Unexpected Homecoming

[tomcat]

The innkeep did not take the offered chair, but he did lift a foot to rest on top of it, then leaned forward his elbow on his knee. In one hand hung the now unattended cup and cloth on which he had been working. In answer to Celdrahil, "Recent troubles? I can't remember a time anymore when there wasn't some troubles. My Pap used to talk of his father telling of days when the North-South road was busy with travel and merchants, when Tharbad was a destination for said mercantile business. Now folks still pass through, but at a hurried pace so as not to lose money whether it be to thieves or by not making to the markets of Arthedain up north. Oh, to live once more under the rule of a king."

Fengel interrupted, "Good sir, we know of the long struggle of the people of Cardolan, since the time when your good King was slain along the Weather Hills when the Tower of Amon Sûl fell." Most Northmen, especially the Dúnedain, knew of how the Witch-king mounted a decisive assault against these defenses, crossing the Mitheithel into northeastern Cardolan. The Tower of Amon Sûl was destroyed, though its palantír was saved. The armies of Angmar and Rhudaur went on to ravage Cardolan's lands, and slew the last prince of its royal line. The surviving Dúnedain retreated into the Barrow-downs and the Old Forest, which lay on their northern borders. It was years after that the survivors once more returned to their lands to try and scrape a new life out of the old only to have nothing but burden fall upon them. The plague that swept from the south had all but destroyed the last of the Men of Westernesse in these lands and those that survived either fled north or south, were corrupted, or were being ground down by the hardship of life. The Éothraim continued, "What are the troubles that have recently started?"

The innkeep's face reddened slightly at having been interrupted, but he came to the point. "Tharbad has become a patchwork of small...fiefs, if you will. The sick lie dying in their homes, in the streets, and those petty lords that still have rule have hedged themselves in along with their people and now defend these new 'territories' as if they are their own sovereign kingdoms within the city. Only along the bridge is there open travel, but now I have heard that this, too, is being hampered. A new ruler has appeared and now resides over the eastern shore of Tharbad - the city lies on both sides of the river. They call him the Gibbet King and it is said that darkness sits at his left hand. So, between the kinstrife of the city folk and the presence of this new... king, travel along the North-South road has begun to dwindle. Pony riders - northmen from the mountains - scout far afield and take wares or make prisoners of those on the road. What is worse, it is said that shadows now walk the lands and freeze the hearts of Men."

"Shadows?" Edrahil's brow perked up, "Madoc spoke of shadows that had chased Gandalf, perhaps these be the same foul spirits. If Tharbad and its bridge were closed, then the roads between Gondor and Arthedain are limited to Mountain passes or rugged paths through old Eregion, or someone is taking a long route by ship."

The innkeep spoke again, "It is said that the Gibbet King does not have a large force. What large forces remain south of Arthedain on either side anyway?" He asked rhetorically, as it was well known that the plague had decimated the population of Cardolan, Rhudaur and even into the north land of Angmar - only in Arthedain had its affects been abated by the healing flower Ephanial. "But still it is enough to hold the east side of the river. The kinstrife makes it so that there is no leader to rally to and so stave off this new King! What is even worse is it is said that Orcs and wargs now walk among the ranks of the ragged and the dead across the Gwathló."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Wargs and orcs, eh?  That's enough cause for us to call upon this "king".  Any report of Dunlendings in the area, too, or just those wildmen from the North causing issue?" queried Durgil.

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael sat quietly, smoldering with anger. This was his home once.

He mulled the notion that perhaps finding any remnants of Celephain's... fiefdom, as the man put it, might be of some value.
He was not royalty -- no noble blood of Celephain's line ran through his veins -- but he was raised as all but Angbor's brother in their home; there may still be some that would see him as a link to the more pleasant, regal past. Perhaps he could provide some inspiration for a rebellion -- because he intended on starting one; by himself, if need be.

[tomcat]

"I think that the Witch-king, or at least one of his many minions has taken root amongst these poor people," said Edrahil. "It would be the final blow to this country, shutting down the bridge. It would isolate Arthedain, Lindon, and all the Free-Folk towns that still hold on to their own. Even Rivendell would be limited to any aid from friends, as they would be hindered by the Misty Mountains."

"Perhaps a ride into the city, or at least the outskirts, in the morning?" suggested Fengel.

[sdrotar]

"Perhaps a ride into the city, or at least the outskirts, in the morning?" suggested Fengel.

"The longer our presence here is a secret, the better off we will be," Dirnhael said -- their varied Company drew glances wherever they went, and would soon attract unwanted attention.
"Let us start with the outskirts and learn from its people."

[Stefan]

Nain grumbled, no matter the ending he couldn't see this coming out well.

"What are we going to do about the petty tyrant 'sides leave him on his throne or open space for another?  We need to deal with this darkness, but if we don't have someone to take the throne what ha'e we done with it?"

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Blood should claim if possible.  'Keep, do you know if any of the highest noble line still dwell here?" queried Durgil.

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil drummed his fingers on the table as he thought. Though he was very young for one of the Dunédan he had already seen and done much as reckoned in the years of the lesser lived men. His mind was bent towards martial thoughts and concerns.

"If blood alone were the issue then there would be one king, yet we have two. No, blood is not the issue, it will help but not be the deciding factor. Two overarching strategies come to mind. One we ride into town and set up shop, the second we hole up somewhere, and gather information. To what level are we prepared to involve ourselves in the affairs of Tharbad?"

[Stefan]

"I say we deal with the problem here.  Mithrandir's message wasn't clear about what darkness, but since we're here and we've come to deal with the darkness rising in this land we may as well start with this one.  If we can't find another then Dirnhael can rule till we find some'n who can take the crown.  He's a noble and he was raised here, we've none better for the task."

[sdrotar]

"I say we deal with the problem here.  Mithrandir's message wasn't clear about what darkness, but since we're here and we've come to deal with the darkness rising in this land we may as well start with this one.  If we can't find another then Dirnhael can rule till we find some'n who can take the crown.  He's a noble and he was raised here, we've none better for the task."

"My intent is not to rule," Dirnhael said, shaking his head. "My home is with Ioreth in Fornost now; a life that I've built."
"But these lands belong to their people; good and just folk who deserve to control their own destinies." He looked to Nain with a slight smile. "But you're right; we might as well start here."

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil listned to the conversations around him and demured. The words and opinion of Dirnhael did not sit well with him, his stance on stewardship was not one he would find in a landed knight.

"The Bridge must be opened, our authority rests on our lineage and our office both."

[tomcat]

This is not for CHARACTER knowledge, of course, and I only place it here so you guys can get an idea of what is going on per the canon, as written by Tolkien.

In the year III 1409, the Witch-king mounted a decisive assault against these defences, crossing the Mitheithel into northeastern Cardolan. The Tower of Amon Sûl was destroyed, though its palantír was saved. The armies of Angmar and Rhudaur went on to ravage Cardolan's lands, and slew the last prince of its royal line. The surviving Dúnedain retreated into the Barrow-downs and the Old Forest, which lay on their northern borders.

After this time, with the loss of its royal lineage, Cardolan was no longer properly a kingdom. Nonetheless a band of Dúnedain endured in the downs and the forest for more than two centuries, until the coming of the Dark Plague. The last of the Dúnedain, and most of the land's other inhabitants, were lost to the Plague in the year III 1636, and as a final blow the Witch-king sent evil beings to infest the Barrow-downs. After these events, Cardolan was left a desolate and deserted land.

Now per the MERP regional sourcebooks, the lands of Cardolan were re-populated after the III 1409 attack and retreat. The Dúnedain and remaining Eriadorians tried to rebuild what was lost, but it would never happen - their once proud strength would not return. The plague ended their attempt, although it ran its course by the end of III 1637.

The city of Tharbad itself remains active and populated all the way until the year III 2911, when the Fell Winter happened and the floods decimated the city. It is not stated when, but the bridge itself fell at some point after III 2911 and III 3018. Boromir crossed the river at the broken bridge and faced the hazards that the ruins held.

So, as always, you guys are up against a hopeless fight with utter ruin coming before the eventual throwing down of the Dark Lord. The goal here is to try and stave off the enemy's efforts for as long as possible even though there is little hope and even less gain. The many workings of Gandalf were to just make sure that when the final conflict came, the enemy had been thwarted in his efforts to overcome the Free Peoples as much as possible, giving Aragorn and Frodo their very slight chance for success. Hence his desire to make sure the Bridge of Tharbad remained open between North and South, and the Witch-king's adverse desire.

Again, not giving you this stuff to use in character, nor am I saying that our game will follow canon explicitly (as we know it already hasn't). But I want to convey the hopelessness that might come from seeing the desolation that is now Cardolan, the sick city of Tharbad, and the evil forces that the Witch-king has arrayed against the survivors. We will endeavor to fill in the holes left by the Professor, and hopefully fill them with some pretty cool stuff! 

[tomcat]

Edrahil listened to his companions debate, but turned back to the innkeep, "Do you know from whence this Gibbet King came?"

The man shook his head, "He is not Dúnadan; nor is he one of the common folk of Eriador. I have heard that he dresses odd, like those foreigners from across the mountains, but not of Gondor. They say he is cadaverously thin and has an evil gaze. He rules by the hammer... or the gibbet, for the whispers that come from the city say that those that defy him are hung from limb, wall, or gibbet. Their bodies left as carrion and as warning of his rule. Few travelers now cross from east to west, and so I do not know if the mercantile vans still come from the south."

"Is he like these pony riders?" asked Fengel.

Again, the shake of his head. "Nay, he is said to be more educated; eloquent in his viperous tongue; and supposedly alluring to those that wish to do evil. These Hillmen have come south to do his bidding, but he does not count himself amongst them."

[Telcontar]

  Doug, all that you said is true. However, I would argue that the manner in which Tharbad survives as a polity until III 2911 and the 1,200 sum odd years between now and then is very much open for definition and possability.

[tomcat]

Of course it's open for possibility, and that is the goal of this story arc. Without any definitive description, all I can do is go with the idea of it now being an independent city - like Dale or even Laketown. The Dúnedain were bled out by the war and the plague has decimated what's left of them. So, who vies for leadership? Those with a lineage, or minor nobility, and most likely a streak of Dúnedain blood. In 200 years since a king, the rulership has probably changed multiple times due to infighting. Add to this mess, the King of Arthedain making claims of a unification.  Lastly, to this we add the sickness that would create factions, or 'safe' areas within the confines of the city and each area creating its own set of rules and rulers.

A couple more decades down the road, after the plague, I could see things calming and becoming more civilized, but right now with Witch-king still making excursions, I see chaos as the rule.