I spent the first weekend of July in Sheffield at the Garrison Hotel, at the second of the relaunched LongCon conventions. Last year I had a fabulous weekend running a group through the whole of the Stormbringer Stealer of Souls & Black Sword campaigns using Tripod as the engine, which I wrote about here and here.
I was pondering what to run this year when my friend and fellow organiser Graham pitched The One Ring. And like that, I decided that I wanted to play. What could be better than a weekend exploring Middle Earth?
This year's event preparation went more easily than the previous years (we failed to take off in 2023, and 2024 was all about getting the systems in place), and we saw more players and interest. At the heart of the organisation are three Google Forms. One manages registration for the convention, the second manages game pitches from GMs and the final form manages game preferences from players. Unlike the other conventions we run (which are all based around three to four hour slots), LongCon focuses on the same group of players playing through an extended campaign over the weekend. Because of this, we allow GMs to preallocate some spaces to players they know, but we also have a semi-random preference based game allocation.
Once I'd built the sheets, Graham managed most of the rest of the admin, especially the preferences. That was pretty impressive, as he was also preparing a campaign for the weekend too! I did do some more traditional pin badges as souvenirs for people, and also helped source some light-breaking curtains and portable rods that we could use to fit them. We needed the latter because the Garrison has refurbished the space we use and has removed the heavy curtains that were a nightmare to clean for them. As a result, we'd been taping baking paper to the windows to diffuse the sunlight, so a more practical solution was needed, which we've now tested ready for Furnace.
There was a bit of a comedy moment when I asked Graham 'the question' and he wasn't sure. Nothing about getting married, but rather whether we'd remembered to book rooms for the night at the hotel. It was a good thing I did, as this was the first time that he really wasn't sure! Referring to it as 'the question' comes from years of either Elaine or I asking for various Garricons!
Graham hosted a session zero for the campaign which I nearly missed because I'd managed to mute the channel we were using for Discord, but he nudged me and I arrived a little flustered. He'd set this up using Role, a VTT that I still pay for but haven't used recently. However, it reminded me just how great it is on the AV side. I will use it again if I run something lighter.
We introduced ourselves, and my character, a Ranger of the North Captain called Hallas, was created. Graham had decided to run the Lone Lands campaign for the weekend, which was a great call, especially as I haven't read the book for that yet. There were initially six of us, but two had to drop out nearer the event. I especially missed Dr Mitch, who ran the extended The Darkening of Mirkwood campaign for us using the first edition of The One Ring, still one of the standout campaigns that I have played. It would have been lovely to play alongside him again.
Aside from myself, my fellow players were Simon (who played in my Achtung! Cthulhu campaign) and Kari and Alex (a couple who I'd never met who were delightful company). Simon created an Elven Scholar called Ithildir, Kari had a Hobbit Messenger from the Shire called Bell Bunce, and Alex had a Dwarf Champion from the Blue Mountains, call Ginar. So we could definitely do a joke around 'A Man, an Elf, a Dwarf and a Hobbit walked into a bar...' which we actually achieved twice in Bree.
I was surprised and very grateful when Alex offered to 3D print us each a One Ring dice tray, which I used all the way through the weekend! It looked fantastic.
We'd agreed to kick off at 0930 on Saturday; it took 20 minutes for us to set up, and then we were away.
The next section contains spoilers for the Lone Lands campaign.
Session 1 - the Isle of the Mother
We started off with a meeting with our patron, Cirdan, at Mithlond and were briefed that there were evil forces stirring at sea as we met a mariner, Captain Egre. He sailed a coast hugger, The Sea Wing and had unfortunately suffered the loss of his daughter, named after Elwing, two years ago when she set off in her own boat heading north. He told us of trouble at the Isle of the Mother, an evil there that he linked back to Numenórean times. As a ranger, my character knew that the northern seas were dangerous - the last King of Arnor, Arvedui drowned there in TA1975. We were tasked to sail north and check out the rumours.
Hallas suffered from a nightmare as we sailed, initially dreaming of his mother, who was asking why he was taking this mission. She transformed into some kind of hag at the end. Failing a valour check, he gained a point of shadow. It wasn't the last time that bad dreams would haunt members of our fellowship.
We continued northwards, and for a moment Hallas thought that he could see a tower at sea, but it turned out to be rocks. We started to feel fatigued from the constant wind and motion of the sea.
On the third day, we saw an island with the remains of a Lossoth camp on the shore. This was the Isle of the Mother. A squall blew in, a fell wind with voices carrying in the air. Evil spirits were in motion in the gusts around us, causing Ginar and Ilthildir to feel afraid, despite Bell and Hallas trying to keep their spirits up.
We met the Lossoth, and Bell spoke well for us, sharing food. They were young and deferential to us. The leader was called Jagat, and he had lead his people here hunting the Limlug, a huge mythical island sized beast. He had met Elwing, whose ship we had seen wrecked as we approached their camp. She had gone into the forest and soon after the ghosts had started to travel in the air. Ithildur's inate Elven powers awed the Lossoth.
Heading into the forest, we were attacked by fell creature who Ithildur described as Wood Wights. We managed to defeat them and found Elwing trapped in a cave. Deeper in the cave, Hallas discovered the blade of my long lost ancestor, Haldan, Estelang. This was potent against the restless dead, but he also learned that three times Haldan had failed to defeat an evil somewhere to the north, in one case abandoning his friends to their fate. How the blade came to be here was a mystery and Haldan's ultimate fate was not known, although it was in some way tied to Amon Guruthos, the Hill of Fear.
We visited the abandoned Numenórean fortress, a former stronghold and place of pilgrimage that was a shadow of its former self. The sea walls and towers were mostly collapsed as time and neglect took their toll, but images of heroes of old like Barahir, Beren, Tuor, Huor, and Eärendil were still visible. We climbed the mountain and reached the place that may indeed have been the last resting place of the elf lord Turin of Gondolin.
We returned to the Havens having dropped the Lossoth safely onto the mainland so that they could return home.
(End of first session, 6AP and 6XP)
Session 2 - the wilds outside Bree
At the start of this session, Graham adjusted the base target number for skill rolls down by two from 20-attribute to 18-attribute. This is suggested in the core book, and was a good move as it changed us from 'just failing' on average to 'just succeeding'. The target number was closer to that in first edition and it made a significant difference to the feel of the game. We never went back, although there is a case that over a number of years the target could be raised to represent the growing influence of the Shadow.
We were next sent to travel to Bree to follow up reports of Gandalf causing trouble. All the stories suggested that this wasn't the real Gandalf, unless he had gone off the rails. Along the way, we stopped in Hobbiton to meet Bell's parents. She clearly had a somewhat exasperating relationship with her mother who definitely did not agree with her choice or career which was close enough to disreputable adventuring to be dubious. Bell managed to convince her parents that everything was going well and that she was fine and safe.
As we headed out of the Shire and past the Barrow Downs, we were threatened by Wraiths but Hallas drive them off with Estelang. Reaching The Prancing Pony we settled for rooms and a good meal. We met Lucinda Willow, a hobbit whose son Hamfast had been drinking at Straddle at The Lamplighter Inn, a dodgy pub in her mind. He had apparently joined up with Gandalf and headed north to find treasure at Deadman's Dike. Bell got details about Hamfast from three girl-hobbits who were sweet on him who were at the Village Green, and then we headed out of Bree to Straddle. The Landlady, Carla Tunnely, kept a good house told us that 'Gandalf' had come in and demanded food and drink. The whole demeanour described definitely sounded wrong, and apparently he and a number of associates had headed north out into the wilderness.
We found the trail, which initially headed north but came off the road, bearing east towards the marshes and then on towards the Weathertop Hills. It approached the dwelling of Farrell the Farmer, before turning away. Farrell was a bit a recluse, his family keeping to themselves and very suspicious of visitors and troublemakers. Clearly, life out in the wilds was dangerous. Bell went in directly, singing, using pipeweed and charm to gain entrance. Ithildur used Elven agility to scale the wall and sit on the roof. Bell slowly introduced us one by one, a little like the dwarves arriving at Bilbo's house in his first adventure.
Farrell the Older was grumpy, suspicious but overall a good man. He was angered as bandits had raided his home and set fire to a large outhouse. Farrell the Younger opened up when his father went to bed. There were stories of a Giant on the road, certainly troll-sized and made of snow and darkness like a mountain. He was sweet on Poppy, a woman from Bree and both of them would really have preferred to move close to civilisation. We shared stories and song and Hallas gave the family heart with tales of old and courage. Overnight, Bel and Ithildur kept watch, while Ginar fixed the damaged building and Hallas instructed the young farmers on how to handle the weapons that they had properly.
Poisoned meat was thrown in and we stopped Old Farrell's dog eating it. We killed the two raiders - Bell with a near miraculous shot with a stone and Ithildur with an arrow. Heading out, we found the bodies and removed the useful equipment. There was a trail leading to a tower near Weathertop. It was guarded and we engaged the guards, including not-Gandalf. We managed to defeat them, discovering that not-Gandalf was a con-man called Ozma who used fireworks and trickery to pretend to be a wizard. We found that Hamfast had been duped and that Ozma planned to sacrifice him to a a wraith that was found in basement of the tower. This was where the Tomb of Gwendaith was held, a warrior, she had died in the Seige of Barad-Dûr during the Last Alliance of Elves of Men. We put her to rest using Estelang, then returned to Old Farrell's place with the prisoners before taking him to Bree for justice. Hamfast got a stern talking to.
We rested up in Bree. (Again 6XP and 6AP). We checked out maps and worked to strengthen our fellowship.
Session 3 - Tharbad
Our next mission was passed to us by the town council in Bree. One of their skilled craftsmen, Forlas, had travelled to Tharbad, and not returned. A recent traveller had confirmed that he was being held there against his will. Apparently the present ruler of Tharbad, a Captain called Gurnow, found reasons to detain skilled craftsmen to bolster the town's resources.
Tharbad used to be the northernmost Numenórean port on the River Greyflood, established at the furthermost point that ships could pass upriver. It was now a shadow of its former self following significant flooding, a grim outpost of civilisation ruled by a strongman. Tharbad was also famed for a huge bridge spanning the river, now badly deteriorated.
One of the raider prisoners, Jon-a-Leaping, that we had captured came from Tharbad, and although they were reluctant about coming with us, they were persuaded when they saw how angry the locals were about the murders and theft that he had been involved in. However, he was terrified at the possibility of entering Tharbad.
We headed south on the Greenway, aiming to meet up with a fellow Ranger of the North, Orathel, near the Watchful Stones, a dance of thirteen stones said to have been created by the Elves of Hollin. Jon had met Orathel before, and was scared of her cruel dagger. He did have reason to be afraid, Orathel was brave, hardened and direct, and did not suffer servants of the enemy. Years of wariness had made her quite solitary. Hallas liked her, but she didn't like extended company except for her daughter.
Before we left, we arranged for a message to be passed on to Cirdan, and Bell also obtained two ponies for us, Mog and Meg, to help with supplies and baggage. We soon passed the Barrow Downs, but I had uncertain, dark dreams of the Hill of Fear that night.
We found Orathel at the Watchful Stones, warming herself by a shielded fire. We explained our predicament and worked out the best way in. We came to the conclusion that taking Jon-a-Leaping in was not sensible (much to his relief) but then decided to leave him with Orathel (which he wasn't very happy with). Orathel explained the system of lights that were used to communicate to the scout she had in Tharbad, someone who was trusted within the Red Palace and close to Captain Gurnow. She confided to Hallas that it was her daughter, Gwylath. He promised to do everything he could to protect her.
We entered as a trading party, led by Bell, who played the part of a Hobbit looking to set up trade routes for the pipeweed that they grew. This was very true, as her family were involved in the trade, and she had samples with her. We had a nice meal and arranged rooms, but slipped out just before the curfew to check on the rendezvous. We were warned by the guards that we shouldn't be out, but we succeeded in recovering - then memorising and destroying - the message that had been left. Back in the Bridge Inn, Bell sang for the company, and ended up getting invited to attend a reception with the Captain the next day.
In the morning, we scoped out the town, playing the part of traders. Ithildur tried to penetrate the Keep where Forlas was likely held, playing into the Elven Scholar abroad and successful boring the head guard by asking lots of questions about architecture and history. He managed to get a good feel where Forlas was secured, and also identified that the safest way to enter the prison would be from the water side as it was not very secure, and the removal of some rubble would ensure that we could get in and out in a surprising way.
We managed to make our way through the audience without causing offence, and Bell succeeded in securing a pipeweed contract. That evening, we made our play and rescued Forlas and many other prisoners. We stole a boat to get in and out, but ended up clear. It was pretty tense in the prison, as a storm hit that night and the River Greyflood was very much living up to its name. We were nearly fatally delayed when we found the Singing Stone of Eregion within the prison. Ithildur insisted that we retrieve it, as it was an artifact of power, beauty and hope. It was a bit heavy, but somehow we got it out.
Once clear of Tharbad, we rendezvoused with Orathel, passing on Forlas, but then set off in pursuit of some Dwarves which the letter had mentioned. Ginar had met them previously and the letter put suspicion on one of them, Deor, as he could be an agent of the enemy. We reached the Angle and managed to find his trail heading further north up the Cloudwater. But the trail also revealed that orcs were in pursuit, so we stepped up our pace. We reached a low rise and could see cloaked body pinned to the ground with a spear.
The body was that of Deor, slain by orcs. Suddenly, out of the mists that had risen, an orc band was upon us and a furious battle developed. Somehow we won, although it was very hard and bloody work.
A surviving orc lived long enough to mention that Deor - for this was his corpsen - had links to Azog's place, and that the orc leader, Snarva, will sort us all out. He had gone north to sort out the problem of Dwarves in places that they shouldn't be. Deor's body had a Lidless Eye symbol and amulet made by a shell.
Battered and bruised, we headed back to Bree before heading to Rivendell for the winter. (Again 6XP and 6AP)
Session 4 - By the shores of Lake Evendim
We rested in Rivendell, where is was confirmed that the shell we had previously was from an island beast, the Limlug that the Lossoth were seeking at the Isle of the Mother.
Ithildur had bad dreams of a dark hill, haunted, perhaps from his time as a child.
We confirmed that Deor was an agent of Mordor, giving the bad news to Floki, brother of Flonar, a friend of Ginar. He asked us to take a letter to his cousin who had established a small hold by Lake Evendim, in the shadowed lands of fallen Arnor.
Travelling north on the Greenway from Bree, we were ambushed by bandits but prevailed. Pushing on, we soon found the lake, and then the bay where the hold had been established. Sadly, it seemed that we could have been too late as there was a plume of smoke rising over the hillside. We found houses and building that had been put to the torch and the bodies of many dwarves, all slain and their bodies desecrated by cutting off their right hands. There were orc carcasses too, so it had not been without cost to the raiders. Towards the lakeshore, we found Flonar's body, tied with a chain to an old statue, with signs of torture and then an attempt to remove his head to remove a mithril chain with a scrap of iron attached. It was clear that Flonar had tried to access Moria if he was in possession of mithril.
We buried the dead, noting that the goblins had a Two-Headed Troll symbol on them. A trail of orcs moving, perhaps with prisoners, led out towards the Ettenmoors to the East, towards the shadow. We set out in pursuit following the trail through the gorse.
We ambushed the rear-guard, finding out that we were following path of Halter the Many Handed, who had taken many dwarves prisoner. We found their camp, and attacked with fire arrows. We assaulted and slew the fell host, while Bell snuck in and rescued the prisoners, who included a relative of Thorin Oakenshield.
We returned safely, and the key was passed to the safekeeping of Villier, a dwarf who had fought at Mount Gram and who was a member of the Council of the Blue Mountain dwarves. Floki wanted his brother avenged, and intended to agitate for war against the orcs.
Returning to Mithlond, we rested and agreed our next steps.
(Again 6XP and 6AP - I think that Graham may have let us tweak the numbers we had so we could complete spends.)
Session 5 - To the Dark Hill
News had arrived with Elwing that the spirits in the north were much stronger, disturbing the Lossoth. Many had dreams of the Dark Hill. Research indicated that this was Amon Guruthos, the place that my ancestor Haldan had been fated to visit three times and fail. The sigils we found with the orcs indicated that they served the master of the fortress that was located on the same hill.
Heading into the north by ship piloted by Elwing, we gained the assistance of the Lossoth thanks to the connections that we had made with Jagat on the Isle of the Mother. He introduced us to his Uncle Egel, who ruled the Lossoth tribes in Forochel. They helped equip us well for a journey across the tundra, but it was not without peril. We encountered a giant Elk looming out of the snow, were beset by storms but the light of Eärendil guided us along our path. Perhaps the most troubling moment was when we came upon a horrific burnt offering, which shook us all and reminded us of the malice of the Enemy. Bell said words over the offering, trying to bring peace, but we left that place with disquiet.
Finally, we neared our destination, coming upon a statue of Gurgolwen, the former master of this place. He has many other names, and the lore says he possessed a ring of power. Not one of the nine, but still open to the influence of the dark lord. On from the statue we came upon what we would learn was Sennas Gaer, a dwellings with a stout wooden door banded with iron. There appeared to be offerings further on by the gate into the path to Amon Guruthos. As the storm blew around us, and the snow swirled, a figure emerged, and on seeing her face I was lost for a moment, forgetting the weather around us. This was Aya, known as the Unwilling, in lore. An elf who had never travelled to the light in the west, one of the Nandor who avoided other elves and men.
She brought us into her home and made us welcome, asking why we had come, and being frank about our likely fate should be go on. She remembered my ancestor, recognising my blade, but said he never returned when he said he would. We had food and songs and warmth, and Bell learned the song "Light steps in a darkened forest" which harkened back to the earliest of days.
Aya told us this place was neutral and she was obliged to host anyone who came. And that is how we met Snarva, the orc. He limped into the firelight, and took his guest rights but tried to provoke us at every opportunity. He told us the Great Eye looked north, and its vengeance would fall upon the Tarks, my people, first. The elves would be driven into the sea. He claimed to have woken something in the darkness in the hill, telling us that the Last War was coming, and that the works of elves and men would be downthrown.
We slept fitfully, and I woke to Snava creeping towards my blade, Estelang. He snuck back away when I caught him and left early. Aya came to me, and we talked for what seemed like hours. She asked me to leave with her, offering me a ring that would grant me life like hers. She was lonely, and fearful, and terrible and beautiful and I was sorely tempted, but I had promised to see this through. I gave her my word that I would return to her if I could. Her face fell, as I think she may have heard this before. We passed more time together, but then it was morning, and we had to leave.
We passed into the hill through the gate, and I looked back to see Aya watching sadly. I feared she felt that she would never see us again. How many others had entered and not returned? We soon found that out. There were bodies and skeletons here from the conflicts in the past, and I was certain that I found some of my kinsman's party, all slain. The place was oppressive, but we resolutely kept to our path, avoiding the temptation of treasure or unnecessary exploration. We opened the inner gate with Estelang, which fitted perfectly.
Then, deep in Amon Guruthos, we found the source of the nightmare. Some kind of foul beast was emerging from a chasm. I cast Estelang into the gap and it sealed the gate into darkness. It was as if a dark weight was lifted. However, we left, swiftly. This was still an evil place, and we had no business there. Our fellowship departed, and we soon parted and went our own ways. I had a commitment to keep.
Bell spent time with the Lossoth, sharing and learning songs.
Ithildur, pressed by shadow, spent time in Rivendell recovering and recording what he had learnt.
Ginar tried to enter Moria, and was lost to the Watcher by the gates.
And Hallas? I could be found at Aya's cottage, where I stayed with her. The shadow had taken its toll on both of us, and we found comfort in our company. We planned to leave, to find somewhere safer. I hoped to bring her to her kin who could help her from the traumas she had suffered. But for now, we had each other. And there was the matter of that ring. How long would it be before I took it up?
The end?
In Conclusion
Overall, this was one of the best roleplaying experiences I have had. I've been to three Longcons now, and each one has been a fantastic experience. The longer form is wonderful, and we so often end up playing shorter games at conventions. Graham was masterful in his knowledge of the rules but also cleverly outsourced queries to the players (who could usually resolve things quite quickly as the index is great and the rules clear).
The One Ring is a hugely evocative and well tailored set of rules that really evoke the feeling of Tolkien's works. I loved playing "The Darkening of Mirkwood" with the original rules, but the updated version is a level better.
The Lone Lands had a fantastic group of players; it was nice to meet Kari and Alex and to play with Simon who I've known for the last two decades. It was a lovely weekend, and I'm excited that we'll be running the convention again next year.
31 July 2025
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