Encounter with Zarg

This is some material from my own campaign. This is an early scenario when the players were 1st or 2nd level.

King Araphant of Arthedain is having trouble holding the border against the forces of Angmar and so is forced to recruit mercenaries and freelance adventurers. Count Rodderick was sent to Bree to seek likley types . He was in the Prancing Pony when he spotted the party who had just met each other.

After Barmy the hobbit pickpocketed him, he made his proposal . Each would get 50 Gold for patrolling the border East of Fornost and engaging any Orc warbands in the area as well as reporting back. The party accepted and set off.

Encounter with Zarg

Zarg is a powerfull UrukHai and Lieutenant of the witch king of Angmar. He was destined to become the long lasting enemy of the party- behind many schemes and plans that the party would foil.However at this point all that was in the future. Zarg had led an Orc band south to seek out some powerful artifacts buried in an abandoned tomb east of Wethertop. The party stumble accross and ambush them

Below is the basic details of the orc group. My party had six members. Dega , Dick and Lorreli had yet to join them . Boing - a Dwarf warrior was with the other 5. All were first or second level and fairly weedy. They caught zarg by surprise with an arrow- lucky !!In future years his guard would be much more impressive.

Zarg - Uruk Level 25, OB 250, DB 90, HP 260

Orc Officer Level 8, OB 100, DB 40 , HP 100

Orcs (times 4) Level 5 , OB 65, DB 30, HP 70

After the fight Zarg actually teleported out .A map was left behind.

Zarg's Map was very crude and basically indicated the entrance to a complex of some kind was about 30 miles North East of Weathertop . Zarg had scrawled in blackspeech: great wealth here . Witch king will need to know.In addition the following poem in black speech was on the back of map in the same hand.:

I am here who for a time ruled a realm of wealth fine. Avutar of Arnor

  King who wealded sword, wand and ring.

  Six score years was I sovereign , all power mine and earth my dominion. As

  to all men then came death to me , my body lay herer but my spirit still

  free.

  
By Elrond in Rivendell where elves dwell , I was given the right to see and

  tell. Of powers far beyound mortal men , which the eldar use to seek

  wisdom.

  These powers I placed in items and while on earth these I used.



  
First a sword of edge keen, made from metal the finest seen. Many foes

  slayed I with this blade , surely the noblest by men made.

  
Secound a wand of power great, a mage it made of me. A wielder of escence

  most wise between the mountains and the sea.

  
Thirdly a ring to heal the hurts of men , wounds to seal. Mortals to save

  and raise dead from grave to life instead.

  All these are in this room sealed the lock is fast the door strong . No feats of

  arms or power can break it , only the bearers of the keys will it admit.



  
Key one is made from that in which unrest and disquiet is sensed so they

  say.

  
Key two is of escence of morning star the tenacity immense, value great .

  
key three is made from aurum men have long coverted it. Is it made from

  captured scintilla or luminary ? some say it looks like that in bright

  light.

  
Key four is from material ancient made . Lasting ages wear it  down slow .

  Anchored on this are other things . Many from it  fashioned that for them

  to there in roost.

The Clues they have should lead the party to the entrance to Avutar's tomb some 20- 30 miles NE of Weathertop. This is outside Arthedain but once was in the middle of Arnor. Below is a map of the First Dungeon ( Avutars Tomb) . Some of the rest of Zarg's party were left here to search for the keys while Zarg went to report .They have turned the tomb into a garrison. They , some traps and a rather nasty denizen of the water are the main hazards:

1. Entrance Hall . Guarded by 3 Orcs ( level 5 , OB 65,, Db 20 , HP 70, RL ) and one UruK (level 12 , OB 150, DB 40 HP 150, Chain .) The uruk has the iron key.

2.Wolf's den . 6 wargs ( 8 level OB 90 Large bite , DB 60 , HP 100)

3.Kitchen 2 Kobolds ( yes I know they are D&D creatures but UGH is terrified of them - a fact I tend to exploit) (level 0 OB 15 , DB 40 , HP 10)

4.The door to this room is locked. It is hard to pick. It is merely a hallway to the rooms beyound.

5.Orc eating hall. 5 Orcs are at ease here . ( Level 5 etc)

6.Orcs dormitary (phew what a stench) 6 Off duty orcs are asleep here.(Level 5 etc)

7.Treasury. Not yet opened by the orcs . Locked - hard to pick and trapped - hard to disarm . A spike pricks the unfortunate . Causes 3 hp damage and is a 5th level poison . it will paralyse and cause 3d10 hp damage. In this room is 100 GP and the bone key.

8.Uruk Hai quaters . 3 uruks (level 12 etc)

9.Orc Chieftans room . UUK captain ( level 15 , OB 180 , DB 50 , 180 hp) and Orc mage (8th leveL)

10.Bridge over deep pool on either side . A watcher in the water type creature is here guarding the bridge . Their is blood and the odd body part on the bridge ! . The watcher is all tenticles . Perhaps 10 attacks around each at 150 OB bash/grapple . The creature has 500 hp. My party got a lucy crit which killed it.

11.This room is inhabited by 3 lizardmen (level 6, OB 90, DB 30, HP 100.) This room contains the Gold key and a chest(locked had to pick) a fuzzy cloak (in my rules acts as best armour class for any attack. A wand off wonder( see special items) And a crate of 12 fireball grenades . One of these was used on Boing and killed him by destroying his brain. His career was short lived.

12.The stairs lead up to a platforn . The 2nd step is trapped . Very hard to detect . Spike trap Does 10 hp damage. 5th level poison 3d10 points damage and paralysis. The door to room 14 is locked . Hard to pick.

13.A stone troll chieftan is in here( 20 level , OB 250 , DB 50, Hits 250 ). A tunnel in the corner leads into a cave complex from where the trolls got access. Stone key is here.

14.A troll camp 4 trolls are here (18 level, OB 220, DB 50, HP 230) The door to the east is locked (very hard)

15.Temple : this is the temple in which the cermonies were conducted when the king and his guards were buried. An altar is in the centre The room has clearly not been disturbed in a long time. On the far wall above the door is a black bearing in numenorean the poem Zarg had copied down.

16.In rooms 16 to 18 are wraiths (one in each) see rule book for stats. The doos open when the altar

19- 22 Each off these rooms contains 2 skeletons . Each is 5th level 70 OB , 30 DB , 70 Hp, cannot be stunned , only bone /crush crits do much damage)

23 Kings Tomb . This room contains the kings body in a sarcophagus . On the top is a sword , a ring and a rod.

The Treasure

The Sword of Avutar +50 mithril broadsword , 2 attacks per move, 2 firebolts per day.

The Ring of Avutar Lifegiving 1/day, heal 5-50 hits, use upto 20th level healing spell 1/day, +10pp adder.

The Rod of Avutar 3 Fireballs per day, 3 shockbolts perday, 1/day can cast upto 20th level essence spell , +10pp adder.

All that remains is to get out alive complete the patrol and get the reward from Rodderick. These items are powerful, but so is Zarg. And he is now a personal enemy!!