Fortress - Teeth of Mordor

8/3/2019 Fortress - Teeth of Mordor

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Introduction

1.0 INTRODUCTIONOne of the most fearsome gate complexes in all Middle-earth,

the Teeth of Mordor guard t he main entry into Mordor. They wereconstructed along with Cirith Ungol, D urthang and Isenmouthe in the early years of the Third Age by Isildur and his successorsfor the purpose of preve nting e vil creatures from maki ng their wayback into the Blac k Land. When the Great Plague struck Gondor,however, the Watch on Mordor was abandoned, and it was not long

before these "citadels were repopulated by the ve ry creatures theywere designed to keep out.Nearly two hundred feet tall, the Teeth were know n indi vidu ally

as Carchost (S. "Fang-fort") and Nairhost (S. "Fire-fort"). They,along with the rampart between them, form theMorannon, closingthe narrow gap between the Mountain s of Ash and the Moun tainsof Shadow. The structure itself is fashioned of glassy slag, likechiselled o bsidian , wh ich seems to erupt out of the tortured plain.These huge black jaws wait to close on the foolish intruder.

1.1 THE FORTRESSES SERIESThe Fortresses of Middle-earth series is intended to provide

Gamemasters (GMs) with extremely detailed overviews of indi-vi du al towe rs, castles, citadels, and other fortific ation s of particu-lar note. Each module in the line docum ents the history, design,lay out , and garrison associated wit h the given site. A list ofsuggested adventure them es follows the text.

Before reading the material on this fortress, take a look at thetwo-page view located at the center of the booklet. It gives you aclear pictu re of wh at the text is all abou t. Then turn to Section 1.2.

Like the rest of the Middle-earth Series, this module containsgame terminology and references based on ICE's Middle-earth

Role Playing (MERP) and Rolemaster (RM ) fantasy role playing(FRP) system s. If yo u need to adapt the material to another FRPgame, read Section 1.3.

1.2 TERMINOLOGY

Because of space considerations, we cannot reasonably discussall the peculia r terms found in this module. We can, however,provide a sampling of the most commonly used terminology.

B a i l e y an en c lo sed co u r ty a rd .

Barbican an o u two rk co n ta in in g a ca s t l e g a teway .

Bar t izan a s m al l t ow er s uspended f rom a wal l o r t ower to p rov idef l a n k i n g f i r e .

Bat t lement the p ro tec ted defen s ive pos i t i on loca ted a top a wal l o rto wer .

Crenelation a notched battlement (parapet) resembling "spaced teeth"wi th a l t e rna t ing open ings ( em bras ures ca l l ed c r ene l s ) and s ec t ionsp r o v i d i n g c o v e r ( m e r l o n s ) .

Curta in a s t r a igh t sec t ion o f defen s ive wa l l .

D i k e a n a r t i f i c ia l e m b a n k m e n t s u c h as a m a n - m a d e e a r t h e n w a l l ; a l s oa n e x c a v a t i o n .

Dr aw b r i dge a bridge that can be ra ised and lowered.

Embrasure a s pec ia l ly des igned open ing f rom wh ich a defender f i r esm is s i l es , s uch as a c r ene l o r a s pace ho l lowed in a th i ck wal l wh ichpro v id es acces s to a lo op .

H o u r d an of ten t em porary , overhang ing t im ber ga l l ey p ro j ec t ing f romthe top of a wall .

Keep als o ca l led a Donj on , i t is the indep ende n t , s e l f - defens ib le , i nners t ro n g ho ld o f a ca s t le o r ma n o r .

Lo o p a n a r ro w o pen in g in a wa l l f o r the d i scha rg e o f m is s i l e s .

Machiocola t ion a project ing gal lery at the top of a wa l l or tow er wit hs lo t s (m u rder ho les) i n the f loor f rom wh ich m is s i l es can be d roppedo r f ir ed d o wn ag a in s t an en em y .

M o at a d e fen s ive d i tch .

Mot t e a la r ge d e fe n s i v e m o u n d .

Parapet a bank o f ear th o r a wal l over wh ich a defender m a y f i r e .

Portcull is a ver t ical , s l idin g gr i l l w i th spiked t ips that serves as a

barrier gate.Sp lay a slop ing bas e of a wal l o r t ower , wh ich f ru s t r a t e s r am m ing by

d e f lec t in g s t r ik e s u pward s .

Talus a s lo p in g wa l l , th ick e r ( sp lay ed ) a t i t s base .

Turre t a ba r t i / , an .

1.3 ADAPTING THIS MODULEThis module is adaptable to most major FRP games. Statis tics

are expressed on a closed or open-ended scale, us ing a 1 -100 baseand percentile dice (D100). No other dice are required.

1.31 HITS AND BONUSESWhen converting percentile values to a I -20 system, a sim ple

rul e is: for every +5 on a D100 scale you get a +1 on a one-tw enty(D20) or three to eighteen (D1 8) scale.The concussion hit numb ers listed in this module on ly represent

general pain and system shock. They cover bruises and smal l cutsrather than wound s. Critical str ike attacks and damage are used todescribe serious blows and wounds (respect ively). Sho uld you usea FRP system that employs no critical strike results (e.g., TSRInc. 's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game), simp ly double thenum ber of hits the PCs take or halve the hit values found in thismodule.

1.32 CONVERSION CHARTIf you play an FRP game other than MERP or Rolemasterand

you do not use a percentile system, use the following chart toc o n v e r t I - I O O n u m b e r s to f ig u r e s s u i t e d t o y o u r g a m e .


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Background

2.0 BACKGROUND"Upon the west ofMordor marched the gloomy range ofEphel

Duath, the Moun tains of Shadow, and upon the north the brokenpeaks and barren ridges ofEred Lithui, grey as ash. But as theseranges approached one another, being indeed but parts of one greatwall about the mournful plains ofLithlad and ofGorgoroth, andthe bitter inland sea ofNurnen am idmost, they swung out long armsnorthward;and between these arms there was a deep defile. This

was Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, the entrance to the land ofthe Enemy. High c l i f f s loweredupon eitherside, andthrust'forward

from its mouth were two sheer hills, black-boned and bare. Uponthem stood the Teeth ofMordor, two towers strong and tall. In dayslong past thev w ere built by the M en of Condor in their pride and

power, after the overthrow ofSauron and his flight, lest he shouldseek to return to his old realm. But the strength of Gondor failed,and men slept, and for long years the towers stood empty. TheSauron returned. Now the watch towers, which had fallen intodecay, were repaired, and filled with arms, and garrisoned withceaseless vigilance. Stony-faced they were, with dark window-holes staring north and east and west, and each window was full

of sleepless eyes.Across the mouth of the pass, from c l i f f to c l i f f , the Dark Lordhad

built a rampart of stone. In it there w as a single gate of iron, andupon its battlement sentinels paced unceasingly. Beneath the hillson either side the rock was bored into a hundred caves and maggot-holes; there a host of Ores lurked, ready at a signal to issue forth

like black ants going to war. None could pass the Teeth ofMordorand not feel their bite, unless they were summ oned by Sauron, orknew the secret passwords thatwouldopen the Morannon, the blackgate of the land."

LotR II, p.308-309

W h e n I s i l d u r c u t t h e On e R i n g f r o m S a u r o n ' s f i n g e r , t h e l o n gsiege of Mor dor at last came to an end. The terrible war had costthe new Ki ng of Gondor his brother Anario n and his father Elendil.

G i l - g a l a d , t h e H i g h K i n g o f t h e E l v e s h a d a l s o f a l le n , a n d a l l o f t h eFree Peoples had suffe red dearly. In the subsequent scourge of theB l a c k L a n d , I s i l d u r d e t e r m i n e d t h a t M o r d o r s h o u l d n e v e r b e ag a t h e r i n g p l a c e f o r e v i l a g a i n , a n d a g r a n d p l a n t o s e a l o f f M o r d o rf r o m t h e s u r r o u n d i n g l a n d s b e g a n .

T H K D U N K D A I N C IT A D E L

Before the end of the first year of the Third Age, the engineersa n d a r c h i t e c t s o f G o n d o r i n i t i a t e d t h e l o n g l a bo r to fu l f i l l I s i l d u r ' sdesign . A wat ch was to be placed at each of the entries into Mordo r,b o t h a t t h e P a s s o f C i r i t h U n g o l , a n d e s p e c i a l l y a t U d u n , t h enor thw est cornerof the realm. There they concentrated thei reffo rts,constructing the barrier of the Isenmouthe to separate Udun fromthe great Pl ain of Gorgoroth, the citadel of Durthang to overlook

the vale of Udun , and fina lly the Morannon: the mighty Towers ofthe Teeth to close the pass into Mordor.U n fo r t u n a t e l y , I s i l d u r d i d n o t l i v e t o s e e t h e wo r k m o r e t h a n

b a r e l y b e g u n . H i s p l a n s w e r e f u r th e r e d b y h i s d e s ig n a t e d h e ir ,A n a r i o n ' s e l d e s t s o n M e n e l d i l , w h o r e ig n e d f r o m T . A . 2 u n t i l 1 5 8 .Succeeding r ulers co ntinued todevo te attention to the project, withD u r t h a n g a n d C i r i t h U n g o l c o m p l e t e d u n d e r t h e r e i g n o f A n a r d i l(r.T.A. 324-411).

Ostoher, the seventh king of Gondor (r.T.A. 411-92), nearlyabandoned work on the remaining M ordor projects (Morannon anIsenmouthe), recalling workers to rebuild Minas Anor (MinaTirith).

The construction was completed under the reign of Rome ndaciI (r.T.A. 492-541) who, renowned as a builde r, expanded upon thoriginal schemeandadded some refinem entsofhisow n. Romendaciperceiving the ongoing potential threat of the Easterling s, realizethat the Mordor fortresses were cru cial to a strong presence in th

eastern areas. The two towers fla nki ng the gate-w all, nameCarchost (S. "Fang-fort") and Narchost (S. "Fire-fort"), rose near ltwo hundred feet into the air, needle-sharp spires stabbing skywardBetween them swung the long curve of the Morannon wa ll, closi nthe Vale of Udun from the p lain s outside of Mordor. Windo ws ithe towers looked out across the wide plain s, and v igil an t guardkept watch.

Al l went well with Isi ldur 's plan, the fortresses being garrisoneand acting as important bastions in the Gondorian campaigns tsecure the lands east of the Anduin, north of Mordor, south oMirkwood, and west of the sea of Rhun . These areas were undeG o n d o r i a n r u l e b y t h e en d o f t h e e i g h t h c e n t u r y T . A . A l l t h e w h i l evigilant soldiers of the powerful Stone-land kept Mordor an emptrealm.

The Towers of the Teeth stood uncha llenge d for man y centurieand indeed, while Gondor held a garrison there, they were nevet h r e a t e n e d b y mi l i t a r y f o rc e . I t w a s a n o t h e r f o e , s i l e n t , i n s i d i o us t e a lt h y a n d u n i m p r e s s e d b y t h e h i g h e s t w a l l s o f s t o n e. S a u r o n , f r o mhis tower of sorcery in Mirkwood unleashed one of his most subtlweapons: plague.


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Backgrou

T H E P L A G U E Y E A R S

I t s power was f i r s t f e l t in the win ter of 1634 , when the peop le of Condor began to realize that far more people than usual were takenby illnesses borne of the cold. Then, when the sick began to die andthe he alth y grew i ll, the worst fears of the Healers were realized:a plagu e had come to this prosperous realm. Gondor retreated fromits eastern holdings, moving the capital from the depopulatedOsgiliath to Minas Anor. The watch on the Black Land faltered.By 1640 the last citadel guarding Mordor was abandoned.

One by one the fortresses were closed, as the few remainingsoldiers were summoned to the shrin king borders of Gondor. TheTowers of the Teeth fell into disrepair and ruin.

Third Age 1600-1700

1 A rtheda in, 2 Angm ar, 3 No Man's Land (Rhudaur), 4 Cardolan, 5 Gon-

dor, 6 Harondor , 7 Umb ar. Cardolan is no longer a viable kingdom, and

Harondor is contested by Gondor and the Corsairs of Umbar.

T H E R I N G W R A I T H S E N T E R M O R D O R

In the same year of the closing of the Dun adanfortressesguardingMordor, the Dark Lord called his N azg ul back from their far-flungterritories. At Dol Guldur he gave them a new mission: to readyMordorforhisreturn. AllbuttheWitch-king(whowasintheprocesso f f i n i s h i n g h i s e v i l w o r k i n t h e No r t h ) a n d K h a m u l ( w h o w a s t oremain in Dol Guldur as lord there) went first south to Nurnen tobegin thei r work. There, on the dark shores of that bitter sea theybegan breeding fo ul creatures again : Ores, Trolls, and darker thing sof the night . Scouts were sent north to spy out the Gondorianfortresses, but all the y fou nd were abandoned and decaying castles.Window s were blind and warning bells remained silent as Sauron'sforces entered once again.

Each of the Seven Nazgul chose homes in the Black land to

prepare and consolidate the repo pulation. Hoarmu rath of Dir tookDurthang for his own, while Adunaphel, Uvatha and Akhorahilremained south in Num . Ren and Indur kept watch in Cirith Ungoland l a id p lans fo r the fa l l o f Minas I th i l .

It was Dwar of Waw who became master of the Towers of theTeeth, and the howls of his unearthly hounds echoed through thestone chambers for centu ries to come. He led a contingent of Trollsand Ores, as well as a group of his loyal ma nnis h servant s from theEast, to the empty fortress. There he began to' enhance' the defen sesof the Morannon and mold the citadel to his own tastes.

The Teeth were like all the other fortresses in M ord or gra n d f o r b i d d i n g s t r u c t u r e s e v e n w h i l e i n h a b i t e d b y G o n d o r iforces. Under the Dog Lord's direction, the few rem inders obrighter realm were removed: rooftop gardens were uproottapestries shredded and burned, and beautiful wall murals defacorcovered. Thedecaying walls were repaired and bui lte ven highCruel, jagged battlements of black stone rose across the CirGorgor (S. "Haun ted Pass"). Al l was done in secret, and Gondconcerned with internal matters, scarcely noticed the ac tivity. Th

in T.A. 2000 the Nazgul, having made secure the perimeter Mordor, gathered their forces and swept down out of their fortreof Cirit h Ungol to assault the Tower of the Moon. Isi ldu r's fair cof Minas Ithil withstood the dark siege of the Nine for two yeab u t i n th e e n d f e l l u n d e r t h e S h a d o w . T h e W i t c h - k i n g t o o k i t his own and it was renamed MinasMorg ul,Tower of Black Sorce

T H E P R E P A R A T I O N S F O R W A R

In 2941 Sauron returned to Mordor and preparations for the Wof the Ring redoubled. Deep wit hin the Black Land, co nstructibegan anew on theBarad-dur. The new Dark Tower was rebui lt upi t s o ld f o u n d a t i o n s ( w h i c h w e r e s t i l l i n t a c t , l a i d a s t h e y w e r e wthe powerof the One Ring). The Dark Lord declared him self openas the Master of Endor in 2951 and consolidated his hol d on all

the Black Land. With in three years, all of Ith ili en was abandonand Orodruin burst into renewed volcanic activit y. Moun t Dobelched forth a dark cloud to roof all of Mordor in sooty t wi li g

As the final conflict approached, the Towers of the Teeth wefully garrisoned, not only with Ores, Trolls and Men, but DwarWaw 's cruel war-hou nds. The Morannon greeted armies from tSouth and East, subject realms of Sauron whose w ho swel led halready countless ranks. In the final battle of the War of the Rinthe Free Peoples foug ht their hopeless assau lt against the Tow ek n o w i n g f u l l w e l l t h a t t h e y h a d n o c h a n c e o f v i c t o r y . T h e d e s t r u c t iof the One Ring, however, triggered an earthquake which sent Towers of the Teeth sliding into rui n, crus hing Sauron's forcesthey fled, directionless, back towards their dark warrens.

T H E T E E T H A F T E R S A U R O N ' S D O W N F A U .

Although the upper portions of the Towers of the Teeth weruined in the cataclysm which resulted from the destruction of One Ring, the lower structures of the Towers and the und ergro ucaverns were not wh oll y destroyed. Many chambers and hasurvived, some buried beneath piles of rubb le. Many dark creatulurked in theses warrens even for several years after the fall of tDark Lord.


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The Fortress/The Design & The Layout

3.0 THE FORTRESS

The Mor anno n, flanked by theTowers of the Teeth, spans the Passof Gorgor and guards th e w ay into the desolate vale of Udu n.

3.1 THE DESIGNThe entire fortress is constructed from a black, glassy stone

similar in appearance to the Tower of Orthanc, though not asresilient. The wal ls of the Morannon areasli ck, seamless butfaceted

obsidian, and look more like they were wrenched from the agonyo f t h e h i l l s t h a n b u i l t b y t h e h a n d s o f M e n . I n d e e d , t h e j a g g e d ,chiselled towers form a profile not unlik e cruel fangs from the jawsof some huge sleeping beast.

But these ridged towers and their connecting wall were indeedmade by Men , the great architects of the Edain. The initia l plan was

conceived by Isild ura ndh isCo urt Architect,Fan uidholBril-et-kele(S."CloudyheadGlitteringSpring")includingthedesignsforCirithUngo l, Durthang, Isenmouthe and Morannon. Fanuidhol's planswere somewhat fancif ul even impractical in some ways. Hisdesigns reflected the nature of their environm ent; this explain s whythese creations of the Dunedain looked like they could very wellhave been bui lt by the Dark Lord himsel f. Fanuidhol claimed thatthe design reflected the nature of the realm which the Morannonguards. These gates block the entry to a realm of ancient evil, andtheir cruel appearance serves better to intimid ate any creature ofDarkness who wo uld consider return to the Black Land.

Pragmatic Is ild ur reined in the thematic aspects of the guardposts,and modified the plans slight ly. Then the King departed to hisNorthern realm, leaving the execution of the plans to his heir

(An ario n' s eldest son) Meneldil. Isildur was ambushed by Ores inT. A. 3, and Me neld il became King. He recognized the importanceof cont inui ng the w ork, however, and sent Fanuid hol to Mordor topersonally oversee the operation. Work proceeded smoothly forover four centuries.

Construction slowed durin g the reign of Ostoher (Seventh kingof Gondor, T.A. 411-92), who devo ted his energies to rebuildingMina s Anor into a beaut iful summerresidence (Osgiliath still beingthe thr ivi ng capital of Gondor during this period). Considered bysome to be a lazy ruler who was overly fond of expensive living,Ostoher allowed lieutenants to coordinate the south and easterndefenses. He received a nasty shock when the Easter lings invadedin 490.

Rome ndacil I succeeded Ostoher and ruled from 492-541. In

addition to being a superb soldier and tactician, he was a masterfortress designer. He completed work on Minas Anor, and re-doubled efforts on th e M ordor fortresses, completing them durin ghis reign. He redesigned signific ant portions of Morannon andI s e n m o u t h e , f i n d i n g F a n u i d h o l ' s p l a n s t o b e t o o f r i v o l o u s a n dindefen sibl e. Never theless, the Towers of the Teeth retained theirdistinctive appearance.

3.2 THE LAYOUTThere are three parts to the design of the Morannon : Carchos

Narchost, and the Morannon Wall. Some features of the plans arcommon to all three, as noted below.

G E N E R A L F E A T U R E S

Doors (D). Unless otherwise noted, doors are plank s two inc hethick and bound together with heavy iron strips. Nat ura lly thdetailing and smoothness of operation will vary somewha

between the dungeon and Lord's quarters levels, but all w ill bsolid and operational (unless the complex has been abandonefor some time). All doors are equipped wi th locks wh ich ar(again, unless otherwise specified) Hard (-10) to open.

Fireplace or heating stove (F). These nic hes are all connected tthe tower flue system and designed to draw effic iently.

Privy (P). Each has a wooden door, a washb asin , and a latrineRunoff from the cliffs above, though not clean enough to drinis funnelled through the latrine to provide "flush" water.

Guard Position (G). A guard is posted here 24 hours a day.

Cell (C). Usually closed by a barred front wall and a small doorEach has rudimentary sanitary facilities (a rivul et of water ana hole for waste).

In general, the inte rior areas of theTo wers are of bare, black stonPrivate chambers are more welco ming , with tapestries cover ing thwalls, hearths, and even windows. Especially on the lower levelhowever, all rooms have adark , brooding appearance. Pillars, walland vaults are angular, and supports intrude with sharpedges. Theschambers have a peculia r design whi ch looks almost "anatomicalw i t h r i b l i k e s t r u t s .


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CarchostlLevel One (Undergrou

3.21 CARCHOST, "FANG-FORTRESS"The weste rn towe r of the pair , Carchost stands at the terminat ion

of the Moun tains of Shadow, fused to the shoulder of the last blackhi ll . Like its tw in across the pass, Carchost has only one gate visiblefrom the plain ou tside of Mordor, a massive black iron door set deepi n a n i c h e a d j a c e n t t o th e w a l l .

L K V K L O N E ( U N D E R G R O U N D )

1. Entrance to Caves. Large steel doors connect the tower with a

vast maze of caves and warrens. Originally j ustnatu ral caverns usedfor storage by the Gondorians, Dwar had the halls enlarged toaccommodate liv ing quarte rs for an army of Ores. The doors canbe raised and lowered by operating winches from the cavesthemselves. The winch counterbalances can be disconnected,ma king the doors a dead weight of several tons. They have jagged,toothlike projections across the bottom whic h fit intocorrespon dingholes in the floor. This design also makes the door harder to batterinwards.2. Staging Area. An open cham berfor the gathering and organizi ngof troops.3. Stairs. Access stairway to Level Two.4 . Ha l l . C e n t r a l f o y e r f o r t h i s l e v e l . A h u g e c h a n d e l i e r o f l a mp sh a n g s f r o m t h e c e n t e r o f t h e c e i l i n g .

5. Foyer. Another gathering area for troops.6. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontro l the opening of the por tcu lli s as well as the great steel doorsw h i c h s l i d e i n t o t h e a d j a c e n t w a l l s .

7. Gates to the Wall. Huge reinforced iron panels with jagginte rloc king 'teet h,'th ey slide open and shut on tracks. There is aa heavy iron portcullis which can be lowered for added securi8. Wall Corridor.9. North Cell Block. The individual cells are situated about thlowered sections of the floor. In essence, therefore , the wal kw afrom room to room are raised three feet.10. K lalg's Interrogation Room. A (relatively) inno cuous roothis chamber holds several chairs and cots with restraining ha

ware. Klalg is the tower's chief intervi ewer.11. The Dog Lord's Interrogation Room. The most terrifyingthe three torture rooms, this hall sports every imaginable (aunim aginab le) torture device and instrum ent. The floor is lowelike the cell blocks, so visitors may observe from above. The flis equipped with excellent drainage.12. Dwar's Chair. Raised on a two-step dais, t his large throneblack laen (an ultrahard, glassy substance) has a commanding v iof the room. Dwar comes here on occasion to supervise somprisoner questioning .13. Ulthang's Interrogation Room. Equipped with a variety torture tools. Ulthang is a twisted man, an expert in torttechniqu es. He gets prisoners who do not respond to Kla lpersuasions.

14. W est Cell Block. Similar to #9.15. Maximum Security Block . Protected by an add ition al setdoors and a numb er of alert sentries, this room's cell s hav e locVery Hard (-20) to pick. Th ecellsarealsoina3footde epdepressi16. The Pit. A ten foot deep hole, this p it is covered by a steel grwit h a single gate set in the center. It is kept locked, and a rope ladfor egress is stored on the east wa ll of the room.

N A R C H O S T


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CarchostlLevel One (Underground)

0 10 20 30 40'

Carchost Level One (Underground)


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CarchostlLevel Two (Ground Floo

Carchost Level Two (Ground Floor)

L E V K L T w o ( G R O U N D F L O O R )

17. Gates. These gates lead to the Western Dog-caves. Carchostbecame even more aptly named when Dwar brought his packs ofgreat war-hou nds to the tower. Bred and raised in the maze ofcaverns adjacent to this dark pinnacle, the houn ds of the Morannonare released to roam the wastes at night, enhancing the land'st e r r i f y i n g r e p u t a t i o n .

18. Stairs. These go down to Level One. A heavy steel grate, inthree sections fixed to hinges, sits vertically against the wall nextto this stai rway and can be swun g down into place and bolted to sealit off from the floor below.19. Stairs. Up to Level Three.20. Control Rooms. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontrol the open ing of the por tcul lis as well as the great steel doorsw h i c h s l i d e i n t o t h e a d j a c e n t w a l l s .21. Gates. Similar to #7.22. Wall C orridor. This wide, va ulted passage connects this towerwit h the central gate complex and the other 'tooth' Narchost.

23. Gates. Massive iron doors similarto the wall gates (#7) bu tm ucheavier and more strongly reinforced. The iron plating is thrinches thick . The doors are locked shut with huge steel bolts whi cslam into place all around the perimeter of the iron panels, fix inthem effecti vely in place. Hammered steel panels in a relief of tSymbol of the Morannon are fixed to the outer face of the door24. Main Staging Are a. The dark grey stone floor once held a larg

inlay in thedesignofthe White Tree with S evenStars,butt hatsilveremblem has been removed and replaced by the Morann on symb a set of open fangs surroun ding the Lidless Eye inset in clered glass, which glows with an eerie light.25. Lower Mess Hall. A large hall filled with benches and lontables, this fairly crude chamber was for the common soldiers, anlater fed the Ore garrison in (shifts).26. Kitchen. Serves the Lower Mess Ha ll. Large ovens are set the outer wall.27. Dry Stores. Once holding barrels of ale and wine, and sacof grain and otherfoods, these rooms were emp tied by the Diinedaw h e n t h e y l e f t , a n d n o w h o l d d r y r a t i o n s a n d s o u r f o o d s f r o m t hf i e l d s o f Nu m.


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L E V E L T H R E E

28. Stairs. A h e a v y s t e e l g r a te , i n th r e e s e c tio n s f i x e d to h in g e s ,sit vert ica lly aga inst the wall next to this stairway and can be swungdown into place and bolted to seal it off from the floor below.29. Stairs. Th is u n u s u a l d o u b le s p i r a l s t a ir is a c tu a l ly tw o s e pa ra tes t a i r w a y s tw i s t in g a r o u n d e a c h o th e r . Th e y c o n n e c t th e Th i r dthr ou gh S even th leve ls . In the cen te r o f the s ta i r s is an open shaf talso run nin g the entire height.

30. Stairs. "Simila r to #28, th is sec t ioned s tee l g ra te can be swungdow n into place and bolted, sealing the stair. In the lowered position,the grate can even be walked on.31. Staging Area. Large steel doors can be rolled across theopenings between this chamber and rooms #34. When shut, theiredges interlock and bolts securely fasten the double sets of doorstogether.32. Gates. Similar to #7.33. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontrol the opening of the portcullis as well as the great steel doorswhich s l ide in to the ad jacent wal ls .

34. Foy er. Vaul t edcham b er s w i t h s moo t h b l ac k f l oo r s , t he s e r oomare otherwise unremarkable.35. Guardroom. Quar t e rs and du t y s t a t i ons fo r s i x gua r d s i n eacroom. Two were on duty at all times.36. Junior Officers' Q uarters. This area of the tower houses twoff icers of the tower .37. Sitting Room. A small w aiting area for those who are calleto see the officer .38. Office. T he L i eu t enan t s ' w or k a r ea .39.Bedroom. Apriva teroom fortheo fficers. These, like the off ica n d s i t ti n g ro o m s , w e r e fu r n i s h e d w i th s im p le bu t w e l l -m a d e i t e m40. Study . T hi s s tudy i s s ha red b y t he t w o o f f i ce r s , e ach hav i na door onto the room.41. Entry H al l . A l a r ge , c i r cu l a r r oom w i t h a chan de l i e r s us p endefrom the center of the vaulted roof.42. Firing Room/Quarters. Each of these three chambers is com bina t ion l iv ing quar te r s and f i r ing ha l l . S l i ts wh ich can bcovered by steel shutters run along all outside walls.

10 20 30 40'


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I i

Carchost Level Four

L E V E L F O U R

43. Stairwell. The double spiral continues up through this level,with landings opposite each other.44. Steel Doors. Large doubl e doors can be locked from either side,and barred from the firing hall.45. Steel Doors. Identical to #44.46. Forge. For the construction and repair of the garrison armorand weaponry.47. Materials Storage. All th e materials needed for basic smithingand forging don e at M orannon are kept here. A variety of spare toolsare also stored here. The room is normally kept locked.48. Armory . This storeroom, whic h holds o nly regular armor andweapons, is neve rthe less kept locked, and is Very Hard (-20) to pick.

49. Firing Corridor. A long, empty corridor. Slits whi ch cbe covered by steel shutters run along all outside walls.50. Vaults. Accessed by a large steel door with tw o locks, bot h VeHard (-20) to pick, the Vaults hold a rack of twenty +5, sixteen +and two +15 scimitars (all non-magica l; they gain their bonus frosuperior mate rials and forg ing) . There are also 7 sets of +5 arm(RL/9) and ten +5 shields.Sl.SittingRoom.Agatheringareafortheguardswhomanthefirihalls d uring tim es of combat.52. Office. Primarily for the commander of this floor.53.Quarters.Thearchers of thisfloorreside in these rooms, alw aattheready.EvenwhiletheMorannonisunderthecontrolofSauronMen almost exclusively occupy the upper levels of the towers, tOres being kept to the lower level s and caves.


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L E V E L F IV E

54. Stairw ell. The double spiral pauses here, then continues to windits way upwards.55. High Priest's Quarters. The Sauronic Priest of the Towerresides in these rooms. Though a mortal, he has prolonged his lifethroughsorceryandisseveralhundredyearsold.Thegarrisonrefersto him as Ashburgnul (B? "Eye of the Dark One") and most but theacolytes keep away from him except during rituals in the chapel.56. C hap el .- This la rge , vau l ted cham ber is the scene of Melko ricwo rsh ip and wicked sacrifice. At the altar lies a great stone table,stained wi th blood. Once it was a qui et place of reflection for theGondorian garrison . Stone pews march the length of the room, andtall, narrow wind ows are covered with red-tinted glass. Doors tot he chape l a r e hu g e wo o d pan e l s , d eep ly wo rn an d ca rved wi thscenes from life in Osgil iath now defacedandcracked. They haveno locks.57. Junior Officers'Quarters.Theseroomsare occupied byjuniorofficers of the Tower, hum ans w ho command the tower guards. Therooms are su bdivid ed with folding partitions so each actual 'room'is double occupancy.

58. Steel Doors. Large double doors can be locked from either sideand barred from the Library.59. Library. Like the chapel, this is a two-story chamber. ThLibrary, however, has an elaborate iron walkway which runs thperimeter of the room, allo win g access to the second lev el of stackThree narrow, iron spiral staircases connect the main level to thwalkwa y. It should be noted that libraries such as this were madup main ly of huge handwritt en tomes bound together by hand, anracks of scrolls. Prin ting as such is extremely rare in Middle-eart

at this time. The library survived pretty much intact after it waabandoned by theGondorians. TheP riestmanagedtoclaim theareaand spends considerable time there now, readin g abo ut Gond orhistory.60. Guardroom. Four guards on duty at all times (including twtin the niches, see #61).61. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries tobserve those at the gates and even fire on them . Levers in the nichecontrol the opening of the portcu llis as well as the great steel doorwhich slide into the adjacent walls.62. Gates. Similar to #7.


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L E V E L S i x

63. S ta i rw e l l . T h e d o u b l e s t a i r w a y c o n t i n u e s u p t h r o u g h t h i s le v e l .64. Balcony. Additional seating for the Chapel65. Junior Officers' Quarters. Subdivides by movable partitionsand curtains. Very simila r to #57.66. Scribes' Workroom. Three men and their assistants laboredhere to main tain the library during Condor's occupation. The room

was turned into storage by Dwar.67. Scribes' Quarters. Same as #66.68. Paper Storage. Filled with shelves of parchment and othermaterials for the mak ing of books and scrolls, this room was keptlocked, Very Hard (-20) to open, and was never broken into by theDog-lord's occupational forces. A few items of valu e remain: 14packs of fine watermark writing paper worth 5 sp each; 6 veryv a l u a b l e g o l d - t i p w r i t i n g p e n s w i t h s p e c i a l r e s e r v o i r s ( n o t q u i l lpens) each worth 2 gp.

69. Guardroom. Similar to #60.70. Gates. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries to observe that the gates and even fire on them . Levers in the niches controlop en ing o f t he p o r t cu l l i s a s w e l l a s t he g r ea t s t ee l door s w h ic h si n to t he ad j acen t w a l l s .71. Acolytes' Quarters. Aides of the Evil Priest who arepersonal guards, servants, and assist in the gory rit ual s.

72. Library (Upper Level). An oak-floored balcony runs perimeter and overlooks the main level of the room, accessedt h r e e n a r r o w s p i ra l s ta i r w a y s . T h e o u t e r w a l l s a re c o v e r e d ws c r o l l - r a c k s , a n d t h e r a i l i n g i s a be a u t i fu l wr o u g h t - i r o n g r i l l e


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L E V E L S E V E N

73. Stairwell. The stairs do not continue past this level. From thecei ling in the center of the stairwell hangs a long chain, with lampssuspended a various levels to light the stairs.74. Foyer. Note the guard positions. Bea utifu l, double slidingwooden doors allow access to rooms #77 and #81. They can belocked. Very Hard (-20) to pick, and the wood is actua lly just anelaborate veneer over very sturdy steel inner construction.75.SecretDoor. Extremely H ard(-30)todetect,thisdoorisactually

two doors open ing onto a sma ll foyer, so the entrance is secret fromboth sides.76. The Lord's Garden Room. Large wind ow s and tall glass doorsopen onto the garden. The room is (was) sumptu ously decoratedwith carpets and expertly made furnishi ngs from Gondor. It is keptup somewhat by the current Lord of the Tower, Krusnak, whooccupies the uppe r levels of Carchost. Several valuab le works ofa r t, i n c l u d i n g p a i n t i n g s , u r n s , a n d s i lv e r s c u l p tu r e f ro m G o n d o rremain.

77. Sitting Room. This bright room overlooks the North Gardenl a v i s h l y f u r n i s h e d .78. Drawing Room. A smaller chamber, this warm room isdecorated with red velvet furnishings and drapes.79. Conference Room. Dominated by a large, oval table, th is roomhas nine high-backed chairs set about it.80. Lieutenant's Chambers. A private room for the assistant tothe Lord of the Tower (in th is case, Kr usn ak's aide).81. Lieutenant's Sitting Room. This is the aide's office and

general-purpose 'pu blic room.'82. North Garden. Covered with ag lass roof of many panes w hichslants up towards the wall of the central tower. In the Dog Lo rd'time the roof panes are mostly broken . The trees have outg row ntheir pots, cracking them and spreading across the paved cour t. Oneof the three is nearly dead. The rest of the garden is overg rown wi thbrambles and weeds.83. Lord's (West ) Garden. Th is garden is very sim ila r to the NorthGarden, though the original plan tlife was smalle r, so there are ntrees, just vines and weeds.

Carchost Level Seven


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L E V E L E IG H T

84. Stairs. This flight leads down to the Lord's Garden Room.85. West Conferen ce Room. Smaller than the meeting roombelow, this chamber is more intimate, with thick tapestries andcomfortable furnishings.86. Balcony. Sti ll under the glass roof of the garden, it overlooksthe main garden level.87. Stairwell . This marble spiral stair connects to the nint h levelobservatory above.

88. Nort h Drawing R oom. A pleasant chamber overlooking thenorth garden, the Drawing Room has white marble floor and whitel a c qu e r e d f u r n i s h i n g s .89. Balcony. Still under the glass roof of the garden, the balconyoverlooks the main garden level.90. Lord's Sitting Room. H eavy drapes can be draw n across thenarrow win dow s of this room, since it overlooks the Morannon walland the bleak Vale of Udun, but the room itself is warm andcomfortable, wi th upholstered couches and chairs, and a number oflow tables.91. Lord's Bedcham ber. These are the private rooms of Kr usn akthe Astrologer, Captain of Carchost. The room is maintained inexce llent repair, and a nu mber of art objects have been moved fromotherareastothischamber(givingitasomewhatclutteredandgaudy

appearance).L E V E L N I N E

92. Observatory. This single, large room has huge, openingwin dow s on eve ry side, and a numb er of telescopes of varying sizeand purpose set about the room. Most are mounted on elaboratetripodsorot heradjusta ble mountin gs. Th eceiling of theroom slantsinward to a peak, so the windows actually curve inwards andoverhead, allowing a greater field of vision skyward.

3.22 NARCHOST, "FIRE TOWER"The eastern tower, Narchost marks the end of the Ash M ounta in

Like Carchost, it has only one gate visible from the plain outsidof Mordor, a massive black iron door set deep in a niche adjaceto the wall.

Alth ough nearly identical to Carchost in several was, Narchohas developed its own 'persona lity'. One example of this is thvolcanic fissure whic h erupted from beneath the tower only a feyears after its abandon ment by the Gondorian forces. Dwar, ocourse, employed this as a featu re of his renovation s of the towe

L E V E L O N E ( U N D E R G R O U N D )

1. Entrance to Caves. Large steel doors connect the tower withvastma zeof caves and warrens. O riginally just naturalc avern s usefor storage by the Gondorians, Dwar had the halls enlarged taccommodate liv ing quarters for an army of Ores. The doors cabe raised and lowered by operating winches from the cavethemselves.2. Gates to the Wall. Huge reinforced iron panels with jaggeinterlocking 'teeth,' they slide open and sh ut on tracks . There is alsa heavy iron portcullis which can be lowered for added securit3. Staging Area. An open chamber for the gathering and organiz inof troops.4. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allo w sentries tobserve those atthe gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichecontrol the opening of the portcullis as well as the great steel doowhich slide into the adjacent walls.


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5. R a m p .6. Doors. Huge steel doors framed with riveted alloy reinforcement,these panels pi vot at the peak, slidi ng in to the walls and up. Operatedby a windlass and counterbalance inside the throne room, thecoun terweigh t can be released, causing the doors to swing dow n bytheir own we igh t and slam together. They can be locked and areExtremely Hard (-30) to open.7. Throne Room. This area is wholly Dwar' s creation and was onceastoreroorrj until thelavafissureopened. The floorhasbeenlowered

so that the vaulted ceiling of the chamber is now nearly sixty feethig h. The fissure opens at the point of the tower, and Dwar placedhis throne right in fr ont of the opening, on a stepped platform of blackglass. Access to the platfo rm is via a narrow bridge of obsidian,arcing over the great pool of bubbling , steaming liquid rock. Thelumi no us red pool is the only lig ht in the chamber, casting eerie dimshadowsacrosstheblack-ribbedwalls.Needlesstosay,thechamberis filled with stinking, sulfurous smoke, and is incredibly hot. TheDog-lord finds it an effective audience chamber.8. Fissure. From deep beneath the earth a small tentacle of a mag masea has reached up to the surface just below Narchost. Coming up

just behind the throne, its continuous steady flow keeps the poolfille d and red-hot. The flow departs at the far end of the chamberinto an und erground crevasse beyond the Morannon

9. Watchers. These statues are ery similar to the watchers in Cirit hU n g o l :

They were like two greatfigures seated upon thrones. Eachhad three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, andinward, and across the gateway. Theheadshadvulture-faces,andon t heir great knees were laidclawlike hands. They seeme dto be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yetthey were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abodein them. They knew an enemy. Visible or invisible none could

pass unheeded.

LotRIII,p.218

These Watchers are ever vigil ant , their sleepless, glittering, blackeyes barring the way into the Viewi ng Chamber beyond. Only theNaz gul, Krusn ak of Carchost, and Sauron himself could normallyenter the chamber with out difficul ty. The Watchers should beconsidered 27th level for the purpose of RRs. Any one attemptingto pass through must Resist (and thus pass) vs Ch anneling or take1 -10 hits and be thrust back as if by an invi sible w eb or net. Eachperson must Resist independ ently; Teleport or Long Doordoes notbypass the Watchers (it1 s as if they w atch all ways into thechamber).Even if an intrud er does su ccessfully break through the Watchers'vigi lan ce, they e mita piercing shriek heard through the entire tower(and heard by Dwar up to nine miles away). Anyo ne with a powe rfulartifact (especially an intelligent one) may also attempt to passthro ugh, using the artif act's level to Resist vs the Watchers. Shouldsomeone or something Resist by 66 or more, the Watchers' will is

broken (litera lly) and they wil l, with an ear-splitting shriek, crumbleinto dust. When the authorized persons mentioned above pass bythe Watchers, they do not utter a sound.

NOTE: the GM should use great care when deciding whatto allow through the Watchers. The Phial ofGaladriel gotthrough the guardians of Cirith Ungol, but was also imbuedwith tremendous virtue and power. Only very special itemsshould be considered.

Beyond the Watchers is aportcullis wh ich is normally in the openposition; it is linked to individ ual traps inside.

10. View ing Chamber. This dark and bizarre cavelike room woriginally a cool, fresh chamber, the site of a fresh water spring; bthe occupation of Dwar the Dog Lord changed all tha t. Dwar hthe natural stone carved and worked into ribbed vaults and nicolumns; the room now resembles the cavernous interior of somgutted beast a disturbing atmosphere to be sure. In addition, eaof the columns holds one niche, w ith in which is a treasure taken the Lord of Waw in his conquests in southeast Middle-earWhenever Dwar is technica lly in residence here (or later, whe n

relocates to Minas Morgul) the items are here; all are pricelessa. Leaf-crown of Cimoniemor. A b e a u t i f u l d i a d e m w r o u g h t

gold in the form of a small wreath of delicate leaves, it is set wiemeralds, opals, and fine inlay s of green and blue crystal. Tcrown provides to the wearer Perception 3000'atwill , Truth 1per day, and +30 to DB.

b. Scepter of Hent. Silver scepter with inla ys of gold and a hudiamond in the large, ornate head. The scepter strikes as a +Mace, it isOf Slaying Dogs and Lycanthropes, throw and retu250' every round.

c. Birch-bow of Cimoniemor. A longbow of beautiful wood,allows the caster 3x normal longbow ranges, firi ng 1 x per rouwithout penalty (2x if user has a +25 or more to Quickness a

Agili ty). All arrows fired from it are Holy.d. Collar of Horm. Wolim symbol of the Lord of the city of Hor

It adds +20 to DB, protects vs. shoulder and neck criticals 50of the time, and allows the wearer to alterthe direction of the winwithi n 2miles(no tthe velocity, only thedirection) at wil l. Weamust concentrate to maintain the altered direction.

e. War Helm of Eligmar. A golden helm with high crest of Horifeathers (the Horinn is a large, ostrich-like bird native to Eligm asomehow preserved undamaged. The Helm protects from head criticals 75% of the time, neck criticals 50% of the ti me, aallows the wearer to see as well as an Elf.

f. Brodic Spear. Mithril-headed spear with a dir-wood sh aft, it+25, can be thrown at 5x the normal range and returns to twielder. It is also practically indestructible .

g. K'prurian Battle Mace. +30 mace, carved from the hard, grwood of the Pruric Oak, with m ithr il inl ays and ag rip of gold wi

h. Crown of Durmaw. A silver crown set with a variety of preciostones. Seven large pearls hang from the rim of the crown . Twearer is able to cast Long Sense (J milellvl) from the SeerTrPerception list.

i. Lord's Axe of Kendarca. A +20 hand axe which will becoma two-hand ed bat t le -ax a t the w i l l of the holder . The b lade i setched gold and the shaft of an unusual dark brown wood.

Allof these items areconnectedto a trap, Very H ard (-20) todetand Extremely Hard (-30) to disarm, a network of tiny filamenwires hooked to the peices. If a treasure is moved, the traptriggered, sounding alou d gong and dropping the p ortcullis as adeweight of over two tons.

Perhaps the most significant item in the room is the great poonce a bubb ling spring. It has been cursed by Dwar, and is nowstill, dark pool the Mere of Visions. It essent ially allo ws the usto employ the Seer spells of Long Sightand Long Earup to a ranof 900 mi les in any di rec t ion. Plum es of s team ar i se from the poand wit hin the mist is revealed an image in three dimen sions . Souis also recreated. Useab ility of the pool is a funct ion of the sk illthe user. Dwar is very skilled with it, of course. The pool almhas a will of it's own, and might try to trick some inexperienced uby sho wing an incorrect or somehow m isleading image.11. Access stairway. To Level Two.


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L E V K L T w o ( G R O U N D F L O O R )

12. Entrance to the Caves. Wh ile not as exte nsiv e as the caves inCarchost, they hold some of the Dog-Lord's favorite hounds.13. Gates. Huge reinforced iron panels with jagged interlocking

'te eth ,' th ey slide open and shut on tracks. There is also a heavyiron portc ulli s wh ich can be lowered for added security.14. Control Rooms. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontrol the openi ng of the por tculli s as well as the great steel doorswhi ch slide into the adjacent wall s. Guards inside have heavycrossbows.15. Staging Area . For troops to gathe r and organize before sally ingf o r t h f r o m t h e g a t e s ( #1 9) .

16. Observation Platform. From here, guards can monitor allcomings and goings on the floor. The platform is solid stone, raiseabout four feet above the floor. The ceiling i n thi s chamber is abouttwenty feet high . Access to the platform is v ia a small staircase and

a locked steel door. Guards inside have heavy crossbows.17. Stairs. Down to Level One.18. Stairs. Up to Level Three.19. Gate. Massive Iron doors similar to the wa ll gates (#7) bu t mu chh e a v i e r a n d mo r e s t ro n g l y r e i n f o r c e d . T h e i ro n p l a t i n g i s t h r e einches thick . The doors are locked shu t wit h huge steel bolts wh ichs l a m i n t o p l a c e a l l a r o u n d t h e p e r i m e t e r o f t h e i r o n p a n e l s , f i x i n gthem effectively in place.20. Doors. Double steel doors, locked and Hard (-20) to open w/o keys.21. Storage. Mostly grain and casks of ale.22. Mess Hall. Filled with simple benches and plank tables.

23. Kitchens.


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L E V E L T H R E E

24. Stairs. This un usu al doub le spiral stair is actually two separatestairwa ys twistin g around each other. They connect the Thirdth rough Seventh levels. In the center of the stairs is an open shaftalso running the entire height.25. Gates. Access to the Mor anno n wal l. Adjacen t to the gates isa small staging area.26. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the niches

control the opening of the por tcullis as well as the great steel doorswhi ch slide into the adjacent walls. Guards inside have heavycrossbows.27. Stairs. Down to level two.28. Guard Room. Six Ores liv e here, two of whic h are on duty ata l l t im e s .29. Guard Roo m. Like #28, except it monitors traffic to and fromlevel two.30. Lieutenants' Quarters. Low-level officers live in this cham-ber.31. Lieutenants' Quarters. Same eas #30.

32. Armory. Stocked with weapons of every type.33. Dry stores. Uniform s and accoutrements are stored here.34. Barracks. Dozens live here in cramped quarters.35. Firing Hall. An u nusu al concept: the outer wall is very th inonly a curtain wall while the weight of the upper floors

cantilevered in onto the inner wal l and buttresses. This allo ws firi ng sl its to be more shallow and thus wid er firing arcs. Of couif the attackers knew where the wall was thin , they could concentrtheir fire and breach the thin outer surface, but who would kno

36. Doubledoors. Steel,reinforceddoors,can be locked wit ha larkey from either side. Heavy steel bolts slide into the doorframelock the panels securely. The lock is Ext rem ely Hard (-30) to pi37. Guard post. Entered by a secret door along a back w all, tsmall chamber has a firin g slit opening across from each doorwThus, theexitfromeachguestroomca nbemonitored. Guards inshave heavy crossbows.38. Guest Rooms. This area is for guests of the Dog-lord w ho, w hnot entirely trusted, do not deserve the unique hospitality of dungeons of Carchost. The rooms are comfortable if not lux urioAll doors have locks which are Very Hard (-20) to open.


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L E V E L F O U R

39. Spiral Stair. At this level, the wall around the outside of thestair is broken to allow overlooking views of the adjacent rooms.40. Observation Niche. Accessed by a secret door, it has firin g slit swhi ch allow the guard inside to observe anyone passing. Guardsinside h ave hea vy crossbows.41. Firing Hall.

42. Barracks. Two dozen men make their home here und er sparconditions.43. Barracks. 36 bowmen live here.44. Officers' Quarters. Six officers make this their home.45. Mess Hall.46. K itchen/pantry.


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L E V E L F I V E

47. Spiral Stair.48. Officers' Quarters. Three human officers reside here, super-vis ing the upper-level forces of the tower. I ndiv idua l sleeping areasare divided with heavy curtains for some measure of privacy.51. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontrol the opening of the portcul lis as wel l as the great steel doorswhich slide into the adjacent walls.

52. Officers' Quarters. Three human officers reside here, super-vising the upper-level forces of the tower.

53. Stores.54. Barracks. A common room where the archers who man theFiring Hall of this floor live.55. Firing Hall. In this topmost level (over 100' above-ground)designated as a firing platform, archers have considerable long-range skill.56. Ballista Hall. Two sets of strong steel doors protect a pair ofpowerful ballista s. These machines are built by skill ed armorersand can be very accurate. Their primary purpose is to fire on assault

machines and scaling towers.57. Quarters. The skilled men who operate the ballistas live here.58. Firing Hall. As #55

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0 10 20 30 40

L E V E L S i x

59. Stairwell.60. Gates. Access to the Moran non wal l. Adjacent to the gates isa small staging area.61. Control Niches. Spyholes in these rooms allow sentries toobserve those at the gates and even fire on them. Levers in the nichescontrol th e openin g of the por tculli s as well as the great steel doorsw h i c h s l i d e i n t o t h e a d j a c e n t w a l l s .62. Portcullis. An added precaution to control access to this lev el.63. Birdk eeper 's Quarters. Six trainers and the Birdmaster lodgehere.64. Officers' Quarters. For the supervisors of this lev el's garrison.65. Barracks. A dozen men are lodged here to help man the top

o f t h e wa l l .66. Barracks. As #65

67. Juni or Officers' Quarters. Private rooms are furnish ed for theof f icers of th i s leve l .68. Roost. Here are house dan umb er of largec row sand othe rflyin gcreatures, traine d spies and messengers for the Dog-lord. There arethree separate chambers: one for crows, one for bats, and one forblack falco ns. Their entranc e and egress is separated because thethree do not get along.

L E V E L S E V E N

69. Spiral Stair.70. Lounge. Like all of the rooms on this level, the Lounge wo n c e a v e r y b e a u t i f u l c h a m b e r , w i t h b r i g h t ta p e s t r i e s , t h i c k c a r p ea n d p l u s h f u r n i s h i n g s . T h e p la c e h a s b e e n a l lo w e d t o f a l l i n t o d e c ah o w e v e r , a n d i s d e l i b e r a t e l y l e f t i n a s t a t e o f a l mo s t u n t o u c hdilapidation . Cobwebs hang from crystal chandeliers, dust covethe chamber with a grey coat, and nearly eve rythi ng has disintgrated to the point of cru mb ling fragm ents. The Dog-lord likeslike this, a reminder of the decline of the West.71. Gameroom. Several gamin g tables are set about the room, somstill with pieces on them.72. Music Room. A large harp and two keyboard instruments

i d l e a n d h o p e l e s s l y o u t of t u n e , a n d a v a r i e t y o f w i n d i n s t r u m e nare stored carefully in velvet-lined cases. Some might be quiv a l u a b l e . On e , a f l u t e , i s a c t u a l l y ma g i c a l .73. Office. Once the Lord of the Gate's personal chambers, throom can be made private by closing oak-panelled slid ing doorsthe Gameroom and Mu sic room. These doors can also be lockebut are only Medium (-0) to open. Man y books and scrolls lin e twalls, and a great oak desk with man y drawers domina tes the rooOne drawer was once locked but has been forced. Al l are emptThere is a secret drawer, however, beh ind a regul ar one. It it Ve

Hard (-20) to discover, but inside is a bracelet: gold, magical anadding +10 to all throwin g attacks whi le worn. Also in the drawis a magical steel dagger, +10 and Of Slaying Ores.


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Narchost/Level Seven & Level Eight 25

74. Garden. Once the Lady of the Tower's herb gard en, it is nowseriousl y overgrown. However, some rain has gotten in throughshattered windows, and a few valuable herbs have managed tosurvi ve hidden (Very H ard (-20) to notice unless searching, thenit is Medium (-0). They are: 2dosesof Athe las, five Mirenna berries(gone wild, they only heal 8 hits), 7 Thurl and one Harfy.75.Garden. Once carefully tended with flowering trees and shrubs,it is now hopelessly overgrown.

L E V E L E I G H T76. Spiral Stair. This stairw ay ends here, and entry to the room igained through a door in an ornamental iron grille. It is kept lockedExtremely Hard (-30) to pick.77. Lord's Study. The private chambers of the Lord of the TowerPartly a library, partly a laboratory, this large room holds a wal l fulof books, manuscr ipts and scrolls. In one corner is an elaboratchemical apparatus, including man y tubes, vials, flasks, and bottleof chemicals.

78. Spiral Stairways. Two staircases of wrought iron lead to thninth floor.

Narchost Level Seven

Narchost Level Eight


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26 NarchostlLevel Nine & The Morannon

Narchost Level Nine

L E V E L N I N E

79. Bedroom. The Lord's bedchamber is actu ally a large loftoverlooking the study. A hug e four-poster bed dominate s theflanked by wardrobes, and along the walls are closets and dres

3.23 THE MORANNON GATE1. Stairway.T his sma ll spiral stairgoes up to the overhanging tower

above.2. Side Doors. These 6" thic k pane ls of reinforced black steel areset in deep tracks. They slide open and shut, rolling in the trackson small w hee ls set in the bottom s of the doors. Once closed, theylock into place.3. Control Niche. Accessed via a small secret door which can be

barred from the inside, th is tiny room contains a windlass for raisingthe wall portcullis, and winch for opening the side doors.

4. Central Door. Simi lar in design to the side doors, th is large pwas replaced with a black iron door by th e Dog-lord hammsheets with the Eye emblazoned across the surface.5. Portcullis. Two-inch-thick steel bars effectively enclosegateway.6. Firingchamber . This room (and the iden tical one on the oppside of the door) is accessed by a small, secret door. Firing sli ts

steel shutters open onto the gateway. A counterw eigh ted wcontrols the great doors themselves.


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The Garrison

4.0 THE GARRISONThe Morannon was completed around T.A. 500, and was fully

occupied from that time until the Plague Years of 1635-37, whenthe population dropped off steadily. When the Roy al order to closethe fortress came in 1640, barely a quarter of the former garrisonremained.

Slow ly the creatures of Sauron moved in , unt il by T.A. 1980 theoccupation of Moran non was apparent thoug h their connection

with Sauron, wh o remained in hidin g as the Necromancer, was notyet made. From that date until the end of the age and the fall ofMordor, the Towers of the Teeth were inhabited by evil men andcreatures of terror.

4.1 CONDOR'S GARRISONThree Captains co mman d sections of the Morannon, one for each

of the towers, and one to lead the defense of the wa ll. In addition,a Lord-captain is commander of the entire facility.

Under each of the three captains are sergeants w ho comm andedfifty men, and squad leaders who are responsible for four each.

U N I F O R M S A N D E M B L E M S

The uniforms, equipment, and weapons for the Gondorian

garrison are as follows:Lord-Captain: Mit hril plate mail with a black surcoatdepicting the

Whit e Tree with seven six-pointed stars arcing over it. A highhelm, with cheek-guards and a white plume. +35 mithrilbroadsword, +20 composite bow, round shield of steel, paintedblack with the Gondor emblem, long dagger.

Captain: Simil ar to the High-captain,e xcept the plate mail is silver,+5. Some have mit hril swords (but only +25), and a few havemithri l helms, depending on their family and lineage. All have+ 15 bow s.

Sergeants: Similar to High-captain, but silver chain shirt andgreaves, +15 steel sword, +5 bow.

Squad Leaders: Black ename lled chain shirt with surcoat. Ser-

geants have silver helm, wh ile all have shields with the Gondoremblem.

Soldiers: Same as the Squad leaders, except soldiers have black-enamelled helm, and no greaves.

4.2 MORDOR'S GARRISONThe Tower of the Teeth remained empty for many years, even

while the forces of the Dark Lord labored behind their sleepingbastions. No doubt Sauron took wicked delight in the fact that hisservants were at work behind the powerful defenses designed tokeep them out, usin g their apparent abandonment as a shield againstdetec t ion . I t i s no t un t i l T .A. 1980 tha t l igh t re turns to the wind ow sof the M oranno n: dim red lights like demon eyes to stare unsleepi ng

across the Dagorlad.Dwar of Waw, Third of the Nine, is Lord of the Morannon. In

his absence Krusnak the Black Numenorean commands the garri-son. A frequ ent vis itor to the Teeth is the Mouth of Sauron, theLieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dur.

I n a d d i t i o n t o a m a n n i s h f o r c e w i t h i n t h e to w e r s a nd w a l l s , h o r d esof Ores inha bit t he lowe r level s of the Teeth and the caves beyond.There are also numerous flying beasts, and of course the Houndsof the Dog-lord.

4.21 DWAR OF WAW

Lvl: 39. Race: Wolim. Profession: Mage. Home: Waw southeasternmost Endor; later Morannon, Barad-dur in MordandMinasMorgulinlthilien. Aka: Dendra Dwar; King of Wa

Dog King or Dog-lord; the Third.

RMStats: St-96; Qu-97; Em-92; In-100; Pr-100; Ag-96; Co-6Me-47;Re-94;SD-91. MERPStats: St-96; Ag-96; Co-61; Ig-7

It-100; Pr-100. Appearance: (94).

Skill Bonuses: Climb75; SwimSO; Ride75; D Trap35; PLock4S&H75;Percll9;RuneWO;S&W117Chan65;Amb9;Li7;AMov2

ADeflS; MAS/20; MASw20; BDev9; AcroSS; Act75; AnimT16Cave35;Cont55;Cook25;Div85;Fals25;FAid55;For75;Gamb4

Herdlld; LWork30; Math65; Med85; Nav85; PSP60; RMasl0

Row75; SaillOO; Sig95; Sing20; SmithSS; SpMasSS; Star9Subd20; Track65; Trad30; TrapBSO; TrickdO; WeaW85; Wood3

Admin70; Craf20; Dipl45; Stra90; Tac75.

DendraDwarwasborninHormonWaw,theIsleofDogs,inS1949. His early life proved diffi cul t, for he was the son of a simpWolim fi sherm an and he was forced to work at the age of seven. Tlabor hardened him for the trials to come, and kept his min d off mother Ombril, who died during his birth.

In the year S.A. 1965, the K'prur of Hent landed on Waw aburned Horm. K'prur ships savagely stalked the Wolim fishivessels and sank all but the few that reached safe hiding in the scaves in the cliff s of Waw ' s western coast. Yo ung Dwar, his brothDwem, and h is father Dendra Wim escaped, but a wo und cost Whis life several weeks later. Dwar pledged to avenge the attack his people and the murder of his beloved father.

Realizing that his own people possessed neither the ski ll nor tarms to defeat the Men of Hent, Dwar sailed northwa rd to W61, warlike realm of the mainland Wolim tribes. There, he learned tways of the forest and the fields, and became an able warriworking with the trained warhounds that cast fear into the ligharmed enemies of his mentors.

Dwar's fascination with warcraft did not prevent him fro

seeking amore powe rful me ans of exacting hi s revenge, and in S1969 he entered an arcane school devoted to the ancien t magical arA year after receiving his Ring , he disappeared.

Dwar emerged as the Lord of Dogs in S.A. 1980. Surro undby a small bu tcapablecon tingent, he wrested the citadel of Alk Wafrom the K'prur overseer, establishing a foothold on the remopeninsula in southeastern Waw. K' prur warriors besieged the hobutpacksofhugedogsroamed the surrounding woodsandkep ttheat bay for over a year. In S.A. 1982, Dwar ordered his figh tersbreak the siege and sent his warrio rs forth into bat tle. Operatingconjunction w ith nearly two thousand warhounds, they smashed tK'prur line and scattered the army that had occupied Waw fseventeen years.

Waw became the Isle of Dogs, the domai n of the Do g-k ing, a

no one dared defy his harsh edicts. Dwar tightened hi s controlthe ensuing years, maki ng Horm a monu ment al port and turnin g southwestern forest into a preserve for his houn ds.


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28 The Garriso

In order to satiate his desire for power and vengeance, however,the Dog-king proclaimed that he was heir to all the surroundingislands and coastal realms. Between S.A. 1985 and S.A. 1998, theDog-warriors pillaged port towns and terrorized the coasts forhundredsof miles. AlloftheislandsbetweenWawandthemainland as well as the great Avar Elven isle of Cim6m'emor to the south were incorporated into Dwa r's Kingdom. The Lord of Dogsreached the height of hispowerandpoisedhisminionsfortheassaulton Hent. -

Then, Dendra Dwar vanish ed. His soul consumed by greed andhatred, Dwar of Waw accepted the offer of immortality and tooka Rin g of Power from Sauron of Mordor. Althou gh his armiesconquered Hent and laid waste to its structures and populace alike,the Dog -king w as nowhere to be seen.

DW AR T H E R lN G W R AI T H

Dwar remained in W aw, despite his apparent demise, for anothertwo hundred and fif ty-tw o years. During this era, he manipulatedthe line of his heirs and ruled from the shadows while residing inthe solitude of Alk Waw. The years brought u nceasing wars, as thefolk from the Isle of Dogs pursued continual campaigns of plunderand conqu est. Peace came only after Dwa r's departure for Mordorin S.A. 2250.

From S.A. 2250 throu gh S.A. 3262, Dwar lived at Barad-dur inthe Black Land, w here he bred the War-wolves of Mordor. Theoffsprin g of his labors haunted Endor for centuries to come, but theculm inat ion of his work awaited a laterday. W hen the Numen6reansof Ar-Pharazon captured Sauron, Dwar fled back to Waw.

The Dog-kin g went back to Mordor in S .A. 3320, a year after theLord of the Rings escaped the Downfall of Numenor and returnedto the Dark Tower. Dwar resumed his work, preparing for theoncomin g s truggle ag ainst the Dunadan successor states of Arnorand Gondor. The War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men claimedthe live s of the finest of Dwar 's foul hou nds. Most perished atDagorlad; o thers died in the defense of Mordor, or were hun ted bythe Elves and Diinedain in the nearby hills. Dwar himself followedthe fate of Sauron, so when Barad-dur fell and the Evil One lost the

Ruling Ring, the Lord of Dogs passed with his Master into theShadows.

T H E T H I R D A G E

Dwar reformed and reawakened in T. A. 1051. Whi le briefly atthe side of the Dark Lord in Dol Guld ur, he flew east to Waw laterthe same year. There, he resided forthe next five hund red and eighty-nine years.

Sauron recalled Dw ar to the West in T.A. 1640. His work donein the Ea st, the Dog-lord went i nto Mordor with the other Ulai ri andbegan to prepare the realmf orth e Evil One'se ventual re-emergence.Dwar remained in the Black Land, breeding horrible lines of War-dogs un til T.A. 2000, when he participated in the Naz gul 's' captureof Minas M orgul. When his work there ended, he returned to

breeding wolves and hounds.He now resides in N archo st, as Lord of the Teeth of Mordor.

FeaturesDwar stands 6'4" tall and possesses a stalwa rt build . His pa

hazel eyes and ruddy complexion typify Waw' s Wolim. He covehimself in magical, steel-reinforced cloth armor that is dyed patchesof grey,black, and wh ite and vagu ely resemblesthecoloriof a War-hound. His enchanted helm, shaped like a stylized Wohead, follow the same theme.

Dwar's Principal Items:

Sword ("War-dancer") +25 magic falch ion forged outof ithilnaur and inlaid with white gold and pearl. Its pearl-tipped pommel is actually the end of a +25 dagger (w hic h issheathed in the hilt) . The sword will "dance" out of thewielder's hand for up to 10 rnds (even when wielder isunconsciousand/orprone),parryingblowsagainstthewielderwith 50% of wielder's usual OB (including the bonus fromthe sword).

Ge ("Air-cleaver") +25 enchan ted Braric Kill ing-b olamade of silvery oga mur. The weapon strikes as a Flai l anddelivers a Grappling critical strike (of same severity) inaddition to any regular critical strike it yields.

Ring (Wolor Priest's Ring) Made of gold-inlaid steel andinset with petrified wood, it is a x4 (Essence/Mentalism) PPmultiplier. The ring glows with a blue-green aura wheneveritisconsciously pointed toward runni ng surface water( wit hin1000').

Morgul-knife ("Sorcery Knife") +25 dagger wh ic hstrikes as a short sword. Its long, thi n enchanted blade gleamswith a cold glint. It dissolves when exposed to sun lig ht andbreaks off whenever the knife yields a critical strike. Oncethe blade is embedded in a victim, the victim must roll a RRversus the wielder's Ivl. Failure results in the blade findingits way to the victim's heart within a number of days equalt o S O m i n u s th e R R f a i l u r e n u m b e r ( e . g . , R R f a i l u r e b y 9 m e a n s41 day s). Should the shard reach the vict im's heart, the victimbecomes a wraith-servant (i.e., an undead slave) of the kn ife -

wielder, operating thereafter at -50. Failure also results in adebilitating poisoning, and the victim operates with a pen altyequal to twice the RR failure num ber (unt il he becomes Un-dead).

Dwar's Special Powers:

Spells 117 PP. Base spell OB is 39; directed spe ll OB is40. Dwar know s all Base Mage lists to 30th Iv l, and al l OpenEssence lists to 25th level (MERP), as well as all ClosedEssence lists to 20th Iv l, and fou r Open Mental ism lis ts to 10thIv l (RM).

Hearing Dwar can emit (and hear) sounds that can onlybe heard by canines (e.g., wolves, dogs, jackals, etc.) and hecan speak to any s uch creature wi thi n 2000' feet.

Dog-mastery In any given round, Dwar can control(absolutely) a number of dogs whose Ivls total no more than39 and who remain w ith in a range of 2000' feet. He can con troladditional dogs within 1000' by concentrating (each dogreceiving a RR versus a 39th Ivl attack).


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The Garrison 29

4.22 MOUTH OF SAURON

Lvl: 50 Race: Black Numenorean. Profession: Sorcerer. Home: Mordor. Aka: Lieutenant of the Tower ofBarad-dur.

RMStats: St-71 ;Qu-91 ;Em-98;In-99;Pr-96;Ag-98;Co-84;Me-93;Re-87;SD-72;MERPStats: St-76; Ag-98; Co-84; Ig-91;It-99; Pr-96. Appearance: 68.

Skill Bonuses: RideJ JO; S&H135; PercMO; Rune90; S&W102;Chan45;Amhll;Li*2J;Act87;Fals60;Math45;Med75;PSpl75;

Sig84;SpMasl24;Star89;Trick95;WeaW60;Adminl05;Appr79;DipU20; Stra86; Tac75.

The Mo uth of Sauron was the Dark Lord's special aide and hismost powerful 'mortal' servant. Although not truly an 'immortal'like the Ring wra iths , the Mouth is extremely old. As it states in the

LotR ///, p. 202:

"...this was no Ringwraith but a living man. The Lieutenant ofthe Tower ofBarad-dur he was, and his name is remembered inno tale; for he himself had forgotten it, and he wa s a renegade, whocame of the race of those that are named the Black Numenoreans;

for they established their dwellings in Middle-earth during the yearsof Sauron's domination, and they worshipped him, being ena-moured of evil knowledge. And he entered the service of the Dark

Tower when it first rose again, and because of his cunning he grewever higher in the Lord's favour; and he learned great sorcery, andknew much of the mind of Sauron; and he w as more cruel than anyOre."

Surpassed in rank only by the Nazgul themselves, the Mouth isclose to Sauron' s counsels, and is promised the rule of the Westernlands, replacing the unsuitable Saruman in Isengard. His dreamswi ll come to nau ght , however, as the destruction of the Ring bringsto ruin all of his subtle plans and devices.

The Mouth's Principal Items:

Robes ("Cloak of the Abyss") Black robes of someenchanted materi al wh ich seem to absorb all light. They ared i s t u r b i n g t o l o o k u p o n , c a u s i n g a l l w i t h i n 5 0 ' wh o f a i l a RRto become queasy and d izzy (-25%). They add +80 to hidin gat nigh t, and +30 to DB. All Light-related attacks (includingl i gh tn ing) a r e a t - 50 .

Necklace ("Voice of the Dark Tower") mit hril and blacklaen amulet capable of amp lifyi ng the wearer's voice, allow-ing h im to be heard over great distances.

Ring Fashioned of black steel, it is a x6 PP mul tipli er forSorcerers, and can store as many of six spe lls up to 30th level.

Helm Designed after the lordly helms of the Numen oreanKings, this helm is all black, trimmed with glittering darkgems. It shields the wearer from all menta l attacks at +30levels and also protects from 25% of head criticals.

The Mouth's Special Powers:

Spells600 PP. x6 mu ltiplie r. The Mouth of Sauron knowsall Base Sorcery Lists to 50th level, and most Essence andCha nnel ing Open and Closed lists (except any healing lists)to 20th level.

4.23 KRUSNAK

Lvl: 30 Race: Black Numenorean . Profession: Astrologer. Home: Mordor. Aka: Captain of the Morannon.

RMStats:St-91;Qu-96;Em-48;In-99;Pr-98;Ag-98;Co-87;Me-93; Re-87;SD-72;MERP Stats: St-91; Ag-98; Co-87; lg-9J; It99; Pr-98. Appearance: 96.

Skill Bonuses: RideSO; S&HJ05; PercllO; Rune80; S&W194ChanlS; Amb9; Li* 11; Act67; FalsdO; Math65; Med 60; PSpl25

Sig66; SpMas84; Starl04; Trick70; WeaW90; Admin80;Dip92Stra78;Tac81.

Krusn ak, like the Mouth, is aBlack Numen orean: one of the Hig hEdain turned to evil by Sauron long ago on that lost isle. Alth oug hnot truly an 'immortal' like the Ringwraiths, Krusnak is ablethrough his arts, to prolong his life.

Krusnak's Principal Items:

Robes ("Cloak of the Heavens") Black robes of someenchanted material which seem to absorb all light . Thoughnot as powerful as the Mouth's robes, they have a uniquefeature, in that they display constellations in tiny luminouspoints which shift and change. An yone look ing at the robesfor more than one round must Resist vs 20th Ivl or suffer as

Hold Kind. The 'star' effect can be cancelled at wil l, and therobes add +60 to hid ing at night , and +30 to DB. Al l Light-related attacks (in cludi ng lightnin g) are at -50.

Sword ("Sickle of the Heavens") mithril sword withbe au t i f u l e t ch ing and h i l t . I t i s +35 .

Ring Fashioned of grey silver with a sing le whi te stone,it is a x6 PP mu lti pli er for Astrologers, and can store as manyof five spells up to 30th level.

Krusnak's Special Powers:Spells 300 PP. x5 multipl ier. Kru sna k knows all BaseAstrologer Lists to 30th level, and most Mentalism andChanneling Open and Closed lists (except any healing lists)to 20th level.


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30 The Garris

4.24 THE HUMAN GARRISONAs noted in the layout text, the upper stories of the Teeth are

inhab ited by hu man soldiers. Each tower has a Lieutenant, and anumber of squads, each consisting of eight men and an officerc o m m a n d i n g e a c h ( n i n e t o t a l) . T h e n u m b e r a n d f u n c t i o n of t h esquads varies with each tower level. Most of the men are Dunlend-ings bred with men from the lands south and east of Mirkwood.


The uniforms and equipment for the mannish garrison are asfollows:

Lieutenant of the Tower: Black steel plate with greaves and fullhelm. +20 broadsword, +15 composite bow, thru sting spear.

Squad Leaders: Black enamelled chain shirts with greaves, fullshield (steel), +10 broadsword, +10 composite bow, thrustingspear.

Soldiers: Leatherjerkinsdyedblackandreinforcedwithsteelstrips.Target shields (leather wi th steel reinforcing), +5 short sword,short bow (or +5 composite bow for archers), thrusting spear.

Al l wear black leath er boots and heavy cotton breeches. Thesymbol of the garrison of Carchost is the Lidless Eye with a set ofgreyja wsclos ing around it. Narchost is very similare xceptthe lower

jaws are read and actual ly flames. This symbol is worn across thechest and emblazoned on the shield.

4.25 THE ORC AND TROLL GARRISON

Far outnumbering the human garrison, the Ores inhabit thbottom levels of the towers, as well as the la byri nth ine caves behinand beneath. In all, there are thousan ds liv ing i n the caverns, reato pour out through the tower and wall gates onto the battle-plab e y o n d . T h e Or e C a p t a i n s ar e a l m o s t i n v a r i a b l y U r u k - h a i ( B"Ore-race") the larger and stronger breed.

A small garrison of Trolls also makes the Teeth their homTotalling about 300 in the nearby caves; they are all Olog-hai, tWarrior Trolls.


High Captains (lead 1010 Ores): Plate armor with greaves, +short bow, +15 scimitar, thrusting spear, steel round shield.

Captains (lead 100 Ores): Chain shirt, +5 scimitar, short bothrusting spear, target shield.

Squad Leaders (lead 9 Ores): Leather jer kin , leath er target shiescimitar, short bow, thrusting spear.

Soldiers: Similar to squad leaders, except they are u sua ll y equippwith only a scimitar or spear.

All soldiers wear iron-shod shoes, rough leathe r breeches, asmall round cap-helms.

T h e s y m b o l o f t h e Or e - g a r ri s o n i s th e L i d l e s s E y e w i t h a s e tgrey jaws closing around it (essentially the symbol of CarchosThis symb ol is worn across the chest and emb lazon ed on the shie

Trolls: Most wear some sort of armor, but it varies from oi n d i v i d u a l t o a n o t h er . M a n y w e a r c h a i n s h i r t s w i t h a d d i t i o nplates on the front and back. The m ajority carry large iron shiela n d u t i l i z e a b a t t l e - a x e o r s o me s o r t o f mo d i f i e d c l u b .

4.26 THE HOUNDS OF THE MO RANNON

Dwar has b rought a variety of fierce beasts to serve him in tM o r a n n o n , s e v e r a l d i st i n c t b r e ed s w i t h d i f f e r i n g p u r p o s e s . M oa re s i m p l y v i c i o u s a tt a c k -d o g s , h u g e w o l f l i k e a n i m a l s w i t h c r ufangs and claws. Others, however, have especially keen smell f

tracking, while still others have exceptional eyesight and heariand serve as guards. Most are black or a dark mottled grey, and tDog-lord's special attack hounds have glowing red eyes.

4.27 THE FLYING BEASTST h e w i n g e d i n h a b i t a n t s o f Na r c h o s t f a l l i n t o t h r e e b a s i c c a t e g

ries:

Crows: The majority of the flying host, crows live here in thund reds, servin g as mass spies for the Dark Lord. They aw i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n la r g e a n d s h i n y - b l a c k .

Hawks: A few fast, intelligent hawks serve Dwar here, actimainly as messengers between Morannon, the Dark Tower aD o l G u l d u r .

Bats: These creatures supplem ent the spyin g powers of the crowb u t o f c o u r s e c o n c e n t r a t e t h e i r e f f o r t s a t n i g h t . T h e y a r e harmless varieties, but can be unpleasa nt to encount er en mas

I t s h o u l d b e n o te d t h a t th e h i d e o u s r e p t i l i a n f l y i n g - s t e e d s r i d dby the Nazgul at the end of the War of the Ring were bred in thm o u n t a i n s n e a r B a r a d - d u r a n d d id n o t s ee o p e n u s e u n t i l t h a t t im


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Adventures 31

5.0 ADVENTURESThe Towers of the Teeth stand as a daring cha llenge; among the

great citadels of Middle-earth, thi s pair of daunti ng fangs hold theirshare of secrets and pitfalls.

5.1 ADVENTURES BEFORE T.A. 1640After its completion in the early part of the Fifth Century T.A.,

the Mora nnon was garrisoned continu ously for more than a millen-

ni um of relative peace. There were two significant events duringthat period, however.

First were the skirmishes against the Easterlings during the firsttwo centuries, cu lm ina tin g in the formal expansion of Gondor to alllands east of the An du in , north of Mordor, so uth of Greenwood, andwest of the Sea of Rhun in the year T.A. 748.

The second major event was the Kin -stri fe in T.A. 1432-47. Infact, the Morann on was under Eldacar 'scontrol from 1437 on, beinggarrisoned by men largely loyal to him. It was to Morannon thatEldacar retreated in 1437 when he first fled Osgiliath.

A beautiful Diinadan woman by the name ofErennis arrives atthe M oran non, accompa nied only by an aged valet and sayingt h a t s h e i s f l e e i n g b a n d i t s o n t h e r o a d . W i t h i n h o u r s s h e h a scharmed the garrison officers with her smile and soft words.Then, a freak c hange in the weather and subsequent dense fogstrands her there for perhaps days (fogs lasting several days arenot unhea rd-of, com ing from the Dead Marshes). However, oneof the PCs overhears her talking with a Captain in a Towergarden. It is apparent tha t she has cast some sort of spell uponhim , and from her words it becomes clear that she is actual ly anagent of the Easterlings. Erennis is a Sorceress who plans tosabotage the M orannon defenses in time for a huge Easterlin gsurprise attack unde rcove r of the fog created by her. The PCsmu s t f i n d a w a y t o t h w a r t t h i s p o w e r f u l s a b o t e u r !

T he PCs h ave been accepted as guests in the Towers of the Teethfor a few days, shelte ring from a severe storm in the fal l of T.A.1437. It is not long before rumors of fig hti ng in Osgiliath come

to thei r ears, and soon afterwards King Eldacar arrives with as m a l l f o r c e o f l o y a l m e n . T h a t v e r y e v e n i n g , o n e o f t h e P Csoverhe ars a whispere d conversation : there are agents in Moran-non loyal to Castamir ("The Usurper") and they plan to assas-sinate th e Ki ng ! Shou ld they go to the Captain of the Tower or is he in the conspiracy as well?

5.2 ADVENTURES AFTER T.A. 1640The Morannon becomes a desolate, haunted place with the

departure of the Gondorians, a lonely, chill wind blowing thr oughthe jagged teeth of the wa ll. It was only a short time before the everwat chf ul Ores and Trolls realized that the threat of the Morannonwas now an empty one.

W H I L E T H E M O R A N N O N is A B A N D O N E D

This is possibly the most interesti ng and easy time to advent urein the Morannon, since of course the Gondorian Garrison has leftand the forces of Sauron have yet to officially take residence.Nevertheless, there are spies in Mordor, and the great towers arealmost never really empty.

Althou gh the garrison has been removed, the K ings of Gondorare still concerned about rumors of activit y in Mordor. The PCsare sent to Moran non to discover w hether agents of the Dark Lord

have indeed entered the Towers.

It has been discovered that important documents were leftaccidently in the Morannon aftertheeva cuation.T hedocum entsare in a secret door in a desk in Room #73 of Narch ost . The PCsare asked to make the perilous trip into the Tower and recoverthem.

U N D E R T H E D O G - L O R D ' S C O N T R O L

The most terrifying time to attempt to enter Morannon wo uld bewhen the N azg ul Dwar of Waw is consolidating hi s position there

A ( r e l a t i v e l y ) q u i e t t i me d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d w o u l d b e a f t e r T . A .2002 when Dwar has moved south to Mina s Morg ul and spends anincreasing amou nt of his time there. This continu es un til jus t beforethe War of the Ring, w hen the Dog-lord departs Mordor altogether

to seek the Ring with his cohorts.

Earl y in the occupation, little is known about the new inhab itant s.Could they ju st be a large band of Ores or is there a deeperpurpose behind the mysterious li ghts at nig ht and other signs ofactivity at the Morannon? A stealthy band of adventur ers migh tbe able to learn more of the nature of the evil force occupyingthe tower.

One of the PCs meets a mysteriou s stranger in M inas A nor, anElf with a strange accent and seemingly large a mou nts of money.He claim s to be Elerior, a prince from an El ven isle far to the eastseeking to recover heirloom s of his king dom . He is will in g tohandsomely reward a small g roup of confiden t, discreet men andwomen who will help him recover the Leaf-crown and birch-bow

of Cfmoniemor.NOTE: Prince Elerior has an amulet which is intelligent andtreated as 30th level. It has the very special power of cloakingthose within a nine foot radius against perceptions such as theSilent Watchers.

5.3 FOURTH AGE ADVENTURESAl th ou gh the Towers of the Teeth were damaged in th e cataclysm

of Sauro n's fall, they were not whol ly destroyed. The Morannonwall was ruined, but only the upper levels of the Towers weredestroyed, leaving the lower floors up through level Six v i r t u a l l y i n t a c t .

An emissary from some of the realms to the East which were

subjugated by Dwar has come to Minas Tirith. He as heard talesthat Dwar broug ht the treasures of those realms to the M orann on,andhew ishesthem returned. The PCsarecharged with exploringthe ruin and recovering the items.

It is a few mo nths after the fall of the Dark Lord, and Gondor hasnot yet been able to scour all the areas abou t Mordor. Anadventurous group of PCs might find adventure and treasurea w a i t i n g th e m i n t h e c r u m b l i n g r u i n s i n c l u d i n g a n u m b e r ofcreatures which survived the downfall, still lurking in theshadowy remains.


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Fortress - Teeth of Mordor

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