The Glaurung Prepares to Sail!

[joe5mc]

I'm just about ready to launch my solo Lord of the Rings campaign, here's where it stands...



Six months have passed since Denethor tasked his nephew Breged and the aged seer Mandracoth with the recovery of the ancient Nauglamír. To aid in their task, the shipwrights of Dol Amroth have spent months crafting a mighty vessel, the ship called the Glaurung. With room for a crew of thirty, Breged and Mandracoth have recruited warriors from far and wide. Along with a complement of the best soldiers of Minas Tirith, they have gained the services of a number of mighty heroes. From Gondor came the Lady Valetha of Pennith Gelin, Darcaven of Lossarnach, Galinor of Pelargir, and Althérion, the Sea Prince of Tolfalas, with a contingent of his household guard. From further afield they recruited Halvarn the Reiver, an experienced sailor; Traegan of Dale, a far traveller and herbalist; Peldroc the Hunter; and Rymond the Breelander, a master of languages. Finally, Breged’s mother, Princess Ivriniel of Dol Amroth, offered the services of her personal ship captain, Nereth, to guide the vessel.



On the night before the vessel was set to depart, Princess Ivriniel summoned all of the crew to a great feast in their honour. All attended, except for Peldroc, who claimed illness. During the feast, many great tales were sung of ancient seafarers and their voyages of exploration. Then Prince Imrahil stood up and spoke. He wished good fortune upon the travellers and offered hope that the stars would eventually guide them home.



Then his sister, Princess Ivriniel, stood. She added her wishes to those of her brother, but also gave out small gifts of appreciation to those who would travel with her son. To Traegan she gave a book of southern herblore, to Halvarn a pipe carved of bone, said to keep away insects. To Rymond she gave a runic scroll, to help communicate with those who shared no language. Galinor received a ring, whose small diamonds glowed faintly with blue light. To Darcaven she gave a silver whistle that sang with bird song, while Valetha received a string of obsidian beads, whose rattle spoke to snakes. To Peldroc she sent a leather pouch, which water could never enter, and to Mandracoth she offered a wooden staff, carved in runes of old that no one could now decipher.



Finally, the Princess turned to her son. To Breged she said she had a mightier gift, but one that came with an obligation. Then she told the story of her grandfather, Imrathel, who led an expedition against the pirate port of Arech in Harad. It was a famous tale in Dol Amroth, of the successful, yet doomed mission, that left Arech an abandoned ruin, watched over only by the dead. Somewhere in those ruins, Imrathel’s body lay, and with it, his great sword Skymír. Ivriniel tasked her son to visit Arech, to find the tomb of his ancestor, to return with his bones if he could, and to claim the sword as his own, to aid him on his greater quest.



The feast continued long into the night, but slowly, one by one, the heroes slipped away and made their way back to their lodgings near the harbour, near where the Glaurung waited quietly to take them into unknown lands...

To catch up on the whole story, check out the dedicated page on my blog:

http://therenaissancetroll.blogspot.co.uk/p/glaurung.html

[Mason]

A nice bit of storytelling.
I shall follow with much interest.
 

[Nord]

Now that's how you launch a campaign. Excellent!

[commissarmoody]

The hero's are feasted! Now off to adventure!

[von Lucky]

It's all coming together.

I'm going to try that for my next gift giving: "my present's in a faraway city; it's your task to find the diamond necklace honey."

[fastolfrus]

This one is currently crossing the North Sea:

http://www.dragonharaldfairhair.com/

70 tons, seats 120 (!), (needs 100 to man the oars).....

[FramFramson]

Wooo, glad to see this is going ahead. Great stuff!

[Doomhippie]

... and off we go! I'm really excited by this thread. Keep it coming.

[Argonor]

Nice!

Were did you get the Glaurung? (I suppose it's a resin ship?)

[joe5mc]

Thanks guys. Your praise and support, really helps me push forward with the project.

The ship is resin - the hull anyway. It comes from Gripping Beast. I added the mast and the tent.

[Little Odo]

Its great to see them all together ready for their adventures - I am looking forward to reading the tales of the Glaurung

[Smith]

I still think that tent is the addition that really makes the Glaurung. Great stuff, and a definite motivation to get my Corsairs out to oppose you (one day).

[Jevenkah]

Hurrah! I love the way the sail turned out.

The crew looks ready to handle anything you're about to throw at them.

A toast to the brave warriors!
Jevenkah

[beefcake]

Great work on that. The minis all look great together with the colours you have used