TM Difficulty Level = 7 stand still as the depth of the betrayal hits them. The While pursuing the scattered enemy forces into Ithilien, sickening corpse-light of Minas Morgul seems brighter. Faramir’s company of rangers are ambushed by orcs near The waters of the Morgulduin gurgle in cruel amusement. the old crossroads. During the ensuing fight, both Lord “It should be natural, that one as old as I should have Faramir and Lord Alcaron are captured. mastered patience,” says Lord Alcaron, whose real At the thought of Denethor’s son in Sauron’s torture name is Ulchor. “Yet your persistence has tested me. chambers, the heroes begin a desperate pursuit. Congratulations!” He continues, lowering his arms Following frantic hours of tracking, they find themselves dramatically. “My master wanted both the brothers, but at the mouth of the dread Morgul Valley. it seems I’ll deliver only the younger.” The traitor shrugs, “still, something tells me the younger is the greater prize.” As the Dead City comes into distant view, they have come Alcaron takes a moment to study the faces of his former upon their quarry at last. friends. His smile seems to brighten at the horror he sees Seeing their pursuers close behind, the breathless Uruk there. “Of course, I mean to deliver him your heads as are visibly frustrated. They growl angrily as they halt to well. As a consolation.” confer. A hooded figure in their midst, undoubtedly their The traitor nods to the largest of the Uruk. “I’m pleased leader, calmly directs the vexed orcs. He reminds our to introduce my trusted servant Murzag.” As the traitor heroes of the Morgul sorcerer who led the ambush back at speaks he nods to the beasts. Murzag and his companions the crossroads. Even while that malefactor lies dead on the begin to move forward, licking their blades in anticipation. forest floor, they don’t relish the thought of facing another “I hope you’ll find his company eviscerating.” of his kind. As the Uruk charge the heroes, Alcaron casually turns and The truth is worse. Much worse. begins to walk toward Minas Morgul. His laughter echoes The robed figures decisively gestures at the distant tower, against the valley walls where unwholesome white flowers seem to drink the sound. 5V» T* his demeanor brooking no debate. The tallest of the : Uruk submissively throws a man-sized bundle over his * if. shoulders. Grunting for two of its kind to follow, the Uruk starts a brisk pace eastward. The robed figure is clearly not about to risk his trophy on the doorstep of Mordor. ri As the breakout group moves down the ancient cobblestone road, the remaining Uruk turn to face the approaching heroes. As they enter earshot, the robed figure casually claps his hands and starts to laugh. The sound is hauntingly familiar. “You’re incurable!” he exclaims. “Why won’t you just die!” He raises his arms in mock frustration as the Uruk pull free their weapons in a rusty cacophony. Their eyes glow with bloodlust. “Fortunately, you are entirely too late” the robed figure continues. He casually gestures back at the tall Uruk pacing eastward toward the ghastly city. The bundled shape of a prisoner bobs on its ironclad back. “Sauron shall have His prize.” A cloud washes away from the moon as the robed man pulls back his hood “Nothing can stop that now.” A sickening heartache roils the heroes. Time seems to « SIS ? m ; fa I ; - ' ffe' • : ,. j®§ • Idj ... ...... W 1 |iv ; . VI Houses of Healing as your bodies mended and your minds I “ Captain Enemies forgot. The grand celebration in the court of Denethor, SI The Morgul Vale scenario has 3 stages, and a filled with flowers, smiles, and deep red wine. You m I corresponding Captain enemy for each stage: Murzag, remember the Steward pledging the friendship of the White § fm X j Lord Alcaron, and Nazgul of Minas Morgul. To advance City. You remember words, and handshakes, and music. i from each stage and win the game, the players must You recall the parting with Faramir, the endless gratitude ^ defeat each Captain. These tenacious enemies will stop in his eyes the most precious reward of them all. - |- nothing prevent rescuing Faramir, c m ' : at to the heroes from J and to that end each stage includes a line of text that Then your eyes invariably move eastward, and your hearts sinks as you remember what you ve been trying to forget 1 prevents that stage’s Captain from leaving play unless . I it is destroyed. This means that card effects that would The ambush. The brooding watchfulness of Minas Morgul. IJ I:; m m into The cold terror of the Ringwraith. The treason of a friend. |otherwise shuffle that enemy the encounter deck or § n remove it from play will have no effect on the Captain at You turn back and spur the horses on, toward the Wmm m I that stage. i sunset, toward the Gap of Rohan. You feel comforted m with Gondor at your back. By its strong, willful, and 4 Ssilis ... mm 'em unyielding resistance to the shadow. You sense that you’ll see its green fields and white towers once more. hr h Until that day, other adventures lie ahead. • • f. ms * Hr/ if. j? X ia 1 I I m 5 K Beyond hope, you have beaten back the black rider and m .” M i ife his minions. Yet, such a victory has bought you mere 'A! m ajL A moments. As if stirred in anger, the corpse-light of Minas Si | Morgul pulsates slowly and ominously before you, like a funeral shroud in a warm wind. The undulating light K 7m reflects in the soulless white flowers that soundlessly ®St mm «jg seem to cry for your acquiescence in death. ~e m |i H 1 I mm The scream of the Nazgul tears into the night air once - - more. A haunting ensemble of shrill flutes begins to play -j ml 11 1 from behind the city s bone-white walls. As the doors of 0 II the city open once more, something finally breaks inside m #1 > you and terror takes hold. Dragging the barely sentient 3 m * . k : Faramir, you desperately flee westward as fast as your ^ exhausted legs will take you. You never dare look back ’ I ' procession spilling «§1 I at Minas Morgul and the sepulchral . M i from its gates. ae In the years that followed, you would remember m 4, •• little of the flight westward. It is a dim blur of barren . ; r t mountainsides, rotten leaves, of the nocturnal forest 1 and the haunting face of the distant moon above. When Ss :5 % V I yye - you now glance upon the full moon, you cannot help 'V : remembering the dread glow of Minas Morgul, and you m-t : Hfl m & m W% : : shiver. m m % As the morning broke, a group of the surviving rangers i 1 found you slumped by the statue at the crossroads. They i 7 iil V r condition, the wounded ? i * 1 a were not sure who was in worse A ‘t ' M and beaten Faramir or his pale rescuers, unblinking and cc: 1 cold from horror and exertion. * m - Pi ! You glance back from the saddle. Minas Tirith recedes into . the distance and the Tower of Ecthelion, gleaming red in , m the sunset, seems to wave a final farewell. m m A \m WM You remember it all. The bear-hugs and gratitude from !- . 1 F :' - t : : , Boromir at Osgiliath. The careful ministrations in the ife - ; ! ... vxylm — m m ' mm - : X m -f i r s t . - ' ifi WBBm H m ,r ; ' ?i li * * SSkps 1 : Bi Hiwiftts £ A * : - ;; " K » say §®@ s liiiiiiif H • .. /1• Hii . ; 9P ' m m*zm m - m Ichor sat in the common room of the Except, when help finally arrived, they found the m. Leaping Fish, waiting for the pawns of nobleman s son still alive. Miraculously, he was 1 his scheme to arrive. He smiled politely saved by hiding in the keep s stone culverts, and atuthe human cattle as they milled in and out burning so had avoided both the and the notice .4#ilm r; of the tavern, subtly raising their glasses, of the ores. When they found him, the young man In ft IE tipping their hats, or mouthing a quiet “ g’day, was near death, famished, smoke-crazy, and out mam vl ivFlord. ” He had never liked the sea, and he of his mind with grief and horror. But the boy had % found the pungent smell offish and seaweed survived and so did his line. The holdfast was I J * that clung to the walls of Pelargir revolting. rebuilt in time, and new farmers were invited to till Ft m 3 nr He would not be sad to leave this place or its the unfortunate land. The son became Lord, and 1 i § ; : f pathetic salty people. the Lord became strong. He garnered influence & • ivmm 1 across the region, and became respected in the sf m Life in Gondor had been painfully long. Too long. - ( courts of the Steward. f J fS ; Mli Thankfully it was soon ending. m I i fi . Fools, thought Ulchor. The boy s bones were a Ulchor struggled to imagine the limits of his i r buried under heavy boulders in the stream behind master s cunning. Sauron was patient as the night, the stone hall. Not a soul had been left alive to u delicately weaving His plans into the fabric of doubt the story of the traumatized young survivor.