Letter from Renash

With the land prospering and much of the evil banished or confined to Amarsland, my mind now turns to urgent matters at hand. Ythanos has decided to address the thorny issue of the Red Dragon holed up in Minas Tiris. He will entrust his young son to his wife and the monastery and lead a party of veteran warriors, accompanied by Curial and myself, to the Great Worm’s lair. Against my counsel, he has decided to embark on the adventure without Fastlor – still we hope in Silmar’s hands - and use the Portal in Lastar’s Tower as a means of travel. For my part I suggested a less risky entrance – Cran’s Gate. Whilst his stair might be steep and the gate guarded – by who knows what – I preferred it to jumping straight into the beast’s parlour unannounced.

As I understand it from Skarion, whose line is perpetuates the House of Hamar and who married Purin, one of Cran’s many nieces (from whom this notion derives its provenance), the Gate itself requires the answer to a typical Dwarven riddle lest it remain shut indefinitely. Skarion had himself thought to search for the gate but wisely decided that he had had his fill of adventure after the battle to restore the House of Hamar to Minas Aarda in 940. I digress, the riddle goes like this:

Our Grandfather bargained with the beast within,

And saved our souls from burning,

Not long now he passed across the Rainbow Bridge

To look from Asguard, no longer yearning

For that peace of mind and freedom found

Great love, joy and hope everlasting.

Brave folk from fallen Olga come to mingle within

Our noble halls and our hearts burning.

Father found his joy before ere the Rainbow Bridge

He crossed for his Mandur no longer yearning

For from great burdens freedom he found

But no love, joy or hope was lasting.

My brother bargains with the beast within,

Again to save our souls from burning.

Yet some would send him ere the Rainbow Bridge

Accusing him of power to be yearning

But all he seeks is the freedom lost

To return our love, joy and hope everlasting.

Brave folk you must be to parley with the beast within

Or just to save your souls from burning

Name all these and I if crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Should entrance to Tiris’ halls be your yearning?

In search of peace of mind and freedom

Or love, joy and hope everlasting.

Я