Episode 5: The Gibbet King

General Summary

The Final Assault

In the light of hundreds of torches and fires, an army of Orcs swarms across the bridge, driven by terror of something behind them. There are more Orcs than can easily be counted. Judging from the devices on their shields, Hathus, Arahad and Monin identify the bulk of the host as fierce Orcs out of southern Mirkwood, reinforced by the survivors of the Battle of Five Armies and Northeners from the Misty Mountains.
The assault on Celduin begins in the dead of night and is relentless. Wave after wave of orcs throw themselves down the bridge, sweeping away the barriers placed by the fellowship to delay progress. Many of the Celduin Guard fall beneath the unceasing volleys of orc arrows, although the defenders on the Gatehouse manage to repel every orc climbing the structure.

The Gibbet King Comes

An hour before dawn, and any chance of reinforcements from the North arriving, a new horror appears on the far side of the river. In the wavering light, the companions see a wooden cart, drawn by a pair of black horses. On the cart stands an iron cage, a gibbet containing a rotting human corpse, little more than a skeleton held together with blackened sinews and rags. At the arrival of the horrifying cart, the orc host on the bridge cower back and flee to the far end, away from the weaith. The same unholy light that was in Beoric's eyes dances in the skeleton's eye-sockets. The skeleton seems to sniff the air before he raises one bony hand and points it at Arahad.

Ah, a pale imitation of the great Dúnedain of ages past. I smell your fear little man. Your hopes for vengeance are about to be extinguished. The Lieutenant will be pleased to know the madman's son has been found once again. Found and Killed!

Arahad freezes in terror and, as Hathus bends down to tend to his paralyzing fear, the cart rattles down the slope towards the tollhouse. The spirit exerts its power on the portcullis, causing the iron wheels to slowly grind backwards and the portcullis to rise as the cart approaches. Faces grim, the fellowship walk out onto the bridge to meet the wraith, silhouetted by the tollhouse torches.
Arahad reveals hie lineage with a flourish, which causes the Gibbet King to cower away from him, and the fellowship risk everything to surround the cart. After disconnecting the horses, and with a mighty heave, the four heroes manage to drag the cart scraping over the flagstones on the bridge and dump it and the wraith into the rapid waters of the Celduin. In an instant, the shadow dread emanating from the creature disappears, and the orc host scatters screaming.

The Army of the North

As dawn breaks, King Bard and his allies reach Celduin. His host crosses the bridge at the Crossings amid the cheers of the exhausted villagers, and falls upon the Orcs before they reorganize themselves. Warriors from Dale, archers from Lake-town and many stout dwarven warriors from the Mountain and the Iron Hills utterly crush the enemy and win a glorious victory.
The first evening after the clean up of Celduin begins, King Bard provides a rich reward to the fellowship for their heroic service to the realm.
There is one curious and worrisome footnote to the whole affair. Among all the combatants who participated and survived the battle, no one brings back news of the Gibbet King. It is as though the spirit has once again vanished into shadow...

Rewards Granted

• Cruel Meg
• Dark Lore Star
• War-horn of Harn Baland
• Shoes of Terlayne

Report Date

13 Dec 2020

Primary Location

Crossings of Celduin