Thruringwethil stood defiantly facing the door in the middle of an eight sided star on the floor. There was a palantir glowing on a pedestal at the point of each star. Each palantir had a single blinking green eye in the very centre. Behind Thuringwethil, the fellowship could see an Obsidian spike that looked like it had been carved out if the floor itself. The Obsidian Spike was over three feet tall and is at least a foot wide at the base. It was serrated with downward spiked teeth to prevent whatever falls on it to be easily removed. You can see what looks like to be dried blood on the spike and pooled on the floor.

The fellowship ship saw that Thuringwethil appeared to be full of vigor and strength. Hallamir first attacked a nearby Palantir pedestal but could only crack it and not destroy it. Hallamir’s drake smashed into the pedestal but still the pedestal stood.

Kifak moved forward to attack Thuringwethil and was able to knock her off her feet and make her prone. Jesoc quickly moved forward and placed the Shackles on Manwe of Thuringwethil.

Shockingly, Thuringwethil smiled and spoke:

“Finally, I can go to my rest knowing I have fulfilled my purpose. Didn’t it seem strange that Uruial had the shackles that weren’t seen since the fall of Gondolin? And that Uruial didn’t slay you where you stood for stealing the Tears of Varda? And how she fulfilled her promise to give you the Shackles? Have you ever known a Dragon to be honourable?”

“Did you then wonder at the power of Palantirs such that six gathered together darkened the sky and turned night sky green? Did you wonder at the power of eight palantirs ripping a portal open to the void once they came close to each other?”

“Didn’t you ever wonder how the Palantir’s worked? How they were able to communicate? Why the Palantirs seek to be together, need to be together?”

“Each one was seeded with one of eight eyes from Ungoliant after she ate herself. Melkor was consumed with hatred and madness and seeded the Palantirs for revenge and waited”

“He had seen the time when their power would be needed. So he created them and cast them out over Middle Earth. Even when he was banished to the void, he waited. Using them to watch and listen and wait”

“Sauron sought the ring only to find and gather the Palantirs. But Sauron failed and they stayed lost”

“But then the he spoke to me and we deceived the seer and summoned the plague and winter. I gathered my hags, but thankfully you did most of the work for us”

“Thanks to you, they have all been found and now the ritual is complete. Fearful men can be quite willing tools”

“Now I rest in his citadel” 

Thuringwethil threw herself backward onto the Obsidian Spike and a dark ominous cloud grew from her corpse. The fellowship gasped as the cloud formed into the Black foe of the World – Melkor.

Thuringwethil sacrificed herself to bring Melkor back from the Void that he was banished to!

Kifak cast Stoneskin on Jesoc and the fellowship descended on Melkor. Melkor was far stronger than Thuringwethil or anyone they had ever imagined. Melkor swung Grond – The Hammer of the Underworld shaking the world to its very core. Melkor smashed Kifak and Jesoc, but still the fellowship laboured on.

Melkor was showing some weariness when he looked up at the sky. The Palantirs glowed green and Melkor seemed re-energized. Melkor then cast Fireball at Jesoc and Kifak and left them burnt. Still the fellowship battled on. Arbun and Hallamir attacked at a range but delivered massive damage. So much that Melkor again looked up and the Palantirs glowed green and he was again re-energized.

Jesoc moved forward sensing that this might be his last battle. For some reason, he spilled Mayonnaise from his Alchemy Jug and ran forward screaming:

“I will leave the world a better place!”

Hallamir noticed the connection and had his firedrake eat one Palantir. The other Palantirs stopped glowing green and Melkor screamed in range. Melkor cast Meteor Storm and rained fire down on the Fellowship.

After talking more damage, Melkor looked at Jesoc and cast Fell Rebuke and Jesoc was dead. The fellowship was amazed to see Jesoc stirring and the tattoo that Jesoc received in the library of Annuminas disppear and Jesoc arise, resurrected, and full of energy. The fellowship was inspired by Jesoc and moved forward to finally end it.

Jesoc moved forward to attack and Kifak gave him a wink and cast Phoenix Flames.

Flames engulfed Kifak and slowly spread. The flames expanded and also consumed Melkor. Melkor screamed in rage and when the flames subsided, Melkor was gone.

The fellowship looked back towards Kifak but all that remained was a pile of ash with Kifak’s axe and eyepatch laying on top.

Slowly Jesoc picked up Kifak’s axe and eyepatch and scooped his ashes into the Alchemy Jug. The fellowship barely noticed that the entire citadel started shaking.

Suddenly all the Palantirs exploded, including the one in Tallulahbell. Tallulahbell burped and belched a small puff of smoke.

The floor gave way and the fellowship fell down to the third floor. They quickly made their way down the second floor dodging falling fiery timbers all around them.

Through the falling obsidian rock they saw a way out through a portcullis. Arbun tried to see if he could open the portcullis, but he was unsuccessful.

Jesoc cast Thunderstep to carry both him and Hallamir through the bars while Arbun cast Mistystep and Tallulahbell flew through the bars.

The fellowship fell hard on the ground below and winced as pieces of obsidian crashed down and sliced them. They ran away as fast as they could until they were a safe distance away from the crumbling citadel.

Suddenly Kifak burst out of the Alchemy Jug covered in Mayonnaise and screamed:

“Where is my axe?!”

The fellowship finally shared a laugh and smiled. They had a long journey back but would first rest at the nearest tavern and tell their story. Bards would tell their story in years to come, always ending the song with the traditional breaking of a jar of mayonnaise.

Here ends the story of The Fellowship of the Palantirs – where once again man, elves, dwarves, and hobbits answered the call.