Bestowal Dialogue
Tales of the Bright Company
"Glorfindel and the Bright Company have accomplished many heroic feats in service of High King Gil-galad. But be not over-awed! I have found them friendly and approachable both."
Background
The High Elves of the Bright Company undertake the most dangerous missions required by the Great Alliance.
Objective 1
Magoldir is at Echad-in-Edhil.
- Magoldir: 'This way, my friend. Glorfindel will be glad to meet you, and he will hear my report. Whether this strange inaction of Sauron's servants will be as pleasing, I cannot say. I myself am troubled by it, but I do not lead the Bright Company. Glorfindel will know more than either of us, I expect!'
- Follow Magoldir to meet with Glorfindel, the leader of the Bright Company
- Magoldir says, "There is nothing the Bright Company cannot find out."
- Magoldir says, "Hail, Glorfindel!"
- Magoldir says, "I am called Magoldir. I am one of the scouts you dispatched some few days ago."
- Magoldir says, "I have brought you my report."
- Glorfindel says, "Yes, I remember. I welcome your report."
- Glorfindel says, "But who is this?"
Objective 2
Glorfindel is at Echad-in-Edhil.
- Glorfindel: 'It is good to meet you, friend <class>, for in war all friendships must be prized. I am the captain of the Glánnothrim, the Bright Company, and we are tasked by High King Gil-galad to undertake some of the most dangerous missions on behalf of Elvenkind. You have not heard of us, I imagine? That is good, for none of us expect or desire glory. All we seek is the defeat of evil, wherever it lies. It lies now in Mordor.
- 'We are few in number, but that does not cause us to shrink from danger. Rather does it cause us to rely upon our fellows, and draw courage from their strength. Meet you now Lendelen, closest and wisest of our counsellors. Watch him closely, for he shares our purpose but possesses more wisdom than any Elf I have known! He is my trusted confidant, and a dear friend.'
- Glorfindel says, "He has the most wisdom of any Elf I have known."
Objective 3
Lendelen is at Echad-in-Edhil.
- Lendelen: 'Glorfindel speaks glowingly of my wisdom, but he boasts overmuch. I seek only the destruction of evil, and take no praise for myself. If there is glory to be had, divide it among every member of the Bright Company and give no greater a portion to one Elf or another. Yes, at the light-house of Calatirion I spoke the words that shattered Sauron's control over the Vandassar perched top the tower, but I could not have reached it without the others of the company.
- 'Give the praise to all or none, dear Glorfindel. I think you seek to avoid your own share and give too much of it to others.'
Objective 4
- Listen to the tale told by the shade of Isildur
Gandalf has interrupted the shade of Isildur's story-telling, bringing you back to the present situation on Tol Send.
- 'Hold a moment, Isildur,' Gandalf interrupts. 'Cease thy story-telling!'
Objective 5
The shade of Isildur has been interrupted by Gandalf, and he is not happy about it.
- Shade of Isildur: 'Why has the old man interrupted the telling of my tale? Does he desire to hear no more of it? It was only at your behest and his that I began to speak of this sorrowful time, and if he did not intend to let me finish he should never have had me start!'
Objective 6
Gandalf has interrupted the telling of Isildur's tale with a number of questions.
- Gandalf says, "Glorfindel, do you remember meeting this <class> of whom the shade speaks?"
- Glorfindel says, "I do, my friend, but only a little."
- Gandalf says, "And Magoldir?"
- Glorfindel says, "Indeed."
- Gandalf says, "Why then have you not spoken of them before?"
- Elrond says, "Many are the events in life that seem of importance only when they pass, Gandalf."
- Gandalf says, "Hmmm. Perhaps."
- Glorfindel says, "Magoldir and the <class> did not belong to the Bright Company."
- Glorfindel says, "I saw them but little."
- Gandalf says, "There is something else in the shade's tale that troubles me."
- Gandalf says, "This word you mentioned, Vandassar. What is its meaning?"
- Shade of Isildur says, "The Vandassari were the Oath-stones of Númenor."
Objective 7
- Talk to the shade of Isildur
The shade of Isildur is on Tol Send.
- Shade of Isildur: 'I am not surprised you do not know of the Vandassari, for they were treasures brought from Númenor to Middle-earth by my father and brother, long ago. Seven only survived the realm's fall, but seven was enough, and indeed would prove to be too many. They were the Oath-stones, and they were set upon the borders of the kingdoms we founded, three in Arnor and four in Gondor, to make peace with the tribes that lived nearby.
- 'These were the Oath-stones of Arnor: Helcessar of Forochel, pale blue. Tauressar of Rhudaur, pale green. Ambossar of Cardolan, red-brown.
- 'These were the Oath-stones of Gondor: Landassar of Rhovanion, golden brown. Orossar of Erech, deep black. Airessar of Harad, clear crystal. Naldassar of Rhûn, white-silver.
- 'There was a power in them, but it was Sauron's malice that turned vows sworn upon an Oath-stone into bonds of enslavement. He searched for the Vandassari, attempting to weaken our ends. He found Airessar, the crystal Oath-stone my brother Anárion set atop the lighthouse of Calatirion at the harbour of Vëalondë, and with his dark arts he used it to compel the services of the Haradrim.
- 'While we worked to assemble the Great Alliance, it was the Bright Company that journeyed to Umbar and broke Sauron's control over Airessar and the enslaved Haradrim. This ensured the Great Alliance need not contend with an army from the south when it reached Dagorlad, which might have proven insurmountable.'
Objective 8
Gandalf is on Tol Send.
- Gandalf: 'What brought they from the foundered land,' Gandalf murmurs quietly, 'over the flowing sea? Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree.'
- The Wizard shakes his head, and fixes you with his stern eyes.
- 'I always believed the seven stones referred to by this Rhyme of Lore were the palantíri, the seeing-stones that Elendil brought from Númenor to these shores. Can it be that the palantíri were the stars of the rhyme, and the Vandassari were the stones? How can I not have known this, <name>? What strange fog has clouded my knowledge on their account? And yet these Oath-stones have no place in my memory.'
- Completed: Instance: Tales of the Bright Company
- Shade of Isildur: 'Was this the last of the interruptions I must endure? I will continue my tale, if all agree to still their tongues!'
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