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.