ICE8115 Tales Of The Westmarch.pdf

Tales

of the

Westmarch

Author/Designer: Randell Doty

Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 HOW THIS MODULE MADE IT TO

THE WEB

1.2 A FEW MORE COMMENTS

ABOUT CONTENTS

1.3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

2.0 WESTMARCH

2.1 OVERVIEW

2.2 A BRIEF TIMELINE

2.3 THE LAND

2.31 Geography

2.32 Climate

2.33 Flora

2.34 Fauna

2.4 POLITICS AND POWER

2.41 The Calenardhons

2.42 The Daen Lintis

2.43 The Dúnedain

2.5 THE GOVERNMENT

2.6 THE FORCES OF EVIL

2.61 The Earthwell

2.62 The Undead

2.7 NPC’S FOR ALL ADVENTURES

2.71 Evad

2.72 Elarin & Amarla

2.73 Lord Targen

2.74 Lord Negolos

2.8 WESTMARCH AT OTHER TIMES

2.81 Westmarch 1640-2510

2.82 Westmarch 2510-2759

2.83 Westmarch 2759-3019

2.84 Westmarch After 3019

3.0 THE HOMECOMING

3.1

THE TALE

4.0 RESTORING THE BALANCE

4.1 THE TALE

4.2 THE NPCS

4.3 THE SETTING

4.31 The Asirac Tombs

4.32 The Rendar Tombs

4.4 THE TASK

4.41 Starting The Players

4.42 Aids

4.43 Obstacles

4.44 Rewards

4.5 THE ENCOUNTERS

5.0 ‘TIL DEATHS DO US PART

5.1 THE TALE

5.2 THE NPCS

5.3 THE SETTING

5.31 Beldwin

5.32 Amon Roch

5.33 Lady Sirris’ Prison Cabin

5.34 The Mar Hogo Clan Hold

5.4 THE TASK

5.41 Starting The Players

5.42 Aids

5.43 Obstacles

5.44 Rewards

5.5 THE ENCOUNTERS

6.0 OTHER PLACES OF NOTE IN

WESTMARCH

6.1 THE ORACLE

6.2 THE EARTHWELL

7.0 ALTERNATIVE ADVENTURES

7.1 QUEST FOR THE ANSWER

7.2 HUNT THE WULF

7.3 MISSING

8.0 TABLES

8.1 NPC TABLE

8.2 BEAST TABLE

8.3 ENCOUNTER TABLE

8.4 HERB TABLE

8.5 MILITARY TABLE

8.6 WEATHER TABLE

8.7

3.2

THE NPCS

3.3

THE LAYOUTS

3.31

Derwath

3.32

Tilmendir

3.4

THE TASK

3.41

Starting The Players

3.42

Aids

3.43

Obstacles

PRICE TABLE

3.44

Rewards

3.5

THE ENCOUNTERS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

I asked Chris if he would be interested in

providing space for a previously unpublished

MERP module (Westmarch) to be put up on

the web for MERP players since it was

unlikely to ever be published by ICE He said

that he would and agreed to speak to ICE

about getting permission to publish it on the

web. Iron Crown’s Jessica Ney-Grimm gave

the go ahead and I formatted it into this huge

PDF file. Now you have a module that was

accepted by ICE but not published. That’s

about as close to cannon as it gets. Thanks for

indulging me in this little bit of history. Have

fun.

1.1 HOW THIS MODULE

MADE IT TO THE WEB

This module was written for Iron

Crown Enterprises in 1989-1990 and was

submitted for publication as you see it now.

This was my third module behind Dunland and

the Southern Misty Mountains and Ents of

Fangorn . Right about that time, however, ICE

underwent some philosophy changes about

what products to publish. They began

reformatting some of there older works into

the new city and fortress books. During this

time Westmarch warmed the bench as it were

waiting for its chance. After several calls

inquiring about the date when it would be

published I basically decided that I should not

get my hopes up.

1.2 A FEW MORE

COMMENTS ABOUT

CONTENTS

Most of ICE’s MERP modules include

several sections on terminology, definitions,

conversion statistics, etc. I’m assuming that if

you are knowledgeable about the MERP

system to take the trouble to download this

that you probably don’t need this stuff. If you

find abbreviation that you don’t recognize or

a term with which you are unfamiliar take the

time to look in your other MERP materials. If

you still can’t find it then e-mail me and I will

try to figure out what I meant.

When I finally got a copy of the

Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer I got a

glimmer of hope back because several of my

creations for Westmarch were included as part

of that tome. The towns of Beldwin and

Derwath along with their ruling lords and one

of the castles were all there. I hoped that this

might be an indicator that Westmarch might

be published after all.

Soon though these hopes were

squelched again when I realized that ICE was

going to get into the collectable card business.

CCG’s if popular are very profitable.

Considering ICE’s previous cash-flow

problems, I don’t blame them at all for

rerouting resources from the Middle-earth

Role Playing line to the expansion of such a

profit stream. It did, however mean that

Westmarch was unlikely to ever be publish.

1.3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank ICE for allowing

this module to be published via the web. I

would like to thank Chris Seeman for making

it happen. I would like to thank my wife

Donna for her continued support of my

eccentricities.

Several graphics used for paragraph

separation are copyrighted to ICE and are

used with permission. The rest of the interior

art can be blamed on me. The Celtic art is

based on the work of George Bain.

Several years had passed when in the summer

of 1998 I got an e-mail from Chris Seeman

who publishes Other Hands . Chris asked me

if I would be willing to have my email

address posted so that people could ask me

questions about the modules I wrote. I told

him that it would be fine. As an afterthought,

Randell Doty

2.0 WESTMARCH

2.2 A BRIEF TIMELINE

2.1 OVERVIEW

Westmarch. The name brings up

images of lush plains and green fields. A

peaceful farming area where everything is

pleasant. Nothing is closer to the truth. It is

all these things, but it is also an area not used

to the turmoil seen in the lands to the south,

east, and north. Many people from the

populated South think of this area almost as

an untouched Garden of Eden, as it were.

Most adventurers also seem to think this.

Therefore travel in the area for purpose of

adventure is unlikely, and usually

unprofitable for the adventurer, because, as

mentioned already Westmarch is not a center

for excitement…usually.

Westmarch in 1640 is, like most of

Middle-earth, recovering from the Great

Plague of 1636, which hit Westmarch as it did

everywhere, but not as hard as eastern

Calenardhon, or Dunland to the north. This is

mainly due to the limited travel into and out

of the area. The Great East-West Road runs

through Dunland to the north and crosses the

Angren at the great fords into Calenardhon,

therefore bypassing Westmarch to the south.

Because of this isolation from traveling

carriers of the Plague through Westmarch,

fewer people died there than in other areas.

This, however, did not make the deaths any

less painful to the inhabitants, on the contrary,

since the area is a rural farming and ranching

area with few cities, some of the deaths have

had a greater impact because some of the key

craftsmen that died during the Plague have

not yet been replaced. The coming of the

Plague brought about an unusual period of

turmoil in Westmarch which has slowly

corrected itself for the most part, but unlike

typical life in peaceful Westmarch there have

been some strange occurrences lately.

The Second Age

Noldorin kingdom established in

Lindon after the fall of Beleriand with

Gil-galad as king.

Númenor founded.

600-1200 Númenóreans explore much of

Middle-earth and make contact with

the Daen Coentis of the White

Mountains.

750

The Noldor found Eregion and build

Ost-in-Edhil.

1200-1500 Númenóreans begin building

fortresses and havens all along the

western coast of Middle-earth. During

this time they begin to use the great

southern forests extensively for ship

building.

1500

Elves of Eregion begin to make the

rings of Power under Sauron’s

guidance (as Annatar).

1600

Sauron makes the Ruling Ring.

1693-1700 Sauron makes war on the Elves of

Eregion. Most all of Eriador is laid

waste to by his armies. Sauron is

defeated by the Númenóreans and the

Elves, and retreats to Mordor.

1800-2251 Númenóreans increase their holdings

in Middle-earth. It is during this time

that the circle of Angrenost (Isengard)

is smoothed, but the fortress will be

built later. Sauron begins to send

emissaries to the Daen Coentis to

subvert their religion and turn them

against the Númenóreans, whose

numbers will swell above those of the

Daen Coentis in the White Mountains

as this time period ends. Several

Dúnadan families with pioneering

spirits settle in what will become

Westmarch looking to Angrenost

for protection. Some of the Daen

Coentis from the southern vales of

the White Mountains also migrate

to Westmarch to escape the

Dúnadan intrusion, thereby

swelling the ranks of the clans

already there

Isildur is ambushed and dies at the

Gladden fields while enroute to Arnor.

250-850

Arnor declines gradually.

250

Calenardhon begins to be settled

along the Great East-West Road. More

Dúnadan settlers move into

Westmarch, and take over the

government there.

and

causing

numerous clan wars.

3315

Drúedain split with the Daen

Coentis due to their evil ways.

They take up residence in the deep

wooded areas of the White

Mountains and the Enedhwaith.

500-1400 Calenardhon is a prosperous province.

Westmarch is considered the furthest

western province of Gondor

1000

Sauron stirs again, and the Istari are

sent to Middle-earth as a balance to his

presence.

3319

The downfall of Númenor and the

Bending of the Seas.

3320

Foundation of the Realms in Exile.

The Daen Coentis swear an oath of

loyalty to Isildur .

1050

Gondor at the height of its power

expands and builds many border

fortresses, mainly in the north, but a

few are constructed in Westmarch.

3325-3341 Many of the Daen Coentis migrate

north either to Dunland or

Rhudaur. The first groups do so

because of disagreements in the

new dark religions. The later

groups migrate to escape the fear

caused by the oath breaking.

1300-1350 Witch-king founds Angmar.

1432-1447 The Kin-strife tears apart Gondor.

1600

Hobbits settle in the Shire.

1636-37

The Great Plague, a collection of

devastating diseases and pestilences,

sweeps through Rhovanion, Gondor,

and Eriador. Calenardhon begins a

slow decline in population.

Westmarch loses touch with Gondor in

trade and in government for awhile.

Trade from the north declines. The

Dúnedain slowly begin to lose power

in Westmarch.

3430

Last Alliance of Elves and Men is

formed to confront Sauron.

3434

The Daen Coentis are called by the

Alliance; they refuse, and thereby

bring the curse of the oath-breakers

upon them.

3441

The Barad-dûr is taken and Sauron

is overthrown. Isildur cuts the

Ruling Ring from Sauron’s finger

and keeps it as his own.

1640

The capital of Gondor is moved from

Osgiliath to Minas Anor.

1974-75

The Witch-king’s armies overrun

Arthedain.

1980

The Witch-king reenters Mordor and

gathers the Nine. The Balrog of Moria

comes forth.

Third Age

The tower of Orthanc is

constructed.

2050

Orthanc is locked with only a small

hereditary force left to guard the

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