After being stood up by Gandalf the fellowship is recruited by Jari, a boisterous dwarf, to recover an ancient treasure. Jari leads the fellowship and Diarmoc North into the Weather Hills, but when they arrive at the valley Jari claims the treasure lies in all is not what it seems…

Session Log

After Nob’s birthday party (in A Bridge Into Troubled Waters) Gandalf instructed everyone to meet him at The Prancing Pony on 1st Chithing of the year 2968 of the third age. But when Nob, Tarandis, and Ithildir arrive Barliman Butterburr hands them a note from Gandalf expressing his regrets that he cannot meet them, but assuring them that adventure will find them anyway.

As if to fulfill Gandalf’s words Jari the dwarf kicks in the door and calls out that he needs adventurers to claim a treasure his great uncle Bori buried North of Bree. He immediately draws a crowd, but focuses on the fellowship. Ithildir and Nob are suspicious of Jari’s tale, and they notice two other dwarves stink-eyeing Jari from the fireside. Ithildir keeps Jari and his other recruit Diarmoc busy while Nob and Tarandis approach the dwarves.

Nob’s courtesy and Bree-ish disposition draw the dwarves out and they finally introduce themselves as Floki and Hornbori, at your service. To all dwarves Jari is an exile, for he broke the ban on Kazad-Dûm. No dwarf is to enter the halls until they can be reclaimed, but Jari took relics from the halls, and drew Floki’s cousin Flonar into his dealings.

Meanwhile Ithildir tries to get a read on the dour Diarmoc, but can’t figure him out. He’s a refugee from Tharbad and this treasure is the last hope for his family.

Feeling they finally understand whom they are dealing with, the fellowship sets off North with Jari and Diarmoc through the Chetwood to avoid the Midgewater Marshes. The weather turns cold and dreary, but Tarandis leads them forward.

As the Weather Hills begin to rise before them Nob encounters an old woman while hunting. After she sizes him up she reveals herself to be Orothel, a ranger who is keeping an eye on the valley.

Nob leads the party into the valley along an old hunting trail beside a stream. The stream is fed by a small lake with ancient ruins on a hill beside it on one side with more recent ruins on the other. Ithildir’s keen eyes spot a raft in the lake. He questions Jari about it, but Jari is more interested in celebrating their arrival. Jari starts a party into the late afternoon, finally packing it in and moving on into the valley as the sun falls behind the hills.

As the fellowship continues on into the valley along the hunting path two trolls surprise them, blocking the trail ahead and behind. The trolls allow Jari and Diarmoc to flee, but capture the fellowship despite being peppered with arrows.