Middle Earth [TA 2997]: The Phantom of the Northern Marches

[rangerjohn]

Arathorn pulls up a seat at the giant's table and returns the smile. "Ah yes an ale if you please, and it always good to have a tale accompny the drink."

 

[Mirth]

"I'll wait til the rest of you get seated," Artos says as he stands before Valandil and Arag ... Arathorn

OOC: Thanks Inez I'm just waiting for the rest of the players to show up before continuing.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Antroine looks impressed by Artos' manner, and gladly takes a seat nearby.

"I'd drink anything as long as it'd put me in a better mood," he says jovially.

 

[Inez Hull]

Festy and RJ have already checked in and Manzanita and Ferret both seem to be around. Gary should be around the boards so I reckon go ahead and post.

 

[Mirth]

Festy and RJ have already checked in and Manzanita and Ferret both seem to be around. Gary should be around the boards so I reckon go ahead and post.

OOC: You got it, chief.

"Got yer drinks then?" Artos says as the men settle in. "Good. Let's begin at the beginning." The white-haired giant leans his axe against the wall and takes a seat, his large hand grasping the tankard in front of him as if it were a hobbit's teacup.

After taking a long draft, Artos looks each man in the face and in hushed tones begins his tale, "I, like you, am not from around these parts. But I've lived here long enough to know that these folk are practical and dependable. If they are given to any flights of fancy or superstition, it is that they believe they are under the protection of the Sleeping King, whose spirit is supposedly buried in a forgotten hall somewhere in the woods north of here. Considering that this area has been free of orcs and their ilk, even though they are in the shadow of the Misty Mountains and so close to the haunt of Angmar, then there may be some truth to the old tales after all. It is a safe town... remarkably so."

"That is, until recently," at this point Artos' face takes a grim turn and he takes another long pull of his ale before continuing. "My good friend, Beroth, was the first to go. About a month ago now, he went on a trapping foray and didn't return. I went looking for him at all of the old sites and finally found his body up in the northern Drebiwyd forest. He had been... savaged. By what, I don't know. Perhaps an animal, but the markings were unlike any I had seen before." The giant shakes his head at the memory. "Regardless, it was quite the beast that took him down. It had to have been, for Beroth was one of the most experienced woodsman I've ever known."

"A week later was when Aski," Artos pauses for a moment and looks across the room before continuing, "came back from the woods one night, wide-eyed and shaken with fright, screaming about flashing lights moving on their own and the pale figure of a ghost. Some dismissed the tale, trying to explain it away, even as fear began to spread through the town with each new retelling from Aski. Although he has stretched it a bit since, the essence of his story still has the ring of truth about it. Having seen Beroth's body and heard Aski's tale myself, I have every reason to believe that something unnatural is afoot."

"Despite my beliefs, however, I haven't been able to turn up anything of note," the big man sighs, "and that's not for lack of looking. The Thegn has been slow to take action in this matter and that may have cost us again. Last week, two young shepherds simply disappeared without a trace, or at least none that I could find. Now those who doubted Aski's tale have been seized by panic as well and the town is reaching its wit's end. Of course, now you have arrived. Will you help me? Help us?"

Artos finishes his telling and sits back, waiting for you to speak.

 

[Manzanita]

valanidl

"Of course. We are hear to help. These 'undead' are my speciality, in a sense. I am aware that creatures exist who could do what you describe. Perhaps the hall of the sleeping King is a good place to start looking for an answer to this riddle."

 

[rangerjohn]

"As Valandil says, we are here to help. We would be honored to help put this matter to rest. On the matter of where to start, how close together were the locations of the incidents?" Arathorn asks.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Under the impression his comrades are asking the right questions, Antroine sits back and lets them do the talking.

 

[ferretguy]

"Artos, I also am here to lend what hand I can. Although I would like to know just how far away was your friends body from this village, and where are these sheperds keeps?" Breor queries while drinking his ale.

 

[Inez Hull]

The huntmaster stands looking over Artos's shoulder, nodding at the shaggy giant's words and looks over each of you with a measuring gaze as you promise aid to the town.

"These sem like cap'ble men Artos, and we'll happily have you aid our town, few 'ere have been willin' ta risk the ire of the phantom, whate'er it be. Tell 'em what ye know, an' I'll fill in an'more that I be knowin'."