Crossing the dusty planes of Udûn was no easy task, even after the battle that was waged before the Black Gate not long ago. The Men of Gondor that I met there used no words too few to try and dissuade me from my cause and I understand now why. This land is still filled with peril, and the peril most apparent is the lack of living things; no shrubberies carrying berries, no clear water streams or game to hunt. Now that I see this desolate place, the fruitless ground below my feet covered in the ashes of the mountain of fire, I wonder now if I have taken enough provisions to see me through to the end of this journey. But the promise of my King's rewards will keep me going, for there is no motivation better than the glint of gold. Yet, thus far the bare rock has told me little, and the abandoned camps are littered only with orcish relics and few of them are forged from steel better than that usually wielded by their kind; there is little of value here.
Luckily, through my many adventures I have learned that goblins hoard their most vaulable items in the deepest holes of their tunnels in the Misty Mountains. It must be no different with orcs from Mordor, though here they have keeps of crude dark metal to hide within. One such fortresses is called Durthang, though it must have gone by a different name long ago. It was once a stronghold of Gondor with watchful men enforced. They guarded these lands in the Dark Lord's absence and when he returned they were either killed or driven off - I do not know the full tale. I believe this keep might hold some secrets long since forgotten, but I am unsure whether it is there left unguarded. Even with Sauron's destruction, many of his minions have survived and they have taken to their own. So far I have been fortunate enough to not encounter any of them, but for how long will my luck last me?
And what of the ring-lore my Lord wishes me to find? Will Durthang provide me any answers, or do I have to venture even further in this wretched land to look for it?
