Hunt for the Palantíri RPG

[piosenniel]

PROLOGUE

--- Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Who knows where the lost Stones of Arnor and Gondor now lie, buried, or drowned deep?

--- Gandalf, from The Two Towers


The palantiri, or Seeing Stones, were fashioned by the Noldor, probably by Feanor. The Elves presented seven of these to Amandil as leader of the Faithful in the Second Age. The palantíri were crystal globes of power, black in color, that a person of strong will could use to communicate thoughts with someone using a similar stone or to see things from anywhere in the past or present. In the hands of a good ruler, the Stones were important tools for communication, but they were also capable of abuse. The evil ruler with a strong will could use the Stones for spying and domination. Sauron, for instance, projected images of despair in the Anor-stone to manipulate and destroy Denethor’s mind. There is even some indication that using the Stones, like the Ring itself, could be addictive to its owner, especially if misused.

Amandil’s son Elendil brought seven of the Stones with him when he sailed to Middle-earth after the fall of Numenor. These were eventually given to the Kings of Gondor and the North for safekeeping. A verse from The Two Towers describes the faithful fleeing Numenor bringing the Stones with them as they sailed across the sea:

Tall ships and tall kings,
Three times three,
What brought they from the foundered land
Over the flowing sea?
Seven stars and seven stones
And one white tree.

This tale will focus on the Stones of Amon Sûl and Annúminas, the most important palantíri belonging to the Kings in the North. The Stone of Annúminas was the smaller of the two, measuring about twelve inches across. It was used by the Northern Kings for day-to-day communication, and had a range of about 500 miles. Even more powerful was the Stone of Amon Sûl. This was so large that it took more than one man to lift and could work over very long distances. In the winter of 1974 T.A., after years of unrest in Arnor, the Witch King defeated King Arvedui. The King and his men escaped with both Stones to the northern foothills of the Blue Mountains and hid in a deserted dwarf-mine. Hunger and cold drove them to seek help from the Lossoth, also called the Snowmen.

The Lossoth were a remnant of an ancient people called the Forodwaith dwelling along the Ice Bay of Forochel. Their culture was well adapted to their snowy/icy environment – they constructed houses out of snow (possibly similar in principle to igloos), and traveled on sleds and bone skates. Despite the Snowmen's fear of the Witch King, and the general unfriendliness of the tribe, they took pity on the strangers and helped them survive.

When the Elf Cirdan heard about the King, he sent a rescue ship. This ship arrived in the Ice Bay of Forochel in March 1975 T.A., when thick sheets of ice still covered the shore extending out into the water. Despite the Lossoth's warnings and the treacherous conditions, Arvedui insisted on trying to reach this Elven ship. He managed to do this with help from the Lossoth but, once aboard, a great storm arose that drove the Elven vessel back towards the shore onto the ice. The ice crushed the hull and the ship sank, killing all aboard and taking with it the precious palantíri that the King had brought with him. (LotR, Appendix A, iii)

By the end of the War of the Rings, just two known Stones remained in Middle-earth. The Orthanc-stone, once controlled by Saruman, was the one King Elessar normally used. The second, the Anor-stone, was virtually unusable since it still bore the imprint of Denethor’s hands and crazed mind when he threw himself on the fire.

It’s interesting to think about what happened to these lost palantiri of the North. Did they remain undiscovered at the bottom of the Ice Bay, or did someone try to find them? The Palantiri were objects of immense power and would be prime targets for anyone seeking to seize political authority by sinister means. Fortunately, most people did not know about the Stones at the beginning of the Fourth Age. However, this tale will explore a Corsair sea captain’s quest to find the Palantiri both for his master and to avenge the death of his father.