Chapter 5: Nameless Things

[hedgeknight]

Gilda Ironfoot

Gilly stares at the dwarven door in awe...chills running all over her, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"Ain't never seen anything this beautiful afore...wonder...wonder how it opens?"
She sniffs and wipes her nose as she tries to make sense of the ruins.

[wolfpack]

While the others study the door Elbenwin searches the treasure room for something besides coin and gems that may aid them in their quest

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin will try to decipher the runes of old...

[ChubbyPixie]

Gilwennen will also look at the runes for some clue after running her finger over the lines of the now revealed door for any crack or mechanism that might open it.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco's eyes widen as the design on the stone wall brightens.

"Ooohh my! This is something remarkable, now isn't it? I wonder if it is a map of some kind, or a doorway that leads to the item we seek?"

The tiny thief takes a closer look at the revelation, using his skills at trap spotting to see if there is anything upon it that was missed initially.

[Inferno]

The Lost Halls of the First ElvenKing, The Mountains of Mirkwood, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
March 23, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Five. Midday. Cloudy, damp, cold



Before the wondrous dwarf-door, the Company stares in astonishment.

Therone and Tinuwen stand guard as Elbenwin continues searching the chamber. Nothing new is found.

Folco and Gilwennen dare touch the flickering portal of fire-runes but their fingers find only sheer smooth rock.

The dwarves, Gilly and Glasik know that some dwarf-gates only open with a spoken password. Others will open only at special times, or for particular persons; and some have locks and keys that are still needed when all necessary times and words are known. But this dwarf-door has no keyhole. Perhaps it is governed by words alone.

Among fiery symbols of Dwarves and Elves are elf-letters from the Elder Days woven throughout device and design. The Company reads aloud the three lines inscribed:

Always present, all around. Yet invisible during the day.

Grows when fed but dies when watered.

Always old, sometimes new. Never empty, sometimes full.

Actions?


Map Detail:

One square = 20 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.




PC Status:

Elbenarin: Male Dunedan Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/30
Elbenwin: Male Dunedan Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/30
Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 11/21
Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 26/41, Torch
Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 20/34
Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 13/13, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 7/8, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl, Torch
Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/12, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 16/31, Torches
Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 12/12, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/19, Torch
Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 9/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[Rex]

Rumil

"I am not sure of the first line, but the second is Fire and the third might be the Moon."

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

What the...a riddle? The dwarf shakes his head. Fire grows when fed, and dies when watered. I don't know how it fits with the other clues, though. Starting to get a headache from the thinking required to solve this mystery, the dwarf wanders away to examine the rest of the chamber again. He realizes this puzzle is a battle he won't win.

[rredmond]

"The first line initially struck me as 'dark', but I am not certain," Naruthirdor muses, "I agree that fire and moon are good answers."

[wolfpack]

I believe the first is sunlight, the second is fire, the third is the moon.

[Rex]

Rumil

"I could see either Dark or Sunlight for the first. Do they need to fit together to form a saying perhaps?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco looks over the riddle, feeling quite at home with such things.

"Stars are always around, but not seen during the day."

"And I believe you are correct about Fire and Moon being the next 2 answers."

"Star Fire Moon?" I am not certain what that means."

[Urson]

Therone
Therone only half-hears the discussion, and ignores it.

[Rex]

Rumil

"Excellent Master Folco, I think that must be it. Who wants to give it a try, in Elvish I would think."

[Starbeard]

Vindo stands toward the back, nodding seriously and tapping his chin as though helping to guide the discussion, but in truth he has nothing better than what Folco offered.

[hedgeknight]

Gilda Ironfoot

Gilly hears the riddle and the answers from her companions and says, "Never was any good at riddles."
And then she says the Dwarf words for star, fire, and moon out loud.

[ChubbyPixie]

Gilwennen tries to look wise. She nods sagely at the guesses of the others. She never was very good at riddles.

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin nods in agreement as the riddle seems to be puzzled out. He stands ready for the unexpected.

[Inferno]

The Lost Halls of the First ElvenKing, The Mountains of Mirkwood, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
March 23, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Five. Midday. Cloudy, damp, cold





In the lost ElvenHalls, the Company ponder the three riddles luminous in flickering fire-runes upon the dwarf-door:

Always present, all around. Yet invisible during the day.

Grows when fed but dies when watered.

Always old, sometimes new. Never empty, sometimes full.

After much consideration, the Company speak the answers in the tongues of men, dwarves and elves.

"Star. Fire. Moon."

The Company stand back in anticipation.

Nothing happens.

The glowing door does not unlock from the rock face. But the Company are certain of their answers!

Gilly and Glasik know that when a dwarf-gate is governed by a spoken password, it is usually one word. Yet these are three.

Could the riddles' answers somehow reveal the one password? What commonality might these three words share?


Actions?


Map Detail:

One square = 20 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.




PC Status:

Elbenarin: Male Dunedan Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/30
Elbenwin: Male Dunedan Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/30
Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 11/21
Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 26/41, Torch
Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 20/34
Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 13/13, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 7/8, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl, Torch
Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/12, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 16/31, Torches
Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -1, HP: 12/12, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/19, Torch
Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 9/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[rredmond]

“Perhaps we are missing something. Starlight, Firelight, and Moonlight?” Naruthirdor muses.