'Greetings, traveller! Do you wish to hear a tale? I know many, though one, perhaps, would be of greater interest to you. Have you heard of the Great Barrow? It lies at the heart of the Barrow-downs, a place of dread in Bree-land.

'But it was not always so and perhaps need not remain so. Evil things stir in the Downs and threaten to turn cautious fear into abject terror. Perhaps you might be interested in restoring the peace of the Downs? In return, I will tell you my tale.

'First, I need you to find the fragments of a key that opens the way into the deepest halls of the Great Barrow. Legend tells that the first fragment is guarded by two wights within a great maze of tombs, while the second is held by a gaunt-man, a terrible creature of the First Age. Both fragments are to be found within the Great Barrow. Take those you can trust, for the way is treacherous.'