Polo Hammidge Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

The figure in the dusty cloak, eyes wide with anxiety beneath a tangle of dark curls, is Polo Hammidge, a simple farmer who had never ventured beyond the edges of the Chetwood. His calloused bare feet, used only to soft earth, now trod upon the unforgiving, shadowed ground of the forest depths, a place whispered to be the haunt of beasts and worse things. In his small hand, he gripped the hilt of a thin, elegant blade he had found half-buried near his stolen sheep pen—a weapon far older and more lethal than his rusty pruning shears. He was acutely aware of the weight of the makeshift weapon, a constant reminder that he was no hero, merely a fearful hobbit forced into the darkness to protect what was left of his quiet life.

He had followed the tracks himself when the lazy Shirriffs failed him, driven by a fear that had hardened into a desperate sort of courage. Every snapping twig made him jump, every distant howl sent a chill down his spine, but he pushed on, the glint of the elven-steel offering a small, cold comfort in the gloom. He was searching for proof of the monsters that took his flock, an ordinary man on an extraordinary journey, hoping only to survive long enough to bring the truth back to Bree and clear the name of his wrongly accused neighbor, Tomlan.

Barliman Butterbur Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Barliman Butterbur was the bustling, red-faced proprietor of the Prancing Pony, the only inn of any consequence in the idiosyncratic village of Bree. He was a man of business, known by all the Four Farthings for his honest dealings, his excellent beer, and his appalling memory. Barliman prided himself on knowing every traveler who passed through, greeting Dwarves, Men, and Hobbits alike with a genial, albeit often mistaken, familiarity. When four unfamiliar hobbits arrived one evening, he welcomed them warmly, doing his best to remember the name he was supposed to be looking out for—a name that regrettably slipped his mind amidst the hustle and bustle of his busy common room.

Despite his forgetfulness, Barliman possessed a kind heart and a deep respect for the mysterious Rangers who protected the area. His most significant act came from absentmindedness when he failed to deliver a crucial letter from Gandalf to Frodo Baggins for months. When he finally realized his error, consumed by guilt and fear for the hobbit's safety, he did his best to make amends by facilitating their meeting with Strider, who was in fact Aragorn, the heir to Gondor. This simple innkeeper, with all his faults, played a small but vital role in ensuring the Fellowship's journey began with the right alliances.

Sherrif Bunce Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Shirrif Bunce is the diligent, if slightly harried, chief law enforcement officer of Bree-land. A man of respectable age with the solid build, Bunce is the quintessential authority figure in this quiet corner of Middle-earth. He views his duty to keep the peace between the Big Folk in Bree, the inhabitants of Archet, Combe, and the curious hobbit-folk as a solemn responsibility. While generally preferring a quiet life where disagreements are solved with stern words rather than steel, the increasing brazenness of the bandits operating on the East Road has tested his patience and stretched his limited resources thin. He represents the local government's reach and serves as the primary quest-giver for the player characters, appealing to their newfound reputation after they deal with the immediate threat of the local trolls.

Bunce is a pragmatic leader who understands the limits of his small, locally-trained watch. He is not a warrior or a great tactician, but he possesses sound judgment and a strong sense of civic duty. He is willing to deputize capable outsiders when local problems exceed the watch's ability to respond effectively. His decision to hire the player characters is based on practical necessity rather than blind trust, offering them the necessary local information, supplies, and official backing needed to infiltrate and dismantle the bandit ring led by the self-proclaimed Bandit-king, Inledair. Bunce acts as the PCs' link to civilization and authority, offering rewards and resources necessary for their dangerous trek into the downs southeast of Bree.