The Fallen King

Prior Reading: The Quest of Erebor

The following story can be experienced by Elves and Dwarves during the introduction scenario.

Music Accompaniment: Chance Thomas - Lament For Oakenshield

75 years after the successful quest of Erebor and the death of Thorin Oakenshield, Thorin’s Hall remained under Dourhand Stewardship. Curiously, tribute had recently ceased from Thorin’s Hall to the Iron Hills, where King Dain Ironfoot ruled. King Dain sent Dwalin and a company of dwarves to investigate and determine why.



No sooner than when they arrived, the dwarves encountered a band of elves led by Elladan, son of Elrond, who informed them of their mission to decipher the meaning behind Elrond's premonitions regarding an evil that stirred within Ered Luin.



The dwarven and elvish adventurers were tasked with investigating the ruins of Edhelion. Talagan's apprentice, no longer young, told the dwarves of Skorgrim’s pursuit of immortality and of how he met his end when Talagan brought down the library of Edhelion upon himself and Skorgrim.



The dwarf miner who had seen Skorgrim's corpse correlated the apprentice's story with his own. With the puzzle unraveling, Elladan sent the adventurers to Silver Deep to find the body of the fallen king. To their surprise, it was no longer there and only the crimson flowers remained...



Burdened by these grim tidings, Elladan believed that Skorgrim’s body had been moved and that the flowers would follow him in death, a magic that was not common with dwarves. Following the flowers from the Silver Deep to their source led the adventurers to the Berghold, a once great store-house of Thorin’s Hall.



A longbeard dwarf named Tryggwi, who sought audience with Gormr Doursmith, learned that he had turned the Berghold into Skorgrim’s Tomb. The adventurers, looking for answers, were denied entry as only Dourhands were permitted within the tomb.



Gormr told the adventurers of the Ritual of Commemoration that was to be performed that night in reverence of their fallen king. When Dwalin learned of this, he proclaimed Gormr and the Dourhands traitors as Thorin's Hall belonged to Thorin's line and no one else. Unfortunately, dealing with the Dourhands would have to wait as the growing concern of his ailing kin plagued him. He tasked the adventurers to find the source of the encroaching illness before dealing they could deal with the Dourhands.



The explorer's uncovered the taint within the river, where the dwarven expedition had filled their water flasks. At Dwalin's behest, the adventurers climbed the mountain where they found Elrohir, brother of Elladan, who was also investigating his father's premonition.



Elrohir, who learned of the plight of the dwarves, believed healing herbs within the Mirkstone Tunnels could stave off their death. While looking for these herbs, the adventurers discovered the blight that had fallen upon the mountain.

Evil spirits walked the tunnels of Mirkstone.



The adventurers told Elrohir of the spirits and of the rise of Skorgrim and their return to life while he concocted the antidote for the dwarves. With the safety of his kin assured, Dwalin returned his focus on reclaiming Thorin's Hall from the Dourhands.

Dwalin, Nos Grimsong, Elladan, Elrohir, and the adventurers infiltrated the tomb where they discovered the Dourhands attempting to resurrect Skorgrim through the evil magic of the gaunt-lord Ivar. As the ritual began. the Dourhands were betrayed by Ivar, who sacrified the Dourhands to bring Skorgrim back to life.



Gormr, enraged by the betrayel, met his end at the hands of the longbeard dwarves. They fled the tomb as it began to collapse. The trek was perilous and wrought with danger but the dwarves and elves escaped.

Although Skorgrim had risen and the Gaunt-lord escaped, Thorin's Hall was reclaimed by the longbeard dwarves and Dwalin made it's steward yet their trials were far from over. A looming threat hung over Thorin's Hall and the dwarves prepared to defend their homeland.



The elves, with their mission complete, returned to Rivendell to bring Elrond the news of what had transpired.



The dwarf miner and the elf apprentice did not yet know of how their actions would impact the lives of many and how they would be thrust into a new age of conflict...

Further Reading: Dealings with Goblins & The Missing Prince

Comments

  1. Author's note: The introduction of the elves and dwarves were homogenized a few years back. I took some liberties in the storytelling by indicating that the elf and dwarf characters essentially were together during the events, which I believe would have occurred :)

    I did the same for the Man/Hobbit intro and I believe it syncs stories up rather well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It actually does sync up rather well. I'm excited to read more!

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