MERP: Dawn of the Fourth Age Session 3

This is part of an ongoing campaign. You can find the other sessions over on the sidebar.

4 Lothron F.A. 15

At the end of the last session, the characters decided that they wanted to go back into the vault in Osgiliath to retrieve some of the magical items they saw there. They discussed this with the High Seer, who cautioned that magical items always have a bit of the will of their creator and notable previous owners in them and can be a corrupting influence. The characters indicated that they understood this, but thought they would need all the help they could get if they were going to take on the quest to explore the other vaults. The High Seer agreed to spend the time that Dirdan was resting to heal his leg researching the inventory list to see if there was anything he could determine would be safe.

19 Lothron F.A. 15

Once Dirdan was fully mobile again, they returned to the High Seers chambers to discuss the possibility of taking some of the magical items from the vault. As they approached his offices, the saw his aide, Elegar, outside talking to An elf woman and Vacros, the mercenary they had saved from the undead in Osgiliath.

Elegar introduced them to the elf, Aelindar, who mentioned to Sindawe that his people raised beautiful horses. She did not seem interested in engaging the rest of the fellowship in discussion. Elegar explained that Vacros and he had served in the army of Gondor together when they were young and that they had stood the walls together during the final days of the War of the Ring. Vacros thanked them again for saving him and, after mentioning that Elegar told him they intended to return to the vault, offered the aide of what was left of his company. They accepted his offer of assistance.

Once in the High Seer's chambers, Tarquillan gave them a list of items that he had been able to research. He told them that these items largely dated from one of Gondor's conflicts with the Corsairs and that he thought most were free of the taint of shadow. He warned them again that destiny can lay heavy on items of power. He gave them an amulet that would allow them to bypass the protective electrical spells on the items in the vault.

20 Lothron F.A. 15

They returned to Osgiliath and slipped across the river under cover of darkness in two boats this time. They scaled the base of the Dome again and slipped into the vault unnoticed by the orcs in the area. Vacros and his men waited outside to stand guard.

Inside the vault, the fellowship quickly rounded up the items that Tarquillan had identified for them. But, they could not resist the temptation of the other items in the vault. Dirdan decided to take an elvish short sword that had foxes and a deer carved into the blade. Ardaer too an elvish long sword and Tulip took the short sword with a diamond in the hilt that had shocked him earlier. The others were slightly uncomfortable with their decision to take this items. The returned to the surface, locking the vault behind them.

Shortly after they cast off to return to the western shore, things started to go wrong. Vacros and his men suddenly opened fire on them with crossbows from their boat. 

They returned fire, but Vacros's boat rammed them from behind, knocking Elyanis and Banrim over the side. Vacros and one of his men jumped over onto the fellowship's boat. Elyanis managed to swim to the safety of one of the pillars, but Banrim struggled to pull himself onto Vacros's boat. Sindawe attempted to disengage from the other boat, but had trouble rowing clear by himself. The others attempted to fight the boarders off, but Tulip kept having trouble with her bow. 

Eventually, they drove Vacros back onto his boat and knocked his man overboard. Sindawe managed to pull their boat free of the mercenaries' boat and the current began to separate them. The killed the mercenary in the water with arrows while Sindawe rowed over to pick up their two overboard members. They tried to run down the escaping mercenaries while Ardaer peppered them with arrows, but they were unable to catch them.

After Vacros escaped, they made it to the far shore and returned to Minas Tirith to find that Elegar had fled the city while they were gone. Tarquillan was especially upset by this news because Elegar, as his eyes, had been privy to all of his research and conversations about the Palantir. The fellowship decided to investigate the rest of the libraries and began to prepare for the journey to Tharbad.