Tharbad

[Stefan]

Nain sat back at the table watching the men's backs and drinking his ale as they pondered the river outside.

"We should just go over there and kill him.  Without a strong leader the wildmen and orcs would likely fall to fightin' among theirsleves or lose direction and wander back to what e'er hole they climbed out of."

[Telcontar]

  Doug, we have the map of the city, but can you give us a quick concept sketch of where the town is, the villages, the swamp hilltop, and anything else. I am getting lost in the conceptual lay out of this and have a picture in my head that I dont know is accurate.

[tomcat]

Here you go, Tom. The town indicated is Fennin Dorath.

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil stood on the rampart and pointed out the flow of the battle and the avenues of approach as best as he could reckon them.

"Will you ride out to see the folk lord?"

[tomcat]

"I will," Hamad nodded.

The sun sat high in the afternoon as the men followed the city's Steward back towards the primary gate - the Annon Forn - where stables were still kept and horses ready. They crossed back over the inner bridges that crossed the man-made canals that made an inner ring within Tharbad. Some of the bridges were permanent structures of stone that arched up high allowing larger flat-bottomed barges to go under, while others were made of wood that could be raised by rope and pulley. The canals allowed for an inner defense, but also enhanced the city's trade by allowing polemen to bring their wares right to where they could be sold.

Celdrahil noticed that some of the bridges were broken and impassable, while others were missing rope and tackle that would allow them to be raised. He had also taken note of the empty windows and quiet buildings and homes. Tharbad was slowly dying from within even as it fought to survive in a world that had cut it off. The Dúnadan imagined the city of yesteryear when Cardolan was still mighty, or even prior when Arnor ruled the north. It must have been as active as a beehive in summer. Once more Celdrahil cursed the Shadow that seemed to stretch from out of the North - even from the East of his own homeland.

His thoughts were broken by Hamad, "We will ride out to meet Guilin and his town elders and see how the city can better aid him. I would also see this battlefield and pay honor to the fallen." The group mounted and departed Tharbad taking the road north to Fennin Dorath less than a league away. "What do you believe is his endgame, this Gibbet King? Surely he does not believe he can sack the city. His horde might be fearsome to smaller towns, but it does not seem he has an organized force to perform such a feat as attacking the city. Perhaps we need to espy his works - find from where he directs his forces and see if we can discover his intent."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"The same that all darkness seeks -- power.  If the influence of Men were to wain, especially here, the North and South Kingdoms would be perilously cut off from each other.  Divide and conquer, scheme and whisper, encourage decay and foul ends.  We can't let that happen," says Durgil.

[tomcat]

"Then let us pursue this foul host into whatever hole it hides! HYAH!" Hamad yelled as he spurred his horse into a run.



I will start a new thread tonight after my class. Feel free to add anything else you want to here.