A4E2: Riddle Me This, Bookworm

May 15^th, Cirdan’s Library: With their heads spinning with the flood of information about the Dark Queen Caelindur, Kyan broke Cirdan’s daydreaming stare out the window, “You say Belemir arrived 4-6 weeks ago…alone? No mention of another ranger named Calanlas? Can you show us what he was researching?”

Cirdan led them up a long flight of stairs to a larger windowless library, with walls lined by tall/long bookshelves (books, scrolls, parchments, maps) interspersed with regional tributes (racial shields with crossed swords or spears or bow/quiver) and even displays of mannequins in appropriate armor. Candles mounted along the walls and torches hanging from the center pillars’ sconces lit the room. Cirdan pointed at the tables stacked with books and maps and scrolls, “I’ve been too busy with the king to put things away. Those are what Belemir studied.”

Riddle: Where to begin? Each member chose a table and sat down to read. It was long hours of research before Theo spoke up, “Here’s a closed book that has corners of notes sticking out of the pages. I can’t open the clasp; there seems to be a magical lock with a riddle: The more you have of it, the less you see.” Everyone gathered around the table and offered their own answers: Thran suggested the shards, Kyan said light, Margo answered food laid before hobbits. But it was Theo who guessed Darkness. And with his answer, the clasp unlocked. Theo excitedly opened the book.

Worms: The library momentarily plunged into darkness as the candles and torches seemed to be snuffed out, before most came back to light. All gasped at the sudden stench that seemed to belch from the book [Kyan failed his CONsave and suffered DisAdvantage]. But in those seconds of darkness back to light, only Theo and Thran saw the 4 small worms crawl out of the book and fall onto the floor where they had already grown 2 ft in length)! [failed Lore] Neither had an idea what they were, but Theo raised his foot to stomp on one (and just missed). Thran grabbed his dagger and threw it at the nearest worm, only to hear his blade clatter across the stone floor.

Kyan realized they were in regular clothing without their armor or weapons. He rushed to the Dwarven wall tribute and grabbed a great-axe from the display. “Arm yourselves!” Margo moved under the table and struck one of the worms with her dagger that sunk into the mucus lined rubbery skin.

By now the Carrion Crawlers had doubled in size (4ft). Each multilegged worm with a segmented body looked like a cross between a giant green cutworm and a cephalopod. Six slender tentacles protruded from its head, directly above mandibles. Each tentacle was about 5ft long and ended with a pad lined with barbs. One climbed the wall towards the ceiling, while another (that had climbed behind a bookcase and per its growth) caused that case to topple and fall against the table (fortune no-one was in its way else be pinned underneath). Another struck at Theo with 2 of its 6 tentacles while another moved toward the dwarf and lashed out with its tentacles: the barbed ends injected a paralyzing venom [caused 1 level of Exhaustion].

Theo took the dwarf’s advice and rushed to another display and grabbed 2 hand-axes. Thran also rushed toward the elf display and grabbed a broadsword. Margo double-timed across the room and grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows from the Hobbit display. Kyan swung at the worm attacking him, but his great-axe seemed to slide along its rubbery texture [resistant to slicing damage]. By now the 6ft long worm on the ceiling crawled towards the hobbit on the other side of the room. The others struck at single foe. Thran was hit but saved against the venom; Kyan was hit; but the one attacking Theo hit with 2 tentacles and thus was able to try to draw him toward its mouth! Theo stuck his foot out to avoid the bite.

As the crawlers continued to grow to their full large length of 8ft, the group fought for their lives. Theo grabbed a torch from a pillar sconce but failed to hit his target. Kyan remembered the saltshaker in his pocket (taken from dinner) and doused his foe with the salt, causing grave damage to the worm. [passed CONsave] And the fact he finally shook off the sickening stench effects, Kyan’s next axe attack killed his foe. But it was Margo’s arrow that seemed to cause the most (piercing) damage, such that in two rounds the ceiling crawler fell to its death.

As for Thran, he had taken enough damage that he had to pause to lay Hands of Healing upon himself to avoid collapsing. Even Kyan had to use his Second Wind ability to recover health because he had been hit twice and bitten. He risked his own life to kill Thran’s attacker. Theo was without healing such that his attacker’s tentacles and bite dropped him [he now faced Death Saves]. No one noticed Margo was also out of the fight: pinned under the crawler that had fallen on her.

But with Thran and Kyan able to gang up on the last carrion that stood near Theo, Kyan wielding a torch caused the fatal blow. All carrions were dead which gave Thran the chance to rush to Theo’s side to stabilize the Beorning from near death.

The Book: Their survival allowed them to turn to the page and passage marked by Belemir:

“Even with the shattering of the amulet Angril, the evil still pulsed. We decided to separate the shards in hopes distance weakened their effect. Each of the races was given a shard to scatter across Middle-Earth: Ents, hobbits, elves, dwarves, and man getting an extra piece in recognition of his fatal blow against Sauron. Thus, the locations are linked to the master of the Angril.”

Stuck within the book was Belemir’s scribbled notes regarding his theory of the locations:

S - ? Shire (hobbits); need to employ a hobbit for that one.

A - Anfalas (man); hah! The shard the fools found south of the White Mountains.

U - UnderHill (dwarf); the shard the orcs found ’under’ the Misty Mountains in Moria.

R - ? Rohan or Ruatani? (man); They are a weak people already, easy to control.

O - Onodrim (ent); "Seek not the place but the herders." Fangorn Forest?

N - ? Nenuial… Lake Evendim? Or Norbury in Fornost?; Wasn’t I already there?

Anflas under the White Mountains

Nenuil and Norbury

Audience: Drawn by the commotion, Cirdan and King Elessar arrived with armed guards. Once the new fellowship showed the book passage and notes and told the story of the magical riddle and worms, Cirdan rushed out of the room. He returned shortly with furrowed brow, “I did not know Belemir was skilled to magically trap the book nor accomplish other deeds.”

And that’s when an image walked through the wall, “So, our little misdirection has come full circle.” It was the Brown Wizard Radagast who related the history of the Angril without introduction, “Not only do the shards enhance one’s control over the dark forces, combined, the shards could provide a physical vessel to bring Melkor himself back into the world. And legend has his return during this age of man. Thus, we entrusted most pieces to man; only fitting since they’d see his return.” Radagast continued, “It was only time before another evil arose to take Sauron’s place. And he planted the seed for he was father to Caelindur, the Dark Queen. So, the shards of the Angril become the source of the New Shadow.”

As Radagast studied the open book and Belemir’s notes, a smile spread upon his face. “I see Belemir has decided to take the long path.” Cirdan approached and whispered to both Radagast and the King. Kyan was nearest and overheard the dire revelation, “The shard I protected is gone! At least my chronicles are intact and unread. Belemir has only accessed what we intended; his translation should lead him astray towards Lake Evendim or Fornost.”

Assignments: King Elessar turned to the four and etched the back of their medallions to authorize entry into the Shire if ever needed. To the gathered group he instructed, “I am bound for Rohan and Gondor to solidify alliances and ready my army. I have to pass through the Shire and thus will leave young Thorn Halbarad to search for Belemir and later meet up with you four in Bree. Cirdan, send rangers to Lake Evendim to search for signs of Belemir. As for your four, the new fellowship, travel eastward to Fornost where maybe you can pick up his trail. I fear Belemir has become consumed by this evil. I urge you to find Belemir. I pray he can be saved from the clutches of this evil that has apparently tainted his very soul.”

Radagast looked at the four, “The chronicles speak of another fellowship and their part in defeating a sorceress. Maybe they speak of you. While I have visions of what must happen, I dare not tell you. You must discover your own path and purpose. Any guidance from me may lead you astray. All I can say with certainty is Belemir plays a key role. Seek him for answers. I journey elsewhere on my own path and duties. But know that I am near. Use this whistle only in your darkest hour.” He handed Thran the whistle that had a great eagle etched into its metal.

          [The silent “dog” whistle will summon Gwaihir the great eagle to their side.]

But Kyan was perplexed, “How did Belemir learn we found a shard near the White Mountains?!” Radagast revealed, “Just as I learned of you and followed your endeavors, so too has the Dark Queen learned of you through her spies. Did you not encounter pirates scouting the riverways near Minas Tirith? Did you not spend ancient coins you found in the crypt? She sent pirates to kill you on your sailing passage to get you out of her hair. Hopefully she believes you are dead. As for Belemir’s new-found spell magic, she must have met up with him somewhere between the Misty Mountains and here. Sauron was not the only evil to have a foul-beast to fly upon.”

Fellowship/Undertakings: The next day was filled with fanfare at King Elessar’s departure. Over the next few days, the fellowship rested and healed and gathered new knowledge:

[PG, page 116: Hound of Mirkwood, Fight] Kyan trained his wolfhound to attack without command.

[PG, page 104: Strength of Will] Theo used Cirdan’s Library to study more about undead creatures. He also used library maps to plot their course to Fornost.

[[PG, page 108: Elf-Lights] Thran studied with Cirdan to learn more elf magic. He also delved into the books to study more about local herbs, learning about the healing properties of the White-Water Lily. Considering the poisons they’d recently encountered, he also studied about plants related to anti-toxins.

NEXT SESSION: https://lotrwjr.blogspot.com/2025/02/a4e3a-onward-to-fornost.html