Bestowal dialogue
A Journey by Boat
"The river Anduin is as familiar to me as my own shadow, but it is still a journey of some days. We must stop here for the night."
Background
You have travelled by boat down the Anduin in the company of Nona, Horn, and Corudan, but must camp for the night before you proceed further.
Objective 1
Corudan is waiting to speak with you beside the river where you have stopped for the night.
- Corudan: 'That is far enough for today, <name>. Horn has already seen to the fire, so now we may sup and take some rest before the night-watches begin.
- 'We will leave in the morning, at first light. It is not good to travel further south on Anduin at night, unless the need is considerable. The waters become treacherous the nearer you get to Sarn Gebir.'
- Corudan says, "Let us rejoin our companions, <name>."
- Corudan says, "It is a good fire, and built quickly, Horn."
- Horn says, "Thank you, Corudan."
Objective 2
- Talk to Horn by the campfire
- Talk to Nona by the campfire
Horn and Nona are sitting on opposite sides of the campfire by the Anduin.
- Horn: 'You are fortunate to have friends among the Elves, <name>. I would not want to make this journey without a guide, and Corudan appears to know what he is doing.
- 'But it is not seemly for a Man of Rohan to mingle with Elves, as you saw in Stangard. Of his kind my people have little to say but this: "long-lived and dangerous."
- 'They have more to say of the folk of Dunland, but none of it is kind and I will not disturb the girl's ears with any of it. I regret Nona's ill welcome at Stangard when she had need of aid, though I understand its root. Her people and mine have a long and unhappy history. I have no quarrel with her personally, but our shared friends and duties make us allies, nothing more than that.'
- Nona: 'The Elf-queen was right to send this guide with us, <name>. He knows the waters and how to keep a boat afloat, which is more than the daughter of Suvulch knows. Were it up to me, I would lead us south on dry land, with springy turf underfoot and no fear of foundering.'
- Nona lowers her voice, a rare event for the Dunlending woman.
- 'The boat is not large enough to keep us from speaking, <name>, but as you saw, this horse-lord managed to avoid addressing me in any way once we were on the river. If he has a grievance with me, tell him to air it so I may respond appropriately: with words or with Wadu's sword! I have become tired of his ability to look all around him but not in my direction, whatever direction that happens to be!'
Objective 3
- Talk to Corudan by the campfire
Corudan is sitting by the campfile.
- Corudan: 'We have some time before we should begin the night-watches, <name>. Would you find some tale-telling agreeable? I find that the weaving of a good story among companions around a fire can be a pleasant way to pass the time.
- 'Have a seat and listen, <name>. I will begin, and perhaps our companions will have a tale to share as well.'
- Corudan says, "I grew up in the Golden Wood, but I spent most of my time exploring the wilderness."
- Corudan says, "My sister Sigileth stayed in Lórien for long years, but not in idleness."
- Corudan says, "My skill was with the bow, but hers was with knives."
- Corudan says, "She made them herself, and each was deadlier than the last."
- Corudan says, "I returned from a journey once, convinced I had become the greatest of archers."
- Sigileth says, "Is that so? I wager you cannot hit this wooden target from fifty paces."
- Corudan says, "I accepted and strode fifty paces. When I turned to fire, I saw that my sister was right!"
- Corudan says, "She had hewn the target at its base, and it had fallen into the grass!"
- Corudan says, "We laughed and laughed."
- Corudan says, "That is my tale. Do you have one to share, <name>?"
- Talk to Corudan and decide upon a tale to share
- Corudan: 'Do you have a story to share?'
- Choose one of the responses:
- I will speak of Angmar.
- Corudan: 'I would be pleased to hear this tale, if you wish to tell it, and I am sure our companions would be as well. Angmar of old was a place of great evil, and to combat its return is no small thing. I am sure the deeds of which you might speak were mighty.'
- You speak of the part you played standing against the Shadows of Angmar.
- Mordirith Illusion says, "My power flows from the Lord of the Nazgûl himself!"
- You speak of the False King and of the Champion of Angmar.
- After a time you come to the end of your story.
- I will speak of Dol Guldur.
- Corudan: 'I am familiar with this tale, as it involves my sister Sigileth. The sorrow is still with me, but it is good to think of my sister again. I would like to hear the story.'
- You speak of your role fighting evil in Dol Guldur alongside the Golden Host.
- Mazog says, "With this axe of mithril, not even the ruler of this tower can keep Mazog a prisoner!"
- You speak of Mazog and the axe Zigilburk, and of Sigileth's heroic end.
- After a time you come to the end of your story.
- I will speak of the Fords of Isen.
- Corudan: 'I would be pleased to hear this tale, and I am sure our companions would be as well. I have heard little of what goes on beyond the mountains.'
- You speak of fighting alongside Prince Theodred at the Fords of Isen.
- Théodred says, "Rohirrim! Our foes lie before us! Send them back to Saruman!"
- You speak of his valiant last stand, and of Morflak's death at the hands of Elfhelm.
- After a time you come to the end of your story.
- I will speak of seeking the Nazgûl.
- Corudan: 'Very well, if you have the heart to tell it. Such creatures are possessed of incredible evil, and it is not always best to speak of such things.'
- You speak of your time in the Rushgore with Nona, and of Horn's role in saving her life.
- Wounded Nazgûl says, "Now... die..."
- You speak too of Galadriel's belief that Nona's wound was not caused by a Morgul blade.
- After a time you come to the end of your story.
- I have no story to share.
- Corudan: 'I am sorry to hear you have no tale to share, but I cannot force you to speak.'
- You decide to keep the story of your adventures to yourself
Objective 4
- Talk to Horn by the campfire
Horn is sitting by the fire.
- Horn: 'I shall go next. My tale concerns King Fengel of Rohan, the grandfather of Théden King. It is a sad tale, given the happenings of late, but you may find it interesting.'
Objective 5
Listen to Horn tell his story of King Fengel.
- Horn says, "King Fengel came to the throne when he was very young, and he ruled for fifty years."
- Horn says, "Though long, his rule was ill-starred: he was prone to greed and made many enemies."
- Horn says, "In the last winter of his reign, he was hunting north of the Entwade on a cold afternoon."
- Horn says, "An elderly woman stumbled into his camp. She was lost and hungry."
- Wyrgende says, "A scrap of bread, if you please, my mighty lord. I am lost, and cold, and hungry."
- King Fengel says, "Who are you, crone, to beg from the crown?"
- King Fengel says, "If you seek warm food in your belly, find some churl whose bed lies unwarmed."
- King Fengel says, "Or find some game and kill it yourself!"
- Horn says, "King Fengel threw his own dagger at her feet and sent her away into the dark night."
- Nona says, "This is the kindness of the horse-lords, is it?"
- Corudan says, "Horn did say that Fengel was a foolish king."
- Nona says, "He did say that, and I say he spoke true, but it does not seem an uncommon trait among the horse-lords."
- Horn says, "The King's men were horrified, and they searched for the woman."
- Horn says, "They found her at dawn, frozen to death at the foot of a tall boulder, the King's dagger still in her hand."
- Horn says, "She had carved a curse into the face of the stone, along with her name: WYRGENDE."
Objective 6
- Talk to Horn by the campfile
Horn is waiting to finish the story of King Fengel and Wyrgende the crone.
- Horn: 'This is what she carved into the stone:
- 'Feckless Fengel, fool I name thee,
Grief shall be the get of thy greed.
No lord of your line shall long live,
Upon they seat no son shall settle.
Kin and kingdom your craving hath killed,
Until the might of the Mark is mended.
Wyrgende.'
- Horn sighs heavily and continues.
- 'King Fengel was furious, and he ordered Wyrgende's body burned and the stone destroyed, but no man of his company could move her, and every hammer and mattock they set to the stone shattered on contact.'
- Horn says, "King Fengel himself assailed the stone with his sword until the blade shattered, and a shard pierced his thigh."
- Horn says, "The wound festered, and King Fengel died of poisoned blood on the first day of Spring."
- Horn says, "Many in Rohan thought the curse was ended, but now that Prince Théodred is gone..."
- Horn says, "Well, that is the end of the tale, for now."
Objective 7
- Talk to Nona by the campfire
Nona is sitting by the campfire, waiting to tell her story.
- Nona: 'I do not have the flowery words or turns of phrase that Corudan and this man Horn have, <name>. I write my tale in the hide of my enemies, with Wadu's sword as my quill!'
Objective 8
Nona is telling a story by the campfire.
- Nona says, "I have no story to tell."
- Horn says, "Everyone has a story, Nona."
- Corudan says, "What is the origin of the sword you bear? The horse motif is not of your people."
- Nona says, "The sword came to my brother Wadu. He used it to slay a great beast."
- Horn says, "What was this beast? A large animal of some kind? A bear?"
- Nona says, "It was a great Gwiber, the mighty dragon-spawn of the mountains."
- Horn says, "Can it be? I know of no such creature!"
- Nona says, "There is much about my land and people you do not know!"
- Horn says, "That may be so, Nona. I am sorry if I have offended you."
- Corudan says, "Your brother must have been a great man to defeat such a foe."
- Nona says, "He was."
Objective 9
- Talk to Corudan by the campfire
Corudan is by the campfire, waiting to speak with you.
- Corudan: 'I think that is enough tale-spinning for one night, <name>. I will take the first watch, and I will wake you when it is your turn.
- 'We will set out again at first light.'
- Corudan: 'We will leave at first light. For now you should get some rest.
- 'In the morning we will continue our journey down the Anduin.'
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