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Autor Thema: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots  (Gelesen 13252 mal)

Julio229

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Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« am: 28. Feb 2018, 21:16 »
I'll dedicate this thread to show screenshots I make in the Edain Mod, along with a little bit of background that I may expand to go with them. Nothing seen here is canon either on LOTR or on the Edain Mod, it is only canon on my headcanon  :D (I also take some info and backstories from the Old Angmar RPG, located in this forum)

IMPORTANT: The second post of this story is below on this page, as I have reached the character limit on this one :P

While the war against the Free People goes on, the Iron Crown has found some forgotten allies hidden in the north...



Forsaken and left to die by his own kin, when the Dark Elf found him, Thogar Stoneheart could only think about the deep hatred he would draw his will to fight for from that moment onwards...



With the help of Dûrmarth, Enforcer of Angmar, Morchant and Thogar went to the Ettenmoors to try and get the Goblins to serve Angmar's mysterious ally... But only iron would win the loyalty of the wicked Orcs of the Ettenmoors.



The Goblin King brought Dûrmarth, Morchant and Thogar into the deepest pits in the mountains, where a challenge awaited... The great Troll Buhrdur, leader of the Trolls, would only lend his help to the Iron Crown if Stoneheart defeated him in combat... The Dwarf did not hesitate to fight against the fearsome enemy.



Deep under the cover of night, and under the very nose of Arnor's guards, that night Combe was home to shady deals that would take their toll on Arnor...



Fooled by the man who wore a nice armour, the Arnor nobleman didn't know that the place where the man was taking him would be the place of his death... And it would mark the perfect moment for the armies of Angmar and its ally to strike.



"Too many days without nothing happening", thought one of the Arnor Soldiers that was defending the old bridge. "I hope our Lord comes back soon". said his companion at the post. But what they  would see next would not be their lord, but hordes of Wolves ready to take their lives.



"And who are you" The proud lord said, "that has brought suffering to my people?". "I will not allow this to continue, even on my father's absence, I shall destroy your vile army!", the lord continued.

"Sadly, you seem not to understand that this is your doom", said the Dark Elf, "And nothing you do will save your people now. All you can do is fight and die like an honourable man, if there's honour left on the dying heart of Arnor". Morchant prepared his weapon and Arnor's men and their Elvish friends charged for one last, desperate fight.




The Elven Lord Elrond and Lindir of Rivendell had travelled to the Grey Havens for counseling. "Long time no see, Lord Elrond", said Cirdan when his old friend stood beside him. "Too many time, and I'm afraid I return here with dark news", said Elrond. "Lord Calindil of Combe and his son Amdir were killed by the armies of Angmar, and dark forces have taken control of the valley. We didn't expect this to happen, the Iron Crown acted in such secrecy that it would have been impossible to discover.", Elrond continued. "Dark news indeed, my old friend. It seems like these dark matters need to be taken care of. Some of my men were with Amdir of Combe last I saw him, and so I supposed they met their demise aswell. My troops will come with you to the east, to take care of the vile armies of Angmar.", Cirdan said. "I'll lead the troops, Lord Elrond", said Lindir, and finished saying: "I will avenge my brethren and cleanse the lands of Combe once and for all."



Lindir travelled east until he got to the outskirts of the town of Combe, where the leader of a group of Rangers that stood vigilant over the valley waited for his arrival. "Welcome, Elven Lord", said Madril, leader of the Rangers. "As you can see, the Valley of Combe has been taken by dark forces that we couldn't stop in time", he continued. "I want to cleanse this land and bring peace to these people that now live oppressed under the thumb of the Iron Crown", said Lindir. "My scouts have seen at least ten battalions of troops garrisoned in the city, so it wouldn't be wise to take them on with an army. I think a more stealthy approach might be the way to go here", said Madril. "A man called Ferny is the one in control of the town, but he answers to Zaphragor, First Blade of the Witch King. If we introduce a small number of people in the city while Zaphragor is away, we should be able to take care of Ferny easily and regain the city, as Zaphragor usually takes most of the troops away when he is not here. If we are so unlucky as to find him there, though... May the Valar help us.", finished Madril.



"Lord Zaphragor, why are you leaving in such a hurry?", Ferny said. "I have been summoned to join Morchant's army with a very specific purpose that I will not reveal to you. I trust you will keep these lands safe from Arnor's filthy troops", said Zaphragor. "My lord, I will do whatever is possible to keep them away from my lands", Ferny assured. "YOUR lands? These lands belong to the Iron Crown, not to you. You'd do well to remember that you can be replaced as easily as you won control of this place. The Iron Crown is the only owner of all we hold, and the only authority we serve. One little sign of rebellion, and I'll come and strike you down and put a new leader on your place, as easily as we got you to be one.", Zaphragor angrily remarked. "Y-yes, my Lord, I didn't mean to offend you. I s-serve the Iron Crown, now and forever.", Ferny said, visibly scared. "Well said. I shall leave now.", Zaphragor said before leaving. Once Zaphragor left, Ferny thought: "I have never felt death so near to me... What can I do? I still have nothing after all..." He decided to go back to his - Angmar's castle in the eastern part of the city, and try to forget the fear he had felt when Lord Zaphragor's sword was so close to striking him down.



Once the troops of Lindir and Madril had finished seeking for Ferny's ruffians in the whole town of Combe, the leaders reunited at the doors of Fort Combe, clueless about what happened there. "Lindir, I haven't found Ferny or any of his men anywhere. It seems like he left the city in a hurry after Zaphragor left.", Madril said. Lindir was about to reply when one of Madril's men came out from Fort Combe. "My lords, I found a letter!". "Let me see", said Lindir. The letter was written with a really bad handwriting, seeming to be the work of a low-man, a ruffian. It said "If you are reading this, I will be far away from here. I know Arnor is going to take this place whether I fight or not, so I choose the better option. To flee. However, and 'cause of the treatment that Zaphragor has dispensed me, I'll tell you one thing. Zaphragor and that scary-looking Elf are joining their armies for some unknown thingy', north of here on the Barrowdowns. Nuthin' good, I suppose. Good luck, I'm getting the heck outta' here.". "Seems like Ferny fled", Lindir said. "Well, he helped us in the end... At least no one from Angmar will be able to track him down... Right?", said Madril dubiously.



Once they were all in the Barrow Downs, the three agents of evil stood upon the northern Barrow. "I see we are all here, our plan can begin.", said Gulzár. "I assume you have brought the prisoner as intended, Morchant?", he continued. "Indeed, Gulzár. He is under custody and my troops shall bring him in time for the ritual.", said Morchant. "Good", Gulzár mischievously smiled, "Everything seems set. What about Ferny, Zaphragor?". "Dûrmarth is tracking him down, as I anticipated his treason as it happened", said Zaphragor. "So Lindir and Madril are coming here, right? I guess Madril feels like he should help avenge his brother and his fallen father... Even if he doesn't want to admit they were his kin", Morchant laughed. "Soon they will be there, and they will only be able to witness how their doom begins."



The Lindon troops stood in front of an altar, with Lindir and Madril at the front. They could see the armies of the Dark Elves now, with Zaphragor and Morchant standing in the front... Waiting for them? As they arrived, Morchant said "We expected you, my lords. Lindir and Madril, right? Welcome to the sacrifice of Amdir, son of Calindil, which will bring countless power to the Iron Crown and to my Lord's armies.". "Amdir? My... Brother? He was dead...! Why have you kept him alive?". "We needed him to complete this ritual. We also knew you'd pose a threat to us in time, along with Lord Lindir... So we prepared this all to get rid of you once and for all, while completing our mission. Playing Ferny so he would betray our plans to you was easy, and your refusal to acknowledge your father and brother made it all even easier, as you didn't interfere at all... Now there's nothing but doom for you in here, and you shall die while seeing how the North is engulfed in darkness." Morchant said nothing more, and the battle began.



"Well done. You've completed a great feat for the Iron Crown and for our ally here, Gulzár, Morchant and Zaphragor, and you have unleashed a power that will help us bring down Arnor.", said the Witch-King of Angmar. He stopped to let the other leader talk: "With this power, our alliance will be strengtened and we will be able to strike with an iron fist to destroy the North. All hope shall wither, and only your rule will prevail.", said the mysterious figure. "However, the fight against the Dúnedain must continue. Mornamarth, I have a task for you and Helegwen. You must bring your armies to Combe and re-establish a base there.", said the ruler of Angmar. Then, the mysterious being on his opposite side said: "And for you, Thogar and Morchant, I have a special task", said their lord, "a task that will benefit us all and instill fear into the enemies' hearts. You shall go to Forodwaith, and bring down that 'hidden' base Arnor has there, and bring me the artifact that they have. It is mine by right. And now, I shall return to my lands... Farewell.", and the mysterious leader left without a trace. Dark times had come, and the Iron Crown would have a lot of matters to attend to.



If the cold wind was an indicator of it, Morchant and Thogar had finally arrived at Forodwaith. The scout they had sent forward had also returned, and brought news of strange nature. "All Arnor camps on this area seem to have been abandoned. Strangely enough, it seems like it happened really recently. I think the enemy is hiding somewhere in these wastes, probably near the coast.", said the scout. "A small drawback, but we will succeed nonetheless.", said Thogar. "You, keep scouting the area and bring us a report of what you see. Keep in mind ice is both a way to hide and a way to die.", Morchant concluded. The army of Thogar and Morchant set camp in a nearby zone, and their search for the Arnor troops would be restless.



After making a camp near the coast of Forodwaith, Morchant and Thogar waited while their scouts tracked the Arnorians hidden in the region. After two days of searching, loud howling was heard, a message that said Drauglin was near. Angmar's Hunter greeted Morchant and Thogar: "I bring you news from Dûrmarth. Ferny has been found, but the Witch-King has decided to keep him alive, as he could be an asset for a future plan. He'll remain at Combe with his new overlord Mornamarth, and Helegwen. A fitting choice. The Witch-King also sends me to help in the search of those Arnorians. Do not worry. I will hunt for them and I will let them be food for my Wolves."



After hard hours of searching, the Wolves of Angmar had finally found the men of Arnor. Taking an old nobleman that appeared to be their leader to their camp after killing the others, Morchant and Thogar decided to torture him with fire to learn the whereabouts of that artifact they were looking for, which was, as they had realized, one of the seven Dwarven Rings of Power. "Where is the Ring?", Morchant said. "I-I'll never tell you, vile Elf!", said the nobleman, as his feet felt the heat from beneath. "You will do it, or you will spend your last hours burning endlessly. You don't want that, old man.", said Thogar, starting to lose his temper. "Al-alright! I'll talk! The dwarven noble that had that ring went to the Gray Mountains to fight against Dragons... We believe he didn't survive. But please, don't kill me! I'll do whatever is needed!". Morchant thought for a while, then laughed: "Don't worry, old man. Drauglin's horde will take care of you."



Meanwhile, Mornamarth and Helegwen had arrived to Combe, where the enforcer Dûrmarth and their guest Ferny waited for them. "So this is the place I have to rule? Seems too filthy for someone of my high status in the Iron Crown", said Mornamarth. "Nonsense", said Dûrmarth, "If the Witch-King commands it, it must be done. By the way, this is Ferny. He will be your... guest... as ordered by the Witch-King. He may help you in ruling this place, as he already has experience. I must part ways with you now, and go back to the Witch-King". "I serve the Iron Crown, sir!", said Ferny while Dûrmarth left for Carn-Dûm. Mornamarth smiled lightly and said "Seems like Zaphragor taught you well. But remember this: with me, the rules change. You serve me, first and foremost, and if you stand in my way, I will not hesitate to get you out of it, no matter what the Witch-King wants". "Of course, Lord Mourn'amarth! I shall serve you and nuthin' will make me change my mind!", said Ferny. "Very well. You will help me to keep the rabble in line and you'll also help me to prepare the... 'volunteer' recruitment. Use your ruffians to bring me as many able man as you can". After saying that, Mornamarth left for Fort Combe, and Ferny prepared his ruffians for his new task, relieved that he had survived for some unknown reason.



"Very well, 'volunteers'", Mornamarth said, "Welcome to your training. If you survive, you will be preprared for a very specific purpose. Consider it an improvement on your puny lives." "You shall try to survive the whole night on this forest, while the Wights will hunt all of you down. You must not flee, if you try to do so, Helegwen will be the one to hunt you down. And she won't fail. If you survive the night, your lives will be rewarded with more purpose than they ever had: serving me."



Mornamarth looked at the Hillmen who Ferny had brought to his presence and told him: "So, Helegwen tells me you are the strongest of the man who survived yesterday? Good. You'll be the leader of all your companions. Your task is this. You'll follow this soldier of mine into the north, into the territories of the Iron Crown, and you will start burning your kin's farms. No questions asked. And, most important thing: DON'T TELL ANYONE ELSE. Or I will hunt you down personally. Not even your battalion needs to know your task until they are there. Execute anyone who hesitates. And now, begone."



Helegwen travelled to Carn-Dûm as fast as she could, so Mornamarth's plan could be fulfilled in time. Once she was in the Throne Room, the Witch-King said: "I believe you bring bad news from the south. Speak.". "A lot of our farms in the Combe Valley have been pillaged by rebel Hillmen, my Lord. Mornamarth sends me to request that at least fifteen battalions of Carn-Dûm Men are sent south to Combe.", Helegwen said. "Interesting", said the Witch-King. "What do you think, Zaphragor?". "I would not trust Mornamarth with that many troops, my lord. That snake craves power above all. It is best if you send someone to command the reinforcements instead of giving their control to him.", Zaphragor advised, his hatred for the Steward of Carn-Dûm burning in his blood. "Very well. Hwaldar?" he called. Hwaldar stepped forward and said "Yes, my Lord?". "You will lead your Hillmen to Combe, and take the leadership alongside Mornamarth. I will not give him that many troops. Now, go and do what you must do.", the Witch-King commanded. "Yes, my Lord", said Hwaldar before leaving with Helegwen. Once they were gone, the Witch-King told Zaphragor: "It is indeed best if we keep Mornamarth on a leash. He is a brilliant commander, but I have no doubt that he would take the Iron Crown for himself if he could."



The Grey Mountains, cold and harsh, awaited Morchant and Thogar. Bringing tributes for the Dragon Lord of the Withered Heath, they arrived at the lower entrance of the region. "Never thought I'd be back here", said Thogar. "Well, our Lord commands it, so we must do it. Maybe you'd want to visit the old ruins I found you in?", said Morchant. "There's no need, my friend. Let's find the Dragon Lord, if he has the Ring, we could give him this tribute for it. If the Dwarves are alive, we can get the Dragons to help... And I can get revenge on the Dragonslayers.". Morchant then turned to Drauglin, who had adopted a wolf's form, and said "Drauglin, scout the area ahead for surviving Dwarves and the dragons. We need to finish this as soon as possible."



Morchant and his lieutenant were finally in the Dragon Lord's lair, bringing him all the treasure they had to convince him to help them. "Lord Drogoth, we bring you these gold chests as a sign of friendship", said Morchant. "And I shall accept them. What is it that you want from me, Drogoth, the mightiest of all Dragons?". "We want to know about the whereabouts of one Ring, one that a Dwarf that joined the Dragonslayers had.". "I know nothing about that Ring, but I will help you recover it. This treasure is probably worth much more than that Ring is. And I know who you serve, Morchant the Dark Elf. I have been acquaintances with your master for a long time, and I would never go against someone of that power, so I feel that I must help you.", said Drogoth. "Very well, thank you, almighty Drogoth. If you know where the Dragonslayers' base is, I feel like an attack is coming on it.". "So it will be, Morchant.", said Drogoth. Morchant smiled to himself and thought about Thogar. He had been gone for a day, searching for something he always wanted: revenge. And Morchant was sure that his master knew about the ring's whereabouts, and that he sent them there for that very reason: a gift for Thogar Stoneheart and an alliance with the Dragons of the Withered Heath.



Thogar was in what would be one of the most important moments of his life. Finally, he would leave his old troubles behind. The Dragonslayers of Ered Mithrin were in front of him, guarding the place he had once called home.  "Did you miss me... Nieghar?", said Thogar to the Captain of the Dragonslayers. "Thogar... I assumed you would have died years ago. I'm so glad you didn't, brother.", said Nieghar. "I don't believe you, not for the slightest second. When I was exiled, you did nothing. I was left to die in these mountains, without nothing to eat. I had to survive doing the unthinkable. And I never got help from you. You never did anything for me when they banished me from the city... And you took the place I had rebuilt as your own, and took all the glory for yourself.", Thogar said angrily. Nieghar replied "I never intended for you to be banished, or even to take all your accomplishments as my own. But as you had been banished, I felt like I had to continue what you did... And they acknowledged me as if I was the one who did all you did... You know I never wanted you gone". "You can say that now, but I clearly remember the day... How father and you just threw me into the mountains, without even a word... You were my brother, Nieghar, and I always took care of you... And you got rid of me when you got the chance". "Thogar... I'm sure there's a solution for this. What are you going to do, anyway? You're surrounded, and no help will come to you", Nieghar said, and continued "surrender, and go back into your exile again". "This is where you're wrong, brother... I've found unthinkable power and a true brother, one that is my brother ten thousand times more than you ever were, and you have brought the end of the Dragonslayers yourself... I will kill you now, and I will finally be rid of all those memories and years of suffering... Goodbye." Thogar attacked without saying nothing more.



When Morchant and Drogoth arrived, the Dwarves from the Bastion were already dead, and Thogar was standing casually in the entrance. "So I see you didn't wait for us, Thogar. Did you take care of your problem?", said Morchant. "I did, my friend. I've finally finished with the people who ruined my life. Although I see it as a blessing, for serving our Master has given me more power than I could ever hope to achieve. And I also found the ringbearer and slew him with my bare hands, so our mission here is completed. Drogoth, burn this place. That way the last of my bad memories will be gone.", Thogar said. "Very well, Thogar. We shall return and tell our Master the good news. And he'll be delighted to know that the Dragons of the Withered Heath are now under his service.", Morchant said. While they went back, Thogar realized that his Master had known where the Ring was all along, and that the task he had been given was also a gift for him. He truly felt happy for one moment in his life.



Mornamarth and Helegwen were looking at Hwaldar's troop commanders, that had arrived from Carn-Dûm with her. "This is a step backwards in my plans, if I have to share the leadership now... Or... It could be a step in the right direction", said Mornamarth. "I have a task for you, Helegwen. Get Ferny to check among the most disloyal men of Hwaldar... Send them to the North with our hillmen, and meanwhile, we will take our army to Cameth Brin and siege it, finding the rebel "leader" there and executing the rest. That should convince the Witch-King of my worth, and maybe he'll recall Hwaldar back for his... "Lack of competence"." Mornamarth laughed, and Helegwen said: "it will be done. Should I prepare the armies, then?". "Yes, take your leave", said Mornamarth. "I trust you won't fail me."



Cameth Brin was on sight... And the lord of the city's army had wasted no time to prepare for battle. "Who are you, and what do you want of my city?", said the lord of Cameth Brin. "I want to announce that at the end of these day, you will all be vassals of the Iron Crown", Mornamarth shouted. "Surrender or die, I won't have a problem with either of those, men of Arnor." he finished. "I shall not bow to a wicked servant of the Iron Crown, nor will my men! We will fight, and we will win!", said the nobleman. "So it will be. You will all be ashes by the end of the day. Troops, attack! Archers, draw bows! Let's kill this rabble.". Helegwen got back to the line of Archers and Mornamarth started a cruel assault.



"Well done, Mornamarth. You've captured one of the most important cities in Arnor and killed the leader of the hillmen rebellion... Would you want a reward?", said the Witch-King in a snarky tone. "My lord, I only request of you that the control of this city is given to me. I only live to serve.", said Mornamarth. "You FOOL! Can't you see what you have done? I ordered you to hold the valley of Combe, and in the time of five days since I sent Hwaldar there, you've already abandoned it! Arnor attacked as soon as they saw your soldiers leave the valley. Hwaldar couldn't hold the place with the few troops you left there, but I'm sure he did a better job than you could ever do.", the Witch-King remarked angrily. "I won't kill you for your rebellious acts, but you will be confined to tasks related to the Stewardship on Carn-Dûm until I'm sure you are fit to carry a task over without a single mistake. Zaphragor, you shall be the Lord of Cameth Brin from now on, and Helegwen shall be here as your lieutenant. And Mornamarth... Do not fail me again."



The Barrow-Downs, which had never abandoned their gloomy look since Gulzar finished his first ritual there and started unleashing the dark powers hidden in the world, and now him and Durmarth had come back for the second part of their plan. Morchant and the troops Gulzar had requested were already there when the High Sorcerer and Dûrmarth arrived. "Thanks for fulfilling my request, Morchant. Shall we begin the ritual?", said Gulzár. "Yes, my master is very interested in this. If this succeeds, it will be a huge help on our war against the Free Peoples.", said Morchant. "Master, do we have a suitable body?", Dûrmarth asked. "Yes. I asked Morchant to stash that Elf Lord Lindir's body in here after we longer had no use for Amdir's. Only the blood of an Elf will work for this.". Gulzar got near the altar, where the body had been put, and he started whispering dark words, words of sorcery and blood. After the High Sorcerer had said his words, the sky suddenly flashed red, and blood flowed from where the Dark Elves had been standing. Now, behind Morchant, there were no more Dark Elves. Their lives had been exchanged for the first of many rewards that the dark powers unleashed on the Barrow Downs would give them.



"So... My lord, this is it. My experiments have finally reached their first main breakthrough. This is a dark creature, serving some forgotten evil, always restless... Through the blood of the Dark Elves, I have managed to summon it from wherever it was sealed, and it will serve the Iron Crown... This seems to have been part of our ally's army a long time ago... And now they are back to bring doom to the Free Peoples.", Gulzár said, visibly proud of what he had achieved. "Certainly, this is a creature of majestic darkness", said the Witch-King. I assume our ally will be the one to command the most of its kind, as he once did, but I will count with some of them, like this one, in my armies.", said Witch-King. "Rogash, I want you to test the abilities of this being of darkness. Show it the Rage of the North." Rogash looked at his King and said: "YES, MY LORD. ROGASH BRINGS FIGHT TO DARK CREATURE. ROGASH AND CREATURE TAKE GREEN LANDS!", and ran to the fight.



After being given Cameth Brin by the Witch-King, Zaphragor and Hwaldar decided to search among the Hillmen for members of the Hillmen rebellion. Arriving at a village, the leader of it tried to flee. Zaphragor commanded his Shadow Guards to pin him down, and then Zaphragor started to hit him and interrogate him: "Why did you rebel against your Lords? SPEAK.". The Hillmen, scared, said "I-I don't know! I was paid by another Hillmen to let them pillage my people's farms, b-but I don't know who started this!". "SPEAK, I TOLD YOU! NO MORE LIES!", said Zaphragor. "I swear it by the Iron Crown, I'm telling the truth!", said the Wildmen, being more and more scared. "You swear it... BY THE IRON CROWN? THE SAME ONE YOU SO EASILY BETRAYED? YOU DO NOT DESERVE LIVING, SCUM", Zaphragor furiously said, before chopping the Hillmen's head in a fit of rage. Hwaldar looked at Zaphragor and said "This was the last one, my men told me. If he truly didn't know either, we'll probably never know who started this rebellion. I promise you, I will crush whatever signs of rebelry my troops show with one swift stroke.". "Send word of it to the Witch-King, Hwaldar. It is time to go back to Cameth Brin."



Gulzár and Dûrmarth carefully lead the dark horses through the mountain pass, at the end of which Drauglin and his Wolves awaited. "Drauglin, long time no see.", said Gulzár, and continued: "I bring you these steeds, which I have brought back from the shadow with my rituals. I want you to train them, and test them. Get them to raid along with your Wolves. I want to see if they are as strong as they promise. They will serve as Cavalry for our ally's armies, as they once did, but I want to see how they fare for myself." "It will be done, Lord Gulzár", said Drauglin, and nodded to his lieutenant, the Wolf instructor. Then, the instructor ordered the Wolves to follow him and the Night-mares did so aswell. "Very well, my Lord. I shall bring you results. For the Iron Crown!", said Drauglin before leaving. Once he had left and Dûrmarth and Gulzár were alone, the High Sorcerer said "I have faith in those creatures, they will bring despair to the armies of the Arnorian and Elves alike. Dûrmarth, I believe we are going to win this war if we keep extracting the power that lies hidden in this world. Evil does not rest, nor will it ever."



Dûrmarth and Drauglin had been tasked by the Witch-King to go to the Misty Mountains, where the Troll Buhrdur, who Thogar had gotten to serve the Iron Crown, had started a rebellion among his Troll peers. Contrary to many of the Trolls, Buhrdur was an intelligent being, and had leadership skills that helped him lead SNow, Hill and Cave Trolls alike. They were not the only trouble in the mountains, however. The Dwarves of Khâzad-Dûm had regular patrols in the mountains, and they weren't exactly fond of Angmar. "Lord Dûrmarth, we are here at last. Should I start scouting this area to find the Troll Lair?", said Drauglin. "Yes, and bring the Night-Mares with you. That will help in completing their training, so Gulzár will be satisfied. I'll make camp here and wait. Troll camps, from my knowledge of them, are easy to identify. Come back when you find them, and I'll go to finish this rebellion."



After Drauglin came back, he led Dûrmarth into the Troll base. Dûrmarth prepared their troops in combat position, preparing for the worst outcome, and stood where Buhrdur stood. "Buhrdur, I command you to stop your rebellion once and for all", Dûrmarth said. "NEVER", Buhrdur shouted, "YOU HUMANS OF ANGMAR HAVE DISRESPECTED US ENOUGH. WE AREN'T MORE THAN SLAVES TO ACHIEVE YOUR ENDS", Buhrdur said. "Don't be overly dramatic. You have been treated well by the men of Angmar, and you've been given these mountains once we eliminate the Dwarven people.", Dûrmarth replied. "LIES! THAT MAN TOLD US YOU ALL DESPISE US! THAT WE WOULD BE BETRAYED ONCE THIS ENDED!", Buhrdur said, visibly more and more enraged. "What man, Buhrdur? Speak. Now.", Dûrmarth said, worried even though his icy expression didn't reveal it. But Buhrdur couldn't say anything more. Blinded by rage, he and his Trolls attacked the forces of Angmar. "DIE!", Buhrdur said. Dûrmarth, accepting he'd have to defeat him, said "Let's dance. Before this is over, you will be face down in the dirt."



Hitting Buhrdur in the exact places he knew wouldn't deal as much damage as to kill him, but would keep him "quiet" enough time, Dûrmarth sent Drauglin to bring Thogar and Rogash to the mountains, where their troops built a small jail in Buhrdur's cave, to keep him from leaving or attacking them. Once Buhrdur woke up, he was surrounded by two towers, full of Archers who would kill him if he tried to escape, and a barricade which let him see Dûrmarth, Thogar and Rogash. "You've woken, finally.", said Dûrmarth. "We have decided to keep you alive, but you must speak if you value the opportunity you have been given. Tell me, Buhrdur, who was the man who convinced you to rebel?". "I DON'T KNOW. THE MAN CONCEALED HIS APPEARANCE WITH A DARK CLOAK. I COULDN'T SEE HIM AT ALL.", said Buhrdur. "Then, why did you trust him?", said Dûrmarth. "HE TALKED IN SUCH A WAY, THAT I COULDN'T HELP BUT BELIEVE WHAT HE TOLD ME. HE HAD VERY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANGMAR, AND HE TOLD US THINGS IN A WAY THAT IT SIMPLY COULDN'T BE FALSE.". "Buhrdur, do you really know nothing more?". "NO, I SWEAR FOR THE IRON CROWN, THAT'S ALL I KNOW". "Very well. I will keep you alive. But for your rebellious acts, you will serve under Rogash, who will take command of your whole forces. Consider it a second opportunity, one which the Witch-King or especially Zaphragor wouldn't have given you. Be glad I was the one to finish your rebellion.", Dûrmarth said, before leaving, only Thogar and Rogash remaining in Buhrdur's jail. "Very well, now that this is solved, we have work to do, Buhrdur. Consider this your first time to prove yourself again.", said Thogar. "COME TAKE GRAY LANDS WITH ME", said Rogash.



Looking at the fields beneath Carn-Dûm, standing atop the first walls of the city, Gulzár and Dûrmarth were the only two living beings that could be distinguished at that moment in there. Dûrmarth had always looked up to Gulzár as a mentor figure, since the moment Gulzár had saved his life from the wolves and welcomed him to the Kingdom of Angmar. He had never stopped referring to him with the title of master, as a sign of respect. And Gulzár deserved all of it, for he was old and wise, and the High Sorcerer of Angmar, whose powers had been given to him by the Witch-King himself. "Master, I believe I have started to unravel a conspiracy in these lands", Dûrmarth said. "What would be it? Is it linked with that Troll rebellion you just put an end to?", said Gulzár. "Yes, master. I found out someone deceived the trolls into rebelling, with carefully constructed lies.". "Interesting... Could it have been the Arnorians?", Gulzár thought, but in a way that was more of a question for Dûrmarth. "I don't know, Master. For all the things the Arnorians did to me, I do not find that to be in their style", Dûrmarth said, grievely remembering the past. "Nor do I, Dûrmarth, nor do I. I'd recommend you are cautious about this. For all we know, this enemy could be inside our own realm, and we do not know its intentions. You've done well, Dûrmarth, and I'm sure you'll discover whoever did this.". A long and arduous road was ahead of the young enforcer of Angmar. But, would he finish with the cloak of deception that engulfed the Iron Crown? Only time would tell.



Imladris, the Hidden Valley, was home to a small meeting that day. Cirdan of Lindon, Elrond of Rivendell, the Elven Lord Glorfindel, the Istari Gandalf and the Combe man Ferny were all in one of the outdoors meeting zones of Rivendell. "The threat of Angmar can no longer be ignored", said Elrond, and continued: "we must start a counteroffensive.". "But how would we do it, Elrond?", said Glorfindel. "This man, Ferny, was forced to work with Mornamarth of Angmar. In exchange for protection from the Iron Crown, he has told us confidential information about ten spy camps located all across the region. We must find them, and put an end to them.", said Elrond. "We can't let anyone suffer what happened to Lord Lindir, though. We must be really careful this time", said Cirdan. "This is not a matter for big armies, but for small groups, the best able Elves", said Glorfindel. "I'll go myself, and finish with the shadowy presence of Angmar.". "And you'll have my help", said Gandalf. "We must act quickly, Gandalf, and start countering the advances of Angmar."



Dûrmarth arrived on Cameth Brin, now home to Lord Zaphragor, the most loyal servant of the Witch-King. He decided to use his help in the matter of the traitor, as Zaphragor was one he could trust. He would never betray the Witch-KIng, for loyalty to the Iron Crown is all he had in his heart. Moreover, he had already been investigating the Hillmen rebellion, which seemed closely linked to the Troll one aswell. Helegwen and Hwaldar, who were with Zaphragor, were immensely loyal to the Witch-King aswell, and they would lend their help for sure. "Dûrmarth, what news do you bring from Carn-Dûm?", said Zaphragor. "I come here inquiring about a possible treason in our kingdom", said Dûrmarth. "Who would dare do something like that? That must not be allowed", said Zaphragor, "what are the details?". "Someone deceived the Troll King Buhrdur into starting a rebellion. I do not know the man's identity, so I have almost no clues, but such a thing must not be ignored.", said Dûrmarth. "Very well. I'd advise you to look into the ten scout camps we have in these lands, for they may have seen someone of that nature. It's not much, but we must take every little chance to uphold the sovereingty of the Iron Crown. As I have to stay here by order of the Witch-King - and I will not be disloyal like Mornamarth -, Hwaldar and Helegwen will help you uncover this. I count you among the most loyal servants of the Iron Crown, so I'm sure you will not fail."



After having tracked down most of the Angmar scout camps without success, finding only dead men, Dûrmarth and his companions arrived at the location of the last camp: the Redhorn Pass. This one was the most close to the High Pass, where the Troll Rebellion had happened, and so it was sure that its scouts could have seen something. However, this camp was so well hidden not even Dûrmarth, Hwaldar and Helegwen knew its exact location, and the blizzard didn't exactly make it better. "We'll split on three groups. Hwaldar and two Hillmen, Helegwen, two hillmen and the orc, and I'll go alone", Dûrmarth said. "As you wish, Dûrmarth", Helegwen said. "Very well. We shall meet again at Cameth Brin, if some of us were not to find the scout camp in one day", said Dûrmarth. He decided to do that because he harbored some suspicions that he wanted to prove, and his way of acting would not be possible with Hwaldar or Helegwen there. They would help if they found the camp, but Dûrmarth feared the camp was already doomed, and was trying to get a more stealthy approach. The Hillmen would have not fit well into that kind of approach, and Dûrmarth felt like he shouldn't trust Helegwen in this matter... A strange feeling lingered inside of him.



Dûrmarth had finally found the camp... And as he expected, all the men were dead. But in the camp, three Elves and an old man were around a campfire, probably resting. Dûrmarth hid himself between some trees and started listening to what they had to say. He recognized the old man as Gandalf, and the Elven Lord which didn't have an armour as Glorfindel, which he had seen before. Focusing himself to hear what they were saying, he overheard some interesting things: "So, this was the last camp, right?", said Glorfindel. "I'm glad that man helped us, or we would have been much weaker against Angmar in this area. The eyes of the enemy can see far and beyond, so it is good to blind them for a while", he continued. "Indeed, my friend. The forces of Angmar will have a hard time regaining their spying strength in these lands. Something intrigues me, though. The circumstances surrounding that man, Ferny, fleeing... Why would a man like him know of such information? Something must have happened, something that escapes our reach", said Gandalf. "I guess we'll never know, but at least we've done something about these Angmar troops, and we've weakened them. Time to go back to Rivendell. Suddenly, Dûrmarth's suspicions were confirmed... But he didn't have any proof to do anything about it... The cloak of deception had been uncovered, but it would stay engulfing Angmar.



Standing alone at the throne room of Carn-Dûm, Mornamarth was looking at the throne he believed he would rule from one day. He thought of the news that had been brought from Cameth Brin, and thought about how perfect his plan had been, even when it had gone wrong. The Hillmen rebellion had prompted the Witch-King to send Hwaldar to Combe, and that had been the perfect excuse for Mornamarth to leave for Cameth Brin. Mornamarth knew he was important to the Witch-King's plans, so while he had disobeyed his orders, his punishment would probably be to stay on Carn-Dûm tasks only. As Zaphragor knew Rhudaur aswell, it was clear the Witch-King would give him control of Cameth Brin instead of Mornamarth, and due to Zaphragor's zealous nature, he would kill all of the rebels before they could actually speak... Which worked exactly as intended. He also knew Combe would fall, and so, after its fall, he tracked down Ferny and paid him so he would take the scout camps locations to Imladris... But not immediately. Mornamarth sent another of his men to decieve the troll Buhrdur into starting a rebellion, that then would raise even more disturbances among Angmar... And the Angmar scout camps, which would be the only witnesses of one of Mornamarth's lackeys going to Buhrdur's lands, would luckily be killed by the Imladris Elves. It had worked exactly as Mornamarth wanted... And even if Dûrmarth, as smart as he was, guessed who was behind it, there would never be any proof of who caused all of those troubles, and the ones to come, on the kingdom of Angmar... "I may be easy to discover as a deceitful one... But they mistook me for a foolish snake... Won't matter when I take the throne."



After the first strike against Angmar, which had come not long since Angmar tried to besiege Imladris, a new council was held in Imladris, where some of the wisest beings on Middle-Earth had come. Again, Elrond, Cirdan, Gandalf and Glorfindel were there, and joining them were Saruman, who had come from the east, where him, Alatar and Pallando were, and Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, who had come from Lórinand, where King Amroth ruled. The threat of Angmar and the start of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth's counter attack against them was what was going to be discussed, especially since Angmar seemed to have strenghtened their reach, taking Cameth Brin, the biggest city of Rhudaur, and the increasing troubles that were had in the Misty Mountains. "Friends of old, we are here today to discuss the threat of Angmar. For so many time it has been a blight on the lands of Arnor, and it has also caused a great deal of grief to the Elven realms. Our dear lord Lindir lost his life against the threat of the Iron Crown and its wicked allies, and so did many Elves from Lindon. We have started our counterattack, but we must take it further if we wish to at least stop Angmar's advance", said Elrond.
Glorfindel then talked, and said "With the help of a deserter, we have found and destroyed ten Angmar camps hidden on this region, so their hold has been extensively weakened. However, they still control places like Cameth Brin, which we cannot allow them to control. I believe that we must lead an army of elves of Lindon, Lórinand and Imladris to retake the city for the men of Arnor, or at least to stop the enemy". "We must be careful on this matter, though. The reach of the enemy is always powerful, and the threat of the shadows always lurks in the lands of Middle-Earth", Galadriel said. "I would gladly help defeat the enemy on Cameth Brin, but we must also be careful. I shall request King Amroth's permission to lead an army of Silvan Elves here. Times like these and threats like Angmar's require action.", said Lord Celeborn. Elrond then looked to the two Istari and said "What are your opinions on this matter?". Gandalf then said "I fear we must do so aswell. Saruman, I hope you will come with us before returning to the East". "I will, my friend.", said Saruman. And then, everything was set. After Angmar's siege on Imladris, the Elves were prepared to make a comeback against the Iron Crown. The Last Prince of Cardolan had met his end not so long ago, and the land was in turmoil, but the Elves would start a counterattack which would lead them against Carn-Dûm itself... The true war against Angmar had started.




After enough time mustering the armies and preparing for marching to war, the three Elven armies marched to Cameth Brin. To avoid the risk of being discovered because of the huge numbers, though, they took three different routes. Elrond, Glorfindel and Gandalf travelled through Rhudaur's hills, while Cirdan and Saruman had taken the route of the Ettenmoors, where the Orcs wouldn't expect them to pass through. In last place, Lord Celeborn and Haldir had decided to travel the long way around, through Cardolan and the Barrow-Downs, to attack Cameth Brin from behind. The gloomy lands that hosted the tombs of the kings of old greeted the Lórinand army, and so did few battalions of men, led by one they would not easily forget. "Good day, travellers, at least as good as one day can be in this age. What do you want of the Barrow-Downs?", said the man, who seemed full of resolve. "We are Elves from Lórinand, good man. My name is Celeborn, and he is Haldir, my lieutenant", said Celeborn. "You do not seem like the sort who would defile the Barrow-Downs", said the man. "My name is Carthaen, and I serve the seven stars. I stand vigilant over these lands, so the vile armies of the Iron Crown will never defile this sacred place.", the man finished. "We are marching to recover Cameth Brin, my friend. Would you know the easiest route to approach the city in a hidden way?", said Haldir. "I can help you on that... There's a mountain pass in one of the sides of the city, one which you could take to enter it and take Angmar by surprise. I'll show you the way, and then come back to guard my forefathers' sacred barrows", the man finished. He was a very brave man, Celeborn thought. They marched through the devastated lands and prepared to enact their part of the siege.



Elrond, Glorfindel and Gandalf were standing in front of an old fortress, one which reflected the lost greatness of the kingdom of Rhudaur. Crumbling stone was all that was left of what once was the House of Calindil and Amdir, which the Angmar allies had burnt to ashes. "Days of glory once were common in this castle", Elrond said. "Lord Calindil of Rhudaur was one of the most kind noblemen in all of Rhudaur, and unlike many of his proud peers, he treated the Hillmen with respect. It is said they refused to burn his fortress down... And that Dark Elves did it. Not even the Hillmen would do damage to that man", said Glorfindel. "I do not believe Hillmen were ever evil, but the years of being oppressed by some of the less nicer noblemen in these lands made them join a Kingdom that offered them power. In the end, I believe they are much different from Orcs and the men of Carn-Dûm, though they share the same cause", said Gandalf. Then, one of the banners that miraculously still stood on the wall fell to the floor, a sign of how forgotten that place had become. "We must continue, friends", said Elrond. "We must prepare the main army and camp in front of Cameth Brin, and wait for Cirdan and Saruman. However, I believe Celeborn and Haldir have a plan that will help us take the city. We must save the people of Middle-Earth, and Angmar must be defeated"



The army of Saruman and Cirdan, elves dressed on blue and elite soldiers which wore a silver armor had come into the Ettenmoors, from where they'd travel west to Cameth Brin. The cold wastes, filled with Orcs, would not be more than a passing thought for them, since they had to move fast and swiftly. "It seems like we have not attracted the orcs yet", said Cirdan. "If we go west from now, we should be out of this place soon", said Saruman. Looking at the nearby zone, they were searching for orc scouts, but there were nowhere to be found. The journey should be an easy one.



"The situation is dire, my lords", said one of Zaphragor's Shadow Guards, who had received word from the Hillmen scouts. "An enemy army commanded by Elrond and Glorfindel of Rivendell is coming here. What should we do?", he continued. "We must prepare for the siege", said Dûrmarth, "elaborate a plan for us to follow until Thogar and Rogash are here". "The area around this city gives us many opportunities for ambushes and destroying their troops before they even get a chance to prepare the siege", said Helegwen. "I'll position myself and my archers in the forest of the southeast and attack. They will never know what hit them", Helegwen continued. "My Hillmen will be prepared to serve as a first line of assault", Hwaldar said. "If they get past the Archers, they will taste the iron of Rhudaur". "I'll go and get Thogar and Rogash to come as fast as possible", said Dûrmarth. "Very well. All is planned. Imladris shall not win this day!", finished Zaphragor. A difficult battle was about to begin.



Elrond, Glorfindel and Gandalf were advancing with their vanguard when suddenly, arrows started to rain. The air got cold, and suddenly, without even thinking, they started to run from the forest. The enemy had discovered them, and if they didn't get out of there in time, they would perish, freezing to death by the courtesy of the Angmar archers...



Taking refuge at a small farmstead, Elrond, Glorfindel and Gandalf had finally reunited with Cirdan and Saruman, and their armies were preparing for battle while they prepared the best strategy. A messenger of Celeborn had also come, with news from the Lórinand army. "Lord Celeborn and Haldir have found a secret way into the city, courtesy of Carthaen, a man from Cardolan.". "Captain Carthaen, such a brave man", said Glorfindel. "Anyway, we must prepare ourselves for battle. Lórinand's army will give us a surprise element we didn't have before, so we must prepare. The Imladris troops will take the primary line, with Elrond and I at the front", he continued. "Saruman and I will support the troops from behind and take out any big menaces", Gandalf said. "Very well", Cirdan said. "I will lead the Elves of Lindon to flank the enemy, and trap them in the middle. We must be wary of them, though. What they did to you on the forest... It shows that they are very much aware of our presence here, and once we show ourselves, there will be no going back.", Cirdan continued. "So, all has been said. Angmar's armies will fall here today", Glorfindel concluded.



Advancing towards the city walls, Glorfindel and Elrond found the first line of Angmar's troops: the Hillmen of Rhudaur, led by Hwaldar, leader of all the Hillmen tribes of Rhudaur. These particular ones, Hwaldar's Bone Breakers, had a particular reputation for being too bloodthirsty, even by Angmar's vassal's standards. But the Elves would not hold back that day. Commanding his troops to advance, Elrond and Glorfindel attacked the enemy lines, while Hwaldar commanded his troops to kill as many of the Elves as possible. "Do not hold back, men! We will win today, and put an axe through these Elven scum!", said Hwaldar. It was a match of pure strength and powerful strikes, that could crush anyone's head, against trained and experienced swordsmen who had mastered all of the arts of battle. And it was only the beginning.



After minutes of harsh combat, the Elves of Lindon, led by Cirdan, surprised the men of Rhudaur by launching a flank attack. Hwaldar quickly went there to fight the leader of those troops, hoping it would be an easier fight than Glorfindel, but it wasn't. When it all seemed dire for the Hillmen leader, Helegwen appeared and her Archers, drawing their bows, started disrupting the enemy lines. Hwaldar, seeing that his troops were overwhelmed, decided to fall back to the city walls and let the second line of troops, led by Zaphragor and Helegwen, take out the enemy. Hwaldar felt ashamed that he had to retire, but he didn't want the whole Hillmen army to die that day. It wouldn't do any good to Rhudaur, nor to Angmar, nor to himself. The Elves had gained advantage in the battle, but there were still many things to happen in that battle, and the tide would turn again...



After Hwaldar retreated to the city, Zaphragor and Helegwen took their forces of Carn-Dûm to hold the doors against the troops lead by the Istari Saruman and Gandalf. The fight was hard, and Zaphragor's trusted one, the captain of his part of the Shadow Guard, perished to Saruman's poweful spells. The battle seemed dire for the men of Carn-Dûm, and it got even worse as the men got slaughtered by the Elves of Imladris. Then, Zaphragor knew what he had to do. He prepared to draw upon his own lifeforce, as his knowledge in sorcery had led him to be able to, and started his most powerful spell. Blood and ice was all that was seen for a moment in the battlefield. Elves and Men alike flying across the skies, while the commanders stood fighting at the center of it all. Overwhelmed, Zaphragor had to go back to the fortress (thing for which he would find hate for himself) and Helegwen decided to flee north. "Strange", Gandalf thought. "If she is going north, she must feel she will be safe there...". What awaited them in the north of Cameth Brin?



Zaphragor and Hwaldar were preparing a raven to send it to the reinforcements on the North, when they heard the particular sound of Elven blades: Lórinand had arrived. "You, guards! Hold them back!", said Zaphragor, while trying to get to the raven as quickly as possible. The Shadow Guards and the Bone Crushers of Hwaldar were fighting really well against Lord Celeborn and Haldir, but the Might of the Silver Lord was too much for them, and they wouldn't hold them for much longer. Then, as they started to fall and all seemed dire, while Zaphragor and Hwaldar were running to regroup with what was left of their armies after the fight against Gandalf, after sending the raven, a distinctive horn sound was heard in all the Cameth Brin valley... Help had come, and the doom of Elves with it.



Cirdan, Saruman, Elrond and Glorfindel had been trapped on the city entrance. The surprising arrival of the enemy reinforcements - The dreaded Dark Elves, Mountain Giants, Trolls and creatures they had not seen since the First Age - had led to their troops being slaughtered, but once there were only the strongest of them left, the enemy army didn't attack. Instead, Thogar Stoneheart spoke: "You have an opportunity to choose now. Choose to surrender, and you will die. Choose to fight, and you will die. Choose to flee behind the city walls, and... You will die. The Age of Darkness has come, and you will not stop it", said the Dwarf. "Master Cirdan, there are too many of them, what are we going to do?" said his lieutenant and only surviving soldier at that place. "We... We must defend the fortress with all we have, though it may be hard. I still harbour hope in my heart", said Cirdan. "Where is Gandalf?", said Glorfindel. "I haven't seen him since the enemy armies arrived", said Saruman. "He must be preparing something." They ran into the fortress and their soldiers closed the city gates, while the armies of darkness prepared for the siege. Once they were safe at the palace, and reunited with Haldir and Celeborn, Elrond said "Those creatures... Nobody had seen them since the First Age... How is it possible that they are serving under our enemy? We must proceed with caution. I feel Gandalf knows exactly what he is doing, though... We must hold on to hope"



Twilight had fallen over the valley of Cameth Brin, though that was no regular twilight. For darkness like that seemed unnatural, like it had come from the deepest pits in the world. Gandalf had made his way into the heart of the enemy army, where something awaited for him. The place seemed empty, but the Dark Elves and Udun Watchers near him were standing watch over him closely. Gandalf finally reached a place where he could feel the dark presence... It had been waiting for him. "Reveal yourself, shadow of Udûn!", said Gandalf. The shadow followed suit, and soon someone was materialized in front of him. The presence laughed, and said "Welcome, Gandalf. I have heard much of your prowess and your wisdom. It will be nice to see it tested", the mysterious presence said. "Who are you, dark creature?", Gandalf shouted, overwhelmed by the sheer power of darkness. "I am revealed to you at last... I am the Harbinger of Doom, the origin of life, the devourer of death. I am darkness itself, that's all you will ever know", said the creature. The shadow was revealing now its true form... It was an Elf? Or was it just taking the form of one? "Abandon this petty rebellion. Sooner or later, all of Arda will be under my thumb... You are but a pawn on my plans, and that's all you could ever hope to achieve. Even if you stopped me now, my plans would fulfill sooner or later... I cannot be defeated... But I wish to see someone of your power try, Gandalf the Grey. I will not command my armies to fight against you, I want this to be between us alone. I want you to be defeated and see how Middle-Earth falls into a new era of darkness... What the ones before me couldn't achieve, I will". A wall of fire raised between the Dark Elves and Gandalf and the Harbinger of Doom, as it had called itself. It raised its sword, and defied Gandalf. "Come forth, Maiar. For as long as I'm here, you will not win"



The gates had been broken, and Thogar Stoneheart had sent Buhrdur into finding and killing the Elven Lords. Looking among the streets, Buhrdur found some people who had been trapped outside of their homes, and decided to slaughter them. However, Glorfindel would not allow such thing to happen. Appearing suddenly, the Elf started to fight the Great Troll of the Misty Mountains, the fearsome butcher. Another perfect match of strength versus the technique of the Elves of Imladris. At one moment, Glorfindel's whole body began to glow in a silver light, unleashing his true power. That was too much for Buhrdur, and before fighting the elf in silver armour again, he knew he was already dead.



Finally, dawn had come. And so had the armies of Lady Galadriel, who had brought elven warriors from Lindon, Imladris and Lórinand, and was a new threat to the armies of the Iron Crown and its ally. The Harbinger, who had long finished dueling Gandalf (overwhelming him and making him retreat), instantly took an interest on the powers of the new combatant. "Lady Galadriel... The Lady of Light. Darkness rises, and light to meet it. I would hope you will give me a better fight than the Maia Gandalf. For all the power he has, he could not defeat me", said the Harbinger. "Go back to the Shadow, evil presence. If Gandalf couldn't banish you, I shall be the one to do it", Galadriel said. "Very well. Come then, and fight me. I wish to see the strength and wisdom the Free Peoples will soon lose", the Harbinger replied, and after a gesture of its, a wall of fire raised. Then, the dark presence raised its hands, and red lightning, imbued with the power of evil itself, started to come out. Galadriel had no choice but to fight that powerful enemy. Truly a duel of the Ages, like the Harbinger and Gandalf's had been... Even if the leader of Angmar's allies wouldn't show its true power then, nor now.



Once it had completely seen the power of Galadriel, the Harbinger suddenly vanished. Not knowing where it was, the elves guessed it had fled. But in the other side of the battlefield, where Thogar Stoneheart stood, a cloud of darkness let him know his master was there. "Thogar, you have done well. It is time to retire our and Angmar's troops, we have won", it said. "But, master... We lost the city and even Buhrdur", Thogar said, clueless. "We did... But I have exactly what I wanted, and we have created a distraction for Gulzár and Morchant", his master said. "Now our enemies know of my existence, but they shall not know the full story of it, or my plans... And that will make them fearful. There's not a weapon as powerful as fear, Thogar. Not sorcery, not the mightiest sword forged by the elves... Fear is what makes enemies surrender, what will make us rule. Even if we lost Cameth Brin, we have won so much today... It pays for a city that will soon be worthless", the Harbinger said. Soon, a green glow started to rise from the city, while the Elven army ran outside of it. Soon, all the people inside were dead, the streets filled with the stench of their bodies... And the land, corrupt with sorcery forgotten ages ago... Indeed, the Harbinger of Doom had won.



Having arrived at the Barrow-Downs, Morchant and Gulzár were there to do the final stage of their plan there: to summon the Wights to haunt them and defile the tombs of Arnor's men. The distraction created by the Cameth Brin siege had served them to go undetected, and they had finally gotten to where their dark arts would be put to use. "Have we had word from Cameth Brin?", said Gulzár. "The Elves have retaken the city, and our troops have retired. But my master assures me we have gotten a lot of advantage thanks to this siege", Morchant said. "Very good. Then, our part of the plan should be easily done". "Not if I can stop it", thought Carthaen from the hill where he had been watching them.



The story continues below...
« Letzte Änderung: 6. Jun 2018, 01:44 von Julio229 »


Darkayah

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #1 am: 28. Feb 2018, 21:45 »
Nice Job Julio.
I really love the second one. Wolves are always perfect for me. :)
Grüße Darkayah

Of old blood, magic, fire and darkness!
The old blood will unite them all, but causes the  world to be destroyed!
-Prophecy of Valarya

Lust auf eine alternative Mittelerde Geschichte und dazu ein RPG? ?
Der Thron von Mittelerde

Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #2 am: 28. Feb 2018, 21:48 »
Thanks, Darkness!  :) I'll try to add Wolves into more screenshots, I really like them aswell!

I'll keep editing with more, so stay tuned if you want to see more of them :P


Walküre

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #3 am: 1. Mär 2018, 00:01 »
More fictional stories revolving around the lore of Arda are always great news. Whether by word or visual imagery, may the tale be told and spread :)

Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #4 am: 1. Mär 2018, 04:05 »
Thank you, Walk!   :)


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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #5 am: 1. Mär 2018, 10:49 »
Some very nice screenshots you have there, and made even better by a fitting narrative, keep up the good work  xD
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Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #6 am: 1. Mär 2018, 13:04 »
Thank you! xD


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #7 am: 4. Mär 2018, 21:30 »
Updated the post a lot through these days with the continuing story, I hope it is enjoyable, more will be coming!   :)


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #8 am: 5. Mär 2018, 23:31 »
Updated the post with two images continuing the story, enjoy!


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #9 am: 6. Mär 2018, 23:32 »
Updated with three images continuing the story, enjoy!


Walküre

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #10 am: 7. Mär 2018, 00:25 »
Beautifully written and showcased, really. The passage concerning Rivendell was very pleasant to see. I hope that, even in a fictional narration, the fate of the Iron Crown could eventually entangle itself with the Golden Wood and its Lady of Light. Even as a brief digression.

Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #11 am: 7. Mär 2018, 05:39 »
Thank you very much, Walk! I think I can try to include Lothlórien and the Lady of Light in some form, I'll try to think of the best way of doing it  :)


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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #12 am: 11. Mär 2018, 23:10 »
I've updated with more stuff these days, sadly couldn't today. Enjoy! :D


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #13 am: 13. Mär 2018, 04:25 »
Updated with pictures, continuing the tale. Enjoy!


Julio229

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Second Post of the Tales of Middle Earth
« Antwort #14 am: 14. Mär 2018, 23:20 »
As the limit has been reached on the main post, new screenshots will be post here from now on  :)

The ranger camp in the Barrow-Downs had seen better days. What once had been an entire order of Rangers serving under the banner of the King of Cardolan was now not much more than a small group of people, as determined as the old, but in the lowest numbers they had ever had. Their captain, though, was Carthaen, a man who was considered as the finest captain the Barrow Guards had ever served under. A member of the line of Kings of Cardolan, even now with the lack of an heir, he had never desired the throne. He had commited himself to guard the tombs of his forefathers against the Iron Crown's evil purposes. Carthaen of Arnor was a man that truly instilled courage into his men. Now, deep inside he knew his time had come, but he would not surrender. He would not go out without a fight. Turning to his lieutenant and his two other main soldiers, he said "The troops of Angmar are here. My friend, I bid you and the rest stand one last time with me. I will not let the sorcerers of the North defile our people's barrows. Even in this twilight, we must be the only beacon of hope for Cardolan. Please, rally the rest. I want to say something to them"



At the request of Carthaen, his men had finally gathered at the foothills of the Hollow Hill of their Camp. Carthaen stood beside his three main soldiers, and prepared to give his speech. "Men of Arnor, men of Cardolan. We've always stood here to defend this hallowed lands, our sacred past. We've always strived to bring peace to Cardolan, and to keep the stench of the Iron Crown off our lands. But today, I have news of an ill nature to tell you. The enemy is coming, and we have no strength left to survive after this final stand. You've always served me - Cardolan good, you have fulfilled your purpose here. So, I shall relieve all of you of your posts. If you choose to, you can leave now and live your days in peace. However, I will not do so. I will stand, one last time, against the enemy. i shall not let them corrupt these tombs. Those of you who want to leave, you can do so; I will not stop you. Those of you who want to stay here, though, I promise you: our last stand will make the enemy desire they never came here. FOR ARNOR!". Nobody left. Instead, everyone started shouting the war chant. It was set, Carthaen thought. They would stand against the enemy, one last time. He had lived to protect the Barrow Downs, and he would die doing it.



The Angmar army had come. Carthaen and his men stood in front of the Royal Barrow, which he knew would be the main place to defend from the Iron Crown. The enemies he had seen, Dark Elves, Morchant, and Gulzár, the High Sorcerer of Angmar, were there. Carthaen, looking right at him in the eye, shouted: "You dishonored the souls of our fathers once atop these hallowed grounds. I will not suffer your foul presence again!". His Rangers prepared their fire arrows, while the enemy drew their poisoned swords. "Surrender now. You have no chance of winning this", said Morchant. "I will stand here until I die! You will not defile our lands, the spirit of our people! You shall not do it, and I shall not allow it! Rally now, men, for Arnor! Remember, foul enemy: my name is Carthaen, and I stand for the seven stars!". "Very well, then. Good. Attack, Morchant. I have a plan.", said Gulzár, and the combat started. Nothing but resolve was on Carthaen's heart, even though he knew those were going to be his last moments alive... What he didn't know was the fate that had been chosen for him... A fate worse than death.



The Barrow Guards of Arnor had died... All but one: Captain Carthaen. Even being the last man standing, he still hadn't abandoned his resolve and bravery, and his promise of fighting until the end had proven true. "Congratulations", said Gulzár while clapping. "Your bravery and strength have gathered my interest. You want to die... I'll fulfill your wish. Good. Morchant. Now, kill him. Do it". Carthaen didn't flinch, but stood valiantly and shouted: "I have done all I could for my forefathers, and I am happy for it. Come on, finish it if you can!". After a few swings of Carthaen and Morchant's weapons, Carthaen dropped dead... Did he? The weapon of Morchant had sorcery in it, imbued by Gulzár himself... A man of the skill of Carthaen was useful for the Iron Crown, and he would be the crown of Gulzár's achievements until that moment... The final corruption of the Barrow-Downs, and now, the ability for Gulzár to delve even deeper into the hidden evil of the world... And now, Carthaen would be a tool for it. Where the man's body stood, it raised again, but as a wight. "I shall name you Karsh, and you shall be the nightmare that will dwell on Arnor's hearts. A fate worse than death for you. You have no choice but to raise your weapon against the very people you sought to protect.", Gulzár said. Deep inside, Karsh wanted to swing his weapon against the man who had made him what he was now... But he didn't find the will to do so... He hadn't will on him anymore. All he was was a shell of his former self... That retained his memories and conscience, and would suffer killing his own kin, by order of the very kingdom he fought against.



The main valley deep inside the lands of Gundabad had only known darkness for a long time, ever since they had been taken by the goblins, and even bigger evil had found a home there... The Harbinger, Morchant and the Chieftain of the Goblins stood at the entrance of the old Dwarven fortress, the birthplace of Dúrin The Deathless, armies of Goblins having been rallied by their chieftain by order of the Harbinger of Doom himself. "You have been summoned here because I have a task for you. Our scouts have told me of a Dwarven group, whose intentions are to retake Gundabad. We must show them that is not possible... Without showing our true power. Morchant, you will lead the Goblins in raiding the Dwarven camp. I want no survivors... Well, leave one. I want word of this to get back. Fear will be useful. After this, I have an important task for you and Thogar... Meet with me in the Ettenmoors, and we shall continue talking about it.", The Harbinger said, before disappearing in a cloud of darkness.



Filled with hope and desire to see their old city again, a group of Dwarves led by Fóri, Captain of the Royal Guard of Dúrin V, were resting on an abandoned camp near Mount Gundabad. They were determined to find the old birthplace of their forefather, and reclaim it again. It had been lost to Goblins ages ago, and it should be regained that day. "At last, we are here. We must take care, for those evil creatures may have big numbers; but we are the best fighters among our folk, and the task we have chosen to take is no easy one. But it will bring glory to our names and glory to Durin's folk alike. Today, we will show the world our strength will never wither!", Fóri said. Many Dwarves had come with him. Some of the members of the Royal Guard, his most trusted ones, the Guardians of the Forefather, as they were called; some members of the elite infantry forces, which were called the White Guard of Khâzad-Dûm, and a captain from Ered Mithrin, brother of the Ered Mithrin Dwarves commander, Zhor the Dragonslayer. "Are you sure we have enough troops, Fóri?", the captain said, adding "I could ask my brother to send more troops, I feel like we are not enough". "There's no need, old friend. We are the best among us, I'm sure we will destroy the enemy here and retake what's ours by right", Fóri replied. Little did he know, that the lands of Gundabad had been the home of an evil presence greater that mere Goblins for a long time...



After walking  across the foothills of Gundabad, surrounded by blizzard and snow, the Dwarves had reached their destination... A strong door marked the entrance to the outer city of Gundabad. No sight could have been more encouraging for them, except for the Dwarf that stood in front of it. "Good morning, my friends, and welcome to the city of Gundabad", the Dwarf said. He was clad in dark armour, and his presence was unsettling to them. "Good morning. We have come searching for Mount Gundabad, as we wish to reestablish the Dwarven hold over it", said Fóri, while the Ered Mithrin captain at his side started to feel an unnerving atmosphere around them. "Then you will be pleased to know me and some of our kin have retaken the city and are rebuilding it. I would be pleased to guide you into it, so you can rejoice and rest. You've earned it, friends", said the Dwarf. "Thanks, we would be very much pleased. Tell me, what is your name, Dwarf?", Fóri said. "My name is Thogar. Please, follow me", the Dwarf said, and the doors opened. Soon, the Dwarves would be resting...



As soon as they had crossed the gate, the Dwarves were completely surrounded by Goblins. Fóri then knew they had been betrayed... By one of their own kin. The leader of these Goblins was a tall Elf, with hair as white as the snow around him and as pale as the dawn. "Welcome to Gundabad", the Elf said. "It is a shame that you will go no further". "Who are you, Elf? Talk!", Fóri said. "You're in no position of asking questions here. You were too eager to trust one of your own kin... And this is how it ends.", Morchant said. "YOU! How can you do this?! Betray someone of your own folk?!", Fóri asked Thogar, visibly enraged. "I am not of your kin, for your kin betrayed me first and left me to die. As you all will now.", Thogar said before laughing. Then, Morchant spoke in Black Speech so the Dwarves wouldn't understand: "Very good. Start attacking, archers. But do not kill the one in red armour. Beat him bloody, and I will carry him myself to the doors of Khâzad-Dûm. He must be left alive." The arrows rained on the helpless Dwarves, who were killed one by one. Thogar himself took care of the Ered Mithrin Captain, who recognized him then, before Thogar started beating him to death with his bare hands, and then took care of Fóri... The plan had worked.



Dol Guldur, the Hill of Sorcery... The place that seemed ruined from the outside was actually the place where the mysterious Necromancer had been for four hundred years. What had been Greenwood had been corrupted and became Mirkwood; and Spiders and darker things dwelled between the trees... The Witch-King and the High Sorcerer Gulzár had moved swiftly, through hidden paths, to avoid the Elven Scouts that still dared to wander the south of the forest, and had finally arrived at their destination... The old fortress where the Necromancer dwelled, and where dark sorcery was starting to rise... "Master, I am here with Gulzár, son of Gulfár", the Witch-King said, bowing before his master. The Shadow murmured in black speech, and the Witch-King of Angmar replied: "Master, I have brought him here because I wish for him to learn the powers of the plague from thee. This man has proven his loyalty to the Iron Crown, and to thee alike" The Shadow talked loud, and Gulzár was suddenly engulfed in currents of dark magic. Once the dark clouds had disappeared, Gulzár felt more powerful and wise than he had ever been. "Unlimited power", Gulzár thought. The Shadow of Mirkwood spoke again, and the Witch-King answered: "We will use this power to end the Realm of the North, my Lord"



The Witch-King had summoned some of his most trusted generals (and Mornamarth) to the throne room of Carn-Dûm. Standing at the Witch-King's side were Gulzár, who had recently returned from the east with the Witch-King, and Atandel Dûrdraug, one of the members of the council of Thirteen (the council of Sorcerers led by Gulzár, which were the ruling body of the realm in service of the Witch-King, and which also included Zaphragor and Mornamarth). The ruler of Angmar waited until everyone was ready and then talked: "My loyal servants, you are here to recieve your new orders. These need to be carried with the utmost ability and care, so the Iron Crown continues to rule the North. Mornamarth, you are hereby allowed to partake in operations outside Carn-Dûm again. You and Helegwen will go with Atandel to reclaim the Tribute from our vassals in Rhudaur and in the south of the realm. Drauglin and Zaphragor, I order you to escort Gulzár to the lands of Arnor. He wants to do something in the ruins of Amon-Sûl, something I have ordered him to do. I have no task for you, Hwaldar, but to rally your men and win the fight between clan leaders that will decide whether you stay as chieftain or not. And Karsh, Dûrmarth... I have an special task for you. You will go into Fornost. While Karsh strikes fear into the citizens of Arnor, you will take the chance to go into Fornost's Great Library and return some documents for me... Old documents dating back to the First Era of our world. Do not fail me."



Night had fallen while Dûrmarth travelled to Fornost, and even though he planned on travelling under its cover to reach Fornost, where Karsh would be already waiting for him, there came a moment when he had to stop and get a bit of food and rest. Atop a small hill in the mountainous lands, three soldiers rested, preparing to come back to the city after a campaign in the north. Dûrmarth knew these were enemies of him, but he could use some rest and they would never know who he was. "It's a little bit late to be still awake, isn't it? Good night, travellers", said Dûrmarth, and continued "May I take a small rest with you?". The commander of the men, distinguishable thanks to his more ornate armour, stood up and said "Good night, friend. Of course, you may take some rest with us. We'd enjoy some company on these cold lands". Dûrmarth got closer to the fire, and the men of Arnor offered him some food. As expected, conversation arose soon. "So, what are you doing in these lands, friend?", said the Ranger of the group. "I'm making my way to the ruins of Annúminas, on the north", Dûrmarth said, "while also visiting my old hometown, where I have not been for years". The one that appeared to be the youngest, but still experienced in war, of the group talked, a brief moment of nostalgia in his eyes: "You have a noble purpose. I travelled to Annúminas not long ago. The glory of our old kingdom is still visible. We've fallen on hard times, and I fear the Iron Crown will bring an end to us. Where do you hail from, my friend, that it is on the way to Annúminas?". Dûrmarth answered: "I hail from one of the nearest villages to the old capital. When I was a child, my father died and my mother and I had to go to live with my uncle... An evil man, he was. After a decade of enduring hardships, I decided that was enough... He tried to kill me, and I had to kill him in return, which let me no choice but to flee, after the soldiers of the city executed my mother... My life is my curse, and ever since I've been travelling and longing to forget that time. To have memories of those you've loved and lost is... Harder than having no memories at all. Good night, gentlemen, I need to keep on my way", Dûrmarth said, and left hastily. A long time would pass before those three men realized who their mysterious visitor truly was.



Even if they had been standing strong against the shadow of Angmar, Arthedain was not in its best days. Even outside the fortress of Fornost, abandoned ruins dotted the landscape of the lands of the north. Dûrmarth, Karsh and their allies had hidden in one of them to prepare their entrance into the capital of Arthedain. "Morchant, I didn't expect you to be here", Dûrmarth said. "I have been sent by my lord to help you enter the city of Fornost. We have prepared a cart that will allow you to infiltrate the city as a merchant. These people need the supplies, so they won't ask questions, I'm sure of it", Morchant said. "What about Karsh?", Dûrmarth asked. "Karsh will get in through the old tunnels that run beneath the city. He will start causing trouble and vanishing so chaos spreads and you can enter the Great Library of Fornost unseen", Morchant explained. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I assume you'll scout the area for any weak points in the walls?". "Indeed, Dûrmarth. We need to prepare for the future", Morchant said, and smiled mischievously. "Very well. Let's dance", Dûrmarth said, and took the carriage into the city walls.



Arnor's guard had found the body a few hours before nightfall, and the men of the city had started to feel chills running down their spines. Something was not quite right there. "My lord, we found him a few minutes ago, and we sent for you as soon as we could... Our brother in the guard... How could somebody do this?", one of the captain's lieutenants said. "This... I feel something here. Something is not right... Dark forces are acting upon Fornost...", the captain said, visibly worried, before recovering his usual stance and continuing: "We need to find who did this. I want every man on the city guard to be prepared for whatever happens now". He had not even finished talking when the other one of his lieutenants fell to the floor, his blood running through the pavement. The captain, almost in a fit of rage, shouted "Are we blind, lieutenant? Deploy the garrison!" Then, as if it came from the very pits of the world, an ethereal voice came, echoing "With me, I only bring peace...", making the captain's body frighten to the very core.



Having gotten past the city walls, Dûrmarth had left his merchant wares in a lonely part of the city, when he heard a frightened voice call him from behind. "Y-you! I know who you are", the voice said. "Is that so?", Dûrmarth said, while turning around to see a young man, wielding the sign of Gondor in his chestplate. "Y-yes, I... Do. You are that... That man from Angmar, who them all fear!", the man said. "What is your name?", Dûrmarth said, interested. "My-my name... Is Beleg, sir.", the man said. "Hmm... Perhaps you can be of use to me. Do you value your life, young Beleg?", Dûrmarth asked. "I do... And I am certain I will get killed if I stay here for more time. I was sent to Gondor to serve in the army, but I couldn't handle it... And I fled on a situation that could have entailed my death. I've been hiding since then, praying nobody recognizes me.", Beleg said. Dûrmarth started to think and analyze the man that stood in front of him, and said. "I see something in you... Even if you are afraid of war, you are certainly skilled for it. I can make you into a fearsome fighter, worthy of the Iron Crown. I am going to make you an offer. If you start a fire in the western side of the city and meet with me outside it in a few hours, in the ruined fort, I will take you with me to Carn-Dûm and make you a worthy fighter... If you don't accept, you'll find your death, either from me or from the city guards... Your choice. I must leave now, and I wish you can see which path is the best for you", Dûrmarth said, while leaving. He had taken quite a gamble... But he was sure it would help him.



The ruined fortress that was outside of Fornost had been abandoned for centuries, the waning kingdom of Arthedain becoming unable to take it back and rebuild it. And there stood Morchant, Dûrmarth, Karsh and Beleg, who had completed the task given to him. Fornost's western side had burned that night, as a simple ruse to allow Dûrmarth to finish the task which the Witch-King had given him. "Beleg, you've done well. I will fulfill my promise, and take you as my apprentice to make you into a powerful warrior", Dûrmarth said. Morchant was seemingly impressed by the magnitude of the ruse Dûrmarth had carried over to steal the old documents, and said "This has surprised me, Dûrmarth. I knew you were the perfect one to see this done, but this is... Something else. Well done". Dûrmarth, flattered by the dark elf's words, said "Thanks, Morchant. So, going back to our task, have you received word from the Witch-King?". "Indeed. He wants you to depart to Amon Sûl and join Zaphragor, Gulzár and Drauglin on their task, bringing them the documents. Then, he has ordered you something different... A while ago, we killed a group of Dwarves that intended to take Mount Gundabad for themselves. However, we left one, Fóri, alive for my lord's purposes. After this, my Lord ordered us to join him in the Ettenmoors, though he sent me here first, and the Witch-King has now ordered you to join us in the fortress after you are done in Amon-Sûl. I feel this will be an important task... So you will be of great help on it. Goodbye, I must depart now."



Amon-Sûl was once one of the biggest fortresses the Kingdom of Arnor had, holding within its keep one of the coveted Palantir. A long time had passed since then, though, and now Angmar held the place. Gulzár, alongside Zaphragor and Drauglin, had been sent there to conduct his experiments on the hill of Weathertop, and now Dûrmarth and his now-apprentice Beleg had arrived there, to finish the enforcer's task for the Witch-King. Gulzár greeted Dûrmarth as soon as he saw him, and Dûrmarth was relieved to see his master again. "Master, I have brought you the papers I took from Fornost", Dûrmarth said. "Thanks, Dûrmarth. This shall mark an advancement on my experiments here. As you can see, I have been taking... "Volunteers" from Arnor's patrols, thanks to Drauglin and his wolf packs. Zaphragor and I have been making research on the tower, and as you can see, we have set up an altar... With these old documents, and the power I have been given, we will make a breakthrough on our mission here". Gulzár motioned his hand towards the dark elf that was standing near Zaphragor, and said "Make the preparations. We can start now with the final part of our endeavor". Dûrmarth, remembering his task on Amon-Sûl, said "Master, I must leave at once. I have been ordered to join our allies in the Ettenmoors". "Very well, young Dûrmarth". Once Dûrmarth was leaving, Zaphragor and the Shadow Guard had started moving one of the Arnor soldiers towards the altar. Gulzár's experiment had begun.



On the path to the Ettenmoors, Dûrmarth and Beleg wandered across Rhudaur, where Dûrmarth knew Mornamarth, Helegwen and Dûrdraug were, taking tribute from the hillmen, and Hwaldar was fighting among the chieftains of the hillmen to keep his place as the high chieftain. Night had fallen upon the two travellers, and when they were walking across the Great Road, Dûrmarth heard voices in the distance. "Hide, Beleg", Dûrmarth said. The two wanderers went to hide under the shadow of some trees that were near the road and where the voices had come from, and then Dûrmarth saw the ones talking. Mornamarth and Helegwen stood beside some Tribute Carts, not carried by hillmen but by Mornamarth's own men. Then they started talking again: "Helegwen, I trust you will guide these carts towards their destination. Take them to Carn-Dûm... To that place we both know. Don't let the Witch-King's henchmen see them. That fool of Dûrdraug will be too focused on looking like an useful asset to the Lord to notice you have taken these out of the regular pathways", Mornamarth said. Dûrmarth listened closely, a burning hatred of Mornamarth inside him. "I will do it, my lord", Helegwen said. "Very good, Helegwen. I knew you would be useful when I took you from that puny Arnor village you fought so hard to defend. I need more people like you by my side... Let's hope that these resources will be enough to start building towards our plans", Mornamarth concluded. Dûrmarth was angry at the sight of betrayal, but he couldn't allow Mornamarth to see him, so he told Beleg that they would continue, and to not ever reveal what they had heard... Dûrmarth would take care of it later.



It had been long since Dûrmarth last stood on the great fortress of the Ettenmoors, home of the Goblins. The Goblin Chieftain was now one of the servants of Angmar's mysterious ally, and Dûrmarth had been summoned there by the Harbinger itself. Leaving Beleg to rest, Dûrmarth stood in the courtyard of the city, joining Morchant, Thogar the Dwarf, the Goblin Chieftain of the Ettenmoors and the Harbinger of Doom. Thus, the dark shadow spoke: "My servants, Dûrmarth, I have summoned you here for a task of the utmost importance. For too long have the Dwarves frustrated our advancements on the Misty Mountains; their patrols forcing our troops to abandon or diverge from their course. This shall end. The expedition to Gundabad had one survivor precisely because of this. One had to live to tell the tale of Gundabad, so they would not dare to return there again. Now, the time has come to drive them underground... To their impending doom. I want you to end Fóri, the captain of Dúrin V's royal guard, who lead the host who intended to recover Mount Gundabad. Now he is determined to find every orc in the Misty Mountains and hunt them down, to avoid the memories and guilt of the failed expedition. I know what's hidden beneath those mountains... For long have I known it. But we shall not wake it. Instead, we shall lead the Dwarves to dig further underground instead of trying to keep the top of the mountains... Their doom will follow suit.", the Harbinger explained, before continuing: "Dûrmarth, Morchant and Thogar, you shall hunt the last Dwarven patrols with the goblins of these lands. They have been promised the mountains if we succeed, and I will not be one to forget my promise. They thirst for Dwarven blood, and Dwarven blood shall be given to them. Go on your way... I trust you will succeed"



Fóri had been one of those once-in-a-millennium cases of military prowess among the Dwarves. Dúrin the V himself had recognized his talent and took him into his Royal Guard, of which he was made the captain. His red armour instilled fear over Dúrin's enemies, and his abilities in combat had made him a fearsome opponent. However, Fóri had always been too trusting of Dwarves. That had led to the failure in the Gundabad expedition, something that he was not able to take off his mind. The guilt crushed him, and the fury that was unleashed on his soul had led him to wander the Misty Mountains with a patrol, killing every orc he came across. However, that sometimes went against Dúrin's wishes. Dúrin the V considered Fóri a friend, and was worried about his health and sanity. Thus, he had sent one of his closest advisors to meet Fóri in the mountains. "Fóri, the King is worried about you. You have spent too many time on here, and the risk of your death is not one Lord Dúrin wants to take", the advisor said. Fóri, however, did not heed to his request: "Sorry, my old friend. Ever since our brothers fell, my tears have ran dry. I will not take the evil influence of the Goblins here, not anymore. I will exterminate every orc in the Misty Mountains, even if it costs me my life. I value the King's friendship... More than anything in the world. And I sworn to protect him with my life. But this... Is something I must do. For the sake of our brethren... And for the sake of us all. Don't worry about me. Once I'm done with every orc on these mountains, I will take my place at my King's side. But now... I must fight", Fóri said. Dúrin's advisor completely understood what Fóri felt, having helped him to get back to health when he was left on the doors of Khâzad-Dûm, bloody and on the brink of death. He hoped Fóri would succeed, and that Dúrin would understand his friend's wish - deathwish, even-, and left to go back to his lord.



The axes of the Dwarves and the wicked blades of the Goblins clashed on the Redhorn Pass, while two shadowy figures observed from afar. Those were Dûrmarth and Beleg, watching the Goblins they commanded carry out the first part of the ambush that would result, if it was successful, in Fóri's death. "Master, it seems like they are already having trouble with the Goblins", Beleg said, analyzing the situation. "It would seem so, but soon they will kill them. These are but a distraction, while Morchant and Thogar prepare it all. This has to be something that the Dwarves remember: their future is underground, outside of their homes of stone they will only find death", Dûrmarth explained, and then smiled, telling Beleg "and meanwhile, we can keep observing them. It has been a while since I could just take the position of a commander, rather than taking matters directly into my hands. It feels... Refreshing. As Commander of the Shadow Guard, I do that too, but my duties as an enforcer are equally important, and I will always carry them without hesitation. And Thogar wants to take care of the dwarf himself, so who am I to deny him the pleasure? It is a shame that I won't be getting to fight Fóri, though... His prowess in combat seems great; he would certainly be a good opponent", Dûrmarth finished, when a somber look crossed his face. "Master, what is going on?", Beleg asked. "All of this... Me talking about great opponents... When the biggest one Angmar has would rather let his lackeys do the work and just stand there, conspiring... My thoughts drift to his dark plans... I will start to take care of this matter once we are back home. You'll like Carn-Dûm, Beleg. It's cold... But I've never known a warmer home than it. And I will end the shadow that intends to destroy what we have built... But for now, let's take care of this"



The Dwarves and the Goblins clashed that day, and after this battle ending with all the Dwarves that Fóri's patrol had been composed of dead, Fóri was alone.  And now, the true shadow that had finished with his kinmen appeared. The fury in Fóri's heart grew, when he saw the first two figures standing amongst the goblins: an Elf, and a Dwarf. He instantly recognized them, and then saw two men appear from behind them, but just stay there. The Dwarf was the only one who approached him, clad in dark armour and with a morningstar in his hand. Then, the dwarf greeted him: "Fóri, it has been so long. I wish I could have killed you back then, but it seems like I have been given the pleasure of finishing what I was not allowed to before", Thogar Stoneheart said. "You... You and that Elf... You are the ones behind this... I had wished I would never see you again, but now... This give me a chance to atone for my failure, and send you to the pits of this world!", Fori shouted, full with anger. "You will defeat me? Oh, I'm sure you will... I killed every last member of your kin in Gundabad, made it sure so the goblins would just leave them barely clinging to life, so I could end them myself... I destroyed the Dragonslayers on the Grey Mountains, as fearsome as they were to some... I just ended them without a problem. Tell me, Fóri... What have you done against me that I should fear you? You'd never kill a Dwarf, so in the end... I'll enjoy the irony of killing you", Thogar said. His heart held as much hatred for his kin as Fóri's heart held for him, and both of them knew it. "My companions will not interfere in this, Fóri... This is between you and me. You'll serve as an example for the rest of the Dwarves... The land above your gloomy caves is not yours to wander anymore. Now, die", Thogar told the Dwarf. "So it will be... Fight me, and I'll show you the might of your own kin! Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!", Fóri shouted before throwing himself into battle. The duel was harsh, showing how many hatred they had for each other... But in the end, Fóri could not match the sheer power the Slayer of Dwarves had, and his remains now laid upon the broken aqueduct that once had reflected the glory of Khâzad-Dûm... A decaying kingdom.



Chief of chieftains. That was Hwaldar's title among the people of Rhudaur, the one that by tradition was held as the prize in a fight among the chieftain every few years. But for centuries, it had been Hwaldar's position, and after that day, it had still not changed. For Hwaldar was no mere human anymore, and serving under the Witch-King had granted him a lifespan that not even the men of Arnor could have dreamed of, as a reward. Thus, every fight to become the chieftain of Rhudaur had instead become a way for Hwaldar to choose the best soldiers among his people, his Blood Comrades. Hwaldar of Rhudaur valued strength as the most important quality a man could have, and he chose the best of his kin to protect them from Arnor. Hwaldar truly cared about the Hillmen; that was his main reason to serve the Witch-King and drive the Arnorians out of Rhudaur. Now, after choosing a new member for his group of comrades, it was time to celebrate. The hillmen's love for mead or any kind of beverage was well known, and they could get specially loud under its influence. Hwaldar was not an exception. "I WAS STRONG THEN, AND I AM NOW! CHIEF OF CHIEFS!", the hillman shouted, while the others cheered for him. "NO ONE CAN DESTROY THE MIGHT OF THE HILLMEN! ONE OF US, SEVEN ARNORIANS! THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES, IF WE LET OUR GUARDS DOWN, AND WE NEVER DO!", he continued. Later on, the feast was interrupted by a messenger of the Witch-King, one of his Shadow Guards. "My lord Hwaldar, the Witch-King sends me to check on your victory. I assume everything has gone well". "YOU ARE RIGHT, IT HAS!", Hwaldar shouted again. The envoy, whose face was hidden under his helmet, said "Very well. Hwaldar, you may also be required by Gulzár soon. You'll get more news as every piece is set", the envoy said, and left without a word.



Dûrmarth and his apprentice were finally at Carn-Dûm, back from the Misty Mountains. Dûrmarth had shown the city to Beleg, and finally, after a few days of preparation, Dûrmarth could finally set his plan into motion. “Beleg, it's time for me to test your abilities... We must start to unravel the tangled depths of the conspiracy that has engulfed this kingdom. Remember what we saw on Rhudaur? As your task, you must find wherever Mornamarth and Helegwen have hidden them. There's an area in Carn.Dûm that hosts the hordes of Orcs from Gundabad and Mount Gram, and which the men of the city don't visit much. I think that Mornamarth will take advantage of this and hide the tribute carts in there. I think you will be able to succeed and gather proof of Mornamarth's deception. Now... Go. I will be trying to further my inquiries aswell, there are some men I suspect are part of Mornamarth's scheme... It is time to get that out of them. Good luck, my apprentice”, Dûrmarth finished. “Master, I promise you I will find them. For the Iron Crown!”, Beleg said before leaving. Once his apprentice had gone, Dûrmarth took his time and got lost in his thoughts. Finally, the time had come. With enough ability to avoid Mornamarth and Helegwen's spies, Beleg and him would be able to gather enough information to bring them down. But it would not be easy... Dûrmarth knew it too well.



One of the biggest areas of Carn-Dûm was home to the orc hosts of Gundabad and the Misty Mountains. Not many of the men of Carn-Dûm wandered on this area, and the orcs were mostly left to themselves. Dûrmarth had thought of it as the perfect place where somebody like Mornamarth would carry his secret affairs against the Witch-King. Beleg walked for a while, trying to find somebody that he could interrogate. Soon he found what seemed to be a high-ranking goblin, and decided to start his inquiries. “I am here on behalf of the Thirteen of Carn-Dûm. You seem to be the commander of this host. Have you seen any strange occurences here as of late?”, Beleg asked. “Why would I tell you, filthy human? What authority do you have?”, the goblin shouted. “Should have expected it”, Beleg thought. Beleg decided to take matters into his own hands, and grabbed the goblin by the neck. “Remember who I am from now on. I am no mere man. I learn at the hand of one of the best warriors you'll ever know. Now, answer my question, or I will strike you down”. The orc, visibly scared, proceeded to give him the information he needed. “My-my lord, s-some men have been visiting the zone as of late, c-carrying some kind of resources and stashing them here. I-I am not in league with them, I-I swear!”. Beleg left the frightened goblin be, and decided to follow up on this clue. This all seemed easy... Maybe too easy.



Beleg had found it. The secret place where Mornamarth's henchmen had been stashing what they took from the tribute carts of Rhudaur. Piles of gold, weapons, and general supplies were secretly taken by Mornamarth and hidden there, for his own benefit. These were news Beleg would have to tell Dûrmarth... "Maybe something can be done against Mornamarth after all", Beleg thought. He was also satisfied he had done his mission as expected. There was truly hope for him after all. After fleeing Gondor while on the army, he had regretted that decision every day. Having to hide from the Arnor army officials and their spies hadn't been easy, and he thought of himself as a coward for the actions he had taken. There was no way back... But now he had found a place amongst the men of Carn Dûm, and could finally look to the future with hope and not despair... But Beleg's thoughts were interrupted. An arrow split the air and pierced through Beleg's leg. Then, a voice that felt like pure ice said "Stand still. Don't move. Don't raise your weapon. Turn around"



It was a clear night outside of Carn-Dûm. Beleg was looking at the stars, wondering, thinking... He had been dragged out of the city by his captors and thrown against rocks in a small grove near the ring of ruined walls. Thoughts raced on his head. This had been so fast... At one moment he was on top of the world, but now he felt he was about to reach rock bottom. And so his captor spoke: "Any last words, Beleg? You were about to cause so much trouble for my master and I... It's a shame that you will now be silenced, isn't it?", Helegwen said, revealing her face. "I have nothing to say on my part. I have failed my master, and the Iron Crown. What about you? Have you no loyalty for the Witch-King? For what he has built for all of us?", Beleg said. "There's no loyalty. No loyalty. None! I owe everything to Mornamarth. He was the one who took me from my village and taught me everything I know. You were so close to uncovering our plans, Beleg... It's a shame you will die now, like others that thought they could stop us before you. I've been taking care of people like you for years... It once pained me to know that I was the cause of such despair... But achieving our ends is all that matters. To your knees. We will make sure that Dûrmarth learns of what happened to you. Now it is time for you to feed the wolves.". Beleg said no more. He knew there was no use for it anymore. He looked again at the star-filled sky, as he drew his last breath.

« Letzte Änderung: 25. Dez 2018, 13:09 von Julio229 »


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #15 am: 5. Jun 2018, 22:36 »
Updated!


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #16 am: 29. Jul 2018, 00:27 »
Updated with more!


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #17 am: 14. Okt 2018, 17:52 »
Updated!


Julio229

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Re: Tales from Middle-Earth: BFME screenshots
« Antwort #18 am: 25. Dez 2018, 13:14 »
Updated with new screenshots!