Let's Talk About It 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

I would like to go on record at the start of this post by saying some of what I am about to say is going to offend some folks so . . . if it does, then I guess you'll be offended! If you dislike what I am about to say then move along to something else because I don't need you here trying to force your point of view on me or my players "who also feel the same way" and how we feel Middle-Earth should be. Alright, now that that's been said, on with the post . . .

I understand everyone is going to have a difference of opinions and I respect that but if your opinion does not agree with mine then I guess that is how it goes. This version of Middle-Earth will be 100% homebrew. Why is it homebrew you might ask? Well, I have not read the books so I have no way to remain true to canon. My campaign will be based totally off of the six films but I will be reading the novels in the near future so I will try to hold true as best I can to the Tolkien spirit.

My Middle-Earth will not feed off of a single thing from the Amazon "The Rings of Power" series that has been released #BoycotAmazon. I will not get into the reasons behind why I personally feel like Amazon just gave Middle-Earth fans a hard slap to the face and giving us the middle finger with the other hand, I will let you folks decide for yourself if you like or dislike what you have seen so far concerning that series but one thing is certain ... Amazon took down the video they had on the Amazon channel where the words "representation & diversity" was said a million times . . . this speaks volumes. One other thing I want to point out is how Amazon made it so people could not post reviews on Rotten Tomatoes "hmmm . . . I wonder why that was done" lol.

All Amazon is concerned with are the words "representation & diversity" - and with Amazon removing that video from the Amazon channel, it just goes to show you that they realize that they screwed up. I am also now seeing how they are race swapping main characters, turning white characters into black characters . . . lol ok let's just spit all over the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. They don't care about the actual Lore and it speaks volumes about what they are trying to do with this new series with that video being removed from the Amazon Youtube channel ... nuff said on that.

Personally I feel the entire concept of this new Amazon series to be sad & embarrassing and I personally will not have anything to do with that shit show. I want to also go on record by saying Wizards of the Coast race swapping Aragorn is a disgrace and they can line up right along side Amazon with how I feel about them.

Anyways . . . to finish this thing up, yea my campaign is going to be based off of the films. Sure the Hobbit trilogy was a little silly with the CGI and at times and I see where Peter Jackson added non canon stuff into the prequels, but in the end the films kept with the "flavor and feel" of Middle-Earth and I loved all six films even with some of the rediculas CGI stuff going on in the Hobbit trilogy. All of my current players have not read the novels but are huge huge fans of the films and this will be how they envision what is going on in my campaign so it just makes sense to build my campaign off of the films and just add in as much canon as I can to it.

Middle-Earth is something very close to my heart and with Amazon doing this stupid shit to this new series really upsets me which in turn causes me to speak my mind about how I feel about how my Middle-Earth campaign should and will be. I'm sure if I read the books it would mean so much more to me and eventually I really do hope to be able to find the time and sit down and read the books.

Most if not all of my group know about Middle-earth from the six films so in a way basing this campaign off of the movies works better for my group anyways. I've had multiple movie nights with my players where we sat around and watched the extended versions of all six films "at different times of course" and we had a wonderful time. I am very excited to be bring our own Middle-earth to life for my players to explore. Knowing that at times they will undoubtedly meet some of the iconic characters from Middle-earth which I hope is a real treat for them.

So, be patient with us "especially me" because we still have a lot of perpareration to get done and this campaign blog is just beginning to get worked on so a lot more content is coming to this little corner of Middle-earth. I'll have more news coming soon for everyone so stay tuned.

The Rolling Wheel 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

Harlen Raskin runs the Rolling Wheel, which serves the common folk of Woodmen-town. He crafts sturdy carts and repairs shattered axles with practised efficiency. Harlan is a good-hearted, no-nonsense craftsman who values durability and practicality over fanciness. He’s prone to muttering about how things were “built better back in my day” but secretly delights in finding ways to improve his designs.

Harlen "Old Wheel" Raskin is a 58 year old man. He is a wiry man with a bushy moustache and calloused hands, always smelling of sawdust and oil. He wears a simple work shirt and trousers, his sleeves perpetually rolled up. His left eye is cloudy from an old injury, but he still sees well enough to judge the balance of a wheel with uncanny precision. Harlan is a no-nonsense craftsman who values durability and practicality over fanciness. He’s prone to muttering about how things were “built better back in my day” but secretly delights in finding ways to improve his designs.

Harlan has been building and repairing wagons for over thirty years and is widely considered the best wainwright in the region. His shop, the Rolling Wheel, serves the people of Woodmen-town and also those visiting, crafting sturdy carts and repairing shattered axles with efficiency.

Woodmen-town 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

Woodmen-town is a small but thriving settlement under the gloomy eaves of Mirkwood, about 100 miles South of The Old Forest Road and 50 miles South of Woodland Hall on the Dusky River. It is home to the oldest of the Woodmen families and inside its ancient great house, the Hall of Balthi , is the Fabled Lamp of Balthi, a great healing artifact.

The hall is surrounded by the Market Green and a smattering of houses and shops. The village strives to live in harmony with nature in accordance with their laws. They live a simple existence in the frozen north of Solstheim, subsisting on hunting and minor agriculture, but are also familiar with the secrets of forging stalhrim.

On the Market Green the occasional travelling merchant lays out their goods, pig and sheep-herders drive their animals into pens, tradesmen meet to buy materials and sell their wares, and the local gossips gather to trade tales. The palisade has a mixture of very ancient, moss covered sections, and much newer freshly cut and erected logs.

A Dusky River runs to the east of the town flowing down from the mountains of Mirkwood. On the couple of jetties that poke out into the river, fisher-folk mend their nets, carve out new log boats, and tar their coracles in readiness for the fishing season. The walls of Woodmen-town are built from a palisade of stout logs, sharpened at the top. Bunches of fragrant herbs can be seen hanging from the walls to ward off evil influences.

The houses in Woodmen-town are all well built structures, with sloping shingled roofs. An inner palisade runs around the waist of the hill which is home to the Great Hall and elder council’s halls. Only those with business on the hill are allowed into this inner palisade. Well-trained working dogs can be seen all around Woodmen town, the Woodmen being masters of hounds that are kennelled at the north of the settlement and watch for any threat from the forest. Occasional excited barks can be heard. The sound of timber being chopped is a constant sound in Woodman-town.

Woodmen-town is governed by a Council of Elders consisting of a body of five elders. All council meetings are held within the richly decorated Great Hall located atop the central hill of Woodmen-town. Inside this great hall, the legendary Lamp of Balthi is kept safe, the greatest treasure of the Woodmen.

The settlement has a standing population of around 125-150. They are distantly related to the Edain who inhabit the western portion of Mirkwood forest along with a mysterious race of men called the Beornings, who are said to be skin-changers. This settlement was partially built upon great platforms amongst the trees in the Elvish manner, for the Woodmen are on friendly terms with the Elves of the Forest. Woodmen-town mostly consists of locals but does have a few that are not native to the region. The Woodmen and the Beornings have close ties since, they lived near to one another amid many dangers of the region.

The woodsmen of the region consist of a hearty folk with many strong warriors. The settlements community is made up of friendly folk but they always seem to have there guard up during these troubling times. These people understand the Shadow is once again moving and they might be forced to defend themselves or others whom they are allied with but regardless, life goes on and even though they stand ready to fight, these people still live a normal life.

The climate tends to be cool during the summer but winters are usually very cold with much snowfall in this region . . . typical northmen weather, just how they like it. Fishing and hunting are the common trades of the region, along with trade coming into Woodmen-town. Exports mostly consist of furs and pelts along with fish and meat from hunting within the surrounding area.

Points of Interest
• Great Hall
• Market Green
• Nightgate Inn
• Blacksmith Shop
• The Rolling Wheel
• Chissa's Patisserie Shoppe
• Baliver's House of Horses
• General Store

Notable People
• Odo
• Amalina
• Old Ingund
• Barald

Easterly Inn 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 Easterly Inn is a small tavern just south west of the Forest Gate at the western edge of the Elf Path. The inn is run by Dody Brandybuck "short for Dodinas Brandybuck", his wife Agatha, and his brother Dindy. Dody refers to the inn as the eastern-most outpost of the Shire in the wild. Dodinas was the fourth son of Gorbadoc Brandybuck and Mirabella Took. His siblings were Rorimac (who was the grandfather of Merry), Amaranth, Saradas, Asphodel, Dinodas, and Primula (who was the mother of Frodo Baggins).

The Easterly Inn is situated near a little brook that flows out of Mirkwood towards the Great River. This Inn is a popular stopping point for travelers and trade merchants and is usually rather busy. This medium sized Inn is very well maintained and is always clean. The Inn was built less than a year before and still has a rather new feel to it.

The building has a second floor which contains six guest rooms "sized for big folk as well as little folk" with a communal washroom at the very end of the hall. The rooms are always clean and comfortable. Although the hall does not contain windows with curtains, each of the rooms has its own window. Each room has a comfortable single sized bed, several covers & blankets, a wash stand, chamber pot, a couple of towels, pegs for garments, and a comfortable sitting chair. All of the guest rooms are identical in appearance, all stocked with the same exact items. Each room is the same price and they each sleep a single person.

The establishment is in every way a Hobbit built construction. Dody tells his customers that when the Inn was built that he wanted it built in such a way as to bring just a little bit of Hobbiton to the Wilderlands. The main floor in the inn consists mostly of an open area filled with small tables of different sizes with chairs and a small bar located along the wall just as you enter the establishment.

Four bar stools have been placed at the bar. The western end on the Inn is used as a small storage shelter that remains locked. This is where most of the wines and ales are stored . . . this chamber is more of an over stock room that casks are pulled from when inventory runs low in the Inn itself. The kitchen is a large area filled with cooks of several different races (with a menu such is the Esterly Inn has, you need plenty of cooks).

Several tables have been set up outside the front of the inn for those wishing to have meals and enjoy the outdoors. Along the southern wall of the main floor dining area is a large hearth which is large enough to heat the entire main floor during the winter months. When sitting within the dining area one will see two, possibly three female "Hobbits" waiting tables in a joyful manner. Prices at the The Easterly Inn are priced a "little" higher than most Inns across Middle-Earth but the isolated location it is in allows for the prices to be a little inflated. The meals that are prepared here bring home memories of the Green Dragon Inn in the Shire. The ales are important from all across the region and are always top quality ales and beers.

(All full meals are served with bread and honey, potatoes, and string beans, yams, rum-boiled artichokes, potatoes, and string beans, yams, rum-boiled artichokes, cabbage, carrots, or spinach along with whatever meat and drink the customer orders with it)

BREAKFAST - 7am
Pork Sausages and Cheese: 10sp
Poached Pears (stuffed with Frumenty): 6cp
Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Hand Pies: 11sp
Shire Seed Cake: 11cp
Biscuits (topped with black pudding, eggs, and a smothering of gravy): 5cp
Mini Quiche: 11cp
Honey Nut Cake & Marmalade: 6cp
Hobbit Hash (potatoes, leeks, spinach, and cheese): 7cp
Ham Omelet (made with curry spices, onions, and tomatoes): 15cp
Stuffed Poached Pears: 3cp
Peppered Bread: 4cp
Oatmeal & Fried Potato Wedges: 3cp
Beef Steak: 15cp
Breakfast pie (made with salmon, leeks, eggs, and cream): 5cp

SECOND BREAKFAST - 9am
Strawberry Toast (with a side of sausage): 4cp
Rice pudding (paired with a side of bacon): 6cp
Scones and Clotted Cream: 5cp
Chicken Eggs (pre-boiled): 6cp
Fruit & Cheese: 3 Copper Pieces
Bread topped (with butter and honey served with a side of fruit and bacon): 4cp
Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Hand Pies: 5cp
Mushroom, Beef & Onion Hand Pies: 8cp
Hand Apple Pies: 9cp
Garlic Hand Pie: 5cp
Mincemeat Pie: 5cp

ELEVENSES - 11am
Green Tea: 5cp
Black Tea: 5cp
Herbal Tea: 6cp
White Tea: 9cp

Bread Pudding (with cinnamon): 11cp
Lavender and Lemon Muffins: 5cp
Strawberry Shortcake (with cream): 6cp
Caraway Seed Cake: 3cp
Lemon Tea Cake; 4cp
Shire Porter Cake: 9cp
Plum Heavies (cookies): 4cp
Stewed Hare (with root vegetables and dumplings): 4sp

LUNCHEON - 1pm
Beef Stew (with potatoes, carrots, onions): 8sp
Salted Pork (Made with cheese, bacon, or vegetables): 1gp
Roasted Vegetables (for those that don't eat meat): 3sp
Rabbit Stew: 3sp
Roast Beef with Cranberry Sauce: 4sp
Shepherd’s Pie: 1sp
Stuffed Potatoes (cheese, butter and peppers): 1sp
Roast Mutton: 2sp
Scotch Eggs: 1sp

AFTERNOON TEA - 3pm
Green Tea: 5cp
Black Tea: 5cp
Herbal Tea: 6cp
White Tea: 9cp

Shortbread Biscuits
Ring Cookies: 4cp
Berry Pie: 3cp
Mixed Berry Cobbler: 4cp
Bakewell Tarts: 2cp
Fruit Tarts: 2cp
Honey Cakes: 4cp
Apple Pie: 3cp
Porter Cake: 3cp
Roasted Apples: 5cp
Apple Pie and Cream: 7cp

DINNER - 6pm
Stuffed Roasted Mushrooms: 11sp
Vegetable Soup & Fried Tater Cakes: 17cp
Mushroom, Beef and Onion Hand Pies: 11sp
Bread Pudding (with cinnamon): 4sp
Roasted Chicken (with a cherry tomatoe sauce): 15sp
Spiced Beef and Roasted Vegetables: 11sp
Savory Porridge: 1sp
Chicken Pie (with wine and mushrooms): 15sp
Cheddar Soup: 4sp

SUPPER - 9pm
Pork Pie: 2sp
Mushroom Soup: 1sp
Salad (served with fresh herbs and hard-boiled eggs): 4sp
Roasted Chicken: 7sp
Rabbit Stew: 2sp
Strawberry Shortcake with Cream: 10cp
Lemon Tea Cake: 5cp
Honey Shortbread: 6cp
Rabbit and Potato Plate: 5sp

DRINKS
Coffee: 4cp
Fruit Juice: 5cp
Mile (local variety): 2cp
Beer: 7cp
Beer (Bag End Brew): 1sp
Dark Ale: 8cp
Wheat Ale (or called Wandering Wizard): 11cp
Ale: 4cp
Malt Beer: 6cp
White Ale (Minas Tirith brewed): 1sp
Breeland Wine: 1sp
Red Wine: 1sp
Emerald Palet Wine: 1sp
Fireamber Wine: 1sp
Spiced Ale: 10cp

The upper rooms are very clean, and all rooms are heated. Each room has a fine bed, many covers & blankets, a wash stand, chamber pot, towel, pegs for garments, and several chairs and stools. The larger, more expensive rooms, have arm chairs, tables, footstools, bed warmers, curtained beds, and good rugs on the floor and wall hangings as well.

ROOM NIGHTLY PRICES
(4) Private Suites: 16 Silver Pieces
(6) Standard Rooms: 8 Silver Pieces

Structures 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

Easterly Inn

Nightgate Inn 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 Nightgate Inn is owned and operated by the Halan family and serves as the main gathering place for the people of Woodmen-town. Formerly residents of Dale, the Halan family relocated to Woodmen-town to stake their claim and open an Inn. It is a large, comfortable establishment that serves good food and ale.

The Barkeep, Garek, is a middle-aged crotchety man with a penchant for long winded tales. It is not uncommon to see Garek tending bar on a regular basis.

The Nightgate Inn is a rustic inn found close to the center of the settlement. The Inn is rather ordinary looking but has a warm, comfortable feel to it.

The taproom in the cellar offers drinks to those who enter while the chambers above are available to rent. The prices of the food and drink served here are of reasonable prices but this establishments services are well worth the coin.

The Nightgate Inn may be common in appearance but the food and drink served here is known across the region, even if the inn is of more common build, the food and drink are excellent. Respectable customers are always welcome as long as they have the money for their drinks and meals. Meals are served on pottery, pewter or copper services according to the customers order. Various leather jacks, pottery mugs, wooden tankards, pewter steins, glass flagons, crystal goblets, or silver chalices are used for the beverages.

The establishments employees are for the most part family members but a few employees have been hired since the inn opened its doors. The furnishings in the dining area such as the tables and chairs are worn and smooth from years of use. Many candles are scattered through the main floor for maintaining a comfortable ambience for its customers.

The main floor of this establishment is for the most part an open area with a large hearth set into the southernmost brick wall. Despite the rustic appearance of the inn, this structure appears to have been kept remarkably clean and organized. The locals take great pride in calling this the settlements only Inn and tavern . . . one would be wise to not insult this establisment around the locals. The second floor of the build is where all of the guest rooms are located, a total of six rooms are available. Usually most of them are vacant due to this towns remote location. Each room has a comfortable single sized bed, several covers & blankets, a wash stand, chamber pot, a couple of towels, pegs for garments, and a comfortable sitting chair. All of the guest rooms are identical in appearance, all stocked with the same exact items. Each room is the same price and they each sleep a single person.

BREAKFAST MEALS
Peppered Bread: 12cp
Oatmeal: 8cp
Boiled Goose Eggs: 1sp
Chicken Eggs: 1sp
Fruit and Cheese: 10cp
Fried Potato Wedges: 5cp
Pork Sausages: 1sp

AFTERNOON MEALS
Beef Stew: 1sp
Spiced Sausages: 1sp
Roast Duck with Apples: 1sp
Cheese rolls with a Filling of Nuts, Honey and Vegetables: 8cp
Smoked Salmon Salad: 1sp
Apple Stuffed Mushrooms: 9cp
Kidney Pie: 2sp
Roast Goose: 1sp
Venison Steak: 2sp
Roast Beef with Cranberry Sauce: 1sp
Cornish Hens with Olives: 1sp

BEVERAGES
Local Wine: 11cp
Whiskey: 9cp
Rum: 11cp
Beer: 6cp
Heavy Beer: 6cp
Ale: 7cp
Spiced Ale: 10cp
Mead: 4cp

The upper rooms are very clean, and all except the common rooms are heated. Each room has a fine bed, many covers & blankets, a wash stand, chamber pot, towel, pegs for garments, and several chairs and stools. The larger, more expensive rooms, have arm chairs, tables, footstools, bed warmers, curtained beds, and good rugs on the floor and wall hangings as well.

ROOM NIGHTLY PRICES
Guest Room: 7sp

The Great Hall 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

This massive sized building is the Great Hall of Woodmen-town. Woodmen-town is governed by a Council of Elders consisting of a body of five elders. All council meetings are held within the richly decorated Great Hall located atop the central hill of Woodmen-town. Inside this great hall, the legendary Lamp of Balthi is kept safe, the greatest treasure of the Woodmen.

The hall is a massive four story building made of good quality stone and wood. The roof was made of wood with a bell tower rising from the back. A noticeboard near the front door displays bulletins and information for residents and newcomers to town, some offering rewards for certain tasks. The bottom floor of this building is used for multiple purposes.

The right half of the floor is used for council and town meetings and such with two large oak tables with chairs seated around them. A large hearth in the back of the room warms this side of the floor during the colder months of the year.

The left half of the bottom floor is used as a large dining area for when meetings are held, the guests can eat afterwords. in the back section is a large sized kitchen for preparing the food for these meetings.

The second floor is mainly used as a large lounge area for the not so formal meetings the council might have. A large hearth is in the back of the room which is connected to the one downstairs. This floor of the Great Hall is build for comfort and relaxation foe the council members. Most private council meetings are held in this room where as the bottom floor is where most of the public meetings are held with townsfold or new arrivals to Woodmen-town. Multiple plush chairs and couches are spread out across this room in a circular fashion.

The third floor is the official residence of each of the five elders of Woodsmen-town. Five medium sized bed chambers are located on this floor , one for each Elder of the council. Large designer rugs lay across the floors of each chamber with expensive furniture and such furnishing each room. Chairs, counches and such are arranged through the common room of the floor. It also contains a large hearth that is connected to the lower two floors hearths.

The top floor of this building is used as an open study room for any council member who wishes to use it. Standard furnishings of a room occupy this room. A hearth "not attached to the lower floors hearths" also is along the back wall.

Blacksmith Shop 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

A dwarf named Nornan Bonefoot owns this smithy. People can purchase a variety of mundane wares here, including spikes, weapons, heavy armor, and so on. Simple weapons are readily available, but military weapons require one day to complete, and superior weapons require a week of work.

Chissa Patisserie Shoppe 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 Chissa Patisserie Shoppe is a bakery and home of the Chissa family in Woodmen-town. It is owned and run by a talented bakers known as Jemma and her husband Jameson. This couple has lived in Woodmen-town for the last two years but are natives of the region.

The shop stands next to the Nightgate Inn which gives this establishment a lot of business. The building is a small bakery, but well stocked for a settlement of this size, with the front of the shop facing the main street that goes through the center of Woodmen-town. It has a small cellar for storing supplies, with the ground floor given over to the business and upper floor used as the family home.

The ground floor has two main sections. The front of the building is the store and is open to the public. Here, a counter rings the room with large cabinets displaying the day's wares; there is also a bread bin. A corridor leads to the back of the the building. The cellar of the building is used for storage, holding ingredients. At the rear was the kitchen and preparation area, with a large oven, cooling racks, and work bench. The oven is a larger sized over that takes up most of the kitchen.

The bakery has a small dining room at the front of the shop. Upstairs is a small living area, furnished with two couches, rug, and bookcase with a small bedroon in the back. Off of it is a bathroom with a bathtub and wash basin. The shop as a whole is very cosy and confortable and it very popular with the residents of Woodmen-town. At times the shop has been known to have customers from outside Woodmen-town ... the bakery name has a long reach across the region.

Baliver's House of Horses 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

Baliver's House of Horses is a stable in Woodmen-town.

The stables consists of a series of walled paddocks and sheds located at the south end of the town. Baliver himself along with his son watches over the stables, who charg 1 gold piece a night for each horse. They are rather expensive but you won't find a better location in the surrounding region that will take better care of a persons mount than Baliver's House of Horses. All horses are well groomed and fed during the time they are being taken care of.

As of this time, it is the only rental stable in Woodmen-town.

Market Green 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

Every other day or so, carts and wagons gather in the Market Green and offer goods to the people of Woodsmen-town. Once each week, the official Market Day acts as a siren’s song, calling most of the townsfolk to shop and socialize in the square. Farmers sell produce, hunters hawk smoked meats, villagers sell crafts, and sometimes a trader from distant locations sells implements or costly goods.

"On any given day, there is a 25% chance that items from the adventuring gear list in the Player’s Handbook are available for sale here." Adventurers will almost never find armor, weapons, implements, or magic items in the market square, however.

General Store 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

This establishment is the towns main source for supplies and merchandise, owned and operated by Anston Halan, a male human. Anston is a well respect shopkeeper within the town.

Anston Halan settled in Woodmen-town a little over two years ago. He has a variety of items available for sale, including anything off the list of adventuring gear shown in the Player’s Handbook. He "occasionally" has a few rare and hard to get items for sale "but this is such a rare thing, for game purposes he is usually out of stock", and sometimes has a couple of potions of healing available in the shop but this is also a very rare thing.

For the most part, this establishment is generally looked at as one of the better stocked general goods stores in the region, selling anything from clothing, to dried foods and such. He also sells general utility items found in the Players Handbook but depending on the time of the year will dictate exactly what he has in stock.

1. Clothing and Packs: peasant equipment is about 70% of list price, rounded down; dungeoneering items are 100% rounded up.

2. Footwear, Gloves & Belts: Prices to adventurers is 125% of list, 80% to villagers.

3. Lighting Equipment: Tinderboxes, candles, oil, lamps, wicks, lanterns etc are 110% of list, rounded up.

4. Hand Tools: Hammers, adzes, planes, nails, saws etc. A file sells for 1sp and up. Saws cost cost about the same as a hand axe or hatchet.

5. Food & Herbs: Rations packed to go are 120% of list, and herbs are 150% of list.

6. Ropes, Chains & Dungeoneering Gear: (including writing materials and religious items) 110% of list. 7. Polearms & Shields: 150% of list. "very limited"

8. Other Weapons, Missles and Associated Gear: 150% of list. "very limited"

9. Armor & Helmets: Padded, studded and leather armor are always in stock. There will be a 70% chance that ring mail is currently in stock, 50% for scale mail, 30% for chain mail, and 10% for a set of banded mail & above. These are all 160% of list. All orders will be at 200% of list. (use d6, 1 being to small, 6 being too large and other rolls will fit). "very limited"

10. Tack, Harness, Wheelbarrows & Dungeon Carts: All in stock will be at 75% of list.

Archives 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

Campaign Setting 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

In the year 3011 of the Third Age, Middle-earth stands upon a precipice, though few living beneath the shadow of the great mountains truly grasp the depth of the coming twilight. For generations, the lands have known a fragile, weary peace. The shadow that fell with the defeat of the Dark Lord Sauron long ago has been a mere memory, a whisper in old tales.

The world the Free Peoples have inherited is one of fading light and lengthening nights, a time imperiled by a rising darkness that few can yet name. The great powers are distracted: the Elves are dwindling, looking ever westward; the Dwarves are secure within their mountains but few in number; and the Men of the West are a diminished race whose kingdom of Gondor holds a long, lonely vigil.

The North remains a sparsely populated, wild expanse where ancient evils and forgotten ruins lie dormant. The Shire remains blissful in its isolation, and the quiet folk of Bree go about their business with little thought for the world beyond their borders. The Northmen, the Beornings, and the scattered Rangers are the thin line of defense that keeps the remnants of civilization safe. It is into this world that a new age of heroes must emerge, for the established orders are weary, and the old alliances are strained. The map of Middle-earth is vast, a patchwork of kingdoms and wildernesses where destiny awaits those brave enough to step away from the firelight of their homes. Far to the south and east, in the land of Mordor, the enemy is stirring again. The Dark Lord Sauron has been quietly gathering his strength, recovering lost power, and breeding armies in the shadows. He has rebuilt his tower, Barad-dûr, and the air around Mount Doom is thick with ash and evil purpose.

Though his influence is subtle at first, it bleeds outward, corrupting the minds of men in the South and East and gathering fell creatures to his banner. The Nazgûl, his most terrible servants, ride forth in secret, searching for a lost object of power that holds the key to his final victory. This resurgent threat is the true context of the age, the storm on the horizon that will soon break over all the lands.

The signs of the turning tide are everywhere, if one knows where to look. The roads are becoming unsafe, haunted by desperate men and darker things. Whispers of a "Shadow" in Mirkwood are growing louder, a malign influence deep within the forest that drives all light from the canopy.

These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a singular, growing cancer upon the world. The time for peaceful ignorance is ending, and the time for action is fast approaching. The great War of the Ring, though yet unnamed, is an inevitability. It will be a series of conflicts across the entire continent, from Minas Tirith in the West to the distant realms of the North.

Your path, should you choose to walk it, will lead you out of the quiet security of the North Downs and across the vast, untamed expanses of Wilderland. Fate may push you through the shadowed paths of Mirkwood, over the Misty Mountains, and into the sun-drenched vales of the River Running. You will find yourselves drawn inexorably towards Dale and the Lonely Mountain, a beacon of Dwarf and Man resilience in the East. There, the forces of Sauron, having subdued the East, will march to conquer the only free kingdoms left in the region. While the armies of Gondor and Rohan fight for the fate of Men in the South, the North will fight a desperate battle against a powerful Eastern army of Sauron's allies. This is a campaign about the twilight of an age, where hope is a small but persistent flame in the darkness.

It's a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times, called to defend their homes and the memory of a free Middle-earth. The road is long, the dangers are great, but the need for heroes has never been more dire. Welcome to the Third Age, adventurers. May your swords stay sharp, and your hearts stay true.

Dawn Comes Early 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

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Region Map: Bree-land

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The Fellowship

Adventure Introduction

Session One: Suspicious Beginnings

The Herald 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

Radagast

Independent Towns 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

Esgaroth

Independent Cities 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

Dale

Rivendell

Kingdoms & Nations 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

Locations 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

Bree-land

Forests & Woodlands

Mountains

Structures

Tables, Charts & Links 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

Fellowship Phase

Patrons

Sanctuaries

The Shadow

Advantage & Disadvantage

Coin Weight

Difficulty Checks

Exhaustion

Old-School Essentials Initiative

Mayor's Residence 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

This small building is the Mayor's residence in Bree, the center of government in the settlement which is where one might find Mayor Zakarias Ormond during the day time hours when he is not out and about the settlement. This location is also the public meeting place for any important meeting that requires the mayor's attention. The mayor's office is located in the center of Bree.

This house is set well back from the road, and is partially screened by a pair of medium-sized elms. This is by far the most imposing house in the village. The walls have been regularly whitewashed and the roof gleams with new wooden shingles. A wide porch crosses the entire front of the house, and columns of wood support the overhanging roof. The columns have been carved into leafy patterns by a skilled craftsman.

The office is used for multiple purposes but is mainly used for meetings and such with a sturdy oak table with chairs seated around it. A large hearth warms the entire office during the colder months of the year. The mayor will meet here monthly with most of the prominent business owners in town to discuss matters of importance. A large designer rug lay across most of the center of the room with well-made furniture and such spread across the room.

All rewards for completed jobs from the job board located just outside the entrance are paid out of the mayor's office by the mayor himself. Outsiders will never gain access without first getting permission. The second floor is mainly used as the lord mayor's home. A small hearth is in the back of the room which is independent from the one downstairs. The upstairs room is a simple room, with only the basic necessities. Zakarias Ormond spends very little time here except for getting needed sleep.

The Fellowship 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

Her demeanor and appearance offer little indication of a seasoned adventurer. She is dressed in fine clothes that speak of a privileged upbringing within a high house of the Woodland Realm, her speech precise and revealing an impressive education gained within Elven society. To most in Bree-land (in the year 3011 T.A.), she presents the image of a pampered Elven youth who has seemingly never ventured beyond the safe, ancient borders of her Mirkwood homeland.

This perception, however, is far from the truth. Everything she possesses was earned; nothing was simply handed to her. For much of her long adult life, she served as the commander of the elite Northern Mirkwood Border Guard.

Her command was no mere ceremonial post. She and her troop maintained a vigilant, vital watch along the northern frontiers of Mirkwood, tracking movement along the dangerous Forest River and the wild lands beyond. This service involved leading tactical patrols, intercepting spies, and coordinating defense strategies with the rebuilt Dale and the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, a duty particularly crucial in the five years since the Battle of Five Armies.

The cessation of the most intense, relentless patrolling along the northern borders has granted her a respite she intends to leverage fully. After years of selfless duty in the North, she has simply earned a break and the right to choose her own path for a time.

Raised wanting for nothing, she possesses a clarity of purpose that transcends basic survival instincts. She understands her potential is limitless and is driven to utilize her healing talents. She is cheerful, highly perceptive, outspoken, easy to talk with, and views herself as a person of action. She dislikes idly waiting for others to determine her fate.

Adventure is the surest, if cruelest, method of refining her skills, as adversity traditionally yields the greatest benefits. She leaves those of limited scope to pore over worn tomes from the safety of a library. She craves the forgotten healing knowledge of past eons and the means to achieve renown across Middle-Earth for her mastery of the healing arts. Recently, her quest for knowledge led her to the town of Bree. Traveling with new companions, she passed through the bustling, diverse settlement—a stark contrast to the ancient quiet of Mirkwood.

The experience of navigating the lively, crowded common rooms of locations such as the Prancing Pony and the Hobbit's Hearth, interacting with the varied peoples of the world, has only strengthened her resolve to make her mark on Middle-earth. She continues her journey, her path set firmly before her.

Adventure Introduction 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

Hark, listen closely, for trouble has come to the quiet Shire, a shadow darker than the coming winter. The very air in Bywater has a bite not found in the weather, and its source is a stout-hearted hobbit named Tolman Greenthumb, a tracker of no small renown.

Tolman is long overdue from a venture into the busy lands of Bree, where he went to investigate the disappearance of sheep. His faithful wife, Lily, waits now with a heavy heart for word. Tolman, a hobbit with more courage than most, felt it his duty to aid the farmers whose livelihoods were ravaged by what they believed were mere wolves.

He reached Bree and set about his work, following tracks as large as ponies into the dark Chetwood. He uncovered something far more perilous than any wolf—a "monster," as he called it in a frantic message that found its way to his wife ere his arrest. Before he could speak of his discovery to the authorities, certain malicious Bree-folk saw their chance. They pointed the finger at Tolman, accusing him of the very thieving he sought to stop, claiming they saw him in the dead of night leading the sheep away.

The lies took root. Shirriff Bunce, a man of simple mind and few options, took the easiest path: the accused is guilty until proven innocent, especially when the accusers are locals. Tolman was cast into the lock-up at the Shirriff’s office, where he has languished for two days. The Shirriff, overwhelmed by matters he cannot comprehend, dismisses Lily’s pleas, demanding concrete proof that his witnesses are lying, refusing to believe an esteemed hobbit could be innocent.

The true threat, the 'monster' Tolman spoke of, still roams the nearby woods. The disappearances have not ceased with Tolman's arrest; indeed, the local farmers grow more fearful by the hour. Whatever dark creature moves in the shadows of the Chetwood cares little for the petty squabbles of Man or the laws of Bree, and its hunger is great. The longer Tolman is imprisoned, the more the danger grows, threatening not just the livestock but perhaps the very folk of Bree-land themselves. A simple case of theft has become a matter of life and death, hidden beneath layers of bureaucratic folly and local prejudice.

You stand now before the door of the Hobbit's Hearth, a warm inn nestled in the heart of Bree. This very establishment, you have learned, is owned by Tolman and Lily, though managed by others. You are about to step inside to meet with Lily about her missing husband.

The wind howls around the corner, carrying the merry sounds of revelry from the common room, and perhaps, the eerie call of something large and predatory from the nearby Chetwood. The comfortable life of the Shire seems a distant dream, replaced by the immediate danger and rank injustice of the road.

As you reach for the handle and push the door open, the warm light and the smell of hearty food spills out into the dark street. You are about to meet Lily Greenthumb, her eyes red-rimmed and hopeful, waiting behind the counter for capable hands to help clear her husband's name and bring the real villains to justice. Your adventure begins now.

Session One: Suspicious Beginnings 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

Coin Weight 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

Encumbrance is a measure of both the weight and bulk a character is carrying.

• Carrying Coins: Our games will use a common sense ruling for most things dealing with encumbrance. I personally do not want to get bogged down by trying to keep track of each characters total encumbrance so here is what we will do. From what I've seen online it pretty much says fifty coins weigh a pound. That means a single coin weighs 0.02 pounds, or 9.1 grams.

• Carrying Capacity: A characters carrying capacity is the characters Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that the character can carry. To makes things easier we will use this chart, to keep track of encumbrance and movement speeds.

How many coins can a specific container carry before tearing or are to heavy to carry? Below is our table with a "rough" estimate of what we use as a guideline.

Backpack 400gp

Large Belt Pouch 200gp

Small Belt Pouch 75gp

Large Box 200gp

Small Box 50gp

Wooden Chest 15gp/gp of Encumberence

Iron Chest 3gp/gp of Encumberence

Large Sack 400gp

Small Sack 100gp

Large Saddlebag 1000gp

Small Saddlebag 250gp

Lockhouse 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

In the quiet, rustic village of Bree—where the lands of the Shire-folk meet the lands of Men—the notion of a formal jail or "Lockhouse" is a practical necessity for any functioning settlement. Imagine a structure that fits the simple, self-governing style of this isolated community, a place where locals handle their own affairs.

Bree operates as a pragmatic, self-sufficient place, having maintained its peace for centuries through the common sense of its residents and the quiet watch of external protectors. This communal governance suggests that any holding facility wouldn't be a grand institution.

Rather, it would be a simple, sturdy building dedicated to short-term custody, perhaps used more for sobering up a drunk farmer or holding a transient while their story was verified, than for long-term incarceration. The architecture would blend seamlessly with the rest of the village, which sits comfortably on the slopes of Bree-hill. Picture a structure made of rough, durable stone or heavy timber, practical and unadorned. It might be a small, fortified room attached to a main watch-post near the town gates, or a solid, single-story building with a thick, iron-banded door and narrow, barred windows set high up. The design would emphasize function over fear—a necessary corner of a busy, cautious town. This building's importance would spike during periods of local strife, such as when ruffians and unsettling Southern folk moved into the area during times of war and lawlessness. During such chaotic periods, this lockhouse would become a crucial, if humble, center of local order. It would serve as the place where newly deputized townsfolk might secure a captured ruffian or a suspicious stranger found lurking near the gate after dark, highlighting its purely utilitarian role in maintaining the peace for both the Shire-folk and the Big Folk alike.

The name "Lockhouse" itself speaks to the plain, functional language of the common folk of Bree. It’s a term that fits the rugged, self-reliant nature of a community that handles its own problems. This imaginary lockhouse is a vital, albeit humble, part of the infrastructure of Bree, a place for practical people who believe in simple justice and security behind locked gates.

Staddle 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 founding of Staddle predates the mass migration of Hobbits across the Brandywine River. Long before the Shire was a cohesive political entity, small, adventurous bands of Stoors had settled the eastern dales of the region known as Eriador. They found the eastern slopes of the isolated Bree-hill appealing. The existing Men of Bree, accustomed to having quiet neighbors, allowed the little folk to dig their burrows into the soft, sun-drenched hillsides, establishing a peaceful co-existence that would endure for centuries. Staddle was thus a community of two peoples from its very beginning.

Life in Staddle was dictated by the land itself. The men built sturdy stone cottages along the lanes, while the hobbits carved out comfortable smials that dotted the southern face of the hill. Unlike the bustling, central crossroads of Bree town, where travelers from across Middle-earth mingled, Staddle remained a quieter, more agriculturally inclined place. Its people were farmers who preferred to stay close to home, focusing their efforts on the fertile fields that stretched out towards the brooding Midgewater Marshes to the east.

A defining feature of Staddle’s existence was its unique relationship with agriculture, specifically the cultivation of pipe-weed. The warm, well-drained slopes of the Bree-hill proved ideal for the plant, producing a superior leaf highly prized across the region. The Hobbits of Staddle took particular pride in their green thumb, perfecting curing methods that became a local secret. While Bree had the famous Prancing Pony inn, Staddle had The Lamplighter, a smaller, homelier establishment where locals gathered to smoke their home-grown weed, swap gossip, and enjoy a quiet pint away from the noise of the Great East Road.

The settlement maintained a strong sense of independence from its larger neighbor, Bree. While all the settlements of the Bree-land looked to the town for matters of defense and trade organization, the people of Staddle cherished their village identity. They were not "Bree-folk" in the same way the townsfolk were; they were "Staddlers." As the centuries rolled on and the world outside grew darker and wilder with the waxing of the Shadow, Staddle hunkered down. Trade routes became dangerous, and the communities of Bree-land became increasingly isolated islands of civilization.

Staddle remained fundamentally unchanged right up to the defining events of the War of the Ring. Its history was not written in the deeds of kings, but in the soil it tilled and the simple peace its inhabitants maintained. It stands in the lore of Middle-earth as a symbol of the enduring power of community and the quiet importance of home, a small, warm light in the vast wilderness of Eriador that persisted long after the great kingdoms of Men had fallen to ruin.

Combe 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 settlement of Combe nestled in the shelter of the Bree-hill, hidden away from the main thoroughfares that carved across Middle-earth. Unlike its bustling neighbor, Bree, which straddled the crossroads of the North-South and East Roads, Combe was a quieter, more secluded place. Its origins were lost to common memory, rooted deep in the early history of the Second Age when the Men of Bree first began to clear the thick, ancient forest that choked the land. These early settlers were a hardy folk who eschewed the grandiose kingdoms of Númenor and Gondor, preferring instead to till the land and live simple, self-sufficient lives. They built their homes not of grand stone, but of sturdy timber and wattle-and-daub, carving out a peaceful existence in the shadow of the great northern ranges.

The initial settlement was a arduous task. The land around Combe was wild and unforgiving, requiring constant vigilance against the lingering shadow of the North and the natural predations of the untamed wilderness. The first families worked together, felling mighty oaks and birches not only for timber but to push back the forest that seemed determined to reclaim the soil. They were a community built on cooperation, where the prosperity of one farm was intrinsically linked to the defense of the village. The geographical isolation that made Combe peaceful also made it vulnerable; there were no grand armies to call upon. Their protection came from their own strong arms and the unity of their small village council.

Over the long centuries of the Third Age, Combe developed its unique character. While Bree town became a melting pot of travellers, news, and commerce, Combe remained firmly agricultural and introspective. The inhabitants primarily worked as farmers, woodmen, and charcoal-burners. The air here often smelled of woodsmoke and damp earth, a comforting, familiar scent to generations of Combemen. Their relationship with the inhabitants of the other three Bree-land villages—Bree, Staddle, and Archet—was cooperative but distinct. They traded their produce with the innkeepers in Bree, shared news, and attended markets, but their village life retained its own quiet rhythm, influenced less by the comings and goings of strangers and more by the turning of the seasons.

Combe's population remained small and close-knit. Family names like Ferny and Rushlight became synonymous with the area, their lineages tied to the very foundations of the original settlement. These families weathered the great plagues, the shifting tides of war in the North, and the gradual abandonment of the North Kingdom of Arnor around them. As the wider world grew more dangerous and empty, the Bree-land became a small, stubborn island of civilization. Combe's people relied heavily on their own traditions and the wisdom passed down from elders, who remembered the stories of a time when kings still walked the North Downs.

Ultimately, the settlement of Combe endured because of its quiet simplicity and the resilience of its people. It was never a place of great heroes or epic battles, but a place where ordinary folk simply lived on, generation after generation. It represented the enduring strength of Middle-earth’s common peoples, who, despite the looming shadow of Sauron and the decline of the great races, clung steadfastly to their homes and their way of life. The story of Combe is the story of quiet perseverance, a small, humble village nestled in the protective curve of a hill, surviving the ages through sheer, quiet refusal to be forgotten.