Basic D&D: Tyrion Vs The Cult Of Cthulhu Part 5 - Farewells

The adventure concludes here in part 5...

 Two extremist Orcs attack Eowyn in the name of their newfound Shoggoth Lord.  She takes damage and is dangerously close to being knocked out.

 The other two Orcs manage to hurt Haldir by ganging up on him!

 With Glorfindel's help he manages to fight them off.

 Tyrion is able to sneak behind the Orcs and kill one of them, while Eowyn kills the other.

Eowyn:  Many thanks, Dwarf.
Tyrion: My pleasure, milady!

Arwen meanwhile, finds a switch and a manual beside it written in Pnakotic script.  She casts Read Languages and flips the switch!

Glorfindel fires off two Magic Missile spells and a Fireball.  Everyone backs up as the fire dissipates... but the Shoggoth remains!

Commander, do you have visual?
I repeat, we need visual confirmation.
Has the target been destroyed?
Negative.
Target remains.
I repeat, target remains.

Arwen's switch flipping has freed the strange creature from its prison!

Radagast:  Arwen?  I hope you know what you are doing!
Arwen:  So do I...

Everyone backs up before the lumbering giant.

Tyrion: If its hungry, I hope it likes Shoggoth!

The heroes use all their powers against the Shoggoth... to no avail.

Crom, Eomer, and Qyburn limp into the Chamber

 Guess what guys, it's time to embrace the horror! 
Look, we've got front row tickets to the end of the earth! 

The creatures square off and observe each other for a moment.  Then a ray of light connects the two beings and strange noises pass between them, which could be considered language of some sort.

The light fades.  The Shoggoth seems less swirly and planet destroyingly angry.  In fact it looks quite tame now.

Abdul the Mad Arab:  I think I know what creature that is...  It is a Yithian.  The great race of Yith comes from one of the lights in the night sky.  And it was they who first created Shoggoths.  I believe the evil wizard cultists trapped him and used him to summon a Shoggoth for their own plans.  The Shoggoth seems to be genuinely apologizing to us.

Arwen: (runs behind Halbarad) What's this? A Ranger, caught off his guard? (tickles Halbarad)
Halbarad:  (turns around)
Arwen:  Oh, you're not him!  All you rangers have coats that look the same!
Halbarad:  Awkward...

The Yithian beckons the Mad Arab over and a light surrounds both of them.  Again, a series of strange noises that might pass for language is heard.

Abdul The Mad Arab:  I understand now... (laughs maniacally)  Its so great and terrible.  Its full of stars!

The Shoggoth nuzzles up to Lady Arwen who pats it gently.

Lady Arwen:  Ahh, see the beastie is quite a gentle soul really.

Abdul the Mad Arab:  They are leaving, they wish us luck!

Lady Arwen:  Goodbye strange creatures!

Abdul the Mad Arab:  Off they go, to fight in their own wars.

Lady Arwen:  Wars?  Where?

Abdul:  Specifically the Lost City of Pnakotus, for Flying Polyps are attacking the Library City.  But the Yithians are fighting a losing war everywhere...  They travel through time.  In fact it was they all along who have been sending me across time to fight against the waking of the Great Old One known as Cthulhu.  We thought he slept under the ruined city of Ryleh in the oceans of the east.  But that ocean is not in the east.  It is below us, in the center of the world... and Moria is the door to it.  
Lady Arwen:  Glorfindel, you are an Elf Lord of Old who remembers the Elder days... what lies below Moria?
Glorfindel:  The Savage Lands, milady!  Or so it is said.  The world opens up the further down one travels.  The Hollow World is a primal jungle with a bright sky at all times and a small sun that never sets.  Or so they say...

Eomer:  Sister, you are wounded!
Lady Eowyn:  Thanks to this Dwarf, I still live.
Eomer:  Dwarf Tyrion, if ever you come to the land of Rohan, you will be treated as a royal guest!  If ever you need help, the Rohirrim will always come to your aid.
Tyrion:  So be it!  I get a feeling that someday I just might need some help.

Radagast:  Haldir, what are you Elves doing here in Moria?
Haldir:  Escorting the Lady Arwen from Rivendell to see her Grandmother Galadriel in Lothlorien.
Radagast:  Why did you not take the Redhorn pass?
Haldir:  Snowstorms.  The passages from east to west are blocked unless you pass through the Gap Of Rohan to the far south.  We thought Moria was taken back by the Dwarves and might be safe passage.
Radagast:  It is said Balin is Lord Of Moria, I wonder where he is.

Glorfindel:  Hail, Dunedain ranger!
Halbarad:  What news of Rivendell?
Glorfindel:  Ominous news as of late, we believe war is coming.
Halbarad: I have been on a quest for months hunting these evil wizards.  Any news of my liege lord Aragorn? 
Glorfindel:  It is said he and many other rangers are watching the Greenway, from Tharbad to Bree and all around the Shire.
Halbarad:  The Shire?  What for?
Glorfindel:  We do not yet know.

Radagast:  Lady Arwen, this is Tyrion a Dwarf who seeks to find his fellow Dwarves.  Would it not be safer to travel together, as your ways travel the same path through Moria to Easthold? 
Lady Arwen:  We welcome Dwarf Tyrion's company!
Tyrion: Thank you milady.

The Elves break out healing herbs of Athelas and Lembas shortbread and share it with everyone.

Halbarad bows to the Lady Arwen.

Lady Arwen:  Blessings to all Dunedain, to the rangers of the wild, the bravest of men.
Eowyn: (nudges her brother)  Shes rather pretty, for an Elf that is.

Radagast:  My fellow hunters, Im afraid I cannot go with you this time to chase the evil wizards.  I have a promise to keep to an old friend.
Abdul the Mad Arab:  Go with the blessings of all good men and hopefully when next we meet, we can tell you how we brought the evil cultists to their deserved justice.
Eomer:  That may be, but when you are done with your promise, try to find us in these... Savage Lands that we are heading off to.
Radagast:  I will try my best.  But it seems Middle Earth has another problem besides this Cthulhu.  A certain Dark Lord is mobilizing in Mordor. 
Eomer: Gondor can handle it!  See ya soon, Radagast!

Tyrion:  What is this promise you need to keep?
Radagast:  Oh its to another wizard of my order.  I am the Brown, he is the Grey.
Lady Arwen:  You speak of Mithrandir!
Radagast:  Indeed I do.  I saw him awhile ago and delivered a message that he should go to Isengard and talk with Saruman the White.  Gandalf told me to send an eagle with any news to them.  But then this whole evil cultist thing happened, and I forgot.  So I need to journey to the Eagle Eyries in Hithaeglir.  Which means I travel to Easthold with you folks!
Tyrion:  Well, I for one, am happy that you will be travelling with us! 
Radagast:  Trust me, I am glad of it too, Moria is no place to travel alone...  As Gandalf used to say, there are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.
Tyrion:  This Gandalf fellow seems like an interesting bloke, I hope I get to meet him someday...

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So there is the conclusion of the latest Tyrion adventure powered by Basic D&D.  I decided to focus the report on the storytelling aspect of the adventure, rather than the rule mechanics and die rolls. Mechanically speaking, right from the very start, you will notice that half of Tyrion's party is left behind to recover from the various hardships of dungeoneering.  Basic D&D is unforgiving in its attrition.  I dont have a town in the fluff that the heroes can return to for rest and resupplies.  Hence the reinforcements of Radagast and crew.  Weaving them into the story arc, seems to be an unexpected high point for not only the adventure, but the whole Moria Project as well.  Because now we can see where in the timeline of Middle Earth we are...

  Seems Gandalf is imprisoned on top of Orcthanc in Isengard and has been for awhile.  And if Radagast had not been playing hunt the cultist with his friends, an eagle might have saved Gandalf sooner!  No one yet knows that Saruman has turned to the darkside.  Also, I like the foreshadowing that the Fellowship will someday pass through Moria and the fluff of this very blog!  Considering how Ive mangled Middle Earth so far with great delight, I cant wait to see what I do to the rest of the Fellowship.  

This means that Frodo is still in the Shire.  Boromir has left Minas Tirith to search for Imladris/Rivendell.  And Legolas is still in Mirkwood.  Gollum has already been tortured and has escaped Mordor.  He might be in Hollin or on his way there.  The Black Riders have probably already left Mordor and are searching for the Shire.  Is Murkillor a Ring Wraith, will he have to join his fellows soon?   Are there normal non-Ring Wraiths? Or is he just a glorified Barrow Wight?  I will have to give it some thought.

Also, now we have yet another storyline arc...
Halbarad, Eowyn, Eomer, and the Mad Arab travelling to the Savage Lands.  Which opens up all kinds of story possibilities, as well as scenarios.  Do they meet Gimli, or Balin, or both?  Do the Slann figure into this?  Are they pro Cthulhu or not?

Many questions, questions that need answering...

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Next post:  (possibly a Savage Lands battle report)

Bonus feature: Soundtrack To This Post!
While playing this battle, I listened to:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUipMnVM0esiLHudPe60PNNg5KhDHYuI3
Pete & Royce - Years Before
Algarnas Tradgard - Framtiden Ar Ett Svavande Skepp
Nektar - A Tab In The Ocean
Arzachel- Arzachel (1969)
Cold Sun - Dark Shadows