Having captured Gollum, you must now escort him through Mirkwood Forest for interrogation at Thranduil's Palace.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Gollum. Choose a player to guard Gollum at the start of the game, and place Gollum in front of that player. Then shuffle the encounter deck. Reveal 1 card per player from the encounter deck, and add it to the staging area.
Mirkwood is always a dangerous place, but it is even worse with Gollum. Between the outbursts, tantrums, and the flying provisions, you are not afforded a moment's peace
As soon as he thinks that no one is watching, Gollum attempts to slip his bonds and escape.
Having thwarted Gollum's escape attempt, you tighten his rope and push on through Mirkwood, to Thranduil's palace.
The player guarding Gollum cannot play cards from his hand.
As you make the final push to Thranduil's Palace, your enemies make a desperate attempt to ambush your party, and seize Gollum for themselves.
Forced: At the beginning of the combat phase, all enemies in play engage the player guarding Gollum.
Players cannot defeat this stage if there are any enemies in play. If players defeat this stage, they have won the game.
Damage from undefended attacks against you must be dealt to Gollum. If Gollum is destroyed, or if the player guarding Gollum is eliminated, the players have lost the game.
Forced: At the end of each round, raise the threat of the player guarding Gollum by 3. Then, that player may choose a new player to guard Gollum.
While The Spiders’ Ring is the active location, the player guarding Gollum cannot change.
Shadow: If this attack is undefended, return any current active location to the staging area. The Spiders’ Ring becomes the active location.
While Dry Watercourse is the active location, all treachery card effects that target the player guarding Gollum also target each other player.
Response: After the players travel to Wood Elf Path, the player guarding Gollum may choose a new player to guard him.
When Revealed: Raise the threat of the player guarding Gollum by 8. That player must choose a new player to guard Gollum, if able.
Shadow: Raise the threat of the player guarding Gollum by 4.
Forced: At the beginning of the encounter phase, Attercop, Attercop automatically engages the player guarding Gollum, regardless of his threat.
"Attercop! Attercop! Won't you stop..."
–Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit