Fun Places, Fun Loot: Himbar

When Zyngor awoke this morning, he was WAY to happy and pleased with himself. Not even delivering Shire mail to Lobelia could put him into a funk. But…what to do?

Got it. Let’s go to Angmar. Guaranteed to slurp the joy out of your life, with one of those fancy-shaped straws. The intrepid hunter grabbed a handful of travel rations and was on his way.

I pity those Angmarim weather-peoples – how the HECK do you tell what going on out here? We got red and weird lightning. We got black and weird lightning. Now it’s raining orcs and wargs, and weird lightning. Peering out from the haven that is Gath Forthnir, Zyngor spots a settlement of ill-minded humans who make serious business out of robe-cladding, and decides to investigate.

 

 

After swimming across the lake, stopping only to stab a hole in a nearby dinghy (if they ask, a troll did it), the gallant hunter steps up on the shore of Himbar and squeegees his emblazoned cloak. After all, the only dry cleaning that Angmar offers involves walking through the acid-infested pits of Carn Dum – it will do diddly to aid your cloak, but your tortured screams that echo off the walls of the Witch-King’s lair will certainly make you forget the condition of your armor.

*THONK* Well, that hurt. A troll club to the face is not my idea of a fun time, and I already used my last bottle of aspirin during PibgornStock. After dispatching a couple dozen trolls and foolish warriors who keep tripping over their own robes, Zyngor spots a flash of red over the slope of a hill. Unless the Nazgul kidnapped the Kool-Aid Man, the description seems to match that of a Cargul. Sindarian for ‘Red Wraith,’ think of the Cargul as the little brothers of the Nazgul. And yes, that means that decorated crimson robe is a hand-me-down.

Nocking several arrows into his bow, Zyngor prepares a volley of violence, a torrent of  torment, a shower of…okay, that’s enough, they can clearly see you standing there, trying to sputter up more metaphors. You’re just making yourself look bad.

He lays waste to the wretched Cargul & Co, and catches a whiff of another Cargul in the distance…perhaps multiple tracks (Fun Fact: Cargul smell like cotton candy – don’t ask me why), and rushes off, hoping it’s actually just a local carnival. Sadly, the only carnies that exist in this area have a satiating need for hero flesh, and perhaps a swift respawning should they fall to their knees.

Zyngor discovers several patches of Cargul parties, and jots down their locations in his diar…journal.

A: (10.2N, 27.1W) – This will likely be the first Cargul you encounter should you approach Himbar starting from Gath Forthnir. This fine fellow is busy reading a bedtime story to his three friends – you best throw in a nightmare for good measure.

B: (7.8N, 28.4W) – This guy apparently has his own hacienda, or at least the ruins of one. With an army of about a dozen men and two frumpy trolls, he’s a bit more protected than the first guy. Zyngor found it easier to annoy the troll on the right, as it only appeared to additionally alert the Big Man in Red (spoiler: not Santa).

C: (12.1N, 29.5W) This one involves going over the proverbial river and through the allegorical bridge to reach its post. In other words, I hope you have around 10 levels over the area’s enemies, as this locale is straight through a pretty large encampment of men and trolls. From Himbar, locate two large statues and thread the needle (you are a rather large needle, unless you’re one of those hobbit folk). Keep following that path until you reach a large set of doors, and you should find our pal guarding that entrance. This place should feel familiar if you have done the epic quest, “The Gates of Carn Dum.”

By this point, Zyngor’s magical pouch was getting quite full – he knew he shouldn’t have had that extra scone for breakfast. How is one supposed to turn down bilberry scone with a little Old Toby snuff sprinkled atop? Man, these Cargul drop all kinds of cool stuff – no wonder they have to wear size XL robes! He recognized some of this gear originally dropping in journeys of those long long ago, when training was limited to those roughly around 50…coolness level? Perhaps these red wraiths would be a great place for adventurers to hunt, should they wish to emulate those long-forgotten heroes…

Hauling a sack of loot over his weak frame (I probably shouldn’t have destroyed that boat..doh), Zyngor trudges away from Himbar. Seriously, do the men of Gath Forthnir HAVE to live on top of a mountain? This is probably payback for “accidentally” putting an arrow through the wings of their mail raven.

Until next time, keep those bags cleared, for you never know what cool gifts the enemy will bestow!