Without an identify, these items are too hard to determine, but Gil-Gandel knows enough that the old Dunedain Blade is not going to be as effective as one from Gondolin. It won't do double damage but is likely just makes it easier to hit and damage.
Rorimac realizes reading from the Ranger book with the help of Belethil again, that he will be able to learn a wide variety of spells that he has seen Mages and Druids use.
Deor will go ahead and Identify the longsword, since there seems to be so much interest. He'll leave the other items for later identification, depending on what else we can find in barrows today.
The Long Sword identifies as +2 but +5 vs Orcs with +10 damage.
"Shall we move on to Tarcil's Barrow?"
"Very well," says Thoroncir. "And I decline use of the longsword we found; I think Arcirist is better-suited for the work at hand."
"I agree that we should move to the next barrow."
I had suggested the King's Barrow next, with a brief look over the Prince's Barrow if necessary as it had been cleared. But if you want to go to Tarcil's barrow, it's that way.
Rorimac will take the book of Spells for rangers. Mulligan will pass.
Sensing a decision needs to be made and people feel uneasy taking from the resting place Gilraen speaks up, “As a descendant of Valandur, I will ask each of you to take an item from here to ensure the spell is broken. I will make this simple in this case and distribute them myself.” After a pause and a nod of encouragement from Haladain, Gilraen continues.
“Gil-Gandel please take this mithril arrow and may it fly true into whichever foe troubles you in the future.
Rorimac, I can think of none better to learn from this tomb of ancient knowledge on Ranger lore and hopefully Drindoleth & Deor can assist you with it.
Ceol please take the Long Sword and put it to good use. Perhaps someday the smiths of Rivendell can further enchant it for you.
Thoroncir, my love, please take the chain mail, it is well made and crafted and will protect you better than your current mail. It will not slow you down and will allow you to better protect others if you yourself are protected.
Drindoleth, there is little here for you, so please take this gold chain and medallion, gift to another or use it in trade someday far from Bree.
Deor, Mulligan & Bitur, they are not much but please each of you take a magic dagger. A good knife that will not break cannot be a bad thing to have. Perhaps they will prove better. They appear to be of excellent balance and make. ,
Cwenhild, please take this Dwarven Short sword of Belegost. I know you will use it well.
Wilfrid, it appears this shield should be an improvement on yours. Use it in good health.
Haladain, I hope you can put this bow to good use.
I will take the other Short Sword and gift it to someone else eventually.
Thoroncir, Ceol and Gil-Gandel, please just shoot the remaining 15 arrows as far from here as possible in 15 directions. This leaves only coins and minor items; Let us quickly scatter them around this hill and ride on.”
With only a little more time spent to complete this request, the party can head off. Haladain supports Rorimac, “Going to the King’s Barrow next is the best choice as then we can sweep south from it to hit the others. It is nearing 3pm and 12 miles by air to the King’s Barrow but 15 as we must ride. I believe we can be there just after 5pm and sunset should around 8pm. ”
Gilraen says, “If you are lucky enough to travel with Rangers, it is only wise to follow their travel suggestions. It think 3 hours should prove long enough for one more barrow.”
"Well I certainly hope I can learn something from this book", says Rorimac.
Mulligan starts pondering, "Very well Gilraen, if it will help to break the spell on these items, I will take a dagger. It is a fair blade, and will hopefully come in useful at some point."
Once the items have been distributed, Rorimac will lead the way as quickly as he can to the King's Barrow.
Gil-Gandel scatters his share of the disposable arrows far and wide with the alacrity that the company have come to expect, then mounts up and prepares for the off.
Bitur will take his dagger.
"I guess it won't hurt to have a well made dagger in case I ever find myself lacking an axe."
Thoroncir bows to his true love, the wise, gracious and passing fair Gilraen, and says, "If it is your wish, my lady, and if our companions have no objection, I shall do as you suggest and take the chainmail." He will don the mail upon emerging from the barrow, and will bundle and secure his old suit of mail upon his saddle.
The party makes better than expected time with the aid of some helpful birds via the Druid. It is at about 15 to 5pm the party arrives at the King's Barrow.
Thoroncir says with a smile, "Would our burrahobbits be so kind...?"
"Of course, I'll start looking at the entrance now, but you know, I've never seen anyone call Bitur a burrahobbit before", says Mulligan with a sly wink in the dwarf's direction.
Deor lift the dagger curiously, hefts it to feel the weight, and tucks it into a pocket inside his robe.
The King's Barrow: There is a barrier against Good formed by the circle of stones before the door can be reached. It keeps out Gilraen and the Paladins and affects everyone else but the Druid.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ingsBarrow.jpg
"By now Bitur is almost an honorary burrahobbit, is he not?" Thoroncir says in jest.
Huh. Deor will inspect the stones for runes, markings, and other possible magical focuses.
Mulligan will do the same as Deor. She will also see what happens if she puts her ring on, and if it has any effect other than summoning wraiths, seeing as it supposed to be an evil ring.
Gil-Gandel, suppressing a shudder at the palpable blasphemy of this place, inspects the stones for ancient writings, and also tries to call to mind any stories of similar places in history and legend.
The 3 study the stones and Bitur can point of the fresher marks and runes. The stones date from early in the third age and the marks vary from the same time to many from around 1600s which Haladain confirms as when the wights first arrived following the dreadful plague of 1636-37. Then there are some newer runes from maybe 60-70 years ago. It is these that the three interpret to be a Protection from Good enhancement.
Gilraen will attempt a Dispel Magic on it. She warns everyone to be ready to move if it works as the wight could put another spell up. Her spell fails.
Drinoleth offers to try. His Dispel Magic succeeds. Gilraen has a Detect Magic up and warns there is magic on the door itself.
Deor will continue to investigate the magic on the door; can he tell what the magic is or does?
Thoroncir, increasingly uneasy in this accursed place, stands near Gilraen, with his longsword Arcirist drawn and ready to protect her against any foe.
Ceol's face had shown his extreme discomfort, caused by the evil of the stones' spell. With Drindoleth's successful spell, his discomfort eases, but only a bit.
"We will need to be on our utmost guard as we enter. The evil here has undoubtedly festered."
Once again, I can sing that door open if you want. I'm also immune to poison and nearly incombustible, though there are many other magicks against which I am as vulnerable as the rest of us.
The door is of hard magical stone and has so many runes on it that it is reveal little to study. It does however radiate a strong evil and foul magic of the wraith world. Rorimac & Gil-Gandel both feel touching the door would be very dangerous. Deor realizes this door might need an identify at distance to get past it protections. Mulligan is sure she wants nothing to do with it. On thing Gil-Gandel picks up with his knowledge of legends is that this door will not be any more breakable then the walls of the Orthanc and bypassing will probably prove very tough. The feeling of old evil and power is much greater here then the prior barrow. Using Belethil, Rorimac makes out the oldest runes have been reworked with Black Speech.
Gilraen suggests, "If we get through the door in a timely fashion, we should take every precaution available in terms of helpful spells and protections. This may well be the barrow that Kkósal seeks."
"I thought this was just a practice run for the real thing, Gilraen," jokes Mulligan, "But that front door is giving me the creeps just being near it. This place is seething with Dark Magic and I doubt I could fool it with this ring as well. I'm going to have a look around the rest of the hill see if there are any other holes leading in. But before I check for any traps on that door, you are going to need to remove the magic surrounding it."
She stops and thinks for a moment.
"If this is the barrow that Kkósal is seeking, then he is not going to be fighting his way through lots of dark magic and protections and wraiths and such to retrieve whatever he is looking for. He is going to know how to get in. I feel like saying I should be saying the Black speech version of mellon to the door and see if it opens."
"If so, Princess, then this will prove to be a stern test of our resolve, indeed."
Ceol will take Wilfrid and Cwenhild to one side of the doors, and lead the three of them in a prayer to Eonwë, requesting strength of both body and will in the upcoming encounter.
"Would it be possible," Thoroncir says thoughtfully, "to seal it from without by use of white magic, both to confine its present evil within, and to bar passage inside to Kkósal and his dark ilk?"
"I wonder if that would be enough. Even if that prevented Kkosal from entering, it would not defeat him. Only by entering and ensuring that we find the relic of the Witchking can we know that we have actually dealt a blow to Kkosal."
Oh, and Deor didn't prepare ID at Distance today. Unless we want to take a couple hours for him to restudy, we'll need to find another way.
"Unfortunately, those would be the two hours we would need to get off the Barrow Downs before night fell. If we are going that route, we should find out as much as we can about the barrow here and now and return at first light."
Rorimac ponders the possibilities
"Mulligan does have a good point though. How would Kkosal get through the magic on this barrow, especially if it is that secure? Maybe just singing it open is not only the obvious way, but the correct way to do it. Once the door is open, we can see what further barriers may prevent us moving in to the barrow."
Gilraen will ask the 3 Paladin's to support in their prayers and Thoroncir to support her physically while she attempts to dispel magic on the strong evil on the door. If she succeeds, then Gil-Gandel should be able to sing the door open. She asks Mulligan to keep a check on the magic of the door as this is happening. Bitur, please be ready to spike/block the door well once it is open. She hands him her Short sword from the last barrow. At least we'll know if the strong spell is dispelled.
Moving this along as I know the players will be willing ...
Gilraen begins casting Dispel Magic, she is holding aloft the Light of Galadriel, her Golden Bauble in her right hand with the gift from her Uncle, Elrohir, the Ring that helps her Dispel Magic. In her left hand she holds Rod of Kanotir, but mainly for focus and luck. Missy is on shoulder for support and the 3 Holy Knights lend their own prayers and Thoroncir is holding Gilraen firmly to support her.
At first it seems the spell is not working and the skies seem to grow darker at least around the mound but then her Bauble blazes and some of the runes melt off the door. Gilraen is thrown back but Thoroncir is right there to catch and hold her. She is visibly pale and beads of sweat can be seen on her forehead despite the coolness inside the stone circle.
Mulligan confirms, the strongest magic is gone and the Paladins feel far less strong evil from the door.
Gil-Gandel Sings the door open, overpowering the magic of the wight. Bitur forces the door open and uses the spare magic short sword from Gilraen to spike it open.
Gilraen whispers, “Now prepare your magics to fight what waits below. I will sing some help that should last 18 minutes after I stop singing. ” She casts her Estë Prayer song, all get +1 Save and -1 to be hit and damage.
Drindoleth hands everyone 8 Goodberries. Each will heal a point of damage he reminds.
Who will lead the way once preparations are done?
"I'll go first", says Mulligan, "Mainly because I can see any magic down there and any invisible creatures that may happen to cross our path. I can also run faster than any of you. The rest of you form up behind."
As the party sorts itself out and gets ready, Mulligan spies ahead a little and sees that the passage is 8’ wide and descends in a circular spiral widening as it goes. Nothing of note is visible from the doorway.
Thoroncir is worried about Gilraen's condition, but knows that time is now of the essence. "I am right behind you, my dear Mulligan," he says, stepping forward.
Ceol nods, and steps up beside his friend Thoroncir. "As am I."
Bitur takes up position next to Ceol and Thoroncir.
"Me as well."
"And of course."
Looks like being a bit tight for effective archery though.
Any extra prep? Spells or potions? etc?
Ceol will imbibe his Potion of Superheroism (which I believe he still has) immediately before the party enters.
"Give her a bit of room, she'll be fine and she will find it before we do."
Rorimac unsheathes Kkosal's Bane and looks at it glinting in the light.
"Ok, Bitur, with me at the front. Thoroncir take the left, Ceol take the right. Cwenhild, Wilfred, back them up. Gil-Gandel, Deor, arrows and spells. Drindoleth, Gilraen keep us safe and whole. Ceol, Cwenhild, Wilfred, any further protections you may have, against the evil resident here, would be welcome. Haladain, if we get into trouble, get back to Bree and let my father know what happened here."
He suddenly realises everyone is looking down at him.
"Umm, if that's alright with everyone."
Mulligan looks back from the doorway, having heard this, and whispers quietly to herself and elven ears, "I think he'll do just fine as an officer." She marks a point of return with Heliox and then steps through the threshold looking for the invisible and the magical before carefully moving slowly down the corridor checking for traps.
Thoroncir jokes to break the tension, "Did the King appoint you to command this party while Gil-Gandel and I were distracted, O gallant Rorimac?"
"Not that we're complaining. As good a plan as I can think of, anyway."
Rorimac goes through couples of shades of scarlet.
"Gil-Gandel, Thoroncir, please accept my apologies."
"None are needed. We are at your disposal," says Gil-Gandel, tolerantly but with evident sincerity.
"Indeed. Your plan is a good one, Rorimac. If we are ready, let us proceed."
The party begins to descend the circling ramp that spirals to the left and grows larger as it goes down. It gets as wide as the stone circle above.
It takes 3 full circuits bringing you down 60’ before coming to the first door off the passage. The door is to the left leading into the center of the hill. The passage continues downward.
The door is very odd. In fact many see that it is but a phantom door of magic. There is a great fear for all though even contemplating trying to pass through this dark magic. Even Elven feel it.
Rorimac Bitur
Thoroncir Ceol who is effectively 10th with 24 extra HP (103) for 28 rounds
Cwenhild Wilfred
Gil-Gandel Deor arrows and spells
Drindoleth Gilraen
Mulligan will do a brief check of the door for magic and traps if she can stand it and let the others know what she can find.
Mulligan with her hardy Hobbit reserve of willpower overcomes her fear of the door and finds it is of magic and not physical. She cannot pick it and suspects a knock will not work. Though perhaps Gil-Gandel's song would have a better chance then Deor's spell.
Assuming Gil-Gandel will try, as he sings his song of opening he feels that while this won't work; a twist of the tune with some of what he learned from Tom Bombadil should dispel the magic of this door. He can choose to put the equivalent of 2 third level spells into it to do so and should have an excellent chance.