The following tale is set in mid-Third Age, after Gondor's civil war and the Great Plague of 1636-7. The climactic War of the Ring is yet to occur. The setting is a decayed watchtower on the lonely and dangerous Tarlang Road between Erech and Calembel, two rough-and-tumble Dunnish hill towns in northern Gondor. The high vales of the White Mountains of Gondor have long sheltered extraordinary secrets. The black Stone of Erech, an object of reverence and awe, rests yet upon a hill above the partly-ruined Hillmen town which lends the stone its name. Not far away, the infamous Paths of the Dead begin, winding under the mountains toward the Dead Door at Dunharrow, a settlement founded long ago by a mysterious race of Men all-but-forgotten. Guarding the perilous Paths is the Army of the Dead, ancient and accursed pathbreakers and living dead who strongly "discourage" travel in the region. A lesser but nonetheless commanding mystery surrounds a crumbling stone tower on the winding mountain road south of Erech. Known as Troggha's Tower, the site was originally the burial tomb of a high Dunnish lord, Troggha, who was murdered early in the Third Age by a jealous half- brother. Angered by the treachery, Troggha's tribe rebelled against their new leader, slew him and scattered his bones in the rocky hills surrounding the caves they lived in for much of the year. As Troggha himself had directed before his death, his tomb was carved out of a stony hillock revered by the superstitious Dunlendings, and long before them, by the Woses, an ancient and elusive race of stumpy hunters. A cleansing ceremony was performed before Trogghas interment, to appease any spirits or enchanted beings guarding the hill. Buried with Troggha were his weapons, his robes, and numerous magic items. A rockslicle all but covered the entrance years ago. Left behind from the Second Age, a small, sad-eyed, thick-waisted statue stands guard over the hill, as he has for two thousand years. This guardian-figure, an enchanted stone Pukel-man, protects a site holy to his creator, a Wose holy man, and wili come to life should the site be disturbed. Although diminutive, an animated Pukel-man is exceptionally quick and is as tough as the rock from which he is carved. Many such statues guard the Dunharrow Road near the Paths of the Dead. The Task The objective is to enter and loot Troggha's Tomb. if the adventurers require another reason, it could be to check the watchtower for possible use as a watchtower Adventurers would do well to begin in Erech, where they can obtain an accurate map of the general region from Fangan, a fallen Gondorian scholar. Impatient with arrogance and greed and something of a prankster, Fangan is fond of selling maps that lead the unwary directly into the Paths of the Dead, where nothing but trouble awaits. Once near the site of the tomb, the wise might seek the assistance of Dregg, a Dunnish hermit and spellcaster. It is said in Erech that only Dregg can lift the curse of the tomb, which holds the bones of a few booty- seekers. Dregg lives in a cave in the rocky hills above the tomb, communing with beasts and spirits; persuading him to help could be a problem, since all he values is his privacy and the mountain sheep who are his sole companions. Troggha's Tomb Twenty miles southeast of Erech where the Tarlang Road climbs over the highest point of the pass called Tarlang's Neck-stands Troggha's Tower, a small, squat citadel that looks much like a decapitated beehive. This forty foot tall, crumbling, round stone structure sits on a hillock overlooking the strategic road. The blue-grey granite contrasts with the limestone cliffs above and light scree that composes the rockfall below. Once a noble watch-tower, it is now but a ruin, the breaches in its unmortared stone betraying its crude Hillman origins. Beneath the tower lies a subterranean tomb complex. Here lies the shaft to Troggha's crypt, as well as a well-concealed lower passage and chamber which form the burial place of the Wose enchanter Aein-gari-Dun. The hillock outside of the tomb is covered by small boulders and smooth, weathered rocks. Only the Pukelman standing a few feet from the entrance indicates where one ought to dig and move rocks to enter. Another entry, beneath the broken floor of Troggha's Tower, is concealed by debris and extremely hard ( - 30) to find. (Legends say it is guarded by the remains of Troggha's murderous brother.) Troggha's Tomb and area map provided by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. 1. Entrance. Once 8' high and 5' wide, the mouth of the tomb is large enough to allow only mice and spiders to enter and leave. Entry is afforded those who dig through the loose scree that covers the recessed door-stone (about 3 man-hours work). The counter- weighted doorstone moves sideways on stone rollers when unlocked. Two men (or the Pukel- man) can move it, but only when a key is first inserted into the cross-shaped hole at the stone's center. Alternatively, one can try to pick the lock (very hard -20). 2. Passageway. A winding, descending tunnel through the rock, only 5' high and 3' wide, it leads 40' to a fork. 3. Fork. Twin passageways emerge, A Dunnish curse carved into the rock warns all to leave or face death. 4. Left Passageway. Winds upward another 30' before reaching a dark, dank chamber. Empty torch-holders lining the rough walls are, in fact traps, which through a mechanism dumps a mound of stones ( + 50 Fall/Crush) on anyone fitting a torch (or any weight) into the holder. 5. Shaft. This 4' diameter shaft cuts through the rock above and exits through the debris at the center of the foundation of Troggha's Tower. Hidden behind a movable ceiling slab, it is very hard ( - 20) to find and extremely hard 30) to climb up through. 6. Chamber. Littered with cobwebbed skeletons, this pitch-black "room," but 15' in diameter, is in fact Troggha's resting place. A rusted iron ring is the only indication that something might be hidden within the chamber's walls. Those disturbing the unbroken silence of the tomb will awaken the righteous anger of the Pukel-man, who will seal the entrance and seek out those within. Should the chamber floor bear any weight exceeding 100 lbs, the guardian statue will come to life. The lord himself lies hidden behind a moveable slab of smooth rock which takes the strength of three men to move. Treasure: Lying beside and with Troggha are his valued possessions: A sack of 30 unrefined gems, each worth 5 gp. A Ring of Ill-Defying, a 3x (power point) spell multiplier which gives the wearer a + 25 RR bonus versus Curses, Poisons, or Undead. The Crown of Troggha, of iron and ore but encrusted with jewels worth 50 gp and a + 50 RR bonus vs. Channeling spells. A chain shirt apparently rusting away, but actually having a + 15 bonus. Its chest side is emblazoned with an inscribed 5th level Fear spell (range 10; usable 3x/day). The Sword of Troggha. The handle is inlaid with jewels worth 75 gp; the blade is + 20. Troggha's Knife, a + 10 Dagger of Orc- slaying (returns 1 rd after throwing; range 100'; no range penalty) with 5 gp of gems in the handle. Guarding all the treasure are the poisonous spiders residing within and the guardian statue without. Also, the greedy will find their exit blocked, for the first member of the party weighing more than 200 lbs. (including booty) will trigger a pit trap Very Hard to locate. The victim will slide to the bottom of a steep 30' deep pit to join the rotting bones of other looters, unless assisted by his compatriots. Lined with worn stone spikes, those taking the fall receive a + 20 Fall/Crush, accompanied by a + 50 Bash attack. 7. Crypt of Aein-gari-Dun. One of the poststones that compose the walls of Troggha's burial chamber is made of a black, glassy rock. This distinctive panel guards the entry to the tomb of the Wose scholar Aein- gari-Dun, the creator of the guardian Pukel- man and reputed ancestor of Troggha. When pushed by a strong man, the post- stone rotates on a pin-set housing, revealing a short stair descending to the Wose crypt. The crypt itself is a 10' diameter chamber with a 10' tall arched ceiling. its glass-like black surfaces allude to a connection with the hallowed Black Stone in Erech. At the center of the crypt is a 4' tall black jar filled with the remains of Aeingari-Dun. Beneath the 200 lb. jar is a shallow pit which contains a Rod of Stone-control. The bearer of the Rod controls the guardian Pukelman (although the statue cannot wander more than 1000' from the surrounding hillock). He also can use any spell from the "Unbarring Ways" list (MERP, p. 61, "Open Essence"), so long as the lock or door consists of stone. 8. Right Passageway. Leads 20' before reaching chamber. 9. Chamber. Appearing grander (a full 30' in diameter), this room is nothing but a trap. The wary will note bones and skeletons surrounding the raised dais upon which a man- shaped stone sarcophagus lies. The chamber's stone walls and ceiling are adorned with a "ring" pattern, with hundreds of holes in the inscribed rock. When someone grabs the false "gold" dagger laid beside the sarcophagus, poison- tipped spikes shoot from the holes in the walls. The trap strikes all those within room with one to five +50 light crossbow attacks, each crit accompanied by a 1st lvl poison. The poison Guinwin is 1st lvl; those failing their RR take 1-10 hits and are blinded in 1-2 eyes. Within the sarcophagus lies the remains of what appears to be a lord. Attempting to strip the "lord" of his chain mail will result in a rain of spears from the ceiling each person within 3' of the dais receiving one to three + 70 spear attacks. Name Lvl Hits AT DB Sh Gr Melee OB OB Missile Mov M Notes Dregg 5 26 No 10 N N 30ha 20sl 10 Animist. Dunnish hermit who lives in a two-room stone hut in the western reaches of Tartang's Neck. He has a x3 Staff, 15 PP (3x5), and knows six base Animist spell lists. Fangan 4 34 No 5 Y N 29bs 34cp 5 Bard Fallen Gondorian scholar, possessed of 8 PP (2x4) and a + 2 spell adder (ring). He knows all four Bardic spell lists. Pukel-man 5 100 PI 30 N N 95cl none 30 Animated Stone statue. He is unaffected by bleeding or temperature crit results. Treat all crits delivered against him as one severity level lower (e.g., E = D). Cannot leave 1000' radius of tomb's hillock. Troggha 9 131 RL 25 Y5 Y 125ha 106sb 15 - Undead Hillman Lord. His ghost can strike with weaponry. When within 10', he drains 3 pts of foes' Constit. each rd until victim dies. Spiders 1 5 No 5 - - 10 Ho 10 Medium Med. sized (6" long) spiders. 1-20 appear. They use a small stinger attack. NOTE: bs = broadsword; cl = club; cp composite bow; ha = handaxe; Ho=horn/slinger; sb = shortbow; sl=sling Back to Table of Contents -- Game News #4 To Game News List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Dana Lombardy. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com