Middle-Earth Role Playing Campaign

Many were the days they spent in the Tanglewood Vale; no one in the group was sure just how many, for the moon did not wax and wane as they expected it to. Each enjoyed their stay as they knew best. The Elves felt most at home here, and Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn likewise, for often he was gone two or three days, walking in the woods and sleeping on the meadow. Bauglir continued to feel uncomfortable and rarely relaxed. Luinár's vision of her occupied home burned within her, and she too became sullen and withdrawn. Much time she spent with her sister, discussing the fate of their home and planning the journey they would take there from Rivendell. Bradlegar mostly stayed around the cottage, helping Lady Falista with some of the chores and maintenance, and tending the garden.

All but the Elves, probably because they were used to it, began feeling out of touch with time; as though it meant not as much to them as it once did, and on occasion they found it strangely disconcerting. One evening around dinner Mîriel asked Fael-Linnis about this. "Does a day within Tanglewood Vale have any correlation to a day outside?" she asked.

Fael-Linnis was vague in reply; perhaps he had been confined to the vale so long he did not really understand what she was asking. "Time is different," was all he said. "You will be leaving here in a few days."

"When we leave here," asked Dennenor, "will we still be in Angmar, or could you arrange for us to be somewhere else?"

"You would still be in Angmar," Fael-Linnis replied. "I am very powerful within my own realm--I doubt anyone could face me here and be victorious-- but my power ends at the edge of the Vale. It is my duty and fate to remain in this place and guard it."

When they had been there a few days, Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn picked up the suit of leather armour they had taken from the Black Rangers for Bradlegar's use. In the course of an afternoon's work he carefully trimmed and re-sewed it, reducing its size down to that suitable for the Hobbit. So well done was the job that when Bradlegar put it on, it appeared as though it had always been his.

Then Rhôn approached Fael-Linnis and asked of him permission to search the Vale for healing plants. The response was generous, leaving him free to enter whatever region he wished and take what plants he may; he was asked only to leave enough behind to allow them to continue. This Rhôn had no problem with, for he was greatly skilled in woodlore and understood the need for conservation.

He began his search near the Willowmere. There he extracted five doses of sap from some arkasu saplings, useful for healing wounds; found fourteen arunya roots that could induce sleep; and thirteen arnuminas leaves that would help heal cuts to ligaments.

From the Willowmere he explored up Greenwash to the Misty Falls. Many plants were there: he found seven edram mosses, which he knew from recent experience would heal broken bones, and seventeen rewk nodules and seven thurl cloves, which could serve as general healing agents. For curing fevers he found five attenar mosses, and for the fighters he gathered fifteen suranie berries: they would relieve the stunning effects of major blows suffered in the heat of battle.

During those days, Dennenor also sought out Fael-Linnis and asked him about the differences between his vision where Bradlegar was concerned, and Bradlegar's. Like all questions concerning the visions given by the olorondo, Fael-Linnis could answer only in generalities. "One or both of the visions may be true," he said, "or they may both be untrue, and one may or may not cancel out the other. I would counsel you to keep the memory of the vision close, and watch your surroundings carefully, and if you find yourself in the place you saw in your vision, be all the more vigilant."

"I also have skills in meditation," said Dennenor, "and am given to understand the olorkorna will help with that. Can you enlighten me further?"

"Indeed it will help you," Fael-Linnis replied. "The olorkorna will lend strength of vision to your meditations. Using it will help you see more clearly that which you want to see. Because the stone is a vision based stone, with it in your hands you should ask specific questions, and it will tell you."

Immediately Dennenor attempted this, endeavoring to gain a further insight on his previous vision, a clear picture of where it happened. But it did not show him, and gave no further information, due perhaps to the lack of information Dennenor had to begin with.

Araquenval asked Fael-Linnis about the woman with the golden tears. "I think I know what you saw," he told the Elf, "but not sure if I should tell you, for it may influence you. The land you saw is north of the land you call Angmar. I am not comfortable with telling you more, only this: the lady you saw in your vision is she who weeps for the land. The vision is powerful and I will think on this more. I may be able to give you more information ere you leave."

On one day like any other, Fael-Linnis greeted them at breakfast. "Today is midsummer's eve," he informed the group. "This is the last evening you will spend here in Nan Fastataurë. Tomorrow you must embark on your journey and continue as best you may. But tonight we will go to the coranarindë and witness the setting of the midsummer sun. Spend your last day here as you will, for I am afraid you will not be coming back here any time soon."

That morning Luinár sought out their host to speak with him. "Lord Fael-Linnis," she began, "would you have any news for me on the matter we discussed before?"

"That is for Yavanna to decide, not me," he replied. "Do not worry yourself about such things. I am Maiar, and what will happen, will happen."

"But being that you are Maiar," she rejoined. "Perhaps you do not really understand us mortals as much as you would like to. Remember, your wife is a mortal."

"I can only do what is in the limits of my nature; although I am Maiar and may seem powerful to you, I do have limits."

"Be that as it may," Luinár concluded, "perhaps one day I will be able to visit you and your children here."

"Perhaps. But we will have to wait for Yavanna's favour on this."

On his last day here, Dennenor took the olorkorna to the base of the palantundo, and there he meditated and sought a vision to determine the best path out of Angmar. He was not interested in the safest course, but rather the one that offered an escape from the accursed country with the best chance of success. He entered a deep dreamlike state and saw the group heading south, climbing a pass through the mountains; he could feel freedom on the other side. And the pass was oddly silent, for he could also feel danger behind and danger ahead, but here it was peaceful.

After dinner, Fael-Linnis and Lady Falista led the group from the cottage to the coranarindë, the sun-round-stones. The circle consisted of eight large trilithons, each made of two huge standing stones some thirty feet tall and capped with a lintel-stone. Other single stones were set some distance outside the circle. Each trilithon at first appeared to be set on a major compass point, but Rhôn noticed that two of them seemed a little out of place, as though the builder had deliberately set them off slightly to one side.

Everyone sat on the grass in the centre of the stone circle around a pool where pure waters bubbled up from beneath the surface, waiting for Midsummer's Day to come to a close. Slowly the sun set directly over a standing stone positioned outside the circle, and its last rays travelled down the centre of one of the misaligned trilithons and struck the fountain in the pool, turning its waters a deep golden hue. About them all the stones in the circle began to glow faintly with a soft silver light.

And when the last rays of the setting sun had vanished beneath the rim of the Vale, words written an ancient Elvish script shone forth from the lintels. The language was like Quenya, but older, and Araquenval could sense the runes were very ancient and powerful, and contributed much to the sanctity of all of Nan Fastataurë. And although he could not translate the words, he plainly understood their meaning: they spoke of the importance of all life, how even the smallest of creatures confirmed the greater whole of Arda, and how they were rejuvenated with the turning of the seasons.

And everyone was rejuvenated: each in his own way felt very much alive and at ease with the world. The Elves closed their eyes and their faces shone, reflecting the silvery runes about them. Luinár and Mîriel smiled broadly and held hands. For Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn, close as he was to the land, this was an especially profound moment and he sat completely motionless, staring with unblinking eyes at the small fountain.

Bradlegar closed his eyes and smiled contentedly, even though he could not truly appreciate the power of the magic here, much as a peasant who could buy all he needed for a piece of silver would not recognize the wealth contained in a room filled with gold. Even the scowl Bauglir had worn most of the time since coming here had disappeared, and although he did not smile, he appeared at long last to have come to terms with the Vale and content with its existence.

Then Lady Falista filled a silver ewer with water from the pool, and she and Fael-Linnis drank from it, then passed it to their visitors and they drank from it also, and the ceremony came to a close. The couple stood and bade them enjoy their last evening in the valley, then departed.

The group stayed within the circle a long time, each quietly thinking their own thoughts, not wishing to distrub the others. Finally Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn spoke. "Stones are tied to time," he said quietly. "Stones are what keep Vale outside of time, cause it not to change."

One by one they left, Bauglir first, followed by Bradlegar and the sisters, then Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn, and finally Dennenor and Araquenval. All that night none felt the need to rest or sleep, and walked their favourite paths in the Vale or sat and wondered at all they had seen there.

At breakfast, they talked of their time together in Tanglewood Vale, but they did not discuss their impending departure or what they would do once they left. When breakfast was over they gathered together their belongings. Their horses had come to them of their own accord, but like the people in the group they seemed reluctant to leave.

When all was ready, Fael-Linnis led them on the path from the cottage. They travelled in single file, each leading their horse and a pack horse. Fael-Linnis walked slowly, and the group was glad he did, wanting as they were to savour their last journey in his realm. He took them through the meadow alongside the Greenwash, and at length they came to the pool at the base of the Misty Falls. And Lady Falista was there, having gone before them in a small boat. She stood beside Fael-Linnis at the shore of the lake, and a rainbow arched over them as her husband addressed the group.

"I always feel the frustration that I can no longer go out into world and make a difference," he said. "But perhaps I can do so indirectly, with the gifts Lady Falista and I have prepared for you, and through you fight for justice and the creation of Yavanna. All the heavy food rations you brought in with you we have replaced with lembas, which you would call waybread, enough for two months for each person."

And he called forth Dennenor, and gave him a sheath of black leather made for a two-handed sword, set with sapphires. "I give you this sheath," he told the Elf. "As I said before, I have not always been a gardener, and I am hoping this will serve you well. The blade from this sheath will be ever sharp, and toughened so it will not break in combat."

Dennenor accepted the gift, and slid his sword into the sheath, and when he drew it out again, its edge sparked and was very keen, as though he had spent a week sharpening it. "I thank you for this wonderful gift," he said. "May Yavanna continually bless your realm forever."

Next Fael-Linnis called Mîriel, and to her presented a pouch made of an unassuming green fabric. "This pouch keeps all herbs fresh; they do not turn, nor go dry, nor lose their potency. Anything that you or Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn have picked here, or any other plant you store within the pouch will stay as fresh and potent as the moment you pulled it from the stem. And if you are in need of a particular healing plant and visualize it, this pouch will find it, if it is within an hour's walk."

"Thank you," replied Mîriel. "I will put this pouch to good use."

To Luinár he gave a strange accoutrement: at first it appeared to be but a tangle of leaves and roots, but when Fael-Linnis opened it, it turned into a hooded cloak made from many leaves of oak and aspen. "This is a lassëcollo, a cloak of leaves. Long ago, before the breaking of the world, this was used by the Silvan Elves to hide them as lived in the forest of Lassiriand, which exists no longer above the waves. Given your affinity for travelling with nature, I thought this would be a fitting gift for you, as I have no need for it here. Wearing this, you will blend in the foliage of the trees, and it would be very difficult for unfriendly eyes to see you.

"And now, little Bradlegar, the smallest--but not the smallest nor least stout of heart--to you, to make up for your size, I give two gifts." And Fael-Linnis presented the Hobbit with a bowstring and an arrow. The arrow glowed brightly, green at the tip, then along its length shifting subtly to blue, then to purple and red, and finally yellow at the fletchings. "The bowstring is spun from two trees of the Vale, willow and alder, and it will never slacken nor break, no matter the weather or the duress placed upon it. The arrow has a great enchantment bound into it. I perceive a time of great danger to the party, and you will know when this arrow is needed. Keep it well."

Bradlegar was quite at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the great treasure represented by the arrow, and the trust Fael-Linnis showed by giving it to him to use. "Thank you so very much," he stammered. "I will try to use this in the way you intend me to." Then he lapsed into silence, for he could think of nothing else to say.

Next Fael-Linnis called Araquenval. "Long ago this belonged to one of the Firstborn, a Quenya of Valinor, who lost his life in the crossing of the Helcaraxë and never had a chance to put it to use. But you as a Noldo should be able to use it." And he gave the Elf a very ornate harness and tack for a horse, of Elven make, tipped with gold and silver. "Any horse you ride who also wears this harness will be able to communicate with you, and you with the horse." Araquenval smiled broadly and accepted the gift.

Bauglir received a fine helm of very ancient design and construction. "Forget not your proud heritage," Fael-Linnis told him, "but forget not also the mistakes that were made. When you feel the weight of this upon your head, feel also the weight of your heritage as it truly is. This is the Helm of the West; it does not interfere with the magical Essence, and aids you in tasks that require you to see and perceive, such as the tracking of stars and the sailing and handling of a boat." And Bauglir took the helm and placed it upon his head. The fit was good, for with it on him, Bauglir looked as one of the lords of Númenór.

Now Fael-Linnis turned to Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn. "I was somewhat at a loss to find a gift for you, since you already are well-versed in the gifts of nature," he said. "You do not seem to require or need very much. However, after much discussion with the Lady Falista, we decided to give you this. We do not know how much value you would see in it, but we feel it is significant: it was a hard decision for us to make, but we both agree it is the right one."

And he gave Rhôn a flat, oblong stone, in colour a dark shimmering green. "This is the memory stone: when you gaze within it, you can see Nan Fastataurë as it is. Now you can always carry the Vale with you, and look into it when you seek comfort from the troubles of your travels. And it is called the memory stone not only because you can see the Vale within it; but also for once, and once only, if you invoke the words it will bring you back to this place."

Taking the stone in his pudgy hands, Rhôn looked at it, then asked, "If I use stone to come to this place, could I leave again?"

"We are not sure at this point," Fael-Linnis replied. "Perhaps, but the magic may be such that you are drawn permanently into the Vale. This may be a weighty decision to make; although at some point, perhaps in the twilight years of your life when you have done all you wanted to do and seen all that you wished to see, you may decide to journey here and stay here with us, rather than pass into the earth."

Now Rhôn studied the stone intently, then looked up at Fael-Linnis and Lady Falista. "Thank you," he said simply, then carefully tucked it away in a pocket in his armour.

"Now our sojourn here together has come to an end," said Fael-Linnis, "and you must move on back to your own world, and I will remain here with you in my thoughts. Remember the Awful Shard and the danger it represents to the World. May the gifts I have given you aid you in your journey to Rivendell, where you can deliver to Elrond the message I have written."

The group bade farewell to Lady Falista, for she would not walk the path to the edge of the Vale, but instead paddled the boat out of the pool and down the Laisiril back to the cottage. And Luinár remembered her ever after, dressed in her white gown, her black hair flowing over her shoulders as she made her way out of their lives. She looked back only once, and Luinár thought her face glowed brightly in the sun, as though it was wet with mist or with tears.

Led by Fael-Linnis and Wisewing the crow, they took the trail up from the Misty Falls and climbed the hill to the very edge of the Tanglewood Vale. There at the headwaters of the Greenwash, Fael-Linnis gave each a last word of farewell, then they walked through the trilithon, out of Nan Fastataurë and back into Angmar.

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Day 16: Angmar Again

Day 14: The Seeming Stone

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Based on events played to July 29, 1997. Accesses since September 30, 1998: