You are traveling through Mirkwood forest in search of The Elvenking's hidden halls, when you hear a desperate cry for help from a dark path of woods.

Setup: Add Spider Den to the staging area. The opposing team searches the encounter deck for one different 0 cost enemy or 0 cost location per player and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.

The cries are those of an Elf who has been captured within a spider den. You must rescue him!

Forced: When Spider Den is explored, flip it over and put Mendor into play under the first player's control, ready.

This stage cannot be defeated unless the first player controls Mendor.