Riverbend Stables 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

Riverbend Stables occupies a broad tract of land along the eastern edge of Bree, not far from the East-gate where the Great East Road stretches toward the distant lands beyond the Shire. Built from sturdy oak timbers darkened by years of weather and topped with a moss-flecked shingle roof, the stable complex consists of a large central barn, several fenced paddocks, feed sheds, wagon shelters, and a modest cottage where the owner and his workers reside.

Travelers arriving in Bree often see the stables before entering the bustling streets of the town, making it a familiar sight to merchants, wanderers, and caravans passing along the ancient road. Though not a particularly talkative fellow, Garrick possesses a dry sense of humor and an uncommon gift for handling animals. Many in Bree claim he understands horses better than he understands people. Whether calming a frightened pony from the Shire or soothing a restless horse ridden in from distant lands, he seems able to settle beasts with little more than a quiet word and a gentle hand.

The scent of fresh hay, leather tack, and horses hangs constantly in the air, mingling with the earthy smells carried from the surrounding fields. The sounds of stamping hooves, rattling wagon wheels, and stablehands calling to one another fill the yard from dawn until dusk. The establishment is owned and operated by Garrick Stonefield, a broad-shouldered Bree-man whose weathered face and sun-darkened skin reveal a lifetime spent outdoors. Like many of the Men of Bree, Garrick is practical, hardworking, and somewhat cautious of strangers, though he is fair in his dealings and values honesty above all else.

Riverbend Stables offers boarding, feed, shoeing, wagon-team rentals, and care for injured animals. Merchants traveling between Bree and the Southfarthing frequently leave their animals in Garrick's care, while Rangers, traders, and occasional adventurers seek mounts or pack ponies for journeys into the wild. Several local youths assist with feeding and grooming, though Garrick personally inspects every animal that enters his yard.

In recent months, however, troubling rumors have begun to circulate among the stablehands and travelers alike. Horses returning from the Greenway and the wooded lands north of Bree have become increasingly skittish, often refusing to travel certain stretches of road after dark. Garrick has discovered strange tracks near some of the grazing fields beyond the town and has lost several animals to predators larger and more cunning than any ordinary wolf. While he dismisses most tavern tales as foolish gossip, he has quietly come to believe that something dangerous has been moving through the wild country surrounding Bree. As a result, the stable gates are now barred shortly after sunset, and Garrick keeps a stout spear and a well-made hunting bow close at hand whenever night falls over the Bree-land.