"Why, even Gollum might be good in a tale, better than he is to have by you anyway. And he used to like tales himself once, by his own account. I wonder if he thinks he's the hero or the villain?" —Samwise Gamgee
Contents: Lottery Pre-Game Game Day
I arrive at the Great Dane a little late and see most of the people who were going to be there already eating. I take a seat and get in on the conversation. It seems that Scott wants to be Sauron, so he can get his first win with him and then have three wins as three different wizards. Everyone agrees that this is a good thing and all decide to be part of the evil team. All but one person, Todd (Otto had talked him into being good), declines the offer to be evil. I feel that this game I want to actually accomplish something myself, so I'm planning on being kind of an important character, but not one that is very important. When Beth and Angela finally arrive, we fill them in as to what we have going on so far: just "Scott wants to be Sauron" and that's about it. Soon, it's time to leave for the lottery...
We arrive at the lottery and see it's pretty full, but not as full as the game last Spring. The weather may have caused some of this. I go pick up my number and see some veteran players and a bunch of newbies who I said should play this fall. I sit there and pray that my number is called soon after the lottery begins. Then we sit and relax and wait for the lottery to begin.
Well, the lottery begins and my number isn't called soon. Thankfully, Scott's number is called fairly early and he takes Sauron off the board. Everyone is cheering and we know it's going to be a game to remember. Many people are picking good, but there are a few here and there who are picking evil. Soon, more are picking evil and the characters are going down. I believe Stacey, Angela, Beth and other wanted to be either Dark Elves or Nazgul, but those are taken. Stacey is quick to grab a Barrow Wight. I'm realizing I haven't really thought about who I'd be, but I see Gollum up there and have been thinking about playing him, so I put him down as my first choice. Some more evil is taken and I'm talking to Scott when my number is called. I stand up and look at the board to see if Gollum is still there, and behold, he is so I quickly call out "Gollum" and then proceed to go down and pay my fee. We have Jack get a character for Hayes who is to be a Barrow Wight also. Throughout the lottery Todd is amazed that no one is taking the other two main wizards, Saruman and Gandalf. Soon thereafter, his number is called and instead of just picking a normal character on the good team, he picks Gandalf, the main rival to Sauron. Now the game is going to be interesting.
More evil are being taken and then Angela grabs a Barrow Wight, so three out of the four Barrow Wights are gone. Chris L., who wants to be a Barrow Wight, is getting concerned. Carrie, Beth's sister, is picking for Jack since he picked for Hayes, and she nabs the Mouth of Sauron for him. I don't remember the order in which everything happens, but Shannon picks Wormtongue, then changes to a named orc later on. Dean takes the last Barrow Wight, Chris L. picks a troll, and so does Beth. After the lottery is done, we talk for a bit then leave to think about the game.
The good thing about the evil team this game is that we have a bunch of enthusiastic, hardcore, players on both teams who will do just about anything for a win. Throughout the week after lottery, we are sending emails back forth to Scott about strategy. It seems that he is planning on having most or all of the evil team move to the Shire in order to pin the hobbits. He also wants the Barrow Wights and Trolls/Goblins to sack Bree, hopefully take Aragorn prisoner, and also nab his (or her, Katie is playing Aragorn) tokens. Scott is going to be coming down as quick as possible and we are not to take any citadels until we move back up to Mt. Doom if the hobbits escape us. My role is to get into the Shire and let the evil team know which way the Hobbits are going. Then we realize we need people on the north side of the Shire, so Scott places some orcs and goblins to the North. We keep talking about possibilities and realize that Saruman has a huge army of white hands. This could prove interesting, but we'll see what happens. We are trying to hit hard and fast and nab the Ring as soon as it gets out of the Shire. We figured the evil team is going to rock the good team. We had our meeting on Sunday and went over the strategy again for the people who missed out. When we were done, a small group of good came in and offered us brownies which we gladly accepted. I don't know what they were thinking offering us food, since we weren't going to bribed and knew they had no chance against us.
We talked a little more strategy through emails the week before the game, but nothing serious. Figuring out where to stay, the park rangers closed all campsites off that weekend because of hunting, which in turn moved game start time to 12:30 instead of 12:00. We decided that some of the people in Madison would spend the night at Beth's and Angela's, then leave the next morning for the game. That Friday we arrive an the apartment with a bunch of newbies who we convinced to sign up and play with us. We work for a bit on our costumes, then try to get some sleep before the game.
6:20 AM (I believe) is the time more evil people buzzed Beth and Angela's apartment and we all decided it was a good time to get up. While we're talking Beth announces that Treebeard and another player for the good team are going to be riding with us. We're all demoralized that Beth would do this, but we figure it's better to go good evil than bad evil. Now there are around 20 people in a 2-3 person apartment so it's very crowded and noisy and nobody has any idea as to what's going on. At about 7:30 Beth clears everyone and everything into the hallway so we can sort the equipment and costumes and finally leave. After dividing people into cars, we are off to Dodgeville.
We arrive around 9:00AM and everybody quickly puts on their costumes, except me because I need some help with face paint and ears and other things. I enlist the help of Beth and Eric to help me, and after what seemed like an eternity, I get judged, have my picture taken, and then wait for character introductions.
The introductions are the best I've seen yet, with both teams really getting into it and evil jeering the hobbits and good, well being good. We take careful note of who the hobbits are and what they are dressed like so if we see one, we will know who it is. I also must comment that the weather was incredible. It had to be around 50° and party/mostly sunny. Perfect weather for a game. Scott gives a pep talk and then it's off to our starting points.
I get to my starting point and quickly spot the hobbits in the Shire. As the game begins, I see the Barrow Wights, Trolls, and Goblins around Bree, then run into the Shire to see which way the hobbits are going to go. Frodo quickly spots me and ushers the remaining hobbits into the waist-high reeds on the opposite side of the hill. Trying not to lose them, I run up the hill, but can't see anything because the reeds are so dense. Then I spot some figures moving westward out of the Shire and run after them. I see a Barrow Wight and tell them what I saw, then head back into the Shire to try and find other hobbits. I move north (thinking that they are heading that way), and run into the North Shire Assault Team, but they haven't heard or seen anything. So we decide I should go back into the Shire and look some more.
As I climb the hill, I see a large group of people enter the Shire. I think for a moment that it's the evil team, but my watch says 1:00 and evil can't enter until 2:00. Then I see Gandalf and quickly hide. He is calling out to hobbits, and while I try to get a better vantage point, I see Otto and some and Riders come up towards me. Not to be killed and lose track of potential hobbits, I turn and run... into briar thorns. I get about 5 feet in and don't see anyone following me. I then realize I got myself tangled around them and it takes me a few minutes to get untangled, and by that time the good army is gone. I then proceed north to find the Assault Team and hopefully the Good team passing through the back way to Rivendell. I don't see the Assualt Team in their hiding spot, but I do see them up ahead. I tell them what had happened and we head to Rivendell. Soon we see Elrond, Gimli, Bilbo, and some elfs cross the road into a clearing and heading in the direction of Bree. I give chase and see two elves stopped by a tree. It appears that one of the cloaks was choking an elf. Shannon soon catches up to me and we kill them and take one prisoner. Then we hear a commotion from up head and I quickly run, hoping to find Biblo. I then see all of the Barrow Wights and Trolls and Goblins with Gimli as prisoner. I guess they ran into this group and were only able to take Gimli. While they are talking, I see Sauron with Saruman and all the white hands and evil team walking towards Bree. Then I see them turn around. The group sees this and we all try and find a way to get back to the road. The group explains that they ran into the whole good army (which I saw at the Shire) and were chased over a stream to where they are now. So we "try" to cross the stream and meet up with some more Evil, and are able to sack Bree.
Now we've lost Sauron and think he is heading to Isengard. I run ahead looking for the evil army and also hobbits. When I get to Isengard, I see both Sauron and Saruman talking. I go up to Sauron and tell him what's happened, then head off to Gondor/Rohan to cross the bridge and search for more hobbits. I see that the war wagon is on the bridge and head into Entwood to try and find a way around. As I'm traversing the woods, I hear a bunch of grunting and people talking on the horse trail. I soon see an incredible sight—the evil army carrying a trebuchet down the road to sack Gondor and Rohan. I join in the fun and see both cities go down when all of a sudden an evil team member screams the good army is at Isengard. I quickly move into the field and run parallel to the road towards Isengard. While I'm running I see two people off in the distance along another horse trail. I'm automatically thinking hobbits and veer off in that direction. I end up on a trial behind Isengard, and as I head towards the tower, I see someone coming up the trail and quickly hide in the brush. A corsair walks by and I stand up and ask her what's going on. She explains that they ran into the good army, which ran through the woods along this horse trail. I run up the trail to try and find the army, but don't see or hear anything. I decide to go back the way I came and run into the evil army at Isengard again. They decide to try and take Lorien since all the other citadels have fallen. I decide to go along the path towards Gondor and Rohan to find the back way up Mt. Doom.
Along this path, I run into Hayes and some other evil coming from the Entwood. We tell each other what has happened and see a small group of good (and some evil) in the distance. We decide to run around the forest and pinch this small group of good. When we get there, we realize the group of good are actually prisoners that the evil team captured. I say I'm going to go looking for hobbits and run off into the field towards a forest. I soon realize that I don't know where I am and head off in a direction. Then I spot something that looks familiar and walk towards it—I see a hill and climb up it and see the staging area. I realize that I'm a little too far east for my liking and decide to head back, when I see the group of evil walking through a small valley between two hills. I quickly join up with them and we continue our march towards Mt. Doom. When we reach the horse trail we run into another group of evil that captured Galadriel and THE STONE!! We quickly send two fast runners ahead to find Sauron and give it to him. We walk up the horse trail and past Mt. Doom because we wanted to see how Barad-dur fared. We get there and the flag is still in place, along with the Army of Eagles token. Then a Troll and Goblin come barging in telling us to get to Mt. Doom FAST! We leave a bunch of white hands to guard Barad-dur as we run to Mt. Doom. There, we run into Sauron and prepare our final defense along the perimeter. After a few minutes, the much anticipated "Good is on the mountain!" call rings out and I run up, past the rangers who broke the perimeter and to the top. It seems that was just a ruse to have us run all the way up to the top. We walk back down and re-establish the perimeter. Another "Good is on the mountain!" call and we run up again, see that there is no Ring, and go back down. As we go back down, I see a few trolls running madly through the forest knocking down everything in their path in order to catch Merry. I pass them as they take him to Sauron and wait for the next call. This time though, I'm closer to the horse trail and see Gandalf and an army of good walking along it. I grab a white hand and tell him to be quiet while we watch. We see Elrond and two other people (Bilbo and Boromir, I think) break off from the group and head toward us. I tell the white hand to be quite and get ready to run. Elrond comes up and tags the white hand, which causes me to turn and run as fast as I can in the other direction. I run into another Goblin who also notices the good army.
We wait patiently as they slowly march towards the saddle and Sauron. I think I see Frodo and try to sneak up around the side of the good army, but soon good and evil clash. I decide to stay out of the battle for good measure in case the good team wins and tries to assault Mt. Doom. In the middle of the battle, there is a "Good is on the mountain!" cry, and everyone who is not in the battle runs up the hill. We arrive at the top to see some good and two hobbits up there, including Bilbo, who I thought was in the Elrond group.
Bilbo proceeds to use Sting to kill Shelob and gets stunned for 5 minutes. Here, Hayes asks if Bilbo is dead, and a judge rules that he is not. He heads down the mountain while we destroy the rest of good and take the remaining hobbit to Sauron. Hayes is with us and mentions we should find Bilbo since he is stunned, not dead—I'm intrigued by this. We find Bilbo and then a Troll (Chris L.) and Dark elf join us as we surround Bilbo.
Since I'm the only one with a watch, I keep track of how much time is left on Bilbo's stun. As we're waiting, a horde of White Hands comes up to us and surrounds us who are surrounding Bilbo and then Saruman stops by and just sits watching us. I notice both Bilbo and the white hands are looking at my watch, so I hold it up to my face so I only know the time. I tell Bilbo I'll say "now" or "free" when it's time. As it gets close, I try and keep my composure, but feel that I'm showing too much body language. I wait a few more seconds after his time is up and yell "NOW FREE TAG" and tag Bilbo as all the White Hands jump on us. Since my tag supercedes theirs, I ask for the Ring like any evil player would and to my surprise, he hands it to me. I turn to bolt from this place when Saruman turn to me with an outstretched hand. Hayes is quickly to point out that since I free tagged and got the Ring, I get a 5 minute head start where no one can do anything to me. I know it's only a 30 second head start, but just yell for all evil there to follow me trough the woods. My adrenaline is pumping and I have no clue as to how much time has passed. I'm jumping over branches and running through numerous briar thorns trying to get away from what ever is behind me (which I found out later were Hayes, Chris L. and the dark elf Megan). While I'm running, I trip over two branches and decide it's probably best to go along the horse trail. I go out to it and end up walking for a bit to catch my breathe when I hear rustling behind me in the woods. Freaked out that it's Saruman, I bolt up the trail and soon realize I don't know where to turn to find the saddle. I just decide to run through the woods in what I guess is the general direction. While running I place the Ring in my pocket so I don't accidentally drop it. I come to a clearing and right in front of me is the whole good army that I saw in the battle before my crazy escapade. Not knowing who won and also knowing that if good won, Sauron probably isn't alive yet. I pray that we won. I try to walk casually past the good team and as soon as I'm pass I see a group of evil listening to Sauron speak to them. EXCELLENT, since Sauron is talking, he must be alive!!!! I quickly turn, run into the group yelling for Sauron, and give him the Ring. Scott's first win as Sauron and first Ring Game player to win as all three wizards.
©2002 Nick R. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.