The Scouring of the Shire

On November 3, 3019, moonlight and starlight gave way to torches in the hands of an angry mob of halflings lead to Bag End by Frodo Baggins and Meriadoc Brandybuck. Blinded to the night by the very torches they carried, the halflings had no chance of seeing the watcher. The watcher had been there for months, like a ghost haunting places none visited, and now he was watching the angry halflings which had come to treat with Saruman. To eyes that could have seen him, the watcher would have appeared as a man – a stocky mercenary scout, heavily armed with a large curved broadsword, but wearing only leather armor. If any had approached close enough to be slain, they would have discovered the wolfish fangs and tigerish night eyes of an orc. Morsul was just outside of torchlight as Wormtounge drove his blade into Saruman and was shot down by halflings archers. Morsul watched with careful measure which resolved into dreadful ambition as the stuff of Saruman dissolved into a plume of smoke, only to be finally dissipated by the dark night wind from the west.

Morsul was just outside of torchlight as Frodo ordered that the clothes and remains of Saruman and Wormtounge were not to be searched, but gathered and buried quickly. He was just out of torchlight as he followed Sam, Tom, and Nick into a glade near Bag End where they disposed of the remains in a shallow grave.

It was a matter of less than an hour for Morsul to rob the hasty burial of everything of value, including a single ring. The ring was of a black metal and set with a single smooth stone. When Morsul put the ring on he immediately noticed a distinction of awareness, and a heightening of resolve. He was unsure of the significance of this ring, but he marked it as a trophy for his survival – a prize for the strong which he would not relinquish. Where Saruman fell short, Ash Fauthuk would step forward!

As Morsul returned to Bag End, he discovered the place deserted. Like the night breeze he slipped in to the field office of the fallen wizard. He quickly found what he sought – in a room near the front, a flat leather satchel and a short wooden chest. Inside these two was a wealth greater than gold – maps, names, and places Morsul knew well from his capacity as a Scout/Captain under Saruman. Tactical details showed that Saruman was indeed planning to rebuild his army here in the West. He already had the allegiance of probably over 5,000 orcs in the Ered Luin Mountains, and was apparently in contact with orcs of the Southern Misty Mountains and also with orcs from Moria.

Knowing that the halflings would return with the morning, Morsul searched the hole for other things of importance. Finding little else, he made sure of the entrances and exits for future visits and removed himself and his findings to the nether-black of the surrounding night.

It was indeed the very next day when Frodo, Sam, and several others began a concentrated work at Bag End, including the attached buildings in the immediate area. They also buried those who died the night before together in what became known as the ‘Battle Pit’ – including two halflings not discovered until morning, bringing the total to nineteen dead.

That night Bag End was again left empty, and again the watcher slipped in and resumed searching the rooms, knowing now that there was yet one more looting of the dead wizard’s secrets to accomplish. There was a record book which Morsul knew would not be far away, detailing the apothecary formulas for exploding powder, liquid fire, poison arrow pitch, and other apparatus for warfare invented or improved upon by Saruman. The book was a single largish tome which Morsul knew by sight, including its white leather case. Morsul searched five rooms thoroughly – leaving no traces that the rooms had been disturbed, and crept out again before dawn.

The next day, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee moved into the hole. That night the watcher stood over the sleeping halflings with bared blade until he was satisfied, and then commenced his searching. For three more nights he searched rooms while the halflings slept. On the fourth night he finally discovered a compartment in a wardrobe room which contained the book he sought along with another book which he could not read. Satisfied that he had what he needed, he slipped back to his hideaway and began his preparations for travel.