LotR The Deep of Amon Garzak.pdf

The Deep of Amon Garzak

Written by Dean Paolillo ( dpaolillo@rcn.com )

Edited by John R. Brennan

The Deep of Amon Garzak is the sequel to the Doom of Arnulf. In this story, the heroes delve into the caverns

and passages beneath the tower and uncover the machinations of the Shadow and its hideous servants. Like the

story preceding it, this tale takes place between Bilbo’s finding of the Ring of Power and the War of the Ring. It

is designed for characters with 3-5 advancements. It is recommended that Narrator’s download the Doom of

Arnulf for additional background information about the Deep of Amon Garzak.

Like the Doom of Arnulf, Narrators be mindful of the subtle magic of Middle Earth while narrating this

adventure. In the Doom of Arnulf, the drastic extremes of weather were used to cultivate theme and mood. In

this tale, contrasts of light and darkness are used to similar effect. Darkness, shadow and obscuring mists will

assist Narrators in evoking a sense of gloom and dread as the characters travel to the foreboding hill and explore

the passages beneath the fort of Amon Garzak.

Narrator Notes

This story makes several assumptions regarding the conclusion of the Doom of Arnulf. In the telling of this tale,

it is assumed that Deoch and Malbeth survived the assault on Alatopel. Khalin the Dwarf is presumed to have

survived and is still in the company of our heroes. Cardoc is presumed slain but Yrreth and some of his Orc war

band and servitors were driven from Alatopel. The village is presumed to have survived the battle.

It is possible, however, that one or both of the heirs of Alatopel were slain. Yrreth’s Orcs may have seized

Alatopel and Cardoc may have survived. Every possibility cannot be accounted for but different opening scenes

and hooks are provided to account for some of the major possibilities. If the outcome of the Doom of Arnulf

differs from what is presented here, you will have to make some adjustments to fit the circumstances of your

chronicle.

Background

The hill is known as Amon Garzak and it bears a dark, decrepit tower that rises above the foothills and casts its

shadow over the land. Once, it was known by the fair people of Rhudaur as Amon Galenloth or the “Hill of the

Green Blossom," so called for the beautiful flowers that covered the slopes of the hill. The blossoms, however,

have long since ceased to bloom. Thickets and weeds choke the life from the plants that once sparkled with

radiant green flowers.

With the rise of Angmar, a tower was built on Amon Galenloth and inhabited by the evil men and Orcs in

service to the Witch-King. Over the centuries, the hill became known by its harsh Orkish name, ‘Garzak’,

which translated into Sindarin, is ‘Gaurcarach’ or in Westron: ‘The Werewolf’s Jaws.’

The Witch-King, through the power and sorcery of his dark master Sauron, called forth the fell spirits made

flesh, the dreaded werewolves, to assist his Orcish and Edain servants in Angmar’s war against the Dunedain of

Arnor. The Witch-King named one of the mightiest of the dread creatures Sereghuan: “The Blood-Hound” of

the Nazgul lord, who was summoned in the depths of Amon Garzak. A feared tracker and hunter, Sereghuan

claimed the life of any warrior who dared to face him. With Sereghuan at the lead of the Orc hosts, warriors

lost all heart in the face of the enemy, and the wicked Orcs reveled in ill-begotten victory.

In the darkest hour, when all seemed lost against Sereghuan, aid came from the Eldar. A Noldor of Lindon

named Hirnan arrived with a small band of Elvish warriors to aid the Dunedain in their struggle. Hirnan had

existed through the first two Ages of the Sun and in the First Age, had suffered the loss of his loved ones to

werewolves under the yolk of Morgoth’s lieutenant, Sauron. The passing of the ages could not diminish the

sorrow and anguish of Hirnan and he remained in Middle-Earth, seeking out those fell spirits, the werewolves,

who had caused his misery.

The horrid tales of Sereghuan’s wickedness had drawn Hirnan to Rhudaur. Hirnan did not fear the might of

Sereghuan. With his sword Aglarelen, “the Glory of the Stars” and his armor forged by the Noldor in the

ancient days, Hirnan rode upon his Elvish steed Aearroth (which means Ocean-foam in Westron) with the

warriors of Rhudaur to face Sereghuan and the werewolf’s vast host of Orcs and men in service to Angmar.

The enemy had chosen its attack under the cover of darkness, and the descendants of Numenor were hard

pressed in the night until the moon and stars broke through the dark clouds that had lingered throughout the

day and evening.

Under the stars, a furious light shone about the sword Aglarelen and the Orcs faltered in their attack. Hirnan

seized the opportunity to face Sereghuan in combat and struck the werewolf a deep wound, causing Sergehuan

to bellow a fearful and painful howl and break from the field of combat. The Orcs, disheartened and confused,

broke rank. The enemy scattered and in disarray, was swept from the battleground.

The warriors of the Dunedain who remained were weary from the fierce conflict. Several suffered wounds

during the melee and wished to retire from the conflict but Hirnan would not allow them to relent. Hirnan led

the Dunedain and those of his own band who had survived the battle to pursue the enemy back to Amon

Garzak. Hirnan prepared to lay siege to the tower. The men of Rhudaur begged him to retreat since they were

too few to lay siege.

Hirnan, however, received unexpected aid. A bedraggled, dirty Dwarf name Ruric accompanied by several

companions revealed themselves to the assembled host. They explained how they were escaped slaves, and for

many a long year, were forced to build the tower upon the hill. In their labors, natural caverns were found when

the foundation of the tower was laid.

The Dwarf slaves were forced to carve out passages and chambers for the practice of sorcery in the depths of

Amon Garzak. The Dwarfs were clever and while they labored for the Orcs, they secretly built a passage to

allow their escape. With the assault by the men of Rhudaur, they took advantage of the confusion to affect their

flight. Desiring vengeance against their captors, the Dwarves, led by Ruric, hastily provided maps to Hirnan and

his allies.

The Dwarves’ assistance undermined the integrity of the tower and with its defenses compromised; it fell to

Hirnan and the Dunedain. Sereghuan, however, did not face the invaders. Hirnan knew the werewolf hid in the

passages carved by the Dwarves. The men of Rhudaur though brave and resolute, were war-weary and even

victory was not enough to overcome their exhaustion and fear. They begged Hirnan to leave with them. Hirnan

would not relent and cursed them for their cowardice.

One of the Dunedain, a lord named Aratobor, agreed to accompany Hirnan and the few Noldor who remained.

Hirnan praised Aratobor and wished upon his line the blessings of the Valar. Aratobor saw that his men were

stricken with fear but he did not disparage them and bore them no ill-will for he knew they had suffered much

and the dark power of the Witch-King’s works struck them numb with fear. Without further delay, Hirnan

turned to venture into the deep of Amon Garzak, a gloom that was so bleak that even the light of the sword

Aglarelen was dimmed.

The men of Dunedain lingered until they heard the echoes of horrid howls and the cries of agony. Overcome by

fear and shame, the survivors fled from Amon Garzak and swore never to speak of Hirnan and Aratobor’s fate.

The men of the region shunned the hill and its tower calling both cursed. Indeed, to this day, the green

blossoms have ceased to flower since the hands of slaves built the walls of the tower.

When the realm of Rhudaur fell, the lore of Amon Garzak was forgotten by most and known only to a few. Its

memory was preserved, however, for one man, a friend and vassal of Aratobor repented his shameful oath and

the abandonment of Hirnan and Aratobor upon his deathbed. He told the tale to Aratobor’s son who was now

a man with children of his own. The tale was preserved through the ages; a tale that a young Arnulf inherited

from his father and eventually had passed on to his children Malbeth and Deoch.

Plot Summary

This tale begins in the Great Hall of Alatopel. The characters discuss the continued dangers of Amon Garzak

and agree to rid the land of its terrible curse.

The characters must travel the old paths back north once more. Along the way, a wicked crow in the service of

Yrreth the magician spies upon the heroes. The crow, if not discovered, first warns a band of Orcs and then flies

to his master. Yrreth then prepares for the character’s arrival and sends a pack of wargs to attack. The

characters must survive the Orc ambush and warg attack. The heroes are not without allies however, and

receive aid from a ranger of the north named Andrandir.

Andrandir explains he is aiding Gandalf the Grey and agrees to help the characters against Yrreth and the Orcs

of Amon Garzak. The characters must lay siege to the fort on the hill and defeat its defenders with a limited

number of resources and men. Clever tactics and heroic efforts will be necessary to achieve success.

If successful, the characters can explore the caves beneath the hill. While exploring the caves, they discover the

ghost of an old Dunedain hero. Aratobor pleads with the characters to break his curse and put his spirit to rest.

The characters potentially risk a deadly encounter with grim spiders and should they prevail, glean more

information regarding the fate of Hirnan’s band.

At the culmination of the quest, the characters encounter the remaining werewolf pack and to their dismay,

learn that Sereghuan still plagues the earth. In the course of the ensuing battle, an ancient Elvish sword is

revealed. If they successfully vanquish the werewolves and lift the curse, the heroes discover that Hirnan still

lives.

Hooks for involving characters:

The hooks presented here continue to build on the hooks established in the Doom of Arnulf. The Narrator

should of course, feel free to change the provided hooks or develop their own if it suits the needs of the

chronicle.

You will notice in the hooks that follow that minor rewards are recommended for characters that act heroically

and nobly. The Narrator may chose to ignore the rewards; however, the rewards are a useful way to allow the

subtle magic of Middle-Earth to have an impact on the actions of heroes and to encourage the characters to act

in a manner befitting heroes of Middle-Earth.

A Debt Paid, a Memory Honored

A character that came to Alatopel to honor his debt to Arnulf might decide Yrreth and the wickedness of

Amon Garzak remain a threat to Alatopel and will decide to pursue the retreating sorcerer and his Orc

servants. A character that is motivated by a strong sense of duty, moral obligation and honor is a shining

example of the good in Middle-Earth. The Narrator should reward a character that acts in such a selfless

manner. The Narrator may wish to give the character an experience point bonus at the conclusion of the story

or a minor benefit during the course of the story such as +1 to combat tests while the character’s actions are

taken to remedy the evil of Amon Garzak.

Continuing Service to the Wise

Characters that participated in The Doom of Arnulf who were in service to Gandalf would likely return and

inform the wizard of their success, or failure, as the case may be. After listening to their accomplishments,

Gandalf will inquire about the werewolves and the tunnels. Who led the werewolves? Was it the sorcerer? Did they

explore the tunnels? What did they find or hear? He will seem gravely concerned regardless of how the characters

answered.

After some consideration, Gandalf will reveal what he knows of the tale of Hirnan and Sereghuan. Gandalf

does not know about the events at the Tower of Amon Garzak. He knows only that Sereghuan was not slain in

the initial battle and Hirnan and the Dunedain of Rhudaur pursued the werewolf and Orcs back to the tower

and never returned. Gandalf fears that if Sereghuan takes command of any Orc tribes of the north, there would

be few, strong enough to resist him again, now that the northern kingdoms of the Dunedain are in ruin.

If Alatopel was saved from Cardoc and Yrreth, Gandalf will ask the characters to return to Amon Garzak. He

will insist the heroes discover whether Sereghuan still lurks in the bowels of the cursed hill while awaiting the

bidding of his master the Witch King.

Gandalf does not ask the characters to slay the werewolf, fearing that the beast may be too powerful for the

heroes to grapple. The characters, however, may suggest such a course of action. If so, Gandalf remarks about

their courage and tells them that Hirnan's sword, "Aglarelen" could assist them in such a task, if the blade still

exists.

Love and Duty

If the Narrator made a player character the true love of Deoch, that character might choose to linger with his

love in Alatopel a while longer. The character likely attends the burial of her father Arnulf and remains to

comfort Deoch. Over the course of the stay, wicked howls might be heard in the distance or tracks might be

found near Alatopel. A character skilled in tracking might observe Warg tracks that suddenly change to the

tracks of an upright creature neither Warg nor Man.

Deoch and her brother Malbeth are both concerned that the threat of Amon Garzak continues to grow. The

character overhears Malbeth in discussion with Deoch fearfully speculating that: “perhaps Sereghuan still lives.”

If he questions Deoch or Malbeth about Sereghuan, he is told of the family’s history and struggle against the

ancient nemesis. Malbeth decides he must venture to Amon Garzak and ensure that any lingering evil is purged

from its black depths. Naturally, a heroic character will offer to assist.

If the Narrator uses this option, he or she should arrange a moment for the character and Deoch to say farewell.

At this time, Deoch expresses her devotion and gives the character a token of her love. The Narrator can decide

what is most appropriate: a brooch, a locket or embroidered leather cloak clasp are possibilities.

The power of Deoch’s love for the character and the subtle magic of Middle-Earth imbues the item with a

minor enchantment to protect the character, perhaps bestowing one point of armor protection or +1 to the

character’s favored reaction at the Narrator’s discretion.

Khalin’s Vengeance

The Dwarf has a score to settle with the black-hearted Yrreth! The magician murdered his brother. Khalin

intends to return to Amon Garzak and slay Yrreth. He will announce as much and while he will not ask for aid,

he hopes the characters agree to accompany him.

Characters should realize Khalin’s aid proved invaluable in rescuing Deoch, aiding the Dwarf is the noble and

heroic thing to do. A character that expresses a willingness to aid Khalin without thought of reward or treasure

should receive an experience point bonus at the conclusion of the story. He or she will also gain the friendship

of Khalin. The memories of Dwarfs are long and their friendship, once given, is strong and the bonds not easily

undone. That alone is a vast reward!

Return to Alatopel

This hook requires the most work for the Narrator. This hook presumes that the forces of the Enemy were

successful. Alatopel fell to the Orcs and either Cardoc or Yrreth now rule the area. The forces of evil grow

stronger as other Orcs, inspired by his victory, gather under Yrreth’s banner.

Several of the major characters like Deoch or Malbeth may have been slain in the final assault of Yrreth’s Orcs.

If so, the Narrator must decide who survived the assault and who leads the refugees of Alatopel. If one of the

characters is a noble from Alatopel he or she might have gained in Renown and assumed the mantle of

leadership.

In this scenario, Rangers of the North at the behest of Gandalf, or on their own initiative, will assist the

characters in battling against the evil. If Cardoc survived, the characters will have an unexpected ally. After

witnessing the depredations of the Orcs and the ruin of Alatopel, Cardoc realizes he has destroyed everything

he desired. He loathes the Orcs, Yrreth and himself.

In this tale, the Narrator should arrange for Cardoc to betray the Orcs within Alatopel and give an advantage to

the characters and their ranger allies. Cardoc, for example, might arrange to open the gates to Alatopel or slay a

wall guard to allow the characters and rangers to gain entrance without alerting the Orcs. Cardoc’s betrayal,

however, should not go unnoticed and his death under a hail of Orc arrows might be a fitting ending for his

duplicity.

Alternately, he might join in the battle against the Orcs and be struck a mortal blow. At the battle’s conclusion

(hopefully, the characters win this time!) the Narrator might wish to allow Cardoc to repent his misdeeds

before he draws his final breath. Narrators should select or develop an end to Cardoc that’s most satisfying to

this chapter of the story.

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