When last we left off…Chapter 4
Nuri the Dwarf, Bungo the Hobbit and Forlong the Ranger sit at a good table in the Prancing Pony Inn enjoying their ale. Floki the Dwarf is reintroduced to them and he requests a small favour, that they deliver a sealed message to his brother Flonar. He explains that he will be in the Dwarven Halls of the Blue Mountains to the West should his brother wish to reply with another message.
After some questions and discussion, they agree and head out West through the Shire and then North towards the Lake. With Forlong as the guide they make haste and avoid all mishaps. Looking out towards the Lake they wisely decide to avoid the fog which obscures its surface and the ancient ruins to the east.
They come across the dwarves at the Vale of Gold. They are all dead and their camp is afire. The heroes make short work of a group of goblin archers, felling three outright with their initial volleys as they come across the foul creatures unawares. They discover that twelve dwarves have been taken prisoner and that something was taken, roughly ripped from a necklace on Flonar’s body.
They track the orcs to a hidden vale to the east and decide that the force is too large to attack alone so head east to the Blue Mountains and the Dwarves.
There they meet Vilia a clan chieftain and Floki. After some intrigue and treasure they are invited to the council of the dwarves to discuss the matters at hand. Floki persuades them to intercede on his behalf: or perhaps it is the plight of the dwarvern prisoners; or indeed the tale of a secret key to Moria being the item taken from Flonar’s corpse; that inspires them. Forlong is intent on pursuing his oath and moving further North to the Hill of Fear and leaving the Dwarves and Floki to their fate. In the end the heroes agree to travel to the fortress of the orcs in the Ettenmoors with a group of dwarven scouts in an attempt to rescue the prisoners. They are rewarded with armour and helms of ancient dwarven make, inscribed with Runes and of fabulous craftsmanship. Crossing the land in relative haste they recover the trail at the hidden vale and aided by the dwarves find themselves looking across the moors to the iron gates of the fortress
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