The Forest of Green Leaves as it is now called, is the remains of a vast, largely coniferous forest that covered much of Northern Middle-earth in ancient times.  Dense with pine, oak and beech, the forest is over 400 miles long and 250 miles across at its widest point, where the Old Forest Road cuts west to east from the Anduin to the River Running (Celduin).  The woods provide shelter to man and beast, and stand as a natural barrier to incursions from the East.  The land rolls gently here, in the heart of the Greenwood, the hollows and wide valleys are lined with oaks standing almost trunk to trunk.  The great Taurduin (the Forest River) flows through the northern half of the forest.

The Mountains of Mirkwood (as they were once named) are vast range of hills in northern part of the Greenwood, now named the Emyn-nu-Fuin.  These mountains are a series of limestone hills with no peak over 2,000 feet high.  The range is bounded on the south by the Men-i-Naugrim (S."Dwarven Road"), to the East by the Fens of the Celduin River, to the North East by the territory of the Lake-men, and to the North West by the North-south running Enchanted River.

Three independent realms co-exist beneath the eaves of the Greenwood's trees. The Silvan Elves of King Thranduil wander the northernmost reaches of the forest (the Woodland Realm), while the rustic Woodmen occupy the regions bordering the Men-i-Naugrim. The southernmost portion of the Greenwood is ruled by Celeborn, who has renamed it East Lorien.

Although Queen Galadriel cleansed the Necromancer's Tower on Dol Guldur at the end of the War of the Ring, many evil things still make their homes in the primeval wood, hiding away in the darkest places to occasionally trouble the inhabitants of the Greenwood still.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 16:34, Mon 16 Nov 2020.

OOC: Link broken

Thrir led his mule along the way, Ascud was there just at his heels the faithful hound eager to resume their journey. It was nice not to have the ground squish everytime they moved and it was nicer not to be with the elves. Thrir didn't like the lands of the elves where everything seemed to watch them. Made him uncomfortable, and he was still feeling the hairs on his neck standing up as they left King Thranduil palace. He kept an eye and ear out to see if everything was still watching them.

Thank you Thrir, I appreciate you letting me know.  I've recreated the link and it is working, at least for me :)  Excellent post btw.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:36, Mon 16 Nov 2020.

Kronin was not claustrophobic by nature, few Dwarves were after all, and yet the sheer scale of the Green Wood threatened to overwhelm him as they set out in earnest upon their quest.

A native of the Blue Mountains, he was far more accustomed to looking out over grand expanses, to dealing with severe changes in elevation, and in weather. But this seemingly unending walk beneath the shade of the canopy seemed almost oppressive in comparison. Not because the terrain itself was imposing, but because he knew that he could walk for days in any direction and see much of the same.

Their encounter with Lord Thranduil seemed to have had a profound effect upon him, and he barely spoke the first day he was so deep in thought. But as the miles passed beneath their tread and they pressed steadily onward into the interior he seemed to regain some of his old demeanor.

Despite the belief of the Ancient King that their errand was for naught, the Son of Krolin still believed in the possibility that some Dwarves yet remained. He spoke a little cryptically of Dwarves surviving hidden for generations, and with surprising confidence, and he moved with a purpose, as if somewhere, someplace, they might soon bring those lost back into the fold of their people.

Bofri does as Bofri is; and his singing and humming danced through the mighty trees as he happily strode along.
His pack on his back, and his battle mattock sleeping on his shoulder.

He enjoyed the great forest about him, but would prefer if the land rose and they were making their way over forested mountains instead of these lowlands.  He couldn’t quite square is soul with being so low in the world, without being within it.

But his spirits were high as they moved on from the elven kingdom.   And maybe that was it.  Perhaps he had felt uncomfortable surrounded by the delicate little warriors ... like a mole hosted in a court of mantids.   Elves always seemed such an inefficient biological build ... yet so full of their own importance.

But still, each to their own ... and Bofri was again among his own, as they transversed these beautiful ways.

it was some time into their journey that Evia finally put away her journal and began to prepare her pipe and relight it. Once she had a solid ember and was streaming a trail of smoke did her mine travel back to the meeting they had just had. She had managed to document it she hoped without any bias on her part....

That was always a trial at the best of times, though the matter of the Kings opinion on whether any of their kin remained was somewhat troubling. Still hopefully they could get an answer one way or another.



-

Kronin looked over at Daughter of Dealing and then back along their small line of dogs, mules and Dwarves.

"Did you ever imagine you would see such a thing?" He asked her, but in such a way as to include the others as well. "I had read of Lord Thranduil of course, but only as this sort of distant figure. I had never in my wildest dreams thought that I might see him one day, much less speak to him or to be permitted into his private chambers." he shook his bearded head and looked forward once more.

"We have come a long way from that Tower on the Lonely Mountain, and much further yet we have to walk I'd wager.' he chuckled low to himself. "Oft times I fear that they may think me mad when I finally return home. Such wild tales and grand names scattered among them."


He glanced back to Evia. "Although it must not be quite so strange to you, given your famous Father."

Evia thought for a minute before replying, "Do you mean to return home ? My journey is now set to return the hallowed halls of Khazad-dûm to our kin and given the mountain we must literary climb to accomplish such a task I do not see myself returning." She let out a stream of smoke from her nose.

"As to my father he did in his own way delight in the celebrity, but all gifts sometimes have an edge we don't always see and that was that everyone looked to him as a shining example. Something he himself admitted he was not always able to achieve."

Another long stream of smoke enveloped Evia for a second.



-

Kronin barely had to consider the question. "But of course, I have most of my family and friends there on the Eastern slops of the Blue Mountains. If I may some day count a lofty mansion to my name I would invite many to live with me there, and I would see them safe during the journey. And besides, I would miss those who would not come, the those vistas that I have come to love so dearly." he explained "It sounds as if you are not so attached to your own home?" he asked in turn.

"My Father will not survive long enough for my return and when we arrived from the Blue mountains it did not feel like home. There was something missing, both I and my Father talked about it at length. Neither of us knew what it was, I hope to find it when we find my Grandfathers bones and put him to rest."


-

Bofri listened in on the chatter between Evil and Kronin.  His own father having shared wisdom, some similar to those spoken now, some very different.