The end of the Line

While it's unlikely that the title of this post will evoke a Tolkienesque reference, it's a steampunk play on "The Road Goes Ever On." But rail-lines do not. And this adventure has finally, after nearly two years, ended. What began in May of 2008 has been concluded. My apologies to those who have followed our adventures for not keeping you informed as well as I should have. For anyone who stuck around, here's how it all ended after the Damnation episode:

First, the character of Tari underwent some radical moments, due to scheduling conflicts with players, resulting in a convoluted backwards timeline. Everything "Tari" did in Damnation was actually the work of a Nightblade, an assassin specializing in magic related to poison and deception. The Nightblade took on Tari's appearance and mannerisms and infiltrated the heroes' ranks. It explains a great deal about how the rest of the action played out, so it requires a mention at this point.

The Nightblade Tari reported the actions of the company as they headed west to the Ashen Shores to protect the Frontier against the Second Darkness's assault. This was why their defense would be met by a massive airship strike. Upon arriving at the Ashen Shores, Maeliana, Braith, and Sterling took flight upon Roac, and were accordingly the first to spot the airships. The forces on the ground were occupied with repelling a naval attack, which the Eagle Crew had done much to thwart. Ultimately, the airship strike could not be stopped by the Eagle Crew, and they were forced to abandon their companions. During the battle, the last King was killed in a heroic attempt to stop the Witch King's airship. An explosion buried Rusty, Aiden, Spooner, and Klovis. Chance, the "new face in Damnation" was also lost in the battle.

The image that inspire the Black School.

At this point, I shifted the game to Orthanc, to engage in an experiment of PC dynamics. What would happen if everyone was a magic user? Further wanting to riff on steampunking popular fantasy, I made Orthanc/Isengard into The Black School, a Steampunked-Middle-Earth version of Hogwarts, but in a universe where 'Voldemort' effectively won. So the students are learning magic, but they're also convinced that the current world order under Saruman and the Witch-King is the right one. I won't get into excessive detail here, except to say that we explored how industrialization of magic items would affect a world like Middle-Earth, thinking of magic as an energy source, and thus introducing an energy crisis to the game. Ultimately, the student PCs became aware of Saruman's deceptions when Morsein, now Lord of Moria, brought the defeated Balrog's Maiar essence to become the power source for an infernal machine: a great colossus. The students then struck out from the school for the Library of Annuminas in the North Frontier, believing the key to defeating Saruman might lie there. Tari was one of the students, having left for the Black School by invitation, the action which got her out of the way so the Nightblade could take her place. Tari was instrumental in changing the PCs minds' about Saruman and the Second Darkness.

Steampunk Gandalf?

Meanwhile, Eagle Crew met up with Gandalf, in a steampunked homage to the return of Gandalf in LOTR. However, due to the magical energy crisis, Gandalf has not returned from the Undying Lands in the wake of his battle with the Balrog, but has rather been rebuilt by the Dwarves of Moria, who found his ruined body outside the West Gate, where it had fallen. I got the idea from this image of Samuel Colt as rendered in the Steampunk Legends and Myths challenge at CGSociety. As in LOTR, Gandalf has returned to tell the three remaining companions (Braith, Sterling, and Maeliana) that they are needed to protect the princess, the King's daughter. The trio rescues the princess from an airstrike on the ruins of Far North (Fornost) where the remnants of the resistance had fled to.

While all these events unfolded, Klovis, Aiden, Chance, and Spooner awoke on an airship, taken captive by the Witch King. Nightblade Tari is with them, and while they find it odd that she is there, they accept her as part of their company. They escape their cells, and in the ensuing battle, Aiden ignites the airship. As the airship falls burning from the sky, Aiden mortally wounds the Witch King with Narsil, which was on the deck of the ship as a trophy from the battle at the Ashen Fields. Chance is killed in the battle: Klovis, Aiden, Nightblade Tari, and Spooner are transported to the shores of Lake Nenuial, scant miles from the ruins of Annuminas. Unconscious, the Nightblade is revealed for who she truly is, and the group sets out for the ruins to the south.

In a bit of a deus ex machina, all the characters converged, so that PCs were playing two characters at once at times. They have all come to the Library of Annuminas, but to what end? The campaign ended in a two-part "Library Crawl", a tribute to the roots of roleplaying's classic Dungeon Crawls. Inside the library were found ancient texts of taboo magic, books of theology relating to the Valar, and rooms filled with herbs and seeds from before the Second Darkness. Two powerful rooms are also located: a room which allowed time-travel, and a room with a floor detailing a map of Middle-Earth, which when activated, showed weather patterns, and movements of large bodies such as airships or armies. Using all these elements, the group decided to go back in time 20 years, build a printing press, print the books of magic and the Silmarillion and distribute these and the seeds as a quiet revolution.

Two of my players (Braith and Sterling) had taken the princess to Tharbad for a secret coronation. They were the witnesses of the change that came over the world in the blink of an eye when the timeline of the past was altered. They immediately forgot it, but at a gaming level I was able to show how the quiet actions of ecological and ideological revolution changed the world and ultimately defeated the Second Darkness. It was the perfect ending, and allowed me to tie up loose ends in a sort of "cut scenes" exposition at the end of the game.

So ends the thought experiment. What happens when you steampunk Middle-Earth? A lot. And ultimately, I concluded that you can't have the Shire back, as Tolkien also wrote. The industrialization of Middle-Earth could not be undone, but the minds of the people living within it could. And a balance between the pastoral romanticism of Tolkien and the technological ambivalence of steampunk was found.

Namarie!

The end is near!

Just wanted to post an update - Steam Lords the campaign is not over, but it is coming to a close in the next few months. I've been reading some of the comments from folks, and wanted to say a quick thanks to those who have been following our "exploits" here on the web. My apologies for not keeping this site up. When I started working on my dissertation (about steampunk), I utilized the game as a thought experiment. In December of 2008, I started a blog called Steampunk Scholar, and that's been my blogging focus ever since. For those of you who were wanting to know more about our game in a more codified fashion, please note that I'll be posting on "How to steampunk your RPG" at the Steampunk Scholar site. The posts will be summary and reiteration of many of the posts from this blog. The posts will also contain observations I've made about the steampunk aesthetic, as observed by the thought experiment this game proved to be. Please come and check it out, starting this Friday, February 12. Thanks again for coming by and enjoying the portion of the ride we shared with all of you.

Synopsis of "Damnation" - Episode 3, Season 2

Synopsis of Episode 3

March 24
The heroes flee Stratton following the firefight at the Eagle’s Nest Inn. They disperse into three groups: Farson and Thoron, the two apprentice Gunslingers, and Klovis, the enigmatic stranger who came upriver from Tharbad; Aiden, the stoker from the train the group escaped Moria Station aboard, Sterling and Braith, former owners of both the Overhang and the Eagle’s Nest Inns, and “Rusty,” the iron/brass-automaton, recently freed from the Stratton Keep; and Maeliana on the back of Roac the Great Eagle. Kaa lies dead in the Eagle’s Nest Inn, and Tari, while not forgotten, abandoned to her own devices. They arrange to meet in Damnation.

Maeliana and Roac track down the remaining bounty hunter and Roac kills him with one swipe of his talon.

Tari sees Kaa’s body among the dead brought to Chilperic’s to be prepared for burial. Chilperic advises her to leave Stratton as soon as she can.

Wistan leaves Stratton in the early morning in pursuit of the heroes, taking three of Herion’s best horses. By mid-afternoon, he has ridden the first nearly to death.

Tari leaves at nightfall to follow her friends. Along the road to Damnation, she finds Wistan’s abandoned horse and heals it. Invigorated by Tari’s Strengthening Song, the horse speeds along the road, following Wistan.

March 25
All parties en route to Damnation. At nightfall, Farson spots Wistan pursuing them.
Samwise Spooner, Damnation’s barber, and Salvino Gustavo Esquebar, a local gambler, engage in a game of cards with a local farmer and a stranger to town.

March 26
Braith, Sterling, Aiden, riding on Rusty, and staying off the road entirely, arrive in Damnation an hour after midnight. Aiden states he wants to explore the town, while Braith, Sterling and Rusty head for the King’s Rest Inn to see if they can contact someone in the Resistance.

Aiden wanders down to the train station to see about getting work, where a train is being readied to carry two Gunslinger platoons to the Ashen Shores, the former Grey Havens, now the Western Front of the Resistance. He overhears a conversation between Fairfax, leader of an insurgent Gunslinger platoon, and one of his aide de camp, revealing their intentions to assassinate Aranath, the current leader of the Gunslingers. Aiden uses magic to warn Aranath, who confronts Fairfax. Fairfax denies the accusation and asks where Aranath got such an idea – since Aranath acted upon Aiden’s Long Whisper, there is no way for him to substantiate his suspicion. The train prepares to leave for the Western Front. Aiden, unaware of the train’s final destination, sabotages the rails to prevent the journey, in the hopes it will thwart the assassination attempt.

Wistan reaches the apprentice Gunslingers and Klovis two hours before dawn. He casts spells of mind-destruction on both Farson and Thoron, resulting in the cart going out of control and crashing onto its side. Tari arrives in time to badly wound Wistan, who flees through magical means. She attends to the wounded Thoron and Farson, while Klovis sets to work repairing the cart.

The card game finishes after the stranger reveals himself to be Lincoln Barker, an enforcer for Neburcha, Master of the Trader’s Guild in Tharbad, to whom Sam Spooner is indebted. Spooner takes his leave of the card table, and heads back to his shop to ready himself to leave. Sterling observes that Lincoln is some sort of thug, while Braith has ascertained that Sam Spooner would be the man to talk to about contacting the Resistance. Salvino wins another hand from the farmer, who has surreptitiously pocketed some of Spooner’s money, and decides to return the money to his friend, and perhaps have another drink. Salvino heads for Spooner’s shop. Lincoln follows Salvino; Sterling and Braith follow Lincoln.

Maeliana and Roac arrive at Damnation, and after scouting the town from the air, land in the woods near the town. Maeliana is initially unsuccessful at getting past the gate warden, but finally succeeds through a combination of finer clothes and magical coercion. She begins looking for her friends.

Lincoln is joined by two henchmen, and they approach Spooner’s shop. Salvino is already inside, and Spooner apprises him of the situation. Salvino gives Spooner one of his pistols, which Spooner lays on his table before sitting down with his other revolver under the table, out of sight. Salvino hides in the back room. One of Lincoln’s men goes around the back of the house, but is apprehended by a very stealthy Braith, who peacefully dispatches the thug, taking his weapons. Lincoln enters the shop through the front and demands the money from Spooner.

The train embarks, and hitting Aiden’s sabotaged section of track, derails lightly. The Gunslingers leave the cars. Aiden, having ascertained that Fairfax was the man who was plotting the assassination, singles him out. Aranath confronts Fairfax yet again, this time employing magic. Fairfax is uncloaked as a traitor to the Resistance. The two Gunslinger platoons stand, pistols drawn, tension filling the air.

Braith enters Spooner’s shop through the back, but is nearly shot by Salvino before identifying himself as a friendly. Spooner shoots Lincoln in the leg from under the table. Lincoln’s thug shoots Spooner, the bullet breaking ribs, but glancing off the bone. Lincoln’s shot strikes Spooner in the leg, opening up his femoral artery. Sterling shoots the thug from outside, shattering his kneecap. Braith and Salvino enter from the rear of the shop and cut Lincoln down, Salvino shooting the enforcer through the eye.

Chance, another new face in Damnation, observes the standoff from his vantage point near the wall, and performs a movement of hands and fingers. Simultaneously, one of the Gunslingers fires a shot. The Varaja Standoff becomes a firefight. Aiden takes cover. The fight moves into the town.

Maeliana flees the fight, hiding behind Rusty, who has come to investigate the train’s derailing. While she stands in the shadow of the automaton, Rusty’s automatic weapon-system engages. Rusty’s right hand retracts into his forearm, to be replaced by a set of revolving cylinders, which spray bullets at the oncoming combatants, who are summarily mowed down in a gory mess.

Spooner begins performing surgery on himself to remove the bullet and sew himself up. Braith assists by tying a tourniquet. Sterling fires at the Gunslingers, uncertain of what is happening.

Chance causes a number of the Gunslingers’ clothes to burst into flame, then spotting Aranath, magically numbs the Gunslinger leader’s right hand. Arantath’s pistol falls from that hand, but he recovers and quickly draws his sword…a broken sword.

Braith, having moved to the roof of the shop, sees Narsil drawn in Aranath’s hand and has a sudden epiphany about his own delusions of being the lost King…he sees Fairfax draw his pistol to shoot Aranath and fires his own shot, shattering Fairfax’s hand. Fairfax retreats. Braith yells “protect the King!” to Sterling—Rusty hears, and moves to protect Aranath. The gunfight is at a draw. The insurgent Gunslingers begin to withdraw on horseback. As they exit the city, Tari and Klovis enter – Klovis and Fairfax stare at each other in recognition, although Klovis cannot remember why.

Salvino gives his “lucky deck” of cards to Spooner before disguising himself as a Gunslinger and duping his way into their confidence. Salvino is assigned to a squad of Gunslingers accompanying Aranath’s wife and daughter to Norbury, the ruins of Fornost Erain, for safety. The heroes agree to accompany the remaining Gunslingers to the Ashen Shores, provided the train can be repaired. Meanwhile, Maeliana goes to Cobman Greenwood, the tanner, and commissions a saddle and a harness for Roac.

Correspondence from Stratton, Rhudaur

To Lord Ethacali, Governor of the Territory of Rhudaur, servant to His Most Awesome Majesty, the Witch King of Angmar, Greetings.
Your most humble servant Herion desires to apprise your most excellent Lordship of the events of the past few days. Two days ago, I received your directive to expect and assist a Royal Agent in the transportation of a valuable artifact. I did indeed meet Wistan yesterday, but in regrettable circumstance. The artifact Wistan was transporting is a Metal Golem which raged out of control until the company of imperial soldiers I promptly summoned stabilized the situation. A number of locals were prepared to grievously assault Wistan, requiring me to bring him into protective custody. At that time, he informed me of his mission and of the importance of the Metal Golem which I had wisely sequestered in the guard tower. Wistan, an amazingly personable gentleman, especially for an agent of such seniority, informed me that an essential component of the Metal Golem had been stolen, and that the controller of the same, disguised as an imperial badge, was also missing. Fortunately, a valuable contact I had cultivated, the new proprietor of the Wharf Rat tavern (now called The Eagle's Nest), was able to identify the thief, who was at that time resident in the tavern. I immediately dispatched the best company of Imperial Soldiers to retrieve these items. I recommended that Wistan accompany the troop, but he demurred, not wanting to draw greater attention to this matter. I assigned this outpost's best officer to lead this operation, and cast a word of command on him to assure> his utter devotion to the task. Most unexpectedly, the> company returned decimated and with the task unfulfilled. The officer was among those killed, and those returning spoke of foul magic at work. Leaving Wistan to guard the Metal Golem, I proceeded personally to the tavern, accompanied by half of the remaining detachment, with the balance assigned to security for Wistan and the Golem. I indeed verified that the residue of a great deal of magic from many users was present, and of a nature and precision unprecedented in the recent history of this region. I identified the bodies of all the missing troops save one, a young private whom I suspect of treachery since even accounting for magic, the troop should not have been so summarily defeated. As I was returning to the tower, I was accosted by a distraught Wistan, who advised me that several perpetrators, number hard to determine as they were almost invisible--clearly more magic--had reactivated the Metal Gollum and vanished. Wistan has chosen to pursue this band of robbers and murderers on his own, a truly brave but rather foolhardy action given that I had offered both a large force and my magic prowess which would have been most helpful in advancing this operation to success. He has left with three of the finest mounts from this outpost. I shall be sending a document with more complete descriptions of the perpetrators of this outrage as soon as I can find a forensic artist to draw portraits of the same. I await further instructions on this matter.
Your most loyal servant, Herion.

This post was written by George Hardy, in character as the NPC Herion.

Season 1.5 Timeline

August 6: The balloon car is abandoned and the Eagles take the Eaglet into their care, with the understanding that, since she bonded with the Eaglet as mother, Maeliana must go with the Eagles to live upon the Eyrie, until the Eaglet can fly. Jae decides to accompany her. The remaining company commissions a rancher in the shadow of the Misty Mountains to carry their goods to Stratton, the human settlement nearest to the site the balloon-car set down. Stratton stands upon the site the reknowned Last Inn once stood, in the shadow of the Trollshaws.

August 7-October 20: The companions attempt to settle into Stratton life. Aidan finds work at the blacksmith’s; Kaa becomes deputy under Luzog, the orc sheriff of Stratton; Braith and Sterling start a new inn, the Eagle’s Nest, by taking over an abandoned one, the Wharf Rat; Thoron becomes cook at the Eagle’s Nest; Tari becomes a reclusive shut-in, working as the assistant to Chilperic, a venerable healer, and most trusted herbalist in Stratton; Farson begins running a supply wagon to procure goods for Braith and Sterling, while also trying to make contact with the Gunslingers west of Damnation (the town formerly known as Bree).

October 21: The Eaglet flies for the first time

October 22: Maeliana and Jae come to Stratton, and re-open the local Theater, performing there weekly for the entertainment of the townsfolk. They both hide their Elvish features behind costumes, and rarely go out in public.

October 23-March 15: The heroes become used to a “normal life” during winter in Stratton. Given the reality that people outside Moria station seem unperturbed living under the Second Darkness (now known commonly as the Minyadae, which means nothing to most people, as Sindarin is fast becoming a dying language), the adventurers are lulled out of their desire to be an active part of the resistance. Maeliana secretly meets with her Eagle in the woods outside Stratton, training it to fly with her on its back. Aidan begins courting Seanna, one of the barmaids at the Eagle’s Nest. The Eagle’s Nest becomes one of the most popular places for good food in Stratton. Braith decides to run for mayor against Guntram Goldenhands, the current mayor of Stratton. Life finds a quiet rhythm as Spring approaches.

Detailed Analysis of trailer for Season 2 of Steam Lords

In some alternate universe, Steam Lords isn't a pen and paper Steampunk version of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. It's a Space channel series as sweet and awesome as Battlestar Galactica. In that universe, the trailer for Season 2 was finally released. Load up this YouTube video which plays "Super Strength" by Two Steps From Hell, the people who did the music for the kickass third Star Trek trailer, to hear the music which accompanies this possible-worlds-trailer. Read along to see what happens.

0:01 - montage of slow motion shots of the Rangers of the North (a combination of Wild West outlaws and Aragorn as played by Viggo - a mix of swords and six-guns) riding on horseback, throwing sticky bombs to the sides of moving trains, trains derailing). These shots are played against  Saruman's shadowed face in profile. V.O. (Voice-over) by Saruman: "Too long have the Rangers of the North resisted us. Too long have they thwarted the completion of the Iron Dragon's path into the West. If we cannot stop them by land, we will crush them from the air." (Saruman's face fades out)

0:13 Tracking shot following a young boy as he runs through the streets of a ruined city (think Osgiliath in Jackson's Return of the King). It is likely Fornost, once the capital city of Arnor, a kingdom which fell under the onslaught of the Second Darkness. The boy is dressed in Victorian clothing with slight differences (think Oliver Twist). He is looking furtively over his shoulder at the sky.

0:16 Overhead tracking shot of the boy looking up. An immense shadow is falling over the ruined street behind him, catching up with him.

0:19 Very low tracking shot, looking up from the ground at the boy as he continues running. Overhead is a rigid airship, overshadowing the ruined spires of the once-great city.

0:22 Wide shot revealing many people running, the boy in the background but still center of the shot

0:24 Medium shot as the boy climbs a flight of stairs

0:27 - Wide shot of people running in foreground - we see the boy running along the parapet in the background

0:29 - Overhead view of Bay doors opening and bombs dropping down towards the city

0:32 - Closeup of the bombs falling, reflected in someone's eye

0:35 - montage of people running, the bombs exploding, buildings collapsing, people falling and dying, Rangers standing and firing at the airships

0:45 - More explosions, very close to the young boy, the parapet collapses

0:50 - A shot from below, framing the boy and debris falling as a silhouette against the sky

0:55 - a hand grabs the boy's, and we hear Sterling in voice over: "Got you!"

0:57 - circling helicopter shot of the Eagle's Eyrie high in the Misty Mountains, with the Great Eagles in flight around it. Once catches a glimpse of people on the rock platform beneath the nests, emerging from some underground shelter. V.O. of Thoron: "We've been hiding and waiting for the right moment to strike."

1:00 - A wide shot of a bright, naturally lit chamber wherein a Mallorn Tree is growing. A woman is facing the tree, her back to the camera, arms held out to either side. The blue skin on the hands and her white hair make this a fair bet it's a shot of Kari.

1:04 - A tracking shot of Jaa playing the stringed instrument built by Gimli and Jaa's father. He is seated outside with the sun setting in the distance. He smiles, looking content.

1:07 - on the fanfare, we see Maeliana, her arm held out - her normal eagle alights on her arm

1:10 - on the second fanfare, the new, but fully grown Great Eagle touches down beside Maeliana, and looks down at her and her little eagle as if for approval. She laughs.

1:13 - wide, fast tracking shot of Braith, Thoron, and Farson riding very fast while pursued by Gun-Wraiths: Ringwraiths with firepower - it appears Farson has the boy on his horse as well. V.O. of Farson: "Who is the boy?"

1:15 - another shot of the boy from the opening shots - the camera tracks towards him very rapidly, and he has a look of fear on his face. V.O. unidentified character: "His name is Earnur - he is the last king of Gondor."

1:17 Next begins a very rapid succession of 16 very brief clips which one has to pause to see details concerning. As best as we were able to make out, here's what they are:
- On the first cymbal crash, there is an explosion with a silhouetted figure shielding himself with a cape in the foreground - he appears to be wearing a gas mask and a wide-brimmed hat - Gandalf back from the dead, or something else?
- A low shot circling the entire group of heroes, who are standing in some sort of great wooden hall, surrounded by what appear to be the Rangers
- A fight between Braith, Farson? and Thoron with a man in a Nazi officer's uniform, who appears to be deflecting bullets with his arms (some sort of body armor) while dueling them with a great sword and a ball and chain. It appears they are on TOP of one of the rigid airships, as there is what appears to be an aerial battle in the background.
- A flying shot behind the great eagle with full flying harness - clearly the heroes are flying on the back of this thing - they appear to be in a city, and are pursuing what appears to be a dragon
- Jaa strapped to the bottom of the eagle's harness, firing a long-rifle - another character on the other side of the harness, but can't see who it is
- The cloaked figure with the gasmask and wide brimmed hat drops down into a crowded ballroom where lords and ladies are dancing, and act in shock when they see him
- A large group of people bow, revealing Kari, standing with her hands held out in blessing
- Geo's new character (couldn't remember name) standing behind two hanger bay doors, which are slowly opening to reveal him. He begins to grin.
- A figure in what looks like a Nazi officer's uniform, except that he wears a mask reminiscent of the Witch King's (Lord of the Nazgul) from LOTR steps onto the bridge of what is likely one of the rigid airships
- Unknown character with goggles on running across rooftops with the moon in the background
- Closeup shot of Maeliana with aviator's goggles on, hair flying in the wind, which zooms out just as she banks the Great Eagle into a barrel roll
- Kaa in the midst of the ballroom, pulling out his sword to duel with a man in noble clothing - there's a beautiful woman looking on in the background
- Kari wheels towards the camera, fangs? (holy shit!) bared and eyes blazing red
- Another shot of the great eagle flying, between the buildings of a city, with explosions happening behind them
- Sterling with arms out at her sides, drops from an airship platform and goes into a controlled dive
- A shot of the inside of the rigid airship hanger - some are clearly still being built, and a hand comes into the shot, covered in fire.

1:39 - The entire shot is a fiery sky (at sunset?) with clouds - a massive airship fleet can be seen moving through the sky - these are not rigid airships now, but lethal sky-juggernauts (see image above).

1:42 - same shot, but the great eagle flies up into camera view, its back to the audience. Maeliana can be seen clearly on top, and the gunners are also visible through the flapping wings on the underside of the harness, right before it dives towards the airships.

1:44: STEAM LORDS - SEASON TWO - Coming May 2009.

Season 1: A Timeline

The view of Moria Station from the Overhang

T.A. 2008

July 10 - Tari commissions a series of figures of the Valar from Gimli
July 27 - Thoron, an apprentice Gunslinger arrives in Moria Station, makes contact with Braith and Sterling, proprietors of the Overhang, and their associates: Kaa, a half-orc 'cleaner,' Gimli, a dwarven craftsman and Jae, a Silvan Elf courier. The Lord Balrog receives a gift: an unhatched Great Eagle egg, and the egg's mother, her wings clipped. The Balrog orders that the mother hatch the egg, whereupon he will consume the eaglet. The heroes decide to rescue the egg.
July 28 - Knowing they will be venturing up into the sunlight if they succeed in rescuing the egg, Gimli begins crafting a series of goggles for those who have lived underground their whole life.
July 30 - Thoron's remaining companions arrive: Galad, his mentor, a fully accomplished Gunslinger (one of the first), and Farson, Galad's other apprentice. An altercation with the local militia. Jae makes contact with MaeLiana, the daughter of a minor elven noble who possesses lore about eagles, and is able to advise the group as to how much time remains before the egg hatches. It is likely less than a month.

The Streets of Moria Station, lit by Gaslight

August 1 - A plan is formed to rescue the egg. Gimli crafts a facsimile egg as decoy.
August 2 - Thoron, Maeliana, and Tari descend through a series of ventilation tunnels about the Balrog's chambers. Once inside, Maeliana entreats upon the mother eagle to give over the egg and allow them to replace it with the decoy. Farson discovers Galad is a traitor, but is unable to stop Galad's treachery, as he is attacked at the Overhang by a group of guardsmen.. Galad attempts to kill Gimli and Kaa in the cold forges. Gimli and Kaa escape through mine shafts and tunnels, eventually coming upon an underground lake where they discover two Dwarven battle axes, treasures hidden at the coming of the Second Darkness. Braith, Sterling and Jae are attacked by Galad, but in the ensuing battle, Galad loses a hand, and Braith claims his pistols. The group returns to the Overhang in time to rescue Farason. Gimli vows to have revenge upon Galad, but Thoron and Farson prevail upon the group to allow proper justice to be served.
The group is visited by Morsein, a strange elf who believes he is the first of his kind in Middle Earth. He arranges with the members of the Kelumé resistance to assassinate Brodish Hair-Dragger, one of the Balrog's highest ranking captains (and Kaa's father). In order to make Brodish vulnerable, Morsein has arranged for a feast for all the elite of the Second Darkness currently residing in Moria. Brodish will be among them. The crew from the Overhang will be masquerading as guests and servants. With the feast taking place on the main platform of Moria Station, an opportunity will be provided to load the stolen Eagle egg into a train car, ready to be taken out of Moria Station.

Lower levels of Moria Station, above the Balrog's Chambers

August 3 - Gimli sets to work on the container for the egg. Galad escapes.
August 4 - The Feast at Moria station: the Kelumé resistance is betrayed by Morsein, Gimli dies in a final confrontation with Galad, and two new allies, Rhavas Grau, a train engineer and Aidan, his fireman, assist the group in escaping with the eagle egg. Tari undergoes a radical physical transformation from her interactions with Morsein. As the train smashes its way through Moria station, the Lord Balrog arrives, only to be thwarted by Sterling, who throws one of Gimli's fallen axes into the Balrog's eye. As the train moves onto the main line leading Westward to freedom, all of Moria Station's forces converge upon the escaping train.
August 5: The flight through the main tunnel of Moria to its West gate is fraught with peril. Despite a number of skirmishes with their pursuers, the Kelumé resistance reaches the West gate and bursts out into the dawn of a new day. Rhavas Grau orders Aidan to initiate a complex mechanism in one of the train cars. The roof of the car is blown, and with Aidan’s fire, a hot-air balloon rises. The adventurers board the car, laden with their luggage and equipment. Suddenly, as the balloon-car begins to lift off, the Lord Balrog descends them from the mountain in full fury. In response, Rhavas Grau takes a massive wrench in hand, and leaps from the airborn car, yelling “You Shall Not Pass!” as he falls upon the Balrog in mid-air combat. The balloon-car carries the group northward as the enigmatic train-engineer grapples the Balrog down to earth, lost to sight and knowledge. The eagle egg hatches, and its cries bring the remaining handful of Great Eagles to accompany the balloon-car further north along the ridge of the Misty Mountains.

Synopsis Game 01: The Eagle has...landed

It is summer in the year T.A. 2008. The Kelumé, the Free People's resistance against the Second Darkness, have contacted Braìth and Sterling, the Eriadorian (human) owners of the Overhang to request they grant every possible accomodation to three operatives stealing into Khazad-dum via Moria Station. Since getting onto the platform at Moria Station requires very particular documentation, Braìth and Sterling set about procuring the proper documents, as well as the essential feature of a wax seal, done in the same sigil as the Lord Balrog's. Sterling, Braìth and their associates Kaa, a half-orc 'cleaner,' Gimli, a dwarven craftsman and Jae, a Silvan Elf courier all set about utilizing their contacts and skills, with the end result being a perfect replica of the proper documents necessary to gain access to Moria Station. In the process, Kaa was wounded bad enough to need medical attention, which was granted fortuitously by Tari, an acquaintance of Jae (who had also recently commissioned a series of ceramic icons of the Valar from Gimli).

As Jae descended the stairs from the Overhand towards Moria Station, a military procession announcing the Lord Balrog's presence entered the platform. While Jae was frozen in terror, unable to go on, Gimli and Braìth took up the document and continued toward one of two trains recently arrived. Their destination, a passenger train, was just disembarking. While Gimli and Braìth maintained a low profile, the Lord Balrog was presented with a shocking gift, representing a terrible blow to the hope of the Kelumé. A female Great Eagle, wings clipped, and her unhatched egg were presented as gifts, with the clear intention to force the female to hatch the egg, and then present the eaglet as a feast for the fallen Maia. The companions watching from the Overhang were shocked with horror at the prospect, even as Gimli and Braìth made contact with Braìth. After a brief altercation with the security force of Moria Station (which ended in an explosion which killed a number of the security force), they returned to the Overhang, where Tarondor (one of the Dunedain Rangers) revealed that his reason for coming to Khazad-dum was to retreive the Great Eagle egg. When Tari commented how confused she was by everything that was happening, the Kelumé retreated to a secret room in the cliff face behind the Overhang. Tari followed, undetected save by Tarondor.

When she was discovered, the group grudgingly resigned themselves to including her in their plans and mechanations, also having determined that they need to find a way to get the egg out of Khazad-dum before it hatches.

Memorable Quotes:

(right after the explosion went off on the main platform)GIMLI: Now, what would have made it explode like that?

KAA: So what I want to know is, when you've got some smelly orc drooling all over your face, and then they cut off your arms and legs and torture you, are you going to give us away?
TARI: No!
KAA: Why not? I totally would!

KAA: (realizing a half-orc can do things in Middle-Earth other races wouldn't) I'm totally smoking a cigarette...

STERLING: So I'm interrogating you! Why are you here?

The Overhang and Moria Station

Located on the outer circumference of the vast chasm containing Durin's Stair (also known as the Endless Stair), the Overhang is an inn and tavern built on a large overhanging outcrop of rock. As a result, patrons of the Overhang are afforded an excellent view of the central pillar of Durin's Stair, as well as the recent network of rails and sidings for the recently completed train station built on top of a huge natural basalt abutment which has been leveled by Dwarven engineering. The Moria Station is built on the abutment to increase the security surrounding arrivals and departures; the only way onto the abutment besides the rails is a 70' long bridge which connects to one of the "abyss' numerous natural basalt abutments," (Moria 54) which in turn has a number of bridges leading out to other abutments or a platform adjoining Durin's stair. Security at the station is extreme; papers signed by one of the various Steam Lords across Middle-Earth are required to disembark and enter Moria. The residents of Moria who are not in official positions within the rule of the Second Darkness are rarely permitted to leave the underground city, and so only those who have visitor status are permitted onto the platform without the proper paperwork, usually bearing the seal of the Balrog of Moria himself. Moria station runs from the Greatwood (Mirkwood) Line directly, running east to west. The line has not connected to the yet-to-be-completed Cardolan line, since construction of that last leg of the Great Endor Railway (GER) continues to be harried by the terrorist efforts of the Rangers of the North. Moria Station is also a stop-off for the Anduin spur line which runs North to South along the Eastern edge of the Misty Mountains, following the Great River Anduin, connecting Orthanc with Moria, Goblin-gate, Gundabad, and ultimately, Angmar. As a result, it is a constant site of activity, a swarm of armed forces, workers, and official dignitaries moving to and from the underground city.


The Overhang is known for it's excellent brews, clean rooms, and friendly staff. These attributes are those which are spoken of loudly, in conversational tones. What is whispered in dark corners and passed in encrypted messages is that the Overhang is the meeting point for members of the Kelumé ("rising up," Q.), the bourgeoning resistance against the Second Darkness. Table conversations are as likely to be about how the day's work has gone as they are to concern the rising tide of Light against the Shadow.

Moria and Lórien: T.A. 1970-2008

When Saruman and the Witch-King began their assault on Middle-Earth, the Dwarves of Moria, under the leadership of Durin VI, responded with an action which arguably preserved the culture and people of Lórien, simultaneously redressing a grievous wrong which had plagued the relations between the Elves of Lórien and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm for over a thousand years.

The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves of Eregion had enjoyed an amicable relationship of trade, commerce and craftsmanship:

"The discovery of mithril [circa. S.A. 700] prompted a Noldor migration into Eregion. Coming in search of new material for their wondrous crafts, these Elves settled in smaller Elven towns and built a great city at the junction of the Rivers Sirannon and Glanduin. Mithril excite the ever-curious Noldor, Elves who rivaled--and often surpassed--the Dwarves in the art of smithcraft...Within decades of finding mithril, Durin's folk had completed a subterranean road beneath the Silvertine that connected their city and mines to the Elven realm of Eregion. The West-gate of Khazad-dûm was opened, and goods bound for the Noldor stores and forges no longer had to travel the long route over the Redhorn Pass. Khazad-dûm [now] spanned the Misty Mountains. Elf-crafts and Dwarven things flowed freely and the Dwarf-city become known for its increasingly opulent splendor. It was truly a golden time" (Moria 13).

However, this peace and goodwill was not to endure. In S.A. 1697, the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm closed the West Gate "in defense against the onslaught" of Sauron's armies, and, "in doing so, shut out Eregion's Elven refugees" (18-19). When the Dark Lord's armies invaded Eregion, the "Dwarven warriors refused to leave the protective confines of their city, while the Deep-elves battled the Dark On'es host through the ravines and holly-covered hills of Eregion. By day, the Noldor withstood waves of pitiless Men; at night, the assailing ranks were filled with countless Orcs and Trolls. Sauron's horde broke through and stormed the Elf-city of Ost-in-Edhil. Seeking refuge for his beleaguered people, Celebrimbor sent envoys to Durin III. The Dwarf-king refused to open the West-gate to the Elves, just as he had denied warriors for the defense of Eregion. The escape route was closed, and the Noldor slaughtered" (14). This action was the genesis of "Moria," the Elven name for Khazad-dûm, which means "the Black Chasm" (19).

Legends take Durin III's Ring of Power into account for his rejection of Celebrimbor's pleas, since, while the Rings of Power given to the Dwarf Lords never resulted in Sauron's mastery over them, they have been held responsible for the increase in greed and paranoia amongst the Dwarves. The Dwarven version of the story is that Durin III's "acted out of concern for his people" (14), assessing the defense of Eregion a lost cause and any aid to the Elves too great a risk to his own people. "In any case, Durin III withheld aid when it was sorely needed, and the Elves never forgave him or his kindred" (14).

Nearly 4000 years later, history repeated itself. In 1972, Lórien, threatened by the alliance between Saruman and the Witch-King (popularly known as the "Second Darkness") turned to the Dwarves of Moria for assistance. Amroth and Nimrodel, rulers of Lorien following the Last Alliance, simply begged passage through Moria to Eregion, and then on to the Grey Havens to escape the fall of Middle-Earth. Durin VI agreed, but when the Elven host reached the West Gate and found Eregion had fallen to the Dark Alliance's Host, the Dwarven King saw the opportunity to strengthen his own people's chances to withstand the coming tide of darkness by forging new ties with the Elves of Lórien. The compact made between Durin VI and Amroth proved to be a powerful one, and the Elves and Dwarves of Khazad-dûm may well have held the underground citadel indefinitely, had it not been for the unearthing of one of the Darkness' greatest minions in the depths of the Seventh Deep of Khazad-dûm. The unearthing of the Balrog of Moria in 1980 was too great a power for even the combined might of the Elves and Dwarves with the host of the Second Darkness on both their doorsteps. The battle between the Balrog and the denizens of Khazad-dûm resulted in the opening of the Eastern gate, and as Dwarves and Elves attempted to flee, they were cut down by the waiting hordes of Orcs, Trolls, Black Numenoreans, and the subjugated peoples of Middle-Earth. The Dark Alliance had found entry to Moria through the East Gate, and with the Balrog on one side and an army on the other, Durin VI and Amroth had no choice but to surrender.

Nimrodel, overcome with fear of the Balrog, cast herself from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, sending Amroth into a killing fury. The wrath of the Elf Lord in his sorrow was great, and while he succeeded in sorely wounding the Balrog, the forces of Darkness prevailed. The Elves and Dwarves of Khazad-dûm found themselves under the heel of Saruman and the Witch-King. Since that fateful day in early 1981, Khazad-dûm has become Moria the Dark Chasm once again.

Now, in 2008, Elven and Dwarven craftspeople create weapons which oppress the Free Peoples. Slaves from all corners of Middle-Earth labor in the Mines of Moria, seeking Mithril, Laen, and other precious metals, not to mention coal to feed the engines of steam which belch black clouds into once-blue skies. It has become a saying amongst the peoples of Moria that they are glad they are captive beneath the earth, since they have never had to see the sorrow of Middle-Earth under the gloom of the Second Darkness. However, there are whispers of hope, whispers that remind that the darkness is only a veil hiding skies which remain blue. It only remains for those whose hope can give birth to courage to clear the skies of the darkness, to let the light shine once again.

A New Beginning

Welcome to "Lord of the Steam," the blog for my gaming group's newest MERP (Middle-earth Roleplaying) campaign. The setting is simple, albeit nearly blasphemous to a die-hard Tolkien fan. Imagine Saruman making the decision to abdicate his responsibilities as one of the Istari 1000 years earlier than the War of the Ring, when the Witch King of Angmar was finishing off the kingdom of Arnor. Imagine an alliance, not between Sauron and Saruman, but between the Witch King and Saruman. Imagine that it succeeds, not because of superior magic, but because of two technological innovations; the discovery of the steam engine, and the invention of gunpowder.

Arnor falls, and in its wake, so does Gondor. The men of Westernesse are scattered to the wind. The elves of Lothlorien, Rivendell and the Grey Havens prepare to leave Middle-earth, but as the Swan ships prepare to depart, they are engulfed in a firestorm. A flight of dragons, (either awakened from the Grey Mountains or machined like the dragons in Michael Swanwick's Dragons of Babel), descend on the Havens with teams of Uruk-Hai bombadiers and "pilots" (taking a page from Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon where dragons are literally like B-52 bombers, with full crews). The elves of Thranduil's kingdom are the last safe haven for elves in Middle Earth. Mirkwood, not yet the abode of darkness it will become with the growth of the "Necromancer's" power, becomes a place for free peoples to hide. The Dwarves make their peace with the new world order, becoming unwilling servants of the Shadow who retain their customs, traditions, and even methods of warfare fiercely, believing their radical traditionalism to be a form of resistance.

The famed underground citadel of Khazad-dum is the last bastion of Dwarves to become servile. While they were able to hold out against exterior assault, there is nothing that can save the Dwarves of Khazad-dum when they delve deeply, uncovering the Balrog of Moria in T.A. 1981. The underground kingdom falls, and the victory Sauron would seek in 1000 years at the War of the Ring is won.

But beneath the surface of occupied obedience, a desire for resistance begins to grow in the hearts of the oppressed people of Middle-earth. And in T.A. 2008, nearly 400 years after Saruman and the Witch-King first made their alliance, the opportunity to strike back has finally come.

This is our campaign, which we'll be sharing with you all here at this blog. We'll be giving our tips and hints on how to launch your own MERP-based Steampunk campaign, character profiles, as well as sharing chronicled versions of our games. We hope it will inspire those of you who love Rolemaster gaming and have access to the MERP sourcebooks to try some Tolkienesque blasphemy of your own.

Namarie!