2970, Winter (The One Ring 2e - Strider Mode)

2970, Winter

Darling Sister,

Excuse the brevity of this letter. The winter thaw has begun and my journey draws near, the preparations for which has caused me to forget my promise to write you.

I sincerely hope you had a cheerful Yuletide. As you may recall my plans from the letter back in late Autumn, I had spent the winter in these great, fading Halls of Harmelt. Pomma, my host, graciously chaperoned me through a myriad of holiday sacraments observed in the Halls. A great tree was brought into the center of the hall and adorn with fascinating and delicate baubles. Large lanterns were lit, the baubles causing their lights to dance across the Hall in majestic patterns and rhythms. The children would use chalk and trace the path of these patterns, creating a chaotic, yet ordered, array of constellations. I was enchanted. These ancestral practices refreshed my spirit, renewing my willpower to bring the knowledge of our forebearers to light and help the plight of our kin.

Pomma had noticed my enchantment by these ceremonies. Prior to the great Yuletide feast, she gathered me to a little forge where she mentored me in creating a bauble of my own. Never had I learned so much from such a simple craft. The shapes, the alloys, the process! They all conveyed a sense of joy, of comfort. They possessed a power, a magic! Enclosed with this letter is a small silver charm, crafted with these magics. Wear it wherever you need to bring an aura of happiness and amenity.

My only source of disquiet during this winter concerned the old lore-master Hjolin. He recused himself greatly during this time. It was rumored more than once that he could be heard giving a low chanting incantation, presumably some ancient and esoteric Yuletide rituals regurgitated from those dust caked tomes. When he was seen, the lore-master was bearing queer packages wrapped in paper and twine, their shapes giving no hints to the contents within. A chill seemed to follow in his wake.

But this chill could not dispel the blazing fire that was Pomma’s vitality. Her presence of the winter warmed my heart on the most frigid and frosty days. It is with immense pleasure that I shall have her as my companion during this voyage north. With the snow fading fast, I presume it shall commence soon. I shall write again upon my return to these Halls and share with you my findings in these ancestral mines.

Affectionately,
Rori