Last Hope : a darker AU of LOTR.

The date: September, 3018, Third Age.

Point of Divergence: 27 April, 2941, Third Age.

We all know how it started. Gandalf visited Bilbo at Bag End, and coerced him into an adventure, the effects of which would change the course of history. But in this world, the day after he met with the dwarves, Bilbo sat down to breakfast and just didn't go.

The dwarves, of course, went without him as they said they would.

The changes mount up quickly. When the dwarves encounter the trolls, they are all captured, and without Bilbo to keep the trolls busy, Bombur is eaten before Gandalf arrives to save them.

They press on. They stay for a short time in Rivendell and get the aid of Elrond, as in the other timeline. Then they push into the Misty Mountains, where, without Bilbo, they are caught even more by surprise. With Gandalf's aid, they fight free and flee, but the Great Goblin is not slain, and Bifur is killed. Obviously, and this is key, without Bilbo the One Ring remains in the dark, underground, having abandoned Gollum, but not having been found. Yet.

On the other side, they flee the goblins and the wargs, and are saved by the eagles (there are only 13 birds in the song, sadly). They make their way to Beorn's house, and he refits them for travel. They head for Mirkwood. Gandalf departs again, to confront the Necromancer in the south. The Necromancer flees, just as in the other timeline.

There, without Bilbo, the dwarves get lost more quickly, although Bombur is already dead so he does not get put to sleep. Finally, wandering starved through the woods, they are captured by the spiders, and since Bilbo is not there to rescue them, Bofur and Oin are slain by the spawn of Ulgoliant before the wood elves arrive, kill the spiders, and capture the dwarves.

They languish in chains far longer, there, as Thorin will not bow his head to Thranduil or speak truly of his intent. Eventually, Gandalf returns, and requests their release, which is granted, grudgingly. Orcrist and Sting (which was being carried by Kili) are kept by the elves when they release the company.

They reach Laketown in winter of 2941, having missed Durin's Day. They get enthusiastic help from Laketown, partially because they wish the King Under the Mountain returned, and partially because Gandalf is there. He shortly leaves though, to return to the Misty Mountains chasing a rumor and a feeling. He never returns, having followed his instincts into Moria, where, by some fell chance, the Balrog has now gotten the One Ring, brought to him by the Great Goblin. The Balrog does not serve Sauron tho, and sets himself up as a new rival dark lord. With the One Ring in its grasp, Gandalf is easily bested.

The dwarves, left with no way into the mountain but the front gate, are caught inside and most are killed. Balin, Gloin, Fili, and Kili, barely escape, bearing Thorin's key and perhaps most miraculously, the Arkenstone, which is revealed to be the one remaining gem from the lost necklace Nauglamir, which held, of old, a Silmaril.

This, they bring back to Elrond, a gesture of peace and a suit for aid. Much of the bitterness between Elves and Dwarves is thus assuaged.

Dain and the kindred of the Iron Hills never have a chance to come to the aid of Erebor, and the Battle of Five Armies never occurs . . . because without Bilbo, Bard has no notion of Smaug's weakness, and Laketown dies in shadow and flame. Smaug cements his control over the area. The Necromancer, now revealed as Sauron, sends him one or more Dwarven Rings of Power to buy his allegiance, and a tenuous alliance is formed. The whole east of the Wilds now belongs to Sauron, and Mirkwood is swiftly retaken, driving the remaining wood elves west to Lorien. Dol Guldur is taken as a stronghold by the Witch King. The Dwarves of the Iron Hills eventually flee to join their brethren in the Blue Mountains, though the way is long and hard, and many perish.

Saruman, without Gandalf to hide himself from, grows bolder and more open. He takes a Dwarven Ring given him by Sauron, with a ring he himself crafted, and his sun resistant Uruk-Hai, and conquers Rohan, Fangorn, and Lorien. Without the Hobbits, the ents are taken by surprise. Without the Fellowship, who have not even left the west yet in the main timeline, Rohan is easily overwhelmed, many of its forces added to those of Saruman by Wormtongue's manipulations. Only Eomer and Eowyn escape, fleeing west...but Eomer dies holding back the hordes so the few Rohirrim can live. They join the elves, though warily, and flee through the Gap of Rohan to the safe haven at Rivendell. All known remaining elves of Lorien, wood elves of Mirkwood, perhaps one or two ents, and few hundred Rohirrim, are now refugees at the Last Homely House, a settlement which increases in size to accommodate, and becomes much less secret.

Sauron knows where the Ring is, but cannot touch it. A power almost equal to his own holds it, deep in the dark of Moria...and holds also the Ring of Fire, Narya, gotten from Gandalf. Not to mention the vile thing now wields Glamdring. Orcrist and Sting now rest at Rivendell, brought there by the wood elves, king of whom is Legolas. Thranduil was slain.

Saruman has declared his independence, wearing now three Rings: the dwarven one, the one he made, and the Ring of Water, Nenya. Without his own ring, Sauron cannot easily move against such a foe, and not without cost.

Only one Ring remains in Elven hands. Elrond wears Vilya, the Ring of Air, and thus Rivendell is the last safe haven for the Noldor, and indeed the elves in general, in all of Middle-Earth. Aragorn still lives. A council has been called, and Gloin and his son Gimli will attend from their exile in the Blue Mountains, as will Aragorn, Legolas, Eowyn, and others. Even Faramir, from badly besieged Gondor, who has no close allies to call without the Rohirrim to their North.

Bilbo has died of old age, and Frodo is still his young heir at Bag End. He is still friends with Merry and Pippin, but they have not left the shire.

Narsil is being reforged, Council is being taken. What Last Hope of Victory is there against such darkness? Perhaps only this: that the dark is not unified. That Sauron, and the Balrog, and Saruman, and perhaps even Smaug, are rivals, even enemies. That with the One Ring in other hands Sauron's control over the Nazgul is less.

A dark world, but a world in dire need of heroes.

Check out Alatar’s Monologue intro to the setting:

https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/morinehtars-monologue-the-return-of-the-blue-wizard

Now you can be those heroes. Join this game on Startplaying! https://startplaying.games/adventure/clmcbup3w000608l05wtz3f9u