and fire by folk
from the four villages, but this has not been required in Western Bree-land
living memory.
Western Bree-land – the region north of the East Road
Ruby Boffin extending from the Greenway-crossing to the Brandywine
Shirriffing in the Shire is a respectable job: you go around Bridge, is a wide expanse, composed mostly of featureless
helping people and sorting out problems. But ‘beating the flats broken by sparse woods and grey swellings, slowly
bounds’ (that is, keeping a watch on the Shire’s borders) rising as it fades into the deserted lone-lands to the North.
is a chore that few Hobbits welcome, as it involves a great
deal of walking without many possibilities to stop at an The area is mostly uninhabited and avoided by most folks,
inn for a drink. Ruby Boffin, therefore, is a rarity, for she if it wasn’t for a few adventurous Hobbits from Buckland to
likes very long walks, and can be encountered even along the west, who at times come here ‘for the hunting’ (mainly
the Great Road on her way to Bree. fowling), and a bunch of hardy shepherds from Bree to the
east, bringing their herds beyond the Greenway when the
Born in a family of the Eastfarthing, Ruby makes it a point season requires it.
to spend at least a couple of nights every month at The
Pony. She seems to enjoy meeting Outsiders on the Road, In recent years though, Rangers have started to pass
and even relishes those occasions when she has to “put a through the region in secret more and more often. They
bit of stick about”, as she terms it. Her un-Hobbit-like taste have been busy opening new trails allowing a traveller to
for violence can be blamed on her younger days, when go from Bree to the Brandywine Bridge and back without

10
 Bree-land & Around

Building the Refuge at Girdley Island

Hallas Dúnadan’s main task is to complete the construction of the refuge on the borders of the Shire. When the
fastness will be complete, the Rangers will be able to move swiftly along the river on their light, flat-bottomed
boats, to patrol the borders of the land of the Hobbits as far south as Sarn Ford, more than thirty leagues away
from the Brandywine Bridge, or to paddle north, up to Lake Evendim and the ruins of Annúminas. If the companions
are Rangers of the North, or are presented with the occasion to help the Dúnedain in their endeavour, maybe after
a specific request of Gandalf or Elrond Halfelven, they can join Hallas in his undertaking.

Girdley island is presently a tangle of wild shrubs and low trees, covering a strip of land about two miles in length,
formed where the Brandywine splits its course in two streams. Clearing the island and building a hidden refuge is
a task that will take many months to complete, especially as secrecy is required.

To help in the endeavour, the companions will have to spend a number of Fellowship phases, choosing the undertakings
listed below.

Temporary Fellowhip Phase Undertakings: Building the Refuge at Girdley Island

Each Fellowship phase following an invitation to join in the construction of the refuge, the Loremaster will offer
the companions a chance to take part in one stage of the endeavour, in the order they are listed below.

At least one companion must take part in each one of the listed stages and succeed in the required roll; If a hero
possesses an appropriate Speciality, he additionally gains an Advancement point. If no one joins in a given stage
of the construction, or no one succeeds in the required skill roll, the Loremaster will present the same stage at the
next Fellowship phase.

• Stage 1. Scouting and clearing of the part of the island where the construction will take place. Roll Search.
• Stage 2. Opening trails allowing for the secret transportation of materials from the Bree-land to the river.
Roll Explore.
• Stage 3. The transportation of the materials needed to build the secret fort. Roll Travel.
• Stage 4. First part of the construction of the fort itself. Roll Craft.
• Stage 5. Completion of the construction of the fort itself. Roll Craft.

Should the fort at Girdley Island be completed with their help the companions will have access to it permanently,
and will have gained Gandalf the Grey as a Patron (or can expect a favour from him, if the Wizard is already a
patron to the company).

Additionally, close to the end of the construction, a hidden chamber is discovered under the ground of the island, and
the burial site of a noble of Arthedain is brought to light, along with a rich hoard of treasure. If the companions
helped in the building of the refuge, treat their share as having a value of 10*** Treasure, multiplying the Treasure
component by the number of stages they assisted completion.

11
 Bree

being spied from the Road, and building a number of to the north of the East Road, Orgulas eventually resolved
hidden refuges. Their goal is to reinforce their watch on to dedicate most of his time in catching the creature and
the borders of the Shire, a task they have undertaken spent a considerable part of his family fortune to build
under orders from their chieftain, after a personal request a hunting lodge there, in the Outlands. Orgulas laboured
from Gandalf, the Grey Wizard. for several years with the help of Dwarven masons,
eventually finding the time to get married and see the
The Rangers of the North operate in this area out of Bree, birth of a son. But evidently his family life in Buckland
using The Prancing Pony as their meeting place, but they was not satisfactory enough to make Orgulas forget his
have planned to build and maintain a fortified refuge on obsession: during his sixtieth birthday party, Orgulas
Girdley Island, a wooded eyot on the Brandywine, about announced his intention to retire to his hunting lodge and
ten miles north of the Bridge of Stonebows (see box). leave his home once and for all.

Hallas Dúnadan
Hallas is a captain of the Rangers of the North, sent to lead
the men put on watch over the Shire. He is usually found The ‘Deepdelver’
in the company of his son, Halbarad, a tall, young man What is the creature that Orgulas Brandybuck
in his twenties. Once esquire to Talandil, the guardian of calls the ‘deepdelver’? Does it exist at all, or is it
Fornost Erain (see Rivendell, page 59), Hallas is wise in a figment of his distorted mind? It doesn’t make
old lore and a shrewd tactician, a veteran of many battles a difference for the hobbit, as he will spend every
fought in the Trollshaws. But among his many talents is minute of what remains of his life to hunt it. Should
an unguessable one: Hallas often enters the Shire with a Loremaster be interested in exploring the fate of
his son from Sarn Ford, posing as a merchant visiting the Orgulas Brandybuck, he should first make a choice
Southfarthing to buy pipe-weed. This way Hallas keeps about the nature of the ‘deepdelver’, possibly selecting
himself up to date with any Shire gossip, and fills the an explanation among the two presented here.
pipes of his men with the best leaf.
• The ‘deepdelver’ does not exist. Or rather, it
Attribute Level: 5 is Orgulas who has become the ‘deepdelver’
Specialities: Boating, Lore of Arnor, indulging in his obsession, a creature so
Shadow-lore ferociously territorial that will attack anyone
Distinctive Features: Bold, Grim appearing to threaten his safety. Knowing the
Relevant Skills: Riddle ♦♦♦♦, Battle ♦♦♦, mansion inside and out (and below!), Orgulas can
Long Sword ♦♦♦ set traps and ambushes, luring nosy companions
Endurance: 24 into deep pits and crumbling tunnels…
• The creature is real! The focus of Orgulas’
obsession is an undead creature - an ancient
The Hall of Orgulas
vampire who since many centuries has been
There is an abandoned mansion less than ten leagues due
recovering from an old wound suffered in a
northeast from the Brandywine Bridge, a few miles north
forgotten duel, and that at the time of Orgulas’
of the East Road. It was a large and sumptuous building,
youth prowled the land in the form of a giant rat.
now slowly falling into ruin, its size made all the more
Hounded by Orgulas, the vampire has been able
impressive considering that is was built by a Hobbit.
to elude him to this day, but soon his strength will
be fully recovered and he will become the hunter,
The mansion was erected almost one hundred years
to first prey on Orgulas, then on the inhabitants
ago by one Orgulas Brandybuck, the youngest son of
of Buckland and the east side of the Shire.
Marmadoc, a Master of Buckland. Obsessed by the hunting
•
of a particular creature that supposedly lived in the woods

12
 Bree-land & Around

No one remembers when news of Orgulas stopped reaching in the dark under his house, the hobbit has altered his
the Shire, but when his disaffected son Gorbulas finally habits drastically, including his diet, to adapt them to
resolved to go and see what happened to his father about his subterranean existence. He has turned feral, as any
twenty years ago, he found the lodge deserted. intruder spending too much time in his house might
discover.
Since that day, the hall of Orgulas has been left to rot,
together with the memory of its founder. Travellers that
know of its existence shun it, but wanderers in search of The Chetwood
shelter during stormy nights have spent a night or two
under its roof, attracted by a faint light seen shining inside The forest known as the Chetwood rises on the back of
it, or at least so the gossips say. Bree-hill, extending for about thirty miles to the north and
covering about the same distance from the Greenway to
Unbeknownst to everyone, including the Rangers patrolling the west to the Midgewater Marshes to the east.
the area, Orgulas is still alive, his wits completely gone.
Several decades ago he convinced himself that his elusive While to an outsider walking along its eaves the Chetwood
quarry was not a surface dweller, but an underground may appear wholesome and full of light, its inner regions
creature, and he resolved to live under his hall, to delve are as old as the Old Forest; both are remnants of the
deep into the nearby hills and seek out his prey. For years ancient woodland that once covered all the land. But no
on end, Orgulas has quietly and patiently dug a complex one living in the Bree-land ever ventures far into the woods,
of subterranean passages, following what he believes are and no one dares to ask what lies deep beneath its green
the tracks left by the creature he now calls the ‘deepdelver’, canopy. Why should they stray far into the woods, when
in mocking tribute to his ancestor Gormadoc Brandybuck. they can gather their firewood and building materials
close to home?
Having given body and soul to his quest, Orgulas rarely
returns above ground, and only after nightfall, in order Moreover, the southern reaches of the Chetwood have
to enter his latest findings in a journal he keeps hidden always been a refuge for the folk of the four villages, in
in the library of his lodge. In the long years he has spent times when their land was overrun with Orcs and Evil

13
 Bree

Men. There are hidden cabins and caves in those parts of they draw closer they will see a tall dark barrier running
the wood where the Bree-landers once stored supplies in in a deep curve out from the hill and back around to it:
case they had to flee their homes. These days, few people a deep ditch with a thick and thorny hedge with closely
bother or care about those cabins and storehouses, but interwoven boughs on the inner side. The Road passes
some of the older, more eccentric folk still hide a portion over this dike by means of a causeway, and where the road
of every harvest in the wood, like squirrels. Of course, it cuts through the hedge it is barred by a large gate. Another
is scavengers like squirrels and mice who benefit the most gate sits at the southern corner of the tall barrier, where
from the tradition – there are few large animals in the the Road runs out of the village. The gates are opened
southern portion of the Chetwood, but plenty of birds and every morning, and closed at nightfall by gatekeepers
small game. who reside in small gate lodges next to each gate.

Despite the confidence of the Bree-landers and the pride Five hundred folk, Big and Little, live within the thorny
they take for the quietness of their woods, the north-eastern hedge of Bree; perhaps half that again live near Bree-hill or
Chetwood is a darker place. There, the ground slopes south of the Road, but are still close enough to the village
down slowly towards the boggy morass of the Midgewater to stumble home from an evening at The Prancing Pony
Marshes (see Rivendell, page 56), and unwary travellers without risking life and limb. The townsfolk divide the town
can find themselves waist-deep in mud if they step off the into Old-town and New-town, although no one living today
wrong tree-root. Here, too, are old patches of the forest has seen the construction of any of the newer buildings.
where the trees sleep uneasily, and remember the axes of
Angmar and the evil of Men. Even the woodwise Rangers The Bree-folk have no ruler. They elect a Reeve of Bree, who
of the North know it is best to avoid such places in the holds office for seven years and seven days, but they have
spring and autumn, when the trees, and their guardians, little power, and are mainly charged with resolving disputes
are at their cruellest. over property and livestock. Each village, including Bree,
sends a councillor each year to advise the Reeve. The method
of choosing a councillor varies from village to village:
Hazard Suggestion: Lost in the Staddle elects theirs; Combe sends the oldest villager who is
still able to travel and still has some measure of wit; Archet
Chetwood (Guide – Fatigue)
has its own strange ways. Bree, in recognition of its size and
Most of the Chetwood is not especially dangerous, as importance, has a councillor and a Reeve; by tradition, if
woods in the wide world go, but there are some thick, one is Big, the other is Little and vice versa.
trackless patches near the Midgewater Marshes
where unwary travellers may become ensnared. The Hedge & Gates
foresters of Archet usually track down lost travellers Bree’s main defence is an ancient hedge that looks
after a few days of fruitless wandering.
like it was woven at the time of the village’s first
inhabitants. Certainly the thorn bushes which make up
this impenetrable barrier are so tall they must be many
centuries old, and their gnarled limbs twist back and
Bree forth, weaving a pattern that must have taken great ages
The village of Bree had some hundred stone houses of to grow to its current state. The causeways that carry the
the Big Folk, mostly above the Road, nestling on the Road over the dike also date from those ancient times, and
hillside with windows looking west. are still in good repair. A local legend tells that when Bree
was abandoned during the war with Angmar, a lone Troll
A traveller approaching Bree from the west will see the came down from the Trollshaws and took up residence
columns of smoke from its many chimneys rising into the in the lee of the southern causeway, hiding from the sun
sky before the prominent local landmark of Bree-hill. As in its shadow and demanding a toll from passers-by. A

14
 Bree-land & Around

The Bree-wardens
In addition to the keeper at each gate, Bree employs a small number of Wardens, who keep the peace and deal
with problems around the villages. Like their counterparts in the Shire, the wardens spend more time dealing with
straying animals than thieves or two-legged miscreants. The Wardens are called up only when needed – on market
days, or when a large number of strangers pass through town. Most young men spend a season or two on the Warden’s
roster, especially if they hope to get work as a caravan guard, which is considered an acceptable adventure among
the Bree-folk.

Being a Warden carries with it a degree of prestige – Wardens get to carry a big stick, and even wear a helmet
sometimes – but little danger. The Reeve appoints the Chief Warden, who serves until they become too old or infirm
to carry out their not-especially-onerous duties. The position comes with a stipend, and the right to wear a red feather
in one’s cap.

human-like skull of prodigious size is kept as a treasure in across the Brandywine in good repair. At times of heavy
the Counting-house, giving some substance to the old tale. rain, the quarry’s excavations partially flood, and
become extremely dangerous; Bree-children are warned
The deep dike and thick thorny hedge protect Bree on three not to trespass too close, for fear of drowning. Strange
sides, with the steep slopes of Bree-hill guarding it from stories, discounted by all save the most credulous,
the North and East. The hedge is tallest and thickest near insist that tunnels lead from the back of the quarry to
the gates, but presents an impressive barrier that would the cellars of the older Hobbit-holes in Staddle; these
surely dissuade any wandering animals or troublesome same stories talk about Wights hiding in the darkness,
Goblins. The two gates are made of sturdy wood, bound or treasures buried in the last days of the kingdom.
in iron. There is a gatekeeper at each gate night and day,
and several other watchmen can be called to duty at the A good part of the buildings in Bree do not owe their
ringing of a bell kept in each lodge. There is also a modest origins to the quarry though, but to old Tharbad, as the
watchtower, half-way along the hedge between the two many oddly carved and mismatched stones set into their
gates, built as the replacement for the toppled tower atop walls will tell. Much of the dressed stone that makes up
the hill. From the top of this tower, a good archer can the buildings of the East Row of Bree was in fact recovered
strike at any foes clambering across the dike. from the abandoned ruins of once-mighty buildings by
the crafty Bree-landers, whose common sense could not
A well-hidden, smaller opening pierces the hedge to the suffer such quality material to be left among the growing
north, where a small door of dark wood is reached by grasses.
a path starting from The Pony. On the other side of the
hedge, the track leads to the Greenway. The older Bree- The Green
hobbits call the opening the ‘postern-gate’, but every This open space is the heart of Bree, where the townsfolk
one else call it the ‘Rangers’ door’, as only those stealthy gather and where the chief business of the town takes
wanderers use it nowadays. place.

The Quarry Markets are held four times a year here, when farmers and
The old quarry is still in infrequent use, but was worked freeholders from the villages come in to sell their produce
extensively in times past, as its stone was used to build and livestock, and to buy from Dwarven merchants and
the houses of Bree, and to keep the road and the bridges the occasional enterprising Brandybuck. Merchants

15
 Bree

sometimes come up the Greenway to buy and sell at the Matthew Mugwort
market; Shire-grown pipeweed and other clever things There is wisdom and lore such that Wizards and Elves might
made by the Hobbits are especially popular, as are sturdy possess through long years of study. And there’s the knowing
ponies. Bree is always crowded to bursting on market- of Bree, which Matthew Mugwort, a Hobbit, possesses in
days, and the Wardens call up all their reserves to keep spades. Put any question to him – preferably, over a pint in
an eye on things. The Pony – and he’ll answer it for you with complete and
utter certainty. Matthew Mugwort knows right from wrong,
The Inn of The Prancing Pony (see page 26) stands and sensible business from the foolishness of foreign lands.
opposite the Green, on one side of the Road, while on the He may not be counted among the Wise, but in Bree his
other is the Counting-house and Reeve’s Hall. opinion counts for a great deal indeed. From his barstool,
Matthew Mugwort has pronounced judgements upon
The Counting-house was once where the king’s men many topics, like the Rangers (“troublesome outlaws, the
collected the taxes and tariffs from the Bree-folk and lot of them”), Orcs (“they live far away in t’ mountains,
from travellers on the road. Today, it is still used for they do, and it’s always them Dwerrves who’re stirring ’em
council meetings and tax collection, and is as close as up”), Outsiders (“all right so long as they don’t outstay their
Bree has to a town hall or lord’s palace. The building welcome”), Barrow-wights (“nonsense about ghosts – it’s
itself sits upon pillars of stone, of various designs. These just fog and broken stones that look like men”), and the
were found long ago amid the ancient ruins scattered future (“pay it no mind and it’ll attend to itself”).
across the empty lands around Bree, and dragged
back to the town as a footing for the Counting-house.
The pillars raise it up above the nearby buildings, and
the Bree-folk think it most grand and clever. In reality,
its elevated position, with no lower floor, makes the
Counting-house rather draughty. This has the virtue of
keeping council meetings brief and decisive, as even the
most silver-tongued speakers find their eloquence to be
most unhealthy in the long run.

The Counting-house is also home to Bree’s treasury and

mint (where suspect foreign coins are melted down and
recast as good honest silver pennies), and to the Warden’s
Armoury, where spears and iron helmets are kept for
times of need.

The Reeve’s Hall is not the home of the Reeve: it is Bree’s

court-house. The Reeve’s herald – usually, a young fellow As long as the beer’s flowing, Mugwort will argue about
who knows his letters – stands on the raised porch of anything with the placid impenetrability of a man
the house and reads proclamations and by-laws made who is absolutely certain that there’s nothing of any
by the Reeve on market days. Documents and records worth outside Bree-land. If he’s present in the bar when
are stored upstairs. Village legend claims that there is adventurers arrive, he’ll argue with them and undermine
a vault in the basement that not only holds a fortune anything they say: “you came from Rivendell? Ha! That’s
in silver, but also jewels and wonders from days of old, out of fairy stories, man! Did you fly here on a magic boat,
carried out of the ruins of the North-kingdom; in truth, too?”. (Increase the TN of any Riddle, Awe or Persuade
the vault mainly contains bottles of Old Winyards and tests made in Mugwort’s presence by 2. He is the living
some cured hams. embodiment of the parochial attitude of most Bree-folk.)

16
 Bree-land & Around

Attribute Level: 2 family of Dwarves. They do not live there year-round, but
Specialities: Bree-lore, Smoking stay in it whenever they pass through Bree. The house is
Distinctive Features: Forthright, Suspicious kept locked when empty, and there is endless speculation
Relevant Skills: Riddle ♦♦ , Persuade ♦♦ in the common-room of The Pony about exactly what is
inside, with some favouring the theory that one of the
Old-town fabled Dwarf-women lives there, and others assuming
Old-town, as may already have been surmised, is the oldest that it is full of gold. The Dwarves who own the Dwarf-
part of Bree, rising above the Road on the lower slopes of house are strange and standoffish, even for Dwarves, and
the Hill. The houses here all have windows looking west and they go north along the Greenway as often as they go west
are made from stone. Some stand two or even three storeys to the Blue Mountains.
tall. The tallest are the home of crafters – weavers, dyers,
leather-workers – and have workshops on the ground Twyc Greenleaf, Reeve of Bree
floor. Others are owned by wealthy farmers who own large Old Twyc is in his third term as Reeve. He attributes his
portions of the countryside around the village. The folk of snowy-white hair and weariness to the demands of his
Old-town are notoriously snobbish towards ‘blow-ins’ and high office; everyone else points out that he is well into his
‘rustics’, so if you haven’t lived in Bree since before the days seventh decade, and that he spends more time snoozing
of the kings, you’re simply not ‘quality’. They don’t extend than working in the Reeve’s House. He entrusts virtually all
this prejudice to travellers on the road; Old-town has business of managing Bree to his young (and ambitious)
always prospered from traffic and trade. assistant, Cole.

The best-known landmark in Old-town is the town well, The one thing that shakes him out of his lethargy is crime;
sunk deep into the hillside to bring up good water even as Reeve, he is the judge of Bree, and is infamously stern
when other streams run dry. It’s considered lucky for when it comes to the perpetrators of violence or cruelty.
a traveller departing Bree to take a drink from the well
just before leaving; since the beer in The Pony is always
brewed with water from this well, the luck surely holds if
the traveller has one more for the road.

The town well is also where youths from Bree gather in the
hopes of signing on as caravan-guards and hired hands
with merchants heading off along the Road. A young
Bree-lander can earn more on a single trip to the Blue
Mountains than in a year of work on a farm; Dwarves
drive a hard bargain, but they pay in gold and silver.

Another common sight in Old-town are the Cellar-hobbits.

When Hobbits first settled in Bree, some of them rented the
cellars of human homes to live in. This became a tradition,
where two families, Big and Little, share the same building.
Often, the two families share responsibilities and chores;
for example, the Sheafwheat family grow the wheat and
mill it into flour, while the Greenbanks in their cellar are Attribute Level: 2
the bakers who turn that flour into the best bread in Bree. Specialities: Bree-lore, Old Lore
Opposite the well stands a notable house called the Dwarf- Distinctive Features: Merry, Stern
house – it was bought many years ago by a particular Relevant Skills: Riddle ♦♦♦, Lore ♦♦♦, Persuade ♦♦

17
 Bree

New-town more experienced Wardens have realised that they can

The houses of New-town stand on the higher slopes of get Tad to do all their work for them, so he gets lumbered
the hill above Old-town. New-town is home to most of with all the worst jobs (or, as they tell him, “entrusted with
Bree’s Hobbits. Some streets in New-town are Hobbit- the most important tasks that only a true Warden can
sized and exceedingly narrow, especially where the accomplish”), like watching the gate on cold rainy nights,
Hobbits live in houses instead of holes. Houses are much looking for sheep that have strayed into the Old Forest – or
more popular among Bree-hobbits than Shire-hobbits for dealing with adventuring-types who look like they might
several reasons. First, the Bree-hobbits learned stone- cause trouble.
working from the Men and the Dwarves, and so are better
at building snug, warm, sensible homes above ground. Tad takes the latter of these duties especially seriously; if
Second, and perhaps greater, Bree-hill’s south-eastern the company enter Bree on his watch, he’ll dog their every
slope is already so riddled with bore-holes, cellars, footstep to make sure they keep the peace of the town.
Hobbit-homes and tunnels that it’s impractical to dig any
more holes in the slopes near Bree. Attribute Level: 1
Specialities: Fire-making
The Big Folk of New-town are, in the main, less wealthy Distinctive Features: Energetic
than their neighbours around the hill. Most are farmers Relevant Skills: Awe ♦, Courtesy ♦, Search ♦♦
who labour in the fields outside the village.
East Row
Notable locations in New-town include the school and The East Row is the newest part of Bree, built on land that
the smithy. The school is the pride of Bree. Children, Big was once reserved for grazing by caravan-ponies. When
and Little, attend it for a few years when their families can refugees from lost Tharbad came north, they settled here
spare them, and are taught their letters, arithmetic and and built the East Row. The houses here are built using
other useful vocational skills (little of pure scholarly worth stone taken from the abandoned city, and other ruins
is taught, as such pursuits are deemed unnecessary by found within the Bree-land, and are more richly decorated
most for a happy life in the Bree-land). than the rest of Bree.

The other villages do not have schools, although some Statues of old kings and heroes stand guard over
children come to Bree and board with relatives in order to doorways, and gargoyles and stone ships carry water
attend lessons for a few years. The Schoolmistress of Bree down from gutters. The atmosphere in parts of the East
is one of the most important people in the town, on a par Row is different to the rest of Bree: less welcoming, less
with the Innkeeper or the Chief Warden. trusting, less Hobbit-like.

The smithy in Bree makes horseshoes, nails, farm Many of the East Row houses have gardens or orchards
implements and other common goods. Adventurers stretching back up the hillside behind them.
seeking weapons or armour must wait until a market-day,
or until there is a Dwarf-smith in town who can make such Anna Wintermoss, Schoolmistress
things. Anna runs the school in Bree, teaching the youths of Bree
their letters and numbers. She’s not a native of the North
Tad Tillfield – she came up the Greenway five years ago, pursued by
Young Tad is a newly commissioned Warden of Bree. strange men who chased her right to the end of Bree-land.
Indeed, he is so excited about becoming a Warden that Anna never talks about her past, but from her accent and
he has thrown himself wholeheartedly into his new role. speech, she must come from the distant South. When not
He rushes around Bree-land on Important Missions and teaching, she sometimes wanders the Barrow-downs, as if
Warden Business, never stinting or shirking. The other, looking for a particular tomb.

18
 Bree-land & Around

Attribute Level: 1 Rangers frequent the Forsaken Inn; if one seeks the
Specialities: Rhymes of Lore, Shadow-lore Dúnedain, look for them among the wild men and surly
Distinctive Features: Clever, Secretive brutes in the common room here.
Relevant Skills: Lore ♦♦♦, Song ♦♦, Explore ♦
Jack the Forsaken
The current owner of the Forsaken Inn inherited the place
by being the only guest on the night when the previous
owner – an old woman who believed she was the widow
of the last king – died in her bed. Jack is more than a half
a bandit, but owning an inn has awoken something in
him. As long as his guests don’t cheat him or cross him,
he’ll guard them as they sleep. Give him half an excuse,
though, and you’ll find your purse empty and your pony
sold when the morning comes.

In appearance Jack is scruffy, with a wiry frame and a

face that tells the story of a tough life, despite his apparent
young years. His countenance is rough, and he lacks most
manners. However he is a survivor, eking out a meagre
living, helping people as best as his bad habits and bitter
experiences will allow.

Attribute Level: 3
Specialities: Burglary, Trading
The Forsaken Inn Distinctive Features: Secretive, Nimble
The Forsaken Inn is a day’s travel east of Bree, along the Relevant Skills: Craft ♦♦, Stealth ♦♦
East Road, and is the last safe house west of the mountains
for most travellers. Some fortunate souls know the way to
the hidden valley of Rivendell, and can rest at the house Staddle
of Master Elrond; others, like Dwarves or Rangers, can
read the signs to secret camps or refuges prepared by their There are two ways to see smoke come out of a Hobbit’s
kinfolk. But for most the beds of the Forsaken Inn are the ears. Firstly, you could go and visit Adelard Took, the
last comfort to be found along the East Road. champion pipe-smoker of Tookborough and the only
Hobbit ever to blow finer smoke-rings than a Wizard.
The Forsaken Inn is an ill-favoured, unfriendly place; The second, and easier, method is to call Staddle “East
most of the customers are hunters and trappers from the Bree” in front of any Hobbits of the Tunnelly family. The
surrounding lone-lands who mistrust strangers. The inn insinuation that Staddle is a mere extension – or worse,
is a ramshackle half-ruin in poor repair, the beer is stale suburb – of the larger town on the other side of the hill is
and the food is dire, but it is a place to rest on the road if absolute anathema to the proud Hobbits.
the innkeeper bothers opening up. Travellers on the road
are charged extortionate prices for room and board. In The village of Staddle is, with all honesty, very similar to
Bree, they tell stories about the Innkeeper of the Forsaken Bree. There are some twenty stone houses of the Big Folk
Inn, claiming that he keeps wolves that prey on travellers arranged along the crossing of two paths. One path runs
on the road who don’t stay in his inn, or that he practises south to the Road, and north to the pastures; the other
sorcery and murders guests who do stay in the inn. path runs west along the slopes of the hill to Bree, passing

19
 Bree

the Windmill of Staddle. More than half the village is Staddle has an inn, the Lamplighter, which is a modest
underground; Hobbit-holes dot the banks and hillside, but welcoming establishment. It sees more custom from
and a path of crushed gravel leads up to the grand door of local Hobbits than Big Folk or foreigners.
the Smial of Staddle.
The Smial of Staddle
More properly, the Great Smial of Staddle, although you
could just say the Smial and everyone in Bree-land would
Adelard Took know where you mean. The Smial of Staddle is the vast
Of Adelard, it was said that he could expel smoke and labyrinthine underground mansion of the Tunnellies,
from one ear or both, and blow different shapes and the richest Hobbits in the region. The Tunnellies consider
colours with each ear. His preferred weed was Old themselves the equal of any of the great families of the
Toby, but for such trick-smoking he favoured a zesty Shire, of the Tooks or Brandybucks or any other one would
brand from the Eastfarthing called Willow’s Wisp. care to name. If anything, the Tunnellies say, their name is
Accusations and allegations that he possessed a magic more prestigious, for the first holes of the Smial of Staddle
pipe made by the Dwarves dogged him all his life, were dug before any Hobbit entered the Shire.
even though it is a matter of public record in the Shire
that he won the first pipe-smoking championship two
The Tunnellies are not the only family to live in the Smial;
years before his cousin Bilbo returned from his quest
after the Fell Winter, parts of the Smial fell into disuse,
to the Lonely Mountain.
so other Hobbit families moved in, although they have
to put up with the infamous tempers of their hosts. The
last war fought in Bree, the War of 2930 (also known as
the War of Thursday Afternoon), after all, was started by
the Tunnellies. They have always objected to the authority
of the Reeve of Bree, except when (as often happens), the
Reeve is a Tunnelly. On that fateful Thursday in 2930, the
Reeve was not a Tunnelly, and when he made a ruling
against the Tunnellies, they marched back to the Smial
in high dudgeon. The chieftain of the Tunnellies declared
that Staddle would no longer be subject to the Reeve’s
jurisdiction, and would henceforth stand alone. Some
dozen Hobbits were sent out to seize the windmill and
“secure the border”; some accounts insist that a pony-
rider was dispatched cross-country to Buckland to rally
support there.

As it turned out, the first council of war held in the

Smial was accompanied by an exceedingly fine supper,
and the newly commissioned thanes of Staddle took a
long nap afterwards. On waking, they felt somewhat
more reasonable, and hostilities ceased, with the only
significant casualty being the Tunnelly wine cellar.

Every so often, a hot-blooded Hobbit of Staddle will

threaten a “repeat of 2930” or to “send a pony to Buckland”
over some imagined slight from Bree.

20
 Bree-land & Around

Grandmother Tunnelly valley by the Stile of Combe, a staircase of steps cut into
The ruler of the Tunnelly clan is a Hobbit matriarch in the rock. The Stile was once quite safe, but floods in the
the ancient mode; fiercely protective of her family, and spring after the Fell Winter washed part of it away and
determined to pry into the smallest aspects of their lives. weakened other sections, and now it is treacherous. The
folk of Combe prophesy darkly that the rest of the Stile will
soon collapse and bury some unlucky traveller, but that’s
just what a Combe-born fellow would say.

The village of Combe is the second-largest in terms of

buildings, counting some thirty stone houses, but third in
population. There is no inn or place for travellers to rest,
other than begging shelter in a private house or barn. The
folk are more Big than Little; perhaps if there were more
Hobbits in Combe, it would be a brighter place. That said,
the Hobbit family of Mudbanks come from Combe, and
they are so direly dull they could make an Elf-child despair
of life.

The valley of Combe is good farmland, and the high

hillsides make for good grazing. If there is one thing that
raises the spirits of the folk of Combe, it is their animals
– they breed excellent sheep and cows, and keep a great
many hounds. They have had need of these hounds in the
past, as Trolls are drawn to the valley of Combe. To a Troll,
Nothing happens in Staddle without her knowledge and Combe is a delight, with plenty of sheep to munch on and
permission, and nothing intimidates her. If a Dragon plenty of shadows and caves to hide in when the sun rises.
landed on the Smial of Staddle, she would try to drive it The Rangers stop most of these Trolls, but still one or two
away by thumping it on the nose with her umbrella. creep down from the mountains every few years and must
be driven off with fire and spears. If there are doughty
Attribute Level: 3 warriors to be found in Bree-land, they live in Combe.
Specialities: Cooking, Rhymes of Lore
Distinctive Features: Lordly, Wilful Oswald Breeker, the Squire of Combe
Relevant Skills: Persuade ♦♦♦♦, Insight ♦♦♦♦ Said to be the richest and most miserly man in all of Bree-
land, Oswald Breeker lives in the big house at the edge of
Combe. He rarely goes outside, but employs Little servants
Combe to fetch and carry for him. Breeker owns much of the land
around Combe, and demands high rents from the tenant-
Combe lies in a deep, dark valley between hill and wood. farmers who live there. He is not a popular man among
It is always gloomy in the valley, and even the noonday the Bree-folk.
sun struggles to penetrate the mists. The folk of Combe
are stereotypically glum and dour, as if the darkness of His wife died nine years ago, and his daughter vanished
their valley has leeched into their spirits. The main road some years before that; she ran off with a minstrel, or
to Combe is via a path that joins the East Road. There is went adventuring, or went mad, or ran away, depending
a short-cut that goes through Staddle and then onto Bree, on which gossip you listen to. No doubt he would pay well
but that requires climbing the steep southern slope of the for any news of her.

21
 Bree

Those few who have been guests at his table say that he Archet
has a room full of books and scrolls and old things, and
that he spends long nights in study of the past. They say, Tree-girdled Archet is the smallest and most insular of the
too, that Rangers sometimes visit Oswald Breeker, and villages of Bree. The folk there are strange and secretive,
that they esteem him more than his neighbours, although and rarely visit the other villages. Even for natives of the
why this is so they cannot fathom. Bree-land, Archet is sometimes hard to find, as if the paths
around it move sometimes. Of course, Archet is so small
Attribute Level: 2 that a traveller could walk right by it without noticing; it’s
Specialities: Old Lore little more than a dozen buildings, mostly wooden ones,
Distinctive Features: Grim, Suspicious clustered around a clearing in the forest. Other houses
Relevant Skills: Lore ♦♦, Courtesy ♦♦ in Archet are cleverly concealed; some are built atop the
trees themselves, others are built Hobbit-fashion among
The High House the roots of old trees.
This old ruin stands at the end of Combe valley. It was
once a large fortified house, perhaps even a castle,
although it is mostly tumbled-down and overgrown now.
The shepherds of the upper vales keep sheep there in
winter, and shelter there on rainy nights. Many who have
slept there report having strange dreams of elder days, of
warriors in shining armour and great battles and kings
both wild and foolish.

Those who are wise in old lore may have heard of Malbeth
the Seer, and of his house, rising close to the tower of
Amon Sûl, and wonder if his ghost whispers to the simple
shepherds of Combe.

The Thieves’ Glen

A little coppice of woods near the entrance to the valley is
commonly referred to as the Thieves’ Glen. It is certainly
ideally placed for ambushing travellers on the road to
Bree, and offers plenty of places to hide or to stash stolen
goods. There have been no bandit attacks this close to
Bree in many years, but the name has stuck to the woods,
as have stories of ghosts and buried treasure.

The Melancholy of Combe

The melancholy of Combe can be soothing to those who
There is an inn in Archet, the Woodfellow, that’s also
have suffered deeply. A hero who undertakes to Heal
Corruption in Combe may choose to automatically
the trading post and common hall for the village, where
succeed instead of rolling Craft or Song to remove visitors can stay if they have nowhere else to go. Archet
Shadow. This automatic success removes 2 points of is mostly Big Folk, although there are a few Hobbits there
temporary Shadow. too. The Hobbits fish and catch eels out in the Midgewater
Marshes, and have a great knowledge of those swamps.

22
 Bree-land & Around

They know certain medicinal herbs and mosses that grow Harry Talltree, the Forester of Archet
there, as well as which places to avoid. The current holder of the office of Royal Forester is Harry
Talltree, a giant of a man. Despite his astounding size
The folk of Archet are skilled bowmen, and provide (seven feet if he’s an inch) and prodigious girth, he is quiet
hunting bows as well as timber and firewood to the other as a mouse when moving through the forests. He carries
villages. By ancient custom dating back to the days of the a huge wood-chopping axe with him everywhere he goes,
kings, the Royal Forester is chosen by the Men of Archet. and knows how to use it on more than just trees.
This is largely a ceremonial position, but it still carries
great importance in town. The Forester is charged with There was a Troll’s head on a spike outside his house until
protecting the game in the forest should the king ever his neighbours complained about the smell and the flies
return unexpectedly and wish to go hunting, and with buzzing around it, and Harry still gets asked to tell the
ensuring that no bandits make the wood into their hiding story of how he cut the monster’s head off whenever he
place. These days, the only one of the Forester’s duties that goes to an inn.
is still of any consequence is his authority over animals
in the woods; no one may hunt deer or boar near Archet
without his permission.

The Wood-castle
The Wood-castle is a spot between Archet and the East
Road, where a knoll of rough stone rises suddenly out
of the forest. It is a naturally defensible place; a clan
of Dwarves could toil for years and not improve it as a
fortress. From the top of the Wood-castle, an archer could
command the forest as far south as the Road, and three
warriors could hold the heights against a thousand. In the
past, the Wood-castle has been both a bandit camp and a
Troll lair; the folk of Archet now keep a close eye on it, and
keep it ready in case danger threatens again.

The Elf-dell
Deep in the woods of Archet, where few mortals ever go,
is a grassy dell where the Wandering Companies of the
Elves sometimes make their camp. They are here most In truth, Harry always leaves part of the story out. The
frequently in the summer, when the weather is fair and Troll he fought was of the two-headed variety, and he only
the stars blaze brightly at night. There are no Elf-friends chopped off one head. The Troll is still alive, and now
in Archet, but some who live on the outskirts of the village bears an unsurprising but still vehement grudge against
have heard the Elves singing from afar. the Forester.

Even when there are no Elves here, something of their Attribute Level: 4
presence lingers here, and the Elf-dell is always free from Specialties: Bree-lore, Woodwright
fear and care. The Elf-dell counts as a sheltered refuge, Distinctive Features: Nimble, Tall
and any companion who rests there for the night reduces Relevant Skills: Hunting ♦♦♦, Travel ♦♦♦
his Fatigue by 1.

23
Bree

24
 Bree-land & Around

25
 Bree

Butterbur welcomes guests of all lands and races to his inn,

The so long as they do not cause trouble and pay their bills (and
if there is trouble, he can call on a troupe of regulars at the
- Prancing Pony - inn who will throw troublemakers out). He is an excellent
judge of both a traveller’s character and immediate needs,
and he is ready to offer lodging and services tailored to his
Above the arch there was a lamp, and beneath clientele, knowing well the requirements of a hungry Hobbit,
it swung a large sideboard: a fat pony reared or the thirst of a travelling Dwarf, for example. He hears all
up on its hind legs. Over the door was painted sorts of gossip and rumour, and delights in sharing stories
in white letters: THE PRANCING PONY by and telling tales, but knows when to keep his mouth shut
BARLIMAN BUTTERBUR too, which is a rare gift. More than anything else, he takes
pride in his hospitality. He would stand between a Wraith
There’s been an inn close by the crossroads for many years and its prey, assuming its prey had paid for a room at The
in one form or another. The world outside the doors may Pony for the night.
whirl and change, but there’ll always be good cheer and
good beer in the common room of The Prancing Pony, in
this age of the world (and the next, too, no doubt!).

From the front, the inn looks like a pleasant house,

especially at the end of a long journey. It faces on to the
road along one side of the Green in Bree, and two wings
run back, cut in to the hillside, so at the rear the second-
floor windows are level with the rising ground. A wide
archway leads off the road and into a courtyard, and from
there several broad steps on the left lead up to a door in to
the common-room of The Prancing Pony where a visitor
will be warmly greeted by the Innkeeper.

The Pony is its current incarnation, and the

information here is equally as current if you are Attribute Level: 3
setting your campaign in 2946 or 3017 or any year Specialities: Cooking, Story-Telling
in between. Distinctive Features: Eager, Trusty
Relevant Skills: Insight ♦♦♦♦, Riddle ♦♦♦,
Courtesy ♦♦♦, Song ♦♦

The Innkeeper
"I hope not, indeed," said Butterbur. "But spooks or
no spooks, they won’t get in The Pony so easy."
The Innkeeper of The Pony
If you are setting your game after the year 3000, the
Barnabas Butterbur is one of the most important men in Innkeeper of The Pony will be Barnabas Butterbur’s
Bree, and cleverer than he seems. He may have a thousand son Barliman. Luckily, the mould for the Butterbur
things on his mind, nine hundred and ninety of which are line was cast long ago, and every one for generations
errands and orders and shopping lists and gossip from has been a close variation on that original model.
Bree, but he knows that Bree is but a small place in a wide, (Use the description given for Barnabas to describe
wilder world - he knows something about Mordor for his son Barliman).
example, and has met Gandalf, and more besides.

26
 The Prancing Pony

Encountering the Innkeeper Like the Innkeeper, the pot-boys hear every bit of gossip
Travellers arriving at the inn must make a Courtesy test in Bree, but are less discreet. A free drink or a coin or two
when arriving to introduce themselves to the Innkeeper. can loosen tongues; although if Butterbur hears his staff
There is no penalty for failure, other than the Innkeeper speaking ill of a customer, he’ll beat them round the ears
being too distracted or too suspicious to give the company with a wooden spoon (Fell and Grievous!).
a proper welcome. However, failing with an C means
Butterbur suspects, rightly or wrongly, that the company The Common-room
are up to no good, and will try to find some excuse to turn The heart of The Prancing Pony is the big common-room,
them away. If no such excuse springs to mind, then he will where the company gathers nightly around the big log
simply charge them twice the usual rates and keep a close fire. Three lamps hang from the ceiling beams, although
eye on them. as the fire blazes and the smoke rises, their light becomes
obscured by the murk. Benches, stools and low tables
A normal success lets the companions ask one question of start out neatly lined up in rows, but as the night goes
Butterbur about current events or rumours, which he will on, they become scattered and shifted to accommodate
answer as best he can. A great success means Butterbur is singers, performers, knots of gossiping and conspiring
especially solicitous, and spends some time chatting with Bree-landers, or companies of Outsiders off the Road.
the company.
Smaller booths and shadowy corners allow for patrons to
Again, the adventurers may ask a question of Butterbur observe the company without joining in the merriment.
about gossip or rumours in Bree, and get an accurate Here, the Innkeeper and the other worthies of Bree hold
answer, but Butterbur will also volunteer a piece of court each night. More decisions are made here than in
information of benefit to the company. An extraordinary the Reeve’s chambers.
success gets two questions and Butterbur volunteers a
piece of vital information. If the inn is very crowded, guests may sleep on the rush-
covered floor of the common-room, but that only happens
The Innkeeper as a Patron on market-days in Bree, and then only if foul weather
The Innkeeper of The Prancing Pony may not be a Wizard, blows down off the mountains in the evening, and visitors
or an Elf-lord, or a king, and the only skin he can change to Bree decide to spend the night instead of braving the
is a wine-skin. Still, for a company of heroes just setting rain.
out in the world, Butterbur can serve as a fine patron. He
knows everything that happens in Bree-land, and much The Taproom
of what’s going on Outside too, and is adept at putting a Off to the side of the common-room is a smaller drinking-
word in the right ear to nudge events for the better of all. hall, called the taproom, where the kegs of ale are stored.
If a farmer’s beset by sheep-stealing wolves, or a Dwarf When the common-room is filled to overflowing, the
on the road sees an unquiet spirit, Butterbur might hear customers spill out into the taproom. It is also used during
those tales of woe and send the companions off to deal the day when the common-room is being cleaned, but
with the problems. customers or guests still want to quench their thirst.

The Staff Private Rooms

The Pony employs several young folk, Big and Little, to The inn has a number of small parlours, ante-rooms,
serve the guests and tend to their needs. At the very least, snugs and crannies where a party of guests can be seated
there’ll be a pot-boy to fetch drinks and food and a stable- for a private meal. Regulars in The Pony know the quirks
boy to take care of the animals there no matter what time of the building; for example, if you sit in the corner of the
visitors knock on the door. At busy times – in the evenings, common-room nearest the door, and press your ear to the
or market-days, or Yuletide, or when a large number of wall, you can hear the conversation in the private parlour
thirsty travellers arrive – then the Innkeeper can call on adjacent to it clear as day. Secrets have a way of coming
half of Bree to work in the inn. out in Bree, one way or another.

27
 Bree

Rooms for the Night of his beard, there is nothing like a good hot bath in
The Pony has plenty of space for guests, and is rarely full the bathhouse. Fresh water from the inn’s well, copper
to capacity. Most of the rooms are much alike in terms of kettles bubbling atop a big warm fire, freshly laundered
comfort; feather bolsters and thick blankets, mostly free towels – and the ponies watching you from the stable
of crawling things. It’s not Rivendell, but it’s better than next door.
most inns in the world. Some of the rooms in the north
wing were made especially for hobbits when the Inn was Stables
built, on the ground floor with round windows, and with The stables in the courtyard of The Pony are warm and
Hobbit-sized furniture, but most are made Bree-fashion: dry; the ostler there takes as good care of animals as the
sized for Big Folk, but low enough to the floor that Hobbits rest of the staff take of the paying guests. There are usually
can use them too. one or two spare ponies in the stables who can be bought
or borrowed for the right price by adventuring companies
The first floor of the inn has four larger sleeping rooms (see The One Ring Roleplaying Game, page 160).
that can accommodate up to a dozen members of a
company, as well as “good rooms” that are “fit for a lord” The Kitchens
(and priced accordingly). The good rooms are something The kitchens and pantries of the inn are never quiet;
of a legend among the staff of the inn, as they are opened guests come and go at all hours of the day, and they are
so rarely that tales of their opulence have become hugely either hungry from long travel on the Road or eager to get
exaggerated. a good breakfast before departing. The fare here is simple
but hearty and pleasant; the stew pot, legend says, was
Bathhouse started before the Fell Winter and has been bubbling away
Basins of hot water can be provided in any of the rooms, ever since.
but for a traveller who really wants to get the Road out

A Night at the Prancing Pony (Encounters at the Inn)

"The company was in the big common-room of the inn. The gathering was large and mixed, as Frodo discovered,
when his eyes got used to the light."

Whenever the companions stay at The Pony, they will most certainly join the company of the inn guests in the common-
room. The first time they do so, they are welcomed by the regulars, especially if they come from some exotic place (meaning,
anywhere but the Bree-land): the basic Tolerance is equal to the highest Wisdom in the group plus 1. Then, the innkeeper
provides an individual Introduction (unless they were discourteous to him), calling for rolls of Courtesy or Riddle to provide
or disguise their names. As soon as the companions’ identities have been established to the satisfaction of the regulars, the
heroes are free to mingle with the inn guests during the Interaction, to trade stories about faraway lands with local gossip.
As the drinks flow and pipes are lit, Riddle or Song rolls may be called on by the worthies of Bree. As usual, Insight rolls
may be required if the companions wish to discover any secret motive hidden behind a guest’s inquisitiveness, while Inspire
and Persuade are needed to enliven the evening, or win a heated debate.

The Enemy is Listening

As a famous Ranger likes to say, ‘drink, fire, and chance-meeting are pleasant enough, but Bree isn’t the Shire’, and the
common-room of The Pony may at times see the presence of less savoury guests than a drunken Bucklander or two. In such
cases, if you are using the Eye of Mordor rules from the Rivendell supplement, increase the Eye Awareness of the company
by 2 points for each C rolled during the encounter (instead of 1).

28
 The Prancing Pony

Common-room Guests Table

Roll on the table below to determine the composition of the guests crowding the common room at any time, using a Feat
die and a Success die. If the Success die is a 1-5, that’s the number of common guests encountered. If the Success die comes
up a 6, a special guest is encountered instead. Roll once or twice on the table when the inn is quiet, three times during on
the average night, and five times on busy days (such as a market-day).

Success 1-5 6
Die

Feat Die Common Guests Special Guest

C Strange-looking wanderers Ill-favoured fellow, a spy from Isengard gathering information
for his master (apply the Eye of Mordor rules)

1 Inquisitive Men of Bree The Reeve, or another notable of Bree (page 16-21),
celebrating an official achievement

2 Talkative Bree-Hobbits Matthew Mugwort (page 16), already in his cups

3 Hobbits from Staddle Grandmother Tunnelly (page 21), incognito, watching over a
nephew in search of adventure

4 Folk from Combe Outlaw chief, enjoying his stolen gold and looking for a brawl

5 Folk from Archet The Forester of Archet (page 23), hiring volunteers for his
Troll-hunt

6 Bree-landers not from any of the villages Ranger, relaxing, not wanting to chat about anything sounding
vaguely adventurous

7 Shire-Hobbits, from Buckland or the Bilbo Baggins, travelling under the name of Inigo Grubb-Took,
Eastfarthing in Bree to meet a Dwarf friend

8 Travellers from the South or East Mountebank or false magician, trying to cheat the companions
of their gold, or at least to have them pay for his drinks

9 Dwarves from the Misty Mountains, An errand-rider for the King under the Mountain, who lost his
going West bodyguards in an ambush at the Goblin-gate

10 Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, Very old Dwarf, desiring to see the restored Kingdom under the
going East Mountain before his death
A Roll again using a Success die to select a Gandalf the Grey, or a disguised Elf from the Wandering
row; the result (1-6) are especially friendly Companies, in Bree to meet the Rangers
or helpful to the companions

Brewery Private Chambers

The inn’s ale is made here. Other drinks are imported from The Innkeeper and his family live on the top floor of the
the Shire and further afield; the Innkeeper likes to keep a inn’s main building. Most of the staff live elsewhere in
few bottles of Dwarven spirits on hand for guests from the Bree, but there are two small rooms on the ground floor
Ered Luin, and has some bottles down in the cellars that for servants to sleep in.
come all the way from Dorwinion.

29
Bree

30
 The Prancing Pony

31
 Bree

An Wet Underfoot
The nearby Midgewater Marshes provide plenty of details

- Empty Land - for boggy, gruelling terrain. Describing traversing such

boggy areas scattered across the Bree-land can give you
some extra atmospheric detail. Ancient ruined buildings,
“In those days no other Men had settled once built on firm dry ground but now sunk into marshy
dwellings so far west, or within a hundred surroundings, can impart a sense of the slowly but surely
leagues of the Shire.” changing times.

On a more practical note, a company soaked to the skin

The empty lands around Bree can at first glimpse appear and wading through bogs can be a useful driver of events
to pose a challenge to the Loremaster running a Bree-land for the Loremaster. The weight of sodden equipment and
adventure, or a player heavily invested in assisting with clothing can add up, and if you wish to steer your company
creative descriptions of the sights and sounds they see in the direction of shelter, or indeed the comforts of Bree,
around them. then applying an increase in the encumbrance value
of their sodden gear can help push them in the desired
The better part of the character of the Bree-land is that it is direction.
a quiet, empty place. So how then, can players of The One
Ring make travel through such a place interesting?

There are plenty of generalised tips in the supplement

Journeys and Maps, but this section provides some more
specific guidance for the Bree-land.

Up Hill and Down Dale

The prominence of Bree-hill and the slightly more distant
Weathertop, suggests that the Bree-land is a relatively
flat place. The descriptions in Lord of the Rings describe
rolling hills around Bree, so the dominance of Bree-hill
certainly doesn’t preclude all variations in the scenery.
But a degree of flatness, and more modest landscapes,
can be features that differentiates this region.

The lack of raised terrain can be woven into your journeys

- does it echo a weariness in your company, or perhaps
allow far distant events or places to be seen? Similarly,
a flat land doesn’t offer many places to hide, and a long
pursuit might occur where both parties remain largely in
view.

A day’s travel can involve a long slow climb up a deceptively

gentle hill, comprise an endless series of similar-seeming
low hills, or could be a more broken up affair, as the
company have need to traverse a field of gullies fresh
worn into the landscape by sudden rains.

32
 An Empty Land

Echoes of Days Long Past well suited to play host to “English” weather: persistent
A key part of this region is the diminishing of the great gentle rain, misty mornings, pale sunlight, scudding fluffy
kingdoms of Men. There is of course no equivalent of clouds, light falls of snow, with occasional, short-lived
Minas Tirith in the Bree-land - the only inhabited remains thunder storms are all consistent with the feel one would
of those times are Bree itself, and while it is certainly a expect for this part of Middle-earth.
pleasant place to stay after life on the road, it doesn’t quite
have the same majesty. The Small Things
Modest flora and fauna, described in more detail than
The remnants of that bygone age are still to be found. one might choose to use in a more epic setting, also help
A path in the Bree-land that begins as a well-used sheep impart a different feel to the Bree-land. Nettles, thistles
track can suddenly reveal a fragment of a once grand road, and brambles, daisies and dandelions, dock leaves and
with finely crafted, interlocking paving stones, rising and celandines can impart a gentler, storybook feel.
cracking as the latter-day sheep track reasserts itself.
Where the Vales of the mighty Anduin might be overseen
Glimpses of the past are an important part of any journey by great Eagles soaring on the hunt for deer, here hawks
through the Bree-land: a grander, greater people used hunt mice, and adders lie in wait for voles. The Bree-
to live here, but have all long since vanished. Consider land is less geographically dramatic than other places in
evidence of this in the landscape: what might first appear Middle-earth, and the lack of immediate physical hazards
to be a convenient mossy hump for a weary traveller to sit in the landscape can allow these quieter aspects to come
on could easily turn out to be a piece of fallen statuary, to the fore.
long forgotten and overgrown. What is its tale? No one
living within a hundred miles knows for certain, though A Lonely Land
they surely have stories. While an empty place does seemingly present an
immediate challenge to the Loremaster, this should not
What was just a sheltered depression in the setting be dismissed simply as a flaw. The wide, lonely spaces,
sun could reveal itself as the remnants of some ruined filled with nothing more than the wind and the voice of
chamber, long ago abandoned by wiser folk than now a lone crow can provide a portentous and meaningful
pass this way. Such places can be ideal locations to begin atmosphere. Or indeed one that contrasts strongly with
a side-quest; to foreshadow future ruin; to inspire your the warmth and close cosiness of The Prancing Pony.
company with the majesty of the past; to throw up parts of
a hero’s backstory, predict darker times ahead, or simply Comparing the rustic and homely appeal of Bree to the
be used to reinforce the character of this part of the setting. wide emptiness of the lands that surround it, can really
give your adventures a new aspect. A journey from the
The Weather gossiping streets of Bree, where folk are all too keenly
Without the grand features of dramatic landscapes that interested in one another’s business, out into the empty
might be found elsewhere, there is an opportunity to focus places where help is always too far away can make the
on the weather in the Bree-land. It is a temperate area, basis of a great Bree-land story.

33
 Bree

willing to make the journey back to the Blue Mountains,

Adventuring where they will collect the treasures and heirlooms of their

- in Bree - mansion, and then make the vastly longer journey east
across the Misty Mountains, the Great River, Mirkwood
and thence to the Long Lake and the Lonely Mountain.
Those who go with them will be rewarded handsomely,
Were these people all in league against him? He
with a fortune in gold.
began to suspect even old Butterbur’s fat face of
concealing dark designs.
The journey, though, will take more than a year to go
there and back again. For that matter, why do the Sons of
Bree is not Lake-town, where there’s always a rising Bori need help from the folk of Bree? Surely, if they have
merchant prince to assist in some intrigue or another. such gold to spare, they could hire their fellow Dwarves
Bree isn’t Dale, where the agents of King Bard ride out to from Erebor to escort them through Wilderland? Is there
tame the wild lands. some secret rivalry between the Sons of Bori and the folk
of Erebor that will complicate matters when the company
Bree is safe. Bree is homely. Bree is, to be honest, rather dull arrives at the journey’s end?
– and that is its charm. Bree is not a place of excitement
and danger all of the time. Let Bree be the quiet place the A Thief in the North Fields
companions return to, or where they meet their allies, or A wealthy farmer of Bree, Robin Hayward, complains of a
where they hear strange stories by the fire in The Pony. thief who keeps stealing chickens from his farm. He wants
Adventures may start in Bree, but they happen elsewhere. some brave adventurers to comb the countryside for this
Mostly. vile brigand.

That doesn’t mean, by the way, that Bree is wholly safe. Investigating, the companions discover that the ’thief’ is
Bree is half-way between the innocence of the Shire and in fact a young Ranger who has a very good reason for
the cruelty of the Wild – there can be a sinister side to stealing the chickens. A blood-drinking Wight roams the
Bree, behind the rustic charm and simple folk. Sometimes lands north of Bree, and the Ranger is trying to lure the
exciting or terrible things will occur in Bree, and be all monster into a trap using the chickens as bait. So far,
the more shocking because of its usually hum-drum rustic though, her efforts have been unsuccessful. The Wight is
nature. Some in the town are good folk, and some are not, too wily to be tricked by chickens. Are any of the company
and most just don’t want to be bothered. There’ll be no brave enough to be used as bait for an undead horror?
trouble in the common-room of the inn, but there’ll be And do the rest of the company have the strength to slay
plenty of rumour, intrigue and foreboding. the Wight when it looms out of the darkness?

So, with that advice in mind, what sort of adventures Out of Tharbad
might start in Bree? Here follows a selection of example Two families of the East Row, the Colwaters and the
story-hooks for your games of The One Ring. Cherryfords, both trace their ancestry back to the
wealthier quarter of Tharbad. They both prize a statue
To the Lonely Mountain! of a white tree that was lost when the town was flooded,
A company of Dwarves, the sons of Bori, from the Blue nearly fifty years ago. Now, a merchant who came up the
Mountains arrives in Bree. They are, they say, kin to one of Greenway spoke of seeing a stone tree in the river. Can
the fabled twelve companions of Thorin Oakenshield, and the companions recover the statue from the ruined town –
have decided to leave their halls in the West and travel all and which family will pay the higher price to own it?
the way across Wilderland to Erebor. The Sons of Bori are
miners, not traders or wandering smiths, so they have not The Body in the Marsh
travelled on the Road in many years. They have come to Eel-fishers on the marsh spot a body on a hillock amid
Bree to hire some experienced guides and escorts who are the mud. It’s early summer, so it could be an old corpse

34
 Adventuring in Bree

that was exposed by the retreating waters, or it might be Therefore, in order to be able to open Bree as a sanctuary,
a recent victim of murder. The one problem: when the eel- the company must be aware of the Rangers’ watch on
fishers returned the next day with the Forester of Archet the town and be willing to aid in it. Furthermore, the
to investigate, the body was gone. Did someone bury company must also have the blessing or patronage of one
the corpse again, or do the dead walk in the Midgewater of the important people in Bree-land. Bree’s attitude to
Marshes? adventurers and heroes is a practical and sensible one.
Adventurers are dangerous, unpredictable people, and
The Elf & the Stag do not make good neighbours. However, adventurers are
An Elf from the Wandering Companies killed a stag within sometimes wealthy (ill-gotten gains, no doubt, but silver
the borders of the Chetwood. A pair of enterprising folk looted from a tomb or Troll-hole jingles just the same as
out of Archet managed to catch the Elf – by Archet law, he any other coin), and sometimes able to solve problems
has committed a crime. Do the laws of Men apply to the others cannot, usually with violence. Bree welcomes
Fair Folk? How do the characters counsel the Forester or adventurers who are going to move on in a few days, not
the Reeve of Bree? those who intend to stay for a whole Fellowship phase.
This suspicion can be overcome if the Innkeeper or the
Reeve or some other leader such as the Forester of Archet
Things to do while in Bree vouches for the company.

"The Inn of Bree was still there, however, and the In order to open Bree as a sanctuary a company of heroes
innkeeper was an important person. His house was must have accomplished the following:
... a resort of Rangers and other wanderers, and for
such travellers (mostly dwarves) as still journeyed on • Found out about the watch of the Rangers, and
the East Road, to and from the Mountains." earned their trust.
• Gained the trust of at least one important Bree
New Fellowship Phase Undertakings personality (Innkeeper, Reeve, Forester).
• Have become regulars at The Prancing Pony (see page
Opening Bree as a Sanctuary 37), having spent enough to appear decent enough
Not every town or village is necessarily a potential individuals in the eyes of the Bree-folk.
sanctuary. To qualify as such, there must be something in
a place that makes it a bulwark against the Shadow, some Guard Bree and the Shire
protection above and beyond the rest of Middle-earth. (Rangers of the North only)
In some cases, the protection is obvious and material: "…foes that would freeze his heart, or lay his little
Dale has its walls and armies, Esgaroth is guarded by the town in ruin, if he were not guarded ceaselessly. Yet
Long Lake. In other cases, the sanctuary has a powerful we would not have it otherwise."
guardian whom the Enemy dares not assail, at least not
yet. Beorn’s house has Beorn, for example. The Rangers of the North have made it their duty to protect
the simple folk from the threats that lie outside their
Other sanctuaries are hidden, or blessed with some borders, keeping the Shadow at bay since the fall of the
supernatural power. Rivendell or Lórien are triple-girdled North Kingdom. They act in secret, keeping their wards free
against the Enemy: by secrecy, by the Elven-lords who dwell from care and fear, getting nothing but scorn in return for
there, and by the power of the masters of those places. their deeds. A Ranger companion spending a Fellowship
phase in the Bree-land, or in the surrounding area, lasting
Bree… has a hedge and a ditch and a few men with at least one entire season may choose this undertaking
cudgels. They may be valorous, but they cannot hope to and make a roll of Hunting or Battle. On a success, the
defend against the sort of foes that haunt the North. If it companion gains 1 Experience point and recovers 1 point
were not for the protection of the Rangers, Bree would be of Hope (2 points of Hope on a great success and 3 on an
destroyed. extraordinary success). During the following Adventuring

35
 Bree

phase, all encounters with the people of the protected Letter Delivery Roll
area involving the Ranger companion see their Tolerance The following modifiers can affect the Feat die roll (C
reduced by 1. and A results are unaffected):

Write a Letter • -2 to the roll if the recipient lives far away,

"Frodo read the letter to himself, and then passed it to somewhere perilous or hard to reach: (-4 if both far
Pippin and Sam." away and perilous)
• +2 to the roll if you spend 1 Treasure to arrange for
Outside the Shire, or Gondor in the far South, few folks in the delivery
Middle-earth can say they have a well-organised system • +3 to the roll if sending a letter from an Elven
of letter-carriers or messengers. However, places like The sanctuary
Prancing Pony see their fair share of traffic, and sooner or • If you’re sending a letter from an Eagles’ Eyrie do not
later there’ll be someone heading the right way who can roll and apply the effects described for aGA result.
be trusted to bring a letter.

When spending a Fellowship phase in a well-frequented Letter Delivery Table

sanctuary, companions may choose this undertaking and
The letter is stolen by the Enemy. Depending
write a letter. There are several types of letters, serving
on the contents of the letter, this might
different purposes, but they all require a Courtesy roll to
raise the company’s Eye Awareness (see the
be written, and a Feat die roll on the Letter delivery table C
Rivendell supplement, page 111), create more
opposite.
complications later in the adventure, or put the
recipient of the letter in danger.

Lost! The letter has been lost, stolen or

otherwise, and was never received; or, the letter
arrives too late, either at some point AFTER the
1-2 company has reached a destination, or even
after his inheritance has been disposed of (in the
case of a Letter of Farewell). In any case, ignore
the effects of the letter.

The letter arrived later than expected, there

were problems with the delivery, or in some way
3-4 might have raised suspicion on the recipient.
Downgrade the level of success of the Courtesy
roll.

The letter arrived safely. Apply the effects of the

5-10
letter as described.
The letter arrived in time, and the recipient was
A very impressed by the gesture: raise the quality
of the Courtesy result by one level.

Types of Letter
Choose one of the following types of letter (all describe
the effects of a letter that arrived in time at destination):

36
 Adventuring in Bree

• I write to notify you of our impending arrival... Chance-meeting in the Inn

(Letter of Introduction): If a hero arrives at the home There are queer folk about … and there have been
of someone to whom they have written, increase the even stranger travellers through Bree lately.
Tolerance for the encounter based on the writing
companion’s Courtesy roll: increase the rating by +1 At some point during the Fellowship phase or the
on a success, by +2 on a great success, and +3 on an following Adventuring phase, the hero has a chance-
extraordinary success. Only one letter of introduction meeting in Bree with some stranger who will play a
may be sent to a particular recipient. significant role in their future fate. (The Loremaster may
roll on the special guest column of the Common-room
For example, if Trotter writes a letter to Elrond before Guests Table on page 29 if they do not already have a
setting off for Rivendell and gets an extraordinary success, Loremaster character in mind.)
then Elrond’s Tolerance increases by +3 for the encounter.
In effect, this undertaking is a request to the Loremaster to
• I write in search of aid... (Letter of Supplication): give that player an interesting and unexpected encounter.
Instead of increasing the Tolerance of an upcoming
encounter, a letter of this type increases the aid or Chance-meetings are not always beneficial or pleasant;
rewards obtained if the encounter is successful, based Thorin Oakenshield may have met Gandalf the Grey in
on the quality of the roll. Bree, but he might equally have met some agent of the
Enemy who might have tempted him with Thrór’s Ring,
For example, if a successful encounter would normally and planned to trick the Dwarves into the service of
result in the company being allowed to enter into the Mordor.
Halls of the Dwarves in the Blue Mountains, sending such
a letter in advance might mean the Dwarves hold a feast Learn the Paths of the Chetwood
to welcome the travellers, or have ponies and supplies A companion who spends a Fellowship phase living in
waiting for them to speed their journey onwards. Archet and exploring the woods around the village gains
an additional Success die in all Explore and Hunting
• I write to ask you to meet us at... (Letter of rolls made in the Chetwood or the Old Forest for the length
Appointment): A letter of this type arranges a meeting of the following Adventuring phase.
with a patron or other ally at a specified location. A
great or extraordinary success ensures the recipient Receive Title (Regular at The Pony)
will be there in person if they can; a normal success A companion who has gained the trust of the Innkeeper
means the recipient might send their own messenger or during an Adventuring phase may - with the Loremaster’s
agent instead. permission – choose this undertaking and find their place
among the regular guests of The Prancing Pony.
For example, the company could ask their patron Beorn
to meet them at the eastern end of High Pass instead of at This undertaking grants lesser benefits in comparison to
Beorn’s house, as they intend to go south along the vales those bestowed upon a hero by other, more formal, titles,
instead of pressing on to the river. but is still useful to a wandering hero:

• I may not return... (Letter of Farewell): If a hero • The Standing rating of the adventurer now measures
perishes in the Adventuring phase, then increase the also his repute in the Bree-land, and the hero may
experience bonus from Heroic Heritage by +1 (+2 on a affect the narration of a Year’s End Fellowship phase
great success, +3 on an extraordinary success), as long spent there. Additionally, their Standing score is not
as the recipient of the letter becomes the replacement reduced, as if they returned home. Finally, a regular
player-hero. (See the rules for Retirement and Heroic guest is given a good room at a floor of their choice,
Heritage on page 282 of The One Ring Roleplaying and access to a private parlour at all times.
Game.)

37
 Bree

- Men of Bree -
According to their own tales… they were the descendants of the first Men that ever wandered into
the West of the middle-world. Few had survived the turmoils of the Elder Days; but when the Kings
returned again over the Great Sea they had found the Bree-men still there, and they were still there
now, when the memory of the old Kings had faded into the grass.

The small region of the Bree-Land is perhaps all that remains of the vanished
kingdoms of Eriador, a little island of civilisation in the midst of a great
deserted wilderness.

The area takes its name from its chief village, the town of Bree. The great
mound of Bree-hill has sheltered its houses from the cold north wind
since time immemorial, there where two ancient roads meet. The
Greenway comes up through Dunland and Tharbad from the Gap
of Rohan and goes as far as Deadman’s Dike. The East road – The
Road, really – is even older. It runs from the furthest east to the
shores of the Sea.

Like the Shire, Bree is a safe haven for its denizens and travellers
alike, despite the many threats that surround it. These days
though, only Dwarves come up regularly along the East Road, and
the Greenway sees even less traffic. But Bree endures.

The other three villages – the farming village of Staddle, Combe to

the east and Archet in the Chetwood – see fewer visitors than Bree (and
that’s how they like it). Villagers come to Bree to bring goods to market, to
trade with the wandering Dwarf-smiths and to drink in its famous inn, The
Prancing Pony.

The Men of Bree tell stories of their ancestors, but if there is any truth left
in those old tales, not even the Wise know, for the Men of Bree have been
here for a long time even as Elves measure the passing years.

38
 Men of Bree

Description What the Innkeeper Says…

The inhabitants of the Bree-land are mostly Men, but there
are many families of Hobbits spread among the villages, • Hobbits of the Shire: “The Shire-folk are welcome
especially in Staddle, and several of their customs and enough in Bree, even if they call us outsiders; but then
habits have been adopted by the Big Folk. In fact, the Men again, we call’em outsiders too! Not that many of ‘em
of Bree do not appear as outlandish as foreigners do to ever cross the Brandywine and come down to the cross-
visitors from the Shire, and both the Big and the Little Folk roads these days. Just the occasional Bucklander, and
live on very friendly terms. Their general appearance helps those are kin to our own Little Folk, you know”.
in this matter, too, as the Men of Bree are often brown-
haired and rather short, tend to be stocky and broad, and • Dwarves of the Blue Mountains: “West they go,
are quick to laugh. and east they go, then back west again. Always grim,
never willing to talk about their business, but all that
Standard of Living walking gives ’em a powerful thirst, and they’re rarely
The Bree-land is not as wealthy as the Shire, but the Bree- short of coin, especially recently. There have been
folk still maintain a lifestyle that could be interpreted to more going east of late, and they tell of a mountain
be at the low end of Prosperous. Part of their good fortune of gold far away in Wilderland where the Dwarves are
is due to the protection of their guardians, the Rangers of once again kings under the Mountain. I don’t know
the North; those mysterious wanderers roam the land, about that, but it’d be a terrible blow to Bree if there
silently patrolling the borders and roads, without anyone were no more Dwarves passing through.”
in Bree-land knowing for certain what they are up to.
• Rangers of the North: “The wandering folk, yes,
Men of Bree Adventurers we call them Rangers. They sometimes visit Bree and
Actual adventurers from the Bree-land are rare indeed. It stay for a day or two, then you might not see one for a
is not unheard-of for a young Man of Bree to accompany month or a year or never again. They don’t talk much,
some Dwarf-smiths west to the Blue Mountains, or east and bad news and bad times follow them. I wouldn’t
as far as the Forsaken Inn or even over the passes into trust one of them, that’s all I know.”
Wilderland, but to go wandering without any thought
of returning home… it is simply not the done thing, and • Elves: “I’ve never seen one, myself, but the stableboy
anyone who does it is treated with suspicion and wariness. swears he heard them singing out in the woods near
Maybe they are under some enchantment, or on the run Archet. He’s half cracked, though. They were going
from the law — why else would they leave Bree? west, he said, west to the Sea. I’ve never seen the Sea
myself, neither, so what does it matter if a folk I’ll never
Suggested Callings: Treasure-Hunter, Warden. Even the meet seek a place I’ll never go? Nothing. Not a farthing.”
most adventurous of Bree-landers tend to stay close to
home, and Eriador provides plenty of challenges to those • Men of Bree: “Oh, we’ve been around for quite a
who go seeking for lost treasure. Others eventually realise while, we Men of Bree. We’ve seen kings come and
that their land is but an island amid a sea of darkness, go, and we see Elves, and many Dwarves, go about
and choose to side with anyone willing to do something their businesses along the road. Mark my words,
to preserve the peace most inhabitants of Bree take for when they all will be gone, we will be still here, at the
granted. crossroads.”

Unusual Calling: Slayer. No major threats have plagued • Other Men: “If they cause no trouble, and have coin to
the Bree-land in recent years, and stories of tragic loss spend, and move along once their business is done, then
and revenge are only the matter of strange tales told by I’ve nothing against them – but the folk down South are
travellers at the inn. strange, and dangerous, and often as not bring trouble
with them. Last few years, mind you, we’ve also had
folk coming West over the mountains – big folk that

39
 Bree

smelled like bears, and smaller men in green. What’s must make a Corruption test for any reason, the difficulty
all that about, that’s what I want to know!” is reduced by two levels (TN -4).

Starting Skill Scores

Bree-Hobbits
Common Skills
The Little Folk of Bree are closely related to the Copy the following skill ranks onto the character sheet
Hobbits of the Shire – indeed, to most Big Folk, it is and underline the favoured skill.
impossible to tell the difference unless one makes the
mistake of asking one of the Hobbits, in which case
get comfortable – you are in for a long talk about Awe 0 Inspire 1 Persuade 2
family trees, obscure legal issues, and exceedingly
Athletics 0 Travel 0 Stealth 2
minute cultural differences. Players desiring to create
a Bree-hobbit use all the rules concerning Hobbits of Awareness 0 Insight 3 Search 0
the Shire, with the following exceptions: they must Explore 0 Healing 1 Hunting 1
replace the Cultural blessing of Hobbit-sense with
that of the Men of Bree ( Bree-blood, see below). Song 1 Courtesy 3 Riddle 2
Moreover, they must pick their Virtues from the Craft 2 Battle 0 Lore 1
following list: Desperate Courage, Friendly and
Inquisitive, The Big and the Little (described below)
and Art of Disappearing, Small Folk (described at Weapon Skills
pages 110 and 111 of The One Ring Roleplaying Choose one of the following two Weapon skill sets, and
Game). Finally, any Cultural Reward must be record it on the character sheet:
selected from those available to Hobbits of the Shire. 1) (Axes) 2, Bow 1, Dagger 1
2) Spear 2, Axe 1, Dagger 1
Bree-Hobbits use distinctive family names
which are generally unknown in The Shire: Banks, Specialities
Brockhouse,Longholes, Mugwort, Sandheaver, Tunelly Choose two traits from:
and Underhill. Appraising, Cooking, Herb-lore, Smoking,
Trading, Woodwright

New Trait: Appraising

Cultural Blessing You have an eye for judging the quality of many things,
from precious stones to exotic spices, or even the qualities
- Bree-blood - of an individual.
“We’re a bit suspicious round here of anything out of the
way – uncanny, if you understand me; and we don’t take Backgrounds
to it all of a sudden.”
1 - Crossroads of the North
The inclination of the Men of Bree to shy away from Your family has run a business in Bree since time
anything strange or unnatural has made them more immemorial, serving the needs of the Bree-landers and
vulnerable to adversaries able to instil fear in the the strangers who come up from the south or east, or the
heart of their enemies, as those monsters truly embody Little Folk from the west. Why, your grandfather even once
the darkest tales and legends of their folk, but has had Elves on his doorstep, as plain as day – and indeed,
strengthened their resolve in the face of evil magic. When their coin was as good as anyone else’s. You worked in
the Men of Bree are required to make a Fear test provoked the family business when you were younger, until a great
by the special ability of an adversary, the difficulty of the desire came upon you to follow the Road and see where all
roll is raised by one level (TN +2). Conversely, when they those strangers and their gold come from.

40
 Men of Bree

Basic Attributes: Body 5, Heart 6, Wits 2 many cold, lonely nights on watch, with only the stars and
Favoured Skill: Courtesy hooting owls for company.
Distinctive Features:
(choose two Traits from those listed) Basic Attributes: Body 4, Heart 5, Wits 4
Cautious, Curious, Eager, Energetic, Fair-Spoken, Favoured Skill: Awareness
Merry, Robust, Wary Distinctive Features:
(choose two Traits from those listed)
2 - Off with Dwarves Cautious, Eager, Forthright, Just, Steadfast,
Dwarf-miners and traders passing through Bree on their Suspicious, True-hearted, Wary
way to their mansions in the Blue Mountains took you
with them as a caravan guard, and you became friends 5 – Came up the Greenway
(if friendship is the right word for the grudging, slow-won Your grandfather was not born in the Bree-land. He made
respect of that grim folk). In time, you returned home to a long and arduous journey up from the South, across the
Bree, but wanderlust soon put your feet back on the road Gap of Rohan from beyond the Isen. He crossed the river on
– only now you march in time to the walking songs of the bridge at Tharbad with his wife and three children and
Durin’s folk. settled here in the vale by Bree-hill. The North is cold and
wild compared to the lands where your grandfather was
Basic Attributes: Body 4, Heart 7, Wits 2 born, but the tales he used to tell about the fierce kings of
Favoured Skill: Search the South never made you doubt his choice.
Distinctive Features:
(choose two Traits from those listed) Basic Attributes: Body 4, Heart 6, Wits 3
Cautious, Determined, Generous, Gruff, Hardy, Favoured Skill: Travel
Honourable, Patient, Steadfast. Distinctive Features
(choose two Traits from those listed)
3 – From the Chetwood Cautious, Energetic, Fair-spoken, Gruff, Hardy,
Your kin dwell in the Chetwood, the forest east of Bree. Merry, True-hearted, Trusty
Most of the forest is safe and wholesome, but parts –
especially near the Midgewater Marshes – have their 6 – No Longer Free from Care and Fear
own perils, and as a child you learned to find food that It was many years ago that you discovered something that
was safe to eat near certain old trees that whispered not many in the Bree-land even suspect: the region is far
to one another in the night. It was worth creeping out from being safe - it is a secluded shelter, a small island
of Archet-village and risking the dangers of the wood, surrounded by unseen foes. You haven’t told anyone as
though, because on some nights, you could hear Elvish you fear they won’t believe you. But you know for sure,
singing on the wind when the Wandering Companies because you have been about with a group of Outsiders…
passed by. They are called Rangers in Bree, and not much is made of
them, but they taught you to look for useful things in the
Basic Attributes: Body 5, Heart 5, Wits 3 wild. Now you know where to find shelter and supplies,
Favoured Skill: Hunting a knowledge you will soon make use of, for the day when
Distinctive Features: you will go out and look for them is near.
(choose two Traits from those listed)
Cautious, Clever, Curious, Determined, Patient, Basic Attributes: Body 3, Heart 7, Wits 3
Reckless, Robust, Suspicious Favoured Skill: Explore
Distinctive Features:
4 – Gate-Warden (choose two Traits from those listed)
The gates of Bree and the other villages are locked at Cautious, Clever, Forthright, Generous,
night, to keep out those that would make trouble… and Honourable, Just, Reckless, Trusty
other things, too. You were one of the wardens, and spent

41
 Bree

Typical Names and Adventuring Age company of friends: you know there is something worth
The Men of Bree use names that to foreign ears sound fighting for.
similar to those used by Hobbits in the Shire (Hobbits beg
to differ, of course). Desperate Courage
"Are you still willing to help me?’ ‘I am,’ said Mr.
Male Names: Alfred, Artie, Bill, Bob, Carl, Ed, Fred, Giles, Butterbur. ‘More than ever."
Herb, Larry, Nob, Oswald, Percy, Perry, Sid, Tom, Harry.
Female Names: Daisy, Emma, Etta, Fay, Fern, Flora, You lived all your life on the edge of the Wild, but the
Gert, Holly, Lily, Myrtle, Poppy, Rose, Sage, Tilly, Violet. worst news that came to Bree in your time concerned only
Family Names: Appledore, Asterfire, Bellsap, brigands or packs of hungry wolves. Now that you know
Briarcleave, Butterbur, Cherryborn, Chesterstout, something about the Shadow in the East, you are sure you
Droverwind, Ferny, Foxglow, Goatleaf, Hardybough, will stand against it should the darkness extend this far
Hedgedon, Hollybirch, Kettlegrass, Lilyhawk, Mossburn, west and threaten all that you love. If you are facing an
Oakstout, Pickthorn, Pollenroad, Rushlight, Sedger, adversary with an Attribute level equal to 6 or more, when
Shrubrose, Sweetroot, Thistlewool, Wayward. you are fighting in a close combat stance you receive a
bonus of +3 to your Parry score.
Adventuring Age: 16-30
Friendly and Inquisitive
In the rare cases where Bree-folk go adventuring at all, they "Drink, fire, and chance-meeting are pleasant
do it when the strength of youth is in their limbs, and usually enough, but, well – this isn’t the Shire."
return home to settle down before their fortieth year.
Since you started your adventures, you have realised that
Endurance and Hope your folk’s custom of trading with foreigners may help
Endurance: 20 + Heart you in your endeavours. You have perfected your ability
Hope: 6 + Heart to inquire about the doings of strangers without letting
curiosity get the better of you, providing you with many
safe opportunities to learn from those you meet along the
Cultural Virtues – Men of Bree way. During an encounter, if you invoke a pertinent Trait
using a Personality or Custom skill, you automatically
The Men of Bree live a sheltered life, it is true, but there raise by 1 your Advancement points total (do not mark a
is an upside in being fond of a warm hearth and the check, but raise your earned total directly).

42
 Men of Bree

Out of Memory and Old Tales Cultural Rewards – Men of Bree

"Bree memories being retentive, Frodo was asked
many times if he had written his book." Bree has no Mathom-house, and there are no great store
of weapons and armour in the nearby villages. But the
Luckily, very few Bree-folk have ‘a memory like a lumber- Barrow-downs are just a stone’s throw away, and the
room’, where things wanted always end up buried. You Greenway leads directly to Deadmen’s Dike...
have found that you rarely forget a face, the details of a
story, the particulars of a map, or even the type of tracks Gatekeeper’s Lantern
that a band of Orcs you already faced leaves behind. A number of very ancient metal lanterns are kept in
You have learnt to exploit this insight to outguess your working order by the gatekeepers of Bree. Shaped like
adversaries and those you meet, and to plan your journeys some curious shellfish, their craftsmanship is long lost,
carefully. When you make a preliminary roll to determine as is the cunning art that makes their light particularly
your preparedness for either a journey, a combat or an bright and enduring. The nature of the liquid fuel they
encounter (see The One Ring Roleplaying Game, page use is a secret that the gatekeepers guard jealously. If you
151), you may make an additional Riddle roll: you gain 1 wield a Gatekeeper’s Lantern in combat while in the dark,
additional Success die on a success, 2 on a great success all creatures with the Fear of Fire or Hate Sunlight special
and 3 on an extraordinary result. abilities lose 2 points of Hate at the end of the first round.

The Big and the Little Pipe of the Prancing Pony

There were probably many more Outsiders scattered The sign of a worthy hero of Breeland, the black clay pipes
about in the West of the World in those days than the of The Prancing Pony are deemed to be authentic relics
people of the Shire imagined. by the Men of Bree, as their manufacture hearkens back
to the time when the art of smoking the genuine pipe-
Men and Hobbits live side by side in Bree, in a peaceful weed first spread out of Bree. Recognisable by their long
arrangement that is found nowhere else in the world. stem and large firebox, smoking a Pipe of The Prancing
That’s why you know Hobbits and their ways very well Pony is said to give great powers of contemplation. When
indeed, and you go along with them quite nicely. You have making a roll using Riddle while smoking this pipe, roll
discovered that this friendliness and familiarity, combined the Feat die twice and keep the best result. Additionally,
with your natural cheerfulness, can be a blessing when you maintain your Standing rating during a Year’s End
travelling with others. Raise your company’s Fellowship Fellowship phase by spending half the required Treasure
rating by 1 additional point. Additionally, you may select points (see The One Ring Roleplaying Game, page 193).
a second Fellowship focus, as long as one of them is a
Hobbit companion. (If you are a Bree-Hobbit, one of them Shield of the First Men (great shield)
must be a Man of Bree.) These large, brightly-painted tall shields are handed
down as heirlooms from one generation to the next, in a
Traveller’s Blessing tradition that the elders of Breeland say stretches back to
"Good luck to your road, and good luck to your the first Men to cross the Mountains and settle in these
homecoming." lands east of the Sea. Old tales say that a man carrying
such a shield in the thick of a fight should fear nothing.
As adventurous as you have perhaps proven to be, your When you are fighting in a Forward stance carrying a
feet become more eager when you turn for home. When Shield of the First Men, if you get a A on the Feat die
travelling to a Sanctuary you have already opened, you on an attack roll, all attacks aimed at you the following
may add your Wisdom score to your Travel roll results. Loremaster turn are considered to fail automatically.
Additionally, if you are spending a Fellowship phase at
home and you choose the Heal Corruption undertaking
you are always allowed to choose a second Fellowship
phase undertaking.

43
 Bree

- Old Bones - of Rivendell can also play this adventure, but they have
the ability to take a more direct approach when it comes
to swordplay.
and Skin This adventure is divided into eight parts. The last few
parts are optional; the company may choose not to risk
• When: The company may undertake this quest at any further danger by disturbing yet more graves, in which
time. case the treasure of the so-called ‘Black Barrow’ will
remain buried in the darkness.
• Where: The adventure begins in Bree and is set in the
lands around it. Part One – Stories by the Fire
In the inn at Bree, the company learn the latest gossip about
• What: The company battle a corpse-eating Troll that the shameful behaviour of the late Timeas Heatherton’s
scavenges bones from the graveyard at Bree, and in youngest nephew, Tomas. They are interrupted when
doing so has inadvertently stolen the key to a greater Tomas himself comes running into the inn, scared white
treasure. as a sheet by the horrors he beheld in the graveyard.

• Why: The companions are intrigued by rumours Part Two – The Nephew’s Tale
heard in the common-room of The Prancing Pony, Questioned by the company, the panicked young Tomas
and alarmed when Tomas Heatherton bursts in. tells all he knows, and more.

• Who: The key characters in this tale are the recently Part Three – As Should Be A-Lying
deceased Timeas Heatherton, his nephew Tomas In Graveyard
Heatherton and the Old Troll. Investigating Bree’s graveyard, the company discover that
a Troll has been raiding the graves for food.

Part Four – Over The Misty Mounds

"Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
Pursuing the Troll, the company enter the cold lands of the
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;"
South Downs, where the Troll makes its lair. Before they
can find it, however, they are scattered by a thick fog.
Parts of this adventure allude to Sam Gamgee’s song
of the Troll, so in an ideal situation, this adventure
Part Five – Up Came Tom With His
would take place so many years prior to Year 3018
Big Boots On
of the Third Age that the events described herein
Reunited, the company find the Troll’s lair; but Tom
might have passed into Hobbit folklore. However,
Heatherton has found his way there too, and his attempts
this concern is purely a conceit of the writer, and has
to steal his uncle’s map meet result in added peril for the
no material bearing on the tale...
adventurers! The company must somehow defeat the Troll,
through strength of arms or deception or a little of both.

Part Six – Old Skins and Sins

Adventuring Phase The company discover old Timeas’ map is of Dwarf-make,
and find the secret of the smoke-letters.
This adventure can be used as the beginning of a campaign
set in Eriador for a company of Bree-folk, Hobbits and Part Seven – Finding the Barrow
perhaps the occasional Dwarf. A more experienced The company follow the map through the Midgewater
company, or one containing Rangers of the North or Elves Marshes to find the Black Barrow and its lost treasures.

44
 Old Bones and Skin

Part Eight – Though Dead He Be, Heatherton was a fine fellow in his old age; always ready
It Belongs to Me to stand his round in the Pony, always with a smile on
Grór the Dwarf arrives, possibly in the company of one of his face and a kind word to passers-by. Only the older
the Heathertons, and definitely with armed followers in souls in Bree remembered a time when Timeas was not
train. He attempts to claim the barrow for his own, and so upstanding a citizen of the town. While it’s true that
take revenge for the death of his brother Grón. Timeas was once an odd sort who went off, they say,
travelling away East, he put all that behind him when he
Epilogue – Of Blood and Bone, came home to Bree, and lived a proper unexciting life from
Of Water and Earth the day he came home until last month, when he died.
The company reflect on the events of the adventure, and
gather what rewards they can from the ruin. The scandal of the hour is Timeas’ youngest nephew
Tomas. The young man missed his own uncle’s funeral;
when he should have been helping carry his uncle’s body
– Part One – to the graveyard outside Bree, he was nowhere to be seen
Stories by the Fire – a matter of great scandal and general comment among
the worthies of Bree! Have you ever heard a more shameful
The adventure begins at The Prancing Pony. The common- thing, for a nephew to miss his own uncle’s burial?
room of the inn is the heart of Bree, and as anyone knows
(anyone in Bree, that is), that means it’s the heart of the Some in the room hint darkly that there is even more to the
world, the fixed point around which Sun and Moon and tale, deeds so foul and terrible they can only be spoken of
Stars all spin on their merry courses. It was here that over another pint of beer (for no man would dare speak of
Thorin Oakenshield met Gandalf the Grey and so set the them wholly sober).
Quest of Erebor in motion.
A successful roll of Riddle (or the expenditure of a point
Tonight, the talk is of matters closer to home than the of Treasure to buy a round for the whole inn) garners the
Lonely Mountain – the scandal of the Heathertons. As following added information:
anyone, and therefore everyone, in Bree knows, Timeas

45
 Bree

• In his day, old Timeas wasn’t merely travelling – it’s said Other Rumours
he was adventuring, with strange and unwholesome Despite a few wild stories about how much Timeas
fellows. From his adventures, he brought back a fair brought back from his travels, it’s clear (from an Insight
amount of coin, enough to keep him in comfort for or Riddle test) that the Heathertons were never especially
many years, and he shared little enough of it with his rich. On a few occasions – when harvests were especially
family. bad, or when there was another mouth to feed in the house
– Timeas would vanish for a few days, and return with
• They found young Tomas after the funeral searching a bag of old coins, always just enough to tide the family
his late uncle’s house. He’d torn the place apart, over the bad times. He never revealed where he got this
no doubt looking for buried treasure. Tomas’ father treasure, and each time claimed that this was the last of it.
threw the boy out onto the street, and he hasn’t been
seen all day! Other tales that the company might hear mention:

• Timeas died a week ago, and was buried two days • One farmer, Ernest Mugwort, complains that his
ago. hens have stopped laying. He thinks that one of them
Rangers crept into his barn a few nights ago and
• One fellow claims that Timeas was murdereded, scared the hens. The straw in the barn smelled very
and that the murderer might not have been human. bad for days afterwards, which is how he knows it
He claims that he saw strange lights and maybe even must have been a Ranger, what with all the time they
Wights lurking outside Timeas’ house a few days ago. spend tromping around the Midgewater Marshes and
other foul places.

Any character with a suitable Trait (Troll-lore, Eriador-lore)

Strangers in the Inn
can guess from the description that the culprit might have
Travellers from Wilderland crossing to the Blue been a Troll. Such monsters often take shelter in barns
Mountains or other points West must inevitably and other outhouses to hide from the light of the sun.
stop in Bree, and so might be present in the common
room on this night. Rangers, equally, visit the inn to • One of the Bree-folk complains that Timeas
eavesdrop on gossip and rest in a bed for once. Heatherton died owing him six coppers, which was
very inconsiderate of him, because it’s clear that the
If you need to fill the common-room with guests on old man knew he was dying. Why, he made his own
the fly, roll on the Guests in the Inn table on page 29. funeral arrangements and paid for the undertaker in
advance!

A companion who is Suspicious, Clever or Secretive might

Old Timeas’ Shady Past guess that Timeas had specific instructions relating to the
Asking about Timeas’ travels when he was younger disposal of his remains.
means talking to one old fellow whose combination
of age and drunkenness demands a Courtesy test to The Sullen Dwarf
have the patience to extract anything useful out of his Sitting in a corner of the inn is a sullen-faced Dwarf, his face
ramblings. If successful, the greybeard recalls that once hidden in the shadows of his cowl and the curls of his beard.
Timeas returned to Bree in the company of a Ranger, He gives the impression that his entire attention is focused
of all people, but that wasn’t who he used to leave Bree on the stein of beer in front of him, but his ears prick up
with. Indeed, the old man recalls having the impression whenever Timeas’ name is mentioned. This Dwarf’s name
that the Ranger had rescued Timeas from his former is Grór, and he is part of the company of treasure hunters
companions. and brigands that Timeas once travelled with.

46
 Old Bones and Skin

The Shadow of the Past

In his youth, Timeas was part of a band of treasure hunters led by a villain named Gorlanc, who roved around
Eriador and the north looking for buried treasures and relics of the lost kingdoms. On one such expedition, Timeas
accompanied two other members of the company, a man named Egri and a Dwarf named Grón, on a search for a
place that Gorlanc called the Black Barrow.

They found the hidden barrow, and Grón made a map of the tomb’s location, but the company fell to quarrelling
over the treasure. Grón killed Egri, and Timeas killed Grón and fled the barrow in terror. He nearly died in the
Midgewater Marshes, but was found and rescued by the Rangers. Ashamed, he confessed everything he knew about
Gorlanc’s company to the Rangers. They returned him to Bree, then drove Gorlanc’s followers out of Eriador.

Secretly, Timeas kept the map showing the location of the buried tomb. He never dared loot this tomb completely,
fearing both the curses of the dead and the enmity of the living, especially the surviving members of his company or
the Rangers, who kept an eye on him when they could spare it. It is this map that both young Tomas and Grór seek,
and the Old Troll now possesses. Now, Gorlanc has returned to the North, and he has not forgotten Timeas though
more than thirty winters have passed. He is still searching for the treasure of the Black Barrow and has sent one
of his agents, the Dwarf Grór (brother of Grón) to Bree to spy on Timeas and learn what the old man remembered
of the hidden barrow. The shock of seeing the face of the Dwarf he murdered (for Grór and Grón look very much
alike) hastened Timeas’ death, as surely as if some ghost had visited him in the night...

He just listens to the conversation. If any of the eager to witness the latest instalment in the ongoing saga
companions try speak to Grór, he drains his cup, belches of the Heathertons. Skip on to Part Three – As Should
rudely and hurries upstairs to his room. Otherwise, he Be A-Lying in the Graveyard, and run Part Two – The
vanishes in the uproar that accompanies Tomas’ arrival Nephew’s Tale if the company return to question Tomas.
(see Alarums and Incursions, below).
However, if the company take Tomas aside, calm him down
Grór follows the company once they leave Bree. He is and question him quietly, the patrons in the common
sufficiently cautious and stealthy to avoid detection, and room lose interest once it becomes clear that Tomas isn’t
the company’s headlong pursuit of the Troll ensures there going to do anything else shocking in the near future, and
is no time to set an ambush for him. See The Footpad the characters can slip out unseen later on.
sidebar on page 54.

Alarums and Incursions – Part Two –

Suddenly, the door of The Pony bursts open, and in rushes The Nephew’s Tale
a young Bree-lander. The mutterings of the common room
make it clear that this young man is the infamous Tomas The ensuing scene, in which the company speak to Tomas,
Heatherton. He’s white as a sheet, and starts jabbering is played out as an encounter. The company need to win
about ghosts and monsters in the graveyard. From his his trust if they are to find out as much as they can about
babbling, it’s clear that he witnessed something horrible. events in the graveyard. Just how far Tomas will work with
them is determined by the Outcome of the encounter.
If the player-heroes rush to the graveyard immediately, There’s also the possibility that Tomas’ father, Nick
then they’ll be accompanied by half the patrons of the inn, Heatherton may also become involved in events.

47
 Bree

Set Tolerance • He doesn’t know why Timeas didn’t leave the map to
The starting Tolerance for this encounter is based on the his family, but suspects that his uncle was trying to
highest Wisdom rating in the company. protect his kin; the hoard may be located somewhere
perilous.
Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter
Keep track of the number of successful rolls made by the Courtesy or Awe convinces Tomas to admit what he was
player-heroes as normal. The more successful rolls, the doing in the graveyard:
more willing Tomas is to trust the company.
• He brought a shovel and intended to dig up his uncle’s
Introduction grave to find the map.
Instead of making regular introductions, the companions • He fears that the ghost manifested to punish him for
first need to calm the panicked young man down. A grave robbing.
successful Inspire test will easily do this. • The adventurers, though, they look like courageous
souls who do not fear any ghosts. If they help him get
Interaction the map, he’ll split Timeas’ treasure with them! He
Successful rolls of Riddle or Persuade gets Tomas to give claims that only he knows how to interpret his uncle’s
a more accurate account of what just happened. He offers marks and codes – the map is useless without him (a
one of the following facts for every success: roll of Insight or Riddle, or a Cunning, Suspicious,
Just or Wary hero, suggests Tomas is lying on this
• Tomas saw a ghost in the graveyard. It looked right point).
at him! He was so scared he nearly fainted! The next
thing he knew, he was running in the door of the inn! Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter
• The ghost was huge! Grey-skinned, nine or ten feet The split Tomas offers depends on the number of successes
tall despite being all hunched over, and it smelled obtained by the player-heroes.
like rotten meat. (A Hunting or Lore test, use of an
appropriate Trait, or simple common sense, suggests 1: Tomas doesn’t trust the adventurers – he promises
that he’s describing a Troll, not an unquiet spirit.) them a fair share of the treasure, but he’ll betray them if
• He thinks it was scrabbling around in the dirt, as if he gets the opportunity and steal the map for himself.
looking for something. It didn’t chase him – it must
still be in the graveyard! 2-4: Tomas offers them a quarter-share of the treasure. It’s
• He was in the graveyard to dig up the body of his his inheritance, he says, and a quarter-share is generous
uncle, Timeas. beyond measure.

That last admission will doubtless prompt other questions. 5-6: An even share – half for them, half for him.
Rolls of Insight, Awe or Persuade can be used to draw
Tomas out on this topic. Again, he offers one fact for every 7+: Take it all! Well, take 3/4s. Just save him from from
success: the burning red eyes of the ghost!

• Tomas’ late Uncle Timeas was a former treasure Tomas suggests returning to the graveyard to drive away
hunter and always had money when he needed it. the ghost and recover Timeas’ body and the map.
• Timeas had a map that pointed the way to a buried
fortune. It’s hidden somewhere in Bree-land; Timeas Tomas Heatherton
would go to the buried hoard when he needed coin. Young Tom Heatherton is a strapping youth, with a
• The map wasn’t among Timeas’ belongings, or in the mop of dark hair and the start of what might be a beard
house. Tomas thinks his uncle must have arranged to one day. Like most young men, he fancies himself to be
be buried with the map. wiser, cleverer and more dangerous than his elders. For

48
 Old Bones and Skin

a Bree-lander, he’s impatient and ambitious, and dreams “Boy,” he calls to Tom, “enough of this foolishness. You’ve
of travelling over the mountains to distant lands like brought enough shame on my house without dragging
Dale, and using his uncle’s fortune to set himself up as a these good folk into our affairs.”
merchant prince.
“It’s not your house, dad,” spits back Tom. “Uncle Tim paid
When playing Tomas, talk big and bold when you’re for it, as well you know. You might be too scared to claim
feeling safe, then scream and run away when danger what’s ours now that Tim’s gone, but I’m not.”
threatens. He’s not completely cowardly, but is completely
unseasoned and impetuous. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy. Stay
silent.” To the company, Nick says “This matter ain’t
any concern of yours. I don’t know what nonsense my
son’s been saying, but ’tis better to leave well enough
alone. Here, for your troubles, a few coins.” He offers the
company 1 Treasure to abandon the adventure.

Tom begs the company to ignore his father. “I know what

I saw, and I know such things won’t leave well enough
alone. We must return to the graveyard and put it right.”

Questioning Nick Heatherton

The farmer has little interest in bandying words with
strangers about his troublesome son or his recently-
deceased brother. Insight suggests he’s ashamed or even
scared of his brother’s legacy, and worried that his hot-
headed son is about to get into trouble. With Courtesy or
Inspire, the company can get a few half-answers out of
Nick Heatherton.

• His brother Timeas was wealthy – or, more precisely,

knew where to get money. Timeas always hinted
that there was a lot more wealth available, but that
obtaining it would be somehow perilous.

• Timeas travelled with strange and dangerous folk, but

Attribute Level: 2 he put that part of his life behind him long ago. Nick
Specialities: Burglary, Cooking wants to ensure that young Tom does not go down a
Distinctive Features: Reckless, Tall similar road.
Relevant Skills: Stealth ♦♦♦, Craft ♦♦
Endurance: 16 • He begs the company to keep Tom safe. He just buried
his brother; he hopes he doesn’t have to bury his son
A Father’s Wisdom too.
Depending on where the company speak with Tom
Heatherton, they may be interrupted by the arrival of his Nick actually knows a great deal more than he is willing to
father, Nick Heatherton, a farmer of Bree. Nick wears a say; he is the one who buried the map with his brother, and
black cloak as a mark of mourning for his late brother he knows about Tim’s travels with Gorlanc’s company.
Timeas.

49
 Bree

If the heroes fail to spot the traces, they have two other
- Part Three - ways to find the trail. First, if they think of it, they could
As Should Be A-Lying In visit the nearby barn mentioned by the farmer in The
Graveyard Prancing Pony for another chance to find the trail (again,
Search at TN 16).
The people of Bree bury their dead on a hillside south
of the Great East Road. As they have done since time The second option is to stake out the graveyard and wait
immemorial, they raise mounds of earth over the corpses, for the Troll to return. Anyone with the Troll-lore Trait
and let the grass be their shroud. Those steeped in ancient can guess that the creature will return for more well-aged
lore can tell you that the oldest mounds are oriented to meat. Some Trolls prefer corpses that have had some time
the north, towards Bree-hill and points beyond, and the to rot, so it’s unlikely to eat all of Uncle Timeas right away.
newer mounds look back towards the West, towards the
setting sun and the Undying Lands. Many Onlookers
If a crowd from The Prancing Pony followed the
The mounds are not like the great barrows of the kings; player-heroes to the graveyard, then the Search test
they are little earthen piles covered in green grass, just automatically fails as drunken onlookers trample any
long enough to house a corpse. possible tracks, accuse young Tom of grave robbing and
shout in alarm when they mistake a passing goat for a
The graveyard is within sight of the lights of Bree, but is ghost, or a Troll, or whatever monster they imagine stalks
about ten minutes’ walk outside the town’s gates. A well- this graveyard at night.
worn path, lined with flowers, runs between the South-
gate of Bree and the little cemetery. Staking out the Graveyard
The Troll is gone for the night, and won’t return for several
Old Timeas’ Grave more. The only thing to do is stake out the graveyard,
The newest mound, a spot of brown among the sea of which means maintaining a series of watches over the
green, is that of Timeas Heatherton. Examining it, it’s clear coming days. Tomas will suggest this course of action if
that the mound has been recently opened and then closed the players don’t think of it. If the company are on good
up again. If the companions open the grave (committing a terms with Tomas, he offers to pay for their lodgings at
Misdeed worth a point of Shadow!) they find it empty. The The Pony if they promise to help him track down the Troll
body is gone. Something opened up the mound, stole the that took his uncle’s body.
corpse, and sealed it up again so expertly that the earth
looks undisturbed at a casual glance. The most reasonable way to stake out the graveyard is to
take watches, where one adventurer stands vigil over the
If present, Tomas insists on making a careful search of the mounds for a few hours before rousing a companion. If
barrow, to no avail – there’s no sign of any map. the whole company wishes to spend several cold, sleepless
nights sitting on a wet hillside in Bree, they can do so, but
Searching the Graveyard each companion gains 4 Fatigue.
A successful Search test turns up a spade (which Tomas
apologetically claims as his) and little else. It takes a At this time of year, thick fogs are common across the
great or extraordinary success to find the traces of the Downs. The fog rolls around the graveyard, turning the
Troll: a few trampled blades of grass and mostly erased mounds into little islands of green in a sea of white before
footprints. For a Troll, this one must be exceedingly canny swallowing them entirely. It’s hard to see any distance, so
and stealthy. Still, it’s enough to track with a Hunting any watchers must rely on their hearing, listening for the
test. Following this trail leads to Part Four – Over The bellows-breath of the Troll, for the soft scraping of spade-
Misty Mounds. like paws in the earth, for the crunch of bones. Call for an
Awareness test from the watcher.

50
 Old Bones and Skin

Failure: The stealthy Old Troll manages to sneak up on the If the Old Troll is allowed to go about his grisly business
watchman, and attacks with the advantage of surprise. A without interruption, then he digs out one of the other
single player-hero versus a Troll is likely to be a very one- mounds, removes the half-rotten body inside (“just about
sided battle; the character is advised to flee, knowing the ripe,” he mutters, “ain’t nothing like nicely aged meat” )
Troll will not pursue them into Bree. If there’s more than and stuffs it into a sack before vanishing into the mists.
one watchman, pick the tastiest one.
Battling the Old Troll
Success: The character spots that the Troll has returned Depending on how the stake-out went, this battle may
when the Troll is nearly on top of them! They may hide involve:
from the Troll with a Stealth test until the monster moves
away. • One or two unlucky watchmen ambushed by the Troll.
• The whole company charging into battle with the Troll.
If the Stealth test is successful, the Troll sniffs the air, • The company ambushing the Troll.
growls, mutters something about a strange smell and then
heads into the graveyard to dig up another juicy body. The In any case, it’s clear that this is an old and dangerous
player-hero may then sound the alarm, as described below. Stone-troll, cunning and fast beyond the common measure
of his kind. The Old Troll’s pale hide is marked by many
If the Stealth test fails, then the Troll spots the hiding scars; beneath his goat-skin jerkin he wears an old coat of
watchmen and attacks. ring-mail, rusty and tattered but still proof against blows,
and he carries a knife (in the hands of a man it would be
Great Success: The watchman spies the Troll at a distance. a sword).
The watchman can sound the alarm, summoning the
whole company. The Troll flees, with the company in hot The Old Troll fights until reduced to half his starting
pursuit. Alternatively, the company can try to ambush the Endurance (40), until Wounded, or until he fears being
Troll with a Stealth test to get into position. If successful, surrounded and brought down by weight of numbers.
the company can force a battle with the Troll here and Remember, from his perspective, the graveyard at Bree is
now. just a convenient source of tasty food. To him, the body
in the bag is like a sweet honeycomb, but he’s not going
Extraordinary Success: Keen indeed are the eyes of the to risk his life poking a beehive if the bees are swarming.
watch! The watchman spots the Troll at such a distance that You don’t get to be an Old Troll by staying in a losing fight.
there’s time to sneak back to Bree, summon the rest of the
company, and return to encircle it without needing to make So, at a suitable moment, the Old Troll attempts to use his
Stealth tests. Indeed, they even have enough time to make Fell Speed special ability to escape the combat at the start
preliminary Battle rolls to earn advantages. of the next round. He leaps over the head of one of his

That Was Easy… Too Easy!

It’s unlikely to happen, but it’s certainly possible that a combination of extraordinary successes and Piercing Blows
could kill the Old Troll before he gets a chance to run away. If this happens, the players still have to find the Old
Troll’s lair. There’s no sign of Timeas’ map on the corpse of the Old Troll, so it will be in his lair if it’s anywhere.

Run Part Four – Over the Misty Mounds without the pressure of the chase, and when the companions get to Part
Five, replace the late Old Troll with his elder brother, the Older Troll, who’s none too happy about the death of his
baby brother. The Older Troll has Hatred for any player characters who Wounded his brother.

51
 Bree

foes and scrambles away into the fog. Note down the Old Play him as a sort of monstrous parody of Tom Bombadil,
Troll’s remaining Endurance when he flees the fight – he if Tom were a corpse-eating monstrosity. He cares for
regains 12 Endurance between now and Part Five of the nothing except for mastery of his own little domain and
adventure. If he’s Wounded, he stays Wounded. his own appetites, and entertains himself by gurgling grim
little ditties about crunching bones and smashing skulls.
The Old Troll
"My lad," said Troll, "this bone I stole. The Old Troll:
But what be bones that lie in a hole?
Thy nuncle was as a lump o’ lead, Attribute Level
Afore I found his shin-bone." 7
Endurance Hate
How old is the Old Troll? Not even he knows. The Trolls,
80 7
it is said, were made in mockery of the Ents, and Ents live
long indeed. Even the counterfeits of the Enemy might Parry Armour
6 4d
measure their lifespans in centuries or longer.
Skills
The Old Troll’s chainmail and knife come from the forges Personality, 3 Survival, 2
of long-vanished Angmar, and he vaguely recalls fighting Movement, 4 Custom, 3
in one war or another, but the details are as hazy and Perception, 2 Vocation, 3
forgotten as his true name. He is, as far as he can recall, Weapon Skills
the oldest of the Trolls of Eriador. Troll-Knife 4
Crush 2
Special Abilities
Great Size Horrible Strength
Fell Speed* Deadly Misfortune
Reckless Hate -
*This special ability reflects the Troll’s superior battle-
savvy and surprising quickness rather than any powers
of flight or supernatural movement. For this reason, the
Troll is limited to attackig only heroes fighting in a close
combat stance, and must succeed at a Movement test
(TN 14) at the beginning of a round to abandon combat
or disengage and engage a different opponent.
Deadly Misfortune: Trolls don’t normally know any
magic, but the Old Troll learned a few tricks out of
Angmar. If a character rolls an C on any roll while
in the vicinity of the Old Troll’s lair, then the Old Troll
may spend a point of Hate. If he does, then one of the
piles of bones suddenly slips and collapses on top
of the character, crashing and clattering down very
loudly. The Troll gains 2 bonus dice that can only be
used against that foe. This ability is only usable when
the Old Troll is near his lair (see page 58).
Reckless Hate: The Old Troll may spend 1 point of
Hate to recover a number of Endurance points equal
to its Attribute level (up to its maximum Endurance
rating).

52
 Old Bones and Skin

Weapons: The first part of the journey is easy; the lands just south of
the Road are still farmland, or at least the stones remember
being tilled when the region was more populous; many
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called paths still criss-cross the countryside.
type Shot
Troll-Knife 5 10 14 -
(Short Sword) • 20 miles of travel from Bree south of the Road takes
Crush Att. Level C 12 - the company to the edge of the South Downs. It takes
them 1 day.

Pursuing the Old Troll By noon on the second day, however, the company find
The Old Troll runs on all fours, loping along at terrible themselves climbing into the stony hills of the South
speed, faster than any Man or Elf could run. A horse might Downs; a monotonous, rolling landscape where each pile
be able to keep pace, but the Old Troll knows the land of shale and scanty grass hides another dozen hills, all
around Bree very well, and so takes a route that runs up alike. The paths in this part of the world are treacherous;
sheer cliffs and through dense thickets and marshes. He valleys end suddenly in box canyons, and the loose stones
flees away south, running for the South Downs. are always eager to twist an ankle or trap a foot. This is
Troll country, and you need to be made of stone to be at
The company may not be able to keep the Troll in sight, home here.
but now that they know roughly in which direction his
lair might be found, they can pursue him across the • It’s another 20 miles of travel into the South Downs to
countryside. They also have one key advantage – they the area around where the Troll lairs. This takes them
can travel by day or night, but the Troll must find shelter 2 days, and 1 Fatigue test at TN 16.
to avoid the light of the Sun, or be turned to stone. The
Old Troll knows every barn, gully, cave and hole from If Tomas is with the company, he acquits himself
Deadman’s Dike to Tharbad; he knows where to hide from surprisingly well. The young Bree-lander is not an
the killing light. experienced traveller, but he is young and tough, and as
long as there are no sudden dangers, he keeps pace with
the player-heroes.
– Part Four –
Over The Misty Mounds
The Old Troll’s lair is hidden some 50 miles south of Bree;
three or four days’ travel for a Man, but only two night’s
hard running for a Troll, for the stone-bred do not tire or
tarry as mortals do. Trolls are by nature very lazy and
territorial, which makes them slow, but when they have
to run, they run as though the dawn were behind them.

This stage of the adventure is a journey from Bree to the Old

Troll’s lair, but it is possible that the company might catch
the Old Troll before he reaches his home. The company
don’t know exactly where they are going, so they don’t get
to make preliminary rolls. As the company need to move
as fast as possible to catch the Troll, any Fatigue test sees
its difficulty raised by one level (already calculated in the
journey notes below).

53
 Bree

Hazard Suggestions
The Footpad Lost the Trail (Huntsman – Fatigue)
At various points in this adventure, the company may The company lose the trail of the Old Troll, and the
be followed by either Tomas Heatherton or Grór Huntsman must search around to find it again. On a
the Dwarf, depending on the circumstances of their failure, the Huntsman adds Fatigue again, twice on the
departure from Bree. In either case, the pursuer stays roll of an C, representing a day squandered following
clear of the company and cannot easily be ambushed. false trails and doubling back.
If the company’s Look-out Man or Huntsman gets
a great or extraordinary success on, respectively, an Troll-path (Scout – Fatigue or Wound)
Awareness or Hunting roll, then they find signs of the The Old Troll has taken a route that only a Troll could
pursuer, alerting the company to their shadow. traverse safely: up a steep cliff, through thick brambles or
across marshy ground. The Scout has a choice: do they
It’s up to the Loremaster as to whether you wish to lead the company on the same Troll-path, or risk delay by
allow the player-heroes to catch their footpad. The finding a safer alternative route?
simplest approach is to say that the pursuer always
evades capture, or to counter the company’s attempts If the Scout chooses to take the Troll-path, then each
by some external calamity like a Troll attack. On the member of the company must make a Travel roll or else
other hand, if you feel comfortable improvising the lose Endurance equal to the roll of a Success die, or a
later sections, you could allow the company to capture Wound if the Travel test fails with an C.
their pursuer with a successful Hunting test (TN 12
for Tomas, TN 20 for the wily Grór). If the Scout looks for another route, they must make
an Explore test. With a success, the chase continues
unabated. With a failure, the company each add Fatigue
and still have to cross the Troll-path as above, as there’s
The Trail of the Troll no other way to follow the trail.
At the start of the chase, the company are hot on the
Troll’s heels and have a chance to catch him before he Thick Mists (Guide – Dangerous Meeting)
reaches his lair. However, Hazard episodes may cause the Thick mists roll in over the Downs from the West. If
company to temporarily lose the trail and force them to the company continue, they risk becoming lost and
search for it again when light breaks over the Downs. Each scattered. If they don’t continue, they’ll lose the Troll’s
day, the company’s Huntsman may make a Hunting roll trail and have to pick it up again in the morning. If the
(TN16). Cross-reference the result on the table below. Guide chooses to press on, call for a Travel test. If this

Hunting the Troll:

Hunting roll Lost the Trail Has the Trail

The Troll gains 2 bonus dice when
Failure No effect.
he next battles the company.
The company find where the Troll was hiding during the day, but
The company find the trail again,
the monster escapes just before they can catch him. The Troll loses
Success but the Troll gains 1 bonus die
1 bonus die when he next battles the company (or, if he has no dice
when he next battles the company.
left, the company gain 1 bonus die)
Great or
Extraordinary The company find the trail again. The company catch the Troll.
Success

54
 Old Bones and Skin

test fails, the company gets separated and scattered. Pick make preliminary rolls and ambush the Troll when it
one companion to be ambushed by the Old Troll, as per bursts out and flees.
Staking out the Graveyard on page 50.
Keep track of the Troll’s Endurance; when the company
Night Terrors (Look-out – Misery) finally corner the Old Troll in his lair, any Endurance he’s
The Look-out Man’s eyes seem to be playing tricks on lost stays lost.
them. Every hillock and rock looks like the Troll. As the
moonlight plays over the Downs, it is as though the Troll The Ranger
is everywhere. Ask the player how attentive they intend to This is an optional encounter that has limited impact on
be – are they going to stay on-edge and fully alert all night, this adventure, but foreshadows events in future tales.
fraying their nerves, or will they put aside their worries
and just make sure that no foes trouble the sleeping As the company march across the Downs, they spot a
companions? figure in a grey cloak, walking west. It’s unusual to meet
anyone in this wilderness; anyone travelling in this part of
If the Look-out strains their eyes all night, add 2 Fatigue Eriador would take the great East Road or the Greenway,
and call for an Awareness test. On a success, they spot the unless they had a specific and doubtless sinister reason
Troll moving in the distance. On a failure, or if they watch to stay out of sight. One lone traveller is unlikely to be a
only the immediate area instead of peering off into the bandit, though, so the company may greet this stranger
darkness, the Look-out doesn’t spot the Troll moving and without undue fear.
the company lose the trail. The Look-out is temporarily
Miserable until the Troll’s trail is found again. Any Rangers recognise the woman by her gait; she is
Haleth, a fellow Dúnadan, famed for her skill with the
March by Night (All Companions – Fatigue) sword. Her usual haunts are far to the east, where she
Sun sets over the Downs, and it’s clear that the Troll is well guards Rivendell and the valley of the Greyflood from
ahead of the company. Soon, when the daylight is gone Orcs and Trolls.
completely, the Troll will emerge from his hiding place and
consolidate his lead over the company. To have a chance Today, she is on an errand for the Rangers that cannot wait,
of catching the Troll, they need to march by night. and so she cannot stop to accompany the companions
unless they are in very dire need. (She might help the
If they do not do so, they temporarily lose the Troll’s trail. characters find the trail of the Troll again, or show up to
rescue a player-hero who got ambushed by the Troll or
If the company decides to march by night, call for a Travel wandered away from the rest of the company).
test from everyone, adding Fatigue on a failure (or twice if
they fail with an C. If there are any Rangers of the North or Elves in the
company, then Haleth stops to speak with the company.
Catching the Troll Otherwise, she stays to talk only if the company’s speaker
If the company catch up with the Old Troll, then they come makes a Courtesy test to convince her that they are worth
to some noisome cave or lightless gully in the Downs talking to.
where he has taken refuge. The company still have a few
minutes of daylight left, so they can either enter the Troll’s • She’s encountered the Old Troll before – the brute
hiding place and attack, or else wait outside and set an trespassed close to Rivendell some twenty years ago,
ambush. and she was part of the hunting party that drove him
away (“I’m older than I look”, she says wryly). She
If they enter into the hiding place, then the Troll has to recalls that the Troll was especially dangerous near
survive for three rounds of combat before it can flee into his lair. He marks the territory around his lair with
the twilight. If they wait outside, then the company may some foul spells.

55
 Bree

• She’s also heard of Timeas, and recalls his trouble There are several ways this scene might begin, and several
with bad company. Any treasure map he had may be ways it might play out. (Remember, if the company have
more perilous than any Troll. She suggests that the already killed the Old Troll, then his older brother the
company should give any such map to someone they Older Troll takes his place in this scene).
can trust (like Gandalf or Elrond, if the company know
such exalted figures; another Ranger, if they don’t), The company see the Troll when they arrive. He’s slumped
or that they destroy it. Some treasures are best left on a seat of stone at the entrance to the cave, breathing
unfound. heavily, exhausted by the long chase. There’s a skin of
wine and most of a roasted goat by his side.
If anyone makes a roll of Insight (or has a trait like
Wary), they see that Tomas is angered by Haleth’s words Tomas’ Folly
of caution, but has enough sense not to insult a Ranger The first problem is that young Tomas Heatherton has
to her face. arrived ahead of the company and is currently trying to
sneak into the Troll’s lair to search for his uncle’s bones
Fog on the South Downs and the map. Tomas is not especially stealthy, but how
As the company approach the Troll’s lair, another bank of hard can it be to sneak past a sleeping Troll?
thick fog rolls in. This fog has an unwholesome, unnatural
feel to it. As it approaches, it looms and lopes like the A successful Insight or Awareness roll from a
Old Troll, as though an army of misty monsters were companion reveals that the Troll is only pretending to
advancing upon the company. The fog is so thick that the sleep. His red eyes glitter beneath their heavy lids. He’s
company risk being scattered. dozing, but not asleep. However, the Troll hasn’t spotted
Tomas yet. (If, by some quirk of your game, Tomas isn’t
If Tomas is with the company, then he is automatically here, then the company don’t need to worry about the boy
lost in the fog. Other characters must make a Search and can instead focus on the Troll.)
test to find one another in the fog. A character who fails
is lost and alone as they enter the area around the Old What do the company do?
Troll’s lair. A character who succeeds finds one of his
companions, chosen at random, before entering into the • Do Nothing: If the company choose not to act and
Old Troll’s demesne; a great success indicates they have see what happens, here’s how things play out. Tomas
found two companions; an extraordinary success, three. tries to sneak past the ‘sleeping’ Troll, but as he enters
the cave, one of the piles of skulls topples in the wind
and falls on top of him. Quick as a snake, the Troll
- Part Five – springs up and grabs him. Tomas bravely demands
Up Came Tom With His that the Troll hand over his uncle’s bones. “Why, if
Big Boots On thou craves thy nuncle so, then surely ye should find
him!” cries the Troll. He pulls Tomas taut, holding the
The Old Troll’s lair is a deep cave in the lee of one of boy by wrists and ankles, and then he twists.
the mounds of the South Downs. For a furlong or more
around the cave, he’s stacked piles of bones and skulls The sound of breaking bones echoes across the grim
as warding totems against intruders. Closer to the cave, valley. All the companions gain 2 Shadow points for
these piles grow in size; the teetering bone-piles near the standing idly by. The Troll tosses the hobbled Tomas
cave entrance are taller than a tall man. The wind whistles into the back of the cave and returns to napping.
through these grisly landmarks, keening like a banshee.
This is a dark place, a place of shadow. All those who • Rescue Tomas from his Folly: The challenge is to
enter the Old Troll’s demesne must make a Corruption sneak faster than Tomas, and grab the boy before
test or gain a point of Shadow. he gets too close to the Troll. This requires a Stealth

56
 Old Bones and Skin

test. If the companion fails, offer the choice of staying means the Troll spots the heroes creeping up on him and
hidden and not reaching Tomas in time, or grabbing gets to spring an ambush of his own, leaping forward to
Tomas but being spotted by the Troll out in the open. attack.

• Use the Boy as a Distraction: If the company Parleying with the Old Troll
wishes, they could use Tomas as a distraction when The Old Troll is no fool. If the adventurers have tracked
trying to steal from or ambush the Troll. Poor Tomas him back to his lair and already hurt him, then they’re
gets mangled and thrown into the back of the cave, a danger to him. One lucky arrow, one blade that finds
as above; the player-heroes (heroes might no longer purchase in his stony skin, and he might die here. Treat
be the right word here…) gain 3 bonus dice for any this as an encounter.
Stealth tests made in this scene, and they gain 3
Shadow points instead of 2. Set Tolerance
The starting Tolerance for this encounter starts at 1.
• Confront the Old Troll: Stepping out bravely into full Increase it by 1 if the Old Troll’s Endurance is 20 or less,
view and hailing the Troll requires an Awe test. If the or 2 if he is already Wounded. Increase the Tolerance by
test fails, then the Old Troll grabs Tomas as a hostage a further 1 if there’s a Ranger of the North or an Elf in the
before parleying with the company. If successful, then company.
the Old Troll is so surprised by the player-hero’s bold
challenge that he doesn’t spot Tomas. Introduction and Interaction
The Old Troll can be polite enough when he wants to be.
• Charge! Battle is joined! If the player-heroes inflict at If the companions approach him with Courtesy, he’s
least 10 points of damage with their Opening Volley, willing to listen. The company could also stall with the
then the Troll stumbles back, dismayed by the hail of Riddle-game, or offer a bargain with Persuade (perhaps
fire. Otherwise, he grabs Tomas and uses the boy as cutting the Troll in for a share of Timeas’ treasure).
a shield.
If the Troll has Tomas as a hostage, then the company will
Stealing from the Troll need to persuade the Troll not to eat the boy, perhaps with
Sneaking past the Troll and getting into the cave requires an Awe or Persuade roll.
a Stealth test at TN 16. If the test fails, the troll spots the
intruder and attacks. If the company ask for the return of Timeas’ bones, the
Troll grows suspicious. “What was this man to thou? Why
If successful, the character may pilfer one item from the should thee care where his bones lie? What’s this? A map?
Troll’s lair (roll the Feat die on the Contents of the Lair A map, aye – and a map to what, I ask thee?”
table, on page 58). A great success allows for two rolls on
the table, an extraordinary success yields three (roll again Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter
duplicate results). Alternatively, a character may attempt Count up the number of successes.
a Search test to find the map instead of taking a random
item from the hoard. 0-1: “For a couple of pins, I’ll eat thee too, and gnaw thy
shins!” The Troll breaks Tomas’ bones and attacks!
Obviously, rolling an C on the table means the
precarious pile of bones topples over with a resounding 2-4: The Old Troll offers to let Tomas go and not to return
crash, alerting the Old Troll. to the graveyard at Bree – as long as the company depart
his lair and never return. As a creature of shadow, the
Ambushing the Old Troll Troll has no intention of keeping his vow forever, but the
The company might choose to get as close to the Troll as company can buy Bree a year of peace.
they can before attacking. Call for a Stealth test. Failure

57
 Bree

5-6: The Old Troll agrees to hand over the map, as long as another 29 that might be earned by returning items to
the company bring him a third of the treasure as tribute. their original owners).
If the company agree, and then break their vow, that’s
a Misdeed worth 3 Shadow points (breaking an oath is On the other hand, if the company steal from the hoard
normally worth 4 points, but it is a promise to a Troll!) piecemeal, roll on the table to see what they find.

7+: The Old Troll is so impressed – or cowed – by the Contents of the Lair:
company that he offers them Timeas’ bones and the
choice of any other item from his hoard (including the Roll Treasure Found
map) if they leave him be.
A pile of skulls – which collapses when
C
touched, alerting the Troll.
I’ve a Mind to Dine on thee Now
1 Nothing but well-gnawed bones.
The Old Troll attacks! He moves with terrifying speed and
ferocity, hurling bones and rocks as he charges, roaring A few skins of wine and a brace of stolen
loud enough to make the dead quail. This is the final battle 2 chickens – no treasure, but a good meal in
the offing.
with the Troll – he won’t flee from this fight. Remember to
give the Old Troll any bonus dice he won during his flight A few silver coins from Bree, used as
3
from Bree (see page 51). toothpicks by the Troll (1 Treasure)
A merchant’s purse. It contains a few real
If the Troll has Tomas, he wields the boy like a shield, coins (1 Treasure) and a larger number of
4
increasing his Parry by 4. A successful Called Shot can tin coins painted to look like silver (9 false
Treasure)
free Tomas from the Troll’s grasp.
The bones of a Dwarf. Hidden beneath these
5
Remember to take advantage of the Old Troll’s Deadly remains is a bag of coins (2 Treasure)*
Misfortune – any mistakes the company make can be A necklace of gold; crudely made, but
6
exploited to their fullest if the Troll spends 1 Hate to buy valuable enough (2 Treasure).
2 bonus dice. A woman’s ring (2 Treasure). Also, a
7
woman’s finger (0 Treasure).
If slain, the Old Troll collapses amidst the bone-piles of A cunning puzzle-box of Dwarven make.
his victims. Opening it requires a Craft test; inside is 7
8 Treasure and a letter which, if delivered to
A companion could take the distraction bought by the Blue Mountains, carries with it a reward
the battle to run into the cave and search for the map. of another 5 Treasure.

Alternatively, if you need some hope unlooked-for to A box containing cheap but well-wrought
rescue the company, then Haleth could join the company 9 jewels and rings made by the Dwarves of the
in battling the Old Troll. Blue Mountains (10 Treasure)
A coffin from Bree. The deceased was a
The Contents of the Lair 10
notorious miser, who was buried with 15
The treasures of the cave, such as they are, are described in Treasure. Taking money from the dead in this
fashion is a Misdeed worth 1 Shadow point.
the Contents of the Lair table. If the company have killed
or otherwise defeated the Troll, then there’s no need to roll A Timeas’ Map
on the table – they can gather all the treasure stuffed into
cracks and odd corners in the cave, and pile it high before
dividing it. They find everything. (The full accounting of Coin-counting players may object, and argue that a
the treasure, using the Magical Treasure rules from the Troll’s hoard usually contains ten times as much treasure.
Rivendell supplement, is a comparatively paltry 40* plus Remind such players that they just found a treasure map.

58
 Old Bones and Skin

– Part Six – And finally, to the South, HENCE CAME THE COMPANY
Old Skins and Sins TO SEEK TREASURE.

The map was entombed with Timeas Heatherton, wrapped From the nature of the runes, the company can easily
around one shin and stuffed down the boot he was buried guess it was made by a Dwarf, not by Timeas. That
in. Now, it’s in the hands of the company (and Tomas suggests that Timeas did not find the treasure himself;
Heatherton, if he’s still alive). one of his erstwhile travelling companions found it, and
he stole the map.

A successful roll of Lore, Travel or Craft (or a Trait like

Eriador-lore) suggests it was made relatively recently,
within the last twenty years or so. Timeas may have
obtained it shortly before he returned to Bree from his
mysterious travels.

If the map is Dwarf-made, then the arrow points east as

is traditional for Dwarven-drawn charts. Turning the map
on its side makes the geography plain – the map centres
on Bree-land, which makes sense. Timeas used the map to
bring home treasure again and again, and he was never
gone from Bree for long.

A close examination of the map with Craft suggests that it

was in a fire, or deliberately burnt in places by being held
too close to a candle or torch.

Hidden Information
If Tomas is still with the company, then he scours the map,
The map is written on goatskin parchment, and depicts looking for a mark or a clue. He believed that there would
the area around Bree. There are no place-names on the be a clear sign on the map, like a nice big X marking the
map itself, just a few circles for towns and little pictures of spot where his uncle’s treasure lies, but there’s no such
trees and hills. Four lines converge at a cross-roads, and mark. He desperately peers at the burnt marks, scraping
an arrow points towards the top of the map. them with a finger in the hopes that the ash will peel away
and reveal more runes.
Around the borders of the map are runes, the Angerthas
Moria, a mode of writing common to the Dwarves of the Questioning him prompts him to recall a memory. He
North. remembers that his uncle always kept a candle in the box
with the map, and took the candle with him whenever he
Along the North edge of the map, they read HERE OF OLD went out to fetch money. It was a cheap, greasy, smoky
WAS ARTHEDAIN LAST-KING. candle too.

Along the West, they read HERE ARE HALFLINGS IN A Dwarf in the Company
MULTITUDE. A Dwarf player-hero may make a Lore or Craft test
to recall the various forms of concealed writing that
To the East, the top of the map, the runes read HERE OF the Dwarves use: moon-letters, gem-letters, blood-
OLD WAS THE ROAD TO DURIN’S GATES. letters, hearth-letters and so forth. Characters with a

59
 Bree

Unlocking the Map’s Secrets

If neither Tomas nor a Dwarf is in the company, the player-heroes may attempt to seek outside assistance. If they
have time and a suitable ally or patron, they could visit someone more learned to ask about the map. Rivendell is
a long way from Bree, but Elrond is something of an expert in these matters.

The company might visit the Shire, in the hopes that Gandalf (or even Bilbo Baggins, who is after all a famous
burglar with considerable experience in Dwarven cartography) could help them. Any such patron can point out the
existence of smoke-letters (although in Bilbo’s case, the discovery is purely accidental; while examining the map,
the gentle-hobbit chokes on his pipe and coughs smoke over the map, revealing the letters).

Investigations in Bree
There are two possible lines of inquiry in Bree. First, if the company met Grór the Dwarf, they could ask him for
advice on reading the map. Grór is only too happy to assist the company – it simplifies his task in finding Timeas’
treasure immeasurably.

Alternatively, the company could talk to Nick Heatherton, Timeas’ brother. The farmer is none too happy to
hear from the adventurers again, but if they kept Tom alive despite his foolishness, he agrees to talk to them. He
recalls that he once saw his brother wave a smoky candle over the map, and that letters magically appeared on
it. Why, that’s why he buried the map with Tim instead of burning it: he feared releasing some evil fire-spirit
if the map burned. He urges the characters to hand over the map, or to weigh it down with stones and cast it into
the river.

suitable Trait like Rhymes of Lore may also roll. A Dwarf swamp. There was a mansion of some prince of one of the
who possesses the Broken Spells virtue automatically North-Kingdoms there once, long ago, and now all that
succeeds. remains is a weathered chair.

One such form of hidden writing is called smoke-letters.

These invisible runes cause smoke to magically adhere
Tomas the Treacherous
to them, allowing them to be read briefly before a breeze
carries the smoky shapes away. If Tomas feels ill-done by the company – if they’ve
stolen the map, or ignored him, or left him for dead
The Smoke-letters in a Troll-hole, or just traded away too much of ‘his’
If the map is exposed to a source of smoke (even a pipe will treasure hoard – then he may betray them by striking
do), then letters appear, marking a site in the Midgewater off on his own once again.
Marshes. The runes say “HERE LIES THE BLACK BARROW”,
and nearby “HERE IS THE KING’S CHAIR”. The spot is only This time, he returns to Bree and falls in with Grór
a few days’ travel outside Bree. the Dwarf, who is only too glad to listen to the young
man’s tale of woe. Tomas then shows up in Part Eight
A successful Lore test (TN 16) recalls nothing of the ‘Black – Though Dead He Be, It Belongs to Me! when Grór
Barrow’, but the ‘King’s Chair’ might be a reference to a tries to claim the barrow.
stone chair in the midst of a ruin that lies half-sunk in the

60
 Old Bones and Skin

- Part Seven – If the Huntsman pursues the quarry, the animal blunders
Finding the Barrow into a pool of sucking mud and starts to drown. Recovering
the beast from the mud requires an Athletics test. Fail,
Now that the company are not chasing a Troll, they can and the hunter adds Fatigue again (twice with an C)
take their ease on the return journey. The easiest route from the effort of trying to rescue the animal. Succeed,
is to head west until they strike the Greenway, walking and the company eat well tonight!
north to the crossroads, heading east along the Road, and
then cutting north through the marsh to find this ‘Black Ghosts in the Fog (Scout – Corruption)
Barrow’. The Scout sees the mists hanging over the swamp twist
and coil, and suddenly they seem to take on the form of
• Travelling by road involves journeying 10 miles across ghostly soldiers marching in serried ranks.
the Downs to the Greenway, then 40 miles along the
Greenway to Bree, and finally 30 miles east along the Call for a Corruption test; if the Scout fails, they gain 1
Road to the Midgewater Marshes. It takes them 3 days point of Shadow (or 2 points on the roll of an C).
and a single Fatigue test at TN 12
No Way Forward, No Way Back (Guide – Wrong Choices)
Visiting Bree The Guide inadvertently brings the company by the wrong
If the company pass through Bree again on the way to path, and there’s no easy way to backtrack.
this ‘Black Barrow’, they may encounter Grór or Nick
Heatherton again. If they meet Grór, call for an Awareness If the Guide fails a Travel test, another day is added to the
test from the most wary or suspicious companion. If travel time and the TN for further Fatigue tests is raised
successful, the player-hero spots Grór meeting in an one level.
alleyway with a local troublemaker, a brute of a Bree-
lander called Ham Granger. The Thief (Look-out Man)
At night, someone tries to steal Timeas’ map. It might
Into the Marshes be one of Grór’s thugs (see Part Eight), or Tomas, if he’s
According to Timeas’ map, the Black Barrow is near the estranged from the company. Alternatively, it might be a
‘King’s Chair’, around 50 miles north-west of Weathertop. big black crow, who scented carrion smeared on the old
parchment.
If the company knew exactly where they were going, then
they could head straight for the spot and find the barrow In any event, the Look-out must make an Awareness test
quickly, but even with the King’s Chair as a guide, finding to spot the thief before the map is stolen. If challenged, the
one particular mound in a morass is going to take time. thief flees into the night and cannot be found. If the map is
stolen, the TN for all Explore tests made to find the King’s
• The expedition into the Marshes involves 40 miles of Chair increases by one level see below).
travel across daunting terrain. It takes the company 8
days of hard slog through the swamps and 2 Fatigue Neekerbreekers (All Companions – Weariness)
tests at TN 14. The swarming insects of the marshes fall upon the
company, stopping them from resting.
Hazard Suggestions
All companions must pass a Travel test, or be made
Caught in a Bog (Huntsman – Fatigue) temporarily Weary for the rest of the journey.
The Huntsman spots a wild boar crashing through the
swamp. If they choose not to hunt the beast, the company Finding the King’s Chair
goes hungry tonight, and everyone adds 1 Fatigue. At the end of the journey, the company come to the region
around the ‘King’s Chair’. The swamp here is a particular

61
 Bree

ugly mire of mud, thorny bushes, low-lying islands amid mound. A terrible feeling of sorrow and loss floods
the slime, and pestilent clouds of tiny, tiny insects that the hero’s soul (and forces a Corruption test to avoid
swarm into the player-heroes’ mouths and noses. It’s a gaining 2 Shadow points).
vile, doleful place.
The Black Barrow is a steep-sided mound lined with
Finding the King’s Chair requires a successful Explore stones. Climbing up, the characters discover a large flat
test. If this test fails, the character gains 2 Fatigue from stone that’s clearly been moved several times in the past,
slogging around in the mud. If all the companions fail the judging by the scratch marks on its underside.
roll, they can try again the following day. Eventually, the
explorers find a few jagged fingers of worked stone rising
from the mud. There, a cracked and weathered marble
floor can be found, half-sunk in the swamp. Here, the
remains of a fallen wall. This was once a town, perhaps,
or a great palace in some past age.

At twilight, the company finally come upon the King’s

Chair. In the gloaming, it seems as though a figure sits
on the broken seat, but as the company come closer,
they discover it is not a man – it is a huge nest of stinging
insects! Disturbed, the insects swarm into the evening sky,
and for an instant the companions have the disconcerting
impression that the insect-swarm takes on the shape of
a huge man-like figure, crowned with the dying sun. As
the swarm flits away, the silence of the marsh is suddenly
filled with the neek-breek sound of other insects.

Finding the Black Barrow

To find the Black Barrow, the company have two options.
Pushing the stone aside lets out a waft of foul air that
• A successful Search test (TN 16) locates the barrow. If makes the companions’ torches flicker blue and green,
this test fails, the character gains 2 Fatigue and may followed by another swarm of flies. The way into the
search again. Barrow lies open…

• With a great or extraordinary success, the searcher

finds the barrow, but also comes across some bones - Part Eight –
and other remains in the bog. Two bodies lie here, Though Dead He Be,
although all that can be said of them is that one was It Belongs To Me!
once a man, and the other set are the bones of a Dwarf.
These were the members of Gorlanc’s company; Egri, The Black Barrow consists of at least two chambers, upper
murdered by Grón, and Grón, murdered by Timeas, and lower. The entrance from above leads into the upper
many years ago. chamber. The drop from the entrance hole to the floor of
the upper chamber is some ten or twelve feet, so getting
• If a character sits in the King’s Chair, they find that down requires a rope or some acrobatics. Ask the players
one particular mound in the distance somehow seems if the entire company are descending into the barrow – the
more significant than all the rest. The character has question as to who’s in the barrow and who’s still up top
the strong intuition that their father lies buried in that will shortly become very relevant.

62
 Old Bones and Skin

The Upper Barrow Lower Barrow Treasure Table:

Climbing down, the characters find that the upper
chamber is lined with four stone coffins, each containing
the remains of some lordling of the North from ages past.
Roll Treasure Found
There are several small jars and chests that once held A spectral hand grabs the treasure-seeker,
treasures, but these have mostly been looted by Timeas pulling its victim down into the abyss. The
unfortunate character must make a Valour
over the years. Some coins remain, worth 30 Treasure.
test to break free. Failing the test causes the
C drowning character to lose 5 Endurance.
The company also find two bundles of moth-eaten
If the character breaks free, they grab
personal effects – travelling gear, some Dwarf-made tools
something from the shade – a Magical
for tomb-robbing including a crowbar and a portable Treasure of some sort, like a ring or talisman
block-and-tackle, weapons and a few other trinkets. (see Rivendell, page 86).
These belonged to Egri and Grón, two of Timeas’ former
1 1-6 Treasure (roll 1 success die)
companions.
2 2-12 Treasure (roll 2 success dice)

The only thing of note among these items is a partially 3 3-36 Treasure (roll 3 success dice)
legible letter that seems like it might once have been 4 A small gold ring, worth 5 Treasure.
instructions on finding the barrow; the words ‘Barrow’, A casket of coins holding 25 Treasure (counts
5
‘Weathertop’ and ‘unearth’ can be made out, as can the as two items for the purposes of recovery).
name ‘Gorlanc’ and the seal of a black bird. A ring of silver, studded with a fine emerald,
6
worth 10 Treasure.
The Lower Barrow 7 A jeweled sword-hilt, worth 20 Treasure.
Another trapdoor leads down into the lower barrow. Slimy
8 Pearls of great worth, worth 20 Treasure.
moss grows around this stone, and should the company
A lordly chain of gold, bearing the emblem
lever it up, they see why – the lower barrow is flooded. 9
of Arthedain, worth 20 Treasure.
They can make out vague shapes through the murky water
– are those swords? Is that another, grander, tomb? Could A golden crown, bearing seven shining
10
sapphires, worth 50 Treasure.
that shine there be gold, lost beneath the mud and cold
water of the rising marshes? A Magical Treasure of some sort – see
A
Rivendell, page 86.
Retrieving anything from the lower barrow requires an
Athletics test. On a success, the diver grabs a random
item from the Lower Barrow Treasure Table. On The total value of the hoard is some 150* Treasure, if the
a great success, two; on an extraordinary success, companions take the time to properly empty the barrow.
three. On a failure, the character must choose between
returning empty-handed, or finding one item and losing Gror’s Treachery
5 Endurance. Grór the Dwarf came to Bree looking for old Timeas’ map.
He was responsible, to a degree, for Timeas’ unexpected
With the exception of C and A results, mark items off death. When he realised that the player-heroes were
the table as they are found. Rolling a result a second time already on the trail of the map, he conceived a plan to
means the character comes up empty-handed. let them brave the Troll-den and the other dangers; he
would follow them all the while, and then murder them as
If you’re using the Magical Treasure rules from the Timeas murdered his brother Grón.
Rivendell supplement, then this roll doubles as a Magical
Treasure roll (see Rivendell, page 86). Re-roll subsequent He arrives at the barrow accompanied by a number of
C or A results if the same character dives twice. brigands and hired brutes from Bree. Depending on how

63
 Bree

your adventure unfolded, he might also be accompanied without food or water or light should be enough to soften
by one of the Heathertons. up the hardiest adventurer.

• If the company maligned or insulted Tomas, then If he gets the opportunity for a villainous speech, Grór
Tomas fell in with Grór and told him everything. says: “my master sent me to fetch the map, but I’ve found
a far richer prize. Timeas murdered my brother Grón on
• If Tomas is with the company, then Grór is this very hill, and if there was any justice, ’twould be his
accompanied by Nick Heatherton, Tom’s father. Grór bones that lie below and not my brothers’. Still, he shall
fooled the older man by pretending to be concerned not sleep alone.”
for Tom’s safety, and Nick told Grór enough about his
brother’s travels for the Dwarf to guess the location of If he’s accompanied by one of the Heathertons, then at
the Black Barrow. this point he spins around, stabs his companion, and
kicks the Heatherton into the barrow. A successful roll of
If one or more of the companions are outside the barrow, Healing can save the life of the wounded man, but it takes
then call for Awareness tests. If successful, they spot Grór several rounds to staunch the flow of blood. If Tom’s the
and his allies approaching in time to shout a warning to one pushed into the barrow, then he breaks his leg in the
those below. If the company are taken unawares, then fall and is forever lame. To the companions, he says “I
they’re in a sticky situation – Grór’s plan is to quickly have little quarrel with ye. Hand over your weapons and
defeat any characters outside the Barrow, and then close any of my treasure that you’ve stolen, and I might let you
the entrance, leaving those inside to starve. A few days live.”

Entombed!
If the company do get buried alive in the Black Barrow, they’re in trouble! Each member of the company must make a
Corruption test each day to avoid gaining 2 points of Shadow. Once the food runs out, everyone becomes Weary, too.

There are ways to escape, however. The company could try digging their way out of the barrow; doing so is a
prolonged action requiring a total of 10 successes on Craft or Athletics tests. Each player may make one test each
day. The TN is 18 without tools, 16 with improvised tools such as mattocks, or 14 if the company were clever enough
to bring spades. Failing a test with an C means a cave-in.

They could try parleying with the Dwarf. As Grór said, if they surrender everything, he might let them live. It’s
unlikely that the players will be willing to humble themselves so, but it is a way out – and they can always return in
the future for revenge on Grór. Alternatively, clever player-heroes could lure Grór down into the barrow by playing
on the notorious Dwarven love of treasure; by describing the treasure of the lower barrow with Awe or Song, they
could overcome his resolve and convince him that if he doesn’t claim the treasure right now, the adventurers will hide
it or somehow make off with it. Alternatively, they could trick Grór by pretending to surrender.

Another option might be to swim into the murk of the lower barrow. The water got in somehow – maybe the
adventurers could escape the same way. There is, indeed, a crack in the foundations through which the mire leaked
in, and a Hobbit or other Small character could squeeze through the water and mud with an Athletics test (TN 16);
failing the test means the character suffers a Wound while escaping.

64
 Old Bones and Skin

The Battle of the Black Barrow Brutes of Bree:

Grór’s brought one brute for every companion. So, if you
have five player-heroes, they face five brutes plus Grór Attribute Level
himself. 2
Endurance Hate
Notable concerns:
8 1

• Climbing out of the Barrow: If there is a rope, or

Parry Armour
3 1d
someone helping a character climb up, it is easy to
climb out of the barrow, and does not require a test. Skills
If there is no rope and no help, then climbing out Personality, 1 Survival, 2
requires an Athletics test. Attempting a climb is the Movement, 2 Custom, 2
only thing that the player-hero can do in that round of Perception, 2 Vocation, 1
combat, and only one character can enter or exit the Weapon Skills
barrow at a time. Spear 2
• Jumping or Falling into the Barrow: Falling into Special Abilities
the barrow costs 6 Endurance, and the character must Craven -
make a Protection test to avoid taking a Wound. A
successful Athletics test halves the damage.
• The Shades of Men: If you need to give the player- Weapons:
heroes an edge, remember this is a barrow of the
North-Kingdom, and within sight of a spot associated
with the kings of old. It would not be unfitting for the Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot
earth to suddenly shift beneath Grór’s feet, or some
Spear 5 9 14 Pierce
of his brutes quailing as the mists close in and they
suddenly fear the presence of ghosts.

65
 Bree

Grór the Dwarf: - Epilogue –

Of Earth and Water,
Attribute Level Blood and Bone
6
Endurance Hate How many bodies now lie in the tomb of the Black Barrow?
25 4 Have the company saved the Heathertons from the sins of
Uncle Tim, or is sorrow compounded on sorrow?
Parry Armour
5 3d
Now neither Tom nor Nick have any desire for a share of
Skills the treasure from the Black Barrow, so the companions
Personality, 3 Survival, 2 may claim it all if they have the stomach for it (unless, of
Movement, 4 Custom, 3 course, they owe the Old Troll some money…).
Perception, 2 Vocation, 3
Weapon Skills If Tom survives, he returns chastened to Bree, and puts
Mattock 3 aside any thoughts of treasure or adventure.

And if the Old Troll survives, he returns to his Troll-hole all

Weapons: alone, gnawing on old bones.

Tom’s leg is game, since home he came,

Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot And his bootless foot is lasting lame;
Break But Troll don’t care, and he’s still there
Mattock 8 10 18 shield With the bone he boned from its owner.

66
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

- Strange Men, - Part Three – The Traders’ Caravan

The company spy upon the group of travellers and

Strange Roads traders who just departed the Forsaken Inn, including the
murderers.

Part Four – The Strangers in the Woods

• When: This quest could be set in the late spring or The company encounter Elves in the Chetwood, and learn
early summer of any year, but is designed to be run something of the stakes.
after the events of Old Bones and Skins.
Part Five – Not to Strike Without Need
• Where: The adventure is mostly set on the Road west Beregal turns aside from her errand to heal a sick family.
of the Forsaken Inn, travelling to both the Chetwood
and Bree. Part Six – Knives in Bree
When the travellers stop in Bree, another crime is
• What: A Ranger of the North has been murdered. The committed in the night.
companions must stalk a band of travellers to identify
the killers hiding amongst them. Part Seven – Before the Reeve
Having identified (or, at the very least, believing they have
• Why: The company is assumed to be allied with the identified) the Ranger’s killer, the companions must meet
Rangers of the North, or at least friendly enough with with the Reeve of Bree.
the Rangers that they would investigate the murder
of one. If the company isn’t known to the Rangers, Part Eight – The Choices of Mistress Beregal
Haleth (see page 55) may be a useful way to introduce Guided by the wisdom of the player-heroes, Beregal
them or may ask them to investigate directly. chooses her fate.

• Who: Two of the travellers are followers of Gorlanc Epilogue – The Assault on Gorlanc’s Fort
(see page 69) travelling into the west. The key figure is The sorcerer Gorlanc has not reckoned on the might of
Berelas, a healer from Mirkwood who secretly carries Rivendell. The companions either hear about, or witness
a magical treasure bound for Gorlanc. for themselves, the destruction of Gorlanc’s fortress by the
Elves.

Adventuring Phase
- Part One -
This adventure is divided into eight parts, which begin at At The Forsaken Inn
the Forsaken Inn and end in Bree.
The company have come to the Forsaken Inn (see page 19)
Part One – At the Forsaken Inn to meet a contact of theirs, the Ranger Mallor, called Tarry-
The company travel to the Forsaken Inn, a day’s ride east Mack by the folk of Bree. The reasons for this meeting are
of Bree, to meet with a Ranger. When their contact fails to left up to the Loremaster, and should be introduced in a
arrive, they must discover what happened to him. prior Adventuring or Fellowship phase.

Part Two – The Body in the Well Mallor might have promised to bring news from the West
Their investigations reveal that the Ranger was murdered or South to the company, or have agreed to join the player-
and thrown down a well. Circumstantial evidence points heroes on an Orc-hunt or some other errand. Characters
to the identity of his killers. who know Haleth (see page 55) might be sent to meet
Mallor on her behalf.

67
 Bree

If the company are primarily Bree-landers or wandering

adventurers from Wilderland, then they might have been
sent to meet Mallor by a patron like Gandalf, Elrond or
The Size of the Caravan
Beorn – Tarry-Mack has travelled east of the mountains The nine key members of the caravan are described
in his time. in Part Three – The Traders’ Caravan. You can add
more guards and travellers to the caravan as needed;
Even if the company have never met Tarry-Mack, they will for this adventure to work, there need to be enough
know his reputation: he is argumentative, uncommonly travellers in the group that the player-heroes cannot
ugly and has very few friends, but is loyal and stalwart challenge the caravan openly and interrogate them to
to those he likes. He travels alone, walking from shore to find out what happened to Mallor the Ranger.
mountains and back again.
If you only have three or four player-heroes, then
Whatever the reason for their meeting, the company has Edoric’s company of eight should be big enough to
come to the Forsaken Inn on a warm summer’s evening. dissuade all but the most foolhardy from trying a
direct approach. On the other hand, if you’re lucky
Strangers at the Inn enough to have six or seven players, then add a
Even the rosy last light of a warm summer’s day cannot few more guards to make battling the caravan less
make the Forsaken Inn look welcoming. The tumbledown appealing.
building looks like the corpse of an inn, and it’s only the
ponies and carts outside that suggest the inn is still in
business.
The Innkeeper
Inside, the small common room is crowded with members The current owner of the Forsaken Inn – or, at least,
of a trading caravan that’s heading West (these traders the only one willing to lay claim to the place – is Jack.
are discussed in detail in Part Three). The company see He’s the owner, bartender, brewer, cook and clerk too,
several Dwarves, and a few grim-looking dangerous Men. although he only does one of those jobs with any degree of
They can try talking to the travellers with Riddle, but enthusiasm. Eventually, he returns to the common room
any conversations are cut short by the Caravan-master, and acknowledges the company’s presence. “We’re full
Edoric. tonight,” he says with a grin. “I can squeeze you in, but it’ll
cost double.”
“I want to make Bree before the week’s out. I’ve a crick in
my neck from sleeping rough, and I ain’t going to get much (If anyone points out that it’s a warm summer’s night and
rest in this festering pit. To bed, sluggards! We march they can just sleep outside, then Jack happily describes,
before the break of dawn.” in loving and gleeful detail, all the bugs that swarm out of
the nearby Midgewater Marshes on nights like this, and
Grumbling, the Men of the caravan finish their drinks and exactly what sorts of bites and boils they inflict on tasty
head to the communal sleeping-room at the back of the travellers.)
inn. The Dwarves ignore Edoric and continue drinking and
talking amongst themselves in low whispers. It doesn’t When asked about the Ranger, Jack shrugs. “Tarry-Mack?
take Insight to see that the traders don’t care much for He was in early, with a face on him that’d sour beer. Sit
one another. yourself down there and order a drink; he’ll be back soon,
no doubt.”
Should anyone try to eavesdrop on the Dwarves, they
switch to their own strange tongue, or stop talking Mallor’s Pack
altogether. A successful roll of Awareness (or a Trait like Curious,
Keen-eyed or Suspicious) spots a weathered backpack

68
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

and bedroll stashed behind the bar; a Ranger’s gear. If Searching By Daylight
challenged, Jack admits the pack belongs to Tarry-Mack; With the help of the sun, searching for signs of Mallor is
the Ranger left it behind when he left earlier in the evening. much easier. The company can find the spilled blood at
See The Pack, page 71. the back of the inn automatically. Bloodshed implies a
sinister reason behind Mallor’s absence, and prompts a
The Missing Ranger further search.
The night draws in. The fire in the grate dwindles. The
Dwarves rise and retire to bed. Soon, Jack’s snoring by
the embers (sleeping, as he always does, with a naked Another Shadow of the Past
short-sword across his legs, in case anyone tries to rob
him in the night). Still, there is no sign of Mallor. If roused The events of the previous evening were set in motion
(carefully), Jack snorts at the idea of worrying about a long, long ago.
Ranger. “They’re like stray dogs; you don’t see ’em for days,
and then they come snuffling at your door demanding Many years previously, a scholar of ill-repute named
food. He’ll show up. He always does.” Gorlanc led a company of treasure-hunters and
thieves. He defiled the tombs of the Dúnedain, and
Questioning the traders is equally fruitless at this point. was driven out of the North by the Rangers (see page
Edoric has no love for Rangers, thinking them nothing more 47 for the first part of this tale). Now, Gorlanc has
than thieves and troublemakers, and has a special dislike returned to the North after many years’ devilry and
of Tarry-Mack. “He was snooping around earlier, no doubt knavery in the South. Mallor was one of the Rangers
planning to rob me or mine. Now, be off with you!” who fought against Gorlanc, and remembers well
his battle against the scholar’s servants. Two of the
If the player-heroes try searching for Mallor in the members of the caravan, the mountebank Hirlinon
darkness, it’s challenging (a Search test at TN 18). and the healer Berelas, are servants of Gorlanc, and
they carry with them a treasure that belongs to the
A successful roll finds a broken knife thrown in an scholar – a Ring of Power, recovered from a ruined
outbuilding at the back of the inn; the hilt is marked with vault in Eregion.
an M-rune, suggesting it is Mallor’s blade. The blade is
unnaturally cold, icy even, to the touch. A great success Some foresight or intuition caused Mallor to spy on
finds some spilled blood nearby; an extraordinary success Berelas. When the members of the trading caravan
finds the body in the well (see Part Two – The Body in were eating in the inn last evening, he crept into
the Well). their sleeping quarters and searched her baggage.
There, he found an amulet bearing the symbol of
If the companions fail, then they must wait until daybreak Gorlanc. Suspecting Berelas of being in league with
to conduct a more thorough search. the scholar, he tried to follow her when she slipped
out to meet with Hirlinon, but he was discovered by a
Departure of the Trading Caravan Shade sent by Gorlanc. The Shade wounded him, and
As Edoric promised, the caravan departs before dawn, Hirlinon cut his throat and threw Mallor down the
leaving in the ghostly grey light that presages the rising well while the Ranger was stunned. Now, Hirlinon
of the sun. In the gloom, the company look like ghosts and Berelas are once more safe and concealed within
assembling for some dread purpose, and it is oddly hard the traders’ caravan, and each step down the Road
to get a count of their number. brings them closer to Gorlanc.

The trading caravan sets off West, heading for Bree. The Gorlanc himself has occupied a ruined fort south of
Forsaken Inn is a day’s ride away from Bree, but the Fornost, where he is gathering all sorts of Evil Men
caravan sets a much slower pace; they’ll be lucky to reach to his banner.
Bree in three or four days.

69
 Bree

– Part Two – can guess that something supernatural was involved in

Mallor’s death. Icy cold and death-by-terror are horrors
The Body in the Well associated with wraiths – but what undead monster
Searching around brings the companions to an old well would pause to slit a victim’s throat, and why would a
near the Road. wraith hide the body?

Mallor’s body floats face down in the dark waters below. Other Clues
The body would have been completely invisible by night; A successful roll of Search (this time at TN 14) finds the
it’s only visible as a black shape against blacker water by still-icy dagger in the outbuilding; a great or extraordinary
day. Recovering the Ranger’s corpse requires a companion success finds footprints and scuff marks that let the
to climb down the narrow, slime-slick shaft and tie a rope company recreate Mallor’s last movements.
around Mallor’s waist.
It appears that the Ranger was hiding by the wall, as
The body is weirdly, impossibly cold to the touch. His if eavesdropping on someone, when he spun around
right hand is so frozen that it’s covered in a layer of ice. abruptly as if surprised. Someone then dragged his
His throat has also been cut, but the wound is relatively unconscious or dead form and threw him down the old
clean and free from gore; it is as though his blood was so well.
cold and thick that it oozed out instead of spurting from
a mortal wound. His face bears an expression of pure Questioning the Innkeeper
horror, and his eyes are both frozen and covered in ice. A successful Awe or Persuade test made when questioning
Jack the Innkeeper reveals the following information about
His coin-purse and some other belongings are still with Tarry-Mack and the events of the previous day:
him. His sword and travelling pack are missing (the pack
Tarry-mack lacks is back at the inn; his sword sank down • Tarry-Mack turned up around noon. He was the
into the mud at the bottom of the well and is lost). only customer at the inn for a few hours. He always
annoyed Jack: the Ranger had this talent for breathing
A character with Shadow-lore or a similar Trait, or a in a way that would turn the gentlest Hobbit into a
Ranger of the North with the Dauntless Guardians Virtue, remorseless killer. Whenever Jack did anything in the

70
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

inn, Tarry-Mack would snort as if to say “you’re going silver containing a tonic made in Rivendell; drinking from
to mess that up, you idiot, and I’m going to sit here it restores a number of Endurance points equal to the
and drink your beer and watch you suffer”. drinker’s Favoured Heart score plus the roll of a Success
die. There’s a single draught left in the flask.
• When Edoric’s caravan showed up, Tarry-Mack made
himself scarce. He did the Ranger thing of hiding in a
corner, smoking and listening to everyone. Jack had
the impression that Tarry-Mack was expecting the
caravan, but the travellers didn’t seem to know him
and didn’t talk much to him (not that Jack can blame
them – who’d want to talk to that Ranger).

• At one point, when the newcomers were eating, Tarry-

Mack left the common room. He returned a few
minutes later.

• One of the Dwarves in the travelling company

demanded to know where Tarry-Mack had gone,
and all but accused the Ranger of stealing from the
caravan. Edoric talked the Dwarf down, and then
threatened Tarry-Mack, telling the Ranger to beat it
and begone. Jack doesn’t recall which Dwarf it was.

• Later on, Tarry-Mack went out again, and that’s the There’s also a little bundle of cloth, and wrapped in that
last Jack saw of him until the companions brought bundle is a small amulet made of greenish glass, held on
word of the Ranger’s death. a golden chain. There’s a strange symbol on the amulet.

• He doesn’t know what happened to Tarry-Mack; • A character with Lore of Arnor, Shadow-lore or Old
maybe the Ranger got into a fight with Edoric or a Lore, or who might plausibly know about Gorlanc,
Dwarf. Jack won’t shed any tears for Tarry-Mack. recognises the symbol as Gorlanc’s rune.

If the companions fail the test, then Jack claims to • Jack can guess that the amulet doesn’t belong to the
remember nothing of use. The inn was very busy last Ranger, and crows that Tarry-Mack has finally been
night, after all. exposed as a robber. He only wishes the Ranger was
still alive so he could rub it in his face.
A great or extraordinary success, or generosity on the
part of the player-heroes, prompts Jack to remember that Finding the Murderer
Tarry-Mack left his pack behind the bar. Alternatively, a It’s clear that Mallor’s death is somehow connected to
roll of Insight or Awareness lets the players discover the the traders’ caravan. However, the player-heroes aren’t
pack for themselves (Jack intends to loot the pack and sell likely to possess the authority to question the members of
the dead man’s belongings once the company are gone). the caravan, and based on Edoric’s behaviour last night,
it’s obvious to them that if they accused a member of the
The Pack caravan without solid proof, Edoric would turn on them
Mallor’s pack contains well-made travelling gear, as and they’d have to fight all the travellers. The best option
one would expect of a Ranger. Down at the bottom, is to follow the caravan, eavesdrop on it, and try to find
underneath blankets and other supplies, is a flask of out more.

71
 Bree

player-heroes are on or near the Road, so there’s no need

for them to make Fatigue tests.
The Ring of Seven Jewels
This Ring of Power was forged by the folk of the
Spying & Eavesdropping
The safest approach, assuming the player-heroes are
Whispering Halls (see Rivendell, page 35) in the
relatively stealthy, is to hide in the hedgerows and small
middle days of the Second Age. It was one of their last
copses along the Road and eavesdrop on the caravan as
essays in Ring-lore, before they turned their hands
it travels. Close observation and keen ears give clues as to
towards the forging of the Great Rings, and as such
who plotted against Tarry-Mack.
it is extremely powerful.

It takes the caravan four days to get to Bree. Each day, any
Unfortunately, the ring was tainted in the
of the companions may try their hand at spying. Doing so
destruction of Eregion, for the Elf-lord who wore it
requires a Stealth test; it’s TN 12 on the first day, TN 10
last was captured and tortured by the Enemy, and her
on days two and three as the Road passes the eaves of the
suffering stained the Seven Jewels. Now, while the
Chetwood, and TN 12 again on the last day as the caravan
Ring greatly enhances the spirit and might of anyone
draws near Bree.
who wears it, it twists the wearer’s soul towards
darkness.
• Before they spy on the caravan, give the players the
surface details of all the members of the caravan, so
The Ring increases the wearer’s basic Attributes by
they can pick their targets.
+3, +2 and +1, allocated as the wearer chooses among
Body, Mind and Heart. The ring also has a most
• On a normal success, the companion may watch one
peculiar Greater Blessing, affecting the Common
of the people in the caravan. Watching a target means
Skill the wearer most desires to use when appealing to
the companion gets the first impressions and close
its powers. But the Ring is doubly cursed, increasing
associates of that target.
the wearer’s Shadow total by 5 points ( Shadow
Taint) and attracting the attention of the Enemy
• On a great success, the companion may watch an
( Hunted). (For details about the effects of Blessings
additional person or reduce the TN of another player-
and the Ring’s Curses, see Rivendell, pages 93 and
hero’s Stealth test by 4. On an extraordinary success,
102, respectively.)
do both.

• If the Stealth test fails, the companion can’t get close

enough to the caravan to glean any useful information.
– Part Three – It’s only if the companion fails with an C that the
The Traders’ Caravan caravan guards spot the intruder and give chase. This
may lead to Confronting the Caravan (on page 81)
"I have quick ears", he went on, lowering his voice, if the intruder cannot escape.
"and though I cannot disappear, I have hunted many
wild and wary things and I can usually avoid being Companions who don’t attempt a Stealth test are assumed
seen, if I wish. Now, I was behind the hedge this to be shadowing the caravan from a safe distance; they
evening on the Road west of Bree, when four Hobbits don’t get to observe anyone, but can speculate about
came out of the Downlands…" motives and offer suggestions to the spies.

The caravan left the Forsaken Inn ahead of the player- Digging Deeper
heroes, but it’s easy to catch up with it, especially when Each of the key characters in the caravan has a digging
the heavy carts get stuck in the mud. It’s summer and the deeper entry, and some have a secret. Once the players

72
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Observation & Investigation

Much of this part of the adventure assumes that the player-heroes are stealthily gathering information and
observing the suspects. Therefore, several scenes may simply play out with the companions lurking and not getting
involved.

Don’t just passively read the text out to the players; make gathering that information interesting and challenging.
Call for Stealth, Awareness and Insight tests when needed. Give them only fragments of a scene, and force them to
sneak closer to learn more. Listen to their speculation about what’s going on, and drop clues to disrupt their theories.
If they settle on Hirlinon early on as the prime suspect, then have Eoin talk about how he’s secretly in love with
Mistress Berelas and he’d do anything to be with her, and let them wonder if the poor boy was the perpetrator of a
crime of passion.

If the players do reveal their presence, then their interactions with the various Loremaster characters should
primarily reveal information instead of altering the plot prematurely. If they suggest that Narvi and Narvig
should come adventuring to earn money, then Narvi could hint that they’ve got an easier method of getting rich and
repaying their father’s debts. If the characters start prodding Berelas’ conscience, then have Hirlinon threaten her
to keep her in line.

Alarums & Interruptions

If Berelas suspects she’s in danger, then she calls upon the Cold Shade (see page 82) to harry any eavesdroppers.
An encounter with the Cold Shade is a good way to lead in to Part Four – Strangers in the Woods. Optionally, you
can run Wild Beasts (see page 83) to break up the journey, especially if it seems that the players are determined to
force a confrontation with Edoric before the caravan reaches Bree.

Other Approaches
The players might try other methods of investigation, like infiltrating the caravan ( "Hail! I am an Elf of
Rivendell, one of the High Elves of the West, who crossed the Sea in the First Age of the World to make war on the
Enemy and take back the Silmarils from the Iron Crown. Also I am a simple caravan-guard looking for work…" )
or secretly questioning members of the caravan if they wander away from the Road. As long as the player-heroes
don’t commit any deeds that would incur Shadow gain, any approach to investigation should work. Be flexible –
this adventure describes the likeliest path taken by the players, but your group may find their own path. You may
need to skip onto Part Seven – Mistress Berelas’ Choice early, or improvise your own events based on the plans of
the various Loremaster characters and the actions of your players.

have decided which members of the caravan to investigate, Background: The first section provides a brief description
they can try digging deeper. This may require more of the character for the Loremaster.
eavesdropping, or sneaking into the caravan camp at night
to steal items or ask questions. Game Rules: Some travellers include skills and
Attributes, and if it’s likely the players might fight that
The Caravan character, there’s a full set of combat statistics.
The caravan consists of nine (or more!) travellers, two
heavy, horse-drawn carts, and ten ponies laden with Surface Details: What an observer sees immediately,
baggage. It’s split roughly between Men and Dwarves. For without needing to spy.
each member of the caravan, the description includes:

73
 Bree

First Impressions: What the observer learns after a day Edoric:

of spying and eavesdropping.

Attribute Level
Close Associates: Who the target associates with on the
4
journey.
Endurance Hate
Digging Deeper: What the player-heroes need to do to 18 4
learn more. Parry Armour
4+2 (Shield) 2d
Secrets: The dark secret concealed by the caravan Skills
member. Personality, 3 Survival, 4
Movement, 3 Custom, 2
Perception, 3 Vocation, 1
Weapon Skills
Spear 4
Bow 2
Special Abilities
Commanding Voice Defend Ally
Hideous Toughness -
Defend Ally: By spending a point of Hate, Edoric can
redirect an attack aimed at an ally of his to him, much
like the Protect Companions special task.

Weapons:

Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called

type Shot
Spear 5 9 14 Pierce
Bow 5 10 14 Pierce

Edoric, the Guide

Edoric is from Enedwaith, kin to the Dunlendings, who
dwell far to the south of Eriador along the coast, near Surface Details
where the Greyflood empties into the sea. Edoric is not the A big man with weathered skin and a well-worn cloak,
name he was given by his mother, but the name he uses leaning heavily on his spear. He walks with a rangy pace,
when travelling North and West. eating up the miles.

His is a restless soul; he has not seen the land of his birth First Impressions
in twenty years, and he knows he shall die on the Road. He Edoric seems to be in charge; he’s the one barking orders,
is an experienced caravan guide; he has led traders from getting the animals moving, tending to everything. He
the Blue Mountains to the Great Ford, but he has never seems constantly impatient.
gone east of the Anduin.
Close Associates
He’s fiercely protective of those in his care; all he has in his Berelas, Eoin, Narvig, Mirabar.
life is his professional reputation.

74
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

First Impressions
A young man of no more than fifteen summers, all of them
gentle. He seems to be the caravan’s scout and errand boy.
He knows these roads well – he must be from the Bree-
land.

Close Associates
Edoric, Berelas.

Digging Deeper
If a companion eavesdrops on him in the woods, they’ll
discover that, alone, Eoin talks to himself. He believes
himself to be in love with Berelas (he only met her a few
weeks ago, but to him she’s sophisticated and exotic, an
enchantress from across the mountains) and declares
passionately that he would die to defend her. He’s less
fond of her ‘brother’ Hirlinon.

Secrets
If questioned with Awe or Inspire, then Eoin admits that
he saw Berelas and Hirlinon leaving the common-room
Digging Deeper of the Forsaken Inn together after the meal, and that they
With a successful Insight test, it’s clear that Edoric isn’t went out “looking for healing herbs”. That was around the
in charge; he’s employed as a guide as far as Bree. If the time that the Ranger was murdered.
characters wait until Bree before intervening, or if they can
prove that one of Edoric’s employers acted treacherously Vig, brother of Vogar
at the Forsaken Inn, then they might be able to avoid Old Vig is the eldest of the four Dwarves in the caravan,
facing the big man in battle. and their leader. He is a smith, and if he once dreamed
of forging swords and shields for some King under the
Secrets Mountain, he has long since put those dreams aside. He
None. He’s an honest man. is a tinker, fixing pots and pans.

Eoin, the Bree-lander Attribute Level: 3

Eoin is a young man of Bree. This is his first journey Specialities: Smith-Craft, Stone-Craft
outside Bree-land; he travelled from Bree as far as the Distinctive Features: Cautious, Wary
High Pass, and now believes he has seen all the world. Relevant Skills: Craft ♦♦♦♦
He’s a simple, honest fellow, hired by Edoric because he
has a strong back and follows orders. Surface Details
An old white-bearded Dwarf, carrying the tools of a smith.
Attribute Level: 2
Specialities: Cooking, Trading First Impressions
Distinctive Features: Eager, Trusty Vig is very protective of his brother Vogar. He speaks for
Relevant Skills: Travel ♦♦, Riddle ♦♦ him, watches over him as they travel, and is always by his
side.
Surface Details
Fresh-faced, wide-eyed.

75
 Bree

Close Associates depart; he met a band of Orcs in the Wild, and one of
Vogar, Narvig, Narvi. them struck him a blow so terrible that it sundered both
Vogar’s helm and the skull beneath. He survived, but his
Digging Deeper wits were addled by the injury, and now he suffers from
If a companion eavesdrops by night, they hear Vig in both agonising headaches and blinding fits of rage.
conversation with Berelas. She says that there are healing
salves and herbs that can cure almost any injury, but Vogar:
such treatments are not cheap. Vig tears at his beard
and confesses that he has no money to spare. He casts a Attribute Level
venomous glare at Mirabar as he says this. 4
Endurance Hate
22 2/6
Parry Armour
3 4d
Skills
Personality, 2 Survival, 1
Movement, 2 Custom, 2
Perception, 2 Vocation, 3
Weapon Skills
Mattock 3
Special Abilities
Berserk Rage Horrible Strength
No Quarter -
Berserk Rage: If provoked, or if anyone rolls an C
in the combat, then Vogar flies into a berserk rage.
His Hate rating increases to 6, and he may continue to
fight even if Wounded or reduced to 0 Endurance as
long as he spends a point of Hate each round. He will
keep fighting until he runs out of Hate.

Secrets
Vig is deeply indebted to Mirabar, and owes him a fortune.
He ran into debt when his brother Vogar was wounded by
Weapons:
an Orc, and Vig had to stop working in the forge to care
for him. The forge burnt down, and Vig had to borrow Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot
money from Mirabar to survive. Now, he is a homeless
Break
wandering tinker-smith, trying to scrape together enough Mattock 8 10 18 Shield
coin to repay the money-lender.

In game terms, Vig owes around 50 Treasure to Mirabar.

Surface Details
Vogar, brother of Vig A burly Dwarf with a hideously scarred face.
Vogar was once a Dwarf-warrior of some renown, a
champion of the Blue Mountains. Indeed, he was among First Impressions
those who volunteered to accompany Thorin Oakenshield He may be simple-minded; he slurs when he speaks,
on the Quest of Erebor. Tragedy struck before Vogar could and often just stares at the ground instead of walking. If

76
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

his brother were not there to take care of him, he might other travellers. He’s the only one who speaks to Edoric
wander off the Road and perish in the Wild. or Eoin.

Close Associates Close Associates

Vig. Vig, Narvi, Edoric.

Digging Deeper Digging Deeper

A successful roll of Healing reveals that Vogar suffered A companion who sneaks into the camp discovers
a terrible wound in battle that makes it hard for him to that Narvig and Narvi connive privately by night. If the
think clearly. He cannot remember what happened at the companion eavesdrops on them, they will hear the pair
Forsaken Inn; eavesdropping characters hear him asking plotting to steal gold from Berelas.
his nephews in low tones about that evening.

Secrets
Secrets Narvig intends to give the stolen gold to Mirabar, freeing
At night, Vogar mutters and moans about murdering his father Vig from the debt he owes.
Mirabar. His brother always sleeps close by, and rouses
instantly if Vogar tries to rise from his bedroll. Narvi the Young
The youngest of the Dwarves, Narvi is something of a
Narvig, son of Vig scoundrel. He dreams of going to Erebor and becoming
The elder son of Vig, Narvig feels his father’s shame very as wealthy as the kings of old, and is frustrated by his
keenly. He would do anything to relieve Vig’s suffering father’s debts and his uncle’s illness. Narvi always wants
and restore his pride. the quick fix, the easy answer.

Surface Details Surface Details

Young, tall for a Dwarf. Young, light on his feet.

First Impressions First Impressions

Narvig is clearly the liaison between the Dwarves and the The merriest, least dour Dwarf you ever laid eyes on.

77
 Bree

Close Associates the Free Peoples cannot hope to stand against it. He has
Narvig, Hirlinon. succumbed to despair, and come out the other side filled
with malice and secret loathing for the common folk. He
Digging Deeper now delights in tricking people out of their money and
A successful Insight test will reveal that Narvi is trying to causing suffering, because what else is there to do? The
befriend Hirlinon. The Dwarf has a seemingly inexhaustible Enemy will soon rule all of Middle-earth, so why should
flask of some Dwarven spirits, and gets the mountebank Hirlinon not have some merriment at the expense of
tipsy each evening. Also, Narvi is remarkably stealthy for others before the day is done?
a Dwarf; he can step as lightly as a cat when he wants to.
Surface Details
Secrets Bright clothes, ready smile. The soft hands of a scholar.
Narvi’s the mastermind of the ‘plan’ to steal from Berelas.
He’s getting Hirlinon drunk every night so the mountebank
won’t be able to wake up when they attempt to steal the
Ring of Seven Jewels from Berelas.

Narvig or Narvi:

Attribute Level
3
Endurance Hate
18 3
Parry Armour
4+2 (Shield) 3d+1
Skills
Personality, 3 Survival, 2
Movement, 3 Custom, 2
Perception, 2 Vocation, 2
Weapon Skills
Sword 3 First Impressions
He seems to be something of a mountebank or carnival-
barker. His pony is laden down with boxes of medicines,
Weapons: cure-alls, potions, fireworks and other wonders. Hirlinon
claims to be Berelas’ brother, but the two look nothing
alike.
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot
Sword 5 10 16 Disarm Close Associates
Berelas, Edoric, Narvi.

Digging Deeper
Hirlinon of Gondor, follower of Gorlanc A companion who sneaks into the camp can find an
Hirlinon comes from the land of Gondor, far to the South. amulet identical to the one found on Mallor’s body
He is one of Gorlanc’s followers, a secret worshipper of amongst Hirlinon’s belongings (see page 71). Hirlinon
the Enemy. He has seen the power of Mordor; he knows keeps a very close watch on Berelas, following her like a
the gathering strength of the Enemy, and he knows that shadow.

78
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Secrets She serves Gorlanc because she fears the Enemy, and
Like Berelas, Hirlinon is a follower of Gorlanc. He’s much believes that only a strong hero can hope to stand against
more devoted to Gorlanc than she is, and his role is to Sauron when he returns. She sees Gorlanc like a younger,
remind her of her oaths to the sorcerer – and to make sure more forceful Radagast, and prays that if she brings him
that the Ring gets to Gorlanc, no matter what. the Ring and helps him grow in power, he will be able to
drive away the Shadow.
Hirlinon:
Berelas is deluding herself in this – Gorlanc is a servant
Attribute Level of Sauron, or at best a rival like Saruman the White, not a
4 hero – but she has no other hope to cling to.
Endurance Hate
18 4
Surface Details
A woman from Mirkwood, dressed in simple travelling
Parry Armour clothes and a heavy green cloak. She wears a scarf, even
6 1d in summer.
Skills
Personality, 4 Survival, 2 First Impressions
Movement, 3 Custom, 3 She seems to be Hirlinon’s assistant. Sometimes, she
Perception, 3 Vocation, 2 wanders into the woods alone or with Eoin to search for
Weapon Skills herbs.
Dagger 4
Special Abilities Close Associates
Hirlinon, Edoric, Eoin.
Poisoned Weapons Bewilder
Poisoned Weapons: If Hirlindon injures a foe with his
dagger, he may spend a point of Hate to force the foe Digging Deeper
to make a Protection test as if he had struck a Piercing A successful Insight roll reveals that Berelas and Edoric
Blow. If that test fails, the foe is Poisoned. seem to have some sort of a bond – or an understanding.
Bewilder: Hirlinon’s version of Bewilder involves mis- Certainly, she spends a lot of time talking to the caravan
direction, whirling capes and throwing blinding dust captain, and he smiles when she sings.
in the eyes of his foes.
She’s a talented healer, much more so than Hirlinon.
Anything of actual potency that he sells from his wagon of
Weapons: cure-alls was made by her.

Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called Secrets

type Shot Berelas carries a Wondrous Artefact, the Ring of Seven
Dagger 3 C 12 - Jewels, on a chain around her neck. She won’t wear the
Ring herself, but if she or the Ring are threatened, she calls
a Shade from Gorlanc (see The Cold Shade, page 82).
Berelas, the Ringbearer
Berelas is older than she looks. She was one of the If the caravan is attacked by night, or if Berelas or Hirlinon
Woodmen captives taken into Dol Guldur, and there are ambushed, then the Cold Shade automatically appears
she learned terrible secrets of the Enemy. Released, she to protect them. During the day, the Shade is less powerful
fell into the service of a lesser evil, Gorlanc the Sorcerer. and less supernaturally aware of danger, so Berelas must
Despite all these horrors, she has not entirely fallen to the consciously summon the creature.
Shadow, and is still capable of mercy and even kindness.

79
 Bree

She might also summon the Shade if she suspects the the one who hired Edoric. Some years ago, he loaned
caravan is being spied upon, and sent it out to hunt for a large sum of money to the dwarf-smith Vig, and he
nearby player characters. wants that debt repaid. When Vig protested that he didn’t
have the coin to repay Mirabar, the merchant decided to
Berelas: accompany the caravan himself (he normally dwells in
the Vales of Anduin, across the mountains).
Attribute Level
5
Endurance Hate
18 5
Parry Armour
5 2d
Skills
Personality, 3 Survival, 4
Movement, 3 Custom, 2
Perception, 3 Vocation, 4
Weapon Skills
Dagger 3
Bow 3
Special Abilities
Shade-caller -

Shade-caller: Instead of attacking, Berelas may call

the Cold Shade. The creature appears a short time
later.

Attribute Level: 3
Specialities: Mountaineer, Trading
Weapons: Distinctive Features: Proud, Suspicious
Relevant Skills: Riddle ♦♦, Insight ♦♦♦♦
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot Surface Details
Dagger 3 C 12 Poison
An old man, with a face like an aged crow, all beak and
Bow 5 10 14 Poison*
dark wary eyes. He’s bundled in furs despite the warm
*Gorlanc’s Poison: A hero Poisoned by Berelas weather; he has many rings of gold on his old fingers. He’s
becomes feverish for a number of rounds equal to the
roll of a Success die (in addition to being Poisoned). A the only member of the caravan to ride instead of walking.
feverish hero suffers a modifier of +6 to the TN of all
actions. The effects of Gorlanc’s poison wear off after First Impressions
a full week.
If he makes it as far as Bree, it’ll be something of a miracle.
He seems half-dead from the journey.

Mirabar of Dorwinion Close Associates

Mirabar is a merchant from the Land of Vineyards; he No one. Edoric and Eoin obey his commands, but he
brings cloth from the East and trades it for gems and doesn’t welcome their company. He tolerates Berelas,
crafted items from the Blue Mountains. Most of the glares at Hirlinon, and has little time for the Dwarves, who
baggage ponies in the caravan belong to him, and he’s seem subdued in his presence.

80
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Digging Deeper Interaction

Mirabar keeps a ledger of accounts with him, and there’s a Firstly, Edoric wants reassurance that the companions are
column of red ink with Vig’s name on it. The player-heroes not bandits planning to rob his caravan. Failing to provide
could learn this by sneaking into the camp and reading proof of the player-heroes’ good intentions, perhaps with
the journal, or by eavesdropping on Mirabar when he Courtesy or Persuade, quickly ends the encounter.
makes snide comments about Vig’s indebtedness.
Identifying the murder victim as a Ranger counts as a
He hates the Rangers, believing them to be nothing more failed roll; so does making an accusation without proof.
than bandits. He blames them for the loss of several of his The best approach is to present evidence that one of the
trade caravans en route to the Blue Mountains (in truth, caravan members was involved in Mallor’s death, and
the Rangers have saved far more of Mirabar’s caravans letting Edoric come to the conclusion that the matter
from meeting grisly ends, but there’s no reasoning with an deserves investigation.
unreasoned prejudice).
Edoric’s preference is to wait until Bree before coming to
Secrets any conclusions. He’s wary of any suggestions that justice
Mirabar believes he nearly died at the Forsaken Inn. be carried out on the Road.
He’s sure that he glimpsed Death come to claim him and
carry him away beyond the circles of the world. What he Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter
actually saw was the Shade sent by Gorlanc, the one that Keep a track of how many successes the company
killed Mallor, but Mirabar’s convinced that he’s going managed to accrue.
to die on his journey. He’s debating whether to forgive
Vig his debt as a last kindness, or write up a letter to 0 to 1: The company are brigands! To arms! It’s a pitched
his business partners transferring the lien on the loan battle between the members of the caravan and the player-
to them. heroes. Remember, most of the caravan-travellers are
mostly innocent, and killing them is a terrible Misdeed
Confronting the Caravan worthy of Shadow.
If the player-heroes decide to confront the caravan directly
before it reaches Bree, treat it as an encounter. Edoric does 2-4: Edoric agrees that the matter warrants investigation,
most of the talking for the caravan, although he looks to and suggests that the caravan meet the company in Bree.
Mirabar for guidance at times. The caravan shall be there in a few days; the company,
being less encumbered, may travel faster (in other words,
Set Tolerance he doesn’t want the companions travelling with the
Edoric has little patience for accusations and interruptions. caravan). The Reeve of Bree is as close as this part of the
The initial Tolerance is set equal to the highest Wisdom world comes to a law-giver – let the strangers present their
among the company. Reduce his Tolerance by 1 if there concerns to the Reeve, and let him deal with it.
are any Rangers of the North in the company.
4-6: As above, but Edoric agrees to let the player-heroes
Introduction accompany the caravan as far as Bree.
If the companions barge on to the Road declaring that one
of the caravan murdered someone at the Forsaken Inn and 7+: Edoric is convinced that the matter deserves immediate
they are here to bring a reckoning in the name of justice – investigation, and stands aside. Only the close associates
that’s definitely Awe, and at a higher TN than normal, too. of the suspect will fight back if the player-heroes press
the matter. (For example, if the players accuse one of
If they try a more circuitous approach, perhaps by asking the Dwarves, then all the Dwarves will band together to
to speak privately with Edoric, then they can introduce protect their relative. If they accuse Eoin, the lad is on his
themselves with Courtesy. own.)

81
 Bree

The Cold Shade The Cold Shade resembles a cloud of icy mist, as though
This creature might be an undead spirit, or it could be someone had exhaled heavily on a cold night. When the
the malign expression of Gorlanc’s will – or perhaps both? moonlight catches it at certain angles, a face and the
Maybe the sorcerer called a wraith out of some ancient suggestion of a Man-like form can be seen in the swirling
tomb in the north, and now uses it like a mask to project his tendrils of mist.
mind across the leagues. Whatever the Cold Shade’s nature,
its purpose is to defend the Ring that Gorlanc craves. The The Shade brings a bitter chill with it, as if it somehow
player-heroes encounter the Shade if: carries darkest midwinter wherever it goes. Ideally, run
Part Four – Strangers in the Woods during or just after
• Berelas or Hirlinon are attacked by night. a Cold Shade attack.
• Berelas feels threatened by day and summons the
Shade. The Cold Shade:
• Berelas calls the Shade to hunt for spies and
eavesdroppers. Attribute Level
4
Endurance Hate
30 7
Parry Armour
6 2d
Skills
Personality, 3 Survival, 1
Movement, 4 Custom, 3
Perception, 3 Vocation, 3
Weapon Skills
Icy Touch 4
Special Abilities
Ghost-form Fell Speed
Craven Fear of Fire
Thing of Terror
Hate Sunlight
(at night only)
Ghost-form: Most weapons cannot affect this
creature; only magical weapons can bite its incorporeal
flesh. See the Rivendell supplement, page 76.
Icy Touch: A hero struck by this attack becomes Weary
for the rest of the combat. If a hero is Wounded by an
Icy Touch attack, they are paralysed with cold and
cannot move until warmed up.

The Cold Shade appears as swiftly as the wind blows if

Weapons:
the Ring-bearer is threatened by night. During the day,
the Shade prefers to hide from the light of the sun and
easily goes astray, so it takes longer to arrive and must
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot
be consciously summoned by Berelas or Hirlinon by Icy Touch 4 18 Pierce
C
speaking Gorlanc’s name coupled with an invocation in
the Black Speech of Mordor.

82
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Wild Beasts Weapons:

This is an optional scene that can be inserted instead of,
or some night after, meeting the Elves (see page 84).
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot
The presence of the Ring of Seven Jewels does not pass Bite 3 10 14 Pierce
unnoticed to the eyes of the servants of the Enemy.
Normally, wolves stay far away from Bree, but tonight the
curse laid upon the treasure stolen from the Elves draws
them in. The wolf pack is a large one, led by a white beast White Wolf of the North:
that must have come down from the frozen wastes of the
far North. Attribute Level
5
The whole caravan is in grave danger. More importantly, Endurance Hate
if any player-heroes are sneaking about this night, they’re 20 6
at risk of being discovered. Parry Armour
6 2d
Hiding from the Wolves
Staying hidden from the wolves requires a Stealth test (TN
Skills
Personality, 2 Survival, 3
16). If near the Chetwood, the best thing to do is climb
Movement, 3 Custom, 0
a tree; otherwise, the characters must hide amid the
Perception, 2 Vocation, 0
underbrush and hope the wolves pass by.
Weapon Skills
Battling the Wolves Bite 3
There are three Wild Wolves for every companion, plus Special Abilities
more attacking the caravan, plus the White Wolf of the Fear of Fire Great Leap
North. Craven Commanding Voice
Lure of the Ring -
Ordinary Wolf: Lure of the Ring: The White Wolf of the North regains
1 point of Hate when it’s blocked from attacking Berelas.
Attribute Level
3
Endurance Hate
Weapons:
12 1
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
Parry Armour type Shot
5 2d Bite 5 10 18 Pierce
Skills
Personality, 1 Survival, 2
Movement, 3 Custom, 0 The Caravan and the Wolves
Perception, 2 Vocation, 0 If the wolves make it past the company, then Edoric
Weapon Skills efficiently rallies his defences. Eoin, Edoric and all the
Bite 2 Dwarves except Vogar form a defensive line, hewing at the
wolves or trying to drive them away with fire. Mirabar,
Special Abilities
Hirlindon, Berelas and Vogar hide behind this line, trying
Fear of Fire Great Leap
to keep the pack animals calm.
Seize Victim -

83
 Bree

At one point, a wolf leaps past the defensive line and fled before our presence, and the name of Elbereth. Were
lands in the middle of the caravan, snarling and biting. you foolish enough to call up some evil spirit?”
There’s a sudden shriek, and a cloud of mist (the Cold
Shade) flashes past. The wolf falls over, stone dead, but If you can’t engineer such a dramatic entrance, then the
the ponies are spooked and try to scatter. By the time the Elves might encounter the company as they spy on the
remaining wolves are driven away and the pack animals trade caravan. The Elves, being wood-wise and stealthy,
gathered back together, no one recalls the strange blast are amused by their attempts at eavesdropping.
of icy air that shot through the camp (and Hirlinon is
careful to plant a dagger in the wolf’s flank to explain the The Elves might even play tricks on the company, like
creature’s death). dropping apples on their heads or whispering in their ears
as they lie hidden. Once they tire of such mockery, the
Elves reveal themselves and greet the company.
– Part Four –
Strangers in the Woods The leader of the Elves is Cenedriliel.

In this part of the adventure, the player-heroes meet a Encountering the Elves
Wandering Company of the Elves in the Chetwood near Run this scene as an extended encounter. Once the Elves’
Bree. There are two ways to introduce this scene. Tolerance is exhausted, they vanish. If the companions
make it through the night successfully, the Elves leave gifts
The most dramatic and thematic way is to have the Elves for them in the morning.
show up to drive away the fell presence of the Cold Shade.
The High Elves have great spiritual power, and a company Set Tolerance
of them blazes in the wraith-world like a forest fire or the The initial Tolerance for Cenedriliel is set equal to the
rising sun. highest Wisdom amongst the company. Increase the
Tolerance by 1 if there are any Hobbits, Rangers of the
The Cold Shade hisses and melts away like mist before the North or High Elves of Rivendell in the company.
dawn. “What was that?” asks the leader of the Elves. “It

84
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Introduction • Helping find the Killer: “This is your task, not ours.
Cenedriliel introduces herself and her fellow High Elves, We are travelling, travelling West and West again, and
explaining that she and most of her company are travelling shall not tarry here. Look for us again when you need
West, towards the Havens, and intend to depart Middle- us, not when you desire an easier road.”
earth. Some of their number, though, are Elves of the Grey
Havens, who have come to meet them at Rivendell to guide • The Caravan: “There is a treasure there, a power that
them across Eriador. is familiar to some in my company. We knew it came
out of Eregion some time ago. But it is a trap, a snare
The companions should make rolls of Courtesy or that would hold us here, tying us to a past we gave up
Song to introduce themselves. Attempting to use Awe long ago. I can speak no more of it, save this: malice
automatically fails. takes many forms, and some are better hidden than
others.”
Assuming the company do not fail this first hurdle,
Cenedriliel leads them a little deeper into the Chetwood, • The Cold Shade: “I have bent my thought upon the
to a clearing where there are a number of white cloths creature, and it shall not trouble you again this night.
laden with food spread out on the ground. Lamps It dwells far away, but came when it was called. There
hanging from the trees burn brightly but don’t seem to was a living will behind it, friend, as shadowed a soul
illuminate the glade. as can be imagined.”

The characters have the strange impression that the light Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter
is coming from the stars overhead, as if the stars burn After the conversation comes to an end, count up the
brighter here. The companions are invited to join the feast. number of successes obtained by the companions.

Interaction 0-1: The feast ends abruptly; the Elf-lights suddenly snuff
Possible rolls include Riddle, Courtesy, Song or Lore; the out and the player-heroes fall instantly asleep. The next
Elves stop talking to the companions in favour of singing day, the company will have to hurry to catch up with the
and merriment when the conversation bores them. Likely caravan.
topics of conversation:
2-3: The next morning, the companions find the left-over
• The Death of the Ranger: “We knew Mallor, although food from the feast all wrapped up and waiting for them;
he rarely joined in our merriment. His heart was true, this meal removes 4 points of Fatigue or 1 point of Shadow
and it grieves us to hear that he has died. It would be from each companion.
a worthy deed to bring justice to his murderers – but
Mallor would have been the first to remind you that 4-6: As above, but one of the companions also has a
justice is a fleeting shadow, and there is more woe prophetic dream, giving a clue about some member of the
and weeping in Middle-earth than there are triumphs. caravan, or about Gorlanc.
Long have we contended against the Enemy, and all
too often in vain. We feast tonight, then, because we 7+: As 2-3, but Cenedriliel stays up all night talking with
are here and it is summer in the Chetwood, and for the companion with the highest Wisdom (use Lore as
no more glorious reason. Perhaps your quest will be a tie-breaker), and reveals that someone in the caravan
successful, and if it is, we shall rejoice. But Mallor is carrying a lesser Ring of Power, and that Cenedriliel
is still dead. Remember, mortality is the gift of Men; suspects that the Cold Shade is somehow guarding or
his passing may be part of a greater design, one not watching over this ring.
intended by the murderer.”

85
 Bree

– Part Five – easily spy on events inside the house through this window.
Not To Strike Without Need Now, Violet Rushlight has come down with a fever, and
her younger daughter Rose is also growing ill as she tends
A day out from Bree, the caravan comes upon a small to her mother.
byroad leading to Staddle. A young girl named Daisy flags
the caravan down as they pass, and begs for Hirlinon’s Healing the Rushlights
help. Her mother Violet is sick, she says, and she begs the If the companions get involved, then anyone with ranks
healer to come quick to help her. She lives in a cottage in Healing (or an appropriate Trait, like Leechcraft)
outside Combe. recognises that Violet and Rose are dying and are unlikely
to recover without aid.
A debate ensues. Mirabar (and, hence, Edoric) wants to
continue on to Bree immediately. Hirlinon tries to sell The intercession of someone with great healing powers
the girl a cure-all, but Berelas insists that they should is needed (a Woodman with Herbal Remedies, an Elf of
divert to Staddle and examine the girl’s mother in person Rivendell with Skill of the Eldar, or a suitable Trait plus a
(Berelas is a better healer than Hirlinon, but maintains the TN 18 Healing test).
fiction that he’s the brilliant apothecary and she’s just an
assistant). If a player character can heal the Rushlights, then Berelas
may be spared using the Ring of Seven Jewels.
The Dwarves don’t care, until it becomes clear that Berelas
and Hirlinon are going to the cottage, whereupon Narvi Using the Ring
and Narvig volunteer to ‘escort’ the healer (to ensure they Berelas comes to the same conclusion about the prospects
don’t let her gold ring out of their sight). Vig objects at of the patients: their illness is beyond any ordinary skill
that, as he can’t mind Vogar on his own. to heal. While Hirlinon tries to sell potions and herbal
remedies to the dying women, Berelas examines her
In the end (assuming the companions don’t intervene), the patients – and then realises that the only way to save them
agreed plan is that Berelas, Hirlinon, Eoin and Narvi will is to use the power of the Ring of Seven Jewels.
take the side road to Staddle, while the rest of the caravan
waits for them at the fork in the road.

A Caravan Divided
The split in the caravan offers an excellent opportunity for
the company to spy on or question Loremaster characters.
It’s especially easy to question Eoin, as he’s off his guard
now that the caravan is back in the familiar lands around
Bree-hill.

The Cottage
Violet Rushlight lives with her two daughters in a cottage
outside Combe; they farm chickens and cows, and weave
cloth. Ever-industrious are the Rushlights. The cottage
is a large one, built by the late Mr Rushlight (dead four
years ago; if the players played through Old Bones and
Skin, then they likely saved his burial mound from being
despoiled by the Old Troll), and there’s a handsome
window facing out to the south. The companions can

86
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

She orders the fires lit and stoked, even though it is the
height of summer. She has blankets placed on the bed,
because she knows that putting on the Ring will attract
Forcing a Confrontation
the attention of Gorlanc’s Cold Shade. She then orders If the player-heroes ambush Berelas or confront
everyone, including young Daisy, to return to the caravan. the caravan at this point (perhaps prompted by the
Eoin, however, circles back to keep an eye on his “beloved” unnatural events witnessed at the cottage), then
Berelas. The player-heroes may also be in a position to Edoric insists that since they are less than a day’s
observe what happens next. travel from Bree, they all continue onto the town
and let the Reeve there resolve any accusations of
Berelas puts on the Ring of Seven Jewels and uses its witchcraft or murder.
power to heal the sick. As soon as she puts on the Ring,
she draws Gorlanc’s attention; the Cold Shade flies as fast
as the wind, howling down from the empty lands north of
the Shire to investigate. It rushes into the cottage through
the chimney, freezing the fire in the hearth in an instant. - Part Six -
It whirls around Berelas, looking for signs of danger, then Knives in Bree
races out of the cottage again and circles around.
This part of the adventure assumes that the player
If the companions are nearby, it attacks them; otherwise, characters have not accused Berelas of Mallor’s murder.
it spots Eoin and decides that he must be a threat – why
else would Berelas have touched the Ring? The Shade The caravan stops at The Prancing Pony for the night. In
does not kill him, but terrifies him half to death; he’s left fact, declares Mirabar, they’re going to stay here for two
shivering and whimpering in the undergrowth. or three nights. Even the old man’s greed and impatience
cannot overcome the ache in his frail old bones, and he
Inside the cottage, Berelas attends to Daisy and Violet; needs to rest. If Eoin’s still missing, then The Pony’s pot-
their sickness is gone, but they are half-frozen to death from boys help unload the caravan instead.
the presence of the Cold Shade. Berelas hastily relights the
fire and warms them with blankets until they revive. Both Hirlinon and Berelas share a room; Edoric and Mirabar a
mutter and moan about “seven shining jewels”. (If a hero second; and the Dwarves take a third.
overhears that, a successful Lore check (TN 16) might dig
up a memory of the Ring of Seven Jewels.) Whispers in the Commons
Hirlinon meets with other agents of Gorlanc in the
To Bree! common-room of the inn. If you played through Old
Mirabar refuses to squander any more time on this affair; Bones and Skins, and by some astounding confluence
he orders Edoric to move on to Bree as soon as Berelas of unlikely circumstances, the Dwarf Grór isn’t lying
and Narvi are back. “The moon-calf can catch up,” he dead somewhere in the Midgewater Marshes, then use
says, “we’re only a short walk to the Cross-Roads.” They him. Otherwise, it’s an ill-favoured vagabond who the
leave without Eoin, assuming that he’s wandered off to companions vaguely recall sitting near Grór when they
greet friends or family now that he’s back in Bree-land. last saw the Dwarf.

Once the caravan arrives in Bree, run Knives in Bree or If the company eavesdrops on this conversation, they hear
The Matter Before the Reeve depending on the current Hirlinon promising his companion that he and Berelas
situation. will be on their way to “the fort” first thing in the morning,
and that while there have been a few problems on the
Road, the treasure is still kept secret and safe.

87
 Bree

Afterwards, Narvi comes over and tells Hirlinon that snores in one bed, drunk on Dwarven spirits. Berelas lies
behind the bar is a bottle of the same Dwarven spirits that sleeping in the other. It’s a warm summer’s night. On the
they shared on the road. Hirlinon proceeds to get quite nightstand by the bed, the Ring of Seven Jewels gleams
drunk. invitingly in the moonlight. Narvig guards the door while
Narvi creeps closer and closer. He’s got a dagger in one
The Dwarves hand, just in case, but surely he’s light fingered enough to
The arrival of Dwarven traders attracts the attention of the grab the Ring without anyone noticing…
worthies of Bree; before the Dwarves can even have a sip
of beer, they’re busy selling ironmongery and arranging As soon as the Dwarf touches the Ring, it calls the Cold
to repair farmtools and other metalwork the next day. Shade. The Shade comes shrieking over the walls and
Hirlinon, seeing an opportunity, starts hawking his cure- rooftops of the town, bursting in the open window seconds
alls, declaiming loudly that he rescued the Rushlights of after it left Gorlanc’s fort. It strikes Narvi down where he
Combe from the brink of death with his herbal remedies. stands, and wakes Hirlinon and Berelas.

In the common-room, Mirabar demands that Vig hand The two attempt to flee while Narvig grapples with the
over all the money the Dwarves earned that afternoon Shade. His shouts of alarm wake his uncle Vogar, who
as part-payment of the family debt. Grudgingly, Vig gives comes crashing down the hallway, a berserker in a
him what he earned; the Dwarves nurse a single half-pint nightshirt, waving his mattock and shouting about Orcs
each and eat nothing but bread and cheese, because that and Dragons.
is all they can afford.
If the companions fail to intercede, then the adventure
That humiliation is the last the Dwarves can bear. That ends here. Hirlinon and Berelas scramble down over
night, Narvi and Narvig plan to break into Berelas’ room the stable roof, steal horses, and ride out of Bree like the
and steal her jewelled ring. They intend to sell it to their wind. The gatekeeper of the North-gate is struck down by
kin in the Blue Mountains, and use the money to pay Hirlinon, and the pair vanish up the Greenway, never to
Mirabar back in full. be seen again in Bree. Everyone in the inn is distracted by
Vogar’s deranged rampage.
If the Player-Heroes…
…have rooms at the inn, then they overhear the However, if the player-heroes are present, they’ve a chance
Dwarves moving around at night, or spot them leaving to capture Berelas alive. Unlike Hirlinon, the healer’s
the common-room. loyalty to Gorlanc is wavering; she won’t kill unless her
own life is threatened.
…are watching Berelas or the Dwarves, then they can
spot the Dwarves sneaking into Berelas’ room. If the players haven’t followed the clues, then a last-chance
roll of Insight might avert catastrophe. The companions
…are near The Pony, then they can get involved in the still need to drive the Cold Shade away in order to capture
altercation when Berelas and Hirlinon try to flee. Berelas; she’ll advise them to use torches and fire to
dismay the Shade.
... are nowhere nearby, then their involvement in the
final scenes of this adventure may hang on Virtues and The Wardens of Bree finally arrive only after Berelas is in
Blessings like Foresighted, Woeful Foresight or Night-Goer custody, and insist that she must be brought before the
to give the players forewarning of what is about to happen. Reeve for judgement.

Uproar in Bree Hirlinon won’t be taken alive; he’ll either fight to the death
Should the players not intercede, this is what happens: or escape. If necessary, he will poison himself with his
Narvi and Narvig sneak into Berelas’ room. Hirlinon envenomed blade.

88
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Berelas’ Confession
If questioned, Berelas describes how she fell under the influence of Gorlanc and obtained the Ring of Seven Jewels.
She met the sorcerer after she escaped the dungeons of Dol Guldur; he began by questioning her about her experiences
in the Necromancer’s fortress, and over time she became convinced that he was as wise as Radagast, but much
braver and more active – the Enemy’s enemy.

While travelling in the South, Gorlanc learned of a ring made by Elven-smiths of old. He searched for it for years,
but other business drew him back to the North. He told Berelas that "cruel men and outlaws" drove him out of
Eriador long ago, but that he intended to return to continue his investigations into the power of the fallen North-
kingdom. In his absence, she was to continue the search for the Ring, and he taught her a spell that she should lay
upon the artefact when she found it, "to free it from any curse", Gorlanc said.

After more years of searching, Berelas found the Ring of Seven Jewels, buried in a plot of earth that had once been
a mass grave, and she cast the spell Gorlanc taught her as instructed. The action seemed to unburden her mind and
allowed her to think clearly for the first time in many years - and she began to have doubts about her allegiance to
Gorlanc. However, the spell also bound Gorlanc’s Cold Shade to the Ring, cursing it.

Some time later, Berelas joined Hirlinon – another one of Gorlanc’s men, and they came north to bring the Ring
to the sorcerer. At the Forsaken Inn, someone eavesdropped on one of their conversations. Alarmed, Berelas caused
the Cold Shade to intervene, and the evil spirit killed the Ranger Tarry-Mack.

Sympathetic roleplaying or, failing that, a well-timed Inspire test can convince Berelas that she was wrong to
follow Gorlanc, and can atone by ensuring the sorcerer doesn’t get his hands on the Ring of Seven Jewels, which
might further increase his power. Reminding her of her role in Eoin’s disappearance (assuming the boy was left
behind in Part Five – Not to Strike Without Need) will be especially effective.

Further questions can elicit the following:

• Gorlanc has a fortress somewhere north of the Bree-land, and a fair number of followers. She doesn’t know
where the fort is, or how many men serve him. Hirlinon was to guide her to Gorlanc.
• If anyone else touches the Ring, the Cold Shade will attack. Only she can bear the Ring safely.
• She fears that she cannot stay in Bree, even if arrested. Sooner or later, Gorlanc will come for his prize. He
may attack Bree, or send some plague or curse down upon the town if he does not get his Ring.

- Part Seven – companions captured Berelas after the events of Part Six
Before The Reeve – Knives in the Dark, and have now brought her before
the Reeve for justice.
There are two possible ways to enter this scene.
The Reeve is Bree’s mayor, magistrate and lawmaker; in
One possibility is that the players accused some member days when there was a king, he was the king’s man and
of Edoric’s caravan on the Road, and Edoric agreed to ruled in his name. Now, the Reeve is an elected position,
put the case before the Reeve. The other option is that the advised by councillors from the four villages of Bree-land.

89
 Bree

The current Reeve is old Twyc Greenleaf, a man in his situations – the adventurers may be arguing for guilt
seventy-fifth year with hair like snow and skin like cracked (“Berelas murdered Mallor, known in Bree as Tarry-Mack!
parchment. He spends most of his time in office napping We want justice for our comrade!” ) or clemency (“Yes,
in the Reeve’s House, while his young factotum Cole does technically Berelas killed Tarry-Mack, but really it was the
all the work. The one thing that gets Twyc’s blood flowing ghost in her ring. And if you keep her imprisoned in Bree,
is sitting in judgement over an actual criminal; he holds then Gorlanc’s going to attack the town.” ) If the company
the peace of Bree to be a sacred thing, and punishes exceed the Reeve’s Tolerance, then they get a bad outcome.
lawbreakers harshly. Most lawbreaking in Bree involves If they argue their case convincingly, the Reeve’s decision
sheep-stealing or arguments over hedgerows; it’s been goes their way.
many, many years since Tywc sat in judgement over a
potential murderer. Tywc is old, cranky and close-minded. Any talk of sorcery
or the supernatural is simply dismissed as “Elf-nonsense”.
And even longer since there was a hanging at the Cross- This is Bree, and Bree is nothing if not sensible. Only
roads. outlaws and sheep-stealers living in the Old Forest talk
about ghosts and magic rings. This isn’t a fairy story.
The Jail at Bree
Prisoners in the custody of the Reeve are held in a locked
room in the Reeve’s house, and guarded by one of Bree’s
Wardens (probably Tad Tillfield – see page 18). As Bree
is under the protection of the Rangers, these Wardens
usually have little to do other than deal with stray animals;
actually guarding a prisoner is a novelty for them.

If Berelas is the prisoner, and she has not already admitted

her guilt to the companions, run Berelas’ Confession
now before the trial.

The Accused
If it is Berelas in the dock, then the adventure is almost
over. The Reeve’s decision will determine what options
are open to her in Part Eight – The Choices of Mistress
Berelas.

If it is some other suspect in the dock, like one of the

Dwarves, then the events of Part Six – Knives in Bree
may yet come to pass. In that case, don’t run a second
court case – go straight on to Part Eight. If the players
insist on bringing a second case before the Reeve,
summarise the events based on the outcome of the first
trial. (For example, if the companions exceeded the
Reeve’s Tolerance in the first trial, they’re not going to get
a good outcome in the second.) Set Tolerance
The initial Tolerance is set at 1. Increase it by 1 if there
Meeting the Reeve are any Bree-folk or Hobbits of the Shire in the company.
The court case with the Reeve is resolved as an Encounter. Remember to take into account the Standing rating of
Instead of a fixed set of outcomes, there are two possible either Bree-folk or Hobbit heroes, if any are present.

90
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

Introduction that the prisoner was involved in the death of the Ranger,
Introductions must be made with rolls of Courtesy. The or they have convinced Tywc that he should free Berelas
companions must also introduce the accused, which immediately.
may be done with a roll of Awe (prosecution) or a roll of
Persuade (defence). “Not within my purview”: Tywc washes his hands of the
case. Maybe the prisoner is guilty, maybe not. It’s not a
Interaction matter for Bree; what happens on the Road can stay on
The companions must either prove the suspect is guilty, or the Road. The prisoner is freed but banished from Bree;
plead for clemency. This might done with rolls of: any companions other than Bree-folk or Shire-hobbits are
likewise encouraged to leave.
• Persuade, to make speeches before the judge.
• Riddle, to ask clever questions of the suspect. Custody of the Rangers: Tarry-Mack was one of them
• Lore, to quote obscure aspects of Bree-law. Rangers; let them decide what’s to be done. Twyc decides
• Insight, to gain, well, insight into Twyc Greenleaf’s to keep the prisoner in custody until a Ranger shows up
character. He despises law-breakers and has no in Bree. If there’s a Ranger in the company, so much the
patience for talk of the supernatural, but fears for better; Twyc releases the prisoner into the Ranger’s care,
Bree’s safety. and suggests that both prisoner and Ranger leave Bree
• Awe, to convince Twyc that this is a threat far beyond immediately. Otherwise, the company must go fetch a
the ability of the Wardens of Bree to cope with. Ranger if they want to get Berelas out of Bree’s jail.
• Inspire, either to convince Tywc that justice is not
always served best by a strict adherence to the law, Imprisoned Indefinitely: Twyc needs to consult with
or to convince Berelas to volunteer information the councillors of Bree, and consult the books of law and
about her own experiences. precedent, and think about the matter deeply. There’ll be
no decision before Year’s End at the earliest. Until then,
Evaluating the Outcome of the Encounter the prisoner will remain in Bree’s jail.
Once all arguments are concluded, compare the result
to the table below, using whichever column of successes Condemned to Death: Not a living soul in Bree can
matches the company’s argument. remember the last time the ancient punishment was used;
no doubt there were crimes committed in the dark days
of the Fell Winter and other bad times, but they are long
Arguing for Outcome Arguing for past. Still, there is a place near the Cross-roads where a
Conviction Clemency
gallows might be built, and cold steel enough in the mind
Tolerance Prisoner is freed 7+ of Tywc Greenleaf to order such a punishment.
Exceeded unconditionally
1 “Not within my 5-6
purview”
2-4 Custody of the 2-4
Using the Ring of Seven Jewels
Rangers All of Twyc’s doubts about the supernatural can be
5-6 Imprisoned 1 dismissed in an instant if the heroes compel Berelas
indefinitely to call the Cold Shade. Of course, summoning up a
7+ Condemned to Tolerance murderous undead horror in the middle of Bree is the
death Exceeded fastest way to get forever banished from the town
short of burning down The Prancing Pony. Still,
if the company’s chief concern is the security of the
Prisoner is freed unconditionally: Tywc dismisses the North and not their Standing in town, it is an option.
case. Either the adventurers have utterly failed to prove

91
 Bree

– Part Eight – enough to stop the sorcerer from ever getting the Ring
The Choices of Mistress Berelas he so desires.

By this point in the adventure, Berelas should be in the • Flee to Rivendell: If the companions know about the
custody of either the Reeve of Bree, or the company. She hidden valley of Imladris, they could bring Berelas
has repented of her allegiance to Gorlanc, but needs to there and seek the protection of Master Elrond.
decide what to do with the Ring.
• Go to the Elves: If the companions are on good terms
She looks to the companions for guidance: what should with Cenedriliel and her Elves, they could seek them
she do? If the player-heroes are low-ranking adventurers out and ask them for help.
from Bree, then all they can do is advise, for the final fate
of the Ring of Seven Jewels is out of their hands. However, The Rest of the Caravan
if the companions are more experienced adventurers or Depending on the players’ actions, the rest of the
Rangers, then they can aid Berelas in finding her destiny. caravan may be dead, bitterly hateful of one another, or
What is to be done with the Ring of Seven Jewels? even redeemed and won over as allies. Here’s how the
company might solve problems with the other Loremaster
• Surrender the Ring of Seven Jewels: Gorlanc’s spell characters:
ensures that if anyone other than Berelas touches
the Ring of Seven Jewels, the Cold Shade will be Edoric
summoned. Only Berelas’ death can break this spell, Protecting the caravan members, especially Eoin and
and allow someone else to safely bear the Ring. If the Mirabar, is all it takes to convince Edoric that the company
company feel that her murder of Tarry-Mack warrants are worthy allies.
death, she will yield to their judgement.
Eoin
• Hide the Ring: If the Ring goes untouched, the Cold Saving Eoin’s life in Part Five – Not to Strike Without
Shade won’t be able to find it. It took Gorlanc many, Need wins him over; doubly so if he can help Berelas
many years to find the Ring of Seven Jewels in the escape her fate.
first place; if the company helps Berelas hide it with
sufficient cunning, he might not be able to find it The Dwarves
again before he dies of old age. (For double irony, Not killing Narvi and Narvig is a good start. The characters
the adventurers could hide the treasure in the Black will be Dwarf-friends for life if they help Vig pay off his
Barrow – see page 62.) debt to Mirabar.

• Destroy the Ring of Seven Jewels: The Great Rings Gorlanc’s Last Stroke
of Power are hard to destroy, save by Dragon-fire or Gorlanc will not leave his Ring slip through his fingers so
the fires of the Cracks of Doom, but lesser rings can be easily. He sends a few of his best and swiftest warriors
unmade. Doing so requires a prolonged Craft action to reclaim the Ring now that Berelas has betrayed him.
(TN 18), requiring a total of 7 successes. As soon as Hirlinon joins this troupe of killers if he is still alive.
the Ring is cast into the flames of the forge, the Cold
Shade appears to defend the treasure. The other The band travels to Bree (or to the last place where Gorlanc
heroes must defend their companion as they unmake knows Berelas was) with orders to abduct Berelas and
the masterwork with a hammer. recover the Ring of Seven Jewels. If Berelas is on the Road
with the player-heroes, they’ll try to take her by force. If
• Flee into the Wild: Berelas came from Mirkwood she’s in the Reeve’s jail in Bree, then they’ll break into the
originally; if she runs, and never stops running, then jail and grab her in the dead of night – they are not above
maybe she can stay ahead of Gorlanc’s minions long slitting the throat of a Warden to do so.

92
 Strange Men, Strange Roads

There are two of Gorlanc’s warriors for every companion the forces of Arnor and Angmar smashed one another to
(plus Hirlinon, if he’s still alive). At night, the Cold Shade pieces and left no power of consequence in the North,
joins the battle. just as Gondor and Mordor seem, in his eyes, bound to
destroy one another.
If it’s dramatically fitting, have Vig, Vogar and the two
younger Dwarves, or Edoric and Eoin, join the fray if the He reckons without the strength of Rivendell.
company are ambushed on the Road or attacked in Bree.
If the companions are simple Hobbits of the Shire or Bree-
Gorlanc’s Warriors: folk, then they need take no part in the war on Gorlanc. In
the coming year, they hear rumours. Wild tales of flashing
Attribute Level lights in the sky to the north, of a host of Elves passing
4 through the woods, armed for war.
Endurance Hate
Gandalf is seen in the Shire several times that autumn,
14 3
hastening back and forth as if on some important errand.
Parry Armour The Bounders are especially busy that winter, as some
4+2 (Shield) 1d+1
especially nasty and aggressive Men trespass over the
Skills borders as they flee south.
Personality, 1 Survival, 2
Movement, 3 Custom, 1 Rangers of the North or High Elves of Rivendell, or heroes
Perception, 2 Vocation, 2 of great renown out of Wilderland, may play a part of
Weapon Skills the assault on Gorlanc’s fort. Loremasters may expand
Axe 3 this into a full adventure if desired, but with Glorfindel,
Elladan and Elrohir in the vanguard of the attacking
forces, Gorlanc’s motley crew of thieves and tomb robbers
Weapons: never have any hope of victory, especially without the Ring
of Seven Jewels.
Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called
type Shot If Gorlanc has the Ring of Seven Jewels then the battle is
Axe 5 18 Break far more costly for the forces of Rivendell: The sorcerer
C Shield
is still defeated, but Glorfindel and his followers must
lay siege to the fort instead of overwhelming it. (For the
ultimate fate of Gorlanc the sorcerer, see Holed Up in
Staddle, overleaf.)
– Epilogue –
The Assault on Gorlanc’s Fort
Gorlanc believes he can claim all the secrets and treasures
of Eriador. He thinks that the Dúnedain are nothing but
outlaws and wanderers, stumbling blindly through the
ruins of their former kingdoms. He believes that the
North is empty of any who might stand against him, that

93
 Bree

holed up in Part Four – Watching & Waiting

The company learns more about the threat in Staddle,

- Staddle - and make contact with the Undertree family.

Part Five – Death under the Apple Trees

Armed with this knowledge, the company can sneak into
• When: This quest could be set at in the later summer the Undertree Smial and battle Gorlanc’s followers.
or autumn of any year, and spans a number of
months. It is designed to be run after the events of Epilogue – A Harvest Moon
Strange Men, Strange Roads. The company consider their adventures and may decide
to explore beyond the familiar fields they know.
• Where: The adventure begins on the Greenway before
heading into the Chetwood, and ending in and around
Bree itself.
Gorlanc’s Dead!
• What: The company must hunt down the last fugitives If the player-heroes take part in the siege of Gorlanc’s
of a band of evil Men that once troubled the North. fort (see page 93), then it’s possible they kill Gorlanc
before the sorcerer can escape. (Players are usually
• Why: Gorlanc has been defeated, but these last utterly determined to hunt down and kill their foes,
criminals must be defeated for the safety of Bree. after all – had a player been present at the Battle
of Fornost, when the Witch-king fled and Glorfindel
• Who: Gorlanc, the broken sorcerer. prophesied "not by the hand of Man shall he fall",
then doubtless that player would have immediately
tried drawing back a bowstring with his teeth,
Adventuring Phase arguing that an arrow loosed in that fashion wouldn’t
count as "the hand of Man").
This adventure is divided into five parts, which begins on
the Greenway and ends in Bree. If necessary, you can replace Gorlanc with another
villain in this adventure – Hirlinon, perhaps, or some
Part One – Down Rode the Huntress apprentice of the sorcerer, or even some other evil-
The player-heroes meet a messenger from the Rangers, doer unrelated to Gorlanc. The villain needs a little
and help her chase some fugitives from Gorlanc’s band knowledge of herb-lore and vile sorcery to put the
who have escaped down the Greenway. main plot into motion.

Part Two – Into Eastern Chetwood

The chase brings the companions into the dangerous
eastern reaches of Chetwood, where they have several - Part One -
unusual encounters (but there’s no sign of the sorcerer Down Rode The Huntress
himself).
Haleth, a Ranger of the North the company has met before
Part Three – Things out of Place if they played through the previous adventures presented
Back in Bree, the companions look for signs that something in this supplement, is riding down the Greenway from the
is amiss, and discover strange behaviour in one Hobbit North, carrying important tidings.
family out of Staddle.
If the companions reside in Bree, then they might meet
her at the crossroads outside the town; alternatively, if she
94
 Holed Up in Staddle

already knows and trusts the company, she might show The Chase
up on their doorstep in the dead of night. Haleth leads the company north of the crossroads
along the Greenway. Midway through the morning, the
A Weary Traveller company’s Look-out Men spot something strange dead
When the player-heroes meet Haleth, they immediately ahead – a roiling, seething black shape on the path.
see that she is exhausted and bloodied from long strife. Haleth spurs her horse and charges towards the shape,
Instead of her customary travelling gear, she wears a helm which explodes into thousands of birds. The companions
and war-mail beneath her green cloak. She carries a spear can now see it for what it was – a huge flock of crows had
as well as her sword. landed on the road. “One of the sorcerer’s tricks”, warns
Haleth, “see, he has muddled the trail!”
“I have ridden far in haste” she says, “And I have need of
your assistance. Gather what weapons ye have, and come
quick! There are foes to hunt!”

While the companions gather their gear, Haleth explains

what’s going on. The forces of the Rangers and Rivendell
destroyed the servants of the upstart sorcerer Gorlanc in
battle near Fornost, and laid waste to his fort. However,
the sorcerer and a few of his bodyguards escaped through
a secret passage, and vanished into the wilderness. The
chieftain of the Dúnedain sent Rangers out in all directions
to find Gorlanc and put an end to his evil, and Haleth was
among those sent south down the Greenway.

She found the trail of Gorlanc’s followers on the road a

few miles north of Bree. She wants the company to help
her catch the sorcerer and his servants.

She believes that Gorlanc is likely trying to flee back to his

old haunts beyond the Greyflood, in the land of Enedwaith,
and that the best hope is to catch him before he gets too
far south. She’s sent word to the other Rangers, telling
them that their quarry is fleeing south on the Greenway,
but they may not arrive in time. So, she’s turned to the
company. In the unlikely event that your players refuse
to aid Haleth, then skip to Part Three – Things out of
Place and continue the adventure from there.

My players are big shots!

If the companions are Rangers of the North, High Elves of Rivendell or other experienced heroes, they might
have participated in the siege of Gorlanc’s fort and you can skip this scene altogether – instead of Haleth asking
the player-heroes to aid in her finding Gorlanc, make the chase for Gorlanc part of the aftermath of the siege (see
page 93).

95
 Bree

It’s true – the ground ahead has been torn up by thousands land. The trees mutter and creak as their branches wave
of peck-marks and claw tracks, disguising any trail that in the wind; shafts and shards of moonlight flicker on
Gorlanc might have left. Haleth orders the company to the path, as if the wood is trying to lure the adventurers
stop and wait while she surveys the surrounding ground. inwards…
The company’s Huntsman may also make a Hunting roll
(TN 16) to read the signs.
- Part Two -
Haleth guesses that Gorlanc’s company has divided. Most Into Eastern Chetwood
have turned off the Greenway and gone east, while a
smaller number have continued south, on down the road. There are many crossing paths leading across the
She thinks that Gorlanc’s gone south (“He would want to Chetwood, but the tracks the company start to follow the
get as far away from the Rangers as he can. Maybe there next morning soon take a north-east course, leading them
was a disagreement over pay – the sorcerer’s stolen gold towards the older patches of the forest. In the first hours of
was all lost with his fortress, and the greater part of his the day they wander between green hillocks and dells, in a
men followed him out of greed and fear, not loyalty.”) She wood that by daylight appears leafy and full of colour, the
declares that she’ll keep going south in pursuit, and sends true image of quiet and peacefulness...
the player characters to follow the other group east.
The Bluebell Wood
If a player-hero succeeds at the Hunting test with a great It is almost dark when the companions find themselves
or extraordinary success, then they get an uneasy feeling walking across a strange, eerie part of the wood that’s full
about Haleth’s decision; the sorcerer’s bootprints on the of bluebells. It is an ancient oakwood, and the violet-blue
Greenway going south are very slightly different, a little flowers cover its whole surface, like a carpet, their heavy
lighter, compared to those the company saw earlier – heads gently swaying to the breeze. A faint honey smell
maybe Gorlanc is trying to trick his pursuers, and he’s is carried by the wind, bringing back memories of spring
actually fled eastward. (regardless of the season the adventure is being run).

Persuading Haleth Otherwise A few hundred yards into the Bluebell Wood, the
And that’s exactly what happened. The player-heroes companions spot a small clearing opening by the path.
can convince Haleth to accompany them on the chase Three squat, dwarfish figures sit round a small fire. They
east with a successful roll of Persuade, if the Loremaster are busy cooking some tasty-looking meat on long spits of
doesn’t mind them being accompanied by a skilled and wood, and a fine toothsome smell hits the companions as
extremely talented Ranger. If Haleth does accompany the they approach.
player-heroes, let them take the lead in any encounters
– you might like to skip the combat scenes in Part Two – The creatures are small as children and wear wide-
Into Eastern Chetwood, as Haleth’s swift blade can deal brimmed soft hats, a deep red in colour. They do indeed
with any of the foes the company encounter there. look like Hobbits, but of a scruffier, wilder sort than
most, including even those few loners that wander the
Due East more remote parts of the Bree-land. As the companions
Having parted with Haleth, the company pursue their get nearer, one of them silently stands up, then bows in a
quarries east, heading towards the woodland on the back welcoming gesture.
of Bree-hill. It appears Gorlanc’s minions are making
straight for Chetwood. An Encounter
Should the heroes want to interact with the three denizens
The characters arrive on the edge of the wood at twilight. of the Bluebell Wood, the Loremaster should let them
In the encroaching darkness, the Chetwood feels like an introduce themselves as usual. The trio remains silent for
ancient, lonely place, beyond the comforts of the Bree- the whole length of the encounter, but otherwise act in a

96
 Holed Up in Staddle

very friendly manner, often repeating the companions’ the small fire more dwarfish creatures emerge from the
gestures in what may seem an exceedingly obsequious shadows of the oak trees; in the darkness their hats look
manner. If a hero tries to divine information from them, a eerily like little blood-red toadstool caps. Under their hats,
roll of Riddle interprets their attempts at communicating their eyes glint with a cold, inhuman light, above a red
at meaning that the creatures live in the Bluebell Wood, nose and slit mouth; They have lost any hobbitish feature,
and that they have never travelled beyond the boundaries and their faces now look more like counterfeits of human
of the Far Chetwood. Could they be some sort of Hobbitish expressions.
woodwoses?
The little creatures move in deathly silence. There are two
When all introductions are made away with, the creatures Oakmen for each companion. If defeated, the Oakmen
eventually sit down to continue their meal, inviting the flee back into the forest, with strange hissing sounds that
companions to join them. Any urgent query from the might be taken as laughing and giggling.
heroes (like if the creatures have witnessed anyone else
passing through the wood) is waved off, to be answered
after the meal.
Gorlanc’s Man
If the adventurers partake in the meal, they are of course in If one or more suspicious heroes scout the nearby area,
for a surprise: the meat is not venison or from any animal, a roll of Search discovers the corpse of one of Gorlanc’s
but poisonous mushrooms disguised by the magic of the men, lying hidden among the bluebells a few yards
Bluebell Wood... away from the Oakmen’s fire. The side of his face
is covered in blood that gushed from a head-wound,
The Oakmen and scattered about him are the half-eaten remains
Heroes eating from the Oakmen’s food are automatically of large mushrooms. Should the adventurers discover
Poisoned (see The One Ring, page 130). As soon as any one the body before the Oakmen spring their trap, the
of the heroes is poisoned, or if they all refuse to take part creatures abandon all caution and attack.
in the meal, the Oakmen make their move: All around

97
 Bree

Weapons:

Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called

type Shot
Copper 4 10 12 Disarm
Sword
Oak Bow 4 C 12 Poison

The Trouble with Badgers

"Tom was telling an absurd story about badgers and
their queer ways..."

On the second day of their journey into the Chetwood,

the companions encounter one of the various nameless
streams that cross the forest. The land has been falling
steadily for some time now, as the wood gets nearer to
the Midgewater Marshes, and the water of the creek
splashes noisily among mossy rocks. By sunset, the breeze
whispering among the trees begins to be tainted by the
reek of the marshes to the east.

As the heroes scramble down a treacherous slope, at its

bottom they see a pond of dark water, fed by the swift-
running stream. A large patch of terrain close to the
The Bluebell Wood Oakmen:
nearest shore looks like it was freshly turned. Dimly, the
companions can hear voices crying and shouting, as if from
Attribute Level deep underground. Gorlanc’s men have been trapped in
3
the tunnels of the Badger-folk of the Midgewater Marshes!
Endurance Hate
17 4 As the heroes draw closer, they spot several pieces of
Parry Armour travelling and war gear lying about. They can also make
4 1d out voices coming from below the earth, and can even
Skills speak to Gorlanc’s followers if they kneel by the pond and
Personality, 0 Survival, 2
shout at the top of their lungs.
Movement, 2 Custom, 1
Perception, 2 Vocation, 1
Through this unlikely conversation, the player-heroes may
discern the following:
Weapon Skills
Sword 2
• Gorlanc’s men are all stuck under the earth in dark
Bow 3
tunnels, so dark they can’t even see each other, or
Special Abilities anything else.
Hatred
Snake-like Speed
(first foe to strike him) • Gorlanc isn’t here – their Master led them into the
Chetwood, but when they lit up a fire by the pool and

98
 Holed Up in Staddle

the ground opened, swallowing them up, he must “I found tracks before I came here, leading out from where
have managed somehow to escape. the wood ends and the marshes begin. It seems he fled
east from here, reached the borders of the marshes, and
• They feel that there are creatures burrowing around then turned south. You need to take it from here and find
them. They hear them sniffing and raking the earth out where he went. I can deal with the badgers and the
with claws. One man even claims to have seen their sorcerer’s clueless minions here, so you won’t need to
blinking eyes. tarry any longer.”

• They don’t know where Gorlanc went. One of them The Fate of the Prisoners
insists that the Master will return to free them, another Before they leave to continue their hunting, Gandalf asks
that the Master has betrayed them, and the third is the companions what should be done with Gorlanc’s men.
terrified that Gorlanc is there in under the ground He intends to personally frighten the prisoners out of their
with them, only he’s keeping perfectly silent and still, wits and then set them free with an oath not to trouble
and listening to them betray him. The Master delights anyone ever again, but the Wizard wants to test the heroes
in cruel tricks like that, he says. first...

The followers of the sorcerer beg the player-heroes to do If the companions urge Gandalf to kill or torture the
something and free them. If the player-heroes try to dig prisoners, or suggest that he free them so the player-heroes
the buried men up, the soft ground above them starts to can fight them, then the Wizard is visibly displeased, and
collapse, and the three thugs in the tunnels scream and without saying what he will actually do with them, he lets
beg them to stop. the companions go with a frown.

Rings of Smoke If the player-heroes propose anything similar to Gandalf’s

As the companions are busy thinking about what to do own decision, for example suggesting to bring them
next, they suddenly smell the fragrance of pipe-weed into the custody of the Reeve of Bree, or anyway adopt
that has been recently lit, and looking about them they a different solution that doesn’t involve plans to make
discover that a grey-cloaked figure has apparently been the prisoners to suffer or die, the Wizard is impressed by
among them for a while now, sitting on a tree stump. the companions’ capability for pity and considers them
worthy of a reward:
“Well met, my friends.” says the stranger, puffing at his
pipe. “It seems that Butterbur knew what he was saying, “I owe a big debt to the Badger-folk for the little trick they
for once!”. played on Gorlanc, blessed be their grimy paws! The
sorcerer was fleeing with such haste that he left something
The stranger is Gandalf the Grey, of course. When the behind. I found this at the borders of the marshes.”
companions recover from the surprise, the Wizard explains
that he was in Bree looking for news about the escape of From a fold in his cloak Gandalf draws a silver sickle. After
Gorlanc, when Barnabas Butterbur, the innkeeper of The looking at it for one long moment as if lost in thought, he
Prancing Pony, informed him about the companions and hands it to the companions. “This is not of the sorcerer’s
their mission. (Should the heroes wonder about how own making – he must have dug it out of some barrow in
Butterbur could know about their task, Gandalf says that the North. Maybe you’ll find it useful. Now, don’t delay
there isn’t much happening in the Bree-land that Barnabas any further!”
doesn’t know about – he is much wiser than he looks).
(Gorlanc has used the magical properties of this silver
Unfortunately for the companions, Gandalf is quick to sickle as a dowsing rod, to locate a particular root he knew
confirm that Gorlanc is indeed not trapped underground to grow along the borders of the Midgewater Marshes -
with his men: see Part Three, page 100).

99
 Bree

The next part of this adventure takes place weeks or even

months later. The Loremaster may choose to skip over the
The Gardener’s Sickle time, give the company a short Fellowship phase, or even
run another adventure in the gap before continuing to
The Gardener’s Sickle has a silver blade that never Part Three – Things out of Place.
dulls. It was made by the Elves, long ago. Under
the rules presented in Rivendell, it is considered a
Wondrous Artefact with a Blessing to Explore. - Part Three -
Things Out Of Place
And what became of Gorlanc, after he fled the Chetwood?
The sorcerer had lost much of his power and influence, but
none of his cruelty and cunning. He knew that if he fled
along the Road, or cross country, the pursuing Rangers
would surely find him. He had to hide – and where better
to hide than a Hobbit-hole?

Just outside the village of Staddle, there is a large old

Hobbit-hole, so big and so ancient that polite Hobbits
call it a Smial. Since time immemorial (or at least since
the time of the kings), it has been home to the Undertree
family, named because a huge old apple tree grows atop
the Smial, and the hole’s many tunnels and cellars wriggle
and squirm around its labyrinthine roots. The Undertrees
own large apple orchards in the farmland around Staddle.

In the dead of night, knife in hand, Gorlanc came to the

great round front door of the Undertree Smial. When the
Hobbit-porter opened the door, Gorlanc pressed the knife
to the poor boy’s throat and demanded he show him to
the master’s rooms.

Back to Bree Now, the master of the Undertree Smial and head of the
Following the directions given by Gandalf, it doesn’t take family is old Alphonsus Undertree, and the apple of his
much time for the companions to find the tracks of the eye is his granddaughter Blossom. Gorlanc crept into
sorcerer, and they are soon back on Gorlanc’s trail as he Blossom’s rooms and poisoned the young Hobbit-maiden
heads southwest. with a secret venom, and told Alphonsus that the girl
would most certainly die unless Gorlanc regularly treated
The next morning, they pursue him back across the Bree- her with an antidote. If the Undertrees told anyone about
land, but to no avail. They find a few more tracks, enough their new house guest, or tried to murder Gorlanc while he
to convince them that Gorlanc passed this way, but the slept, then Blossom would perish.
sorcerer cannot be found.
So, for the weeks or months between the night Haleth the
Once back in Bree, the company may search further, but Ranger called for the company’s help and the start of this
there is no sign of the sorcerer on the Road or in the Wild. part of the adventure, Gorlanc’s been squatting in the
It is as though the sorcerer vanished. Undertree Smial, an unwanted house guest who’s long

100
 Holed Up in Staddle

outstayed his welcome. Worse, he has invited several of It’s enough of a personality change to be noticeable, even
his other surviving followers to join him in his new hiding- to the most unobservant player-hero.
place.
Watching Albert
The sorcerer’s current plan is to graft a malicious root he The companions spot Albert buying some unusual
dug out from the ground on the borders of the Midgewater supplies in the market at Bree; lots of food (not unexpected
Marshes to the great apple tree growing atop the Smial. for a Hobbit family), but also cutlery and plates for Big
This way he hopes to corrupt the spirit of the apple tree, Folk, odd roots and herbs not usually used in cookery, and
placing it under his command. strange copper pots custom-made by a passing Dwarven
tinker.
All he needs to do is wait for the harvest, for the darkening
of the year…

Gossip in Bree
The company might get hints of the presence of Gorlanc in
any of the following ways. Intersperse these rumours with
red herrings and regular gossip about trivial matters:

• The Undertrees of Staddle didn’t invite anyone to their

midsummer feast! They usually invite half the village.
This is quite an unforgivable snub.

• Matt Woolfoot, one of the serving boys at the

Undertree Smial, has developed a crippling fear of
both Big Folk and trees – and, presumably, big trees.
The Woolfoots have sent him to stay with cousins in
the Shire until his nerves are fixed.

• This year’s apple-harvest looks to be a bumper one, With a successful roll of Awareness, the companions
make no mistake. Why, all you have to do is look spot an ill-favoured Man keeping an eye on Albert. This
at the old apple tree atop Undertree Smial, with its stranger isn’t a resident in Bree; he came up the East Road,
overloaded branches and big blossoms. and goes back that way when Albert goes back to Staddle.
With a great or extraordinary success, the characters spot
• Hear about the ghost of Staddle? According to Big Albert giving a purse of coin to the stranger.
Bob the Swine-Herd (that’s Big Bob who’s a Hobbit,
not Small Bob who’s a Man, mind you), he saw a pale Following Albert
figure sneaking ’round the trees, and then it vanished If the characters follow Albert, they discover that he rides
into thin air! And he says that one of his piglets went out of Staddle every few weeks. On these strange errands,
missing too, round the same time. Do ghosts eat he goes down the East Road to the edge of the Chetwood,
piglets? or even as far as the Forsaken Inn, and there he meets with
suspicious Men who remind the company of Gorlanc’s
Albert Undertree followers. Sometimes, he delivers a note to them, written
Young Albert Undertree is Blossom’s brother, the prince of in a cipher neither he nor they can read (Gorlanc’s men
the Undertree family. In the past, he was a dashing young bring the note to one of his surviving lieutenants; these
gentle-hobbit, always with a kind word for everyone he messages keep Gorlanc appraised of how many of his
met. Of late, though, he’s been strangely quiet and distant. followers escaped the battle at the fort).

101
 Bree

Some of these Men make arrangements to meet Albert in Interaction

the Chetwood; from there, Albert guides them to a secret Persuade, Inspire, Riddle or Awe could all be used to
entrance into the Smial. elicit answers from the unfortunate Hobbit. Each success
garners one of the following answers:
Confronting Albert
Albert is terrified to speak to the player-heroes about • There’s a horrible man named Gorlanc hiding in the
anything other than the most trivial matters. He’ll pass the cellars of the Undertree Smial. He’s poisoned Blossom,
time-of-day with them, or exchange a word or two about and says that if the Hobbits don’t obey him, she’ll die!
the apple harvest, but as soon as the heroes ask him any
questions about his family or his business, he immediately • Gorlanc’s not alone. He sent Albert out to fetch several
claims that he has an urgent appointment, producing a other Men, and they’re almost as horrible. Now they’re
pocket-watch from his waistcoat and exclaiming that he’s all hiding in the cellars of Undertree Smial, drinking
late, he’s late to underline his haste. A Riddle or Insight Alphonsus’ good cider and plotting some terrible
test confirms that he’s lying, and that he’s terrified of villainy.
being seen talking to anyone.
• Gorlanc put a purple crystal under Blossom’s tongue,
If the player-heroes force Albert to talk to them, run it and now she gets horribly sick if she doesn’t get a dose
as an encounter. Unlike a regular encounter, where the of antidote every few days. Only Gorlanc knows how to
player-heroes are petitioning a lord or householder for a make the antidote.
favour like assistance or lodgings for the night, here the
challenge is quelling Albert’s fears for long enough to get • The Men are hiding from the Rangers; if any more
some answers out of him. Rangers show up in Staddle, he’ll kill everyone in the
Smial.
Set Tolerance
The initial Tolerance is equal to the highest Valour in the • They’re doing something else in the cellar, something
company. that smells foul and terrible. Albert has bad dreams
every night he sleeps at home now. They’ve defiled his
All through the conversation, Albert begs the companions family halls.
to let him go, saying that they’re all in terrible danger and,
worse, putting his sister Blossom at risk. Don’t they know • He doesn’t know what to do. He’s scared that if he acts
he’s being watched? Gorlanc has eyes everywhere! against Gorlanc and the other Men, he’ll doom his
sister and the rest of his family. What can be done?
When the heroes reach Albert’s Tolerance, he starts to
panic, frantically twisting his handkerchief into knots and If the characters question Albert about the layout of the
sweating visibly. If the companions exceed his Tolerance, Smial, he will reveal the existence of the Back Door and the
he either runs off or starts screaming for help and telling Secret Cellar (see page 106). If the party win his trust, he
anyone who’ll listen that the company is trying to rob might give them a key to the Front Door.
him.

Introduction - Part Four -

The company’s spokesperson may introduce themselves Watching & Waiting
using Inspire or Awe. In the former case, it’s a heartfelt
plea to Albert to trust the characters. In the latter, it is Foolhardy players may wish to rush straight off to the
more likely to involve grabbing the Hobbit and telling him Undertree Smial to drive Gorlanc out with sword and fire,
to shut up and listen. but, as Albert warned, an open attack on the sorcerer’s
refuge will doubtless end in disaster. Gorlanc has hostages,

102
 Holed Up in Staddle

and even if the company could somehow safely free them towards their home, as if there’s some darkness lurking
all, there’s still the matter of Blossom Undertree and the there. Gossips in Staddle talk about how the Undertrees
sorcerer’s poison. The player-heroes must come up with a have always been snooty, but lately they’ve been especially
plan before assaulting the Smial. standoffish and private, and how some of them – like
young Blossom – seem to have locked themselves away in
Alternatively, if the company never confront Albert, and the Smial altogether.
instead take a stealthier approach, this part of the adventure
covers information gathering and reconnaissance. Watchers
There are three (or possibly four) sets of sentries keeping
watch at the Undertree Smial. Sneaking into the Smial
in Part Six will require bypassing some or all of these
Alerting Gorlanc watchful eyes.
From this point onwards, once the player-heroes
know that the Undertree Hobbits are being held • The Hobbits: The Undertree Hobbits have been told
hostage, they must be especially cautious. You should that if they see anything out of the ordinary, they are
warn them that if they draw too much attention to to report it to Gorlanc. The Undertrees rarely leave
themselves, they’ll alert Gorlanc and things will end their Smial, but that doesn’t mean they sit around
very badly. underground all the time. There’s much too much to
do: cows to be milked, orchards to be tended, lawns
From now on, if a player fails any roll with an C, to be mowed, elevenses to be had out on the patio.
you should pick one of the following consequences: It’s a miserable, sullen elevenses, of course – they
have to have tea because Gorlanc told them not to
• More Guards! Gorlanc recruits some more thugs do anything that might arouse suspicion, so the poor
for hire from the Forsaken Inn, or sends word to Undertrees dutifully march out and choke back cakes
other surviving followers to come join him in his that taste of tears and bitterness so no one suspects
new hiding place. Roll a Success dice and add they’re under the control of an evil sorcerer.
that many guards to Gorlanc’s retinue.
If the companions have made contact with Albert, or
• Murder Most Foul: Gorlanc kills one of the convince the other Undertrees that they can save the day
Hobbits to keep the rest in check. This death with an Inspire test, then the Hobbits won’t alert Gorlanc
weighs heavily on the souls of the player-heroes; when the time comes. See Rallying the Undertrees, on
each of them gains 1 Shadow point. page 106.

• The Dogs: The Undertrees keep several large but

harmless wolfhounds to see off scrumping Hobbit-
Watching the Smial children. They’ll start barking if anyone comes close
Keeping the Undertree Smial under observation (either by to the Smial. A successful Awe test, or use of an
hiding in the surrounding woods with rolls of Stealth, or appropriate Trait like Beast-lore, can calm the hounds
by asking for gossip and rumours with rolls of Riddle) long enough to get past them.
yields the following information – one fact per success.
• The Men: Gorlanc keeps his followers well out of
Hostages sight, but he has them guard the Back Door of the
If the players don’t already know, they can work out that Smial by night (see page 105), and they sometimes
the Undertrees are being held hostage by watching them. stretch their legs by wandering around the orchard.
On the rare occasions they’re allowed out of their Hobbit- Sneaking around the orchard at night requires a
hole, the Undertrees cast furtive, nervous glances back Stealth test; getting through the Back Door without

103
 Bree

being seen would take a Ring of Invisibility – or a The Antidote

clever distraction. In order to be sure of curing Blossom, the player-heroes
need to learn about the poison Gorlanc used on her. They
• The Tree: If the company waits too long, then Gorlanc could find this out by:
is able to put his evil plan into action and awaken an
evil spirit in the apple tree, turning every root and • Questioning Albert, and discovering that Gorlanc
branch into his spies. See The Coming Harvest, below. used a ‘purple crystal’.
• Sneaking into Blossom’s room and examining her
The Coming Harvest (requiring a Healing roll, or use of the Leechcraft
Gorlanc brought a malicious root out of the Midgewater Trait).
Marshes, to graft it on to the old apple tree that grows • Examining the herbs and tinctures that Albert
atop the Smial and taint it. Based on some old lore that purchases in the market (requiring a Lore roll, or use
the sorcerer studied, this bog root is the living remnant of the Herb-lore trait).
of a gigantic tree that once grew in the area and that was • If Berelas (page 80) is still in Bree (perhaps in its
cursed during the wars against Angmar. jail…), she can easily identify the poison and suggest
an antidote.
In the autumn, when the apple tree bears fruit, all the
fruit will be tainted, and all those who eat of them will be Armed with this knowledge, a successful roll of Lore or
vulnerable to Gorlanc’s trickery. Healing (or an appropriate Trait) allows the characters
to guess that Gorlanc is using an ancient poison called
Gorlanc has already grafted the root to the tree, and slowly, saewesgal. The cure is a much stronger, more concentrated
the tree is waking up, like the wicked, rotten trees of the Old brew of the weak tea that Gorlanc has been using to treat
Forest. It’s most active at night. A successful Awareness or the symptoms.
Lore test, or the use of an appropriate Trait like Gardener,
spots there’s something strange about the tree. The Undertree Smial
The Undertrees have a magnificent Hobbit hole. They’re
• The apples this year are especially large, but taste one of the wealthier families in Bree-land, so while their
oddly bitter if eaten. home cannot match say, Brandy Hall or the Great Smials
• The big tree atop the Smial rustles oddly, and not of Tookborough, it compares favourably to Bag End, and
always when the wind blows. is much, much larger. Tunnels run and spiral in many
• The roots on the surface seem to twist and writhe as different directions, often following the root network of
if in pain. the tree above.

The tree can alert Gorlanc to the presence of intruders if There are storerooms and presses for making cider, cellars
they cross any of its roots (say, to get through the Back and pantries that hold enough food to feed an army, attics
Door or down the chimney). The only way to avoid this is crammed with mathoms, a library of several dozen books,
to temporarily lull the tree to sleep with a Song roll. apartments for five generations of Undertree Hobbits,
guest rooms, breakfasting rooms, dining rooms, kitchens,
The results of this roll determine how long the tree is put night kitchens (which contain only those supplies needed
to sleep: for a midnight snack) and nurseries.

• Success means the tree sleeps for a roughly a minute The main living area is a two-level affair, running along
• Great Success means the tree sleeps for roughly two the south and west side of the hill. Two rows of windows
minutes look out over the lawns and the tree-lined driveway that
• Exceptional Success means the tree sleeps for half an runs down to the road to Staddle.
hour

104
 Holed Up in Staddle

Behind the Smial are the extensive apple-orchards of the • 4. Main Chimney: Even the cosiest Hobbit-hole
Undertrees. needs a warming fire in winter-time, but this Smial
is built under and around and even in a huge apple-
Upper Level tree, so a normal chimney was not an option. A
• 1. Blossom’s Room: The unfortunate Hobbit girl particularly brilliant and eccentric ancestor of the
is now too ill to leave her bed, thanks to Gorlanc’s family designed this special crooked chimney. All
poison. If the player-heroes slay Gorlanc without first the fireplaces in the Smial feed into one central
finding a way to save Blossom, then their victory will shaft, and then that shaft runs off at a steep angle
be blighted by her death. Any character with any ranks to a little folly in the orchard, made to resemble a
in Healing or the Leechcraft Trait can tell instantly tumble-down ruined tower, modelled (it is said) on
that Blossom has been poisoned and is on the brink the watchtower at Weathertop. Especially brave
of death. (and small) characters could try clambering down
the chimney, as long as it is a warm night and no
• 2. Alphonsus’ Rooms: Old Alphonsus, the head of fires are burning below. The chimney-flue network
the family, has had his will broken by Gorlanc. He gives access to most of the rooms in the hole via
won’t dare resist the sorcerer unless the player-heroes their fireplaces, but it is a perilous climb, requiring
rally him with a successful Inspire test. See page 106 a successful Athletics roll to avoid getting stuck and
for more on turning the Undertrees against Gorlanc. an Explore roll to emerge in the right room.

• 3. Sun Room: This large room boasts three huge and Ground Level
expensive windows that let in the summer sunshine. • 5. Front Door: The great Front Door of Undertree
It’s a lovely spot to snooze on a warm afternoon, or Smial is rarely opened, except for weddings, funerals
for aged Hobbit grandparents to sit and watch the and birthday parties. Everyone goes in and out
children playing on the lawn below. For the player- the Side Door. It is ceremonially opened once a
heroes, it’s important for another reason: these are year when the first bottles of cider are brought out
the only windows in the whole Hobbit-hole big enough and distributed to the villagers of Staddle. Albert
for a Man or Dwarf to climb through. Undertree has a key to the Front Door, and can give

105
 Bree

it to the player-heroes if they want to attempt an room full of tree-roots. Gorlanc took advantage of it
unexpected frontal assault. to graft the root dug from the Midgewater Marshes to
the apple tree.
• 6. Side Door: The main door into the Hobbit-hole. It’s
always watched (by one of the Hobbits by day, and by Secret Cellar
one of Gorlanc’s men by night). • 16. Gorlanc’s Room: This older cellar was prone to
flooding, and so the Undertrees sealed it off. Finding
• 7. Great Hall: This long tunnel runs all through the the entrance requires a Search test. Gorlanc’s taken
ground floor of the Smial. Its ceilings are tall enough over this cellar and outfitted it with furnishings and
for a Man to stand upright. luxuries looted from the upper levels.

• 8. Spiralling Tunnel: Instead of a stair, this steep

spiral runs up and down between the levels of the - Part Five -
hole. It’s a tight fit for a big Man to wriggle through. Death Under The Apple Trees
• 9. Dumb Waiter: Another innovation, this hand- When the player-heroes finally move against Gorlanc,
cranked lift is used to deliver food down and bring they must do so with stealth, speed or both. There are
cider up. It goes all the way down to the secret cellar. too many innocents at risk for them to treat the attack on
The shaft could be used by stealthy heroes as a way to the Undertree Smial as a siege or dungeon expedition, for
creep into the lower levels of the Smial. Gorlanc will use the hostages against them.

Lower Level To successfully storm the Hobbit-hole, the characters need

• 10. Back Door: The Back Door of the Smial is hard to to overcome the following challenges:
find if you’re not looking for it – it’s in the middle of
the orchard, hidden by rows of apple trees. It’s usually Getting In
guarded by one of Gorlanc’s men, although he’s under How are the heroes getting into the Smial? The obvious
instructions to hide if any Hobbits wander by. entrances are watched; other ways in are more covert, but
harder to use.
• 11. Cellars & Storerooms
If suspicions are aroused – say, an intruder is spotted, or
• 12. Cider Press something seems to be amiss – then one or two of Gorlanc’s
men climb out of the common-room on the lower level of
• 13. Converted Laboratory: Here’s where Gorlanc the Smial and head towards the disturbance. If the alarm
brews up his potions and poisons. The air is foul- is raised, half of them investigate while the others guard
smelling; the brews are caustic and vile. However, all Gorlanc.
the ingredients for a cure for the poison can be found
amid Gorlanc’s jars and bottles. Rallying the Undertrees
The Undertree family hate and fear Gorlanc, but believe
• 14. Common-room: This large cellar room has been they’re helpless to resist him. If they act, he will murder
adopted by Gorlanc’s followers as their main living them. Even if by some miracle they were able to catch him
quarters. Any of the Men not on guard remain here, by surprise, or poison his food, then Blossom Underhill
drinking and gambling. would still die without the antidote the sorcerer provides
for her. That means that the Hobbits living in the Smial
• 15. Root Chamber: Originally, this chamber will raise the alarm (but not fight) if they see the player-
contained a well, but the tree-roots found the water heroes. The company can get the Undertrees on their
and choked the well-shaft. So, now it’s a curiosity, a side by:

106
 Holed Up in Staddle

• Curing Blossom first, then going after Gorlanc. life and death in his hands. Touch him, he warns, and the
• Convincing Alphonsus Undertree to trust them with Hobbit-girl will perish. Oppose him, and all of Bree-land
an Inspire test. will turn on the company. Attack him, and he will destroy
• Persuading Albert Undertree to secretly inform his them with his sorcery.
family to be ready for rescue.
Gorlanc is lying; he has nothing left but lies, a little lore,
If the company gets the Hobbits on their side, then the and a poisoned knife.
Undertrees will reveal the layout and hiding places of
the Smial. The other great advantage of rallying the
Undertrees is that it stops Gorlanc’s men from using them
as hostages, as the Undertrees can hide; the only thing
more stealthy than a Hobbit hiding in the Wild is a Hobbit
hiding in a mansion full of nooks and crannies where he
played hide-and-seek for years as a child.

Battling Gorlanc’s Men

In the cramped, narrow corridors of the Hobbit-hole,
there’s little room to swing a sword or thrust a spear. The TN
for all melee attack rolls is increased by the Encumbrance
rating of the weapon (so, +1 for a short sword, +4 for a
great axe, no penalty for a dagger and so forth).

Gorlanc’s men fight to the death as long as Gorlanc is

alive. If the sorcerer’s defeated, they become Craven. Gorlanc’s Followers:
Evil Roots Attribute Level
The added danger of the Smial is the tree itself. Thanks to 4
Gorlanc’s evil doings, the tree is half-awake and angry. As
Endurance Hate
described on page 104, the companions can use Song to
14 3
lull the tree to sleep, but it wakes up again when the alarm
is raised. The tree-roots cannot attack the player-heroes Parry Armour
directly, but they can still grab and trip intruders. 4+2 1d+1
Skills
If any of the companions roll an C on a Common skill Personality, 1 Survival, 2
test within the Smial, a hidden root either raises the alarm Movement, 3 Custom, 1
or reaches out and grabs them. A grabbed companion Perception, 2 Vocation, 2
may escape with an Athletics test. Weapon Skills
Axe 3
The Final Confrontation
When the player-heroes finally confront Gorlanc – the
sorcerer, the tomb robber, the self-proclaimed lord of the Weapons:
North and enemy of the Enemy – they find a foul-smelling
old man with a ragged beard. He is wearing a mixture of Weapon Called
tattered robes and fine but Hobbit-sized clothing – a comfy type
Damage Edge Injury Shot
Hobbit dressing-gown makes a tight jacket for a Man. He Break
Axe 5 C 18 Shield
rants and raves at the company, claiming that he holds

107
 Bree

Weapons:

Weapon Damage Edge Injury Called

type Shot
Dagger 3 C 12 Poison*
*Gorlanc’s Poison: A hero Poisoned by Gorlanc
becomes feverish for a number of rounds equal to the
roll of a Success die (in addition to being Poisoned). A
feverish hero suffers a modifier of +6 to the TN of all
actions. The effects of Gorlanc’s poison wear off after
a full week.

The Ring of Seven Jewels

If the Company failed to stop Gorlanc getting hold of
the Ring of Seven Jewels in Strange Men, Strange
Roads, then the sorcerer may still have access to the
power of the ring when they confront him under the
hill (based on how the battle against Gorlanc’s fort
went in your campaign).

Gorlanc:

Attribute Level
6
- Epilogue -
Endurance Hate
A Harvest Moon
16 8
It is perhaps fitting that a man who dedicated his mortal
Parry Armour span to looting the buried treasures of a past age should
6 1d perish deep underground. Gorlanc’s defeat ends this
Skills adventure. Any surviving followers of his surrender or
Personality, 4 Survival, 3 flee.
Movement, 3 Custom, 4
Perception, 3 Vocation, 4 The characters have proven themselves more than able to
Weapon Skills tackle mortal perils – but there are worse foes out there, in
Dagger 3 the wilder world. When they meet Gandalf again, the Grey
Wanderer might show any worthy hero the secret paths to
Special Abilities
Rivendell…
Commanding Voice Bewilder
Hatred (his foes) -

108
 Index

- index - (The) Enemy is Listening

F
28


Epilogue - A Harvest Moon
Evil Roots
(The) Fate of the Prisoners
108
107
99
A (New) Fellowship Phase Undertakings: (The) Final Confrontation 107
Adventuring in Bree 34 Chance-meeting in the Inn 37 Following Albert 101
Archet 22 Guard Bree and the Shire 35 (The) Gardener’s Sickle 100
Guard the East Road 9 Getting In 106
B Learn the Paths of the Chetwood 37 Gorlanc 108
Bathhouse 28 Opening Bree as a Sanctuary 35 Gorlanc’s Dead! 94
(The) Big and the Little 43 Receive Title (Regular at The Pony) 37 Gorlanc’s Followers 107
(The) Body in the Marsh 34 Write a Letter 36 Gorlanc’s Man 97
(Ruby) Boffin 10 (Temporary) Fellowhip Phase Gossip in Bree 101
Bree 14 Undertakings: Building the Refuge Ground Level 105
Bree-blood 40 at Girdley Island 9 Hostages 103
Bree-hill 8 (The) Forsaken Inn 19 Introduction 102
Bree-Hobbits 40 Friendly and Inquisitive 42 Interaction 102
Bree-land & Around 8 From the Chetwood 41 Lower Level 106
(The) Bree-wardens 15 My players are big shots! 95
Bree Map 24 G (The) Oakmen 97
(Oswald) Breeker, the Squire of Combe 21 Gatekeeper’s Lantern 43 Part Five - Death Under the
Brewery 29 Gate-Warden 41 Apple Trees 106
Building the Refuge at Girdley Island 11 (The) Green 15 Part Four - Watching & Waiting 102
(Twyc) Greenleaf, Reeve of Bree 17 Part One - Down Rode The Huntress 94
C Part Three - Things Out Of Place 100
Came up the Greenway 41 H Part Two - Into Eastern Chetwood 96
(The) Chetwood 13 (The) Hall of Orgulas 12 Persuading Haleth Otherwise 96
Combe 21 Hazard Suggestion: Lost in the Rallying the Undertrees 106
(The) Common-room 27 Chetwood (Guide – Fatigue) 14 (The) Ring of Seven Jewels 108
Common-room Guests Table 29 Hedge & Gates 14 Rings of Smoke 99
Crossroads of the North 40 (The) High House 22 Secret Cellar 106
Cultural Rewards – Men of Bree 43 (A) History of the Bree-land 6 Set Tolerance 102
Cultural Virtues – Men of Bree 42 (A) History of the Four Villages 6 (The) Trouble with Badgers 98
Holed Up in Staddle 94 (Albert) Undertree 101
D Adventuring Phase 94 (The) Undertree Smial 104
(The) ‘Deepdelver’ 12 Alerting Gorlanc 103 Upper Level 105
Desperate Courage 42 (The) Antidote 104 Watchers 103
(Hallas) Dúnadan 12 Back to Bree 100 Watching Albert 101
Battling Gorlanc’s Men 107 Watching the Smial 103
E (The) Bluebell Wood 96 (A) Weary Traveller 95
(The) East Road 9 (The) Bluebell Wood Oakmen 98 How to Use this Guide 5
East Row 18 (The) Chase 95
Echoes of Days Long Past 33 (The) Coming Harvest 104 I
(The) Elf & the Stag 35 Confronting Albert 102 (The) Innkeeper 26
(The) Elf-dell 23 Due East 96 (Encountering the) Innkeeper 27
(An) Empty Land 32 (An) Encounter 96 (The) Innkeeper as a Patron 27

109
 Bree

(The) Innkeeper of The Pony 26 Catching the Troll 55 Searching the Graveyard 50
Introduction 4 (The) Contents of the Lair 58 Set Tolerance 48
(A) Dwarf in the Company 59 (The) Shadow of the Past 47
J Entombed! 64 (The) Smoke-letters 60
Jack the Forsaken 19 Epilogue – Of Earth and Water, Staking out the Graveyard 50
Blood and Bone 66 Strangers in the Inn 46
K Evaluating the Outcome of Stealing from the Troll 57
(The) Kitchens 28 the Encounter 48 (The) Sullen Dwarf 46
(A) Father’s Wisdom 49 That Was Easy… Too Easy! 51
L Finding the Black Barrow 62 Tomas’ Folly 56
(Types of) Letter 36 Finding the King’s Chair 61 Tomas the Treacherous 60
Letter Delivery Roll 36 Fog on the South Downs 56 (The) Trail of the Troll 54
Letter Delivery Table 36 (The) Footpad 54 Unlocking the Map’s Secrets 60
(A) Lonely Land 33 Grór the Dwarf 66 (The) Upper Barrow 63
Grór’s Treachery 63 Visiting Bree 61
M Hazard Suggestions 54, 61 Old-town 17
(The) Melancholy of Combe 22 (Tomas) Heatherton 48 Out of Memory and Old Tales 43
Men of Bree 38 Hidden Information 59 Out of Tharbad 34
Backgrounds 40 Hunting the Troll 54
Common Skills 40 Into the Marshes 61 P
Cultural Blessing 40 Interaction 48 Pipe of the Prancing Pony 43
Description 39 Introduction 48 (The) Prancing Pony 26
Men of Bree Adventurers 39 I’ve a Mind to Dine on thee Now 58 (The) Prancing Pony Map 30
Standard of Living 39 (The) Lower Barrow 63 Private Chambers 29
Starting Skill Scores 40 Lower Barrow Treasure Table 63 Private Rooms 27
Typical Names and Many Onlookers 50
Adventuring Age 42 Old Timeas’ Grave 50 Q
Weapon Skills 40 Old Timeas’ Shady Past 46 (The) Quarry 15
What the Innkeeper Says… 39 (The) Old Troll 52
(Matthew) Mugwort 16 Other Rumours 46 R
Parleying with the Old Troll 57 (The) Roads 9
N Part Eight – Though Dead He Be, Rooms for the Night 28
New-town 18 It Belongs To Me! 62
(A) Night at the Prancing Pony 28 Part Five – Up Came Tom With His S
No Longer Free from Care and Fear 41 Big Boots On 56 Shield of the First Men 43
Part Four – Over The Misty Mounds 53 (The) Small Things 33
O Part One – Stories by the Fire 45 (The) Smial of Staddle 20
Off with Dwarves 41 Part Seven – Finding the Barrow 61 Specialities 40
Old Bones and Skin 44 Part Six – Old Skins and Sins 59 Stables 28
Adventuring Phase 44 Part Three – As Should Be A-Lying Staddle 19
Alarums and Incursions 47 in Graveyard 50 (The) Staff 27
Ambushing the Old Troll 57 Part Two – The Nephew’s Tale 47 Strange Men, Strange Roads 67
Battling the Old Troll 51 Pursuing the Old Troll 53 (The) Accused 90
(The) Battle of the Black Barrow 65 Questioning Nick Heatherton 49 Adventuring Phase 67
Brutes of Bree 65 (The) Ranger 55 Another Shadow of the Past 69

110
 Battling the Wolves 83 Mallor’s Pack 68 Using the Ring of Seven Jewels 91
Berelas’ Confession 89 Meeting the Reeve 90 Vig, brother of Vogar 75
Berelas, the Ringbearer 79 Mirabar of Dorwinion 80 Vogar, brother of Vig 76
(The) Caravan 73 (The) Missing Ranger 69 Whispers in the Commons 87
(The) Caravan and the Wolves 83 Narvi the Young 77 White Wolf of the North 83
(A) Caravan Divided 86 Narvig, son of Vig 77 Wild Beasts 83
(The) Cold Shade 82 Observation & Investigation 73
Confronting the Caravan 81 Ordinary Wolf 83 T
(The) Cottage 86 Other Clues 70 (The) Tale of Years 5
Departure of the Trading Caravan 69 (The) Pack 71 (Harry) Talltree, the Forester of Archet 23
Digging Deeper 72 Part Eight – The Choices of (The) Tap room 27
(The) Dwarves 88, 92 Mistress Berelas 92 (A) Thief in the North Fields 34
Edoric, the Guide 74, 92 Part Five – Not To Strike (The) Thieves’ Glen 22
Encountering the Elves 84 Without Need 86 (Tad) Tillfield 18
Eoin, the Bree-lander 75, 92 Part Four – Strangers in the Woods 84 To the Lonely Mountain! 34
Epilogue – The Assault on Part One – At The Forsaken Inn 67 (Adelard) Took 20
Gorlanc’s Fort 93 Part Seven – Before The Reeve 89 (New) Trait: Appraising 40
Evaluating the Outcome of Part Six – Knives in Bree 87 Traveller’s Blessing 43
the Encounter 81, 85, 91 Part Three – The Traders’ Caravan 72 (Grandmother) Tunnelly 21
Finding the Murderer 71 Part Two – The Body in the Well 70
Forcing a Confrontation 87 Questioning the Innkeeper 70 U
Gorlanc’s Last Stroke 92 (The) Rest of the Caravan 92 Up Hill and Down Dale 32
Gorlanc’s Warriors 93 (The) Ring of Seven Jewels 72
Healing the Rushlights 86 Searching By Daylight 69 W
Hiding from the Wolves 83 Set Tolerance 81, 84, 90 (The) Weather 33
Hirlinon of Gondor, follower (The) Size of the Caravan 68 Western Bree-land 10
of Gorlanc 78 Spying & Eavesdropping 72 Wet Underfoot 32
(The) Innkeeper 68 Strangers at the Inn 68 (Anna) Wintermoss, Schoolmistress 18
Interaction 81, 85, 91 To Bree! 87 (The) Wood-castle 23
Introduction 81, 85, 91 Uproar in Bree 88 Write a Letter 36
(The) Jail at Bree 90 Using the Ring 86

111
South along the Great River Anduin, beyond the southernmost peaks of the Misty Mountains, lies the land of Rohan. Here dwell the
Rohirrim, the swift sons of Eorl who descended from the North centuries ago to settle in the land of Calenardhon. Known also as the
Riders of the Mark, they are proud warriors and riders, ready to defend the Free Peoples against the threats arising in the twilight of
the Third Age…

Horse-lords of Rohan details the Rohirrim, describing their history and their lands, as well as introducing rules for two new
cultures, the Riders of Rohan and the Dunlendings. Also included are rules for handling horses, riding in combat and horse-breeding.

As well as the lands of Rohan, this supplement also details the ancient Forest of Fangorn, shedding light on its mysterious
inhabitants, the Ents and terrible Huorns; the folk of the Dunland Fells; and the Tower of Isengard and the machinations of the White
Wizard, Saruman.

It is an indispensable resource for Loremasters looking to take their game into a whole new region. Ride with the Eorlingas on the
plains of Westemnet, enter the Golden Hall of Edoras, and climb the Burg at Helm’s Deep

Oaths of the Riddermark is the companion volume to Horse-lords of Rohan, and contains six rip-roaring adventures set in the
lands of the Rohrrim! Uncover the mystery of the Westfold Vale horse-killings, keep the peace at a wedding, make a new peace with
Dunland, bring horse-thieves to justice, and wage a desperate, pitched battle for the very survival of Rohan itself!

www.cubicle7.co.uk