Imladris Maze: RP Game - Closed!

[Laintaen]

The Maze to Imladris

Sauron’s strength is growing and his minions roam freely across Eriador. But there is a rumour of a secret Haven known as Rivendell, ruled over by Lord Elrond. But the Hidden Vale is just that: hidden beyond a maze of pathways and obstacles designed to keep the servants of Sauron away. But surely Elves are smarter than mere Orcs. Can you find your way to safety?

RP yourself arriving at the start of the maze. You can chose to approach from one of three directions: North, South and West. After posting your decision, I will advise you of your next available moves and you may post again with your chosen path. Be descriptive with your posts. Describe what you see, how you feel. The more imaginative, the better.

Some moves will only require you to choose your next direction. Other will require you to RP an action, like a battle. There are also several larger obstacles that only luck will get you through.

The Tree:
A large tree stands in the centre of the clearing. You could climb this tree or ignore it. If you do decide to climb this tree, a dice roll will determine whether you reach the top and spot a shortcut, or whether you come crashing back down to the ground and must deal with your injuries when you reach the Warrior...

The Bruinen:
There are three ways of crossing the Bruinen: by boat, by rope or by swimming. A dice roll will determine which method will prove safe for you but you must guess which one that is and RP yourself attempting it. Beware, you may get wet!

The Locked Doors:
You find three locked doors and three keys. Each door leads in a different direction. You must post which key you wish to try in which door. But you may find yourself stuck there for some time before heading in a direction you did not expect!

The Guard:
The final step is to make your way past an Elven Warrior. You have to choose whether to attack High or Low. A dice roll will determine whether the Warrior blocks the attack. Then you have to choose whether to block High or Low while another dice roll determines where the Warrior attacks. Then you shall either enter Rivendell to join a great feast, limp your way to the Healing Houses, or are killed and do not enter Rivendell at all!

I will update as often as possible.

Rules (there must be some):

• Open to all races.

• Post your decisions on directions and actions in Bold so they are easy for me to spot.

• If you are killed at the end, feel free to try the maze again but I cannot promise a different ending!

• White out all OOC comments.

• Have fun and be good.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Nerwen put her axe haft on the round and leaned on it. She scratched her nose. The prevalent thought in her head was that she didn't really do nature, she was most comfortable with rock at her feet, and her head. Actually all over, caves were great, mountains ever better. Yet here she was, in the depths of wooded Eriador. The queen had taken on the task of reaching Rivendell, to sample the goodness of the house and build relationships with elves in Imladris. However, her sense of direction was not her greatest attribute. In fact, the dwarfette was more famed for getting lost!

She took a breath. The air was incredibly fresh, it made one think of gentle exercise, green drinks and finding your centre in the world. There was a gentle swooshing noise as the breeze lifted the foliage all around her, and she was sure there would be much wildlife should she endeavour to look. The task at hand called to her though, and though she had no idea where she was or which way to go, she did know who she was - and she was great at making quick decisions. Therefore she decided to set off in a westerly direction.

[Aerlinn]

Yávië sauntered out of a delightfully muddy pond and shook happily. Sheets of dirty water spattered across the trees in his path and nearly knocked a disgruntled sparrow off of its bush. His oversized paws were caked with brownish goop, and bits of drying green algae poked out of his ears. This was the life.

The dog gave a huge yawn and sprawled unceremoniously across the path. Where had Aerlinn gotten to, anyways? They had been attending to Very Important Business, the two of them, in the mountains -- patrols? supplies? something about wood for...oh! He flicked his ear. Was that another pine marten? The blighter! How dare it! Yávië growled halfheartedly in the speckled sunlight, eyes drooping. The marten insolently dug up a worm just beyond his snout. Knave!

Ah well, he`d make his own back to the valley in a bit. He could find his way home, or to the nearest guaranteed, perfectly cooked steak, from anywhere. Just after he dealt with this overgrown, rat-faced...Yávië`s head lolled sideways, his ears flopped, and the snickering pine marten and still-disgusted sparrow heard a soft snore. The dog dozed obliviously, his nose pointed north.

[Laintaen]

Nerwen – You enter the maze from the West. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: North, East and South. Which way will you go?

Aerlinn - You enter the maze from the North. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: East, South and West. Which way will you go?

[Mazana]

Eámanë hadn't been to Imladris since she made a habit of stabbing various living things under orders from Sauron or one of his various minions. Any standing invitation that may have been addressed to her previously was probably ashes in some fireplace somewhere out there. Whatever. Her thoughts were meandering and her memory was shot, having hit her head recently while fighting with some border patrol or another. Or was it a wolf? Or was that her sister? At least she remembered that she had been on the way to Imladris.

Since she had been there previously, Eámanë expected the maze that stood between her and her destination. What she did not expect was her memory failing her when it came to the correct path from the Southern approach. She narrowed her grey-violet eyes at the path as if daring it to get her lost, but since it was still going straight as far as the eye could see, she trudged along.

[Moriel]

Gellam had been away from Imladris for quite some time on sojourn to Mirkwood- delivering a message, a bottle of wine, some love notes, visiting his parents, testing out new bardic material and so on and so on. Nothing very out of the ordinary had happened and while it had been an enjoyable visit, the Fool was very much looking forward to getting back to the Vale of Rivendell! He crested the final rise before the maze and exhaled deeply, pondering the conundrum before him. While it was true that Imladris was supposed to be a safe haven and difficult to get to, Gellam had on more than one occasion though that Lord Elrond might be going a bit overkill with this whole maze thing. Then again... he had grown up in the Greenwood, where the forest and its creatures took care of that for them. The Fool had never asked (after being encouraged not to, if truth be told) how it changed every time he approached it, but it certainly did. Knowing a great many perils lay ahead, but with a reward of pastries in the hall at their end, Gellam shifted his shoulders, feeling the comfortable weight of his lochaber axe settling upon them, and set off into the maze from the South.

[Laintaen]

Mazana - You enter the maze from the South. Almost immediately, you find your path blocked by the Bruinen. Nearby, there is an abandoned boat and a single rope tied between two trees, a typical bridge of Elves in Lorien. In addition to this, you may be able to swim over. How to you proceed?

Moriel - You enter the maze from the South. Almost immediately, you find your path blocked by the Bruinen. Nearby, there is an abandoned boat and a single rope tied between two trees, a typical bridge of Elves in Lorien. In addition to this, you may be able to swim over. How to you proceed?

OOC Mazana and Moriel: Considering you two are starting from the same point, the option is there if you want to RP through the Maze together. You could help (or hinder) each other, stick together or split up along the way. Up to you.

[Quill]

“You would think after living here for several centuries, I would know the path by now,” Quill remarked to her horse. Shanstrin gave a sarcastic whinny in reply, which her rider did not dignify with a response. “I suppose it should be comforting, knowing this place is still as well hidden as ever.”

The pair had been riding through the Trollshaws for the better part of the day. Twilight was creeping down from the mountains and slinking under the eaves now, which only made the erratic landscape and faint paths even more difficult to navigate. Perhaps if she had grown up here, the elleth mused to herself as she nosed her palamino down a thickly wooded slope, this land would not be so stymying to her. Though Imladris had been her home for many years, she still found the Trollshaws rather impossible, beautiful though it was with its lush forests, cliffsides, and perpetual smell of autumn - hence her complete inability to have picked up on the path into the secret valley so far. With night threatening, she was worried she might have to make camp somewhere for the evening and try again in the morning, though the idea did not appeal to her. Despite being so close to Rivendell, this was still dangerous country, and it was only growing more treacherous by the day.

That was why she was returning now from the West, where she had spent the last decade or so visiting friends in Lindon. The call of the gulls and the romance of the sea had nearly persuaded her, even though Quill had always told herself and everybody else that she was far from ready for making that journey. When news of trouble in the east had reached her, it had shaken her from her ocean-induced reverie and sent her riding back to Imladris, where her sisters still lived with their families. She was not ready to leave Middle-Earth, not when there was so much to do here. That is, if she could stop being so lost.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

She had walked no more than a few metres before the path started to narrow. Unconsciously, Nerwen tightened her grip on her weapon, though she knew these lands were fairly safe compared to some. Above her some birds rushed through the canopy of trees and her eyes followed them as they darted away into the distance, they were blackbirds courting or some such. Nerwen shook her shoulders and took up the path anew, sloping down slightly and winding gently through the roots and trunks before coming to a split, confidently she took the path south.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zâram slunk down the pathway. The greenness of the area greatly disturbed her. How in Melkor's name she ended up this far from the Shadowlands was beyond her. Well, might as well head down this path and see what havok she could cause. The sooner she got away from this fresh air and back to the stale air of Mordor all the better. Trampling over some flowers, Zâram headed in a Southern direction.

OOC: Yes, I am going with the orc.

[Moriel]

As Gellam set off down his chosen path, he couldn't help but notice that someone else had had the same idea. She (Eámanë) was... well, something was off about her. The Fool was normally the most courteous of courtiers, but something about this lady... it made him wish that the little golden bell on the end of his long soft cap would quite tinkling quite so loudly as he walked. As unobtrusively as possible, he slipped it off his head and stuffed it inside his jerkin, passing the movement off as a scratch of the head. They were in that awkward proximity where they definitely weren't walking together, but it seemed rude not to issue some kind of greeting. Fortunately the Bruinen hove into view and Gellam quickened his pace. One never knew what new obstacles one might find on the path to Imladris, and this lady might be one of them. Knowing that the weight of the lochaber on his back would make swimming a trial even for one as strong as he, and knowing better than to trust the boat left at the river (for who knew what might have been done to it, he was a Fool, but not a foolish one), Gellam hastily shinned his way up the tree on this side of the river which had a rope tied to it. This sturdy looking rope stretched across the river to a tree opposite, where it had been secured. He crouched down on the limb closest to his end of the rope, and examined it thoroughly. Elven eyes were keen, and Silvan eyes such as his particularly adept at spotting things in the low light of a forest. He could see no flaw or trick or trap on the rope from here, and chose to take his chance. In the Greenwood where he had grown up, how many hours had he spent walking branches, vines, and ropes more spindly than this? In fact, the art of walking a rope had become a past-time that some had taken to calling "slack-lining". Confidently, Gellam straightened up and, after testing the rope carefully with one foot, began stride across it, arms loose and mobile for balance.

[Laintaen]

@Quill - You enter the maze from the West. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: North, East and South. Which way will you go?

@Queen Nerwen - You follow the path South. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path fades before an impassable wall of trees. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You enter the maze from the South. Almost immediately, you find your path blocked by the Bruinen. Nearby, there is an abandoned boat and a single rope tied between two trees, a typical bridge of Elves in Lorien. In addition to this, you may be able to swim over. How to you proceed?

@Moriel - You climb up onto the rope and begin to walk. Unfortunately, you do not possess the grace and balance of the Elves in Lorien. You lose your balance and fall into the water below. But you did not make it far and scramble back onto the bank to choose another method.

[Mazana]

It was always awkward when one was walking in close proximity with someone who was also going in the same direction. Eámanë had hated the feeling when she was a young, mostly-aligned-with-good-people, impressionable elleth who had to be courteous to elders and kind to children. She hated it even more as a world-weary, mostly-black-hearted servant of darkness or whatever. The only difference, she thought as her expression melted into one of pure displeasure, was she was free to show her annoyance now.

With her temper fraying at the edges, she noted that the other person had taken off his cap and quickened his pace. True, that was a better choice for him than attempting conversation, to which she would've replied with insults and sarcasm, but Eámanë also felt disappointed at being disregarded and ignored. It was a rather contradictory feeling. Foreign, even. She decided to blame it on her head injury. Damnable headache. At least the stranger's tinkling bell had stopped it's...tinkling.

As the other Elf took to the trees to use the rope bridge, Eámanë decided to take the abandoned boat. She wasn't about to go and follow the other person. Anyway, if it worked, it was a mere matter of paddling her way to the other side of the river. If it didn't...well, maybe a swim would do her good.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Before long Zâram came upon a river. She shuddered at how clear the water looked. The only water that should exist was muddy water, not this clear stuff where you could see the bottom of the riverbed! As she approached, she wondered how she should try crossing it. She looked around, noticing that there was a rope bridge and a boat. Knowing that her lack of dexterity would likely result in falling off the robe bridge into the water, Zâram choose to attempt using the boat. If she fell out, it was at least a shorter fall, but she detested the idea of having to touch the clear water. Who knew what was in it? With that, she clambered into the boat.

[Zôrzimril]

With a sigh, Tarawen plucked a leafy twig from her hair as she emerged from a cluster of trees. She'd been wandering the lands around Rivendell for quite some time, out on a regular scouting mission. "I hate to admit it, but a nice long rest would be ideal," she muttered to herself as she clambered over the gnarled roots of a particularly ancient tree. The Last Homely House would be an ideal place for such recuperation, once she found her way there. Her horse, Sirdal, followed loyally behind her as she led him by the reins.

She continued her way down from the north and found herself and the entrance of a maze. She blinked. "Right, this bloody maze." How could she have forgotten? It looked like rest and recuperation might not be quite so close after all...

[Moriel]

With an undignified yell of surprise, Gellam plunged down into the icy waters of the Bruinen with a crashing splash, the traitorous pop above twanging with a gleeful malevolence. The only positive thing he could glean from this situation was that this ridiculous situation had occurred only a few feet from the bank he had started upon- although perhaps the rope had been trying to kill him by sending him plummeting into the bank itself, in which case he considered himself lucky. With a huge kick of the legs and lunge of the upper body, Gellam managed to latch on to a large root sticking out of the near bank. Relaxing his body momentarily, he allowed the current of the river to buoy him as he considered his option. The boat, he saw out of the corner of his eye, was occupied by the creepy elleth who had arrived at the same time as him, so that was right out. With a sigh, the Fool resigned himself to the process of making his way across the river by swimming, with the huge polearm on his back. But, not being one to exert more effort than necessary, Gellam sighted a clear spot a short ways down the opposite bank and, angling himself into the current, launched himself into the flow of the river, allowing its current to assist in carrying him towards the destination.

[Laintaen]

@Mazana - You climb into the boat and push off from the bank. Unfortunately, the old boat starts taking on water and begins to sink. You are forced to abandon ship and make your way back to the bank to choose another method.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You climb into the boat and push off from the bank. Unfortunately, the old boat starts taking on water and begins to sink. You are forced to abandon ship and make your way back to the bank to choose another method.

@Tarawen - You enter the maze from the North. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: East, South and West. Which way will you go?

@Moriel - Distrusting the other methods, you decide to swim across. Unfortunately, the water is moving too quickly for you and after being battered about for a while, you head back to the bank to try another method.

[Moriel]

As far as luck went, Gellam was having a terrible day. Was this the thanks he got for abandoning his home of birth to journey north and serve another lord? For couriering important documents between the two lords? For making his way back to his adopted home with all haste??? Fortunately, his luck was not so bad as, say, encountering an underwater whirlpool that would suck him below the surface of the river, trap his leg, and drown him right do death. At least, not yet. Perhaps it were best not to tempt fate. Aching from the rather violent contact he had had with the large rock it currently found himself wrapped around, the Fool observed that it had at least stopped his progress downstream. With a mammoth effort, he stroked his way back to the original bank and crawled back out of the water, flopping down on his back. Immediately this presented itself as a bad idea, as the shaft of the lochaber cracked against the back of his head. Gellam whimpered. He looked to the side, where the elleth who had been proceeding along the same path (Eámanë) seemed to be having an equal amount of trouble. "What do you think- if we both get in, will it let us across?" He asked her plaintively, thinking that whether or not she wanted to share, he might as well try taking the boat this time.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Nerwen always enjoying going south; it felt easier, downhill and for some inexplicable reason, warmer. She always had good feeling about going south, at least eventually until she came up again a line of trees so dense and packed together with briars and brambles that she had no hope of passing. Not with an army of axe-wielding tree cutting dwarves could she do this. In a huff, the dwarfette sat down on the ground with a soft thump. What was the point, she thought, of having a Homely House no-one could get to? What was the point in being a haven if you are inaccessible? Doesn't that defeat the point of a haven? Nerwen scuffed the ground with her boot. She supposed she could completely retrace her steps all the way back to Khazad-dum, tell everyone there that elves were useless and make up some fake battle where she came out victorious, or she could sit here and stew about it until her beard was grey and her legs turned to stone, or she could try again.

With a groan that befitted a dwarf some 50 years her senior, she got up again and turned around. This time the forest just felt oppressive,threatening almost and she was sorely tempted to take out her smaller axe and swing it around casually; just to tell the trees who they were messing with. At the fork which was annoyingly familiar she decided to go East.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zâram had barely began to paddle out in the boat when the leaky old thing began to fill with water. In a start, she leapt up and in a surprisingly long leap, she cleared out of the boat and landed back on the shore. She shook her feet to rid them of the vilely clear water. Why she had decided to enter this maze was beyond her. And even how she had ended up in Imladris was beyond her. Well, what was done was done. Muttering some choice words, Zâram looked at the two options remaining: attempt to use the rope bridge or swim. "Urk," she spat and then reached up for the rope. While there was no way to walk across it, perhaps she could hold on to it from below and cross that way. "Melkor preserve us," she groaned.

[Quill]

As Shanstrin picked her way towards the bottom of the slope, Quill cried out and pointed at the faint but distinct tracing of a path amongst the fallen leaves. “You’ve done it, my brilliant friend,” she said, leaning over the palamino’s neck to stroke her proudly. “You’ve found the path for us. I knew it had to be here somewhere.” She urged the horse to trot forward onto the dusty trail. Suddenly the failing light seemed more peaceful than ominous, vaguely luminous with the promise of something at the other end of this trail. The elleth was daydreaming about a night of food and song in the Hall of Fire when a frown crossed her face. Shanstrin had pulled to a stop at an unforeseen fork in the path, dancing slightly underneath her rider as she waited for her cue as to which to take. Quill muttered under her breath, trying to press her memory for any useful scraps. There was nothing there. She would have to rely on instinct to decide. With a sigh, she steered Shanstrin North. “Hopefully my intuition serves me,” she said.

[Zôrzimril]

"Onward is the only way to go," Tarawen reminded herself as she swung herself into the saddle. Sirdal shook his head as she twitched the reins, and took his first steps into the maze.

It felt good to relax to the rhythmic swaying of the horse, and the ranger soon was lost in the sounds of birds and breeze in the trees. She was brought sharply back to earth from memories of thunderstorms and sunshine in recent days gone by when the swaying stopped. The path split before them.

Tara scanned the options: East, South, and West, shielding her eyes from the sun. "I suppose West is best," she mused, and nudged Sirdal to start down the westward path.

[Mazana]

Perhaps as a form of karmic punishment, the boat apparently decided that the Elf was too much to bear and began to sink just as it went into the deeper part of the Brunien. Eámanë idly watched as the water began to pool around her ankles, contemplating just staying there and letting the boat take her down. Her emotions were so detached from what was happening that it felt like she was watching the events happen to someone else. Was it worth it to even struggle? Would this even be enough to kill her? The answer, as it turned out, was no. The cold, clear water was a welcome shock to her dulling senses, and it served to wake Eámanë up as she finally fell completely into the river. The boat, free of its burden, began to empty of water and drift towards the bank as if it had a mind of its own. Eámanë hooked one hand on its side, letting it drag her to the shore.

When she reached dry land, the ellon (Gellam) who had been walking alongside her was still there. "So, the Bruinen defeated you as well?" she muttered darkly as she tucked her sodden chestnut hair behind one ear. When he acknowledged her existence for the first time that day, she peered curiously up at him, surprised. It was a more innocent expression than she was used to, but she was honestly incredulous. "I, a single person, was thrown out by that boat when I was in it alone, and you think that if we ride it together, it'll take us across?" She almost scoffed, when she realized just what she was dealing with here. "That sort of logic...might actually work," she agreed tentatively as she began to push the boat back in the water. "If this works, you're a genius."

[Laintaen]

@Moriel & @Mazana - I'll allow it. The boat was safe for Moriel and she responded first.

You climb into the boat and push off from the bank. Though the boat is old and threatens to collapse, you manage to steer your way to the opposite bank.

After crossing the Bruinen, you follow the path North to another clearing. Now the path splits into three directions: North, East and West. Which way will you go?

@Queen Nerwen - You follow the path East. Your path leads you into a small cave. Before you are three doors, a steel door, a stone door and a wooden door. Upon trying these, you find they are all solidly locked. But on a ledge in the cave, you find three keys, a gold key, a silver key and a brass key. Which key will you try in which door?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - Not quite the way the bridge was meant to work, but I'll give it to you.

You hang under the rope and begin to make your way across. Through a combination of perseverance and luck, you make it to the opposite bank.

After crossing the Bruinen, you follow the path North to another clearing. Now the path splits into three directions: North, East and West. Which way will you go?

@Quill - You follow the path North. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: East, South and West. Which way will you go?

@Tarawen - You follow the path West. You follow the path and it soon splits into three directions: North, East and South. Which way will you go?

[Aerlinn]

Something was tickling his nose. Yávië pawed clumisly at the offending butterfly and rolled onto his back, wriggling in the dirt. If he could scratch that spot just below the tuft of white fur on his side, a little to the left, ahhhh perfect! He blinked his eyes open reluctantly and considered the late afternoon sun. Sleeping the day away was very satisfying indeed, but now his stomach was grumbling and there was no lovingly prepared grub in sight. Fierce wolfhound or not, hunting just wasn't the same if he couldn't show off, and he doubted the resident birds would be very enthused by his prowess.

Yávië wuffed softly to himself in resignation and trotted off down the path. Onwards, forwards, and all that. At the crossroads, he lifted his head and sniffed. The shine of running water there, the earthy savour of worms and grubs here, the barest hint of a passing bear even, far to the north. But dinner, tea time, the promise of nibbles -- that was to the east.

[Quill]

She received no immediate sign to confirm or deny her intuition, so Quill kept pushing her mare forward on the northward path. The land was rising around her, which had to be a good sign, since they had to go up to go down again. The air was growing cool as the sun sank further behind the mountains, and the elf drew her cloak close around her shoulders, glad she had chosen to wear her warmest one, knowing as she did how cold it could get in this part of Middle-Earth. She had just secured it to her liking when they came across yet another fork in the path. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and steered Shanstrin towards the East.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

East feels good. East is where the sun rises and Nerwen had always loved a sunrise, despite being dwarven and acclimatised to all things underground. The path she had chosen this time seemed to be opening up a little more, showing the levels and variety in the wood. She could spot different types of tree and even stopped a few times to stoop and examine some of the foliage closest to her. The path undulated towards a small rise and curled around the base to disappear down and inside into a small cave. With no hesitation and a great sense of curiosity, Nerwen ducked within. It was not a damp, unsightly cave, but a small, almost carved round room. If she didn't know better she would say it had been hewn by dwarves. In front of her were three doors, a steel door, a stone door and a wooden door. Nerwen leaned her axe against the stone wall and tried each handle in turn. She founds they are all solidly locked, but being a dwarf was not surprised. No-one should leave doors unlocked. Beside the doors on a natural ledge in the cave lay a gold key, a silver key and a brass key. Fingers itching at the gold and silver (you can't just turn it off!) she swept them up and tried them thus: silvery key into the stone door, brass key into the wooden and gold key into the door made of steel. She tried the handles once more...

[Zôrzimril]

The westward path was much like the previous one. The trees continued their rustling above her and a pleasant breeze passed over her face and through her hair, which was coming unbraided, as usual. Sirdal's footfalls were muffled by the grass underfoot, but walk on he did.

As the minutes passed, Tarawen began to look around with more keen interest in her surroundings. This was probably for the best, her being a ranger after all. Not a soul in sight, and not a sound aside from the birds skirting the treetops. Where was this maze taking her?

At last, they reached another decision. North, East, and South - which way felt best? She had already turned westward and had started off going south. It seemed right to continue South.

[Moriel]

“I’m a genius!!!” Gellam crowed, leaping out of the boat onto the opposite bank, at long last. He and the elleth (Eámanë) had clambered into the boat together and, defying all odds, and no doubt through some magic upon the vessel that rewarded the so-daring-as-to-be-quite-possibly-stupid, made it across the Bruinen. Still beaming with pride at the success of his scheme, the Fool whipped out his long soft cap with its tinkling bell and set it back into pride of place upon his head. “Thank you for your help! I’m quite certain joining forces was the only thing that allowed us to cross that particular stretch of the river.” There was only one way forward and Gellam strode off briskly to the north. shortly, they reached a clearing, and he halted. Glancing at Eámanë, he considered his options. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to continue along with her, but she had certainly changed his luck. He decided to leave it up to her. “I’ll try my fortune on the West path, I think! And you?”

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

With great effort Zâram managed to hold on to the rope and crawl her away across the river. There were a few close calls during which she nearly fell into the water below, but she managed to cling tight to the rope. When she reached the other bank, she dropped down and landed in an undignified heap by the tree. Picking herself up, the tramped on down the path in a northerly direction and soon found herself at a crossroad. She stopped and pulling a few leaves off of a nearby bush, wondered which way to go. Well, home was in an easterly direction, so Zâram threw the leaves back down on the ground and stumbled towards the East, her gnarled fingers scraping off a few more leaves as continued her journey.

[Laintaen]

@Aerlinn - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Quill - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Queen Nerwen - You fit the silver key into the stone door, the brass key into the wooden door and the gold key into the steel door. None of the doors open and you must try again.

@Tarawen - You follow the path South. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path fades before an impassable wall of trees. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

@Moriel - You follow the path West. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path fades before an impassable wall of trees. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a large spider native to Mirkwood drops out of the trees. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

[Mazana]

Against all odds, logic, and whatever laws of physics governed Middle Earth, the boat carried the both of them safely across. Upon disembarking, Eámanë could only stare blankly at the sight of her sodden boots on solid ground, when they had been treading water mere minutes before. The ellon (Gellam) who had been with her was louder in expressing his delight, but she couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Thank you as well," she replied with a smile managed to be closer to kind than any her face had borne in ages. The words were foreign on her tongue, but she lost nothing by keeping the facade on. Or was it a facade? What was it again that she was doing? Why was she headed to Imladris? Hm?

The ellon had declared his intention to head west while she had been lost in thought. She was feeling more than a little off balance, she noted with a wince. "It seems our paths diverge here, for the Northern path seems the right way to me." With a wave she set off on her way. While they had not introduced themselves to each other and the ellon had been the one spot of luck she had had in her journey so far, it was probably better for his health that he stayed far away from her.

Eámanë defiantly ignored the voice at the back of her head that taunted her, calling her lonely. As if! It was never good to listen to the voices in her head. Many a head had been sliced off when she gave in to it. Her head pounded as she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

(OOC @Laintaen: Imagine that! Thanks for letting it happen. Made for an interesting situation to RP.)

[Moriel]

"Hrrrmm." Gellam mused. He stood, fists on hips, leaning back to consider the impassable wall of trees before him. His path, which had seemed so promising, had disappeared with alarming suddenness into this block of forestation. As a wood-elf, he was acquainted with a great many varieties of tree and loved them all! But this absolute fortress of tree-kind towered menacingly about the Fool, emitting and euro of 'abandon hope, all ye who enter here,' as if entry into the richly packed trunks was even possible. "Nope!" quipped Gellam, and he trotted swiftly back the way he had come. Gaining the clearing once more, he looked around. His lips pursed to one side as he thought, then he shrugged, and set off down the East path. When one thing didn't work.. might as well do the opposite!

[Zôrzimril]

Another path, another daydream. Tarawen felt comfortable letting her guard down a bit this near to Rivendell - though perhaps that would prove to be a mistake, should the maze have more formidable encounters in store. She gazed half-seeing at the trees and hedges surrounding her, trusting Sirdal to follow the path of this particular corner of the maze. Tara patted his neck, appreciating the moment and noting how the sun reflected off his coat. It was a bit of a miracle that he still looked clean, she mused, thinking on their many travels of late.

The moment did not last long. The maze suddenly blocked them from continuing any farther. "It wouldn't be a maze if we didn't take a wrong turn or two," she said consolingly, as much to herself as to her horse. "Let's go back and find another way."

The pair made their way back to the divergence in the path where they previously had chosen southern path. East or South remained. "Well, I don't feel the best about going East, but let's see if that compensates for our earlier westward path." They forged ahead.

[Laintaen]

@Mazana - You head North. Your path leads you into a small cave. Before you are three doors, a steel door, a stone door and a wooden door. Upon trying these, you find they are all solidly locked. But on a ledge in the cave, you find three keys, a gold key, a silver key and a brass key. Which key will you try in which door?

@Moriel - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a large spider native to Mirkwood drops out of the trees. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

@Tarawen - You head East. Your path leads you into a small cave. Before you are three doors, a steel door, a stone door and a wooden door. Upon trying these, you find they are all solidly locked. But on a ledge in the cave, you find three keys, a gold key, a silver key and a brass key. Which key will you try in which door?

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Despite dwarves being very handy, knowledgeable about anything mechanical, metal and otherwise, Nerwen could not get the doors to open. She extracted the keys from the locks she had already tried and scratched her beard. She wondered if she had to get all three correct together then she could be here for some time. Although three doors was definitely better than ten, as was three keys and three locks. Why couldn't they just have a simple password and grumpy door dwarf like they did in Khazad-dum. Her stomach grumbled, and the dwarfette eyed her pack, which held a good amount of field supplies. No, she thought, she must at least try this puzzle a few times before having a snack, therefore she put the silver key in the wooden door, the brass key in the steel and the golden key in the stone door and tried once more.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Zâram continued to make her way down the path and before long she arrived in a clearing where the pathway split into three ways. Before she had a chance to decide on which way her journey would take her, a Mirkwood spider plopped down in the middle of the clearing and began to advance towards her. "Nice spidey," Zâram said in a low voice in an attempt to keep it steady. "I'm an orc, another creature of the dark, not one of those hideous elves of light." She grinned, showing her dirty teeth. "You wouldn't hurt a friend now would you?"

As Zaram continued to talk to the spider she slowly inched towards the South pathway, hoping by respecting the spider, (she had heard enough legends of Shelob) she'd be able to keep it at a distance until she had begun to travel down the path once again.

[Moriel]

This time, the path spread easily out before Gellam, and he whistled lightly as he walked, admiring the trees on either side. It really was a beautiful place, this maze, despite its many dangers! At length, he came to another clearing, and another fork in the path. Gellam had just determined that he ought to keep going on his Eastward course and taken but one step further forward, when a large spider dropped from the trees onto the path before him! He recognized it instantly as a denizen of his own beloved home, Mirkwood, and rather than immediately seize his weapon, the Fool dropped his hands onto his knees and cooed, as though admiring a kitten, “Ooooh, aren’t you sweet! A spider wee spider, a-lurking and smirking, but looking for prey? I think not this day, why, let’s just play!” As he sang this rhyme to the spider, Gellam slowly paced around it, crossing one leg behind the other, so that he traveled in a semicircle as he kept his eyes on the spider. With any luck, he would make his way around the spider and be able to pass by without either of them coming to any harm. But if the spider was hungry, angry, or otherwise in a bad mood, the reach of the lochaber on the wood-elf’s back had tickled many spiders before, and he was prepared to fight.

[Zôrzimril]

This new path seemed much more promising. It continued on without any dead-ends in sight for a while, and Tarawen hummed happily in the saddle.

Eventually, she saw the yawning mouth of a cave straight ahead. She coaxed Sirdal forward with soothing sounds. "You can do this," she said. "Let's see what's in store before we decide if I need to go on ahead alone for a bit."

Inside the cave, the air was cool and moist. It was not a deep recess; rather, there were almost immediately a set of doors before them. Tarawen dismounted and went to inspect each of the doors, reins in hand. She tapped on each to get a sense of what was in store. One was metal; the other was made stone similar to the cave walls but rather smoother in texture; the third door was of solid wood. She tried opening them, thinking it would be too easy if any were to open for her at once. All three were locked.

Tara stepped back and considered the scene. There had to be a simple way forward through one of these doors; otherwise, she felt that they would have been knocked down by now. She took stock of the cave in more detail for a key or a clue to the way onward. Her eyes fell on three keys sitting on a ledge in the cave wall. In the dim light of the cave, she could just tell that each was of a different kind of metal. She picked up the bronze key and stepped back to face the doors. She assumed she could keep trying the different key and door combinations until she found one that worked, so she moved toward the wooden door and fitted the key into the lock.

[Laintaen]

@Queen Nerwen - You fit the silver key into the wooden door, the brass key into the steel door and the gold key into the stone door. All three doors open. Which door will you go through: wooden, steel or stone?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head South. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. Now the path splits into three directions: North, East and West. Which way will you go?

@Moriel - You follow the path East. Unfortunately, you do not get far before the path runs out at the top of a sheer cliff face, with no way down. A dead end. You must go back and pick another path. You return to the clearing, where the spider waits. What will you do this time?

@Tarawen - I assume you meant brass, rather than bronze.

You fit the brass key into the wooden door. The door does not open. Try again.

[Moriel]

Dagnabbit! Gellam thought as he trotted his way back swiftly, again the way he had come. What did the maze have against him today that it kept making him retrace his steps?! Any other day he might have tried to scale the impenetrable seeming cliff face, but this did not seem to be the day to tempt fate. And so he returned to the clearing where he had left the spider. She had so genially let him pass before with an exchange of but words, but he was not confident she would do so a second time. With the quiet steps only a wood-elf could take, he circled around behind the spider, who had not yet spied his return. This time, Gellam determined, he would flee to the North.

[Zôrzimril]

"Well, brass key, you clearly don't fit here," Tara thought as the wooden door refused to budge. "Shall I keep trying with you, or choose one of your fellows?" She gave Sirdal a pat on the nose - he was being quite patient in this cramped space - and gave the key a closer look. She then held it up next to the others and compared them all. Gold, silver, and brass. She had gone for the most unassuming material first - looks could be deceiving ("all that is gold does not glitter"), after all. Brow furrowed, she decided to keep trying with the brass key. "Let's see if you can get us into the steel door." She gave the door handle a try . . .

(OOC: @Laintaen woops! I got mixed up with my metals there But you assumed correctly!)

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

With sigh of relief Zarâm managed to get past the spider and head down the Southern path. "Spiders," she muttered, "I hate spiders." She squinted her beady eyes to try and block some of the sunshine. There were no more obstacles on this pathway, at least for now. Before long, Zarâm arrived at another clearling. "Damnit, how many bloody clearings are there?" she snarled. Once again three choices lay before her. "Let's see if East works this time," she huffed, cursing her choice to enter the maze, but if she could infiltrate Rivendell, her standing in Mordor would greatly increase. Orcish ambition was not well-known outside of the Black Lands, but it certainly existed and was important.

[Mazana]

Even as she walked forward, head still throbbing with what amounted to the worst headache of her life, Eámanë was struggling to remember why she was headed to Imladris. There was nothing waiting there for her, and if she had been given a mission to complete, the knife-hot pain stabbing behind her eyes did her no favors as she tried to recall its parameters. It was not like her to be so confused, so civil, like a dull knife pulling instead of slicing through. The blow she had taken to her head must've damaged more than she thought.

Eventually, her feet led her to a small cave. She pulled aside the tendrils of vines that half-hid the entrance and peered in. The dim light was soothing to her eyes and the pain lessened ever so slightly. Before her were three doors, all made of different materials and all locked. Fortunately, the keys were in plain sight. Again, they were made of different metals. Whoever made this maze must be laughing at the poor fools stumbling around right now, she thought grimly. At least, that's what she would have been doing, had she been in that position.

With a sigh, Eámanë took the nearest key, a silver one, and tried it on the nearest door. It was a stone door, smooth to the touch. As she tried to turn the key, she rested her forehead on the cool stone, willing herself to stay upright.

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

Nerwen Meneldur, a dwarf.

Nerwen fist pumped the air. Oh yes, second try, all three doors open! If she had been the dancing sort she would have danced a little jig in happiness. However, she was not and did not. Picking up her axe and holding in guard, she tentatively approached each door in turn and sniffed the air coming from beyond. They all smelled as fresh and unthreatening as each other. This did not help her predicament. Remembering her self promise about lunch, Nerwen sat down on the floor of the cave and pulled her pack towards her. From within she pulled some unleavened bread and some salt pork, along with a flask of small beer. As she supped and chewed, the dwarfette contemplated what she would do when and if she finally reached Rivendell. She had heard tell that they had nice baths there, that sounded good, and whole rooms dedicated to story telling, songs and poetry. Though her grasp of the elvish tongue was passable, she was always keen to hear more. Nerwen tucked her empty flask and cloths back into her pack and decisively chose the wooden door.

[Laintaen]

@Moriel - You head North. At long last, you stumble your way into a clearing and can hear the sounds of laughter and music. You have reached the end of the maze! Rivendell is close. But barring your way is a large Elven Warrior. “Greetings wanderer,” he says. “You have travelled long to find your way here. But I cannot let you pass so easily. If I cannot beat you, you may enter the Hidden Vale.” He levels his sword at you. Do you attack high or low? Do you block high or low?

@Tarawen - You fit the brass key into the steel door. The lock turns and the door opens. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. Which way will you go?

@Dimcairien Luiniel - You head East. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. However, the clearing is still occupied by the spider. You've been here before! How will you deal with the spider, and which way will you go this time?

@Mazana - You fit the silver key into the stone door. The lock does not turn. Try again.

@Queen Nerwen - You take the wooden door. You follow the path until you come to another clearing. The path splits three ways, or you could go back the way you came. You can go North, East, South or West. But before you can move on, a large spider native to Mirkwood drops out of the trees. Will you fight this creature or flee? How will you kill it or distract it long enough to get away? And which way will you then go?

[Quill]

The eastward path led a little ways through the trees and over a gentle knoll. The woods thickened around them for a moment, before Shanstrin stepped out into a clearing, where the path came to branch out in multiple directions yet again. “This is starting to get a bit irritating,” Quill said under her breath. Whether she was annoyed with herself or the path itself, she wasn’t totally certain. But she turned her horse North and told herself that they would see signs of their progress soon enough.

[Zôrzimril]

The steel door swung open before her, leading out of the cave and onto a new path. Tara led Sirdal through the door (he instinctively ducked and barely cleared the lintel) and out of the cave, then hoisted herself into the saddle once more to continue through the maze. It was good to see trees and sky again.

Before long, they came to yet another crossroads. This time, four options presented themselves: one for each cardinal direction. "I truly am starting to lose track of where we are," she thought. She tried to recap for herself: she had entered the maze from the North, turned West, veered South again only to be blocked, then retraced their steps and gone East before coming to the cave. She decided to try going South again. Perhaps the valley was yet before them there.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

She began to plod down the eastern path, but before too much longer it began to curve, what direction she had no idea. All these trees made it so difficult to figure out which way was which. Zarâm soon found herself in another clearing, the path splitting off in four directions. But before she should decide which way to try, she saw a spider out of the corner of her eye. "Búrz bagronk," she spat as realisation struck her. Somehow the bath had curved around in a circular manner and it was the same filthy spider as earlier! Which had she even come? Thankfully the spider hadn't noticed her yet and she slunk along the edge of the clearing until she reached the Western path. She did not know if she had trod this pathway yet, but then she had absolutely no clue where she was.

[Moriel]

So close! Gellam thought fervently as the form of the Elven Warrior hove into view, and the sounds of revelry filled his ears. But as always, he was met with the challenge: defeat the warrior, or turn back. With a sigh, the Fool manipulated the two buckles on his chest that tightened the loops on his back holding his lochaber in place. It wasn't that he minded a fight, for sport or in battle, but he did so tire of having to prove himself to gain entry to Rivendell. Couldn't they just come up with a password? A rotating code perhaps? Just send a letter in advance to say you were coming and have a code word??? The shaft of the pole arm settled into Gellam's hands and as he felt the familiar weight of the axe and hook on one end, the spike on the other, he composed a rhyme as was his wont. "Tra-la-la-lally, let me into the valley! Alas we must fight, but I shall prove my might, and perhaps you'll drink with me tonight!" As the warrior struck, Gellam blocked low with the butt of the pole and, if this were successful, he would bind and riposte high with the axe.