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TOR Starter Set The Shire 2202
TOR Starter Set The Shire 2202
A D D IT ION A L WRIT IN G
Francesco Nepitello
G A ME D E S IG N E RS
Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi
AD D I T I ON A L RU L E S D E V E L OP ME N T
Michele Garbuggio
CON CE P T A RT
Alvaro Tapia
COV E R A RT
Martin Grip
OT H E R A RT
Alvaro Tapia, Martin Grip, Jan Pospíšil, Niklas Brandt, Henrik Rosenborg,
Antonio De Luca, Federica Costantini, Melissa Spandri, Giuditta Betti
Christian Granath, Dan Algstrand, Niklas Brandt Robert Hyde / Sophisticated Games
EDITOR S PR M A NA GER
PR OJEC T MANAGER S ST R EA M I NG
SPEC I A L T HA NK S T O
PLAYT EST I NG OF T HE 2 ND ED I T I ON
Adam Rawson, Agnes Rudbo, Amanda Stenback, Andreas Lundström, Anna Ave, Charlie Conley, Chiara Ave,
Dan Price, Daniel Raab, Dennis Detwiller, Francisca Hoogenboom, Giuliano Nepitello, Kathleen Kiker,
Kyle Wood, Lorenzo Perassi, Luca Donati, Maja Emilie Søgaard Widerberg, Maner Samuel, Marco Beltramino,
Michael Kiker, Michela Baù, Peter Bergman, Peter Link, Ric Wagner, Stephen Buck, Steven Nguyen Dinh,
Umberto Pignatelli, Vanessa Ratschinske.
I SB N
978-91-89143-48-7
The One Ring, Middle-earth, and The Lord of the Rings and the characters, items, events, and places therein
are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises (SZC)
and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd. and their respective licensees. All rights reserved.
REGARDING
THE SHIRE
At once the western Hobbits fell in love with their new land,
and they remained there, and soon passed once more
out of the history of Men and of Elves.
Though no one in the Shire recalls the time before they passed the Hobbits, of course. Free to tend to their own affairs, the
over the Bridge of Stonebows, Hobbits did not spring wholly denizens of the Shire prospered, and soon all the Hobbits
into existence out of nothing. Ancient legends speak of a small, of the wide world took up residence within its borders (save
stout, river-folk that was driven out of the Anduin River valley for those few still making their home in and around Bree).
and made their way west. There are suggestions that during their This first generation of Shire-folk would suffer greatly at
long, meandering journey, they spread into the North-realm of the hands of the Great Plague less than forty years after the
Men, perhaps making their way as far south as the region now foundation of the Shire (S.R. 36)*, but though the terrible
known as Dunland. Tales forgotten by most and often consid- sickness caused the death of innumerable Hobbits and Men
ered unreliable claim that Hobbits once swore allegiance to that alike, the resilience of the Shire proved to be greater than
ancient North Kingdom, and took part on at least one occa- that of the North Kingdom.
sion in feats of arms when evil things came out of dark places.
It was after taking up brief residence in the Chetwood and The days of the King were finally over in the year 375. The Shire
the area surrounding the village of Bree that a company of became truly independent, though it mattered little to the
Hobbits petitioned the King of Men for a land of their own. world beyond its borders (save as a curiosity to the most inquis-
They were granted his leave to occupy an area of verdant itive). Severed from larger history, Hobbits continued their
lands and build a realm for themselves that would ensure lives in peace and plenty for countless generations. Villages
a bountiful life, hopefully free of danger and woe. Led by and communities seemed to flourish endlessly, their precise
the brothers Marcho and Blanco, that company of Hobbits dates of appearance largely unrecorded in any local chronology.
crossed the Brandywine, claiming as their own domain the It is indeed due only to gossip and family history that we
land ranging from its banks to the Far Downs, some forty know that the Oldbucks, who could trace their lineage back
leagues west. They named that realm and all the surrounding to Bucca of the Marish, first Thain of the Shire, were so bold
land fifty leagues from north to south the Shire. as to cross the Brandywine River going east and establish the
Originally ordered to maintain the great East-West Road community of Buckland, now home to Brandy Hall and the
and the Brandywine Bridge as a service to the King, the Shire-
folk and their humble domain were soon left to their own
devices. Even the title of Thain, granted to a single Hobbit * To those outside the Shire their method of reckoning the passage of time
of worth who spoke with the King’s authority, rapidly became may seem odd or even out of touch with the rest of Middle-earth. Quite so.
Hobbits do not concern themselves with the affairs of Men or Elves, and it
little more than an honorific among local residents. With
was in the 1601st year of the Third Age that they began living according
the passing of only a handful of decades, few recognised the to their own calendar. As such, outsiders can simply add 1600 to the Shire
existence of the Shire to be of any importance. Few, except Reckoning year to get its equivalent in the Third Age. —G
great Brandybuck family. It was Brandy Hall’s founder Gor- sight that the entire invading force fled. Oh, and the game
hendad Oldbuck who changed his family name to Brandy- of golf was invented in that very moment as well.
buck, in honour of his new community in the same year of But the history of the Shire is not without its less violent
its founding, S.R. 740. troubles, and the first real threat to its existence came not from
It was during this same period of prosperity that Tobold Goblins, but from famine. The winter of 1158 saw the beginning
Hornblower would learn the art of the cultivation and smok- of the Long Winter. The ground froze hard and cold, with ice
ing of pipe-weed, an enduring art that remains almost unique that came in the early days of November and did not leave until
to the people of the Shire even unto this day. Isengrim Took the last days of spring. Crops were destroyed by frost, and the
II would begin construction of the Great Smials in Tuckbor- delay in the turning of the season left planting to be done late, if
ough in 1083, which still stands as the ancestral home of the indeed it could be done at all. The Days of Dearth that followed
Took family. It is also likely that in this time the Messenger claimed the lives of many Hobbits for a full year, and it was long
Service (and later the Quick Post) were established to carry before joy and celebration returned to the Four Farthings. But
news between the ever-growing number of communities. perhaps it was this difficult time that reminded Hobbits that
they were of hardy stock and strong hearts — for they endured.
No Hobbit knows what prompted Golfimbul and his Goblin Minor horrors continued to plague the Shire, culminating
horde to descend from Mount Gram and cross the borders of in another terrible cold spell, known now as the Fell Winter of
the North Farthing. Instead, everyone from Michel Delving 1311. It was during this brutal season that the Brandywine River
to Buckland knows that it was Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took froze over, and that dire White Wolves came down out of the
of Long-Cleeve who led the Hobbitry-in-arms against the foul north and crossed into the Eastfarthing. On that terrible night
invader in the spring of the year 1147. Standing well over four the Horn-call of Buckland was sounded, and for the first time
feet tall and capable of riding a full-grown horse, Bullroarer in almost two centuries, Hobbits took up arms to defend their
Took charged screaming across the Greenfields and straight own lands from invaders. Though victorious, the losses of that
into the Goblin lines. With a single swing of his mighty club, battle were grievous, and combined with the famine from an
he knocked the goblin warlord’s head right off his shoulders. absent growing season, the people of the Shire suffered many
The head is said to have sailed straight over the entire enemy deaths. But hope often comes when unlooked for, and it was
army, eventually landing in a rabbit hole. So terrifying was this in that time that Gandalf, the Grey Wizard, came to the aid of
THE ART OF SMOKING Pipe-c raft, like the art of smoking, is a matter of
The habit to smoke the herb known as pipe-weed or leaf pride for many Hobbits of Longbottom and the South
using pipes of wood or clay is a peculiar art that is almost farthing, and their products range from stubby clay
certainly the invention of Hobbits. Adopted in recent pipes smoked by simple farmers to ornate and intricately
times by travelling Dwarves and wandering Wizards, it carved wooden pipes that are the treasured heirlooms of
is very popular among the inhabitants of Bree. Indeed, many of the wealthy families across the Shire. Indeed, it
the idea to put the leaf into pipes for smoking can almost is not uncommon for several Hobbits to get together and
certainly be attributed to Bree-Hobbits. engage in impromptu contests seeing who can blow the
The true mastery of that art began over two hun- biggest smoke ring from one of these grand creations.
dred years ago when Tobold Hornblower of Longbottom
grew, dried, and smoked his first crop of Longbottom BLOWING SMOKE RINGS
Leaf. Even to this day, though other flora can be smoked, Those who find themselves drawn into a smoke ring
no Hobbit, nor Dwarf, nor Man can argue that Longbot- blowing contest (which most often occur inside inns or
tom is not the finest smoke in Middle-earth. on summer nights in the Southfarthing), may make a RID-
It is likely that Tobold, being rarely one to travel, DLE roll, for the art of smoking is a delicate and subtle
brought the practice back into the Shire after one of his one. The character that achieves the highest quality of
rare trips to Bree, though he never gave details as to what success is declared the winner, and ties are common, as
possessed him to bring the plant to the Southfarthing Hobbits dispute the features of one ring or another in
and cultivate it on the farmland he had claimed as his the seconds before it disperses. Tradition holds that the
own. Though the details of its arrival will remain forever winner gives as a gift to those who have lost a pouch of
a mystery, Tobold was determined to grow this won- their finest tobacco, so that they might further study the
derful herb, and within a few generations it was found art. However, the winner is still held in high regard, and
in the many variants now known to flourish throughout can expect a filled tankard and a free meal at the losers’
Longbottom and across the Shire. table within the next few days.
THE HOBBITRY-I N-A RMS of the Watch, and by far the busiest, is the Bounders,
Among the notable organisations established within the tasked with ‘beating the bounds’ — that is, seeing that
Shire are its oft-forgotten martial institutions. The first of outsiders and mischief makers don’t cross into the Shire.
these is the Hobbitry-in-arms, which acts as a militia to Tasked with reporting any trouble they encounter to the
defend the Shire in times of dire need. It exists now as Shirriffs, what they do is little more than nosing about
little more than a ceremonial company overseen by the the Shire, dipping into local inns to catch up on the most
Thain, who serves as its captain. recent gossip, chasing naughty Hobbit children from a
As to day-to-day matters, these are instead tended farmer’s crop, or helping retrieve the occasional way-
to by the Watch. The Watch consists of twelve Shirriffs, ward cat from a tree.
with three assigned to each of the four farthings, and In recent years, as Dwarves and other travellers have
by a variable number of Bounders. Shirriffs are easily begun to enter the Shire more and more, the job of the
identifiable by the single feather in their cap, and are led Bounders has become a little livelier, much to their con-
by the First Shirriff — an honorific bestowed upon the sternation. Some blame the coming of the Wizard Gan-
Mayor of Michel Delving. But little trouble occurs within dalf, while more than a few consider Bilbo Baggins to be
the borders of the Shire, and like the Hobbitry-in-arms, responsible for bringing ill-fortune to the Shire, along
being a Shirriff is little more than a ceremonial position in with his piles of gold and jewels that he has stuffed away
all but the darkest of times. The most numerous element in Bag End.
families and culture Perhaps this is the root of the Hobbits’ love of food,
Since the fall of the North King, the people of the Shire have drink, and leisure. All these things are brought to their full-
lived in their own way for generations. To outsiders, Hobbits est joy when shared with loved ones, and the more with
are seen as a simple or even backwards folk, with little con- whom to share, the greater the joy. Parties celebrating even
cern for affairs that are not their own. While it is an absolute the slightest occasion are common in the Shire, as they are
certainty that the latter is a statement of fact, the former is a excellent excuses to gather in good company, and six meals
falsehood perpetuated only by fools and the unwise. a day seems perfectly appropriate when one endeavours
At first glance, a casual observer could claim that food not to dine alone.
and drink are chief among a Hobbit’s concerns, and that The most common of these celebrations is, of course, the
wouldn’t be too far off the mark. But the real centerpiece of Birthday Party. In a custom that would only seem strange to
the life of each individual Hobbit, and the Shire as a whole, one from outside the Shire, Hobbits accompany the tradition
is the family. Very nearly every Hobbit of the Shire can place of feasting, drinking, and dancing with the giving of gifts,
everyone they meet somewhere along their family line, from not to the Hobbit celebrating their birth, but rather to their
second cousins twice removed to great-great-great grandpar- guests. Mathoms, serving as tokens of esteem and affection,
ents — and they can do so from memory. are given to those near and dear to a Hobbit’s heart on their
Hobbit families gossip and spat, argue and snipe, but birthday. Outside the Shire, in the world of Men, the opposite
the bonds of kinship are never so far from their hearts that is done — as if a reward is deserved simply for being born.
they forget both where and whom they came from. No one A strange notion indeed.
can help but be filled with great pride when recalling the
notable deeds of an ancestor, often as if those actions were ALL IN A HARD DAY’S WORK
their own. Unfortunately, no one ever forgives any insult or This brings us to the next misconception regarding Hobbits.
damage suffered either, if amends are not made, and petty That they are lazy and overly concerned with leisure. Hobbits
rivalries can last generations. enjoy a fine afternoon fishing, or a good game of golf, to be
This love of lineage means that more than a few person- sure, and tweens (like any young rascals) will often avoid their
alities are recorded forever in the collective memories of all chores in favour of lighter pursuits. But one does not master
the people of the Shire, starting with the founders Marcho the fine art of baking, cooking, preserving, cultivating food,
and Blanco. Their names are known and celebrated by every raising livestock, and tending the garden without wiping a
Shire-Hobbit, even though their family affiliation has been bit of sweat from the brow now and again. In fact, no other
lost to time (it is the secret hope of every Hobbit patriarch people of Middle-earth were so industrious as to discover
and matriarch to discover proof of a common heritage, and the secrets of herb-lore necessary to grow and prepare pipe-
attempts have been made by more than a few Tooks or Bran- weed. The art of pipe-smoking is truly the art of the Hobbit,
dybucks over the years — to no appreciable results, so far). although it has since been adopted by Men, Dwarves, and
Other notable ancestors include the unknown members of even a Wizard. Instead, many Hobbits view this work as not
the company of archers that centuries ago went north to aid a source of toil or drudgery, but simple activities necessary to
the King, never to return. While their family names are lost live a good life among their people. As such, misery is rarely
like those of Marcho and Blanco, there is scarcely a man- found in these tasks.
telpiece in the Northfarthing that doesn’t sport some rusty Instead, sorrow finds the heart of even the merriest of
knife blade, pitted arrow-head, or rotting feathered cap held Hobbits when tragedy strikes. To be sure, a burnt pie or
as proof of kinship. trout that slipped the hook is a source of consternation,
The average Hobbit’s love for genealogical lore is not lim- but the losses that cut to the root are those things that were
ited to ancient history. It is indeed only thanks to this passion toiled for over generations or cannot be recovered. To see
that most Hobbits can orient themselves in the complex web a great tree felled foolishly, or lose a loved one before they
of relations between modern families like the Took, Baggins, have had a long and joyful life, are among the greatest of
Brandybuck, Hornblower, Boffin, and Bolger — just to name tragedies to a Hobbit. These are the things that cannot be
a few. As these families intermarried with one another, it did replaced.
not take long before a great many Hobbits were claiming kin-
ship with folk from across the Shire who would otherwise be NO BUSINESS OF OURS
little more than strangers. Because of this, there is a sense of As we have seen already, Hobbits have little concern for the
fellowship between Hobbits not found in Men, Dwarves, or affairs and doings of those beyond their borders. Dwarves,
any of the other Free People of Middle-earth. in their constant search for riches above all else, are often
seen as dangerous or too greedy, and the world of Men is AS FIERCE AS A DRAGON IN A PINCH
large, loud, and uncouth. Indeed, the last time Hobbits If nothing else, Hobbits continue to be underestimated by the
got involved in the affairs of Men many lives were lost to other Free Folk, a fact that would be of great comfort to most
no avail. As for Elves, they are so far beyond a Hobbit’s inhabitants of the Shire. Call them fat and simple, but we know
understanding as to be nigh indecipherable — no matter that history marks a fair few to be fierce and doughty. Like a
how wonderful the stories make them out to be. So, for good meal, they must be long stirred (often over fierce heat),
most Hobbits, it is best to keep to one’s own affairs, so as before the truth of who they genuinely are is revealed and set
to keep a level head upon your shoulders, unclouded by to table. Marcho and Blanco had the courage to travel west and
the fancies of outsiders. found the Shire. The nameless Hobbit-archers travelled to for-
That is not to say that all Hobbits shun what lays beyond eign parts to fight in a foreign war. Gorhendad Oldbuck dared
the Brandywine. Nor that visitors never come into their lands. to live in the shadow of the Old Forest, as do his descendants
Since the Fell Winter of 1311 and 1312, a regular interloper today. Bullroarer Took led his brave fellows in battle when fell
has made his presence known to Shire-folk. Gandalf the Grey, Goblins dared to invade his beloved Shire. Even in this current
who is by all accounts, a Wizard, seems to hold Hobbits as generation, that tenacity remains. The Horn-call of Buckland
a merry curiosity. In spite of his glorious fireworks and fan- brought Hobbits to arms against the White Wolves. And Bilbo
ciful tales, he has a reputation as a troublemaker and his Baggins, for all his strangeness, ventured beyond the horizon
encouragement has led more than one foolish young Hobbit and over the edge of the wild only to return, and by some
to disappear, never to return. He seems to have a particular accounts he was made richer for it in more than gold and silver.
fondness for the Took clan and its cousins. In recent years, As to what the coming days will bring for the people of
he has even been held responsible for driving the previously the Shire, none can say. What is known is that, as before, so
predictable and respectable Bilbo Baggins quite mad, only to shall it ever be in the land between the Far Downs and the
return him to the Shire with unlikely stories and foreign gold. Brandywine. A fierce love of all that is simple and good will
It is even feared that his appearance during the Fell Winter remain strong and steadfast as the Hobbits of the Shire stand
may have drawn the attention of Men, as rumours have per- together with kin and countrymen against whatever threat-
sisted since that time of Big Folk, hooded and cloaked, being ens their traditions. But until called to such duty, they shall
seen near Sarn Ford and the North Moors. celebrate this simple life they have made for one another.
GANDALF THE GREY his visits take him to Bag End or into Tookland, but his
To the great discomfort of many of the more traditional reasons for visiting remain a mystery. As often as not,
Hobbits, and to the great joy of Tooks, tweens, and some young Hobbit disappears for a week or two after
young children, the Wizard Gandalf the Grey is known Gandalf has gone on to other business — or at least that’s
to arrive in the Shire on seemingly random occasions. the claim of local gossips and busybodies.
Whether this is a quiet and secret trip to see Bilbo Bag- But Gandalf is not without his admirers, particularly
gins, or a visit heralded by Hobbit children crying for when it comes to the matter of his fireworks. These most
fireworks at the sight of his cart and pony, the strange excellent creations have become the talk of the Shire
figure has become a signal of mischief to come within since when the Old Took started to have them at his
the confines of the Four Farthings. Midsummer-eve Parties, and every Hobbit, whether
What his errands are, and when he will arrive remains they will admit it or not, secretly hopes the wandering
his own business, though certainly he only comes to the Wizard will grace their celebrations with his fantastic
Shire to stir up trouble and disturb the peace. Most often, displays.
As is known to any Hobbit of good sense, the Shire comprises part to its original bounds between the Far Downs in the west
the territories known as the Four Farthings, which are named and the Brandywine River in the east. In fact, more than a
the Northfarthing, the Eastfarthing, the Southfarthing, and few folk on the west side of the river regard Bucklanders as
the Westfarthing. This covers the whole of the land originally little better than the far-off Bree-Hobbits, with their fancy for
granted to its residents by the King, and it was only after boats. But we shall come to that in time.
old Gorhendad Oldbuck grew too cross and his family to be Meanwhile, far beyond Overhill, on the edges of Oatba-
confined that Hobbits moved beyond these traditional bor- rton, the North Moors see the first and heaviest snows of the
ders. Pushing beyond the Marish and over the Brandywine, winter each year, and the warm summer sun allows the land
he founded Buckland between the river’s eastern shore and to flourish all the way down to Longbottom. Though Buck-
the edges of the Old Forest. It has, since its founding in S.R. land is the only outlier beyond these formal borders, many
740, been the primary domain of his people and their innu- Hobbits that dwell in the smaller communities along them,
merable relations: the Brandybucks. such as the miners of Scary and the fishermen of Deephallow,
Even with the establishment of Buckland, the Shire has have a reputation for being out of sorts, even if their status
grown but little over the centuries, and still holds for the most as true Hobbits of the Shire is beyond question.
the Blue Mountains and all the way east to Bree and beyond
that to the very edge of the Wild (few, if any, Hobbits have
A NIGHT AT THE STONE ever tested this theory…). To most it is simply a wide, well-
Recently, strange white shadows have been drifting around kept thoroughfare that leads travellers to tea times in Budg-
the ancient Three-Farthing Stone at night. Stories of ghosts, eford or to a party in Michel Delving. As far as the Shire-folk
mournful spirits, or even a magical curse have begun to be are concerned, the East Road might as well begin at the door
whispered at the tables of the Stone’s Throw, the inn closest of the Town Hole in Michel Delving and end at the Brandy
to the ancient landmark, and now many are afraid to pass near wine Bridge.
it after sundown. It would be a kindness, some locals say, if a On rare occasions, some foolish young Hobbit will get it
few brave Hobbits spent the whole night near the stone, to into their head to walk its entire length. These boasts rarely
dispel the probably baseless rumours. amount to more than that, for such an endeavour would
The small inn stands just a few miles east of the Three Far- encompass walking for about forty leagues. Still, it is not an
thing Stone, and is owned by Thomas and Gilda Bunce. They insurmountable task, and the East Road itself brings such a
do a brisk business thanks to this mysterious tale. In fact, many journey within the realm of possibility for enterprising tweens
west-bound travellers prefer to stop and sleep here when the and adventurous Bucklanders.
stars begin to appear. This is no accident… Thomas and Gilda Given that most Hobbits like to maintain a leisurely stroll,
are responsible for spreading the rumours themselves, and and regularly enjoy a walking party now and again, they’re not
from time to time, they deck themselves in white sheets, and likely to achieve more than a dozen miles or so in a day, unless
wander for hours at night, or bid their mischievous children they set a brisk pace. Even without taking regular breaks for
do it in their stead. tea or a nap, a trek from one end of the Shire to the other
on foot is likely to take close to a week, though given the ease
with which a Hobbit can be distracted by a fine meal, after-
noon rest, or a stop off at the local inn, such a trip is likely
the water
to take closer to ten days or more.
Though the land does indeed consist of mainly green
The river running across the Shire from its source in the Hills rolling hills, as one draws closer to the Brandywine, it flat-
of Evendim to where it flows into the Brandywine is simply tens considerably, and an already easy walk becomes all the
called “the Water” by the Hobbits of the Four Farthings. Lit- more so due to the well-maintained road. Fortunately, there
tle more than a slow-rushing stream where it spreads into the are few dangers in the Shire for even the most adventurous
Rushock bog, it eventually resumes its eastward course and Hobbit, but those who are foolish enough to camp near the
runs parallel to the road connecting Little Delving and Nobot- Bindbole Wood or other untamed region may draw the atten-
tle to Hobbiton. From there, it joins with another watercourse tion of nosy wildlife intent on sniffing out the delicacies from
from the north to create the Bywater Pool before continuing their travel packs.
on, along the East Road all the way to the Brandywine. Passing No sight-seeing expedition from one end of the East Road
beyond the borders of the Westfarthing, the Water continues to the other would be complete without several stops at the
to flow east, its meandering curves dampening the soil near many fine inns across the Shire. Many travellers make it into
Frogmorton and serving as the heart of Budgeford with its a sort of game to stop at every tavern along the way as they
ruling Bolger family. cross the Four Farthings, which can delay even the fastest
Good fishing can be found along its banks at very nearly rover. The further east one is, the more such local watering
every point, save where it narrows in the Rushock, and it's holes one will find: The Golden Perch in Stock, the Floating
not uncommon to find a Hobbit angling for a fresh catch Log in Frogmorton, the Stone’s Throw near the Three Far-
or napping on the bank while they hope for a good supper. thing Stone, and of course, the Green Dragon in Bywater.
But beyond Waymeet and its Walking Party Inn, there are
9–10 Short Cut The journey took less time than expected 1 2
These are a few examples of the type of trouble that ♦ CHASED UP A TREE: A local farmer’s guard dog runs
might be encountered on the road. The Loremaster is off the property, and sets out to chase the Hobbit
encouraged to develop and expand the list of things travellers, believing them to be interlopers. If a HUNT-
that may go wrong. ING roll is failed, then they are unable to calm the
♦ FOG ON THE EAST ROAD: One night, a heavy fog dog, and must spend the rest of the afternoon stuck
rolls down from the North Moors and blankets the uncomfortably up a tree to avoid his bites. They gain
land, and growling noises and hoots can be heard 2 additional points of Fatigue each from hours of
from beyond the edge of sight. The Hobbits must being crammed awkwardly in the boughs of a pine.
pluck up their courage and make a VALOUR roll, or ♦ UNEXPECTED DRINKING COMPANION: While
be unable to benefit from a Prolonged Rest that resting one night at an inn, the characters find them-
night, as those ill-sounding creatures and glowing selves drawn into a lively conversation and they
eyes in the fog linger in their minds for hours to imbibe more than a few mugs of finely brewed bit-
come. ters. If they’re not watchful of their own actions, and
fail a WISDOM roll, they wake up the next morning
feeling Weary for the following day.
10
12
the westfarthing
… in the Westfarthing, especially in the country round Hobbiton Hill, there grew up
a custom of making holiday and dancing in the Party Field, when weather permitted …
Considered by many, especially its own residents, the most gamwich and tighfield
important of the Four Farthings of the Shire — Buckland Though little used, the cart-road that runs out of Little Delv-
being not counted at all, the Westfarthing runs west to east ing heading into the northern corner of the Shire leads to
from the Far Downs to the Three-Farthing Stone, and north the oft forgotten villages of Gamwich and Tighfield. There
to south from beyond Little Delving to deep into the heart are no Hobbit-holes here, instead, small wooden houses serve
of Tookland. A land dominated by soft, rolling countryside, as farms where locals tend to fields of swaying flax that dance
it is home to many of the more well-known families of the in the summer breeze.
Shire, including the Tooks of Tookland, where the Thain Set between the two communities is the great rope-walk, a
resides, and the Whitfoots of Michel Delving, where mayor long and narrow stone building, likely the only one of its size
Pott Whitfoot lives. and type in the Shire — where strands of fiber are spun and
woven together to make the finest rope in the region. Here
BYWATER works Andwise ‘Andy’ Roper, the most skilful rope-maker in
If you take the road from Hobbiton going south along the the Shire, the heir of a long tradition going back at least three
Water, you’ll soon come to the village of Bywater and its wide, generations. While Hobbits are certainly willing to labour at
grey pool. The first building you encounter is The Green many tasks, some find rope-making to be akin to Dwarf-work,
Dragon Inn. A popular meeting-place for the inhabitants of and in recent years, many families from both villages have
both Hobbiton and Bywater, the Green Dragon saw its rep- considered migrating to less remote spots in the Westfarthing
utation besmirched when it was invaded by Gandalf and a (among them, Andy’s brother Hamfast, who has taken on gar-
company of Dwarves on a spring morning some twenty years dening as his trade and has moved to Hobbiton).
ago. Indeed, the inn was the last place where Bilbo Baggins
was seen before he disappeared. Ruthie Overwater, a local
gossip, claims to have witnessed the whole affair when she
was barely out of her tweens — her tale tells how young Bilbo THEFT AT THE ROPE FACTORY
was hauled away in a sack down the East Road by the Wizard A bit of chaos has come to Tighfield. A mob of angry Hobbits led
himself! But the inn’s excellent ale and sweet mead (not to by Andy Roper surrounds a small, isolated farm not far from the
mention the fine fried fish and potatoes served up right) rope-walk, waving clubs, pitchforks, and torches, and it looks
have done quite a bit to restore the Green Dragon to proper as though they could set the farmhouse ablaze at any moment.
status in the eyes of the local community. But their consternation is easily understood: three Dwarves have
In Bywater itself, many houses gather around the Pool. barricaded themselves inside the besieged farmhouse after
A long line of proper Hobbit-holes dots its northern bank, all becoming the prime suspects in a brazen rope theft from the
fronted by small gardens running down to the water’s edge. factory! The Tighfield locals are angry after their polite offer of a
A pleasant tree-lined avenue forms the section of the road tour (which they were only offering as a matter of courtesy and
where it borders the water, giving it the name of Pool Side. never expected to be accepted) has been repaid with larceny!
From Bywater, one can take the South Lane, leading to The Dwarves, led by Ergi Broadbeam, have denied all
land held by respectable farmers like Holman Cotton, who charges, and replied to insults with stones thrown from win-
moved to these parts with his two sons, soon after his wife dows and arrows shot through half-open doors. Poor Bess,
passed, and has set up a right respectable plot of land, or Old Andy’s mule, was even wounded in the crossfire! Birba Mug-
Noakes, who keeps a regular table at the Ivy Bush — when he’s gins, the owner of the farm that housed them, and her son
not found at the Green Dragon Inn. Old Noakes and family Bobbin, escaped just before the violence began. They heart-
keep orderly hives of honey bees, allowing them to provide ily support forcing out the Dwarvish scoundrels at any cost —
the Green Dragon with the stock of honey they require to even if it means seeing their own home burnt to the ground.
craft mead, to trade with the locals, or to give away as birth- Dwarves are horrid people, Birba claims, and deserve what’s
day presents to deserving friends and relatives. coming to them.
13
‘Mad Baggins’ Bilbo Baggins himself stops by the inn for a rare visit while on one of his solitary
walks. He’s as clever as ever, talking circles around patrons with fanciful stories and
double-speak. Anyone who is able to keep up with Bilbo with a successful RIDDLE roll
will earn themselves an invite to Bag End for tea next Wednesday!
1 Spell-bound Rumour has it that old Holman Greenhand is about to retire from tending the gardens
Seedsman at Bag End. It’s said that he’s been bewitched by Gandalf the Wizard, and that his
gifts at tending the earth have been passed on to Master Hamfast Gamgee.
2 Mismanaged Gerda Boffin’s secret crop of mushrooms has run dry, and quite a few visitors are
Mushrooms panicked that Boffin’s Crock may become a thing of the past!
3 Trouble North Strange men shrouded in brown cloaks have been seen south of Longbottom, linger-
and South ing and spying Hobbit farmers from a distance before vanishing. What’s worse, the
same kind of folk have been seen nosing about the North Moors too!
4 Ruthie’s Ruthie Overwater is sitting in her rocking chair in a corner, stroking the cat in her lap.
Ramblings She’s got a crowd of Hobbit children at her feet, repeating the tale of how Bilbo Bag-
gins was stolen away and returned some twenty years ago. The tale gets stranger and
more embellished every time she tells it.
5 Hamfast’s The inn is serving up potato and bacon stew tonight, the finest in the Shire, on account
Harvest of Hamfast Gamgee’s recent bumper crop of potatoes. He’s in attendance and awk-
wardly accepting praise from all the locals feasting on the fruits of his labours.
6 Beleaguered A local bounder, quite deep into his cups, is drunkenly rambling to anyone who will
Bounder listen about all manner of impossible things he’s seen in his recent beating of the
bounds. He demands to be taken seriously.
7 Took Tales Everyone seems to be swapping stories tonight about the unlikely deeds of the Old
Took, his midsummer-eve parties not the least of these!
8 Celebrating One of the local Hobbits is being toasted for the announcement that he is going to be a
Childhood father! The drinks are flowing freely, and telling childhood tales is mandatory tonight.
9 Fairy Rumours of Elves crossing the Shire and even being seen passing by the south banks
Phantasms of the Bywater Pool are the topic of conversation tonight!
10 Unexpected The Player-heroes have arrived amidst the birthday celebration of a local Hobbit.
Party Dancing, feasting, and even the gift of a mathom are in order!
Bree Bullies A pair of Bree-Hobbit merchants have stopped for a pint while passing through the
Shire, and have had a bit too much. Irritated by a poor sale recently, they’ve decided
to try to pick a fight! Unless they can be calmed down with a PERSUADE or COURTESY
roll, a brawl may be imminent.
14
15
16
all appearances, he is a well-preserved gentlehobbit, and by boughs, gaining the tree its nickname: the Party Tree. Ban-
all accounts he is generous with the treasures he recovered in ners and lanterns hang from its branches on such occasions,
foreign parts — especially to some of the less well-off families and its trunk has served as backdrop for more than a few
and the young children of Hobbiton (legends insist that Bag long-winded and best-forgotten speeches
End is a veritable cache of gold and silver, jewels and trinkets,
but Baggins himself will say nothing on this matter, save to spin OVERHILL
nonsense tales of Trolls and Dragons to gullible children and Just over the northern slope of the Hill, at the end of
Tookish tweens). More and more though, lately he’s taken to Northope Lane, is the small community of Overhill. Most
living an increasingly private life. In fact, except for the Wizard homes there are built above ground, to leave more soil for
Gandalf, the occasional Dwarf visitor, and a few close relations, tending and growing. Its residents are well known for their
no one has been invited to tea at Bag End in nearly a decade. habit of going north to pick mushrooms and to hunt. In fact,
South of Bag End, just beyond Bagshot Row, opens a large Gerda Boffin, whose reputation is tied to her uncanny ability
field. There stands an old, tall tree. For as long as any Hobbit to find a veritable wealth of mushrooms, has made quite a
can recall, this tree has been standing there, the centrepiece fortune for herself by selling her finds to the Green Dragon
of many a great celebration in Hobbiton. Weddings, festivals, Inn (which is renowned across the Shire for its mushroom
and of course, birthday parties, have been held under its and thyme soup, affectionately called “Boffin’s Crock”).
17
little delving few duties they have in these days of peace (mainly, presiding
Due south of Nobottle, with a short trail across the White Downs at banquets), and oversees the Messenger Service and the
connecting the two, is the village of Little Delving. Named as Quick Post in his position as Postmaster.
if it was a younger sibling to Michel Delving, its people like to The true jewel of Michel Delving, however, is the local
think that the two settlements are very alike. In truth, the Hob- museum. Called the Mathom-house, it sits upon the hill just
bits of Little Delving remain humble in comparison to their south of the Town Hole. There, cantankerous custodian Malva
counterparts in Michel Delving; small houses with neat gardens Slowfoot and her husband Bingo tend to a veritable hoard of
are packed tightly together on rolling hillsides. Little Delving Hobbit-treasures, or ‘mathoms’, as Hobbits call them. These
is particularly well-regarded for its livestock — flocks of sheep range from a pair of sparkling diamond studs once owned by
graze freely on the untended grassland to the west of the village. Gerontius Took, to a coat of silver rings supposedly worn by
The main building of Little Delving is an old rounded Bilbo Baggins that was gifted to him by a Dwarven king. Other
tower house, once serving as a watchtower and beacon for oddities include a collection of wheeled contraptions known
the western border of the Shire. Now it is used mainly as an as ‘velocipedes’ constructed by Tom Sandyman some time ago,
enclosure where the livestock is herded in times of particu- and the first tobacco pipe used by Tobold Hornblower him-
larly bad weather. self (as can be readily seen by these examples, Hobbits call
‘mathoms’ all those objects they come to own that they have
michel delving
no immediate use for, but are unwilling to just throw away).
The Mathom-House is particularly renowned for its exten-
If Hobbits followed the ways of Men and named a town as sive collection of cookbooks, genealogical records, compila-
their capital, that would be Michel Delving. The chief town- tions of Hobbit-lore, old weaponry, and maps. Some of these
ship of the Shire is nestled in the rolling countryside that is maps date as far back as the days of Marcho and Blanco them-
the heart of the White Downs. Many wealthy gentlehobbits selves, or so the legend claims. Particularly troublesome young
are proud to call this their home, and mayor Pott Whitfoot Hobbits sometimes take it upon themselves to see if they can
keeps a fine home in the largest Hobbit-hole in the West snatch some mathom of minor importance from under the
farthing outside of Bag End: the Town Hole. From here, the nose of the Slowfoots, who take pride in their meticulous
Mayor of the Shire ensures that the Shirriffs maintain what care of each and every item in the museum’s catalogue. In
recent years, the couple have even gone so far as to put locks
on the door of the Mathom-House, to deter what they call
“the worst folk to invade the Shire since the days of Golfimbul
the Goblin.” All this confustication has only driven naughty
Hobbit-boys and Hobbit-girls to find new and more devious
methods to drive Malva and her husband to distraction for
their own entertainment.
18
Until a few decades ago, Gandalf the Grey himself appeared parties — a display no Hobbit could ever forget. Unfortunately,
regularly at the Free Fair. He used to hold a special show based the Wizard hasn’t shown up for the occasion in the last forty
on his magical fireworks, during the Old Took’s Midsummer-eve years or so, since his good friend the Old Took died.
Inquiring into the affairs of the Wizard has drawn his personal attention, and Gandalf himself shows up.
Now, what errand or adventure could he have in store for the Player-heroes?
1 “Bilbo is digging new tunnels into the Hill on orders from Gandalf! If he goes any deeper, the whole of
the Hill and everything upon it is going to collapse in upon itself and we’ll be buried in dirt and gold!”
2 “Gandalf is in league with Gerda Boffin, I say! That’s how she makes her crock, I tell you. I won’t be eat-
ing no soup with Wizard-enchanted mushrooms. Who knows what kind of deal she’s made with that
conjurer!”
3 “I heard that Paladin Took has made some kind of deal with the Wizard, trading blessed farmlands for
some strange promise. It’s not right I say.”
4 “I don’t rightly know what he’s up to, but last I heard Gandalf was wandering the North Moors, chasing
giants and casting curses. I saw lightning strike the hills to the north at night!”
5 “Found another Dragon, I tell you! That’s what I heard! He’s looking for some new Hobbit to drag off
into the wilderness now that Baggins has gone all cracked!”
6 “It's no business of mine, but I saw Gandalf arguing with Lalia Clayhanger down in Tuckborough on
some matter related to the Old Took. Even if I was a Wizard, I wouldn’t tangle with that one.”
7 “Saw him coming up south from Sarn Ford near Longbottom and he wasn't alone. Talking to some
fierce-looking and dirty traveller he was. Nothing good will come of it, mind you. Nothing good at all.”
8 “Trundling down the Stock Road on his cart he was, on some errand all his own. Paused and as easy as I
talked to my gaffer at Sunday dinner he struck up a conversation with a bird. He’s cracked, I tell you.”
9 “I heard from Mr. Mudwort down in Deephallow that he was knee-deep in the mud of the Overbourn
Marshes, trying to conjure the dead! Keep that one and anyone who dares call him a friend away from me!”
10 “Stayed the night in Brandy Hall, he did. Sat at the Master of Buckland’s table like he was some long-
lost kin! Imagine that?! Then, pleased as you can be, he opened the Hay Gate and disappeared into the
Old Forest like it was just a Sunday stroll.
A small group of Bounders or some ill-tempered gossip accuse the Player-heroes of being in league
with the Wizard in some conspiracy that will come to a bad end. The Player-heroes will need to make a
PERSUADE or RIDDLE roll to convince their accusers of their innocence.
19
nobottle
the Brandywine.
Existing for as long as any Hobbit can recall, serving as a
postman is a position of respect among the communities of Tucked away in a remote corner of the Westfarthing, where
the Shire. Perhaps this is why a blind eye gets turned when the chalky heights of the White Downs become low knolls
a jar of preserves arrives at its destination a little less than covered in thick grass, is the tiny community of Nobottle, a
full or no one bothers to mention that their sack of apples village home to no more than four or five families of Hob-
arrived a bit light. After all, walking one’s appointed route bits. Unlike most other villages of the Shire, the residents of
can be hungry work. Nobottle make their homes primarily in Hobbit-holes, with
20
only one or two houses constructed along its outer edges. Once in a while, tales told by Hobbit children about these
They keep mostly to themselves, quietly tending their land shy and disturbing entities surface in Overhill, Hobbiton, or
and growing their crops of bilberries and wheat. They will, Needlehole. Described as more unusual than threatening, they
when the occasion strikes them, venture upon a day trip to have always been promptly dismissed as imaginary bugbears
Little Delving or Needlehole, but will rarely go any further. by parents and relatives, leading the children to keep their
By all accounts they mind their own business, and expect sightings largely to themselves, a secret whispered from ear
others to do the same. to ear. The most adventurous among them have developed
But if the inhabitants of Nobottle can be considered to all manner of unlikely theories, and have started keeping
be somewhat unwelcoming, they are considered to be jolly watch for long hours at the edge of the bog, setting rudi-
fellows when compared to the Banks, their neighbours, a mentary traps at seemingly random locations, in the hope
handful of closely-related families of fishermen dwelling on of capturing one of what they have collectively come to call
the shores of the Water a few miles to the northeast of the the “Bog Beasts.”
village. Already regarded with suspicion for their connec- To this day, in spite of many claims that some little Hobbit-
tion with the North-Tooks of Long Cleeve, their reputation boy or Hobbit-girl “very nearly got one,” a Bog Beast has never
is made even more sinister by their preference to move about been captured. Strangely, as Hobbits grow from child to tween,
on boats along the Water. their interest in the Bog Beasts fades, and by the time one has
reached the age of maturity, they seem to preserve no mem-
rushock bog
ory of the creatures at all.
As the Water rolls off the North Moors into the Shire, it slows
down upon reaching Needlehole, until the river vale becomes
the tookland
almost flat, and the stream starts to meander in a hundred
rivulets. The surrounding landscape is that of a vast marsh-
land stretching for several miles, and a walk across it is likely The western range of the Green Hills rising in the West
to leave mud between one’s toes. No Hobbit has reason to farthing has always been known as the Tookland since time
venture there for leisure though, as the area is thick with sting- out of mind. It is aptly named, for it is the ancestral home
flies and gnats — in the warmer months of the year they can of what is considered by many to be the chief family of the
be seen rising as a cloud at sunset. Shire, the numerous and well-respected Took clan. Here,
Despite these terrible threats, daring duck hunters and small farms dot the rolling hills where one Took cousin or
gatherers of bog-wood from Needlehole enter the marsh sev- another grows grain and barley for bread and beer, keeps
eral times a year. They can be seen traipsing around wearing hives of buzzing bees for honey and mead, or makes their
boots, the duck hunters armed with bows and carrying the living hunting small game for fur and meat.
carefully-painted wooden ducks they use as decoys, the wood The Tooks are renowned for being a bit too adventurous
gatherers leading sturdy ponies that they will use to pry their for traditional Hobbit tastes, and while that may be so, there’s
prized tree-trunks out of the bog’s cold embrace. a charming irrepressibility about the entire clan that often
Following the course of the Water through the bog is reveals itself in the wit and wisdom that pervades the gaffers
a back route to reach Hobbiton, and some hunters from and gammers of that family. This reputation for mischief is
Needlehole walk all the way there to sell their catch to the of little concern to the Tooks, and in fact, is a point of pride
local inns and families. to more than a few of that line.
Unlike in many other regions of the Shire, the Wizard
Gandalf always receives a warm welcome whenever he passes
through the Tookland, as no one among the members of the
CHILDREN'S STORIES clan forgets that the Grey Pilgrim was a good friend of the
Although it is true that adults like to spin tales and gossip about most famous Took of them all, the Old Took himself.
it over a pint, no true strangeness or oddity has ever been In spite of their propensity for the outlandish and the
observed in the Rushock Bog by any grown Hobbit. In fact, friendship of Wizards, the Took Clan is greatly respected by
only the younger lads and lasses can say that they have ever everyone in the Shire. This is likely due to the legacy they
seen the little black creatures with large, luminous eyes that carry as the holders of the Thainship since Isumbras the First
crawl through the mud at night… accepted both the title and role from Gorhendad over five
hundred years ago.
21
tookbank
otherwise — has
dared to move
A winding trail run- so much as a leaf of
ning east off Whitwell parchment, let alone Old
on the North Road reaches Took’s rocking chair! In fact,
the village of Tookbank, upon his reading glasses sit on an end
the westernmost rises of the Green table by the chair next to his pipe,
Hills. The scent of apples ready to be where he sat them down on the night
plucked from the appledores, the sound of before he passed forty years ago.
delighted children playing “Greenfield Gob- Since the time when Gorehendad Oldbuck
lin,” or the sight of mushroom tents are encoun- gave up the title of Thain and moved across the
tered before the round doors of any Hobbit-holes Brandywine and Isumbras the First assumed it, Great
become apparent. Smials has also been the seat of the Thainship. Though
Tookbank is a small village, much smaller than the the title is little more than an honorific these days, respect
nearby Tuckborough, to the chagrin of its inhabitants who for the position is still maintained — especially among the
feel they are looked down on by their neighbours. A wish Hobbits of the Westfarthing. Fortinbras the Second has been
to avoid any contact might explain why no road leads from Thain nigh on thirty years now, and by all accounts he is as
Tookbank to the nearby town, and why no one in the two good and wise a gentlehobbit as any could ask for.
communities has ever demonstrated the desire to build one.
waymeet
Rumours outside the Tookland speak of an extensive
network of tunnels dug under the Green Hills and joining
Tookbank with the Great Smials, and comprising vast under- A merry stroll east out of Michel Delving along the East Road
ground halls where the Tooks join in secret merriment sev- will lead a wandering Hobbit to the crossroads at Waymeet.
eral times a year. Appropriately named, it is not only a crossroads, but also
where Hobbits from across the Westfarthing come together
tuckborough
to trade goods and gossip in equal measure. In fact, many
of the homes have adjacent or attached sheds to act as both
Tuckborough is the largest village in the Tookland, and the storage and storefront for trinkets and wares readily available
one counting more Hobbit-holes than any in the entire Shire. to any passersby travelling along the East Road.
It is here that Great Smials stands, the many-tunnelled man- A collection of tables sits right along the road in the mid-
sion of the Took clan, dug three centuries ago at the time of dle of Waymeet, before the doors of the Walking Party Tavern.
Isengrim the Second. Known also as the ‘Great Place of the It serves as an open-air tap house of sorts, where visitors can
Tooks’, it’s a veritable maze of bedrooms, parlours, kitchens quench their thirst before going about their business, and
and dining halls, serving as the home of a multitude of family maybe purchase whatever mathom catches their eye in the
members. Deep inside it lies a place known simply as ‘the old tiny shops that line the thoroughfare. More than one Dwarf
room’, the large hall where Gerontius, the Old Took, spent crossing the Shire has stopped at the tables of Waymeet for
most of his life. It is said that the room didn’t see changes to a pint and a game of ninepenny marl, while being forcefully
its decor and furniture for decades, for the Old Took liked brought up to date on the latest gossip offered by the idle
it exactly as it was, and that to this day no Hobbit — Took or gammers and shopkeepers.
22
A DAY IN WAYMEET
A trip to Waymeet is never boring, and if the Player- roll a Feat Die on the table below to determine a random
heroes opt to spend an afternoon, the Loremaster can event or design one themselves.
Chance Encounter The Player-heroes encounter a well-known local or famous visitor as they pass
through Waymeet. Examples include Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, Balin the
Dwarf, or even catching a glimpse of an Elf moving west just at the edge of town.
1 Mistaken Identity A local Hobbit mistakes a Player-hero for a distant, long absent relation, and
insists on recalling old family stories the character has no knowledge of.
2 A New Friend The Player-heroes strike up a pleasant conversation with a fellow visitor at Way-
meet who invites them to tea the next time they’re about.
3–4 A Foolish Trade The character finds they’ve made a bad deal at the market and is down a few
coins or has swapped a valuable item for some useless junk.
5–7 A Peach of a Deal The character was able to strike a good bargain and walked away with a new tool
or item that may be of some use in the future, as determined by the Loremaster.
8 Rumours The Player-heroes spend a long evening swapping news with the locals and
learn a piece of information or clue that offers insight into one of their upcoming
adventures.
9 Idle Words The Player-heroes hear news about some other person or place in the Shire that
turns out to be false but seems credible at the time.
10 Tales from Beyond The Player-heroes learn some news from beyond the borders of the Shire while
the Brandywine having a drink at the Walking Party Tavern.
Robbed! A Player-hero must make an AWARENESS roll, or they realise someone has picked
their pocket during the hustle and bustle of the day. An item very important to
them has been stolen!
whitwell
A sure sign that one is about to enter the village of Whitwell at the Fairest Fowl Inn, which sits right upon the crossroads
is the sound of the crowing roosters and clucking hens that at the heart of Whitwell.
wander its coops and farms. This small community is known The latest news heard over these fine meals is that of a
for its chicken farmers, and many members of their flocks young enterprising Hobbit by the name of Paladin Took who
find their end at tables across the Shire. In spite of its humble has recently come to Whitwell from Tuckborough. A first
appearance, Whitwell serves as a hub of travel in the Tookland, cousin once removed of Thain Fortinbras (on his father’s
with pipe-weed coming up from the farms of Longbottom, side), Paladin stands out as an oddity among the many
travellers going south from Waymeet, and Tooks arriving end- chicken farmers, for he has begun tilling land and planting
lessly from Tuckborough. These visitors will find the finest seeds in hopes of turning his new farm into a grand enter-
roast chicken in the Four Farthings if they sit down at a table prise worthy of attracting a fine wife.
23
the southfarthing
How Old Toby came by the plant is not recorded, for to his dying day
he would not tell. He knew much about herbs, but he was no traveller.
As the land of the Tooks rolls east and gives way to the Green pipe-weed in the Shire. Each farm is surrounded by vast, fur-
Hill Country, the wide fields of the Southfarthing spread rowed fields, from which the leaf is harvested and processed.
southwards from the Three-Farthing Stone. It is a sparsely- It is from around here that the three most popular brands
populated land by Hobbit standards, traversed in the north of pipe-weed come from: ‘Longbottom Leaf’, ‘Old Toby’, and
by the Stock Road that runs through the Yale in the East ‘Southern Star’. Carts loaded with barrels carrying the Horn-
farthing, and bordered by the Shirebourn river to the south- blower brandmarks can be seen travelling up and down the
east. Largely made up of isolated farms and wide fields, it is road at any hour of the day, headed to the farthest corners
here that the best wine found in the Shire is produced, and of the Shire. There are even rumours of enterprising Hob-
where the most prestigious varieties of pipe-weed are grown. bits making the journey all the way to the Blue Mountains,
west beyond the Shire, or eastwards over the Brandywine all
longbottom
the way to Bree — though perhaps those travelling in that
direction are doing so more to reinforce the superiority of
Longbottom is the pride of the Southfarthing. Perhaps less a the Shire leaf over the Southlinch crop grown in those parts.
town and more a collection of many farms with stout homes Wherever their destination may be, travellers leaving
of wood and stone, Longbottom outgrew its boundaries at the Longbottom and taking the road north are likely to stop at
time of Tobold Hornblower, the first Hobbit to grow the true the inn at Sparrow’s Rest, located about a day’s travel towards
26
Elvish A Hobbit child became lost in the Woody End recently and was feared to have per-
Encounter ished, but two days later she was seen being led to the edge of the village by noth-
ing less than an Elf! Onlookers claim that after the child came safely within the bounds
of the village, the Elf vanished right before the eyes of everyone looking.
1 Mole Mischief Moles have been digging long tunnels under the lands of farmers in the Yale and
leaving mounds in curious geometric patterns in the soil.
2 Raucous Flocks of large black birds have flown up from the south of Dunland and begun
Rooks nesting in the trees around Sarn Ford. They seem to take a keen interest in travellers,
watching them with an uncanny level of intensity.
3 Pine Peaks Large piles of pine cones have been found along the edge of the Bindbole Wood,
stacked nearly as high as a Hobbit. None of the locals have claimed responsibility or
seen who or what is doing this, and no animal tracks or footprints have been seen
near the piles.
4 Missing A Hobbit grocer from Willowbottom taking a shortcut through the Woody End on
Merchants his way to Woodhall became lost and was discovered three days later, asleep on the
Stock Road. He claims to have no memory of falling asleep, only that he stepped into
the forest and woke up on the road a moment later.
5 Southern While returning from a trip to Longbottom, a solitary Hobbit claims he encountered
Strangers a pair of sallow-faced big folk who had an ill-favoured look about them. They even
drew knives and moved to approach him before he escaped in the tall grass.
6 Mysterious Young Gilly Brownlock is sitting in the Sparrow’s Rest, playing a melancholy song
Minstrel on her tin whistle. If asked where she learned it, she says from fairies that live in the
White Downs.
7 Finches Flock Many of the folk gathering firewood from the woods near Pincup have seen a small
flock of finches following them, singing gentle and soothing songs.
8 Garden Gifts While picking strawberries in her garden in Willowbottom, the normally pesky squir-
rels that plague her crop came right up to Scarlet Kettlebottom and began to pick
them right off the vine and set them at her feet before running off into the forest.
9 Murmuring For the past three nights, whenever the wind blows out of the north, everyone in
Melody Deephallow can hear a gentle song upon the breeze that lingers for a few hours after
nightfall. No one knows the source.
10 Bosco’s Bosco Rumble from Longbottom claims he was cornered and very nearly attacked by
Badger a badger near Sarn Ford, until one of the Big Folk seemed to step out from nowhere,
whispered strange words to the beast, and then motioned for it to run off. The Man
had fierce eyes and a beard, but pulled his hood up before Bosco could get a better
look.
Bloodthirsty Bounder Burt Underhill, from Woodhall, returned home last week, bloody and wounded!
Beast! In a sheer, raving panic, he claimed he was ravaged by the Black Wolf of Woody End!
27
the border with the Westfarthing. A welcome sight to the slaughter, leaving an indelible mark across the region that can
weary eyes of every travelling pipe-weed merchant, the inn still be perceived after long millennia — Hobbits rarely linger
used to be a small watchtower, and takes its name from the here for any length of time, as the air itself seems to disagree
many birds nesting under its eaves. By all accounts, no inn with their cheerful disposition.
offers a better serving of strawberries and cream anywhere in Whether they themselves know about the past history of
the Shire, and a more diversified source for gossip — pipe- the place or not one could not say, but the Rangers of the North
weed merchants hail from all over the four Farthings, and keep a constant watch over the crossing. The ford is the first safe
find the inn to be the perfect place for the exchange of news. passage over the Brandywine river — the next one being the
Bucklebury Ferry, more than fifty miles upriver to the north, and
pincup
travellers coming from the south along the road must use it to
enter the Shire. The Rangers take great care not to reveal their
Nestled on the southern slopes of the Green Hill Country, presence, disappearing quickly into the wilderness if they are
Pincup is home to a handful of Hobbit families that live quiet in risk of being spotted. A few secret caches of supplies, such
lives in relative isolation. Most live in modest Hobbit-holes as firewood and dried meat, and at least one store of weapons,
among the shaded hillsides, others keep small farms just have been set up close to the ford, marked with runes and eas-
beyond the shadows of those mounds for growing autumn ily overlooked as another minor oddity from outside the Shire
crops like radishes, turnips, and carrots. by all but the most educated of Hobbits.
But it is going west that one reaches Pincup’s true and
only claim to fame: its vineyards. Raised on the steep hillsides HALLAS AND HALBARAD
facing south, it is here that the grapes used to produce the The captain of the Rangers tasked with watching over Sarn Ford
best wine in the Shire are cultivated — known simply as Old and the southern borders of the Shire is a Man called Hallas.
Winyards, it is a strong red wine that grows in value as it ages, Wise in old lore and a veteran fighter, Hallas has grown fond
so much that older bottles are treasured. Bottles of vintages of the pipe-weed of the halflings. In the company of his son,
from as far back as a century have been given by Tooks to their Halbarad, they sometimes enter the Southfarthing disguised
relations and close friends on birthdays and special occasions as merchants from Tharbad, and visit the Inn at Sparrow’s Rest
since time out of mind. to keep up with the latest rumours (and to fill their pipes with
the best Hornblower leaf).
sarn ford
Far beyond what any reasonable Hobbit would call a proper
28
the northfarthing
Except on the high moors of the Northfarthing a heavy fall was rare in the Shire,
and was regarded as a pleasant event and a chance for fun.
The Northfarthing is the only quarter of the Shire whose bor- that once ran all the way to the Hills of Evendim, beyond
ders are not marked by the Three-Farthing Stone. Most folk the North Moors.
come to this area by way of the Northway Road, between Bywa- Few Hobbit walking trails run under its spreading
ter and Frogmorton, heading on up over the Water and across branches, as more than a few tales speak of wolves lingering
the northern half of the Eastfarthing. The surest sign that you in the shadows (though no wolves have been seen in the
have crossed into the Northfarthing is the fresh, fragrant air Shire since the Fell Winter). More likely, they’re as real as
that sweeps across the Greenfields and slips between the trees the Green Dragon rumours about wayward Big Folk from the
of the Bindbole Wood. Winters in this region tend to be a bit days of the King, or those talking of giants taller than trees
cooler and longer than in the rest of the Shire. Still, in those walking seven yards to a stride in the North Moors. Even if
seasons of lesser sun, a blanket of winter snow is no small these fanciful yarns are just that, the truth is that there are
beauty to awaken to each morning as one sets the kettle to boil. no easy trails through the Bindbole.
29
from the North Moors that joins the Brandywine just beyond Northfarthing knows the ‘real reason’ behind her decision
the borders of the Eastfarthing, and running into the North — from a bout of ‘wandering-madness’, the discovery of the
farthing. It’s a vast land, mostly flat in between the two rivers, secret cache of gold of her late father Otto, to the sudden
rapidly rising as one turns north towards the Hills of Evendim. appearance of a disfiguring disease.
Here, visitors are likely to see small groups of Hobbit rabbit
long cleeve
hunters carrying bows. They spend long hours looking intently
at the ground for coney tracks, or kicking and stomping at their
hiding places. If one should start a conversation with any of One can reach this little village on the edge of the North
them, they would hear the same story about how the game of farthing by following the course of the Water towards the
golf was invented by the Bullroarer on that precise spot. North Moors, well beyond Nobottle and Needlehole. Com-
posed of a handful of houses along both sides of the river,
hardbottle
it is the home of the North-Tooks, a smaller branch of the
renowned clan who claim direct descent from Bandobras
To most Hobbits, to call Hardbottle a remote village would the Bullroarer himself, though there is a bit of a rivalry as to
be an understatement — the only residents of the Shire whether or not they can rightfully say so. Every Took knows
travelling so far are hunters, Bounders, and the members that Bandobras left his home in the Tookland to settle in the
of the Bracegirdle family and their numerous relatives. The Northfarthing only after the Battle of Greenfields, and that is
village itself stands at the confluence of the Norbourn and why they dispute the North-Tooks appropriation of the Hob-
the Brandywine rivers, and can be reached only by crossing bit hero. Fortunately, the dispute is kept friendly by holding
the Norbourn on a boat. shared family reunions, which include “tests of heritage” —
This relative isolation hasn’t prevented the Bracegirdle nothing more than drinking contests, games of conkers, and
family from rising to a certain level of prominence in the the obligatory golf tournament.
Northfarthing. Known for their size (many family members
oatbarton
The Northway ends in the village of Oatbarton, a settlement
of modest size, surrounded by extensive oat fields. Its stone
houses seem to emerge from a veritable sea of long stalks,
bright green in Spring, golden by late summer. In winter,
30
VENTURE INTO THE NORTH MOORS Hobbit-kind from a distance, to fanciful tales of the trees
Stories of what lies concealed and undiscovered along themselves walking about in the light of day. To find out
these northern boundaries of the Shire range from hid- what happens during a trip to the North Moors, the Lore
den camps of shadowy big folk who lurk and watch master can roll a Feat Die and consult the following table.
A Wanderer’s The Player-heroes come upon a Man in travel-worn clothing cooking a pair of rab-
Campsite bits on a spit. There is a welcoming quality about him, in spite of his rugged look. He
offers the Player-heroes a spot by the fire. If they accept, they hear him tell stories
about the lost realm of Arnor, the land of the High King…
1 Moaning An eerie and unnerving moan rings through a tiny grove of pine trees, as a cold wind
Trees blows down from the hills to the north.
2 A Fissure in The Player-heroes stumble upon a great hole dug directly into the ground, large
the Ground enough for several Hobbits to enter. Inside, they find a skeleton of prodigious size, a
bear or a large Orc, and a crude club thrice their height.
3 A Crash and a A large stony crash is heard echoing down from the north, followed by a distant,
Laugh booming laughter.
4–7 Ancient Relics The Player-heroes discover an old object, like a pitted and rusted sword or knife
blade, a brooch, a broken jar or pot, etc. It is mostly useless, but makes for a perfect
Mathom.
8 Followed The Player-heroes get the uncomfortable sense they are being watched and fol-
from the lowed. A cloaked figure seems to linger for an instant behind a far-off tree, then dis-
Shadows appears into the wilderness.
9 Wolf Carcass A large dead wolf is found, slain with arrows too large for Hobbit bows still stuck in
its side.
10 Uprooted Though the ground looks otherwise undisturbed, there are signs that a tree has been
Tree ripped from the ground, roots and all. Large depressions in the soil can be seen trail-
ing off to the north and west.
Wrathful A ghastly spirit rises out of a darkened shadow to plague the Player-heroes, the hiss
Spirit of “Angmar” on its spectral lips as it passes through them and leaves a chill far deeper
in their bones than any winter ever could. They will have dark dreams about it for a
few days.
heavy snows regularly blanket Oatbarton, and Hobbit chil- from the nearby fields gather to eat lunch — the simple,
dren delight in re-enacting the Battle of Greenfields using hard-working folk of Oatbarton sit at long tables set up on
snowballs and snowgoblins, which they promptly trounce with trestles, under tents and pavilions during the harvest season.
the largest stick available. The produce of the fields of Oatbarton is used by brewer-
The village itself would be quite unassuming, if it wasn’t ies all over the Shire to make a particularly bitter beer, called
for its great cobblestone courtyard, situated right in its heart. by some the ‘Dwarven Stout’. A drink that needs growing
Surrounded by granaries, wooden homes, barns, and sheds, accustomed to, it is favoured by travelling Dwarves, who don’t
the courtyard becomes crowded at noon, when all farmhands seem to mind the sharper taste at all.
31
32
the eastfarthing
The Hobbits of that quarter, the Eastfarthing, were rather large
and heavy-legged, and they wore dwarf-boots in muddy weather.
While not quite the largest of the Four Farthings, the East Many Hobbits living in this part of the Shire bear some
farthing is most certainly the oldest, as it is this land that the distinct physical features, when compared with their neigh-
founders of the Shire encountered first, when they crossed bours. They are generally heavier in build, and some even
the Bridge of Stonebows long ago. From the Three-Farthing sport a trace of beard on their chin (no Hobbit living else-
Stone in the west to the Brandywine Bridge in the east, the where ever displayed anything so uncanny). Esteemed Hobbit
quarter is divided in two by the East Road and the course of ‘historians’ attribute these peculiarities to the fact that the
the Water. The northern half is an upland, dominated in its ancestors of the Hobbits of the Southfarthing belonged to
middle by stony hills, and slowly rising towards the North a southerly branch of Hobbit-kind, where most of the other
Moors. The southern region is wilder, crossed by innumer- first settlers came from the West.
able streams and brooks, sometimes leading to vast patches
the brandywine
of marshland. The main townships of the Eastfarthing are
Frogmorton and Whitfurrows, along the East Road.
Running for uncounted leagues from its source in Lake Even-
dim to its faraway mouth at the sea, the Brandywine River
serves as the eastern border of the Shire. With the founding
of Buckland, the river also demarcates the division between
GIRDLEY ISLAND a land inhabited by proper Hobbits, and the wrong side of
Ten miles north of the Bridge of Stonebows, the the river, where the Bucklanders dwell. Whether east or west,
Brandywine River bifurcates around a narrow the watercourse occupies a prominent place in the lives of
island, about two mile in length. Called Girdley a great many Hobbits. Many boats, both fishing and leisure,
Island, it is covered with wild shrubs and low trees, can be seen crossing it, or moored along its banks, especially
and is rumoured to be a haunted place. Those few on the eastern side.
who have moored their boats there and made The main crossing is the Brandywine Bridge, also called
their way through the vegetation claim to have the Bridge of Stonebows, a marvel leaping across the river
heard scratching noises or stirrings beneath their in three graceful arcs. No Hobbit can recall the days when
feet. As a consequence, the island is abandoned to it was built, but the Shire-folk keep it in good repair as they
its waterfowl and wild vegetation, save for some were instructed to do so at the time of the Northern King-
brave Bucklander or foolish Eastfarthing youth dom. The bridge is wide and strong, allowing carts, ponies,
who visits it on a dare to test their valour. and wagons to easily cross.
Unbeknownst to everyone in the Shire, the The other crossing, though less used and less trusted, is
secret of Girdley Island lies not in cursed spir- the Bucklebury Ferry, found approximately ten miles down-
its, but in hidden guardians. In the middle of the river, in the northern part of the Marish. This large, flat boat
island is a secret refuge, built in recent years by can be reached via a narrow lane off the Causeway running
the Rangers of the North. It is a small fortification, parallel to the Brandywine, and makes its mooring on the
mostly underground, concealed in a great copse opposite bank in the heart of Buckland, near the village for
of trees. From here, the Rangers use their small, which it is named. Though tended by a ferryman by day, no
flat-bottomed boats to move swiftly up and down one remains in service after nightfall, and it is seldom used
the Brandywine, easily moving as far north as Lake at such times for fear of some poor Hobbit slipping over its
Evendim or south to Sarn Ford. edge and plunging into the waters of the Brandywine.
33
Merry A particularly jovial Dwarf is returning to the Blue Mountains after a long trip from the
Merchant Lonely Mountain. Delighted and glad to soon be home, he gives each Player-hero a
gift, claiming that he is following the tradition of the locals and celebrating his own
birthday! The gifts are nothing less than fine, and indeed, magical, toys from the mar-
kets of Dale!
4 Boasting The Player-h eroes meet two Dwarven brewers from the Blue Mountains, burdened
Brewers with beer-b arrels bought at the Golden Perch. They claim to have discovered the
secret of the ‘best beer in the Shire’, but appear to have sampled their wares a bit
too much.
5 Renowned A lone Dwarf stops the Player-heroes and asks for directions to Bag End, claiming to
Relatives be a distant relation of one of Thorin’s Company.
6 Sullen Smith A visibly angry Dwarven blacksmith is hauling ore from the mines at Scary, upset and
irritated at what he calls a “cross deal”, and shoots the Player-heroes a mean look as
he passes.
7 Bent Blades Shouldering a mighty wood axe and leading a pack mule, a Dwarf claims he tried to
chop some wood from the Old Forest on his way here, but that the trees made groan-
ing noises and dulled the edge of his axe.
8 A Song for a A Dwarf is strumming on a harp as he sings to himself. He offers to teach one of the
Song Player-heroes a Dwarven song in return for a local one. If obliged, he kindly gives the
character a silver tin whistle engraved with Dwarvish runes as a thank you.
9 A Nice Nap A Dwarf has fallen asleep on the road, fat and content. A cooked sausage is still held
in his meaty fist. If disturbed, he awakens with a start and asks for directions to the
nearest inn.
10 Beleaguered The Player-heroes spot a group of Hobbit children running down the East Road,
Beards their leader holding a tuft of hair in their fist. Behind them comes a lumbering Dwarf,
shouting and holding the end of his beard.
Appalling A particularly cantankerous Dwarf halts one of the Player-heroes as they pass, accus-
Accusations ing them of theft and mistaking the befuddled travellers for someone else. The
Player-heroes will need to do some fast talking if they hope to avoid an awkward
confrontation.
34
bridgefields
Bridgefields is the name of a long stretch of fertile land extend-
ing for about three leagues west of the Brandywine Bridge, and
likely named in reference to it. The most prominent village of
the district is certainly Whitfurrows, the first township of the
Shire one encounters when travelling west along the East Road.
deephallow
The village of Deephallow is nestled near the corner where
the Shirebourn meets the Brandywine, just north of the Over- forever apart, until she was driven mad by sorrow and walked
bourn Marshes. It is reached by taking the road that branches into the Overbourn Marshes and was never seen again. Some
out from the East Road near the Brandywine Bridge and by among the more superstitious folk of Deephallow claim that
following it to its very end. she still lingers there, singing a lament for her one true love
The Hobbits that make their homes here have a repu- in hopes of luring him — or any young Hobbit foolish enough
tation as a cantankerous lot, perhaps due to their feud with to be enchanted by her voice — into her arms and to a watery
the Buckland Hobbits of Haysend, on the other side of the grave. Known by the locals as the Forgotten Foxglove, she wan-
Brandywine (theirs is a Hobbitish rivalry, expressed mainly in ders the Overbourn Marshes, her gaze forever cast downward.
words and surly looks). They seem to have less love for mer-
riment than other Hobbits, and most even bar their doors
at night. This lesson is one they undoubtedly took up in a
frogmorton
manner similar to their Buckland rivals, though if reminded
of this they will vehemently deny even this most tenuous con-
nection. Those rare visitors that travel so far south are given Travelling out from the Three-Farthing Stone along the East
a cold reception, though this is not due to malice — the Road, one will first come to the village of Frogmorton on
Hobbits of Deephallow seem to know better than their west- the southern banks of the Water as it splits in two flowing
ern counterparts what lies just beyond their borders, and are westward, creating a large eyot. Named for the croaking
reluctant to have such dangers fall upon their neighbours. chorus that fills the air on summer nights, this community
marks the halfway point between Hobbiton and the Bran-
dywine Bridge. Frogmorton is perhaps most well-known for
the Floating Log, the first good inn one encounters on the
FORGOTTEN FOXGLOVE East Road heading west (the establishments of Whitfurrows
In a time when the rivalry between the folk of Deephallow and and Budgeford are not worth mentioning). A fine establish-
that of Haysend ran deeper, there lived a Hobbit girl whose ment certainly, if only its proprietor Juniper Broadbelt would
name has been forgotten. She fell in love with a Hobbit of give up her family’s endless quest to somehow prepare frog
Haysend, and the enmity between their families kept them legs as a proper meal.
35
the hills of scary When they found it impossible to dig proper Hobbit-holes
Going north on the road from Budgeford, one travels towards in the soggy ground of the region, the original settlers of the
a range of hills that rises almost along the border with the area started building farms, barns, and sheds above ground.
Northfarthing. Against the side of the hills one finds first the This tradition continues to this day, and many farms dotting
village of Scary, then the Brockebores to the west, and on the the area are stout buildings built of brick and with thatched
other side, the township of Dwaling. It is under the hills of roofs. The road traversing the Marish is peculiar in itself, as
Scary that the first settlers found lodes of iron ore, and it is it is a causeway, a raised road built to carry travellers above
from here that the Shire-Hobbits still extract the mineral and the watery ground.
quarry the stone required to build their many houses above
ground — the number of tunnels dug under the hills, from RUSHEY
the Brockenbores to the quarries at Scary, are an indication The tiny hamlet of Rushey is one of the main settlements of
of this centuries-old practice. the Marish, the other one being the larger village of Stock.
A bit too dour for the likes of their merrier cousins to the Rushey stands upon a low hill, and houses a small number
south, the Scary Hobbits and those of the Brockenbores rarely of families. The locals pride themselves on their harvests of
venture into the heart of the Eastfarthing. Most seem content cabbages and rhubarb, as well as their ability to draw bog iron
to stick to their own business, undisturbed, a very Dwarvish from the surrounding swamps day and night — sometimes
attitude for a Hobbit to display. The Hobbits of Dwaling are even working by lantern light. They trade their ore in Stock
friendlier and more open towards strangers than their neigh- and the Bridgefields, and with the people of Deephallow, and
bours, and they often act as intermediaries for the mining folk even across the water in Buckland.
of the hills — they broker deals for them, and provide them
with all they need to continue their work without distractions.
stock
The town of Stock is certainly the busiest village in the Marish,
the marish
if not the entire Southfarthing. It can be reached easily, by
following the Stock Road out of Tuckborough, by slipping out
The home of the Oldbuck family who famously migrated to of Woodhall following the Stock-brook, or simply by walking
the other side of the Brandywine river long ago, the Marish on the causeway. This bustling community is just as full of life
is a fenland that saw the first house-dwellers of the Shire. as Hobbiton or Michel Delving, and has the best fish market
36
in all the Shire. Fresh catch can be found almost every day of
the week, plucked right out of the Brandywine or the Stock-
brook. But a good part of the popularity that Stock enjoys THINGS TO DO IN STOCK
must be attributed to the Golden Perch, the inn known for Though not as prestigious as Michel Delving, or
the best beer served in the Eastfarthing (of no less repute is Hobbiton, Stock is quite a robust community.
its plate of fish and chips). Here, it is not uncommon to find Player-h eroes can find a surprising number of
the occasional thirsty Took, who has come all the way from things to do given its large population, active
Tookland on a beer-tasting walk. community of fishermen, and the reputation of
the Golden Perch that draws visitors from all the
willowbottom
Four Farthings.
Visitors to Stock might find themselves
Willowbottom lies at the southern edge of the Eastfarthing, in drawn into one of its many regular fishing tour-
the deep valley cut by the Thistle Brook as it flows out of the naments, enjoying a fine meal of fish and chips
Woody End. Populated by a handful of families boasting many at the Golden Perch while they hear the latest
fishermen and the occasional hunter and woodsman, Willow- tall tales out of Buckland and the Old Forest, or
bottom is connected to Deephallow by means of an easterly trading stories with a Dwarven traveller taking
road. The locals fish from the waters of the Thistle Brook and a break for the night. Player-h eroes might be
the near course of the Shirebourn, and hunt along the edges hired to carry a load of salted trout to Hobbiton
of the Woody End. They build simple wooden homes, and or even as far as Michel Delving, or even tasked
rarely venture outside their vicinity, except to trade with the by a curious local with making an expedition to
Hobbits of Deephallow. It has been probably a century since far off Bree to see if all the foolish tales from
someone from Willowbottom has ventured outside the East that town are true.
farthing — at least that’s what they say in Stock.
woody end
Though this great upland forest of oaks and beeches, white-
beams and rowans, begins on the edges of Pincup in the
Green Hills, its heart rests in the Eastfarthing. Here, foxes, and farmers, enjoying the isolation and fresh air of their
badgers, and wild rabbits mingle with finches, starlings, wild corner of the Shire. Despite the remoteness of the
and robins. From all the noise they make in the spring- place, the local bilberry cake is a popular dish in the East
time among the great thicket of wood, one would suspect farthing, and is served as far away as the inns at Stock and
they are constantly gossiping with one another. It is not Frogmorton.
uncommon for Hobbits from the Yale to go on picnics A famous personality from Woodhall is the pipe-maker
along its edge. Indeed, the Stock Road from Tuckborough known as Old Rosefield, an artisan who has carved the finest
runs under its northern boughs on its eastward course, and briar smoking pipes in all the Shire for nearly seventy years.
both the River Shirebourn and the Thistle-Brook begin They fetch quite a good price on the rare occasion they appear
there before descending south. But apart from these infre- in the markets of Whitfurrows. Although only a few people
quent intrusions, the Woody End can be considered to be know it, in his house, Old Rosefield keeps an incredible col-
sparsely populated at best, if not outright uninhabited. In lection of pipes he acquired from strange and foreign lands
autumn, the Woody End takes on a blazing golden hue, and over the decades (in addition to a precious selection of those
the busy community of beasts and birds falls silent. By the he has carved himself in his lifetime). Some of the older and
time the first snows begin to fall, the hearth smoke trickling most precious pieces are said to be of Dwarf-make, while
up from its eastern end leads travellers to the welcoming another is even rumoured to have been crafted in a great
fires of Woodhall. Wizard’s tower far to the south. Such strange creations must
undoubtedly have equally strange enchantments upon them,
WOODHALL and Rosefield is said to give them away to those who perform
As one would suspect from the name, the village of Woodhall a great service to the people of Woodhall. On rare occasions,
sits nestled in a tiny valley at the northeastern edge of the he will even trade them with those who offer a piece of fine
Woody End. It’s a tiny community of woodsmen, hunters, craftsmanship in return.
37
WANDERING ELVES
Before Hobbits took root in the Shire, great forests covered The Lorem aster can roll a Feat Die to determine
the land, and Elves used to roam freely across the area. whether or not the Player-heroes encounter such a trav-
Today, one can meet them sometimes in the Woody End, as eller, should they find themselves beneath the eaves of
they wander on paths that are seldom trodden by Mortals. the Woody End under bright-burning stars.
An Unexpected The Player-heroes have come upon a merry gathering of Elves and are invited to join
Guest them for an evening of fine food and lovely singing. They wake up the next morning
filled with an invigorating zest (they each recover one point of Hope).
8 Sleeping Fairy A fox behaving curiously invites the Player-heroes to follow her. She leads them to what
seems to be a fair Elf-maiden lying unconscious on the ground. If they help her with a
HEALING roll, she wakes up, thanks them, and then disappears into the forest. From that
moment on, when they are in the Woody End they never encounter bad weather.
9 Dancing Stars Dancing lights dart to and fro in the Woody End, and a merry laughter is heard, as if
someone were playing a prank. A tinkling of bells is heard, and then a warm breeze
and the scent of flowers fills the air.
10 Tales from Hidden among trees, a few Elves call to Hobbits unknowingly passing by. After polite
the Trees greetings, the Elves ask about the goings-on in the Shire before offering a tale of
their people and proceeding on their journey.
Wounded A sad Elf travels alone. He sees the Hobbits, smiles without mirth, then gazes to the
by Sorrow stars and vanishes into the darkness. The sight of one so bright and beautiful laid low
by the weight of the world’s troubles leaves a stain on the heart of the Player-heroes,
causing them to lose 1 Hope.
38
the yale
The lowland region known as the Yale lies to the north of
the Woody End and south of the Bridgefields district. The THE BLACK WOLF OF WOODY END
ancestral seat of the Boffin family, the Yale has no prominent Children of the Yale are taught from an early age that if they’re
village or township, but is instead dotted by many farms. For naughty they’ll get more than a light supper. The worst punish-
as long as any can recall, its inhabitants have tended fields ment that any child in the Eastfarthing could possibly imagine
of corn, cabbage, wheat, and many other crops. In recent is to be taken by the Black Wolf of Woody End. Locals say it
generations, some among them have even taken to tending is descended from one of the terrible beasts that came down
wandering flocks of sheep and keeping dairy cattle that nib- during the Fell Winter. Now it lingers in the deepest part of the
ble the grass of the long fields surrounding their homeland. forest, watching for wayward children, and leaping out from
This pleases the folk of the Eastfarthing to no end, and con- the darkness to snatch them away and devour them.
tributes to many a fine table kept in the region. With fur as black as night and eyes as red as fire, it only
comes out from its secret den at night to stalk its prey. It is
said to have a particular fondness for Hobbit children, espe-
cially naughty ones — or so the gaffers and gammers
say. Grown-ups know the Black Wolf to be nothing
more than balderdash, but in recent years, adven-
turous souls who’ve gone off into the Woody End
in search of Elves at sunset claim to have seen
gleaming red eyes staring at them from the
long shadows of the fading day. More than
one child, and even a tween or two, has
come running from the forest stammering
and spluttering about a low, rumbling
growl and the sight of a pair of fiery eyes
glowing in the darkness.
The hysteria has gotten to be a bit
much for the people of the Yale and calls
have rung out for a Bounder to make a
proper investigation. The Bounders are not
very inclined to investigate, and it may fall to more
adventurous locals to get to the bottom of things.
39
buckland
… a thickly inhabited strip between the river and the Old Forest, a sort of colony from the Shire.
Its chief village was Bucklebury, clustering in the banks and slopes behind Brandy Hall.
crickhollow
The biggest news out of Buckland in recent years came last
spring when a young gentlehobbit by the name of Rollo Bof-
No Hobbit east of the Brandywine would dare be so outra- fin came all the way from the Westfarthing and built himself
geous as to call Buckland the fifth Farthing of the Shire, but a small but homely house. For his new residence he chose
by all reasonable conclusion that is what it is. It was founded Crickhollow, a pleasant corner a few miles north of Bucklebury.
over six hundred years ago, when Gorhendad Oldbuck Taking little heed of the advice of locals, Rollo has built his
decided the Shire was getting too crowded for his liking. The home closer to the High Hay and the Old Forest than is con-
enterprising Hobbit took himself and his relations over the sidered proper, much to the consternation of his neighbours.
42
OLD BROADBELT
The current Master of Buckland is Gorbadoc Brandybuck,
or Old Broadbelt as he is known by many — on account
of his ample waistline and his considerable age. He has
shown his good character by serving as a shrewd and
stout patriarch over both kin and land for fifty years now.
In spite of his stiff demeanour, he’s shown nothing but
kindness to his own kin, even when his daughter Prim-
ula went and became engaged to Drogo Baggins out of
Hobbiton. A gaffer’s wisdom keeps him well aware of any
mischief which his relations get up to, whether causing
trouble or planning some foolish expedition into the Old
Forest. Though he was once a tween himself, and loves
to recount to his younger relations the stories of his days
as a reckless youth, Gorbadoc is quick to undercut such
tales with reminders that this mischievousness come at a
cost, and one must always keep a keen eye and a sharp
mind in all deeds.
haysend
A small village, little more than an outpost, stands at the and the trees, they constantly drive away curious visitors with
southern edge of the High Hay, where the Withywindle flows their dour stories and cold demeanour. The folk of Haysend
out the Old Forest to join the Brandywine. Only the most seem to have a particular dislike for the Hobbits of Deephal-
hardened loners of Buckland live here, with the Old Forest low, with whom they are always arguing over fishing rights
almost at their doorsteps. Caught between the river bend and fair trading prices.
FISHING COMPETITION
The disagreements between the Hobbits of Haysend and Deep- The Player-heroes may find themselves in this unlucky role if
hallow over fishing rights may finally come to an end. The peo- they get drawn into local politics. Judging the competition will
ple of both villages have agreed to hold a fishing competition! be an exercise in frustration, as members of both communities
Whoever wins will enjoy exclusive fishing rights over the tract argue with one another over everything, from the proper bait,
of the Brandywine dividing the two settlements for one full the exact time for sunrise and sunset, whether the winning boat
year. Both villages will choose a fisherman champion — who- should be determined by quantity or weight of the fish caught,
ever pulls the most fish out of those coveted waters from dawn or any other tiny detail they can think of. This can require any
till dusk will be declared the winner. number of AWARENESS , HUNTING , or INSIGHT rolls, depending
But nothing is ever that simple when it comes to settling on what the character is judging, and no matter who ends up
such disputes. Neither village trusts the other, so they’re both being the victor, the judges will surely be accused of having
in search of impartial judges for the contest. The folk of Deep- cheated or even having been bribed by the winners, and noth-
hallow don’t trust anyone from Buckland, and the Haysend ing will truly be settled!
locals don’t want any Shire-Hobbit.
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“I heard there’s an Elf-maiden that lives in the Old Forest, singing songs upon the banks of the Withy-
windle and walking upon water lilies. They say that if you brew tea from those lilies she’s walked upon
you can speak the fairy tongue as if you were born to it!”
1 “I tried to tell that Rollo Boffin fellow that I saw a black dog prowling about his garden last night after
coming straight out of a thicket in the High Hay, but he waved me off as if I was mad!”
2 “A Dwarf I tell you! I saw a Dwarf dancing and singing in the forest as clearly as I see you now! Speaking
some kind of nonsense, he was, too.”
3 “Mad Baggins didn’t find any treasure in some far-off Dwarf-hold. He snuck away and got lost in the
Old Forest for nigh on a year. Drove him right mad it did, and all his stories we’ve heard these past
years are nothing but fairy stories and idle gossip.”
4 “Hobbits I tell you! Living right there in the heart of the Old Forest and right upon the banks of the
Withywindle. No, I ain’t got no proof, but they’ve got a mischievous light in their eyes and seem a bit
too merry for ones to be living in so dour a place. Never you mind how much I’ve had from Gorba-
doc’s personal brew!”
5 “I say ain’t no strangeness in that forest except the ones put there by that Wizard Gandalf. I’d bet my
gaffer’s soup spoon he’s got some secret tower with all manner of magic leaking through the stone
and twisting the forest.”
6 “Wrapped right around my ankle it was, as strong as a fist that root! I took my axe to it and wouldn’t
you know, it recoiled like a serpent waking from a summer nap. I can’t rightly say if the trees in that
forest get up and walk as some would have it, but I know what I saw with my own two eyes.”
7 “Been slippin’ into that wood since I was a tween and I tell you, I ain't never seen no path that runs that
way. Ain’t no roads nor game trails that close up behind a Hobbit as he walks. Not outside of tavern
tales and children’s stories.”
8 “I heard it speak as clear as I hear you! It told me to leave. Yes, I know the branch full of leaves told me
to leave, but you mind what you’re laughing about when you know nothing.”
9 “So there I was, as lost as I could be. I knew if I didn’t get back before nightfall, I was in for trouble, and
I’m not afraid to say I called out for help — but the air itself ate my words right up. But wouldn’t you
know it? A badger came plodding out of the brush as pleased as punch, and looked me in the eye as if
he understood every word I said. Led me home he did, but I never saw him again.”
10 “That branch tried to reach right over the Hedge, and snatch poor Marybelle clean off her feet and into
the forest. I saw it myself, but by the time the Hedge guard came over, it seemed like it was nothing
but wind and the drooping of a low branch.”
“Been twenty years since it took her, my dear Daisy May. We walked hand-in-hand into that cursed
wood. We were adventurous back in those days. Got down on my knee in front of the biggest tree of
the wood. It was like a dream, slow and hazy. Last thing I heard before we both fell into that slumber
was her saying ‘yes,’ but when I woke up she was gone, and I swear that tree looked bigger than it did
when I first went out.”
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BREREDON
Often forgotten or even wilfully ignored by even the Hobbits are prodigious smokers, and have a particular fondness for
of Buckland for their willingness to dwell beyond the High rhymes and riddles, which even they do not recall from where
Hay, there is a tiny community of fishermen somewhere just they learned — though these nonsense songs have been
beyond the Hedge inside the borders of Old Forest itself. passed down for as long as any can remember and new ones
Known as Breredon, it stands near a small landing on the even spring unbidden into the minds of Breredon Hobbit
Withywindle, protected by a barrier they call the Grindwall children from time to time. The Hobbits in Haysend claim
that extends into the water. to hear these merry and foolish songs coming up over the
The folk of Breredon, when encountered at all by other High Hay on warm summer nights — if you can pull such a
Hobbits, are a fey lot even by Buckland standards. They tale out of those ill-tempered folks.
STRANGE SONGS
Visitors staying the night in Haysend, or in Breredon itself, The Loremaster can roll a Feat Die to see which songs
may get to hear one or two of the outlandish songs sung are sung on such a night.
by those strange Old Forest dwellers.
“Saw the golden lady I did, walking upon the Withy waters. As fair as morning dew she was, a River and
her daughter.”
1 “Lights they dance, from Rushey to the Forests of Cardolan. Spirits in the Woodlands, Ghosts of
Northern Kings of Man.”
2 “Whisper not words and threats to Old Man Willow. Unless blue your jacket be, and your boots
be yellow.”
5 “Hear you not the song of the Master and his River-Wife? Take his gifted lilies or instead take strife!”
6 “Trespass, trespass, walker in the wood. Hateful trees, and harmful wood. Raise no axe and no secrets
tell, lest you be forgotten, and you be felled.”
7 “In the house, in the house the Master waits. Greet him kindly at his gates. Remain awake if you are able,
until you sit at Orald’s table!”
8 “Gold be the berry unplucked from the tree, dancing upon the lilies fairest among the free.”
9 “Old songs are foolish, yes it’s true. But such was power when the world was new.”
10 “Blades in barrows, deathless kings entombed, Elf-Lord spoke Black Captain’s doom.”
“Go not, go not, for trees remember! First to burn in blackened embers!”
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the high hay to smash through it, and were driven back only when the
The High Hay is a thick hedge rising thrice the height of a Buckland Hobbits burnt hundreds of trees, feeding a bonfire
Hobbit, and running for the length of the eastern border that went on for days on end, gaining them the hostility of
of Buckland, almost ten leagues from the East Road in the the Forest. A glade opens on the spot where that fire raged,
North, to the village of Haysend in the south. If you listen to as no trees will grow near it.
those living in Buckland, the High Hay is the true border of The Hobbits of Buckland maintain a constant vigilance
the Shire, a claim disputed only by those traditionalists who over the High Hay. Guards armed with axes as well as flint and
live west of the Brandywine. Three openings allow passage to tinder walk its edge, planting fresh seeds and cutting away way-
the other side — the North Gate, leading to the East Road ward vines to ensure that the Old Forest remains in its place.
and guarded day and night, a private tunnel near Crickhollow
newbury
used by members of the Brandybuck clan, and a southern gate
opening in the vicinity of the village of Haysend.
Old lore holds that the Hedge (another name for the Nestled just a few miles north of Bucklebury and cradled
High Hay) was planted by order of Gorhendad Oldbuck along the edge of the Old Forest, the village of Newbury is
upon the very day he claimed the surrounding land as his considered a recent addition to the region, even if its founda-
own. According to the stories, the trees of the Old Forest tion goes back to a time no one in Buckland can remember.
itself rose up in revolt years later, enraged at having a border With no Bounders crossing the Brandywine and the shadow
forced upon them. They leaned over the Hedge, threatening of the Old Forest on their doorstep, many of the folk in
Newbury keep a wary eye on the darkness
when the night comes, tending to the Hedge
and even making rare expeditions into the
woodland proper. Still, they always return
before nightfall, and there’s never been a
tale of one going without a proper bow and
quiver along with their sturdy walking stick.
More than one has even gone in with an axe
at their belt!
The locals that gather at Hugo’s Gruff, a
tiny local inn of comparatively poor quality
to those found in the Shire, regularly hear
tales of unnatural goings on in the Old
Forest, and on windy autumn nights, many
locals claim that they can hear baleful noises
echoing up from over the High Hay.
standelf
Standelf is found at the end of the road
going south from Bucklebury. Built around
a stone quarry that was abandoned long ago,
the village is composed of ancient and sturdy
stone houses with thatched roofs. The folk
of Standelf carry on a good trade across the
Brandywine with the Hobbits of Rushey, forg-
ing the bog iron harvested there into axes
and other tools. In return, they keep that
community well stocked with pork and wild
berries, both of which are found in abun-
dance in the village.
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“Anyone foolish enough to drink the water from the Withywindle ages a hundred years in a day. Why
do you think they call it the ‘Old’ Forest?”
1 “All those birds and beasts you see in the woods? They used to be Hobbits. But you go too deep and
you get transformed — forever.”
2 “A bearded Hobbit lives in those woods and he’s taken a fairy wife. It’s true. I seen ‘em dancing
together beneath the trees at midsummer.”
3 “Watch the trees, they say. I say watch the thorns. You prick a finger on a thorn in the Old Forest, and
the oaks and elms and willows get a taste for your blood. Drain you dry they will, leaving your husk out
for the crows that lurk in the Barrow-downs beyond.”
4 “Brandybucks didn’t come outta no Shire! They came from the east, I tell you. Walked right out the
Old Forest planning on taking the Shire for their own. Ain’t real Hobbits, but spirits that just look like
Shire folk.”
5 “Bees in that wood are as big as sparrows. Swarm on you and carry you away they will — never to be
seen again.”
6 “They say if you die under the eaves of the Old Forest, your body gets wrapped in vines and sunken
into the soil forever, until the land claims everything about you — even your memory, and no Hobbit
remembers you ever existed.”
7 “Only thing keeping the forest from reclaiming Buckland are secret runes written on the North Gate.
Put there by Gandalf the Grey they were, and invisible to the likes of you and me.”
8 “Yes, I tried to join the guards that mind the High Hay, but I wasn’t willing to go into the Old Forest
alone and make a pact with the dark spirits near the Bonfire Glade. It’s not right, I tell you.
Not right at all.”
9 “All a bunch of poppycock, I say. Ain’t nothing strange about that wood except for the mine at the cen-
ter. That’s right, a mine! Dwarves moving through the Shire are slipping into the Old Forest where they
dig for gold. That’s where Baggins really got his ‘Dwarf gold.’”
10 “Ain’t the trees moving in that place, but a family of Trolls living on the banks of the Withywindle. Want
nothing to do with the likes of you and me. Just want to be left to their own peace.”
“Of course the animals in the Old Forest can talk! Everything can! The birds, the beasts, the trees! Got
a sorcerous master they all do, and he’ll transform you into a furry critter just to bind you to his service
he will — all with a promise and a song.”
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A Song in from The low and gentle voice of a lady singing is heard to the south, filled with hope
the Rushes and beauty. It stirs the hearts of all who hear it before fading away. All Player-
heroes regain 1 Hope.
1–2 Clawing The trees sway and rock as the Player-heroes pass by, seeming to claw with hard
and Falling wooden talons at their skin, and heavy branches fall suddenly and hard upon them.
Branches Attempting to pull free or dodge out of the way of these dangers requires an
ATHLETICS roll. Those who fail are struck by a fallen branch or find their arms and
legs cut by clutching limbs that refuse for a long time to release them, and lose
3 Endurance.
3 Dazzling Leaves The wanderers find themselves entranced by the dance of the leaves in the bright,
thin rays of the sun. This vision of enchantment lingers in their minds, requiring each
Player-hero to make a WISDOM roll to drive away the haunting images that continue
to plague them during their time in the Old Forest.
4 Irritating Flies Swarms of stinging flies assault the Company, mercilessly biting any exposed flesh.
Swatting and dodging seems to do no good. It is long before the cloud moves on,
and each Player-hero loses 1 Endurance as well as losing 1 Hope due to the misera-
ble, lingering pain.
5 Mad Eyes The trees! You swear they’re watching you! They haven’t eyes, but you know they’re
Upon You watching you as you pass, an unwelcome guest waiting to be expelled. Any minute
they could strike, and their predatory gaze is driving you mad! Unless a successful
WISDOM roll is made, each Player-hero loses 2 points of Hope.
6 Tangling Roots Roots and vines seem to twist and writhe, binding the Player-hero’s legs. Slowly
they tighten, until becoming quite painful. Unless a Player-hero can succeed at an
ATHLETICS roll, they lose 2 Endurance and suffer a slowing limp (all ATHLETICS rolls
lose (−1) until they take a Prolonged Rest.
7–8 Twisting Paths The trees appear to have moved when the Player-heroes weren’t looking, and the
path they were following seems to have closed off. Looking back, they see the road
behind them is not as they remember it.
9 Ivy Most The Player-heroes have walked through a patch of leafy ivy and lichen that has
Unkind caused their skin to break out in painful welts. They each lose 2 Endurance, but can
attempt a HEALING roll to avoid this.
10 Caught in a The Player-heroes have stumbled into a great bramble of thorns, startling a family
Thorny Garden of badgers. Several of these beasts chitter and seem rather cross at this intrusion.
Tearing themselves free of the thorns causes a Player-hero to lose 3 Endurance,
but if the Player-heroes make a successful COURTESY test and ask the badgers for
aid, they will lead the Player-heroes from the thorns without injury.
Hunted by a A pack of wolves (one per Player-hero; or the Burnt Beast, if it still exists, see Adven-
Forest Predator tures, page 27) is hunting the Company while they are lost in the Old Forest.
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50
TOM BOMBADIL, THE MASTER nature of his spirit no one can say — Tom is the Master
Tom Bombadil is a truly unknowable being. His simple, of the Old Forest, and unconcerned with affairs beyond
joyful existence is one spent in song, gathering tokens his domain.
for his beloved wife Goldberry, and playing mischie- Should Player-heroes find themselves invited to stay
vous games with the woodland creatures. He walks with by Tom Bombadil in his house, they will find their hearts
a merry step, singing songs that seem to be naught but lightened and their hope restored. They will be invited
nonsense. In spite of his lightness of heart, or perhaps to feast and sing and tell tales to Tom and his beloved
because of it, no ill thing of the Old Forest can set itself wife Goldberry in return for this hospitality.
against him. Indeed, there is no evil that has touched Anyone acting in a respectful manner and joining
his heart, and his true nature is unknown, even to the Tom in this merry making can make a SONG roll. Those
Wise. He stands taller than a Hobbit, yet less so than who pass recover 1 Hope, +1 for each icon rolled.
a Man, and is clad in a blue jacket, great yellow boots, In addition, if the characters brought with them any
and sports a full beard as brown as the fertile soil upon beasts of burden or hounds, those creatures will be
which he dances. blessed to remain keen of mind and stout of heart for
It would be foolish to dismiss his strange songs as the rest of their days. Such a creature will understand the
nonsense though, for Tom is as old as old, as wise as verbal commands of their master. Finally, such a beast
wise, and for all his merriment, has knowledge beyond blessed by Bombadil will always be able to find their
measure. Whether it is the gladness in his heart that way back to Tom if they become lost in the Old Forest
prevents any evil from threatening him or it is the or Barrow-downs.
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GOLDBERRY, THE RIVER-D AUGHTER no one knows her true nature — only that she is the lady
Beautiful and calm, the elusive maiden some call Gold- of the Master, Tom Bombadil, and that he regularly dotes
berry possesses an Elvish kind of beauty. She is an upon her by plucking water lilies from the banks of the
enchantment and a mystery to all whom she encounters. Withywindle to present to her as token of his love.
Golden-haired and clad in a dress of reeds and living The blessed few who hear the song of Goldberry
flowers, she springs lightly as the wind upon the banks the River-Daughter find their fear driven back, and all
of the river. Singing with the natural beauty of a summer darkness seems far away. Hearts are lightened by the joy
rain, she shares songs that raise the hearts of all who are of her presence and the fairness of her voice, and those
blessed to hear her. She conceals herself well in the Old who hear her regain 1 point of Hope from the gift of
Forest, and though some believe her to be a river-spirit, such a song and a smile.
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