What to do at Ettenmoors?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Well, I don't know if this is the right place, but who else could help me better than experienced Downers I am calling especially to you who have experience with creating your own roleplaying settings, your own adventures.

I have the following problem. As some of you may know, I am leading - "DungeonMaster-ing" a group of Dungeons&Dragons players. The place is Middle-Earth. We are not playing "classic" D&D. It's Middle-Earth, there are no teleports and similar things, and the game is very, very much roleplaying-based. Now we had a long-time pause (about half a year) when we did not play, but we are going to resume playing soon (hopefully).

My problem is, I have reached probably a "DM-crisis" state. My mind, otherwise full of ideas, is now empty. I have certain long-term plan with the group, but now I am totally out of ideas.

They just arrived at the Last Bridge. This morning (in-game), they will cross it. They're heading for Rivendell, but Ettenmoors is such a beautiful place to put an interesting one-session adventure before they reach Rivendell.

The company is: one old Elf, weary, wizardish, sort of a mentor, like Gandalf. A little girl, halfling, but lived in wilderness for who knows what reason almost all her life. Is just very slowly coming to understand the "large world" and is more at home in nature than among people. But she has some special powers she does not quite understand - the Elf decided that it is his duty to look after her. Then there is one warrior (hunter) from South, from the wilderness of Enedwaith, from where he came during the Fell Winter (the year is now 1312 SR). He ventured as far as the Shire, where the locals were afraid of him, and here he came to know the Elf and the girl. They ventured away from the Shire, experienced many things, and recently, they dared to accompany some Dwarves on their quest east, and now they reached the borders of Ettenmoors.

It's very briefly said, if any of you understand Czech, you can read about it more at http://fellowship.ic.cz But the main thing I wanted was to ask if anyone has any idea what to let them do at Ettenmoors...

I will provide more information if anyone is willing to help me.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

My problem is, I have reached probably a "DM-crisis" state. My mind, otherwise full of ideas, is now empty. I have certain long-term plan with the group, but now I am totally out of ideas.

Sounds all too familiar...

Ettenmoors...

Well, to be boring you can make them get lost. That's what happens in the moors. Yet I don't think that's enough for an adventure...

Ettenmoors are also called the troll-fells, so I guess you could introduce some troll trouble. For example, making trolls catch one or two or all of the characters and making the players to try to get out of the trolls' pot might be interesting.
Or maybe they could meet an Elf whose companion(s) has/have been taken by trolls and (if the characters are helpful enough) they could help him recover them.

As to Elves in trouble they could also meet some Elf who's lost something or someone and they must help him/her to do some detective work.

There are swampy places in moors - you could use that to your advantage and make someone drown or almost drown.

That's what comes to my mind first.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Thank you very much... maybe I will use something... you know, ideas like being waylaid by trolls came to my mind, but that's too easy and too short. Hmm... maybe the "pot adventure" may be interesting... and the "Elf who lost something" is also interesting idea, if I expand it somewhat, it could come into an interesting adventure. There could be also Dúnedain patrolling the area, maybe it could be even a Dúnadan and not just Elf walking there (not to spoil with the Elves too much)...

My imagination generally needs at least a "kick" to get running, hopefully you provided it... but I am still open to more ideas, of course...

[Rumil]

Turning to the Tale of the Years,

In 2912 (=SR1312 right!?) - The White Wolves invaded the Shire and great floods finally devastated Tharbad.

Therefore much potential for wolf attacks as well as trolls, trouble crossing rivers, possibly even trouble crossing rivers due to troll bridges while chased by wolves? (on no account allow your characters to mention billy goats!)

There could be a tragic scene of Chieftain Argonui of the Dunedain (can't quite figure from t'internet whether he died or retired in 2912) or the joyous accession of Arador (Aragorn's grandpa)

On a happier note you could always meet young Arathorn (39) (perhaps aiding in the whole wolf/troll/flood scenario) and even be invited to Gilraen's 5th birthday party at Rivendell!

I for one hope there was lots of jelly and trifle and that Mithrandir turned up to do the magic tricks !

And you could shamelessly borrow plot from the Barrowdowns itself!
http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=5728

Cheers,

Rumil

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Borrow? That's not too nice. But no, that does not go well with my professional pride, if you understand me

But actually, we have already experienced the Fell Winter, it's autumn '12 now (the winter was 2911-12 TA), they had wolf packs in the Shire... of course this was why I chose the year in the first place Besides that, they were during the spring floods on Brandywine and the river took them past Haysend, and they had to make it back to Buckland on foot through the Old Forest. They've also solved some trouble caused in Bree by certain Southlanders who had to leave Tharbad due to the floods, saved one of them from a Barrow-wight (who caught him when they were passing Andrath). Argonui is already dead, but I'm planning to introduce young Arathorn to them later - but there is time.

Good point about the wolves, though, I almost forgot about them. There are very probably still some in the woods, certainly at Ettenmoors. The company is on the road now, but it will be good to get them somehow off the road to get them lost... maybe Lommy's "elf's lost item" could do the trick... or something else. Anyways, thanks - and I am still welcoming more input

[Rumil]

Hi Legate,

oops sorry regarding the 'borrowing'. I think what I had in mind was some sort of subtle crossover between the two stories, like your party comes across mysterious hobbit tracks in the snow, finds items lost by the other party or has an encounter with enemies defeated by the 'Downers' party etc. I like this sort of thing because it gives an impression that oher people are also around in the area on their own business. In a way a bit like the mentions of Gondolin in The Hobbit, which give glimpses of other stories. On the other hand it looks as if your timeframe doesn't match so probably this wouldn't work.

So, hoomm, what happens after the floods have subsided? You've already had the Tharbad refugees, and it seems likely that a great natural disaster would force migration of both people and animals. I'd also guess that by autumn many people would be getting desperate for food after just making it through the Fell Winter then perhaps having their crops destroyed by flooding.

Meanwhile the after-effects of the flood will still be felt, bridges and roads washed away, landslides still not cleared up. That's a point, who would clear up landslides etc? I guess you could come across a Dwarven waggon train stuck on the road and having to improvise a bridge, meanwhile trying to keeping the trolls at bay. Could be a chance for a bit of problem-solving how to get the road repaired and a rescue mission to find any travellers who have mysteriously disappeared in the night, folowing the muddy troll or wolf-prints.

On a darker note, perhaps alongside one of the fast flowing streams of the moors flash-flooding has uncovered Something Which Was Better Left Undisturbed (tombs, mewlips, nameless things which gnaw the world below etc).

By the way I like the website (even though I don't know any Czech) and its both cool and weird to see the maps in another language!

Cheers