The One Ring

A Meeting in Esgaroth

Coming and Gloin

The fellowship gathered in a local hostelry in Esgaroth, where they heard distressing tidings - two dwarves, Balin and Oin, had gone missing while Lakeownbringing messages from the Lonely Mountain and that Gloin himself was in town as the king under the mountains envoy, offering a reward for pertinent information. They decided to visit the envoy to see if they could be of assistance.

The party visited Gloin and discovered the route that the missing dwarves were taking. The meeting went well, with everyone learning much about Holfasts life and Gloin gave them a pass to get a boat from the lake men. They set off in several random directions, as Vigar tried to guide them to the far end of the lake. Eventually, they reached the Stair of Girion, where Holfast found a new audience for his life story.

"Now, as I remember it, he began, "it was three weeks ago last Tuesday. It was  around about four o'clock in the afternoon. it was raining as I recall and and me mam was just clearing up after a right tasty high tea when my old nan suddenly looks across as me and says " There's too much Took blood in you boy!" all testy like, then she went back to drawing on her pipe and sucking between her teeth. It was Old Toby, I think, now there's as fine a pipeweed as ever came out of Longbottom... it was discovered you know by an ancestor mine - Tobold Hornblower - a fine figure of a hobbit-gentleman if I say so myself.  Now, what was I saying, ah yes, I recall... I just sat back in my chair, finishing off the last of the crumpets and looking at my nan and I thinks to myself that's a strange thing to say, given she was a Took herself before marrying old Algernon, my grandfather.. you'd best be off on an adventure and get it out of your system..." he went on thuswise for some time!

 The lake men aided them with the portage of their boat past the waterfall and they set off again into the Long Marshes, with warnings about gallows-weed ringing in their ears. As the days of travel passed, they became aware that someone was following them and one night, as they pulled up to rest, their pursuers revealed themselves as and elvish patrol. With Vigar keeping wisely silent, they made introductions and advised the elves of their mission. They were guided to the dwarves last camp and decided to settle there for the night. Gelvira saw some lights at the far end of the island and they set off to investigate.

The Swamp Thing

As they stood wondering what to do next, the decision was taken for them by the troll that stormed out of the lake, bellowing its defiance in the cold night air. Gelvira took the brunt of the early assault as the others moved to help. After a tight fight, the troll finally fell and they realized that it was already badly injured before it attacked them, since it had a dwarven axe embedded in its skull. Taking this as a sign that they were on the right trail, they set guards for the night and retired.
swamp
The next few days passed in relative peace as they meandered around the marsh, sometimes in the right direction. Eventually, they came to the edge of the forest, where the tree roots and marsh combined into a near impassable tangle. They searched the shoreline for any sign of the dwarves and, by luck, found a scuttled boat. Investigation showed it to have been damaged in some way, with a torn rent in its hull. They hid their own boat, in between falling in the swamp and hiding the boat so successfully that they lost the hobbit who had fallen asleep in it. Having hidden their trail, they moved into the trees, where Gelvira noticed that many of the trees were festooned with the gallows weed they had been warned of - so good was her perception that she easily picked a path for them that avoided the dreaded weed.

They moved on through the swamp until they reached a dark pool, where they heard the tolling of a bell. Gelvira and Vigar fell under some form of dark magic and started to wade into the pool with Holfast forlornly trying to stop them. As they disappeared under the waters, Holfast scouted the area and then sat down to have a pipe while he considered his options.

The Cavern Beneath

Some time later, Vigar awoke in a pitch black cavern, with Gelvira still unconscious by his side. Unable to wake the woodsman, he set about exploring by touch. After being attacked by an unseen but short lived enemy he eventually found a door. Opening it, he became aware of many eyes watching him and shut it, assuming more hostiles on the other side.

Meanwhile, Holfast had swum through the pool and found himself in the same cavern as Gelvira. Having brought torches and firewood, he set about brewing a nice cup of tea and it was this scene that greeted Vigar on his return. Once they had woken Gelvira with a series of merry ditties, they explored the cavern in the light and found another door. As they discussed what to do with it, a voice called out in dwarfish from the other side - they had found Balin and Oin.

They beat a hasty retreat and, after a brief skirmish with some twisted marsh dwellers, they travelled to meet the eagles and then back to lake town to claim their reward.