Hunt for the Palantíri RPG

[piosenniel]

Rinfanawen's post

Diera stood in the tight hall below deck trying to concentrate on the ship and what needs needed to be met. She was cold. Long had her journey to this forgotten land in the North kept her in freezing temperatures, but she tries not to think of it very often. The ship continued to toss violently on the waves. She felt her nerves rise inside of her as she thought of the rolling waves and pouring rain outside.

As much as she tried to force her mind away from the pressing storm, the only though she could think to was the thought of the Lossoth. Strange creatures they were to her. Those who actually found comfort in such places as this land were certainly not those of her liking, but Marreth found success in them, so she had to continue to trust in the odd Snowmen of the North. Snowmen they were, indeed. Diera knew that they were sent to this land for a purpose, and perhaps that purpose was to help them recover the lost Palantiri. She only hoped.

Diera began to think strongly on the matter of the Palantiri. We've been searching for so long, she thought. Those hopeless natives have helped us little...but not anymore. As soon as this storm ends, I will take my request to Marreth to get more Lossoth to join in our search. They must help. They are the only ones who have adapted to this wretched land well enough to stay under the water long enough. Our people have suffered too much. Far too long...

Suddenly her thoughts were broken by footsteps coming down the hall. She jumped slightly, solely for the reason that she was torn so quickly from thinking, as her friend and fellow shipmate, Doyal, turned the corner. He seemed troubled as well. Water dripped from his clothing as he walked.

"It feels as if it's going to blow us over up there," Doyal sighed as he approached Diera. "The storm has picked up a bit."

Diera stared at him in shock. She spoke in great sarcasm, "Even more? Great, and I was just beginning to get my mind off of the tidal waves outside."

"What's your problem? I thought you loved the sea...more than anything, you say," said Doyal.

"There is no problem," replied Diera seriously. "I think we should get back on deck anyway now that the storm has worsened."

Diera and her shipmate began to walk towards the entrance to the deck, but they were stopped quickly by an order from Marreth...to follow him on deck. Diera said nothing of the order and did as her captain commanded. She barely made it out of the door before Marreth was at the rail and staring at what appeared to be an Elven ship on the rushing waves.

"Look there," Marreth said as he turned to Doyal and Diera. "We have company, and I fear they are up to no good."

Diera stared at the distant vessel in anger as she thought of the risk the Palantiri were in of falling into evil hands. The Elves were not going to find them...no matter what it took.

[piosenniel]

Kitanna's post

The wind was violent today and Nilak was relieved to finally be safe in the cabin of the Corsair ship. He had been out in the storm helping to secure the rigging. It had been a hard day and for Nilak it was only getting worse.

Sitting before him in the cabin was Sernir, who was whittling away at a piece of wood. His face was angry and his eyes were just little slits in his face. “You said you had the best trained seals in the land. Yet here you are with nothing.” Sernir put down his dagger and the piece of wood. His grey eyes bore into Nilak’s, but still Nilak held his ground. “You are as worthless as all the other Lossoths.”

“I am doing what I can.” Nilak responded in the calmest voice he could find. Sernir was testing his patience.

“Need I remind you what is at stake? If you do not find this treasure then you will get nothing.” The Corsair could tell he had hit a nerve. This Lossoth was driven by his greed and Sernir could use that as motivation. Sernir rose from his seat and walked to the window of his cabin. He was looking at nothing, just staring blankly into space thinking of all he would gain if the Lossoth found the Stones first. Then he thought of what he would lose if Nilak failed.

“It is getting colder every waking hour and the storm is getting more violent. Soon even my seals will not be able to dive for these precious stones of yours.” Nilak said. Sernir stopped gazing out the window and glared at Nilak once more. “You ask the impossible of me. What is so important about these Stones anyway?”

“That’s none of your business!” Sernir snapped. He was about to say something else, but Nilak had completely turned his attention away. The Lossoth was now looking out the window. “What are you looking at, scum?”

“That ship coming into the dock.”

Nilak could hear Marreth screaming out to the ship. “Infernal Elf vermin! Thou vain, milk livered coxcombs, may you sink to the bottom of the sea!”

Sernir’s expression had changed and now he too watched the ship intently. “Who are they?”

“Elves and now it is more pressing than ever that we find those stones.” Sernir looked back at Nilak. “Now we must crush the Elves or we will get nothing from this.”

Nilak nodded. “I will find your treasure before the Elves do. No matter what it takes.”

[piosenniel]

Imladris' post - Jarlyn

Jarlyn slammed his fist on the table. “These Snowmen,” he said, “are not doing their jobs.” He glanced at the empty chair opposite him. He wanted to complain to Marreth. Tell him that he thought that the Snowmen were purposely being slow. Why did they want the Seeing Stones anyway? Business was grand without them. Having them could only cause trouble. What one didn’t know couldn’t harm one.

Jarlyn grimaced and sighed. Marreth wanted to do Castamir’s bidding as a vehicle for revenge for his father’s death. But as far as he was concerned, it wasn’t Elessar’s fault that his dear daddy had died. It had technically been that dread army of the Dead’s fault but as one could not take revenge upon the Dead then Marreth had to content himself with revenging himself on King Elessar. Thought how that would make any difference Jarlyn was at a loss to fathom.

He was jolted from his musing by Marreth ordering him on deck to check the rigging. As he was checking a knot, to make sure it was secure, he heard Marreth shout, “Infernal Elf vermin! Thou vain, milk livered coxcombs, may you sink to the bottom of the sea!”

“Well, if they sink,” Jarlyn muttered, “then we’re very liable to sink ourselves…”

But Marreth didn’t notice this comment and said, “Look there, we have company, and I fear they are up to no good!”

Jarlyn chortled. Considering that elves were good it was a bit of an oxymoron that they were up to no good. He stifled his laughter and said, “Well, we haven’t been successful and we’ve been here for how long? Honestly, they won’t be able to find the Stones either.”

[piosenniel]

Imladris' post - Jynne

Jynne craned his neck to the shoulder, listening to the bone creak with morbid pleasure. He peered into the gloom, towards the coast where the duped Snowmen would be huddling together against the fury of the storm. A little sneer curled about his thin lips. He remembered their naivety as the Corsairs had pulled into harbour. Some had thought the Corsairs would be their friends, that they would actually make them chiefs over their various tribes. A laugh almost escaped him. If anything, a trusted Corsair would be made the Snowmen’s leader. But the more they were deluded, the better able were they to control and manipulate them as a potter at work with his clay.

Behind him, Nilak and Senir were arguing with each other. A thin smile stretched his thin face. These Snowmen had not been successful in finding the drowned Seeing Stones. Their silly seals had come up spluttering and breathless and empty handed every time they dived. His eyebrows shrugged slightly. But what else was to be expected? They were power mongers, grovelling at the chance for power and control.

The Seeing Stones must be found. With them Castamir could spy upon his enemies, listen to covert secrets whispered in the darkness.

[piosenniel]

Elves are a helpful lot, thank the stars . . . especially these two . . . This comforting thought slid through Rôg’s mind as Carandû and Annû grasped him firmly under the arms and walked him from the rail and down the hatchway steps to the galley below. Despite the buffeting winds, the protected waters of the bay were indeed calmer. He felt his stomach settle down into some semblance of normalcy as they entered the small kitchen area. His nose took in the steamy scent of new brewed tea.

‘Think I could have a cup of that?’ he asked, seating himself at the small table. The Elf at the stove looked him over, taking in the chalky appearance behind the normal olive tinge. ‘Peppermint, perhaps . . . and a little honey, for you,’ the Elf laughed, whisking the pot of regular tea out of Rôg’s reach. ‘What about you two?’ he said, waving two clean mugs toward Carandû and his brother. In the same breath, he asked about what they had seen above-deck. Others of the crew had come down with news of sighting the Corsair ship. From what he could glean from their hurried reports he knew there was only one . . . but how big was she, he wondered. And had they seen any longboats in the water or near the shore. Or any of the skin-boats of the Lossoth tied up to the ship?

Rôg shrugged his shoulders at the Elf’s questions. He actually hadn’t seen the ship, having been otherwise occupied with his perusal of the waves slapping at the sides of the Sea-Spirit. Accepting the welcome mug of honeyed tea from Elf’s hands, he blew across it to cool it a bit. ‘What about you two,’ he said, between small sips of the fragrant liquid. ‘You see anything like that?’

[Arry]

Carandû nodded his head to the offer of a hot drink. His brother chuckled under his breath as he hung all their oilskins on the pegs outside the galley. ‘I heard that!’ Carandû snorted, handing his brother a mug of the welcome drink when he’d entered the room. ‘I’ve not forgotten my taste for the brandy-wine, brother mine. Just warming up to it first.’

Annû sat down at the table, across from Rôg. ‘The ship was a large one, but sleek. Fast, I’ll wager, in open water. And set up for attack and defense I’d also say. She was between us and the far shore, though, couldn’t see if any boats were tied up to her port side.’ He took a gulp of his tea and raised his brows at his brother who leaned against the door’s frame.

‘No, I saw no boats.’ Carrandû shifted his back against the wood, trying to find a more comfortable position. ‘You know, though, I think we might have sailed far enough beyond their position to catch a glimpse.’ He gave up his quest for the perfect spot and sat at the table with the others. ‘Have you seen the Captain come below,’ he asked the Elf who’d made the tea.

‘Not yet,’ said the Elf refilling Rôg’s mug. ‘He’s the one we should probably be asking. I’d imagine he’s had his spyglass trained on them since first sighting.’

[Child of the 7th Age]

Luindal had found safe harbor for the Spirit in a cove sheltered from the worst of the storm. Slowly, the wind and rain subsided. He had berthed the Elven swanship a considerable distance from the Corsair vessel and now it bobbed up and down in shallow waters on the western side of the Bay. The Spirit’s sails had been tied back onto the masts, and her anchor tossed over the side to rest on the muddy bottom.

Both ships were now positioned far enough from the shoreline that there was no danger either would collide with the burgeoning ice banks that ringed the edge of the Bay. The captains could, however, see each other's vessels.

Several hours had passed since their first arrival; the sun was sinking lower. Most of the crew remained below enjoying a well-earned respite from their arduous labor over the past week and chatting about the task that lay before them. Delicious odors, merry words, and snatches of song poured up through the open grill-hatches. Luindal caught the whiff of dinner and heard the voices of his companions speaking his name below. He would have preferred to go downstairs to join them and see how his friend Rôg was doing. But, at the moment, he had something else to do.

Leaning against the rail, he peered through his spyglass. A party of twenty had congregated on the coast. Each man climbed into a small coracle constructed of ash lathes and overlaid with hazel that was woven much like a basket. To make sure that the boats would not let in water, the Snowmen had smeared pitch over the outside frames. Each coracle was similar to the one Luindal had built as a youngster to ply the streams of Lorien. He watched as the Lossoth maneuvered their craft into the water using long poles, but then shifted to paddles when they progressed out deeper.

These looked to be the same folk Rôg had described. Many wore leggings and boots with thick fur mittens and parkas. Even from the deck, Luindal could see the gleem of hunting knives and axes hanging suspended from their belts. These men looked totally different than any other he had known. Yet he suspected that they had feelings about their own land that were not too different than the way his own Elves felt about theirs.

As the boats drew closer, the leader of the Snowmen signaled an intent to come aboard. Luindal watched in fascination as the solitary Lossoth climbed the ladder and clambered awkwardly over the railing, walking onto the deck. When the leader threw back a thick fur hood, Luindal was even more surprised to see that the face now revealed was that of a woman. She was small and sturdy with dark eyes and hair that hung down in two grey plaits tied back with scraps of leather. He could not have guessed her age. Among her people, she would have been counted an Elder.

“Alahseey. I am Alahseey,” she hastily explained, speaking perfect Westron. “I bring new from the Elders. They have asked me to come and speak with you. With me are the Lossoth who will help you to find the missing stones. They each know a bit of Westron, enough that you may talk with them.”

Luindal looked down at the coracles, each filled with a volunteer or two, and smiled readily at the welcome news. For a short time the two sat together on the deck speaking privately about how the Lossoth might best be used and what should be done next. By now, the small boats were tied up in a line and attached to the starboard side. Then Luindal beckoned the Snowmen to come aboard and to follow him down the ladder to greet the Elves.

*************************

There was silence below at the first sight of the strange new recruits, but it was quickly broken by the round of introductions. Alahseey brought forward each of the Lossoth volunteers in turn. The last to be introduced were Freyn and Galhardir, along with the latter's nephew Rodhal whose parents had finally consented that he come along, and Hilda Halvardsdatter who had been assigned to do a bit of cooking for the Elves as well as to tidy up the cabins on shipboard. Elwën and Andturariel nodded their head in greeting, while Carrandû and Annûlas came forward to welcome the new arrivals. After a few moments of chatting and a round of drinks, they all sat down together to listen to what Luindal and Alahseey had to say.

"Your help is most welcome," Luindal addressed Alahseey first and then smiled in the direction of the other volunteers. "I know little of these regions or its waters. We will rely heavily on your own knowledge and common sense for, without that, I am quite sure we will never find the Stones. As to what these Stones can do, .... and why the Corsairs would want them? I have heard some say they are magic, but that is not so. "

"It is more like the harpoon that you carry. In the hands of many, it is a dead and lifeless thing because they lack skill. For some, it becomes an instrument of killing and they strike out unwisely at other men. But for still others it is an instrument that gives life: a tool to be used with great skill so that they can feed and cloth their family. So too it is with the Stones. To those who know and understand the old tales, these Stones can be used for good purposes, for talking across long distances. But for those with evil intent, they can become instruments of enslavement or torture. This is what we must stop."

"Alahseey and I have agreed. We will begin the search in the great cave that fronts on the bay. The tide is low, much lower than usual, and it is possible that these things lost at Sea may now be found along the shoreline. The Corsairs have searched all the smaller caves already: only the great one is left. We will begin in the morning."

Bear turned an ashen face towards Luindal and queried, "The Great Cavern? That which we call the House of the Dead?" He shook his head and scowled. "But that is a terrible place. Even the Corsairs would not go there. The passages are so narrow that it is hard to get through. Some of the ground looks good and solid, but when you place your foot down it sinks into the mud or even breaks through the crust to deep water underneath. Parts of the cave floor are slick with ice, and I will not even mention the boulders scattered over the hillside always ready to come crashing down on the heads of the unwary. Surely you can not mean to start there?"

Luindal sighed. "Aye, mean it I do! Alahseey has looked at the maps and says this is the most likely place for the Stones to have settled, if they came onto the shore. We will begin at sunrise tomorrow. I would advise everyone to keep your festivities short and get some sleep tonight for tomorrow could be most difficult."

With that, Luindal walked over to Rôg and whispered a few hushed words in his ear. Then he gave instructions as to where the Lossoth would be housed on board, and asked Hilde to secure some provisions in town before nightfall. He escorted Alahseey back to her small boat, saying goodbye, but was surprised to see her paddling east across the Bay in the general direction of the Corsair vessel.