“Awake! Awake! Fear, fire, foes! Awake!”. The rallying cry of the Bucklanders and the courage of the Travellers has spurred the Hobbits of the Shire into actions against the Ruffians once and for all. Throughout the night Hobbits flock to the bonfire that the Travellers set ablaze, and in the morning Pippin leads a contingent …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 6: The Battle of Bywater”
Almost simultaneous with the Battle of Bywater, Paladin Took leads an impressive force of Hobbits to Longbottom to oust the Ruffians from the area. The Tooks are launching a concerted attack to drive the Ruffians out of the Southfarthing once and for all. Well aware that the villainous Ruffians will not go without a fight …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 5: The Southfarthing”
Under orders from Paladin, a bold group of Hobbits sneaks out in cover of darkness to raid the Old Store House, a building with sides that groan with food and supplies stolen by the Ruffians. No Took is willing to kill for something as simple as good food, so the brave Hobbit raiders hatch a …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 4: The Old Store House”
Lotho Sackville-Baggins is dead, murdered by the evil and utterly mad Worm. Now, with his presence revealed and all but Tookland under his sway, Sharkey begins to exercise his dominion with undisguised malice. Fredegar Bolger, loyal friend to Frodo, has been gathering dissenting Hobbits from the regions around the Brockenbores. However, spies have reported his …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 3: Brockenborings”
Encouraged by the apparent pact between Lotho and Sharkey and filled by evil intent, the ruffians have begun to enter the Shire in increasing numbers. Paladin Took, Thain and patriarchal head of the Tooks, is unwilling to see his ancestral lands meet the same fate as the rest of the Four Farthings, and so in …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 2: Beating the Bounds”
Sharkey is slowly building up his forces in Hobbiton, sending more and more of his Ruffians to empower Lotho and his plans. Most such men travel up the Greenway, but a few, travelling from Bree, cut across Buckland and across Farmer Maggot’s land on their journey. It is a rainy and windswept night, and Maggot …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) Scenario 1: Maggot’s Farm”
It is on a bright spring day that Odovacar Bolger and some friends make the ill-advised decision to take a picnic under the branches of the Old Forest. All of Odovacar’s companions are Brandybucks and, though they have heard tell of the dangers of the forest, are scornful of the dark and sinister tales with …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) – Appendix – Scenario 11: Odovacar Bolger’s Promenade”
In the year 2911, a great cold descended upon Eriador. It was not only streams that froze in the chill embrace of the winter winds, but also the mighty rivers that bordered the Shire to the north and west. Even the Baranduin (or Brandywine) was locked solid. In this window of vulnerability, a great many …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) – Appendix – Scenario 10: The Wolves of Winter”
Preceding the Battle of Bywater, only one conflict of any scale is recorded in the Shire, that of Greenfields. The bold and overconfident Orc chieftain Golfimbul led a large party of Warg Riders through the patrolling Rangers and into the green lands beyond. Though he lost many of his followers to the deadly skill of …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) – Appendix – Scenario 9: The Battle of Greenfields”
Please note: I lost most of the images that were in the original article, so this is now a mostly text-based report. In the year 1601, the king of Arnor granted permission to the Periannath to dwell in the land between the Baranduin and the Tower Hills. Few detailed records remain of this time in …
Read more “Scouring of the Shire (2004) – Appendix – Scenario 7: Founding of the Shire”