1. A Tale of a Mysterious Murder
Last year, a young woman, Lalaith, and a young man, Girion, disappeared from the village Netharas. The young couple had been going out together so it was generally thought that they had eloped.

Today, a corpse has been found in the dense woods outside Netharas. It is much harmed by the local scavengers, but it clearly wears Lalaith's red scarf. The villagers cry murder and accuse Girion's family of having raised a crook. Careful investigation (by the PCs) shows that the corpse is too tall, by some 10 inches to have been Lalaith, so it is more probably Girion's corpse. In one of the ribs over the heart there are a triangular nick, hinting at a stab at the heart. The village is now in turmoil and the players learn, after much talking, and gaining of confidence, that Girion had stolen his father's savings, and that Lalaith's family had received a letter some months after the disappearance. The letter consists of an anonymous poem that the parents had taken as proof that Lalaith was still alive, because of the stanza "mourn not the brown-haired maiden". The poem (see below) is a simple riddle, and if the players solve it, they will find out where Lalaith is now.
Lalaith is actually in Lond Ernil and has set herself up as a herbalist, but she has also new and nasty friends in the criminal gangs of the city and it is now up to the players to tackle Lalaith correctly.

2. What Really Happened.
Last year, Girion and Lalaith started being seen together, at local festivals and the spring gatherings on the village green. They were both of marriageable age, good looking and Girion was the eldest son and certain to inherit a good farm so the villagers considered it a perfect match. But...
(There are two versions of the murder and what led up to it; the Gamemaster can choose the one he prefers. One portrays Lalaith as plotting and ruthless and Girion as innocent, the other makes Girion dishonest and Lalalith a victim, if ruthless, of circumstances.)

Option 1
Lalaith had long ago decided that she was to good to live out her life as a farmer's wife in Netharas. She wanted excitement and money and knew that those were no to be found on the village green. So she told Girion that she would only marry him if he could get her enough money to set themselves up elsewhere in Gondor. Girion, being madly in love, stole his family's life savings, hoping perhaps to repay them later.
The young couple met in the woods to start their journey to Lond Ernil. Girion showed the money to Lalaith, who at an opportune moment stabbed him with her dagger.

Option 2
Girion had long ago decided he did not want to spend his whole life in Netharas; yet he wanted to marry Lalaith with whom he was truly in love, so he suggested they should elope together. Lalaith, also much in love, agreed. When the young couple met in the woods, Girion showed her the money he had stolen and Lalaith told him she will never marry a thief and threatened to go back to the village and denounce him. Girion tried to strangle Lalaith and in self-defence she stabbed at him, unfortunately right at the heart.
Lalaith found herself in the middle of the woods with a bloody knife in her hands and a very dead Girion at her feet. She realized that this is her chance to leave the village with a substantial sum of money. She removed everything from the body that can identify it and ties her scarf around its throat, hoping that when the body is found, it will unidentifiable except by its clothes. Being raised in the country, she knew how fast a body turns to a skeleton.
When she was finished with the body, she dragged it into the midst of thicket of young aspens and started out on the road towards Lond Ernil. Since the couple had planned on eloping anyway, she had enough food to be able to stay away from settled areas for a week.

After the Killing
In the middle of Urui last year, Lalaith entered Lond Ernil and put her considerable intelligence and ingenuousness to the task of setting herself up as a herb-seller. With Girion's money as a start she managed to borrow some more and open a small shop in €€ street. Knowing much about herbs, as well as being a shrewd businesswoman, she made her little shop into a successful venture. She calls herself Nienor from northern Lebennin and says she is the only child and that her money is an inheritance from her parents.
When she had started her shop and felt secure, she decided to send her family a letter. She had several motives for this:she seriously wished her family not to worry about her fate, but she dared not tell them where she is or what she is doing. She also felt like demonstrating her cleverness by telling her family where she is while not doing so by making a riddle poem in Westron; "those with brains can find me, those without I don't care about". The riddle is simple:if the capital letters of the poem is taken and put in the right order, the words LOND ERNIL is formed. (If the Gamemaster wants the players to go to another town, he can make capitals out of other appropriate letters.)

The Poem
mourn not the brown haired maiden
walk not with sorrow Laden
she's somewhere in the sunlight strong
her tears are in the falling Rain
she calls out in the winds soft song
but she will Never come again
for there was a whisper down the field
were the year had shot her yield
and the ricks stood gray to the sun
It sang "Over then, come over
for the bee has quit the clover
and Lebennin's summer's Done
she came, and Entered and walked free
not a hand with laurel would bestow she
and to understanding she drew near
Night her banner, and her herald fear

The letter was sent with a travelling merchant's servant who is instructed to tie the letter to the gate of the Hithlain farm.
It soon dawned on Lalaith, that even though Lond Ernil is much larger than Netharas, life still consists of long hours and hard work rather than money and excitement, so she became very interested when she was contacted by one of the city's criminal gangs.

Timeline
Gwaeron previous year:Girion and Lalaith starts being seen together.
20 Nórui previous year:Girion steals his father's lifes savings and meets Lalaith in the woods. Lalaith kills Girion.
15 Urui previous year:Lalaith reaches Lond Ernil and starts her new life, running a herbshop.
Hithui previous year:Lalaith gets in touch with the local criminal organisation
13 Girithron previous year:Lalaith's family receives an anonymous poem about the brown haired maiden.
A suitable day this year:Body found in the woods.
This timeline can be altered by the Gamemaster to suit his plans.

3. The NPCs
Lalaith
In the week after her disappearance, Lalaith became 22 years old. She is 5'5'' with shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes and slender yet wiry build. Lalaith was considered the best farm girl in the whole hundred. While spending much time with other youngsters in the woods, she was yet better at the loom than most girls and her skill with herbs and cooking was unquestioned in the whole village. She had been in charge of the cooking for the last harvest feast, a great honour for a young woman.
Lalaith worked hard on her fathers farm, but she most enjoyed walking in the woods and fields gathering herbs. In dress she favoured breeches and tunics instead of skirts, since they were better suited to her work. Her only vanity was her finely woven red scarf, bought at the market. She also liked to carry a hunting knife (knife-carrying had become a fashion among young farmers, imitating the nobles).
Lalaith was aware of her considerable intelligence and talents. She had even managed to learn to read and write, something most children never bothered with. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and while never directly discourteous, she let people know that she was better and brighter than they.

Girion
When he disappeared Girion was 25 years old, just above six feet high with brown eyes and shoulder-long brown hair. Girion was a large man, well muscled and with a friendly face, looking much like the ideal farmer. Being the eldest son and sure to inherit his father's farm, Girion worked hard and often spent more than ten hours on the fields. He had even started to break new land.
Girion was well liked in the village and had many friends and no enemies. His main interest was tug-of-war and he was a member of the hundred's team and had successfully competed at the local markets.

The Hithlain Family
The Hithlain family consists of Lalaith's
€ father Mallor, 58. An almost bald stocky and muscular man of 5'10'' with brown eyes, Mallor is one of the village elders and responsible for the upkeep of the local roads as well as a member of the hundred's council. His farm is one of the largest in the hundred and Mallor is an influential man. He was very pleased at having such a brilliant daughter.
€ mother Rían, 52. A slender woman, with long graying brown hair, mostly worn in a large knot at the back of her head. Reflecting her husband's status, Rían is one of the important women in the village.
€ elder brother Henderch, 27. A shorter version of his father with close cropped hair, he looks forward to being the most important man in the village when his father retires. Henderch acts as if he is more than just the eldest son of a prosperous farmer and has a way of getting on less wealthy people's nerves. He was not overly fond of his sister who did not treat him with the respect he thought was his due.
€ Henderch's wife Celebriel, 23. A short (5'), plum, blonde woman with grey eyes who adores her husband and was almost in awe of Lalaith.
€ younger brother Elendur, 17. He is the tallest in the family, almost 6' and wears his brown hair at shoulder length. When Elendur grew up he was Lalaith's favourite and she spoilt him at every opportunity. He loves his sister dearly and was greatly relieved when her letter arrived.
€ younger sister Túreth, 19. She is a plainer version of Lalaith. Túreth has grown up in Lalaith's shadow and has always been (unfavourably) compared with the elder sister, both by her family and by the other villagers. Lalaith did not miss any opportunity to display her talents to the ridicule of her sister and Túreth has no love lost for her.

The Caran Family
The Caran family consists of Girion's
€ father Baranor, 60. A tall gangly, brownhaired man of 6'2'', Baranor has with the help of his sons developed his farm into one of the largest in the village and managed to save money so that his sons can start farms as well. Girion's theft was a severe blow:that his beloved son was a thief hurt him more than the loss of money. To protect some of the family honour, Baranor has kept the theft secret.
€ mother Erwen, 51. A stout blonde and blue-eyed woman whose looks still show something of the beauty of thirty years ago. She has stood by her husband throughout their marriage and it is her support that has kept Baranor going this last year. She loved her son dearly and still cannot believe that he stole their money. She has in the heated discussions with the Hithlain family accused their "cold-eyed girl" of having stolen her son.
€ younger brother Dagnir, 22. Dagnir is tall and good looking and has the blonde hair and blue eyes of his mother. He is popular among the girls in the village, even more so now since he is the eldest son and will inherit the farm
€ younger brother Cemendur, 20. Cemendur is of slender yet wiry build and had the looks of his father, just as Girion. Cemendur was the one who lost most by Girion's theft. Now, there is no money for him to start a farm and he must probably spend his life as a labourer and it is uncertain whether he will ever be able to marry. Cemendur hates Girion with all his heart, but out of respect for his father he has so far told nobody of the theft.

4. The Settings
Netharas
The village is typical Lebennian village (the Gamemaster must make sure that there are some woods in its vicinity). Netharas has been settled for more than a millenium and all its families have lived in here for generations. The two most important families are the Hithlain and Thóniath families. Hithlain has a large and well-kept farm and Thóniath owns the mill.
To the north and northeast of the village there are a stretch of forest, rather dense in places, continuing for about 10 miles. The meadows in the woods are sometimes used for grazing. Trees are felled for construction and firewood. There is some hunting of small game. However, the villagers mostly do not bother with it.

Lalaith's shop
Lalaith's shop is on Spicemerchants street. It is set in a small one-storey house with an attic. On the ground floor, at the front there is one large room, the shop itself, filled with herbs and spices in glass jars or sacks of different sizes. The first impression of Lalaith's shop is one of cleanliness. The floor is scrubbed and sanded, every jar is gleaming and there is not a spot or a wrinkle on any sack. The counter is polished and shining like a dark brown jewel. It smells of many herbs. In the fireplace there is a large earthen jar filled with wild flowers (except in the winter when there is a fire there).
In the back there is a small room, in which Lalaith packs and unpacks spices. There are some tools, bags and jars of different sizes.
From the back room a stair leads to the first floor which consists of two rooms, one apparently Lalaith's bedroom, the other her working room with a simple table some paper and ink and a ledger with the the book-keeping for the shop. There is a fireplace in this room and it is here that Lalaith does her cooking. There is a cupboard with utensils and some food.
From this room a small ladder leads to the attic. The attic is low, at the most 4 feet and empty. The house has a small non-descript and dark back-yard surrounded by a wooden fence where Lalaith grows vegetables.

5. The task
Starting the Players
The best way to start the players is to have them stay in Netharas when the body is discovered and the child runs back from the woods and tells everybody that he has found a body.
About one mile inside the forest next to the village there is a dense thicket of young aspens, which during the summers is virtually impregnable.In the midst of this thicket the remains of a body is found by a young child playing hide-and-seek. The boy immediately alerts the whole village.
The corpse has been laying in the open since last year so most of its flesh is gone and some of the larger bones as well, carried away by the local carnivores. Some dark brown hair is still attached to the skull. Most clothing has been destroyed, but it can be seen that the body once was dressed in brown homespun woollen tunic and linen breeches. Around the neck there is a red scarf of fine linen cloth and dyed a deep red. The corpse has no shoes and no belt, rings, amulets or pouches.
It has been disturbed by animals, but if the skeletal remains are measured carefully, it is about 6' tall. In one of the ribs on the left side, approximately over the heart, there is slight triangular nick, which may have been made by a knife stab. When the villagers arrive at the site, they immediately say that it is Lalaith's body, since the red scarf was her most prized possession. The villagers will then fetch some kind of stretcher to carry the corpse away for a prepare a burial. No one will examine the body closer, since they "know" what has happened:"Girion killed Lalaith and then ran away". When the body has been carried to Netharas, the village is in turmoil and virtually everybody gathers on the green. Much is said and little is done, the shock of a murder committed in their village makes most people slightly irrational. The body is put in a coffin in a shed behind the tavern, and a burial is planned for the next Sunday.
There is a general outcry against Girion and his family. Perceptive players will notice that throughout it all the Hithlain family keeps a low profile. The Caran family looks deeply shocked and does not try to defend their son in any way. Girion's younger brother stands silent almost white with rage.
Nothing further of consequence happens, unless the players do something, and when darkness falls, people go back to their homes.

Aids
The players main aid is their intelligence and social skills. If the players get stuck, the Gamemaster may introduce Cirion the Bard and have him help the players.

Obstacles
The two main obstacles in this adventure is realising that it is not Lalaith that has been murdered and solving the riddle of the poem.

Rewards
There are no financial rewards in this adventure and since it may take some time to solve the riddle as well as travelling across Gondor, the PCs should have some money to start with. Depending on how the players handle the situation, different non-financial rewards might be possible, e.g. gratitude from the officials for tracking down a murderess, introduction to the criminal gangs of Lond Ernil, etc.
If the players like Girion's youngest brother, Cemendur, they might decide to help him get the family money back and Cemendur's undying gratitude if the players succeed might be reward enough.

Interfering With the Law
It is important that the players make clear what they do in secret and what they do openly since all open investigations will be reported by the hundred to the legate.
If the players reveal that they have solved the riddle and found out where Lalaith is, the authorities want to take over. The correct way of doings things is then for the hundred to report the matter to the legate, who hands it over to the authorities in Lond Ernil. The players might accompany a representative of the hundred to the legate and if the players gain the legate's trust, they may act as couriers for the letter to Lond Ernil.
It is unlikely that the Lond Ernil authorities will want the players involved in the capture of Lalaith. Nothing, of course, stops the players from conducting an open investigation and then travelling to Lond Ernil and Lalaith before the authorities have time to act.

6. Encounters
When the players encounter the villagers of Netharas, the Gamemaster is advised to make use of "The close knit village society" section in order to let the players feel the outsiders' difficulties in obtaining sensitive information from the villagers.

Finding Out What Everybody Knows
Any villager can tell the story of Lalaith and Girion as it is generally known. They started being seen together in Gwaeron and they disappeared at the end of Nórui. If the villager thinks carefully he/she can pin-point the day of the disappearance.
There are two things that perceptive villagers have noted, but they will not tell outsiders unless they have gained the villagers confidence. The Caran family has not been as upset by the disappearance of their eldest son as one might expect, his youngest brother being conspicuously un-unhappy. The Hithlain family was very upset when Lalaith disappeared and repeatedly and vocally accused the Caran family in general and Girion in particular of stealing their beloved daughter. During winter, they however quietened and has since held a low profile in the matter.

Meeting Girion's Friends
Girion's friends are the young men of his age in the village. They tell anybody that Girion was very much in love with Lalaith and had spoken many times of marrying her as soon as possible, hopefully at the end of the year. Girion is described as a nice and friendly young man, not very imaginative nor adventurous, but a stable and good friend. Girion might have seemed a little distressed the week before his disappearance, but his friends thought he was worrying about the tug-of-war competition at the midsummer market in the nearest town.

Meeting Lalaith's Friends
When speaking to the village girls of Lalaith's age, it becomes that Lalaith did not have a close friend. She did not confide to anyone and whereas many can describe her interests and skills, no one can give a hint to what went on in her mind. At first the girls refuse to speak ill of the dead, but if the players are charming enough, the girls say that they really think that Lalaith was rather bossy and sometimes rude. The elder women will say that she "lacked proper respect, she did" and was "to clever by half".

Meeting the Hithlain Family
If the family is encountered together, Mallor takes command of the discussion. He is be patently uninterested in any investigations, since to him the matter is clear:Lalaith ran away with that Girion crook. Any suggestions about the dead body being Girion, which implicates Lalaith as a murderer, are treated with ridicule.
Both Lalaith's mother and brothers act in more or less the same way. The elder brother questions the players right to ask him anything at all. The younger brother reacts more emotionally, stating that Lalaith was "very kind, yes she was". Túreth, however, is quiet during a family encounter and, if addressed, answers in monosyllables. If questioned in private, she says that Lalaith was a "nasty little creature" who well could have murdered Girion and then continues to tell of all the wrongs she has suffered because of Lalaith. She will also mention the letter‹"the wise little bitch, being clever again". Since Túreth cannot read, she is not familiar with its exact contents, but knows it is some kind of poetic riddle. Túreth gives the impression of being a rather stupid and spiteful person.
If the players confront Mallor with the fact that the family has received a letter from Lalaith, they will have to provide a reason to get to read it, possibly by threatening to tell their story to the authorities.

Meeting the Caran Family
The Carans have no interest in talking to strangers about their problems. Whereas the Hithlain family tries to keep their privacy through authoritarian refusal, the Carans just ask to be left alone. That their son is a murderer as well as a thief has taken away their spirit.
If the players have realized that Girion is the victim, the Carans will be much happier and try to help in tracking down Lalaith. Girion's mother triumphantly exclaims:"What was it I said." The Carans do not tell the players about Girion's theft but will answer any other questions.
Cemendur will approach the players sometime after the family interview and furtively ask them if they have found where Lalaith is to be found, because he would like to meet her. When questioned, Cemendur says that Lalaith has stolen money from the family, which he needs to become a farmer of his own. If the players question this unlikely story, Cemendur will tell them that Girion stole the family's money, but since Lalaith killed him she must have the money and Cemendur is going to take it back somehow.
The players might realise that bringing Cemendur along to Lond Ernil will provide a good way of identifying Lalaith when they find her.

Finding Lalaith In Lond Ernil
Lond Ernil is described in chapter. If the players try to find Lalaith, the best way of doing so is to ask around for a girl of Lalaith's description who came to the city last autumn. Lalaith is registered as a trader in the tax register under her assumed name of Nienor. There are no records of people entering the city.

Facing Lalaith
This final encounter decides how the adventure will end. Much depends on how the Gamemaster role-plays Lalaith and on whether or not the Gamemaster has any ulterior motives. By this time the players ought to realize that it will be very hard to bind Lalaith to any crime (since there is only circumstancial evidence) and that the outcome will depend on this encounter.

If the players confront Nienor as Lalaith, she laughs and refuses to discuss such silly thoughts, "I am Nienor and nothing else." If the players persist she will summon the city watch. If the players has brought Cemendur along, she has to confess to being Lalaith and tells "my true story".

"We had decided to run away because there was no future for us in that little village, and none of us could stomach the endless whinings of our parents if we told them we wanted to leave. So we started on our way to Lond Ernil. On the road, however, Girion showed his true self, a slow and stupid farmer, who wanted me to take care of him and who couldn't think past his nose. When I told him so he got violent and beat me, so one night I just sneaked away and left him, and I haven't seen Girion since, and I have no desire to."
"A body in the woods, how sensational, I don't know anything about it."
"Red scarf, my dear man, do you know how many red scarfs there are in Gondor."
"Girion stole your money? Well that is the kind of thing he would do, the thug, and he never even told me about it, expecting me to work harder if I didn't know that he had money, I imagine."

Lalaith sticks to her story of not having anything to do with the murder or Cemendur's money. If the players persist, she will summon the city watch. If the players are clever, they may try to trick Lalaith into confessing that she was at the scene of the murder. If she in some way confesses she will tell her story (version two in the "What really happened" part) and beg the players not to tell the authorities since she killed in self defence. Lalaith will try to give Cemendur his money. Since she has not got that much cash, she will try to borrow money, using her shop as collateral and tell the players to come back later.

The Gamemaster can choose between several ways of ending the adventure. Either Lalaith raises enough money and Cemendur returns happily home and that is the end of the story or Lalaith might entice her criminal friends to assassinate the players and the Gamemaster will have to take it from there. Another possible ending is that Lalaith, through her criminal friends, offers the players a financially rewarding adventure, if they do not tell anyone about her earlier life. This can either be a true adventure or a ruse to get the players out of the way, and assassinated in a quiet spot.