Login

***Chevy*** · 12-08-2021, 12:06 AM

Recently, I found a challenge that can be completed as a group where we combine how many steps we take per day and make a round-trip equivalent of Hobbiton to Mount Doom and back re-tracing the path of the Fellowship of the Ring. I had asked some of my fellow SMJHL GM's if they wanted to participate. Some eagerly joined in on the fun, so I decided to make a small series about it and tell the tale of our exploit of when...

THE SMJHL WENT TO MORDOR!

Day 1
Concerning GM's

The interesting thing about SMJHL GM's is that they are an adaptable folk. They can do tasks on a minute's notice, even grumbling about it, but at the same time will dismiss and forgive any errors done by league simmers when a mistake happens. They truly understand that mistakes can happen and people are, well...human.

One day, one of the GM's who goes by the name of Geek discovered an odd glowing puck outside of his arena. There was no text to it, but a strange humming noise emitted from it. It was quite light for a hockey puck, and when he touched it...it was warm and not the usual frozen feeling that comes with hockey.

Curious to know what it is, he took it to the Council of Elders for his area, known more commonly as Head Office, or H.O for short. These were the rule makers and translators for all things related to the league. Assuredly, if anyone would know what this puck was or where it came from, it was them. Geek arrived at their accommodations and presented forth the glowing puck. The Council was taken aback as they knew what it was. "You must dispose of this immediately GM Geekusoid. You must take it to the same place the hobbits destroyed the one ring, for this...is the puck to rule them all"

They instructed him to gather a party of GM's to accompany him on this quest as they would have to take the puck all the way to Mordor, retracing the famous steps taken by the Ring Fellowship, and the Ringbearer Frodo Baggins.

"I will do as instructed" Geek said, and concealed the puck inside a sweater and proceeded to find his party. And so he went around the league to find those that would accompany him on this quest. Of course his faithful Co-GM, Wulf (@Fluw) would come and soon he found solace in the company of Ruggsy (@Ruggsy), Jess (@sköldpaddor), Toast (@Toast), Evok (@Evok), Aleris (@Aleris), Kalesalad (@KaleSalad) and another new GM who commanded a fleet: Ragnarr (@Ragnar).

And so they set off on the journey to destroy the “one puck” to cast in the fires of Mount Doom.

Their travel began and was soon paused after 11 miles. The group, while traveling east towards Bree soon found themselves obstructed by a knight in full-plate armor who was blocking the road.

“Halt all who pass”, the knight said. “If there are any among you who are of tiefling or half-orc heritage, I must demand that we test your worthiness by combat!” Not really paying attention to the fact that everyone in the party was human, and particularly not really from Middle Earth, the knight was quickly nudged by his squire.

“M’lord, excuse me, but these travelers are all human.”

The knight broke his defensive pose and lifted the eye guard of his helmet to get a cleaner field of view.

“Well...Jeffry…” the knight stammered. “It would seem that we must wait here longer still.”

The knight removed his helmet and handed it to his squire before stepping forward and extending his hand.

“Greetings travelers. I apologize for that misunderstanding. I am Covric the Cleanser, and my creed demands that I rid the world of barbaric and evil beings...which you don’t look like anything of the sort. Please, join me for the evening, would you? It has been...some time since I’ve had the pleasure of decent company…”

And so our fellowship stopped for the night. Their first obstacle avoided on their journey. They broke bread and drank with Covric and listened while he regaled tales of old and of the happier times of Middle Earth.