Episode 5: Dwimmerhorn Discovered

General Summary

During the night, while Amalfrida is on watch she detects a 10 ft. tall lumbering humanoid snuffling its way towards their campsite. She rouses the fellowship and battle is soon joined with the fearsome beast. Meaty fists rain down on Amalfrida and Monin, while Hathus assists by improving Amalfrida's resolve, and Sigmarr snipes from the flank. The giant is eventually slain and the relief is palpable. In the morning they follow its tracks and discover a shallow rift cavern in the woods, an obvious site of a troll-hole. A brief investigation in the stink and mire of the floor reveals a tidy sum of gold coins. A tired party eventually arrive back at Mountain Hall where they brief Hartfast on the scale of the threat in the Gladden Fields/ Byrgol is instrumental in convincing the old warrior to take the rumours seriously. Hartfast interrogates the fellowship about the Orcs in the region, particularly numbers and whether they had seen any veterans. He grunts when the group state that they have no first-hand evidence, and summons a young, bubbly Woodwoman by the name of Banna. Banna is one of Radagast the Brown's messengers and immediately rubs the tired, despondent party the wrong way with her incessant cheeriness. By the end of the meeting the fellowship agree to return to The Dwimmerhorn with a small skiff and crew and gain better intelligence. The crew is glad to hear that Banna will not be accompanying them but offers to trek back to Rhosgobel to bring news to Radagast the Brown.

After a welcome night sleep in a warm common room, and a short visit to the trading store to restock, Monin drafts a letter for his kin in the Blue Mountains, advising of a possible alliance with the men of Mountain Hall. Before too long the fellowship resolutely sets off. A few days later, and across the South side of the Gladden River, the Hobbit Byrgol leads them unerringly to the imposing black rock rising from the marshes. They have found The Dwimmerhorn. The fellowship plan to dig in and observe for a few days. By the second morning they are confident that patrols of Orcs only routinely come and go at night. Sigmarr feels confident that he can use the secret goat path described by Walar to spy on the compound behind the perimeter wall at the top of the mound. He uses the knowledge of the Orc weakness in daylight to mount the Eastern escarpment and circumnavigate most of the perimeter wall. Nervous companions are relieved to see him return as a weak sun reaches it's zenith.