Bestowal dialogue
'And there we were, stumbling down the darkened street, all that wine and what-have-you stuffed under our coats! Now what was it called, that wine? The name escapes me! And to think I drank so very much of it in those years!
'Ah, hold your tongue, Hirluin! I hear the dart of wit upon it before you ever moved your lips. Forgetting comes of drinking, you will say, and so that wine was it's own undoing. I guess correctly, do I not? Ha ha! But let me think one moment... was it? ... yes! Beren's Blood, it was named. How I should like a taste of that wine now!
'You there, my good <race>. Since you are standing right at hand, be so good as to go as old Imadan if he has got any.'
Background
Lord Forlong sits in the Merry Swan Tavern, drinking with his old friends Lord Hirluin and one Neldir of Minas Tirith, making the most of the calm before the storm.
Objective 1
- Ask Imadan for Beren's Blood wine
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Lord Forlong has recalled an old wine they used to drink named Beren's Blood, and has asked you to bring him some.
- Lord Forlong: 'Be a good <race> and ask old Imadan if he's got any Beren's Blood wine, would you?'
- Imadan: 'Beren's Blood?'
- Imadan lets out a low whistle.
- 'You might say that old stuff's a bit beneath lords such as they. But I know what they're at. It's what they drank when they were young men and went free about the City. I suppose recollecting old times can recollect old thirsts, eh?
- 'There's some over there, among my stores. You may help yourself.'
Objective 2
- Take some Beren's Blood wine (0/4)
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Imadan has some of the Beren's Blood wine Forlong wants. You should gather some yourself from the storage area.
- Imadan: 'That old Beren's Blood wine is over yonder, among the storages. Take what you please.
- Beren's Blood Wine:
- Not a fine wine, but favored by Forlong and Hirluin in their youth.
- Took a bottle of wine (4/4)
Objective 3
The Merry Swan is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Bring the wine back over to Forlong's table.
- Hirluin: Hirluin catches your arm as you come up.
- 'Give that wine here, friend. Should you place it before Forlong, we others might never have a taste.'
- This is met with hearty laughter, not least by Forlong himself.
- 'Here, friends - a glass for you Neldir, a glass for me, yes, and one for you, Forlong, old friends. To our days of youth!'
- The three friends raise their glasses and drink
Objective 4
The Merry Swan is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Here what Neldir has to say.
- Neldir: 'And with one sip, a flood of memories! How we sat at this very table, night upon night. Our glasses full of Beren's Blood and Old Calembel cheese upon our plates.
- '<class>, you have kindly furnished us with the wine. Can you find us the cheese, as well? Do some old men a kindness!'
Objective 5
- Ask Imadan for Old Calembel
The Merry Swan is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Find some of the Old Calembel cheese that Forlong and his friends used to eat with their favorite wine. Start by asking Imadan, the barkeep of the Merry Swan.
- Neldir: 'Do us a kindness and see if Imadan's got some Old Calembel cheese lying around.'
- Imadan: 'Old Calembel? Ah well. I don't know what to say, but that some things linger and some things fade away. I haven't had any of that cheese for a good many years. Though now that I think of it, you might try the back of the Middle Stores, just up the way. You'll find all kinds of things back there, you will.'
Objective 6
The Middle Stores are in the south part of the Third Circle.
Imadan has no old Calembel cheese, but thinks the back reaches of the Middle Stores might have some.
- Imadan: 'I haven't had any Old Calembel in years. But you might find some in the Middle Stores.'
- Rastion: 'What? Old Calembel? Aye, I think we might well have some, farther in. I'm not going back there. If you want some, you'll need to go yourself.'
Objective 7
- Take some Old Calembel (0/3)
The Middle Stores are in the south part of the Third Circle.
They have some Old Calembel deep at the back of the Middle Stores. You should gather some for Forlong's table.
- Rastion: 'If we've got any Old Calembel, it's far at the back. Take any you find in there. Nobody else seems to want it.'
- Old Calembel:
- An old cheese, remembered to have gone well with Beren's Blood wine.
- Took Old Calembel (3/3)
Objective 8
- Bring the cheese to Neldir
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Bring the cheese back to the Merry Swan.
- Neldir: 'Why, what have we here? It is a memory in the round, my friends! I thank you, good <class>. Hirluin, hand me that bread. Forlong, the knife. Let us put fond memory to our lips.'
- The Three solemnly partake of bread and cheese
Objective 9
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Forlong, Hirluin, and Neldir have tasted the Old Calembel. See how they liked it.
- Neldir: 'Is this truly the companion to our youthful wine? My eyes tell me so, but my tongue calls them liars!'
- Forlong: 'I will confess, this is not how I remembered it. Ha ha! No, it's quite... different.'
- Hirluin: 'It is tart - or perhaps merely bitter - and yet mellow. Or perhaps not so mellow as bland.'
Objective 10
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Forlong has to say.
- Forlong: 'Well, my dear friends. If we've learned something tonight, it is that in drink old friends stay true. In taste, they may differ. Ha ha! Ha ha ha!'
- 'Let us wash away that unfortunate taste with another drink of Beren's Blood!'
Objective 11
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Hirluin has to say.
- Forlong: 'Tonight, wine, food, friends. Tomorrow -- come what may!'
- Hirluin: 'But now we have our wine and our regrettable cheese. Finish your tale, Forlong. You had so many bottles of Beren's Blood under your coats... and what then?'
Objective 12
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Listen to Forlong's reply.
- Forlong: 'Why, old Minastúr, the last Master of the Burg stumbled across us! It was blind luck, and very bad at that. He knew at once we were the ones who'd done it, and he set to chasing us, waving that iron cane he went about with at us most menacingly!
- 'In fact, he swung at my head and nearly took it off. To this day, there is a mark against the stone that he hit instead!'
Objective 13
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Hirluin has to say.
- Hirluin: 'Ah, now you go too far! I will not allow such a wanton claim to stand. Someone must be sent. You, <race>, will you go out on the street and show this for a braggart's lie? It was just north of the Pier, Forlong, was it not? Against an alley-column? Yes. Will you go and see?'
Objective 14
- Look for the mark on the column
Forlong claims the mark can be found in the Third Circle, just north of the Pier.
Look for a mark on the column where the old Master of the Burg swung at Forlong's head. Forlong claims it can still be seen but Hirluin disbelieves him.
- Hirluin: 'If you could settle this question of whether the old Master's cane-mark has lasted to this day, or not, we should be ever so grateful.'
- You can clearly make out the mark Forlong spoke of
Objective 15
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Return to the Merry Swan and tell Hirluin the mark can, in fact, be seen.
- Forlong: 'Well, what did you see? I was right, wasn't I?'
- Hirluin: 'The mark can be seen? And you swear to it? Well! I cannot shout at the sun that it is night, can I? Ha ha!
- 'But we interrupted ourselves mid-tale. Please, carry on!'
Objective 16
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Listen to Forlong continue his tale.
- Forlong: 'Well! As I was saying, there we were with some bottles of wine tucked in our arms, but I, for one, had also a hat, bread, some flowers, and a small rolled up rug.'
Objective 17
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Listen to Neldir's interjection.
- Neldir: 'Hold! Hold! This is too much. Confess, Forlong, NOW you have embellished! Ah, I know that set of the jaw. You stand by your story, do you? So be it.
- 'Friend <class>, as you have not wandered off, I wonder if you will settle another quibble. Can you find these various articles and bring them here? Surely they can all be found somewhere in this Circle. What did you say, Forlong? It was a hat, some bread, some flowers, and a small rug?'
Objective 18
- Find a hat
- Find some bread
- Find some flowers
- Find a small rug
Search for these things in the Third Circle of Minas Tirith.
Look for a hat, some bread, some flowers, and a small rug to help prove Neldir's point.
- Forlong: 'You will see, Neldir. It can be done and I did it!'
- Hirluin: 'Hmm... Is this claim to be the wine... or the cheese?'
- Neldir: 'Lord Forlong here must not be indulged or allowed such extravagant tales. Do see if you can find those things somewhere nearby.'
- Found a small rug
- Found some flowers
- Found some bread
- Found a hat
Objective 19
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Bring the things you have gathered back to Neldir, in the Merry Swan.
- Neldir: 'How marvelous! You have brought the things. Now we will put it to the test. Can you walk from here to there and carry these? I do not even ask you to run.'
- Neldir combines the items into a rough pile
Objective 20
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Try to carry the pile of things across the room.
- The things tumble from your hands!
Objective 21
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Neldir has to say.
- Forlong: 'That wasn't how it went at all. You haven't the grasp, and besides, your heart wasn't in it!'
- Hirluin: 'Well done. That was quite amusing.'
- Neldir: 'Ho ho! This is a mess! I am sorry, friend. Forlong, we see through your plans now. You fed us one truth in hopes we would swallow a lie!
- 'But tell me, even if you could bear all that in your arms, why in Isildur's name WOULD you?'
Objective 22
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Listen to Forlong's reply.
- Forlong: 'Why, to woo the heart of my Vanyalos! Oh, do not give me such frowns, you goats. None of us has forgotten the procession of maids swooning over you, Hirluin. Nor that tale of climbing the circle-wall, with... what was her name, that one maid with the dark hair?'
Objective 23
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Hirluin has to say.
- Hirluin: 'That was an invention of the minstrel Authlin, and what is more, I think you know it. Though I hold that she spread the tale with as much relish as the minstrel ever did.'
Objective 24
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Forlong has to say.
- Forlong: 'I doubt it not, Hirluin. The maids ever fell under your cold spell.
- 'Old Authlin, though. Now there was a minstrel of uncommon gifts! And a bit of a mischief-maker, too, wasn't he? But who would not forgive words so sweetly sung, or deftly penned! Of war he sang and kings of old, of flowery vales and shepherd's pipes, and of fair-eyed maids.
- 'You, Neldir, you have lived in Minas Tirith all this time. Does he live and play still? You know not? I must learn his fate. My good <race>, may we lean upon goodness once again? Will you go up into the Fourth Circle and learn what became of Authlin, master-minstrel?
Objective 25
Go up to the Fourth Circle and see if anyone knows what became of the minstrel Authlin.
- Dúrbethir: 'Authlin? Why I knew him well, perhaps better than most, though I have not seen him in many a year. I will tell you something I remember of him. Sometimes, after a night of drink and merriment and song, he would confess to me that though his heart burned bright, there was a well of sorrow in it, too, and they ever wrestled. Sorrow for what, he would never tell. And then, sometimes, he would tell me he meant to fight the sorrow and love all the world until he should know his time had come, and then how sweet his rest should be. That is what he told me.'
- Lenglír 'How many times have I heard Authlin the Minstrel's name spoken? There are many tales told of that man. Why that patch of green, across the way over there, was his favorite place to perform. They say the night air filled with his harp as he stood there and played sweet melodies to the stars.'
- Pethiril: 'If you are looking for Authlin, you have missed him by ten years. Though, for what it's worth, I have heard he died with a glass of wine in his hand and a song on his lips.'
Objective 26
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
You should return to Forlong and his company in the Merry Swan.
- Forlong: 'So Authlin lived a good life and died a willing death? Truly, that is the wisdom of old Westernesse!
- 'Let us honour him and raise a glass. You, too, friend <class>! You have earned your place, I think!'
Objective 27
Forlong and his friends are in the Merry Swan, in the Third Circle of Minas Tirith.
Drink with Forlong and his company.
Objective 28
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Hear what Forlong has to say.
- Forlong: 'And look, we have drained this bottle of Beren's Blood. Why, friend, I know what you should do. You should run and place it on that stone he loved, as a tribute to his memory. Yes, that is just the thing!'
Objective 29
- Return to Authlin's favorite spot
Authlin's favorite spot was across from the Artists' Fellow-hall in the Fourth Circle.
Place the empty bottle of Beren's Blood at Authlin's favorite spot, to commemorate the old minstrel.
- Here was Authlin's favorite place to sing
- You place the bottle reverently at the stone's base
Objective 30
The Merry Swan Tavern is on the southern end of the Third Circle.
Return to the Merry Swan and tell Forlong the bottle has been placed at Authlin's favorite stone.
- Forlong: 'The bottle is placed? That is well. We do well to honour old Authlin.'
- Forlong closes his eyes and for a moment, the garrulous conversation comes to a rest.
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