Hiril Elisbeth:
I, Adanmiel Haerelwen, had been tasked with the mission to look for a lost artifact, now recently said to be in the hands of the Lord of Carn Dum. Carn Dum was the capital of Angmar, said to be ruled by a False King, Mordirith, Steward of Angmar. I knew it to be a cold and sickly place, full of fell creatures.
I spent a few days preparing for the journey ahead. The road was long and the Northlands are unforgiving. Knowing that the shadow over Angmar would weigh heavy on our hearts, I aimed to move with haste. Get in and get out. We would travel on horseback through the Trollshaws and north to Esteldin. There, we would rest and gather only the necessary supplies. The following morning, we would take the eastern pass through the town of Aughaire and then north to Gath Forthnir. From there, we would travel on foot through the valley of Himbar to the fortress of Carn Dum.
Thankfully, members of the Warband that had not traveled south to rescue Killandra were willing to accompany me. I knew that traveling alone would more than likely end in failure and was thankful to have companions by my side. The morning of my departure from Imladris, I was joined by Virthalion, Faorie and Thendryt, chosen warriors of the Warband. Gaufwin and Hirthvaron, two other Neth, Megil like myself, also joined our party. And lastly, an exiled man from Gondor but a trusted friend of Hir Khalis, Torrian, also came to our aid. By mid-morning, we had left the Vale and headed north.
It took us a few days of riding to finally reach the camp of Esteldin. We were gladly received by the Rangers of the North and they kindly allowed us to rest for the night.
Virthalion was already waiting by the stables at dawn when I came for my horse, Llamreth. Gaufwin soon arrived, followed by Torrian. I searched the area for the whereabouts of Faorie, Thendryt and Hirthavron, but they were nowhere to be found. Thendryt had seemed anxious on our way to Angmar, almost with excitement to come across the hostile Hillmen. Perhaps they had gone on ahead, but by mid-morning, we could no longer linger. Thus, I wrote a message on parchment and left it with the Stable-master of Esteldin should they return.
The four of us took the eastern pass through the town of Aughaire in Angmar. We did not stop on the road until we reached Gath Forthnir which was tucked away in the mountains of Himbar. It was my first time going this far north and the air was already very heavy and polluted. I informed the group that we would be traveling on foot - it was best that we did not alert our enemies unless absolutely necessary. As we walked by foot, we discovered that the valley was adulterated with foul creatures - spiders, winged monsters with a Man-like appearance and troll-kind. There were also no shortage of Evil hillmen scouting the areas either. We moved with stealth and were able to make our way through their forces without much trouble. Gaufwin and his skills as a burglar allowed him to scout areas ahead of us to note enemy positions which was a great help. For this, I am grateful.
When we arrived at the door of Rhunendin, two ominous Watchers stood in our path to Carn Dum. I have heard a great number of stories where men have fallen, drained of their hope and will to live. Though never coming close to one myself, I was worried that we would not be able to pass through unscathed. Otherwise, high cliffs and jagged mountains stood before us that we could not climb. Rhunendin remains one of the towns guarding the western approach to Carn Dum, and unfortunately for us, still loyal to their lord and in our way to our objective.
I spoke with the group, to move quietly forward to the Watching stones in order to eliminate any enemies in our path. But once we were upon them, we needed to move as fast as possible as to reduce its damage. As we rushed through, Gaufwin began to fall behind, his steps falling short. Virthalion and I rushed back and pulled him through, far enough where the spirits of the stones could not reach us. Thankfully, the group made it through safely. But I worried; we were willingly walking further and further into the dark reaches of Angmar. This would not be the worst we would encounter.
As we walked through Rhunendin, it was eerily quiet and there were no enemies to be found. We could not see or smell their foul breaths permeating in the air. Strange, I thought, a stronghold of Angmar completely empty. However, as we approached the castle of Carn Dum, a booming voice echoed in the courtyard, "You dare to think you can enter this keep?!" Our company had been ambushed.
A monstrous troll came charging at us, clad in Angmarim armour, wielding a hammer in one hand and a club in the other. Several orcs rushed from the sides, heeding to the troll’s call, waving their axes and daggers at us. A skirmish ensued. Gaufwin rushed along the sides, slicing at the orcs throats, taking them down one by one. Torrian aided Gaufwin, using his skills with his sword before going for the troll. Virthalion and I stood in the middle, as I shot arrow after arrow with Virthalion using his knowledge of lore to call upon the elements in our favour. While the orcs were quick to dispose of, the troll’s skin and armour were thick. But eventually, he fell like the rest of the enemies. And then there we were, standing upon the Gate of Shadow.
Strangely enough there was a fire pit by the gates. We had been moving on foot since we left Gath Forthnir; our company was tired. I told the group we would rest here and take turns on watch. While we left no enemies alive during the skirmish, there was sure to be more lingering around.
The following morning, we found a young woman with silver hair standing at our campsite. Gaufwin stood behind her, fidgeting with his blade though Torrian did not seem to mind her presence. We learned she was called Roawyn. She was an acquaintance of Torrian, particularly infamous among the Dunlendings for her skills with her axe. He trusted her and since Torrian has Hir Khalis' trust, she was welcomed in our party. Another sword would be beneficial in the castle.
Before we entered, I explained our objective to the company. We were looking for an important artifact that Lord Elrond was seeking. The most recent knowledge of its whereabouts lay with the Lord of Carn Dum, or rather, its steward - Mordirith, the False King. Thus, we aimed for the highest, most obnoxious tower in the castle.
Many gates stood in our way. Some remained unlocked, only guarded by his faithful servants - trolls, orcs and man alike. Other were locked, but luckily its key carried by his lieutenants. As we went further and further in, the stench from the water completely filled the air. It had become green with pollutants, almost like poison. Gaufwin, in his curiosity, wandered too close and had fallen ill due to its heavy fumes, kneeling over in pain. Virthalion provided herbs to settle his stomach, but it was clear he would not be so careless around the "water" again.
As we made our way up the tower, each level was guarded by monsters, surrounded by torture rooms. It was absolutely horrid. Lesser wraiths wandered aimlessly, their screams still painful. The winged females creatures, terrifying in appearance, came at us like thirsty bats vying for blood. Hordes of orcs and lesser servants came at us, with no regard of their lives but only to serve their master.
After many stairs and many skirmishes, we finally made it to the throne room. It was dark and eerie; but as we approached the seat of the Witch-king, flames and lava came from underneath the metal walkways. Mordirith came out from the shadows, he already was awaiting our arrival.
This battle was long and arduous. Mordirith attempted to use his dark sorcery to confuse our party, splitting himself into multiple ghostly creatures with his likeness. But the group fought valiantly, taking everything that could come upon us. At last, Mordirith had fallen leaving nothing but his robes. I am not sure whether or not he was truly defeated, but at least, we had hindered him for now.
After his defeat, I walked up to his chair searching for our objective. To my surprise, a small iron chest stood beside it. I tried opening it, but to no avail. Runes were carved into the chest and was beyond my power and understanding to decipher. So thus, I have brought back the chest and left it with Lord Elrond in his library. I do hope this is what we were looking for. Furthermore, I am happy to say that the party made it back safely to Imladris after this lengthy journey. While Roawyn did suffer some injuries during our fight up the tower, Torrian has been tending to her faithfully and she should make a full recovery. I learned a lot in my journey and it was probably the toughest I have done. But I am pleased with the tenacity of the Warband and its allies and the full trust I could place upon my companions. It was an honour and I hope that I can continue to serve with the Warband.
Respectfully,
Adanmiel
