Saturday 27 August 2016

The Ballad of Bingo Boffin Part 5

Bingo's journey continues from Wildermore. See the guide to The Ballad of Bingo Boffin for his earlier adventures.

Chapter 41: Mistaken Identity (level 90)

Bingo is ready to leave the cold Wildermore region and suggests you meet up with him and Egwylf on the road to Entwash Vale. When you arrive, Egwylf experiences a sense of dread. You look around and see something high in the sky, but it quickly disappears. You mention it to Bingo and he wonders if it might be Landroval, one of the Great Eagles, but if so, why didn't it come to say hello?

The group heads into West Rohan and visits the town of Oserley. The people are on edge and have also felt that sense of dread and being watched. Egwylf suggests leaving the town by a goat track so that it will be harder for any potential pursuers to follow.

The Nazgûl thinks all hobbits look the same

You leave Oserley during a storm, but a Nazgûl spots Bingo and mistakes him for the Ringbearer. You and Egwylf drive the Nazgûl away with fire while Bingo escapes. But now where has Bingo gone?

You search for him across West Rohan, all the way to Woodhurst. There, Egwylf says she will help you find Bingo but then she is leaving to help the people of Rohan.

Chapter 42: A Horse in a Haystack (level 92)

You return the site of the Nazgul attack and find pony tracks heading west. On the road to Brockbridge you meet Humfrey Rumming - he is on his way to the Gap of Rohan to sell his wares and yes, he did see a pony heading west but didn't pay much attention. You find some muddled pony prints near Woodhurst and Willem Whisker runs off towards Gapholt.

Tanglemane has found an apple tree

Bingo is happy to see you and is proud of Willem Whisker for tracking him down. Bingo used to think horses were scary, but not anymore - now he knows there are terrible winged creatures to be afraid of instead!

Chapter 43: Thoughts of Home (level 93)

Egwylf says goodbye at the entrance to Helm's Deep. She wants to warn Erkenbrand about the Blood Eye cultists and she is sure Bingo will be safe with you and Willem Whisker and Tanglemane.

Bingo is sad to see her go, but he is now craving a good meal. He doesn't want to go to Helm's Deep because he understands they have to ration food during a war, so he suggests heading to the first village they find.

The first village we find is Marton, but it has been destroyed by orcs. Bingo loses his appetite and decides helping any survivors is more important. He finds a woman who has lost her home and promises that we will take her to Grimslade - it should be safer there. On arrival, Bingo is invited for supper at the Mead Hall. It has been a long day and he is grateful for the respite. Seeing Marton in ruins quite upset him and makes him worry about the safety of the Shire. Is it time to go home?

Chapter 44: Willem Whisker and the Wide World (level 93)

Bingo doesn't know what to do next and he is worried that Willem Whisker doesn't seem himself either. He asks you to talk to Willem, but when you do, the lynx runs outside. Bingo says you have to follow him. Willem Whisker leads you all the way through the Gap of Rohan to Dunbog in Dunland! You find him with some other lynx under a tree in the middle of the swamp.

Willem Whisker is reunited with his family

Bingo decides to make the area safer for Willem Whisker and his family, by eliminating some orcs and collecting some food and shelter for them. Then it is time for another farewell.

Chapter 45: A String of Ill Fortune (level 93)

We head off to the nearby town of Avardin and Bingo plans to do some writing, but he keeps getting distracted - he misses Willem Whisker. So he suggests we head to Galtrev to learn more about Dunland.

In Galtrev you meet Humfrey Rumming and he has just been providing treasure maps to Theodore and Haley, the treasure hunters from the Lone Lands. They mentioned to Humfrey how you were good at solving riddles, so he gives you a riddle and if you can solve it, you should find Theodore and Haley.

Riddle solved

Haley is pleased to see you and Bingo and says they have had a fairly uneventful trip - Theodore doesn't quite see it that way. He finally realised that the necklace you offered him in Eregion was real and not a fake, and now he claims it has cursed them with ill fortune:  they have had terrible weather, he twisted his ankle, every treasure chest they found has been empty, the treasure maps Humfrey sold them were useless and now you are here (again). Theodore is so frustrated that he is ready to turn around and head north.

Haley doesn't mind if they travel north if they can join us for a while and Bingo would be glad of the company.

Chapter 46: Treasure Lost, Treasure Found (level 93)

Bingo has learned there are several tribes in Dunland that do not get along, and Bingo wants to try and help. We head back to Galtrev to start the journey, but Theodore disappears. After looking all around town, Haley notices the necklace you gave her, the Rothstone, is missing too. Theodore has stolen it! Humfrey Rummings thinks he might be taking it to one of the spots marked on the treasure maps Humfrey gave him - a dragon's lair in Thrór's Coomb.

Bingo says we should go save Theodore before he gets himself in trouble. "No dragon will stand in our way!"

Don't wake the dragon

We escape the dragon's lair and Bingo suggests we go to the village of Llanuch in Enedwaith. Theodore is happy - now that he has got rid of the Rothstone, his fortune is changing - he now knows what good friends he has and he survived his encounter with a dragon. Bingo has had enough of dragons - the only kind of dragons he likes are the ones that offer refreshments such as The Green Dragon in Bywater.

Chapter 47: Full Course, Of Course! (level 93)

One of the local people from Llanuch asked Bingo why he left the Gloomglens. Bingo has never been to the Gloomglens so the villager laughs and says he must have knocked his head and forgotten. Bingo doesn't appreciate being reminded of his forgetfulness after his adventure in Moria, but if there are other hobbits in the Gloomglens he would like to go there and visit.

The hobbits of Maur Tulhau in the Gloomglens think Bingo looks strange for a hobbit, but they offer their adventurous cousin from the north a Welcoming Feast of the Stoors - apparently it can last up to a week!

Maur Tulhau - home of the Stoor hobbits

Chapter 48: Homesick and Just Sick (level 93)

Bingo has thoroughly enjoyed the Welcoming Feast but he may have over-indulged a little and made himself sick. The local healer says she can make a cup of tea for Bingo to help, but she is almost out of tea leaves so you will need to fetch some for her.

The tea finally helps and Bingo feels ready to have a little more food before they leave - just kidding!

Chapter 49: Through the Blockade (level 93)

Before Bingo leaves the hobbit village, they warn him of orcs on the road north. Haley and Theodore have also seen the orcs and kept well clear of the blockade they set up at the King's Way Gate. However, when we arrive, the orcs are gone and brigands from Bree have taken over the blockade.

Brigands at the blockade

Haley asks them to let us through; they demand money and Theodore's hat. Bingo speaks up and tells them they can't have Theodore's hat, then tells them about his journey and how he has seen much more dangerous creatures than them and we are more dangerous than we look so they shouldn't mess with us. Some of the brigands are impressed that we saw a dragon and start having second thoughts. Eventually, Bingo talks them into going back to a peaceful life of farming instead of risking their lives as brigands.

The former brigands even leave the treasure chest of coins behind for Bingo and thank him for talking sense into them.

The road north leads us into Bree-land. Theodore and Haley say farewell - they are retiring from treasure hunting but would be keen to join Bingo on any future adventures - just expect to find them someplace dangerous!

Chapter 50: Bingo Returns Home (level 93)

Bingo is looking forward to going home but is also planning more adventures - there are so many places he still hasn't seen. Outside his home in Michel Delving, Bingo is greeted by a grumpy Myrtle Boggs who claims that his absence had cast a poor light on the neighbourhood - "a neighbourhood needs neighbours" - and caused many rumours. Bingo is happy to know she cares; he'll try to make it up to her. There is also an overdue library book notice stuck to the front door.

Bingo is embarrassed that he forgot to return the library book before embarking on his journey, so he asks that you return the book for him, and donate the brigand's treasure to the library to pay the fine and help with upkeep and maintenance of the library - he only asks that they keep a copy of his book in the library when he has finished writing it. The librarian is delighted and looks forward to encouraging a love of books throughout the neighbourhood.

You return to Boffin Manor and Bingo asks you to help clear away the cobwebs that have invaded his home while he was away.

Boffin Manor with cobwebs

Chapter 51: Hand-written, Hand-delivered (level 93)

His home seems large and empty now and Bingo can already feel that sense of loneliness creeping in. He misses his friends, so he will organise a dinner party and invite both old and new friends to come. He has hand-written the invitations and suggests you ask Bert Bartleby where some of the guests can be found, and the invitations you can't deliver should be taken to the postmaster and the Quick Post will sort it out.

Chapter 52: The Perfect Recipe (level 93)

The day of the dinner party is here and Bingo is glad to have help with last-minute preparations. He asks you to greet the guests outside as they arrive.

The guests arrive

Inside, they mix and mingle and several hobbits get ideas about going off on adventures themselves! Bingo takes you aside and thanks you for being such a loyal friend and keeping him company on his journey. Finally, Bingo has found the Perfect Recipe, so it's time to eat!

The End of the Ballad of Bingo Boffin

Thus ends Bingo Boffin's adventure. I hope you enjoyed it and have many wonderful adventures in Middle Earth of your own!

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