Adventure 1 - A Kidnapping in Umbar

Adventure 1 – A Kidnapping in Umbar 1.

Introduction for the campaign

This adventure begins the campaign proper in the great port city of Umbar, gateway to the South of Middle-earth. The purpose of this adventure is to introduce the PC’s into the setting, the plot is that the PC’s are tasked with trying to determine who is responsible for the kidnapping of Prince Elatar of Gondor, the general perception being that Umbar is responsible. The adventure is also used as a way of bringing the PC's together as a party there should be at least one PC who knows Prince Elatar by sight, one PC who has some sort of tie to the government of Gondor, and one PC who has travelled in the deserts of Harad. Keep in mind that many of the PC's will be in an unfriendly city, so the consequences of their actions may be magnified. There should not be any elven PC's due to how elves are perceived in Umbar. The intended resolution of this adventure: That the PC's discover that an impostor is pretending to be Prince Elatar, the Prince is not (as is generally believed) a prisoner in Umbar, and that they will discover that the Cult of Melkhur has been revived - the PC's may or may not be successful in damaging the cult in Umbar, but the intention is that the false Prince (Gwaerenduath the Dindair) will get away. Gondor's Ambassador Celin will ask that the PC's pursue the False Prince into the desert - the campaign requires that the PC's do follow the impostor, not try and find the real Prince! As a seeming aside, either a dwarven character or a mage/loremaster PC will happen upon a copy of the tome "The Arcane Mysteries" in Umbar (if not already found). This is important for the next adventure, Adventure 2 - Pursuit into the Desert.

2.

Umbar - An Overview

Give the players the 'generally known information' handout below on Umbar. Some player characters may know a bit more - if so they can be given some of the information presented below. Umbar is ruled by an Oligarchy of six called the Council of Captains, also known as the 'Captains of the Havens' and 'Tower Lords'. Each captain is the head of a fleet and direct liege lord of approximately one sixth of the arable lands around the Haven of Umbar. The council is nominally chaired by the Admiral of the Haven, but apart from prestige (& knowledge) this office conveys no extra power. The captains are evenly balanced in power at present, and constantly strive against and compete with one another for power, influence and to be regarded as pre-eminent with the title of 'Admiral of the Haven'. As descendants of a long line of independent republican rulers, they and the populace in general have a healthy dislike of the principle of kingship and the idea that one person can have absolute power. The Captains at this time (Fourth Age 1200) are: Lord Borathôr, current Admiral of the Haven (last two years) and the most powerful of the captains (at present). He looks too fat to be able to even move, but in fact he is very strong, indeed his reputation is that he likes to grab opponents and squeeze them to death. His fief is Marös & Tol Glingal (as Admiral), his Chief Captain is Faltur and his tower in the city is Seaward. He actually visited Minas

Mallor as Umbar’s ambassador several years earlier, and is anti-war as his main supporters are the merchants. Lord Arkhâd is Lord Borathôr's chief rival, and is the smallest in physical stature of the captains. His Chief Captain is Bavire (a woman captain), his tower in the city is Westerly and his fief is Pellardur. He fights with sword and shield, and is the most rabid for war with Gondor, his main support are the corsairs and military. Lord Adumir is a noble-looking warrior, and prefers to fight with a two-handed axe. He is married to the Lady Eläemir. His Chief Captain is Valdûrmir, and his fief Isigir, his tower in Umbar is Red. Lord Eädur is the only female Captain of the Havens. She fights with rapier and main gauche, a weapon combination that some male warriors (few living) have laughed at, as she is incredibly quick and agile. In appearance she has long brown hair and grey eyes. Her Chief Captain was Telicur but he has been lost at sea several months ago and has not been replaced. Her tower in the city is Black (aka Dawn) and her fief Ardûmir. Lord Mireädur is the most attractive in appearance of the Lords and knows it. He always dresses in rich, well made clothes and jewels that enhance his appearance. His main interests are raiding Gondor and being the best swordsman in Umbar, and excels with all types of sword, but usually fights with broadsword and shield. He also hates the Dark Religion as he sees their goal as forcing all to submit, so actively opposes them, he is also the most committed to a republican way of life (would never consider being king). His Chief Captain is Tulmir, his fief is Caldûr and his city tower is Fasthold. Lord Teldûmeir fights with mace and shield, he loves fire so will often go on raids simply to burn things and tends to wear red clothing. He has most of his servants working on a weapon that he claims will revolutionize naval warfare. His Chief Captain is Nurmir, his fief is Eradas and his city tower Flame. Umbar is basically a warrior culture, where warriors are deemed to be superior to nonwarriors. Also high in status are merchants, as the city is also a main trading centre, bigger even than the cities of Gondor. Those who serve on ships consider themselves superior to the city guard and household guards of the Lords. Personal support for the Lords is based mainly on pride in the Lord's military capabilities. Thus all Lords must raid and fight or they will lose face and respect, and therefore power. Behind the Lords are the 'Tower families' as they are called by the locals – these are the principal clans and families of the area. The term 'corsair' is a pejorative one given by Gondor and is considered offensive by Umbareans, who usually use the term 'sea person' or 'sailor' – this describes the combined warrior/sailor/merchant class that most aspire to – thus fighting, trade & piracy are seen as parts of the same thing by Umbareans – all designed to assist in the growth of prosperity of the region. A 'sea person' can be either aligned or unaligned – aligned means that they have sworn an oath of loyalty to serve one of the Council Captains. Unaligned (the majority) sailors instead sign on for a single expedition or raid – and during this they are by Umbar law considered the equal of aligned sailors, paid or given loot equally, although of course shipboard officers and the ship's captain get larger shares or pay.

The people of the region are divided into three main groups: the native 'coastal folk' (Sakalai), who tend to be the farmers, herders and other 'lowly' occupations; the Haruze or Near Haradrim, who make up the bulk of the merchants; and the Dunedain or Black Numenoreans, although they call themselves the Arunawai (Ad. 'King's Men'). By this time there is much mixing of various bloodlines, however, the great families still consider heritage important, especially being able to trace descent from Numenor. The main language spoken is Haradaic (or Near Southron) and Westron (as the common speech began between this city and Pelargir). Numenorean families also know ancient Numenorean (Adunaic), whilst the coastal folk have their own dialect, Sakalani. No-one admits to knowing any elvish (not in public anyway). The bay of Umbar (called 'The Havens' to distinguish from ‘The City’) is protected both by land and sea. The harbour opening faces southwest so the worst of the winds and weather hits the hills of the western peninsula and does not enter the bay, where there are numerous coves and inlets, all with very good anchorage for ships. From the land, the harbour is almost completely encircled by steep hills covered in either dense sub-tropical forests and jungle or barren scrub (on the southern slopes of the southern hills), with few passes or trails through them. This means that travel from one cove to another is usually done by boat, as land travel is so difficult, and also why the city is so difficult to take from the land. The land close to the bay is fertile but small, so every available inch has been cultivated by farms or for ships (flax, timber etc.) and is protected by laws -indeed, most laws in Umbar (and policing) is done to protect the lands, especially those crops for shipping (flax, timber etc.) The city itself (see Map 1 below) is situated at the easternmost point of the bay, and is shaped like two big half circles around two harbours, the northern (and original) and the southern harbor, and is fully encircled by high walls with fortified towers. The city is home to many, and often seems to visitors to be crammed full, yet what visitors notice is the contrast between the beautiful palaces and courtyards of the Upper City with the crowded alleys and streets of the rest of the city. Most people just call it 'the city' to distinguish it from 'the harbour' which is the general term for Nen Umbar (the bay and coasts around the bay). The dominant culture is that of the Haruze (Near Harad) in food, clothing, manners etc. The Umbareans have a proverb that best describes the city: 'Go west for success, go east for trouble', meaning that the wealthier parts of the city are in the west closer to the bay, whereas the poorer and rowdier parts are generally on the eastern side of the city. As befits a city based on trade, there are numerous markets, taverns and other businesses catering for all types of goods imaginable except for slaves – the slave trade being based on the island of Tol Glingal in the harbor, although there is a large building in Umbar known as ‘The Waiting House’ where unsold slaves are kept prior to being taken to Tol Glingal.

Map 1 - Nen Umbar

Important locations: Umbar The city of Umbar -see City Map later in this module. Pellardur Name of the castle, town & fief ruled by Lord Arkhâd Pellardur forest Extensive forested area, principal source of lumber, part of the Pellardur fief Thonibar Town at the bottom of the escarpment that runs along the entire southern part of the vale, the town guards the start of the Rath Dirnen. It is the most independent settlement in the region. Ardumir Name of castle, town & fief ruled by Lord Eadur Suul-Dhurn Name of ancient, haunted evil ruins high on a butte just off the Rath Dirnen. Concealed behind some overgrowth in the ruins (Search TN 16 or Awareness TN 20) is the secret entrance to the Cult of Mulkherhil's main hideout, but the main reason it has not been discovered is because the Cult continues to maintain a 'false' presence in the city proper to dupe Lord Mireadur. Marös Name of fief, town & castle ruled by Lord Borathor. Tol Glingal Island near Marös, known as the Slave Isle. Isigir Name of castle & fief ruled by Lord Adumir Eradas Name of castle, fief & town ruled by Lord Teldumeir Caldur Name of castle & fief ruled by Lord Mireadur Barazon Large coastal port of Nen Umbar at the south-western end of the Cirith Glingal pass on the Great South Road, an important town for trade and strategic due to its location, the largest town after the city itself. Cirith Glingal Glittering Pass, where the Great South Road comes back to the sea it cuts through a narrow pass so named for when the sunsets - site of a major battle and many minor ones as it is the only clear way to approach the city by land from the north.

PLAYER HANDOUT 1: GENERALLY KNOWN INFORMATION ABOUT UMBAR

“... the whole city is based on trade... trade of information, trade of goods, trade of people, trade of loyalties” [quote attributed to Lady Arali, former Captain of the Haven of Westerly Tower) Umbar, the city of the corsairs, also of pirates and other robbers, lies within a sheltered bay about two hundred miles south of the Harnen river, the southern border of Harondor. It is a large port city as big or bigger than Pelargir, but Umbar is noisier, more crowded and dirty, the whole city seems to a Gondorian very chaotic and unpredictable - the streets seem unplanned, with people jammed into ramshackle homes, the city also has many canals running through it. Why does it thrive? Well, in Umbar anything and everything is for sale indeed one King of Gondor long ago commented: "A city for sale, if it can find a buyer". A typical Umbarean, it is said, would sell his own mother for a date. The city is governed by a Council of Captains (also known as the 'Captains of the Havens' & 'Tower Lords') that is chaired by the Admiral of the Haven, but these appear to spend most of their time infighting, so there seems to be an unseemly lack of authority and government, so it is perhaps not surprising that the city is a haven for pirates and other criminals, or for a city that refuses to recognise a rightful king. The city proper lies at the far eastern end of the bay, which itself is surrounded by a narrow strip of fertile land that is enclosed by steep, thick forested hills with few passes through, beyond which lies the desert, hence the city is almost impossible to be taken by an army from the land. Within the bay there is a small island with a sinister reputation - this is the 'Slave Isle' as it is generally known although called The Glittering Isle, as Umbar's disgusting trade is practiced from this island, being outlawed in the city proper.

Typical street in Umbar

3.

Chronology of Events (assuming the PC's don't change things)

1 week earlier: Prince Elatar, Ambassador Celin & Lord Borathor have a secret meeting at Lord Borathor's villa on Tol Glingal to discuss a possible treaty for the Ethir Harnen. They agree to meet again in a week's time, Hassan Ayib reports to his master Lord Arkhad, who informs the Dark religion and of his desire to act. The following night: Ulbar the innkeeper at the Dark Horse breaks through to the Temple Foundations under the monastery, and informs his masters. The plan is then formed and orders are given out. Lord Arkhad advises Hassan Ayib & Captain Faltur who then arranges for the shipment of personal goods for Lord Borathor to come into Umbar that same day, Hassan ensures he has the 'right ingredients'. On the day of the kidnapping: Midday: Captain Faltur comes by boat and takes some of the guards with him, he tells those staying that a vital shipment is coming into the main Umbar port so he needs extra guards (the guards are a bit surprised as they do have orders to expect an important guest today, although the taking of guards has happened before). About this time the party from Mordor arrives at the dark religion's headquarters, with the false prince continuing onto the Slave Stockade 'under guard'. Early afternoon: The Prince arrives at the villa in the early afternoon (as per usual) with his bodyguard. Late afternoon: The Prince & everyone at the villa (except Hassan Ayib & one guard who is a Dark believer) are drugged. A few minutes later the Dark forces arrive, they take the Prince, Hassan & the guardsman with them after massacring the rest and 'doctoring the evidence'. Dusk: Lord Borathor and Ambassador Celin arrive, having both been 'detained' by appointments until then (set up by Lord Arkhad) - in addition, Lord Celin's vessel required

repairs as well (also organised by Lord Arkhad). They both inspect the villa and grounds thoroughly but find no traces of the Prince, although they have no dogs with them. The Prince etc. arrive at the Temple foundations (via a secret entrance from the monastery the people at the monastery have all been drugged too!!), royal blood is taken from the prince's finger, then Hassan is sacrificed at the altar - those present will all see 'a vision of Morgoth' so they are all now fanatical believers. A few hours later: Lord Celin arrives back at his office and immediately sends out a pigeon to Gondor. He also hears of the border clash at this time, his advisor tells him of the PC's presence in Umbar, so he sends out messengers immediately to contact the PC's. Around the same time, Lord Borathor convenes an emergency meeting of the Council of Captains (not public!) and informs them of what has happened, he notices that Lord Arkhad does not act surprised, and is not surprised that Lord Arkhad (& some others) demand war. Lord Borathor manages to dissuade the council from war in return for a 'full and complete investigation'. The Dark party (except for Ulbar and his retinue, who exit in the Darkstone forest, so they will believe that the 'prince' is at the slave stockade) come out of the tunnels in Building 8# where the 'switch' is made, after dark magic performed to cover their tracks, the real Prince and dark party then re-enter the tunnels and make their way to the dock at the Harbourmaster's villa, where they have organised another boat waiting (the Harbourmaster having been conveniently kept in Karab Tarid), they then go by sea (and protected by magic) up to Oud Ilaz, then by land through the Nurn pass to Mordor (get to Ostigurth in about a week), except that Gastmorgath and his retinue are 'dropped off' at the southern shore so they then make their way back to the Dark hideout at Suul-Dhurn (none of them know where the real prince is being taken, by the Wraith Lord). The next day: In the early morning the PC's (see Player Handout 2) hear the public Council of Captains and what is said, then they will speak to Ambassador Celin. Depending on what the PC's do next, Lord Borathor will organise both hounds and Adsumeir (the junior Guard captain who is the crime expert) or will suggest that the PC's do so if the PC's decide to visit Lord Borathor. Adsumeir if present will determine most of the truth of what happened (the poison, that the wounds on the guards don't look 'real' etc, that the raid looks 'false'.) The hounds will get as far as the secret passage entrance but be foiled, but Adsumeir if present will find it, and thus the temple, but cannot detect the prince's blood (because of Hassan's!). Adsumeir will be able to follow the trail all the way to the Slave Stockade, but will then be fooled by the magic into following the 'false prince's trail' - this leads from the Slave Stockade down to Karab Tarid and the Auction block, where the 'false prince' is bought by a slaver of Lord Arkhad's (observers will note for an outrageous sum, unusual for Lord Arkhad's men to spend so much) and to the docks. Enquiries (certainly Adsumeir will find this out) will reveal that the 'false prince' boarded a boat that was reportedly heading for the city of Umbar and Westerly Tower (in Vinyamar). After a few days: The whole city will by now be aware of the 'open secret' - that Prince Elatar is being kept prisoner by Lord Arkhad! If questioned either privately or publicly Lord Arkhad will admit to keeping the Prince prisoner 'until the Council decides to act', since the Prince is a dangerous man having spilled 'loyal Umbar blood' etc. At this point the false

prince now conveniently 'escapes' (and as Lord Arkhad is not aware of any details so can truthfully admit to being shocked etc, when he learns). Ambassador Celin about this time then orders to see the PC's again and asks about their investigations. He tells the PC's (if they have not found out by now) about the deception, and that he has 'other people' now trying to locate the real prince etc, so he now wants them to locate the false prince, capture him and question him about why the deception was done.....

4.

Important NPC's (Stats at end of module)

Prince Elatar Although not encountered in this adventure, the Loremaster needs to keep in mind the following: Prince Elatar is a bit impatient and desirous of trying to gain glory and thus praise from his father. Having several years ago met Lord Borathor when he came to Minas Mallor the two became friends. The Prince has since done duty at the garrisons at the River Harnen and seen firsthand the problems in this area. When the Prince heard that Lord Borathor had become Admiral a few years ago the idea came into his mind then that the two of them would be able to make peace over the region, he then spent a few years sending messages to be assured of Lord Borathor's support for the idea. It was Lord Borathor who suggested the villa as the location, being out of the way and thus easy to keep secret the Prince's visits. Lord Borathor

See 7 - Meeting with a Pirate below

Lord Arkhad The opposite of Lord Borathor in nearly every way including appearance, being short, skinny and rat-faced, his political support comes mainly from the traditional aspects of Umbar - the corsair captains and the main agricultural families (especially those who formerly had lands in the Harnen area) - he has few links with the southern trade so war is politically a good idea for him. He has decided to serve the Dark not from any true convictions but because he believes this will aid his desire to become Admiral and hopefully King. Both Gastmorgath and Gwaerenduath are suspicious of his real intent, but are happy to use him as a tool. Tolerance = Valour (-3 to any rolls as is he is naturally suspicious). Ambassador Celin

See 6 below for The Ambassador.

Hassan Ayib The Sakalai slave cook at Lord Borathor's villa and one of the best in Umbar (the best in Lord Borathor's opinion) but also (unbeknownst to Lord Borathor) a spy for Lord Arkhad. This is because when a young boy his home village was raided by Lord Borathor personally and his father slain, the boy was enslaved but never forgot. Subsequently Lord Arkhad discovered Hassan's past and his culinary talent and 'arranged' for Lord Borathor to buy him several months ago (although not personally involved!). Lord Arkhad has been waiting for just such an opportunity to use Hassan's talents other than for cooking pleasant meals - he has tried them himself (but is not an epicure like Lord Borathor). Hassan is both an expert cook and poisoner and it is a simple matter for him to drug many people without them noticing. The guardsman Farokh is known by Lord Borathor to be a

spy of Lord Arkhad's (and will say so to the PC's), although he does not know that the guard is also a Dark believer. Ulbar the innkeeper of The Dark Horse Ulbar is both a former corsair and loremaster, who upon a raid some years ago came across the evil prophecy made by the last headpriest of the old Temple of Morgoth upon Tol Glingal (see Player Handout 3 below) and became convinced (not being short on self-delusion) that it was his appointed task to resurrect The Temple, so to this end he became a servant of the Dark, and was able to get himself placed as innkeeper of The Dark Horse at Karib Tarid some years ago, and has spent a few years of secret tunnelling (with a few followers), and believes he is now close to breaking through to the altar. His scheme is tolerated by both Gastmorgath and Herumor although he is seen as expendable as Herumor does not think the Temple will last very long with Mireädur as one of the Captains (nor are there any important artifacts to be recovered), but Ulbar's scheme performs the useful purpose of deflecting attention away from the Prince's kidnapping, making it harder for the true prince to be tracked. Thus Gwaerunduath will make sure that he spends some time in The Dark Horse in his guise as the false prince. Ulbar keeps on his person his most sacred object - the scrolls written by the last archpriest for the rituals necessary for consecrating The Temple - he it was who pointed out that 'royal blood' was needed. He believes somehow that with the Temple's consecration he will be granted power to deal with the authorities, so has not bothered to make any preparations for escape etc. in case something goes wrong. He is short and lean, black-haired with brown, penetrating eyes, and has a tendency to make people uncomfortable under his gaze, but is generally uninterested in other people unless he thinks they will further his aims. He will spend time checking out the PC's to decide if any are suitable victims. His 'cover story' is that he regularly goes to the Slave Stockade with supplies in the evenings (which is in fact true, although he goes more than is necessary as some observant townsfolk have noticed). Tolerance: N/A as is only interested in finding dupes amongst the PC's. Abdul The Sakalai servant of The Dark Horse and very loyal to Ulbar, also a cultist, he is responsible for ensuring that any prisoners don't escape from the inn, he has a separate set of keys to the holding cellar underneath the inn. He is short, fat and hunchbacked, and has a tendency to laugh when he tries to talk, and is very afraid of spiders. Tolerance = Wisdom TN 18. Zamin the cook Zamin is the main cook & housekeeper of The Dark Horse, but she is also a spy for both Kasim the Harbormaster (who does not trust Ulbar) and for Lord Eadur, who likes to have spies in popular places such as The Dark Horse. Her information on Ulbar's activities has led to Kasim preparing a raid on the tunnel to try and capture Ulbar 'in the act' - this will occur if the PC's get into trouble with the cult. She is a beautiful woman with an accent that shows she is from one of the nomadic Haradaic tribes of the desert - she is never familiar with strangers, although always deferential and polite. Tolerance=Wisdom TN 14. Hunthor A recent arrival in Umbar, he is staying at The Dark Horse until he can find a job, he has been told by Ulbar that he can stay and pay off his debt later, he feels a lot of gratitude towards Ulbar for his 'kindness'. He is a quiet, nervous young man who left his rural home on the Maros peninsula after being caught stealing, so decided to sneak across by boat, hoping to be taken on board one of the corsair's crews. He is of course the designated first 'victim'.

Faltur Borathor's Chief Captain and a very handsome man, almost as handsome as Lord Mireadur. He has felt for some time unappreciated by his master so has been receiving overtures from the Dark Religion, although is not really a true believer, but has been promised handsome rewards (he hopes it will be to replace Lord Borathor!) in return for his aid in this affair - which he was happy to give since he is only required to do something he would do anyway - reduce the guards at the villa. He was careful to take away those guards he deemed most loyal to himself - if questioned in the right way he will reveal that although not given any details he was aware that the Dark Religion were involved in 'making something happen'. TN18 for Encounters. Gastmorgath An evil, twisted but very smart man, he is the current High Priest of the Dark Religion and has been for many years - he has managed to keep the order secret by regularly sending small contingents to the city for Mireadur to discover, keeping him away from searching for the real cult site under the ruins of Suul-Dhurn. He has agreed to aid Lord Arkhad, believing him to be a true convert, and also because he has witnessed Gwaerenduath's full powers, not to mention the 'boatman' who is transporting the real prince (this is the Wraith Lord - Gastmorgath does not know who this is, only that the 'boatman' is a trusted servant of Herumor and very scary). Gastmorgath plans to use his second, Morathdur as scapegoat if anything goes wrong. If it all goes right Gastmorgath plans to move the cult to Tol Glingal to be based in the Temple - to this end the 'Free Healers' has a few healers at the monastery on the island. TN20 for encounters. Adsumeir The junior captain of the City Guard (Demarii is the senior Captain), who is so good at solving murders that he has been relieved of all other duties, he will be called for by Lord Borathor, he is assisted by two sergeants, and is one of the main reasons the Thieves Guild discourages murders, he will usually be found in the hospital at the City Guard (if not out on a case) as there is a small laboratory he uses. Roleplay just like Sherlock Holmes - like a human 'dog'. His only weakness is that he has no feel for 'magic'. Tolerance = Wisdom. TN14 for encounters. Gwaerenduath The 'False Prince' is actually a Dindair who has been working for Herumor for hundreds of years now. He was last in Umbar about twenty years ago (in a different disguise), so knows the area very well. His disguise as the prince is good enough to fool any but those who have been with the Prince for at least some time (hence at least one PC needs this background). The only noteworthy thing observant PC's might notice is that the 'prince' for some reason seems to avoid the sunlight (because he is really a Dindair!). Kasim The harbourmaster of Karab Tarid (not the Harbourmaster for Umbar proper, who is Sirandir) is actually of Haruze blood, so is regarded with contempt by the island locals, although he is a loyal servant of Lord Borathor's. How he acts towards the PC's depends on whether they are accompanied by Adsumeir or can show a token from Lord Borathor. If the PC's impress him enough he will reveal his knowledge of the previous week's secret meeting, but was kept away from the last night's meeting due to business he had to deal with in town on request from Captain Faltur, also his knowledge and suspicions of Ulbar's activities. He has 'sealed off' the crime scene at the Villa pending the PC's arrival, so the PC's may first encounter him at the Villa if they go there first. Tolerance = Wisdom, TN 14 for encounters.

INTRODUCTORY SCENE FOR THE PLAYERS - Player Handout 2 You were asked by a messenger the previous evening to attend the Gondorian Ambassador at the Assembly the following morning. So with some trepidation as you don’t know why Lord Celin asked to see you, you make your way to the Assembly early the following morning. An usher comes up to you and escorts you up to the Public Gallery above the Main Assembly Hall, and guides you to a roped off area of seating where a few others that look similar to yourself are seated, whereas you notice that the public seats are already full of commoners, already making a fair bit of noise with their talk. In the Hall below after some time you see that the Council of Captains begins arriving, with each being announced beforehand, until finally the Admiral of the Fleet and current President Lord Borathor (who you recognise as he is quite portly) arrives after a few hours. You notice that the loudest cheers are reserved for Lord Arkhad and for Lord Borathor himself. Then the Council Herald announces that the Council is now in session, with the first business of the day being to hear the Ambassador for Gondor. So Celin arrives. “Greetings, my Lords & people of Umbar. I have some serious news to impart. Firstly, the whereabouts of Prince Elatar, the eldest son of our majesty Tarondor III are unknown (at this point many in the gallery erupt in mirth) and we fear that something may have happened to him.” Lord Arkhad: “But surely Gondor must be used to this by now, my lord Celin? We all know of Prince Elatar's previous ‘escapades’, don’t we citizens? (laughter & cheers). And of Gondor’s previous responses to our protests at some of Prince Elatar's ‘outings’! “ (calls of ‘right on’ and more cheers). "In any case, I can reveal that Prince Elatar has attacked us, citizens! There has been a raid on the island of Tol Glingal perpetrated by this Prince, where sadly some of our soldiers have been slain! This is not the time for a rescue mission, but for war, citizens!" At this point the Assembly erupts into a lot of confused shouting and angry comments, with Celin denying that Prince Elatar was involved. The Council finally agrees to conduct a full investigation into what has occurred on the Slave Isle, and as a concession to Ambassador Celin agreed to issue public notices offering rewards for any who have information as to Prince Elatar's whereabouts. Lord Arkhad at least is not pleased at the 'backing down' from calls for war. “Secondly”, Celin says, “ Gondor is extremely concerned at the latest transgression made by some of Umbar’s armed forces at the Harnen River crossings near Ramlond, and I am here to lodge an official protest in regards to these latest transgressions.” (boos, cries of ‘so what’ and ‘what are you going to do, then? from the gallery). ‘We expect this Council to find the perpetrators and punish them appropriately.” This results in a long discussion between Celin and the Council, the gist of which is that the Council’s argument is that without the Ambassador supplying any names or identities of those he accuses, the Council cannot take any action, so no resolution is reached. A similar outcome results from Ambassador Celin also protesting against the actions of pirates

attacking Gondor’s shipping and raiding Gondor’s coasts whilst flying the colours of Umbar. This also provokes angry responses from some Council members (including Lord Arkhad). So Ambassador Celin then leaves, and a short time later an usher comes and informs yourself and a few others near you that Ambassador Celin is now ready to see you, so the group of you are escorted back downstairs, then down into the basement levels, through various dim corridors until you reach a wooden door marked ‘Ambassador of Gondor’.

5

Umbar - a Cultural Overview for Loremastersi

Black Numenoreans & Corsairs of Umbar These two groups are by the late Third Age identical in appearance, culture and beliefs. Originally the Arunawai (as they call themselves, Adunaic term for the Kingsmen the original Numenorean settlers, to distinguish themselves from the Nimruziri (Unfaithful!), the Dunedain settlers of Gondor). To the Haruze the difference between these two peoples is only the difference between those folk who believe themselves superior to all other races, and those folk who used this 'superiority' as justification for conquest, penal laws etc. Purebred members of this race (now very much in the minority) are prejudiced against elves & ‘elf-lovers’ (the Dunedain), although physically they are very similar to the Dunedain except having a darker complexion, they are noted for their mariner skills. The Corsairs were originally descendants of the Dunedain rebels who fled Gondor after the Kin-strife but intermarriage etc. have made them indistinguishable from the Arunawai. They speak Adunaic as a language of learning, otherwise Haradaic and Westron, and in religion are preoccupied with death and the afterlife –for example, the Necropolis of Umbar rivals that of Minas Tirith - the Cult of Manat is popular with them. Examples: Lord Arkhad, Lord Mireadur. Haruze Har. 'Godly Folk', aka Apysani (Sin.), Haradrim, Haradwaith. The main inhabitants of Near Harad and Umbar, known as Near Southrons by Gondor. They are dark-skinned with dark hair & eyes & prominent noses – they distinguish between the people of the towns (Utarf) and the nomads of the countryside (Urdwan). They are noted horsemen and traders as many are well-travelled and have had some contact with foreign peoples and places. They speak Haradaic, many also speak Westron & Umbarean, some may know Variag and Apysaic (Far Southron). They are suspicious of all strangers but are especially prejudiced against Variags. Examples: Kasim, Zamin, Adsumeir. The most common faith is the Enlightened Path. Language Haradaic is the most common language of the area and known by all most people also know Umbarean and a smattering of Westron. Other languages spoken depend on the culture. Laws & Punishments The laws of the region depend a lot on what social class the person comes from. Trade & merchants generally are protected and foreign merchants are taxed heavily, although in most periods of history it is illegal to trade with countries seen as enemies such as Gondor, which in practice means a thriving smuggling trade. Other main laws of interest for adventurers: Fighting is illegal (although not carrying of weapons) except at certain licensed inns or at designated areas; Poganin are not allowed into Upper Umbar (the wealthy areas) unless given prior approval (this applies to all the main cities); Elves are forbidden to enter the city without prior approval; Unauthorized beasts of burden not allowed into the city. In general a crime carries a certain period of imprisonment and/or payment of fines, although most crimes are punished immediately – imprisonment is generally used only for debtors.

Magic

The official attitude to magic is that the practice and study of all magical arts is forbidden unless the practitioner has been granted a pass by one of the Council Captains. Unofficially all the Council Captains patronise some magic users and won't bother policing unless a major disturbance results. There is also a Wizard's Guild, a secret of which only the current Admiral of the Haven (Lord Borathor) and the Harbormaster (Sirandir) know the details, although the other Council Captains & the Dark Cult are aware of its existence. The leader Meriot reports to Lord Borathor as Admiral only. They have only 24 members but will accept any practitioners including PC's who are willing to accept their restrictions, which are principally no public displays of magic, & no involvement in 'The Great Game'. The headquarters appears to be a middle class tavern. Meriot is aware of Elaemir's disappearance and is looking for her. There is always one member of the guild present in secret above the Assembly when in session and at the main gate of Upper Umbar (Vinyamar), with at least four members sent when the fleet puts to sea for war, although they usually do not go on sailing voyages. Politics Known as ‘The Great Game’, played by all inhabitants as a way of ‘getting ahead’. Officially, Umbar is ruled by a Council of Captains in conjunction with the Grand Council & Citizen’s Assembly, whilst Near Harad is governed by an Autarb from Amrûn, with Tarbs in the main cities and fezir in the lesser towns. In practice political power is held in both areas by a few powerful families – in Umbar they are called the Tower Families. The game of politics involves a system of honours, clients and patrons – almost everyone is a client of somebody, with the main families at the top. Religion, Beliefs & Healing The main faith, The Enlightened Path, was founded in TA 9th century by a former bazaar merchant in Bellakar named Imrathor, who then called himself 'The Prophet', and this faith soon spread. It is mainly popular because unlike other faiths it is inclusive and treats that all peoples are spiritually equal, and also makes the Creator seem less 'disinterested'. The largest temple in Abad Tar Calion is dedicated to this faith, and there are numbers of holy preachers seen on the city streets. Other main religious sects such as those of Ladnoca and Vatra have shrines and temples in every main settlement, with an accompanying priesthood who also play a political role . Other shrines to ‘lesser’ gods are often located in public places – every city, mountain and river has its own god. To Gondorians the proliferation of gods, temples and sects is one of the more distasteful aspects of Southron culture, not understanding that this is because the Haruze are much less assured of their place in the world. The Haruze who are not 'enlightened' view the creator as distant and disinterested – the Azhan are the true ‘gods’ and therefore need to be worshipped and placated. Also, man in the Haruze’s view only shares Middle-earth with others, including the Azhan of the Unseen World. Similarly, the Haruze do not see some Azhan as ‘good’ and others as ‘evil’, they blame the Shadow on man’s failings. As a result, Haruze learn from a young age to separate their public and private lives and to practice the arts of dissimulation, which makes Gondorians see them as untrustworthy. Another point of note is that nearly every day is a holy day of some sort, although the main festivals occur around the change of seasons, especially important is the Quihba festival to welcome the end of the dry season and the time of rains and the rising of the rivers. The Main Healers are loyal to Umbar and profess neutrality in 'The Great Game'. They are the only noncombatants that corsairs respect, as each ship will sail with at least one. The main problem with them is that they will only heal those who can pay.

The Order of the Faithful are Enlightened Path believers known as 'The Preachers', they are also good healers and their proselytizing is tolerated as a result. The latest 'New Prophet' is one of these. The Free Healing Service (called 'Cheapies') is a relatively new healing order and is actually a 'front' for the Dark Cult to read minds, but they are not used much as locals are suspicious of anyone giving something for nothing. All the Healers maintain hospitals around the city and a main hall, with only the drug storage room being guarded - by City guards for the Main Healers whilst the other two employ private guards. Sakalai Har.’Commoners’, name for the indigenous coastal folk, aka Donan (Haw.) Sakalani is the name of the language they use. The term 'Krita' is also used, (Har.‘Dun-men’), but this was originally only used for the Daen mercenaries organised by Gondor to defend coastal lands, by late Third Age used for all Dunmen. Examples: Abdul, Hassan Ayib Slavery & Trade Slavery is seen as just another trade by most in the region, although loremasters note that the practice began in Nurn in the Second Age with the construction of large irrigation systems that were later copied by other realms, the institution is seen as proof of the inhabitants’ corrupt nature by Gondor. Yet individual slaves (such as the Autarb’s Chief Eunuch in Amrun) often hold great political power and influence. Most slaves do so voluntarily to deal with debts and to avoid imprisonment – only a small minority are those captured in war (and thus enslaved for life). The slave capital is on the island of Tol Glingal in Nen Umbar. Merchants from Umbar & Near Harad travel the world in pursuit of profit. They or their agents can be found in every land, being the principal reason for the wealth of the region (not piracy as Gondor believes). This is because trade is essential for most cities of the region to survive, given the generally poor natural resources. In many cities merchants from Umbar & Haruzan have separate enclaves (known as ‘factorys’) with their own laws. Main trade are bulk goods such as grain, wood, salt etc, trade of spices & exotic fruits to the North in exchange for porcelain, metalwork and northern foods. Smuggling & Thieving The official attitude is that there is no smuggling/thieving in Umbar - in practice it is widespread, especially with Gondor. In reality most smugglers pay about half the taxes they are supposed to in Umbar, as any that are caught are put to death, but this rarely happens since the City Guard requires six signatures for a warrant (this is true for many other major crimes). The last hanging was for a smuggler who thought he could operate independently of the Smuggler's Guild. Similar remarks also apply to theft & The Thieves' Guild.

6

Meeting Ambassador Celin

General Comment on Encounters in Umbar The players should be warned beforehand that not roleplaying appropriately in regards to social encounters could have serious consequences in a city such as Umbar, because it is considered an 'unfriendly' city, failed encounters could easily degenerate into combats or end up breaking some of Umbar's many laws. As an example, no one is allowed into Upper Umbar (Vinyamar) without a proper pass, as the PCs may well find this out to their cost. The format taken for the encounters is as follows: First entry: bare minimum of success, the companions got what they wanted but at the price of some complications or something unexpected. Second entry : companions achieved the goal required, but nothing else. Third entry: companions succeeded beyond expectations, gaining additional positive consequences. Fourth entry: companions succeeded amazingly, gaining several positive consequences. The Ambassador A lowly ranked noble from a minor family in Western Gondor, as is usual for those Gondor sends as ambassador to Umbar, as it is very much a thankless task - he is expected to please both King Tarondor and Umbar's Captains, an almost impossible situation, which means that few ambassadors to here last very long. He has done surprisingly well so far, having been in the post for two years. This emergency is exactly the situation he has nightmares about, and knows that he will probably be recalled unless the Prince can be found soon. He is hoping that the PC's impress him - he will open up more if he feels he can trust the PC's, revealing the secret meeting that took place about a week before (and details about keeping a spy on Prince Elatar and what he knows of Lord Borathor & the other Captains), otherwise he will only reveal that they were due to have a meeting there the previous evening on Lord Borathor's instigation, as per the table of successes below. SET TOLERANCE Ambassador Celin is looking for wise, discerning characters so initial Tolerance is set at the Highest Wisdom, +2 because he does need the characters' services, -1 if any elves are in the party ("Elves, what were you thinking bringing elves down here??"). Evaluating the Encounter Every successful roll during the Introduction & Interaction stages counts for one success, a great success counts two and an extraordinary success counts for three successes. A successful Insight (TN 14) will reveal some of Celin's thoughts, and that Courtesy is the best skill to use (being a noble Dunedain with many wars behind him he has little use for either 'muscleheads' or 'silvertongues' as he calls them). Introduction The characters will be introduced to the Ambassador by his servant, a native Sakalani named Abir (and very loyal to the Ambassador). Celin is small in height for a Dunedain, being only 5'8", a bit rotund (although not like Lord Borathor), and is balding, with only a few wisps of gray hair, plus a short grey beard. His whole demeanour will be of a very worried man.

0-1 successes "It seems that someone may have overestimated your capabilities. I will send a guard to accompany you during your investigations for your protection as Umbar can be a dangerous city for the newly arrived, and I strongly recommend that you start your investigations by seeking the services of the Junior Guard Captain here (I forget his name), you can find him usually at the Guard Headquarters. My servant Abir will see to any other needs you have- Good-day." The Ambassador is unimpressed with the PC's and privately thinks they will come to a sticky end unless he gives them a guard, so he will send with them one of his loyal guards (Turin), who he knows can be relied upon to keep the PC's out of the worst mischief and to give him reliable reports. He is only prepared to give them a small purse = 1 Treasure point, and only volunteers the information that he was due to meet with Lord Borathor & the Prince at the Villa the previous evening on Lord Orator's instigation. He will now start setting up another investigative team (which will include magical detectors) for when the PCs inevitably fail. 2-3 successes "I can see that you have not been in Umbar for very long. If you wish I can send a guard with you to assist you with your investigations, and you should seek out the services of one Adsumeir, who is the Junior Guard Captain of the city, you can find him at the Guard Headquarters." He will give each PC a small purse = 1 Treasure point and the information as above. 4-5 successes "You seem to know how to deal with this situation. What you should know is that the three of us (Lord Borathor, the Prince and myself) met at the villa at the same time last week for an initial discussion over the Harnen border, and had agreed to rendezvous there again last night. I strongly believe that whoever is responsible knew about our rendezvous and thus must have been present at the villa the week before." The ambassador is impressed by the PCs, so is willing to do a bit more to aid them, including giving them a letter of introduction to meet with Lord Borathor. He will also say that his resources are 'at the PCs disposal', and will pay for all expenses incurred by the PCs during their stay, and provide passes for Upper Umbar. 6 or more " I am no longer surprised at the success of your last mission, I am just thankful that you men are here at this time. I and my staff are completely at your disposal for this mission." The ambassador is thanking all the gods that the PCs are here to take care of things, and he feels that he can trust them completely in this matter. So he will mention not only as above for 4-5, but also that he had kept a spy on Prince Elatar but as he has heard nothing recently fears that the spy is now dead (which is true). He will provide the PC's with a good house for them to stay at in Upper Umbar, including the necessary passes for Upper Umbar, and insist that the PC's pay for nothing whilst here, and will accompany them in person to meet Lord Borathor. Later in the adventure he will be regretful that he has to take the PC's off 'finding the true prince'.

7

Meeting with a Pirate

This scene deals with the PC's encounter (whenever this occurs) with Lord Borathor, the Admiral of the Haven and the most powerful man in Umbar. The Admiral

When roleplaying him the Loremaster should keep in mind that Lord Borathor has got to the top (Admiral of the Havens) by being a very sharp operator, despite his appearance (indeed, with those he meets for the first time, such as the PC's, he tries to convey the impression that he is a lazy, fat slug so that he is underestimated). He will, however, be concerned about the events at the villa as they don't 'feel right' to him, and depending on how well the PC's impress him he may share his views on this, and reveal the secret meeting he had with Prince Elatar the previous week (otherwise he won't mention this or that he suggested the villa as the location). He is anxious for peace not only from personal conviction, but also because his main political support comes from the powerful merchants of the southern trade, which would be disrupted by war (he is currently building a brand new ship for southern voyages). He is also worried about who the traitor is - he knows that one of the guards at the villa (Farokh) is actually a spy of Lord Arkhad's, but that is the extent of his knowledge other than he is sure that there would be other spies at the villa for the other captains. He would be completely surprised to find out about the existence of the Cult as he believed it to have been wiped out by Lord Mireädur several years ago. SET TOLERANCE As a typical Corsair Lord Borathor is more impressed by Valour than Wisdom, so Tolerance is equal to the highest Valour in the party, modified by the following: -1

If the character with the highest Valour is not the spokesperson for the party

-1

If there are any Dunedain of Gondor in the party

-1

If the PC's don't see him until late in the day (he is bored by this time)

-2

If there are any elves in the party

+1 If the PC's produce a letter of introduction from the Ambassador (or other important dignitary) +3

If the Ambassador (or other important dignitary) is with the party

Evaluating the Encounter As Lord Borathor is a master politician who has managed to survive the difficult politics of Umbar, any Insight roll is at TN20 to discern his thoughts/motivations. A success or marginal failure (missed by 3 or less) will reveal to the PC that the Lord's lazy appearance is just a deceptive front to hide his real thoughts, also that Persuade is the best way to influence him, especially with good food. A great success on the Insight roll also reveals that the Lord is genuinely concerned about the situation, and is wondering why he is being bothered by the PC's as he is thinking of hiring Adsumeir (i.e. why should you lot be of help??). An extraordinary success on the Insight roll also reveals that he is recalling the previous meeting and sorting through possible candidates for the 'spy' - he is already suspecting Hassan the cook and Farokh the guard since they have not been found at the villa. Introduction

(These remarks hold true if the PC's wish to see any of the Haven Captains) If the PC's do not have a letter of introduction or are accompanied by someone important, they will have to join the queue in the antechamber to see the Admiral. The Admiral's meeting room is the opposite of the Ambassador's quarters - even the Antechamber would be fit for a palace, with rare tapestries, sculptures etc everywhere. Roll the Feat die - a high result means the PC's are lucky and the queue is short, a low result means the PC's will have to wait some time. An eye result means the queue extends out of the doors and down the stairs one level to the Entry Hall (the first room through the doors). Lord Borathor is very corpulent, but much of his bulk is actually muscle and he can move surprisingly quickly for his appearance. Encounter Resolution 0 successes "Guards!!" ( a whole heap of guards surround the PC's instantly). Throw these idiots into the cells for the rest of the evening so they can learn some respect, then release them in the morning. If any of you come anywhere near me again your lives are forfeit." Lord Borathor is convinced that the PC's are either idiots or very clever spies so wants to have nothing further to do with them, but being mindful that they are assisting Ambassador Celin will not harm them unduly. He will arrange for Adsumeir to be at the Villa within a few hours. 1-2 successes "I am too busy to consider your requests at this stage. Go away and see me again tomorrow if you want any further information." Lord Borathor is unimpressed, although is willing to give the PCs another chance to impress him (this is quite a normal occurrence in Umbar). The only information he is prepared to give at this stage is that he had agreed to meet Lord Celin & the Prince the previous night at the villa. He gives the PC's a small purse of money = 1 Treasure point. 3-4 successes "Nice to meet some knowledgeable people from Gondor for a change! What do you people wish to know?" He is reasonably impressed with the PC's, enough to admit the secret meeting held the week previously, and that the villa as meeting place was his idea, although the meeting was the Prince's idea. He will also suggest that the PC's use Adsumeir's services (if they haven't mentioned him to Lord Borathor). He gives each PC a small purse of money. 5-6 successes "You men are doing some good work for your country. Any chance you would like to stay here and assist me?" Lord Borathor is impressed, and his response is an opening for potential employment in Umbar in the future for any interested PC's. In addition to the result for 4-5, he reveals his concerns and suspicions over the events. He gives the PC's an 'Access All Areas pass', which allows them to go anywhere within the city and Nen Umbar, no questions asked, and will listen to any suggestions the PC's have as to how to avoid war. He will respond (mostly truthfully) to any questions the PC's put, and will offer to look after the PC's expenses whilst in the city.

7 or more successes "Where have you men been hiding? Would you like to come and work for me in the future?" As above, but Lord Borathor is so impressed that he wants to hire the PC's himself. In addition to the results for 6-7, he is now a potential patron.

8

ISLAND OF TOL GLINGAL

Introduction See the Player Handout 1 for what to tell the PC's. PC's who succeed at a Lore test may be told some of the information below (Hard - TN 16), more if a Great or Extraordinary success. In the middle of Nen Umbar, not far from the Marös Peninsula, there lies a small island called Tol Glingal. It was named so by the first Numenorean explorers who entered the main Bay of Umbar, because when viewed at sunrise or sunset the sun's rays coming off Mt.Glingal (in the centre of the island) made the island appear to glitter with gold. It was

soon thoroughly explored by the first Numenorean settlers who came into the Bay, although from all known historical accounts the native coastal people shunned the island because of the Giant Apes - the island is known as 'Ape Island' to them. Geographically the island can be split into four main regions: 1) The Pleasant Bay area & the coast surrounding the Bay 2) The lake & swamp region 3) The central jungles & highlands 4) The eastern & northeastern coasts. 1) Pleasant Bay is a natural harbour with very good anchorage, especially where the town of Karab Tarid lies. The entrance to the bay is guarded by two ancient fortresses dating from the Second Age, currently they are under the purview of the current Admiral of the Haven, Lord Borathor, named Fort Angamaite & Fort Sangahyando in honour of the original Corsairs. Close to the town on the western side is Pleasant Grove, a protected forest of firs etc. for ship masts. On the town's eastern side is Darkstone Forest, which although also a forest planted like Pleasant Grove for lumber is very different in character, as the locals all believe the forest to be haunted (this is true since the Temple's discovery, see below). Rumours of hauntings etc. are also fuelled by the fact that the town's graveyard is also on the edge of this forest, but no local could explain the name 'Darkstone', when in fact the underground entrance to the Melkhur Temple lies in this forest, hence the name. 2) The eastern side of Pleasant Bay is the lowest part of the island, where the natural cliffs that surround the island are quite low and easily climbed. However, this area has lakes and swamps filled with many nasty creatures, including serpents and alligators, so the locals only venture here rarely. 3) There is a natural escarpment that divides the Pleasant Bay area from the central island, this is at least 100ft high in most places and very difficult to climb, either up or down (TN 18 Athletics) - this is fortunate for the town as encroachments by the apes are as a result rare. On top of this escarpment is the Central Highlands, dominated by a sub-tropical jungle where there are many creatures and species not found on the mainland, in particular the Giant Apes (although historical records indicate these apes were found all around Nen Umbar at one time). The jungle extends right across the island from coast to coast. Extending out from the Jungle to the north is the peak of Mt.Glingal, the highest point of the island. On top of the peak is a more recent building, The Observatory, now used as a retreat for either nobles or learned scholars, as it has astrological instruments on the rooftop, and is only guarded in time of war. Underneath the Observatory are the ruins of Melkhur's Temple, only a few learned sages would know this. Issuing from the mountain is a subterranean stream that divides the jungle from the eastern/northeastern part of the island.

4) The Eastern & Northeastern part of the island has nice beaches, gentle wooded areas and two small harbours, and has since time out of mind been the exclusive preserve of the Lords of Umbar. Two permanent buildings exist here -the Admiral of the Havens' Villa (called The Villa), & the Harbourmaster's Villa - these buildings are designed as holiday places for pleasure, most of the Council Captains stay here for short periods each year. The current Admiral Lord Borathor's Villa has a notorious reputation for debauchery (when Lord Borathor stays there). The Harbourmaster usually stays at Karab Tarid. Very few persons in history have been known to cross the island to get to this area.

Map of Island Key to the Map of the Island 1 2

Admiral of the Haven's Villa (see below) Harbourmaster's Villa

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8A

The Observatory (see below) Jungle of the Apes Serpent Swamp Alligator Lakes Karab Tarid Town (see Map & Description below) Fort Angamaite Fort Sangahyando Slave Stockade (see Map & Description below) The Town of Karab Tarid

Within Pleasant Bay lies the only town on the island, Karab Tarid ('Horse Head Point' in Haruze), so named because of the shape of the peninsula on which the first buildings of the town were placed. The town was established for two main reasons: originally as a stopover place for ships either leaving or coming to Umbar, and then later as the central market for the slave trade, as historically all Umbar's lords preferred to have the trade 'out of sight' but could not or did not want to abolish the trade completely due to its lucrative nature. Currently the town can thus be divided into the 'slave part' that deals with this trade, and the 'pirate part' that caters for other visiting ships. The town has two inns, the Dark Horse (run by Ulbar, see below) and The Pirate's Rest, run by Sharp Jenny (as she is known by the pirates). Both inns cater mainly for captains and ship's officers, not slavers, who have their own lodgings at #17. They are also centres for gambling, especially at night, although some individuals such as Toothless Kevin are nearly always at one of these inns. The only difference between the two inns is that the Dark Horse caters for dice games generally and the other for card games. A PC if not careful in either of these places can wake up a slave, if they wake up at all! Although not shown on the map, the slave area (from #12 to #19) has a fence with sharp hooks on top dividing it from the rest of the town, with the fence ending at a gate at the docks and another at the road, these gates are always guarded. The fence is 10ft high and is always patrolled at night by a guard with dogs (kept at #17). This slave area is one of the biggest slave markets in Middle-Earth, with most of the activity centered around the auction block at #19. On market days (once per week) this area is incredibly busy and crowded, with many temporary stalls set up wherever there is room. Slaves are held at #16 until market day, then if not sold are taken to the Slave Stockade which is about half a mile away inland. What passes for government in this town is done by the town's harbourmaster, currently Kasim (a Haruze servant of Lord Borathor) who resides at #18, but his main concern is to keep the slave trade going, he does not usually care about what goes on in the rest of the town, as a result the town is quite lawless and there are many various illegal rackets going on, but the locals are generally 'in the know' in regards to what is and isn't permissible. What has changed recently is that certain persons who have run afoul of the town (for one reason or another) have disappeared completely rather than being found floating in the harbour the following morning, there is much local talk about what this means (in actual fact these people have been kidnapped by Ulbar for sacrificial victims). Any of the locals so named below will be able (with the right inducements) to assist PC's with enquiries about who is who in town. Harbourmaster Kasim is regarded with contempt by most of the town because of his Haruze blood, but he is actually fairly knowledgeable about the goings on in the pirate town. He

knows (as do all the locals) that Ulbar often visits Darkstone forest at night, and also was aware of Prince Elatar's secret dealings with Lord Borathor at Borathor's Villa on the other side of the island (as he is responsible for the other villa nearby). A glance at the map shows that the town is divided into: Slave Area around Slave Bay (#12#19), Old Town on Horse's Head Point (#1-#11), Pirate Bay & Pirate's Walk (the name of the street, areas #20-#28, #33-#37), the Brewery at #29, and residences in Pleasant Grove (#4a, #30-#32, #38). Both bays usually have many boats of various sizes moored, but the only warships are moored at the Forts. Pleasant Grove is as named a tranquil lightly wooded area planted with protected trees for shipping (one of the few major crimes that will be punished here is to cut/vandalise such trees). Darkstone Forest is so named for a large dark rock roughly in the centre of the forest, although none of the locals know the history - the rock is in fact the secret underground entrance to the Temple of Melkhur (which Ulbar discovered). The locals shun the forest as a haunted place filled with zombies etc. - its reputation is aided by the town's graveyard being on the eaves of the forest. Map of Karab Tarid Key to Map: 1 Dark Horse Tavern Inn 2 Fat Sally's (a house of pleasure!), with stables at 2a 3 Stables for Dark Horse Tavern 4 Miss Fabiola's Tent (Gypsy/Fortune Teller, her residence is at 4a) 5 Honest Jimmy's Second Hand Clothing Shop 6 Ming's Jewelry Shop (yes, the proprietor is from the East of East) 7 'Patchy's' Sewing Shop (hats, eyepatches, shoes etc.) 8 Maria Lockspinner's Barber Shop 9 Lala Lovel's Tattooist's 10 Smithy's Forge- repairs scimitars, anchors etc. 11 Two Feet Charley's Fishmongers - has some stuff on display at 11a 12-13 Warehouses 14 Stocks (for slaves usually, although sometimes pirates are placed here) 15 Warehouse for slave related trade (spare chains etc.) 16 Temporary Slave Quarters (slaves are initially quartered here, but only for a few days at most until sold or sent to Slave Stockade). 17 Slaver's Barracks. 18 Slave & Harbourmaster's Office (Kasim the local Corsair representative and servant of Lord Borathor usually will be here) 19 Auction Block (for the slaves)

20 Dodgy Mike's Grocery Store 21 Doc Grogan's - the local healer/doctor 22 Master Thayer's Weaponshop 23 Harpoon Joe's (will be available for a fee) 24 The Pirate's Rest Inn 25 Stevedore's Shack (can hire dockworkers here, visiting dockworkers lodgings) 26 Horatio Fowler's place (a very good stevedore) 27 Toothless Kevin's place (an expert sailor) 28 50 ships Mufassah's place (another sailor) 29 Joe's Brewery (rum etc. brewed here, his house is opposite at 29a) 30 Brother Tranquility & Temple to Sea gods (name of priest who runs the temple) 31 Tobias Hookshot the Trainer's place (an expert weapons/seamanship trainer) 32 Cavey Davey's place (the expert on the island, especially the caves) 33 Brasshand Harry's (another sailor) 34 The Muse (resting place for minstrels - Bard Roberts and/or Jenny Jigfiddle often here) 35 O'Malley's the Shipwright 36 Healer's Hall (for any visiting healers - does have a sick bay, but no surgeon- have to go to Doc Grogan's). 37 Flinty's Forge (another blacksmith) 38 Residences for rent

8B

The Dark Horse Tavern

The Dark Horse guesthouse consists of a main building and a small stable and tool shed in the yard. The ground floor contains a kitchen, dining room and rooms for Ulbar and his servants, with guestrooms on the first and second floors. The underground cellar has been completely rebuilt recently by Ulbar to suit his needs, including a tunnel that leads to his escape route and also to outside the town near to the graveyard (but locals have seen Ulbar around the graveyard), so as to escape notice whilst coming and going.

Key to Tavern: 1. Food Cellar A room lined with shelves containing various foodstuffs etc. Behind one of the shelves is a hidden door (TN 14 Search, TN 18 Awareness) leading to #2.

The stairs lead upstairs to the kitchen. There is also a trapdoor in the floor obscured by some sacks of grain (TN 14 Search, TN 16 Awareness) that leads down to a secret dock (with a hidden boat - this is Ulbar's escape route). 2. Ulbar's secret room This is a storeroom for all the things Ulbar wants to keep hidden, such as books, letters, maps & notes of the cult and the Temple. Abdul is the only other person to know of the existence of this room, none of the other followers are aware of it. A ladder leads up from here into a cupboard in Ulbar's rooms on the ground floor, the secret door is TN 16 Search to find from the other side. 3. Passage This is a narrow passage from Ulbar's room to a trapdoor in the ceiling that leads up into an alleyway to the left of the tavern. It is TN 12 Search, TN 16 Awareness to find in the alleyway. 4. Corridor This corridor leads to stairs that lead to a trapdoor in the stables, concealed by some straw. The trapdoor is TN 14 Search, TN 18 Awareness to find in the stables. 5. Corridor This corridor leads to an iron door, behind which are the cells and another storeroom. The iron door is usually guarded by Abdul, who is the only other one who has the keys for the door and the cells beyond, the door is usually kept open so Abdul can see and hear the prisoners in #6. 6. Cells This is where the victims are kept between the time they are captured until brought to the Temple. The cells have one wall of thick iron bars, so any prisoners can be seen and heard. 7. Storeroom Past the cells is another storeroom, where various ritual items are kept, including black hooded robes, a long red carpet and two sacrificial tools: a huge dagger and a bronze double axe - both these weapons have Morgoth's symbol (the iron crown) etched onto the blades, and are considered cursed items - they will certainly 'feel' evil to those of good persuasion. A trap door in the ceiling leads up into the small tool shed, but has actually been forgotten because it has not been used for a long time. It is TN 14 Search, TN 16 Awareness to find inside the tool shed (which is locked), due to dust etc. 8C

The Slave Stockade

About half a mile away from the town of Karab Tarid, nestled against the escarpment that divides the central part of the island from Pleasant Bay, lies the Slave Stockade. This building is comparatively recent on the island, it was built as the Lords of Umbar felt that the amount of slaves going through the town of Karab Tarid was too much for the town to handle, and what was especially needed was a more long term 'storage place' for slaves - so this stockade was built around F.A. 1075 with the increased demand due to slavery being at that time legal in Gondor, it is designed to lodge slaves indefinitely (although in practice few slaves stay here for more than a few months). The wooden wall around the stockade is twelve feet high and slanted inwards at the top to make it difficult to climb, ending in sharpened stakes, with two double-door gates reinforced by heavy steel bars that are always closed at night.

The current overseer is named Rodrigo and is a brute (like a mexican bandit - use stats for Bandit Chief, with his followers as 'Corsairs'), indeed no-one of any quality wants to serve as overseer here, it is seen as a 'lowly' occupation. Map of Slave Stockade in Karab Tarid

Map Key: 1 Guard Nooks (not usually occupied) 2 Water Tower with Guard on Roof 3 Gates to Stockade (Are reinforced with heavy steel bars) 4 Barracks (Accommodation for Slavers, about a dozen can fit in each). Each barracks also contains crude bunks lining the walls, along with metal drawers and shelves, and a heavy wooden table in the middle, surrounded by rickety office chairs, and weapons etc. scattered around. 5 Solitary Confinement Cells 6 Mess Hall & Temple 7 Guest Merchant's Quarters 8 Kitchen, Storehouse & Stables. There is a secret tunnel that was dug by some enterprising slaves many years ago that starts in a wine barrel in the cellar (TN 16 Search or TN 18 Awareness to find), which joins the main tunnel that leads towards the Melkhur Temple. The cellar is where the magical 'swap' took place between the real and 'false' prince, Adsumeir will come here and then follow the false prince's trail. An extraordinary success on Awareness for non-elves (elves will succeed automatically) for a PC gives the feeling that 'something evil' was done here (the sorcery magic done by Gwaerenduath). 9 Slave Overseer's Headquarters (9A is bedroom), Forge & Armoury 10 Slave Quarters Each is 2 stories containing cells for slaves on upper floor, with Auction Block, bathhouse, branding area & exercised area on ground floor. The most 'difficult' slaves are always housed in the same building as the overseer. 8D

The Observatory

Key to Observatory The Observatory was originally built as a throne hall for King Earnil of Gondor during his conquest of the region (around TA 900), as the King wanted a central strategic location and also to underline his rule. When the PC's arrive, all those present will be asleep due to the potion given by Hassan (as they get the same food as at the Villa). 1 Summit of Mt.Glingal 2 Grand Hall, now the Observatory proper, with many viewing windows set up with astronomical instruments. There is a secret trapdoor in the floor at the apex of the transit cross (used to track the sun) that leads down into the ruined Temple of Mulkher, this has not yet been discovered as the trapdoor is TN 18 Search, TN 20 Awareness to find, but also the tunnel beyond has not been cleared yet so is dangerous. 3 Rampway up to the Observatory, used for wagons etc. Main entrance is a set of double doors, usually only one Guard here (duty here boring, comes from main Guard area at Karab Tarid). The guard rooms are left and right of the doors. 4 Formerly Throne Room, now used as a shrine/temple, research area and occasionally lectures - all the nooks are also used for observations.

5 Raised dais - this once held two thrones, now it holds the most valuable astronomical instruments, they are quite heavy and are fixed to the dais. Behind the dais is a doorway that leads to the stairs at #6. 6. Stairs & balcony - stairs go up to the highest point, a raised balcony with a large viewing area, there are also instruments here. On either side are the private quarters of the Observatory Master (left) and assistants (right). 7. 8E

Steep stairs - these steep stairs lead back down to the summit of the Mountain. The Villa

The villa is designed along classic Numenorean lines, with the main room being the central atrium for meeting guests. Most of the corpses are in the garden and on the path leading to the jetty, but there are some clues around that might help the PC's to determine what actually happened (Riddle TN 20), these clues reduce the TN each by 2: Clue 1: That the bedroom of #No.9 is locked and does not appear to have been disturbed, yet there is a corpse inside.(victim locked it after accepting meal) Clue 2: One corpse is sitting at table in #5. Clue 3. Another corpse is lying down in the steam room - signs being that this corpse had been in the steam room for some time. (went here after meal) Clue 4. There are some plates and cups in #5 that have not been cleared, they contain some food (with the poison). Clue 5. Amongst the confusion of tracks outside there is one trail of a large group that leads away from #26, a Hunting roll of TN 16 will show that this trail is later than the others (leads to the caves and to the Temple).

9

City of Umbar

Key to Map:

1. Abad Tar Calion Aka 'The Place of Temples'. This palace was built originally along with Tarma Tar-Calion as a building to give thanks to the Valar, it has always been associated with worship since - in the late Third Age it became The Dark Citadel, before it was re-consecrated by King Elessar I in the early Fourth Age. Note that it is a long way from the Hero's Shrine! The Temple Road leaves the precinct, goes over a bridge through the slums to the Eastern Gate then makes its way up the escarpment to Tarma Tar-Calion. When the city was not controlled by dark worshippers there would be an annual procession going this way on the anniversary of Sauron’s humiliation. 2. Ar-Pharazon's Isle Artificially constructed island in the west of the city which is government property, upon which Seaward tower rests. The island is separated from the mainland by a man-made canal for ships, and a bridge goes over the canal at Seaward tower. The island houses military & naval barracks, although city residents can also use the island for training. So named as legend ascribes the order for the island was given by ArPharazon. 3. Black Aka Dawn, a Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains Lord Eadur. 4. City Watch Quarters (Aka Castle Rock) Tower by the Eastern Gate of Vinyamar, the headquarters for the City Watch, with the top floor being the accommodation of the current Captain Demarii, whereas all other members have their own residences. The ground floor has an office and a bedroom for the officer on duty. The other floors are used by the watch as needed. All the Watch are paid by the Haven Captains, so their loyalties generally are to the Captain that pays them more. This also means that unless the Watch receives orders signed by all six Haven Captains, they tend to ignore most disturbances, especially in Lower Umbar, and are slow to act. The Watch are also responsible for all executions. In the Fourth Age during the Empire this place becomes the Prince of the Sands' Residence and the City Watch get removed to the Iron House in the Eastern part of the city (right in the slums!) - at this time they are back in their (as they see it) rightful quarters until a single ruler is chosen. 5. Council of Captains' Hall (formerly the Governor's Palace). This residence was originally an old town-house of the Second Age, but became government property because of its central location next to the city's main square. It is colloquially referred to as 'The Silent Tower' by the locals, implying the place where the powerful and influential meet. This is where the secret meeting was held a few hours earlier. 6. Council Assembly (formerly the Town Hall, known locally as The Ivory Hall or 'Assembly'). Opposite the Council Captains' Hall and the seat of Government (where the entire Assembly meets) - the Hall proper within is known as The Ivory Hall, a large circular hall with a domed roof, where it is illegal to shed blood. Also in the building are the city offices, offices for all the Captains etc. Those considered less important (such as the Gondorian Ambassador!) have offices in the basements. 7. Drunken Southron Inn A typical inn of the harbour area, where one must occasionally expect to defend one's belongings and/or life, the innkeeper is Perion, rumoured to have many Underworld contacts. 8. Dulimer's Forge Also the Armourer's Guildhall, in central Vinyamar, run by one of the few dwarves who resides in Umbar, it is a 3 story stone building surrounded by forges, where any weapon or armour can be obtained. 9. Fasthold Aka Farside, a Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains Lord Mireadur. 10. Flame A Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains Lord Teldumeir.

11. Golden Crown Inn Considered one of the best inns in Umbar (and priced to match!), located outside the western (Harbour) gate of the main wall. 12. Great Armament This is a huge ship-house of Numenorean engineering, it was built during the reign of Tar-Ancalimon. It is so big that full-rigged sailing ships, even the Palanristi, can sail into it to be refitted and repaired. 13. Harad Gate The Rath Corsair ends at the South Gate of the City, beyond which the Great South Road continues on down the coast. 14. Harbour Gate Aka Western Gate(which locals usually call it, reached from the Rath Bad Nez, this is the most heavily guarded and watched gate of the city beyond is the Necropolis and the Bay (the original Harbour, hence the name) 15. Hero's Shrine A Temple inside the Uinendili dedicated to the heroes of Umbar, it contains statues of war heroes including Ar-Pharazon, Ar-Gimilzor, Sangahyando, Castamir, Angamaite & Ilandra, it is a place popular for corsairs to worship in. 16. Merchant's Guildhall 4-story building with a domed roof and a place for much trading, the main building of the central marketplace on the Rath Corsair (see The Marketplace below). 17. North Harbour The Northern harbour for the city of Umbar, properly Vinyamar. 18. Rath Bad Nez The main street of Western Umbar, it runs north from the Toll Castle protecting the entrance to the southern harbour up to the South-western Gate of the First Wall (of Vinyamar), where it meets the Rath Corsair. 19. Rath Corsair The main thoroughfare of the city, it runs southeast from where it joins the Rath Bad Nez just outside Upper Umbar, over the Artisan's Island to Lower Umbar, through the main squares and all the way to the Harad Gate. 20. Red Aka Desert, a Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains Lord Adumir. 21. Seaward A Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains Lord Borathor. 22. South Harbour The Southern Harbour for the city of Umbar. 23. Square of Judgement Aka The Crimson Rigging because a marble pole in the likeness of a ship's mast stands permanently in the middle of this square, which is just outside the South-eastern gate of Vinyamar (near Dawn Tower). This is the place of execution and of public trials, very popular (especially when an execution is occurring). 24. Tar Cirya Earnil's Tower (aka Minas Earnil), built by King Earnil I of Gondor in the middle of the Southern Harbour. The tower has six floors and is eighty feet high, it also has quarters for the Admiral of the Haven. 25. Tarma Tar Calion The monument built to commemorate the humiliation of Sauron by Ar-Pharazon of Numenor, it stood on the highest hill of the headland above the city and was a great pillar crowned with a Covenant Stone. It was rebuilt in the early Fourth Age during King Elessar's reign, it stands on top of the escarpment just outside the city. Still receives many pilgrims every year, even from the Far North. 26. The Blood Scryer Mrishma Kal'Akbir is the name of the fortune-teller who lives here, she tells fortunes only in blood, and known (and feared) by locals as 'The Blood Hag'. 27. The Dead Calm Another middle-class inn of Umbar. 28. The Dead ReckoningSmall guildhouse of the navigators and artists, best place to buy maps. 29. The Death's Head This inn is run by a very shadowy personage named Adumir Valkad, but the inn is well known as the best place to hire a knife, as Valkad was rumoured to be one of the best many years ago.

30. The Drunken Goose Another typical dive near the docks of Umbar (in a back alley) rumoured to be the place to hire those good at finding people and things (see Map below). 31. The Horseman Inn A middle-class inn, like most middling inns on the Rath Corsair and away from the docks. 32. The House of Studded Midnight Jeweller's place, notorious as the place to sell any ill-gotten gains. 33. The Iron House A 3 story prison in Eastern Umbar in the middle of the slums, it also contains a torture chamber (late Third Age only) known as The Song Chamber by locals. The prison contains mainly debtors. 34. The Serpent Pit This notorious gambling den has a circular pit dug into the middle of the floor for a fighting arena. As the Slavers' Guildhouse is next door this place is frequented by slavers who bet their money on their slaves - this place is avoided by the locals. 35. The Red Sunset A middle-class tavern (see Map below). 36. The Theatre One of the mysteries of this city to Gondorians is how inordinately fond the locals are of this building, which is very old, situated on the Western side of Vinyamar. 37. The Twilight Trickster A wealthy gambling tavern (not far from The Theatre), frequented only by the best and richest, run by a former pirate named Berhir. 38. The Warrens The slang term for the slums of Umbar in the Eastern parts of the city, patrolled by gangs of thugs and urchins, where many of the current lords started their careers. The best known gangs are the Bloody Scroll, the Tattered Flag, the Shadow Walkers, the Black Dragons and the Dark Lord's Wish. Usually the gangs fight each other, although they have been known to carry out work at the docks. 39. Tol Cirya Island in the 'North Harbour', immediately opposite the town of Vinyamar. 40. Training Centre Known to locals as The School of the Corsair's Blade, privately run by a former corsair Isdath, by reputation one of the best fighters of his generation. The school is a 3 story building, well designed and has many rooms and yards for training. The school also owns areas for training on Ar Pharazon’s Isle. 41. Uinendili The original Guild of Venturer's guildhouse was destroyed, but King Earnil rebuilt it as a huge monument to ships and all things of the sea, it includes all things naval and contains the Admiralty offices, the Hero's Shrine (where most Umbareans worship) and a big meeting hall to find ships, captains and hands. 42. Vinyamar aka Upper Umbar. The original settlement of Nen Umbar on the north harbour, now part of the City of Umbar. Most people require a pass of some sort to enter it. 43. Westerly Aka Harbour, a Tower within Vinyamar, owned by one of the Council Captains, Lord Arkhad (see Map below).

9A

Westerly Tower

Key to Westerly Tower First Floor 1-3 Three feet wide entry gates actually go under the wall and tunnel up into the centre of the tower, which has no openings. A stairwell goes up to a second floor gallery that overhangs the first floor. There are always 3 guards here, armed with bows and spears, and there is also a trigger mechanism that will collapse the stairs. 4 Stairs from first floor to second floor, also in other direction to basement. There is a secret door here that leads to a concealed underground passage and at the end a concealed jetty with a boat (a secret way for Lord Arkhad or Captain Bavire to use -only they know how to open it). The secret door is TN 14 Search, TN 16 Awareness to discover on the inside, TN 20 Search on the outside. 5 Well 6 Wall Chambers for servants (usually screened by curtains) 7 Fireplace 8 Privy 9 Basement level - there are 4 normal cells and 1 special one for special prisoners, also a cistern. Cell 1 contains a guard who murdered another guard in a rage. Cells 2 & 3 are empty, Cell 4 contains a man who had his tongue cut out for giving Arkhad a smart answer in court one day. Cell 5 contains Gwaerenduath 30% of the time (during the day only) in his disguise as 'the Prince', which is how the prisoner is referred to by all the castle. 10 Kitchen area and servants' quarters - Gwaerenduath will be here performing 'chores' 10% of the time.

11 Guard posts - there are always two guards guarding the entrance to #4 - armed with spears - behind them is a rope for the general alarm. Second Floor 1 Best Guest Chamber - Gwaerenduath in disguise will be in here 10% of the time (when the prisoner is 'in the Lord's good books'). 2 Arrow slits 3 Guest Chambers - at least one will be occupied by a member of the Wizard's Guild. 4 Huge Fireplace with lots of artwork, paintings etc. 5 Privies 6 Stairway 7 Grand Hall - has a huge table in middle for dinners/conferences etc. 8 Guard post - again, two guards here guarding access to the stairway. Third Floor 1 Stairs 2 Arrow slits 3 Captain Bavire's quarters when present (at the moment she is absent overseeing Pellardur), only contains minor things such as clothes and about 1 Treasure point of coins, most of her things are at her own house not far away. 4 Wall Chamber for Captain of the Guard Imrahin - he has about 1 Treasure point of stuff and a love letter from one of Lord Borathor's ship captains. 5 Fireplace 6 Wall Chamber shared by the two guard sergeants (usually one will be here whilst the other is on duty) 7 Guards quarters - the whole floor is divided by low walls with beds, desks etc. 8 Privy 9 Guard posts - two guards always here Fourth Floor 1 Stairs, continue on up to the roof 2 Windows 3 Fireplaces - even more richly furnished than level 2. 4 Privy 5 Lord Arkhad's rooms, richly decorated with tapestries etc. There is about 5 Treasure Points worth of gems in the desk, which otherwise has normal administrative papers. Gwaerenduath will be here 40% of the time if Lord Arkhad also present. 6 Locked steel door (only Lord Arkhad or Captain Bavire have keys). The door can only be unlocked with a TN 20 Craft roll (TN 18 if character has Burglary), but when Lord Arkhad is present (50%) the door will be unlocked. 7 Dog quarters - Lord Arkhad keeps four dogs that are trained to attack anyone they do not know, nor will they take food from any but their trainer (who stays on Level 1 when Lord Arkhad is present). Many rumours persist that the dogs are really wolves. The dogs can sense Gwaerenduath's true nature and avoid him (Lord Arkhad is keeping them as insurance against Gwaerenduath). Roof 1 Stairs 2 Roof area, with 3 guards always on duty, armed with crossbows and spears. 3 Room with a pentagram on floor in the tile. This room is avoided by all the other castle occupants, regarded as 'evil' & 'cursed' -only Lord Arkhad and Gwaerenduath come in

here. Gwaerenduath will be in here if not already encountered as the creature can 'recharge' here. 4 Secret closet in the room - it is locked and magically trapped with a rune symbol, clearly depicted on the door warning all to 'stay clear or fear' - those who ignore this warning must make a Fear test at TN 16 every round they can see the symbol. The door can be unlocked with a Craft TN 18 (TN 14 if Burglary). Inside the closet is 10 Treasure Points worth of gold and jewels in a small chest and 2 reward quality weapons (Loremaster's choice as to what). After being held 'prisoner' for three days, Gwaerenduath will manage an elaborate 'escape' from the tower and city - he will be accompanied by 2 fanatical dark cultists, and their trail will lead east out of the Khand gate along the Rath Khand (they are heading for An Karagmir). 9B

THE MARKETPLACE OF UMBAR

The Souk is a large open-air market in the Market Square of Umbar, it was originally held outside city walls where caravans would stop with goods etc. The word ‘souk’ means both market and festival, the Souk is a bit of a joke to the locals as open-air trading occurs throughout the city. By the late Third Age, goods would arrive at the docks, be unloaded onto wains in the harbor and then be driven to the market. All around the open-air market are the permanent stalls, dominating one entire side is the Merchant Guildhouse - the main merchant families are the House of Orath, House of Durmeth, House of Omar & House of Yin (anyone wanting to do business should consult with one of these). Permanent Stalls: The Dangling Dunadan – a 3-story inn, a meeting place and also a locale of the Thieves Guild. The Beggar’s Alley – an alleyway leading away from the marketplace, home to the nocturnal market (as business continues even at night). The Poisoned Chalice – 2 story building, well known as the place to buy herbs and exotic plants. Shop has a secret lower level for poisons and illegal drugs. The House of Fortune – A fortune teller, familiar with both leaf-lore and stone-lore. Hazhoud’s Historical Curios – Seller of various curios and unusual items etc. Raman’s Rugs and Carpets – Seller of high quality tapestries, rugs etc. The Perfumed Parlour – Musks, Oils, Candles etc. Also a place to get an ‘invite’ to the exotic locale of Maresh in Lurmsakûn, centre of mysticism. Malek’s Menagerie – animals of all descriptions here, even a Great Ape can be obtained (for a hefty price!) Belissama’s Bliss – exotic liquors, jewels, fine wines etc. Also a place to get an invite to Maresh. Ghameed’s Tattooists – tattoos, portraits etc. 9C

The ‘Island’.

This is a large island area of the city near the harbor entrance (see City Map), it is the main haunt for all the corsairs and sailors, as on the island are mainly inns, taverns and other places of entertainment. With a major disturbance the Watch have been known to collapse the bridges to the island and wait for the trouble to ‘die out’, the buildings on the island have been rebuilt numerous times. Three locales are detailed on the city map: The Drunken

Southron, The Drunken Goose and The House of Studded Midnight. Other locales: The Whirling Dervish, a 4 story tavern favoured by the corsairs; The Rattling Bones – a gambling den that only uses dice; The Merry Widow – a house of ‘Entertainment’, especially known for their Sharisadin dancers (see Glossary). 9D

The Drunken Goose (on the Island)

Key to maps below: 1 Door to the alleyway 2 Door into bar 3 Main Bar 4 Bar 5 Door to kitchen 6 Kitchen 7 Private booths with curtains 8 Private dining rooms 9 Office of owner (Pharuzzir, a former corsair and not too bad a thief) 10 Closet with secret door (TN 16 Search, TN 18 Awareness) down to the Thieves' Guild hideout (see ICE's Umbar for details) 11 Storage Shed 12 Stables 13 Outhouse 14 Courtyard, gets muddy when it rains 15 Stairs 16 Guest rooms 17 Hall 18 Small Room - the door to this room is locked (TN 14 Craft), but is also trapped (Search TN 18) so that if the door is opened other than with key, the door sets off an alarm that sounds both in #9 and down in the Thieves Guild Hall. This inn is a dangerous place for strangers, as the Thieves' Guild is concealed in caves beneath this inn. The inn will have an assortment of petty thieves, cutpurses, assassins etc. amongst the clientele at any one time. Fights occur at least once per hour that are handled by the tavern owner taking bets. Pharuzzir the owner is known as the best man with knock-out drops but for a price can also provide contact to the Thieves' Guild.

The Drunken Goose Tavern

9E

A Middle Class Inn

The Shivering Timbers is a 5 story middle class inn for sailors (and captains) next to the Uinendil. The layout can be considered standard for most middle-class inns in Umbar, where a guest can at least feel assured that the food and drink is free of poison and that they are likely to wake up in their rooms with their belongings in the morning!

2nd-5th Floors

First Floor

Key: First Floor 1 Door onto street 2 Main barroom, with benches and wooden tables, usually about 3-4 serving girls 3 Main bar, bartenders often double as bouncers (depending on place) 4 Kitchen 5 Private dining rooms 6 Back door onto courtyard 7 Stairs up 8 Courtyard 9 Fence 10 Small Garden 11 Stables Second -Fifth Floors 12 Windows 13 Small Guest Rooms 14 Privy 15 Very small Guest Rooms 16 Large Guest Rooms.

10

List of important people & places

Abdul Ulbar's servant Abir Celin's servant Adsumeir Junior Guard captain who likes to solve murders Adumir One of the Council Captains Akurali Head of one of the important trading houses in the city Arunawai 'King's Men'. Term used by the Numenoreans of themselves Ardumir Fief, ruled by Lord Eadur Arkhad One of the Council Captains Barazon Second most populous town after Umbar in the region Bavire Lord Arkhad's Chief Captain Black Tower in the City, ruled by Lord Eadur Borathor One of the Council Captains Caldur Fief, ruled by Lord Mireadur Captain of the Havens, Council Captains Titles of the ruling 6 in Umbar Celin The Gondorian Ambassador Darkstone Forest on Tol Glingal, rumoured to be haunted Demarii Chief City Guard Captain Duis A Dark Cultist who captured Elaemir Dulimer A master dwarven smith & proprietor of Dulimer's Forge Eadur One of the Council Captains Elaemir Wife of Adumir, currently a prisoner of the Dark Cult Elatar Prince of Gondor, kidnapped Eradas Fief, ruled by Lord Teldumeir Faltur Chief Captain of Lord Borathor Farokh A Dark Cultist guard, now with the Prince Fasthold Tower in the city ruled by Lord Mireadur Flame Tower in the city ruled by Lord Teldumeir Gastmorgath High priest of the Dark Cult in Umbar Gwaerenduath A Dindair, the False Prince Haruze Name used by the Near Haradrim of themselves - 'the godly' Hassan Ayib A cook of Lord Borathor's but also a Dark Cultist The Hooded Wanderer A mysterious personage who has been wandering around many countries for many years, usually in the guise of an old pilgrim (see Adventure 2) Hunthor A 'guest' of Ulbar Isigir Fief, ruled by Lord Adumir Jelut Main nomadic tribe in the area, they control An Karagmir Kaldurmeir Captain of the Dark Cult's warriors Karab Tarid Town on Tol Glingal Kasim The Harbourmaster for Karab Tarid Maros Fief, ruled by Lord Borathor Melkhurhil Ancient Cult that worshipped Morgoth in Numenor Meriot Head of the Wizard's Guild Mireadur One of the Council Captains Morathdur Assistant to Gastmorgath Nen Umbar Name given to the entire bay area & surrounding coasts Pellardur Fief, ruled by Lord Arkhad Rathor Leader of a group of adventurers in the region

Red Tower in the city ruled by Lord Adumir Sakalai The native coastal folk of the area Sa'Kelen Sergeant of the Dark Cult Seaward Tower in the city ruled by Lord Borathor Sirandir Harbourmaster for City of Umbar Suul-Dhurn Evil ruins south of Nen Umbar Tacour Leader of a group of outlaws in the region Tarfil Head of the Shipbuilder's Guild Tarma Tar Calion Monument to Ar-Pharazon's victory over Sauron, rebuilt by King Elessar I & now an important shrine Teldumeir One of the Council Captains The Prophet Founder of the Enlightened Path, most popular faith in the area, especially with the nomads. Tol Glingal Island in Nen Umbar, the slave isle Tulmeir Head of the Faithful order - seen as a bit 'loony' Tulor Healer of the Dark Cult, greatly feared Tyreath Head of the Thieves Guild, a woman Ulbar Proprietor of the Dark Horse in Karab Tarid Vilmur Lord Arkhad's castle lord at Pellardur Vinyamar Upper Umbar, original settlement Westerly Tower in the city ruled by Lord Arkhad Zamin Cook at the Dark Horse

The Halls of Tar-Calion

11

Glossary of important terms & thingsii

Arizul, Azhan, Kolir 'The Gods', more correctly the Ainur . Kolir is the term used by those who profess to the Enlightened Faith. Arizul used for all the Ainur, Azhan for the powerful ones who have shaped history, including the Colruh & the Devam. Audrat Vatra 'Sun-worshipper', Cult of Vatra the Fire/Sun God (Morgoth/Sauron). Lord Arkhad is of this belief. Autarb, Tarb

'King' or 'Overlord' for the first, 'Lord' or 'Governor' second

Brotherhood, The Known as 'monks', a group of wanderers who have renounced the world in favour of an ascetic lifestyle - this sect has a monastery in the city and also on the desert outskirts. They usually assist pilgrims and travellers. Colruh 'Wind Spirits', Azhan. Believed to be responsible for civilisation in the area - Kolir seems to be an adaptation of the name. Corsair

Both a warrior & sailor, most esteemed profession in Umbar.

Council of Captains

The ruling Council in Umbar, currently there are six.

Devam 'Fire Spirits', Azhan. Believed by the Haruze to be enemies of the Colruh & servants of Vatra (Melkor/Sauron). The very first Autarb of the region according to legend was a Devam. Endless Wisdom Cult Often referred to by locals as 'endless folly' (it is persecuted in Gondor), this belief from Bellakar (essentially that God has a consort Ladnoca) was an attempt to bring together the Faithful belief with that of the Three Sisters, but the cult does have some adherents, especially higher up (Lord Eadur in particular) Enlightened Path The Batan an-Izindi (Ad. 'Path of Righteousness') was founded in Bellakar by former bazaar merchant Imrathor, now known as 'The Prophet'. Most people in the area now profess at least an outward conformity to the basics of this faith. Saying someone is 'unenlightened' is a form of insult. Followers are meant to pray five times a day, fast during the month of February and perform a pilgrimage at least once to the Holy Mountain of Urud-an-Khibil. Most commoners & lesser middle class are of this faith. The Council Captains ensure that this faith is looked after - the central mosque in Abad Calion is for this faith. Lord Adumir is their main supporter. Feswan

A merchant or artisan, anyone who works but not in farming or related work.

Fezir

A noble, someone who lives by fighting or owning land.

Haradaic Southron.

The language of the Haruze, the main people of the area, aka Near

Hero Worship The other most popular cult in Umbar is the worship of past ancestors, usually done at the Hero's Shrine. Lord Miredur is of this belief. They tend to stick to the 'old ways'. Ishtra The Goddess of Love & the Sea, one of The Three Sisters, manifestation of Nessa

Ladnoca The Moon Goddess & Fertility, one of The Three Sisters (Elbereth/Yavanna) Manat Goddess of Memory & Death, one of The Three Sisters, manifestation of Vaire/Mandos Order of the Red Hand A secret magical society devoted to finding the lost secrets of Numenor, popular with many nobles so tolerated by officials. Current leader is Lord Teldumeir. Poganin 'Foreigner' - used in the pejorative sense, especially of Gondorians, also called 'elf-lovers'. Sharisadin Har. ‘Dancers’ The women of the region are renowned (or notorious) for their beauty and ‘arts’, and the sharisadin women are the most renowned of all –rumours ascribe magic to their dances that few men can resist. Their patron goddess is Ishtra (Nessa). Umbarean Refers both to the language of the cityfolk (a dialect of Westron) and to the cityfolk themselves. Urdwan The nomads of the desert, regarded as lesser by the townsfolk. Closest tribe the Jelut or Narakshi. Utarf 'Townman' Regarded as lesser by the nomads.

Batan An -Izindi - the Enlightenment of the Prophet on the Mountain

12

Some rumours for the Loremaster to use

In a huge city such as Umbar there are always many rumours circulating of varying truthfulness. See the sample list below that the PC's may encounter: (T=True, F =False, P =Partially True or Possible - who knows?): - People are getting sick from something they ate at the last feast (T)

- I heard that those people at the villa also ate the same stuff as at that feast (F) - I heard that a big Gondor warship came and sacked the villa (F) - Gondor is poised to invade the city, the attack on the island is just the start (F) - The King of Gondor has cut off diplomatic relations (P) - I heard that Lord Borathor set the whole thing up ( i.e. about events at the villa -this one is a rumour planted by Lord Arkhad's people) (F) - One of the Council Captains was responsible for the villa tragedy (T) - The Hooded Wanderer has been seen in the city - up to no good as usual (P - he has indeed been in the city) - The Hooded Wanderer is a Gondor spy (F) - Someone said they saw the Hooded Wanderer recently (T - somebody must have seen him!) - A lot more desert people are in the city at the moment (F) - A desert tribe leader was responsible for the villa tragedy (F) - The Jelut tribe was responsible for the villa tragedy(F) These three rumours are just the usual negative portraying of the Urdwan as one of the scapegoats when things go wrong -The Brotherhood is responsible for the villa tragedy (F) -The Brotherhood has had some scandal recently (T - the Head of the Brotherhood was discovered in a compromising position by the King of Gondor) - My cousin's wife's brother Ahmed saw a dragon whilst travelling through Pellardur forest (P - it might be true) - Some people say that the desert dead are coming back to life and harassing travellers, but I don't believe it - old wives' tales - too much spiced wine! (T - these are the Lesinavi, stirred up by the New Shadow) - There is a crazy guy wandering the streets calling himself 'King of Umbar' - King of Beggars more like! (T - he does indeed believe himself to be 'King of Umbar') - Forces of Lord Arkhad have saved Ramlond from Gondor's armies (P - also planted by Lord Arkhad's people, although some of his forces were involved) - Horse stealing has practically disappeared in the area because of the plague. I can't believe that, with the raiders and all (P - horse stealing has diminished, not disappeared) - There are Horse traders here from Lurmsakun - Can you believe that! If only I had money to buy some of those fine looking horses (P - see above rumour) - There are some ancient ruins just on the edge of the desert overflowing with treasure just waiting to be taken (P - it could be true) - Did you see that Gondorian at the market selling the Gods know what? (T -actually a good baker, but selling Gondor stuff so treated with suspicion) - My cousin who is a scullery maid at the Lord's Place said they had an important meeting there late last night (T - this is a reference to the secret meeting called by Lord Borathor of the Council of Captains) - Have you seen that huge new ship that Lord Borathor is building? Where does he get the money I wonder? (T - another rumour planted by Lord Arkhad's people)

13

Encounter Table

In the Region of Nen Umbar (roll Feat die once/day - an eye result indicates an encounter) Day 1-2 3-12 Eye

Animal Human Monster

Night 1-5 6

Animal Human 7 or more Monster

Eye Special * reroll *means a complication for the PC's, such as more than usual number encountered or a particularly strong or nasty individual, or if human someone who is ill disposed towards the PC's. Animals encountered Choose from: Guna (local cow), Camel, Deer, Desert Wolf, Vulture (day only), Desert Eagle or Hawk (day only)Wild horse, Snake (Viper), Spider (Tarantula), Wild Dogs, Great Ape (island & forest only), Great Sloth Bear (underground or caves only). Monsters encountered : Day 1-3 Desert Orcs 4-5 Warg 6-7 Sand Devil 8-9 Lesinavi 10 Sand Drake 12 Djinn or Nush Eye Special*

Night 1-6 7 8-9 10 12 Eye

Desert Orcs Desert Troll Warg Geib Ghost or other Undead Sand Drake Special*

* means either a special type of monster rarely encountered, such as a Razarac, Were-worm or Verse Drake, or that the monster encountered is a particularly nasty or stronger specimen encountered. People encountered: Day 1-7 8-9 10 12 Eye

Night 1-3 4-7 8 9-12 Eye

Farmer/Herder/Fisherman Corsair/Soldier Pilgrim/Traveller Bandits Special*

Farmer/Herder/Fisherman Corsair/Soldier Pilgrim/Traveller Bandits Special*

* Means either a special individual such as those mentioned in this module, or an encounter with Rathor & his men (group of adventurers) or Tacour & his bandits, or they encounter someone who causes the PC's additional complications of some sort.

In City of Umbar (roll Feat die twice/day & once/night - eye indicates encounter)iii Day 12345 6 7 8

Already Occurring Scene City Guard or Soldier Slaver/Slave Coffle Magician/Healer Govt. official/Priest Pilgrim/Monk Beggars/Thieves/Urchins Noble/Knight/Merchant

Night 1 2-3 4 5-6 7 8-9 10 Eye

Already Occurring Scene City Guard or Soldier Magician/Healer Beggars/Thieves/Urchins Adventurers Townsfolk Prostitute Special*

9 Adventurer 10 Townsfolk Eye Special* Gandalf Special#

Gandalf

Special#

* Special indicates either an important adversary or ill-disposed towards the PC's, or one of the general groups with negative complications for the PC's. # Special indicates either an important ally or well-disposed towards the PC's, or someone from the general group with positive outcomes for the PC's. Already Occurring Scene - roll 1d12 Day 1 A Fire 2 A Duel (between drunks, locals, fighters etc.) 3 A Fight between two factions (thieves, gangs, sects etc.) 4 A caravan or sedan chair blocks all progress for a short time 5 Public trial or execution 6 Traffic snarl - movement impeded for a few minutes 7 Temporary barrier with guards, questioning everybody 8 Riot or other crowd disturbance 9 Loose animal or vehicle causing havoc 10 Pc's witness a raid (by guards, or by a group on a rival) 12 A procession, ritual or festival Eye PC's stumble upon a secret society or other secret meeting (sect, Thieves Guild etc.) Night 1-2 A Fire 3 A Duel (between drunks, locals, even wizards) 4 A Fight between two factions 5 An attempted crime or assassination 6 Temporary barrier - guards questioning all passersby (usually about a place) 7 Guards raiding a place or making an arrest 8 Riot or other mob scene 9 A caged monster or wild animal carried into the city by hunters 10 Prostitutes being rounded up by the guard 12 Healer(s) working on a victim, taking victim to hospital Eye PC's stumble upon a secret society or other secret meeting (sect, Thieves Guild etc.) Notes on encounters: choosing which option depends on time & locale - in general the more negative ones for the PC's are later in these lists. City Guards/Soldiers Options: Off duty & drunk; Recruiting for a mission (see Missions); Part of an important person's escort; On a quest/pilgrimage; recruiting for a war; raiding a place; chasing some street urchins; on a secret mission; insulting or trying to fight one of the PC's. Slavers/Slave Coffle Options: Slavers trying to find an escaped slave - may confuse one of the PC's; Slavers trying to lure a PC into a dark alley; PC's get caught in a 'street sweep'; PC's see slaves being transported; slave tries to escape, begs a PC for help. Magician/Healer Options: PC is accidentally bumped in the street; PC's witness a mage taunting somebody; PC sees healing being done; Healers looking for hiring for a

mission; the mage is begging - if the PC gives him/her nothing there is a 1 in 3 chance PC will be cursed (higher if 'eye' result); mage taunts a PC for some reason; PC is deliberately bumped into; a PC sees magic being performed. Govt. Official/Priest PC accidentally bumped into in the street; Official reads a proclamation proclaiming a reward/new law or tax/public execution/recruitment/public event; PC witnesses a crime against an official or priest; PC's see some priests preaching; priests looking to hire for a mission; PC's see priests doing a ritual or acting as an escort; PC is deliberately bumped into Pilgrim/Monk PC is accidentally bumped into; hiring an escort for a pilgrimage; PC's hear a holy man preaching or prophesying; PC's asked to go on a quest; Falls in a trance at a PC's feet; A PC is mistaken for somebody; PC is deliberately bumped into. Beggars/Thieves/Urchins A Beggar asks a PC for money/alms - if none given, beggar may try to trip or insult the PC; Urchins insult & throw stuff at PC's; Tries to rob one of the PC's; attempted con trick played on one of the PC's; PC is mistaken for somebody; Beggar is really a hag and curses said PC if no alms given; Try to lure a PC into a dark alley to be mugged Nobles/Knights/Merchants PC's witness an event (tourney, feast, hunt etc.); On a quest with an escort; Hiring retainers for a mission; Looking for information; PC's witness an attempted crime against one; PC's stumble upon a fight between one with guards vs. ruffians. Adventurers Accidentally bumps a PC; looking for work, approaches PC's; Looking for a leader, approaches the PC's leader; Wants to hire PC's for a mission; Just back from adventuring & telling tales; Drunken & insulting; Mistakes a PC for somebody; Back from adventuring but saying nothing(why?)

Townsfolk/local Roll a d12: 1-4 random; 5 madman; 6 drunken or drugged; 7-8 peasants; 9 rumourmonger; 10-12 sailor/craftsman/shop owner Random Accidentally bumps or insults a PC; town guild hiring for a mission; begs PC's for help with something; PC mistaken for somebody; picks a fight with a PC; PC's approached to recover stolen goods. Madman PC's see a madman run screaming down the street, may/may not be pursued; madman seems to recognise a PC & warns of impending doom; madman babbles important information that the PC's are after but confusingly; falls frothing at a PC's feet; actually a drugged & kidnapped individual who needs help. Drunk/drugged PC's accidentally bumped in street - the PC may be ignored or insulted or accused; Tries to start a fight with a PC; PC approached by a drug dealer offering illicit substances; PC sees a drunk in trouble (being mugged or harassed); not actually a drunk but pretending to be (could be an assassin, enemy spy or underground recruiter etc.)

Peasant PC is accidentally bumped in street; peasants looking for help for their village (bandits etc.) drunk peasants; PC's see peasants chasing a conman; peasants looking for relatives ask a PC; PC's mistaken for somebody. Rumourmonger PC's are offered some rumours for a price; PC offered reliable information on a treasure for a price; PC's are offered money/goods in exchange for information/news; PC is given information about a crime; PC is offered a 'get rich quick' scheme - 1 in 3 chance of being reliable. Sailor/Craftsman/Shop Owner PC is accidentally bumped into; PC's witness guards arresting one who protests his/her innocence loudly; Tries to buy/sell something to the PC's; PC is mistaken for somebody; Looking to hire the PC's for a mission; PC accused of shoplifting or vandalism Prostitute PC is approached by a prostitute for help or custom; PC is approached by a young girl advertising a brothel (with discreet guards nearby); PC's witness a 'cat-fight' between prostitutes; a guard from a brothel thinks he recognises a PC; a girl runs out of a brothel straight up to a PC, claiming to have been held prisoner (1 in 3 chance she is telling the truth, she may or may not be pursued).

Missions Some of the results indicate hiring for a mission - to determine the mission roll a d12: 1-6 goods, 7-11 people, 12 places. What Goods (roll 1d12):

Type of Goods

1-2 3-4 5 6 7-8 9 10 11-12 1 2-3 4 5 6-7 8

recover steal transport smuggle guard raid for destroy locate map or book precious metals, gems or jewellery religious artifact magic item trade goods or traditional items message

9 10 12 Eye

animal (s) a body a ship or vehicle special - something unique and/or famous

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 Eye

mistress/wife of employer guild member or a secret cult member a PC's friend or relative employer's friend or relative employer's rival or enemy noble/high status person govt. official or priest employer's master or a servant assassin or a thief guard or warrior merchant special - someone important such as a Council Captain

Do what to them?

1 2 3-4 5 6 7-8 9 10 12 Eye

Free Capture Guard Kill Find Transport/Guide Lure/Seduce Intimidate/Terrorise Blackmail reroll - a combination or complication

Places

1 Castle or manor house 2 Town or village 3 Swamp or river 4 Mountain or pass or valley 5 House or Manor House 6 Dock, Guild Hall or Warehouse 7 Dungeon or Cave 8 Palace 9 Temple or Shrine 10 Stable, Wall ,Bridge or other man made feature 12 Forest, Grove or other natural feature Eye somewhere unique and/or well-known or legendary, such as The Great Oasis

People

Who?

Where?

Do what at this place? 1-2

Find it 3 4-5 6-7 8 9

Capture It Map It Defend it Destroy It Hide It

10 12 Eye

Build It Besiege It Reroll - a combination or complication.

14

NPC & Creature Statsiv

General Format: Attribute Level; Specialties/Special Abilities; Distinctive Features; Endurance;Parry; Hope/Hate; Armour;Skills;Weapon Skills; Notes Ambassador Celin

Gondorian Ambassador

AL 6 Specialties: Region Lore- Southern Gondor, Swimming, Trading Distinctive Features - Cautious, Fair-spoken; End 25; Parry 6; Hope 9 (2 Shadow Pts); 3d Armour; Skills: Personality 4, Movement 2, Perception 3, Survival 2, Custom 4, Vocation 3 Weapons: Longsword 3, Bow 2, Dagger 2 Virtue: Noble Lineage - When using Inspire, roll Feat die twice & keep best result Lord Borathor

Admiral of the Haven & Council Captain

AL 9 Specialties: Boating, Epicure, Politics, Region Lore (Umbar, Bay of Belfalas, Bellakar), Sea-craft, Swimming, Trading DF: Bold, Cunning, Proud, Suspicious End: 27 Parry 8Hope 6 (4 Shadow Pts) 3d Armour Skills: Personality 3,Movement 4, Perception 5, Survival 3, Custom 3, Vocation 4 Weapons: Longsword 5, (Swords) 4, Great Bow 4, (Spears) 4, Dagger 4 Rewards: Blade of Numenor (Longsword) - Spend a pt of Hope after successful attack for automatic Piercing Blow, Numenorean Steel Bow (Great Bow) - if a G is rolled on the Feat die, target gets one less success die for Protection Test. Notes: Lord Borathor always has his sword at his side and keeps the bow in his private rooms- most of his other treasure is kept at Castle Marôs (this is true of all the Council Captains). As with the other Council Captains, he can summon 1 Feat die of Household knights to be with him within 1 Feat die/rounds of combat, and he is always accompanied by his Champion and his advisor. Lord Arkhad

Council Captain, responsible for the Prince's kidnapping

AL 9 Special Abilities: Commanding Voice (reduce Hate score by 1 to restore 1 Hate point to all his followers); No Quarter(if successfully knocked out a foe, spend 1 Hate to immediately roll a second attack with secondary weapon- target is considered killed if Great/Extraordinary Success); Savage Assault (a Great or Extraordinary Success spend 1 Hate to immediately attack same foe) End: 26 Parry: 6 Hate 8 Armour: 3d Skills: Personality 2, Movement 5, Perception 3, Survival 2, Custom 4, Vocation 3 Weapons: Longsword 5, (Swords) 3, Great Bow 4, (Spears) 3, Dagger 3. Rewards (see Lord Borathor's entry). Notes (see Lord Borathor). In addition to the pentacle on the roof, Lord Arkhad also has on his person some evil coins - these are actually coins minted by Sauron, possession of which grants 2 Shadow Points. He has not yet decided whether to try and 'introduce' such coins.

Ulbar the Innkeeper of Dark Horse

Dark Cultist & finder of the Temple

AL 4 Special Abilities: Dirty Fighting (spend 1 Hate pt to reduce foe's parry by 3), Craven (will flee if no Hate), Dreadful Spells (spend 1 Hate pt to make one foe make a Corruption Test - if failed foe gains 1 Shadow pt & suffers spell - Fair-seeming, Ulbar gets +2 to all Custom tests & +1 Tolerance) End: 15 Parry: 3 Hate: 4 Armour: 1d Skills: Personality 3, Movement 1, Perception 2, Survival 2, Custom 3, Vocation 4 Weapons: (Axes) 2, Dagger 1 Notes: Ulbar has no weapons on him, he will try to grab the dagger & axe from #7 if possible. He will be carrying them if on the way to the Temple. Dark Cultists Ulbar's followers (also use for Gastmorgath's followers - how many there are depends on how many PC's - at least one per PC) AL 3 Special Abilities: Craven, Overwhelm (If attack scores a Great/Extraordinary Success, spend Hate to cause target to be temporary Weary until end of current turn End: 13 Parry:4Hate: 3Armour: 2d Skills: Personality 2, Movement 2, Perception 2, Survival 2, Custom 2, Vocation 1 Weapon Skills: Short Sword 2,

Gwaerenduath the Dindair

The False Prince, servant of Herumor

Attribute Level 8 Personality 2 Movement 3 Perception 3 Survival 3 Custom 2 Vocation 2 Endurance 55 Hate 8 Parry 8 Armour 3d* Weapon Skill DMG Edge Injury Called Shot Javelins** 3 7 C 14 Poison Special Abilities: Dreadful Spell (Shadows and Phantoms): Reduce the Dindair’s Hate point score by one to gain one of the following effects: 1) reduce the Parry rating of a hero to the basic combat TN of their chosen stance; 2) gain a +2d Movement bonus to Stealth; 3) create completely illusionary persons within 1000’ feet (TN18 Awareness test to realize it is not real); 4) change the appearance of the landscape up to 8000’ feet in radius. Dreadful Spell (Veiling Shadow): Reduce the Dindair’s Hate point score by one to call down a cloud of shadow that covers an area with a radius of 80’. Hatred (Elves): When the Dindair is confronted by an elf, all its Weapon skills and Attack forms are considered to be favoured. In the Shadow of Others (expanded): The Dindair may imitate a single quality (attribute, skill, weapon, specialty, special ability, cultural blessing, physical appearance, virtue, etc.) of anyone in its shadow. The Dindair employs that quality with exactly the same magnitude as would the imitated person, including bonuses. However, the imitated person gains a +1d bonus to all tasks and tests against the Dindair. Gwaerenduath can also imitate a specific person, enough so that most observers are fooled into thinking they are talking to the target. This second affect requires Gwaerenduath to touch the victim it intends to imitate. Gwaerenduath can maintain this imitation for several hours/day, and the imitation gets better the longer it uses it. Javelins of Shadow**: Except when in direct light or absolute darkness, the Dindair can form javelins from the shadows. The Called Shot is a magical poison. A poisoned character is paralyzed and falls to the ground after one round, in addition to being considered to be Wounded. The effects of the poison wear off after one full day. Shadow Armour*: The Dindair is cloaked in shadows that provide it with the indicated armour, as well as protection against direct sunlight. If exposed to sunlight, 1d of armour burns away each minute until gone. After that, the Dindair sustains the effects of its Susceptibility to Sunlight normally. Each minute spent in shadow permits the Dindair to reweave 1d of its lost armour. Shadow Guise: The Dindair can alter its appearance slightly so that it may pass unnoticed and unmarked among other folk (TN18 Awareness test to recognize the deception). Shadow of Fear (TN 16): Reduce the Dindair’s Hate point score by one to force all companions to make a Fear test. Shadow Veil: The Dindair is shielded from all scrying attempts. Susceptible to Sunlight: The Dindair loses one point of Hate at the end of each round of combat if exposed to direct sunlight. Notes: Gwaerenduath has learned over many centuries of living amongst men how to deal with its sunlight weakness - it will always wear hooded robes that protect its face etc. during the day, and will always move to seek shadows wherever it can (Observant characters may

notice this). It prefers to move at night for obvious reasons, so once out in the desert will not move in the day - has a special tent brought along that provides extra darkness (with a pentacle). Gwaerenduath's main support is that it carries on its neck a Token of Morgoth in the shape of an iron pendant (with iron crown) - the Token allows Gwaerenduath to communicate with Herumor (in the middle of the night), to restore its Hate points and provide healing from any sunlight damage ( gets back 5/night of rest).

Dindair (when not in disguise) Gastmorgath

Head Priest of the Dark Religion in Umbar

AL 7 Special Abilities: Commanding Voice; Dreadful Spells - target makes a Wisdom test (TN 18) failure means suffers effect of spell - 1) Bladeshattering (1 Hate), 1 blade melts into smoke; 2) Dumbness - victim cannot speak for at least 10 minutes; 3) Create Fear- Gastmorgath gets +3 to any Awe tests to intimidate; 4)Sap Strength - target suffers a -2 to Body & -1 to all Fatigue tests, & must make a 2nd Wisdom test to avoid Fatigue increasing; 5)Words of Poison - target's attributes are reduced by 1/level of casting success, & any Persuade test is automatically successful. Endurance 18;Parry 5; Hate 8; Armour 2d (Robes of Shadow) Skills Personality 4, Movement 2, Perception 4, Survival 1, Custom 4, Vocation 3 Weapon Skills Quarterstaff 3, Dagger 2 Notes: Wears Robes of Shadow, a gift from Herumor that grant 2d protection. His staff is enchanted and evil (Shadow 2 pts) - restores all Hate points after a night's rest - It has a ruby jewel on the top, and the iron crown symbol etched into it. Dark Priests followers of Gastmorgath & the Dark Religion - roll 1 Feat die to determine how many present (minimum of 2 with Gastmorgath) AL 4 Special Abilities: Dreadful Spells - target makes a Wisdom test (TN 14) to avoid being effected;1)Bladeshattering - 1 blade melts into smoke; 2) Sap Strength - target suffers a -2 to Body & -1 to all Fatigue tests, & must make a 2nd Wisdom test to avoid increasing Fatigue Endurance: 15 Parry: 3 Hate: 3 Armour: 1d Skills: Personality 3, Movement 2, Perception 2, Survival 0, Custom 2, Vocation 1 Weapons: Club 2, Dagger 1 Chief Captains, Knights etc Faltur, Champions of the Captains etc. AL 6 Specialties: Enemy Lore (Gondorians); Saddle Born - can attack & defend as normal when mounted, spend a pt of Hope (or Hate) to remain mounted if ambushed; Sea craft - you know how to handle ships on the seas & all things pertaining to the sea

Endurance: 26 Parry: 7 Hope: 5 Armour: 5d (Mail hauberk) Skills: Personality 2, Movement 4, Perception 3, Survival 3, Custom 2, Vocation 4 Weapons: Longsword 5, all other close combat weapons 3, Great Bow 3, all other bows 2 Notes: These guys are the best warriors (save the Council Captains themselves) and are equipped as a result - they are either the Chief Captains for each Lord, or a designated Champion. One of these usually wins the Combat Trials held annually. Adsumeir has Perception 6 and Personality 6. Lesser NPC's Abdul, Zamin and any random locals encountered etc. AL 2 Specialties (choose from, whichever is appropriate): Boating, Cooking, Folk-lore, Gardening, Leechcraft, Herb-lore, Old Lore, Region Lore (Umbar), Sea craft, Swimming, Tunnelling Endurance: 12 Parry: 3 Hope: 6 Armour: 1d Skills: Personality 0, Movement 1, Perception 0, Survival 2, Custom 1, Vocation 2 Weapons: Dagger 1 - some may have Clubs 1 also). Corsair or Bandit Chief random encountered, such as Rathor/Tacour/Rodrig AL 5 Special Abilities: Commanding Voice, Overwhelm, Snake-like speed (1 hate to double basic Parry after a foe has made attack roll) Endurance: 20 Parry: 5+2 Hate: 5 Armour: 3d+1 Skills: Personality 4, Movement 3, Perception 2, Survival 3, Custom 3, Vocation 2 Weapons: Longsword 3, Dagger 2 Corsairs/Bandits randomly encountered or followers of Rathor/Tacour AL 4 Special Abilities: Craven, Dirty Fighting, Overwhelm, Savage Assault Endurance: 15 Parry: 5 Hate: 3Armour: 2d +1 Skills: Personality 1, Movement 2, Perception 2, Survival 2, Custom 2, Vocation 1 Weapons: (Choose from) Axe/Club/Bow/Short Sword 2, Axe/Club/Bow/Dagger 2 (Choose One)

15

Adventure Resolution

After a few days (the Loremaster to use judgment here) the Gondorian Ambassador Celin orders to see the PC's again and asks about their investigations, how he acts depends on how they went in Scene 1, and on their subsequent investigations. He tells the PC's (if they have

not found out by now) about the deception, and that he has 'other people' now trying to locate the real prince etc, so he now wants them to locate the false prince, capture him and question him about why the deception was done..... If the PC's have not found the false prince's trail, Ambassador Celin tells them that the impostor was last seen heading east along the Rath Khand with a few others and appeared to heading for An Karagmir, the oasis town directly east of Umbar. The PC's can spend no more than two days in preparation in Celin's view, or the false prince will have too much of a head start. Journey Planning etc. is discussed in Adventure 2 - A Pursuit into the Desert! Awarding Points At this point all players should check that their skill boxes have 3 checks next to them, if not then as Loremaster firstly go over the Adventure with the players to see if anything was missed that deserved an Advancement Point as per the guidelines on p.30 of LMB. The Loremaster may wish to give out some bonus Advancement Points if he/she thinks they are merited (only if a PC does not have the 3 checks). The Loremaster also hands out bonus Experience Points - each PC gets 1 bonus point if they contributed to the unmasking of the 'false prince', and each PC also gets 1 bonus point if they contributed to the defeat of the Mulkherhil & the destruction of Morgoth's temple.

i

PC's can access this information with successful Lore rolls - TN depends on information sought, default TN 14 ibid. iii Taken from Runequest: Cities, can be adapted for other cities. iv In general I only call an NPC an adversary if they are clearly so, not just a Loremaster character 'on the other side' thus Hope unless clearly an adversary. I have not included any Creature stats as this is meant to be an adventure dealing with NPC's - Creature stats will be in Advenuture 2, otherwise use Loremaster Book as a guide for the creatures. ii