Life of Gold RPG

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin hobbled toward the bar, intending to buy a drink. He bought a pint of ale, turned toward his table and noticed annoyedly that two elves had seated themselves there! Determined not to talk to them, or even draw attention to himself, he sat on his stool for a moment, which turned into a minute as another elf entered, was called over, and they started into conversation.

I have left my axe and blanket there! thought Dárin suddenly. He realised the only way to get them back was to walk over, interrupt the elves and take them. What ill luck!

He slowly limped over again, leaning on the tables. Keeping his head down, Dárin happened to overhear some of their conversation. "... the winner of the quest ...kidnapped and a request has been sent out from his caretaker..."

Dárin sat quickly on the other table, loudly shouting to the barmaid that he had poor ears, as she asked him for a further order. The Golden Hoard! Thin-Gloomy! He was almost certain these bright eyed elves had something to do with his disappearance. Convinced they were the kidnappers, he drank his ale slowly, waiting for more news.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo smiled brightly as Marieme sidled in beside Arianna. The first time in a long time since they were all together. How he missed those carefree days.

"Arianna and Glirdingo! What in the name of Rohan are you doing here?" she had asked. He looked at her and smiled gravely. "I'm here on urgent buisness. An aquaintance of mine has been kidnapped and I've been requested to meet his caretaker here and find out the details. And Arianna has just agreed to come with me," he looked over at her and smiled warmly.

Then it hit him. "What if you came with us, my dear Marieme? It would be nice to have all us friends together once more. And Eru knows that we could use all the help we can get,"

"And if you don't mind me asking, why are you two here in Rohan?" This question had been burning him the whole time but everything else drove it out of his mind. He looked across the table at his best friends and waited for their response.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme nodded at his question. Had he forgotten who she was?! She was the adventurous one and if someone needed her help then she would be there without a doubt.

"Of course I'll come along. I couldn't allow my two best friends to have all the fun," she laughed. She rolled her shoulders and yawned. It had been a long journey.

"Well I'm in Rohan because I'm tired of sleeping on the floor and I was returning to Lorien since my mission is over."

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna smiled when Marieme said that she would come. She knew that this journey would be far more enjoyable since they were all coming.

"I'm in Rohan because I was invited to a human's wedding. Odd, I know. However, I did help her in her mission and I guess she feels in my debt. I said I might come, but now more pressing matters are at hand," Arianna replied. She reached into her pack and took some elven bread out. She handed her friends each a portion before eating her own.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo smiled at both Arianna and Marieme. Having his two best friends along for the journey would make it that more enjoble.

He nodded as they related their reasoning for being in Rohan. He remebered the missions. He had neve been on his. Unless you count the Golden Hoard search as my mission, he thought.

He turned and looked out the window and noticed a shadow reflecting in the window. A Dwarf! he thought to himself. What does he want? He looked at Arianna and Marieme to try and communicate his discovery, but to no avail. They were deep in conversation about other things.

Finally, he decided to be blunt and invite the Dwarf into the conversation. Besides, I would like to know why this Dwarf is eavesdropping on us...

"Okay Dwarf, you can come out from hiding now," he said out loud. He waited patiently for an answer.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin listened intently for a while, as the elves talked of missions completed and other such mysterious matters, but nothing to change his mind they were involved. After all, they are elves, and elves are not to be trusted! he thought mutinously. An aquaintance of his! Victim, more like. This must have been a mission to steal our well earned gold!

The heist proceded without interruption until one of the elves appeared to notice him, the male with the blonde hair. "Okay Dwarf, you can come out from hiding now!" Oh the cheek! Dárin's annoyance was further elevated by the fact that he was eavesdropping after all.

Drawing breath, Dárin said in the Common Speech, "Hiding? You were mistaken, elf... I was merely enjoying my pint of ale upon my way to Eriador. My silent exterior goes via my ears, I am hard of hearing you see." This was not quite a lie, but Dárin chose to exaggerate the fact to keep aloft his innocent alias. And he was scared, thinking these elves were bandits or worse, murderers. "What were you speaking of?"

[Thinlómien]

The night after his capture Thin-Gloomy had hardly slept at all.

The cell he was in was small and it smelled of rats. Both were things Thin-Gloomy was accustomed to. But he wasn't accustomed to a locked door between him and the world, nor to sleeping in hay without a coat or blanket between it and himself. The hay prickled his skin and got everywhere and there was probably more hay than beard growing from his chin.

The cell was dark, but it posed no problem to the dwarf. He was used to darkness. He was glad to notice a little hole near the roof though. It probably won't be any help with escaping, but it will probably tell me wether it's day or night outside.

It was not long after the moment when light finally crept to the cell from the tiny hole that they came for him. They were the same men that had handlled him before. The tall and broad-shouldered one with lifeless brown hair and gruff air about him and the young one with red hair, an ugly scar across his face and a gap between his teeth. Thomas and Jack they were called, if I recall correctly.

"Get up", the bigger man grunted. "Aye, obey when he tells you to", the redhead echoed. Thin-Gloomy saw no point in resisting and got up. "Where are you taking me?" he asked. "Not your business", the big man said, pushing him out of the cell rather ungently. "And don't even try to run. Jack's got a bunch o' throwing knives and I daresay he can use 'em too", he added, looking at the smaller fellow, who was grinning and toying with a sharp, broad knife.

They walked the dark corridor. There were a few other doors, but Thin-Gloomy presumed the other prison cells were empty. At least there came no sound from them and the dust covered the outer doorsills. "So, where are you taking me?" he repeated. "To the boss", the redhead with the knife answered casually. "Ah, that shrill-voiced cow. I see." The hit came sooner than he had anticipated. "That's not the way you speak o 'her, crippleback", the man called Thomas told him.

When they arrived to a big chamber, Thin-Gloomy was examining his face, wondering if the gruff man had broken something. His bones seemed to be undamaged, but his face definitely hurt and his ears rang.

"Bring him here." The same unpleasant, shrill voice. Thin-Gloomy lifted his head to see the owner of the voice. She sat on a high chair on a wooden platform (did she fancy it a throne?) and looked at him with a disgustd look on her face. She had long, straight, dark hair and cold light blue eyes. If you forgot her curiously short nose and square jaw, men would even call her pretty, Thin-Gloomy reflected.

"Thomas, bind his hands so he can't do anything." The order was obeyed. "Now, tell me, dwarf, where is it?" Thin-Gloomy had been anticipating this one. "Where's what, beginng your pardon, my lady?" The big man hit him on the stomach. "You do know what I'm speaking about", the woman answered coldly. "I don't have the slightest idea, dear lady", Thin-Gloomy said, "and even if I had, I wouldn't tell you." The big fist hit him again.

The bandits played the ask and hit game for a while, until they saw it had no results. Thin-Gloomy was used to being beaten. "Take one of his fingers off, then. Jack, you do it", the woman ordered. "No!" Thin-Gloomy screamed inspite of himself. "O' course, boss", Jack the Redhead replied and unsheathed one of his big knives. Thin-Gloomy struggled to keep the horrified face.

Jack lowered the knife and pressed it lightly on his left littlefinger. "Where be that treasure, strawbeard?" Thin-Gloomy let tears to come to his eyes. "Don't cut my finger. It hasn't done anything to you", he wailed. "Tell us, and I'll let it in peace", the gap-teeth boy answered with a cruel smile. Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath. "I'll show you, if you have a map."

The bandits exchanged doubtful glanced. "Mica, fetch him a map", the woman shrieked. The fair-haired bandit disappeared and came back with a big, badly-drawn map of the North-Western parts of Middle-earth. "Jack, unbind him, he needs his fingers to point", the woman ordered. "Jack's still got his knives, remember that", the big man hissed to him.

The woman ascended from the platform. "Show me", she said. Thin-Gloomy, still weeping, put his finger on the map. "There at the Northern North-Downs", he lied. Then he continued sobbing violently.

"You know what happens if you lie to me", the woman said and made an unmistakeable gesture across her throat. "Thomas, Jack, take him away. Mica, I have a couting job for you."

Though Jack and thomas didn't treat him gently, Thin-Gloomy was happy on their way back. I did it, I did it! Their bad they don't know the dwarvish mentality too well.

One for me, zero for them this far, Thin-Gloomy thought.