After travelling through Eriador for quite a while, Thoronmir was surprised that the group had seen no sign of their enemies yet. The group stopped for the night at the edge of several ominous-looking rocky hills. Thorny scrub brush and gnarly, stunted trees were all that grew in this desolate place. They had finally come to the outskirts of Fornost.
"These lands were once covered by green forests and plains, and the city nearby was the capital of a great empire that kept this country safe from evil for many years. At least that was how it was before," Thoronmir was saying as they sat around the fire that night. "A shadow had grown and taken shape in the north near the Misty Mountains, and the Orcs and evil men of Angmar, as it was called then, fought many wars against the men of Arnor. Fornost was taken over by their ruler, who was known as the Witch King."
Everybody who had heard of the War of the Ring felt a chill in their hearts at hearing that name again.
"Eventually, Fornost was recaptured, but the shadow remains, and to this day the area is known as Deadman's Dike. I fear that there may still be some evil there. We'd do best to sleep in watches tonight. Two of us will stay awake for an hour, then wake the next two watchers before going to sleep."
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I ♣ baby seals.
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