After Gandalf stands up the fellowship at The Prancing Pony the wizard shows up precisely when he is meant to at Nob’s house and sends them out to deliver a gift to Queen Nimue in Lond Daer.

The route takes the fellowship through Tharbad which is filled with danger and intrigue. Will they be able to leave without being entangled in the struggles of the once-great city?

Session Log

Gandalf calls the fellowship, including Griff the wandering nephew of Hob Hornblower, to the Prancing Pony. But when Gandalf doesn’t show there’s nothing for it but to start drinking.

Boron attempts to show off for a table of dwarven merchants headed to Tharbad at another table, but they take no notice of his conspicuous consumption. Friendly and not one to leave a dwarf hanging, Griff walks straight up to the dwarves and speaks highly of Boron. They end up joining tables and all drinking together.

Meanwhile Tarandis hears whispers of an unsavory sort in the corner doing his best Strider impression. Nob and Griff invite him over to drink, the more the merrier. He’s Eredan, a ranger who’s headed South.

With Gandalf nowhere to be find the fellowship retires to Nob’s house. There they meet his family: his wife Lilly and their children Oswald and Poppy. They make room for everyone.

The next morning Gandalf shows up in time for a good fry up. He has a letter and a book that need to go to Queen Nimue in Lond Daer. After a day of preparations the fellowship sets off down the Greenway on Heavensday the 19th.

Deciding to catch up to Eredan the fellowship makes a forced march for the first four days. Their effort proves worthwhile as they catch up with Eredan where the Greenway meets the road from Sarn Ford. They continue on together towards Tharbad.

A day out from Tharbad Eredan departs for his own mysterious reasons just as a storm rolls in. Wading through a mud bog where there should be a road the fellowship continues onward. Closer to the city Nob goes boar hunting and is only saved from a grisly goring by the combined efforts of his companions.

Finally reaching Tharbad the fellowship finds the gates distinctly uninviting with posted laws and gruff guards. Paying their way past the gates they eventually arrive at The Bridge Inn. It’s proprietor, one Titus, is thrilled to have a hobbit taste his food until the look on Griff’s face at the first taste puts him off.

On Titus’ recommendation the fellowship sets off for the middle island to meet Milton The Brewer. At the docks Nob hires Jan The Frog to ferry us to the island while Boron books passage down river on a barge leaving the next day captained by Giles Furnir.

Across the water at Milton’s brewhouse the fellowship pays for a round of what turns out to be the best beer they have ever tasted. Griff is able to coax Milton to talking and finds out Milton and the others on the island are trapped here—the laws of Captain Gurnow don’t allow them to leave.

Their visit attracts Gurnow’s attention and he summons them to an audience. In the council Boron is able to figure out why Gurnow is so concerned about bandits: he was once a bandit too. Together with Griff’s compliments, Nob’s persuasion, and Tarandis’s song the fellowship are able to make a good impression on Gurnow and he grants them an exemption from Tharbad’s tolls. Now free to travel through the fellowship makes ready to head downriver to Lond Daer.