14 June 2018

Fellowship Phase in Esgaroth (Spider Cult of Mirkwood part 1.5)

May-June 2946...

[A picture of Esgaroth by J.R.R. Tolkien]

Having completed their first adventure together, our heroes—Hartmut, Hengil, and Ulvmund—spend some time resting in Lake-town.

The companions take the locked chest (which they had discovered within the spidiers’ mound) to Aelfwine, a skilled locksmith in Esgaroth. Within the chest are revealed 2 Dwarven coins and 2 gems (aquamarine and moonstone). Hartmut asks some dwarves in town for more information about the chest. He discovers from them that it is likely from Moria (before its fall to the Balrog).

Hengil researches the black stone. He learns that the etchings on it say (in a corrupted form of Quenya): “Submit to the glory of the Unlight!” Hengil also learns that the stone is likely from the Mountains of Mirkwood, where ‘black glass’ is common. Finally, Hengil is told that an Elvish sage in the village of Celebannon, named ‘Luinwen’, may know more about the stone and the meaning of what is written on it.

Ulvmund researches the spiders of Mirkwood. He learns that there are at least 2 different kinds of spiders: ‘attercops’ and the larger ‘great spiders’. Moreover, these giant spiders are intelligent and can speak the mannish tongue. While evil, though, the spiders are not servants of the Necromancer (but have been known to cooperate with the Necromancer’s minions from time to time).

The companions make plans to travel to Celebannon in the Woodland Realm to learn more about the black stone.

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I'm a Canadian political philosopher who lives primarily in Toronto but teaches in Milwaukee (sometimes in person, sometimes online).