Farmer in the Dale Discussion Thread [Archive] - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

piosenniel

06-28-2004, 12:09 AM

Dedicated Character

Profile for Kransha’s character:

NAME: Smaug the Golden, the Dreadful, the Tremendous, the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities, the Mighty, the Impenetrable, and the Magnificent. (Note: Called Tragu in the language of Dale)

AGE: Unknown (presumably bred in Angband)

RACE: Dragon (Fire-drake)

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Naught but his teeth, claws, tails, and fiery breath.

APPEARANCE: Smaug is a great dragon, red-gold in color. He bears a pair of large, leathery wings as well. He has many hard, jagged, golden scales covering him like armor for protection, but a pale underbelly which is encrusted with sparkling gems lies below. There is, of course, a bare patch in the hollow of his left breast, but he doesn’t know that.

PERSONALITY: One of the many intelligent dragons, Smaug is fluent in the common tongue and very cunning. His powerful gaze can cast dragon-spells upon those who look upon it, and he can compel those to do his bidding, whatever it may be. He is particularly fond of riddling and is often lulled into conversation with his prey, but only a clever few have managed to escape his fiery wroth when it comes. Though he is mostly as cunning and intellectual as he thinks himself to be, he sometimes gets caught up in that, as well as thoughts of himself. As grand as he appears to others, he is at least twice as grand to himself, his only arrogant flaw.

HISTORY: Little or nothing is known of Smaug the Magnificent before he arrived from the northern regions in the year 2770 of the Third Age. He was presumably bred with the other dragons of Melkor in the pits of Angband, but this is an unknown fact. He is one of the last, possibly the last, of the Fire-drakes, and the greatest dragon of his day. Whatever secrets he knows of his past before his descent upon Erebor and Dale he plans to (and eventually did) take to his grave.

~*~

Kransha’s post - Smaug

The eyes of the dragon, keen and sharp with malevolent pupils focused intently upon the lands that stretched far a wide beneath his soaring bulk, blinked together in an eerily rhythmic succession as the monstrous creature, the golden being lurching along through the river of the sky, neared his goal. Vague, pulsating embers lurked beneath the cold orbs set into his dragon skull and wafting plumes of smoke curled from the narrow gaps between his jagged fangs, jutting out from a pair of thick, muscular jaws that snapped together in anticipation. In the distance, not far beneath the red-gold form, there sat a single mountain rising out of the flat plane of the earth. The flat length of land around its sloping sides were dotted with some isolated tree groves and a minute stretch of woodland. Rising and dipping from the protuberant southern spur of was a thin line of water, a running river that looped gracefully around the crags of mountainous rock. At one end of the structure that was carefully laced into the mountain face, there were stairs and the indication of a modest gate, which presumably led in somewhere, the goal of Smaug. Therein, he knew, lay heaps of fantastic trinkets, baubles, bangles, precious stones, and a vast mélange of glittering objects that the excitedly vigorous dragon could assimilate into his hoard.

Smaug the Magnificent had not descended from his perch in the north for longer than even he, the mighty dragon himself, could recall accurately. His grounds for ‘nesting’ as the chattering aviary creatures around him dubbed it, where now vacant, probably inhabited by some unworthy band of thieving birds who had alighted there unknowingly. But, he would soon find a new lair, a place to lay his weary head in times of weariness that was no longer bleak and dreary, but altogether magnificent, decked in full with the spoils that Smaug would collect from each and every wretched mortal in these lands who had a particle of necessary wealth upon it.

As a sinister grin peeled across Smaug’s scaly lips, the dragon’s wings turned up with drastic force, causing his bulk to arch forward and veer down, honing in on the rough mountaintop. He soared, with as much grace as was possibly for a being of his tremendous size, down through the last thin, shriveled wisps of ivory cloud. He wheeled about through the air, watching with narrowing eyes, glowing with faint and gleeful fury, as the lonely cone of rock, worn away by years of wind, rose up to meet him while he fell, stretching his arms and legs out to each side with talons ready and eager, wings flapping madly against any meek gust that tried to stand in his way.

His mouth, the whole gaping maw of it, suddenly opened, each monumental jaw stretching with his glinting teeth pulled back into his ferocious face and a great and terrible light, brilliant red with orange fringes that flickered outward like feathery capes, began to well up in the pit of his throat. Soon, the building surplus of flame began to billow out like foamy waves which worked their way out from the gates formed by Smaug’s daggers of fangs. As his throat swelled, pulling in a gargantuan gust of air that filled his innards to the brim, he let loose the breath. From Smaug came a searing, blinding pillar of fire that spiraled down and stretched out like two giant hands and countless jagged talons that wrapped around the side of the mountain, burning away the rock itself. The dragon wasted no time in propelling himself from side to side through the sky’s ocean, zigzagging madly about as murderous gusts of fire bubbled up from him and poured out onto to the mountain. He burst out column after column of the searing red, its fringed edges lapping at the rocks and the force of each blast sending up a spray of dust, rock, and rubble from each point of impact. The mountain began to feel the sting of his mighty attacks, by now checkered with blotches of ashen rock that had been charred into disintegrating rubble by the intense heat of the dragon’s breath. As he continued his maniacal assault, his fiery eyes turned up, away from the current target of his incendiary strategy, and looked off into the distance, towards the cleansing river and south.

He saw a new goal. He would certainly return to this mountain, try to get inside and claim his wealth, but he had to eliminate the scent of man and dwarf from these lands as best as he could. Beneath him once again was a city, or town, or some gathering glade of houses and structures that dotted the southern slopes of the Lonely Mountain, looking with a calmed serenity out onto the looping river that ran down from its source in the mountain’s side. A more narrow, almost voracious grin began to grow on Smaug’s face as he turned around the mountain, still spouting flame bursts every few seconds as he turned, extending his magnificent wings perpendicular to the plain below and turning his glittering, gem encrusted underbelly towards the ruined, crumbling side of the mountain.

Slowly, holding in his breath as he dipped again, Smaug the Golden headed towards Dale…

piosenniel

06-28-2004, 12:12 AM

ArwenBaggins, the game owner will play 2 characters:

1.) NAME: Arinn Elden Millwind

AGE: 39

RACE: Mortal of Dale

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Arinn, though a farmer, has a sword with him at all times. He has a good arm, and will hurl rocks when he feels like it.

APPEARANCE: Arinn Millwind is tall and lean- farming leaves no time to gain weight and his height helps him in his job. His eyes are dim blue-gray like the sky in the shadow of the mountains. His hair is deep mahogany falls in waves to Arinn's mid-shoulders. He has a five o' clock shadow, outlining his angular chin. His skin is slightly tanned from his hard work in the sun.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Arinn has a serious demeanor, especially when farming or making important decisions. While not a harsh father, he makes sure that his children obey the rules. He does let a little white lie or rock thrown slip through every once and a while, but makes sure he doesn't hear about it again. He believes in strong family ties and telling the truth. Arinn loves the peace the early morning and late evening bring; after his day working, he will sit with his wife and children and watch the sunset behind the mountains.

HISTORY: Arinn Elden Millwind is the second of six children. His oldest sister lives with a respectable warrior in Rohan. The other four children (three brothers and two sisters) live scattered across Dale and Gondor.

At age 23, Arinn married (name of wife undecided) Whitfield, the daughter of a local merchant. They have a daughter, and two twin six-year-old boys, born in 2764.

----------------------------------

2.) NAME: Eli Ross Millwind

AGE: 6

RACE: Mortal

GENDER: Male - twin

WEAPONS: Eli carries only a few rocks in his pocket for protection.

APPEARANCE: Eli is taller than most six-year-olds, but not by much. He has tanned skin and is usually sunburned on his frequently bared feet because his skin is very tender and sunburns easily. His eyes are the main focal point of this young boy- the left is a bright sea green, the other a bright gray, giving him a fey and whimsical look. They are always wide, looking for new places to explore. His hair is dangling uneven about his ears, light and sandy brown in color. He was a sickly baby, and gets sick very easily.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Eli is a quiet boy, like his father. He likes to explore and "be a big boy", trying to help his father whenever he can. While he isn't extremely vulnerable in the sun because of his sickness, shade is a preferred sanctuary when romping and playing. He often gets in trouble for wandering off; his mother is over-protective. Eli can not be trusted with secrets- they will slip out before you can tell the whole secret. His brother is his best friend- they love sneaking off and switching places.

HISTORY: Eli is the second child of Arinn and (name not known) Millwind, the oldest of a set of twins. He and his family are close, and family values are important.

----------------------------------

ArwenBaggins’ post FIRST FOR GAME AFTER SMAUG

"Eli, hand me a stake," Arinn Millwind was kneeling in a garden amongst growing corn and okra. A young boy, straddling a row of green beans, walked quickly toward his father with a sharp wooden stake in his small, tanned hand.

He dropped to his knees and handed his father the piece of wood, wiping a large pearly bead of sweat from his forehead. "Here ya go Papa… whatcha plantin' now?" Eli picked up a handful of dark brown soil, a worm wriggling up his short finger.

Arinn took the stake and nodded in thanks and used the pole to straighten a feeble tomato seedling. He then mopped his forehead and held the small of his back, standing slowly. The sun blazed down upon the farm in Dale, the workplace of the Millwind family. "Come on in with me Eli; 'tis probably time for lunch… where's your brother?" Eli stood as well, shrugging and running off toward the house about half a mile away. "I wish he'd slow down once and a while! He will overheat!" he shook his head, laughing slightly at his energetic son, and walked briskly toward his home.

His wife met them on the porch. "Lunch is ready, my big men!" she kissed Arinn and rubbed Eli's messy waves of dust-color. After the boy dashed into the open door and skidded to a stop in the kitchen with his older sister and younger brother, the woman leaned in close to her husband and pushed a lock of sweaty chestnut hair from his ear, whispering: "How was he today? You did not have him sit in the sun too long, did you?"

"No dear. He sat under the dogwood tree most of the time- he came out for naught of five minutes to hand me a stake and hurry home. Do not worry," He kissed her forehead and entered their home.

Arinn sat at the table, between his daughter and his youngest child, a son. "Gimme my rock back!" Eli kicked the other twin in the shins underneath the table, trying to choke back tears. "Papa! Mama! He won' gimme my rock back!" Arinn cast a swift, austere look to the boy, who immediately dropped the shiny, polished, gray rock. Eli smiled weakly and sat back in his chair, dropping the rock in his pocket. It was a rock given to the boy by his father, a precious gift that he treasured with all his heart.

It's normal… Arinn forced himself to think. Fighting was a normal part of having children. He didn't like it, but it was normal.

*****
Only roughly a dozen miles away, a large, ominous shadow flew over Erebor, the very edge of the dark silhouette growing dangerously closer to Dale. Arinn was again outside, working without rest on the planting of the season. Eli, seemingly unseperable from his father, sat in the cool shade beneath the dogwood tree, the smooth gray stone lying in his hands.

Suddenly, a loud but distant screech was heard, and Arinn looked up instantaneously toward the shadow. "A dragon…!" He muttered under his breath in disbelieve. "Eli! A dragon! We need to get home and warn everyone. ELI?" Arinn pulled himself from the ground and looked around frenetically, calling his son's name.

Eli had already taken off. He heard his father yelling behind him, but he would catch up, wouldn't he? He would suspect that Eli was a smart enough boy to run home, wouldn't he? "Papa! I'm over here!" a rising wind and the rustling of field grass soon drowned his voice out.

His legs were growing weak; he wasn't used to running this long and far. He stopped for a moment and twirled frantically, looking and yelling for his father without answer. Deciding that it was absolutely necessary that he got home, he continued running, running, toward the seemingly-safe confines of his home.

"Eli! Eli? Where are you?" Arinn cast another quickly glance toward the north, but then turned his eyes back to the land in front of him. Where was his son?

Eli could not run any longer. With one last scream, he collapsed amidst the tall millet. His breath came slow and he moaned like a small wounded animal. Arinn found him five minutes later, lying sprawled on his stomach in the dirt. Muttering his son's name, he tried to crack a smile as he lifted him from the ground and cradled him like an even younger child.

The boy cracked open his dreamlike eyes, struggling to get a good hold on his father's loose shirt. "Papa, I'm sorry dat I ran. I'm just real scared of dragons. An' I wanted ta be tha big boy, warnin' everyone 'bout it. I'm sorry," his bottom lip puckered and a single tear dropped down his cheek onto his heaving chest.

While he wanted to express how serious what he had done was, Arinn couldn't seem to bring himself to do it. Instead, he hugged Eli close and shook his head, kept walking fleetly, and said, "Do not worry. We will go home and tell Mama, and then I will go out and tell everyone else around here."

"Okay Papa. But… but d'you think dat I could come with you?" Eli's breathing came a little slower now, nearing its normal rate.

Arinn sighed. He could not let Eli find that he was scared as well. "We will just have to see."

piosenniel

06-28-2004, 12:13 AM

CHARACTERS NEEDED LIST

Millwind Family

Parents

1. Father - Arinn Elden Millwind - ArwenBaggins
2. Mother – PLAYER NEEDED

Children

1. Daughter/Oldest Child - no older than 14 year – PLAYER NEEDED
2. Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins
3. Son/Younger Twin – 6y/o) – PLAYER NEEDED
~*~

Whitfield Family

Parent

1. Father (Arinn's brother-in-law) - PLAYER NEEDED
2. Mother -PLAYER NEEDED

NOTE: The Whitfield children will be Carry-along characters. No one will play them in particular; they can be used by anyone who needs them.

They are two children: Daisy and Elian, ages 8 and 14.

The Whitfields live next door to the Millwinds.

~*~

Additional Child

There is another child who has some 'difficulty' reaching home. Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Dragon

Smaug – Kransha

piosenniel

06-28-2004, 12:13 AM

Please use this form for creating your character to post on the discussion thread.

1.) It is a requirement that all potential game players in the Shire will have posted in The Green Dragon Inn or have played to completion an RPG on the Barrow Downs.

2.) Those who have not played before in a Shire RPG will be given preference. Final preference, though, will be at the discretion of the Game Owner.
_______________________________________

Character Description Form:

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES/NO - Which one?

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in?

List them, please:

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES/NO
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME:

AGE:

RACE:

GENDER:

WEAPONS (No magical, super-hero, mithril weapons. Just good solid Middle-earth weapons and armor only that is appropriate to the race of the character and the time period.):

APPEARANCE:

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: (No half-Elven characters. No mixed-type characters. No super-heroes. No assassins. No one all powerful, martial arts proficient, or having any magical traits. Just regular characters with normal abilities for their races only):

HISTORY:

__________________________________

First post:

This is a requirement for this game. Character Descriptions without a First Post attached will be sent back to the writer. They may be submitted again, once there is a First Post to go with them.

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NOTE: What to write for your First Post

First posts would describe where your character is when the Dragon first strikes, their initial thoughts on seeing the creature, and how they hope to get home.

The Millwood wife should, of course, greet her child and husband.

piosenniel

06-28-2004, 12:13 AM

The Discussion Thread is now open to take on players

Please remember to submit a First Post WITH you character description.

~*~ Pio, Shire Moderator :D

Child of the 7th Age

06-30-2004, 09:30 AM

Arwen –

I enjoyed your proposal so much that I am applying to play the fourteen-year old Millwind daughter. Please let me know if this will work.

I found it hard to write the first post without knowing what the other family members were doing. I will change the details as needed to respond to their posts.

~Child

****************

FOR: Elanor Millwind

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Various including the Star RPGs, The Long Winter, The Hobbit's Gift, etc.

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? One

List them, please: Here There Be Dragons

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES

PROFILE

NAME: Elanor Millwind

AGE: 14 years old

RACE: Human

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: Her young cousin who lives next door secretly taught Elanor how to shoot a bow without her parents knowing about it. Later on, after much begging and pleading, she persuaded her parents to allow her to secure her own bow and a quiver of arrows so that she can help protect the chicken coop, especially in winter when hungry predators sneak into the barnyard searching for a tasty snack.

Aside from this, the only other weapon Elanor has brandished is a large frying pan. Last summer, when her father was off in a neighboring village to sell some produce, a thief slipped inside the Millwood barn intent on stealing their only milk cow. Grunge, Elanor’s best friend who happens to be a guard dog, succeeded in bringing the culprit down with his sharp teeth and claws. Elanor was then able to knock the intruder out with a few strategic whacks to the head.

APPEARANCE: Elanor has bright blue eyes and a head of untidy auburn curls that she ties back with a ribbon. She generally wears long skirts and blouses like most of the other girls in Dale. Occasionally, however, when off on her own in the woods, she will slip on an old pair of Elian’s pants so that it is easier to run and ride. While Elanor can’t claim to be the most gorgeous girl in Dale, she is tall and slender and has a pleasant, cheerful face. Her attractive smile has not been lost on several of Elian’s friends who vie for her attention and favors.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: To the outward eye, Elanor is a dutiful daughter who has mastered most of the household chores that girls in Dale are expected to learn. Although only fourteen, she already knows how to cook, sew, and keep house and can tend the garden and care for the various animals on the farm. Her parents are proud of her.

Elanor is deeply attached to all her family, and especially to her mother. Her parents rely heavily on her common sense and maturity and, for this reason, have her help take care of the younger siblings. Yet, despite her generally cheerful nature, she sometimes tires of the responsibility that comes with being the eldest child and longs for a break. On these occasions, she runs off on her own to get away from her brothers’ bickering and may ramble deep into the woods or over the fields. Sometimes she is accompanied by her two closest friends. One is Elian Whitfield, her next door neighbor and cousin; the other is the brown guard dog Grunge whom she’s raised from a puppy.

Despite her outward conformity to the norms and standards of the community, Elanor has ideas in her head for the future that might surprise her mother and father. She dreams of someday being a healer. Already, she has gathered together a small kit of herbs and has tried out some remedies on the small animals that live in the countryside surrounding their family farm.

HISTORY: She is the eldest daughter in the Millwood family. Her parents are Arinn and ________Millwood. Her younger siblings are the six year-old twins, Eli and _______.

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Child of the 7th Age’s post

Elanor got up from the lunch table and began to clear off the dishes, waving goodbye to her father and Eli as they trudged back towards the fields. Her mother was so busy with the farm and household chores that she had asked her to keep an eye on _______. Elanor had gone out to the garden to pick a bucket of beans for dinner. By the time she returned to the house, her brother _______was nowhere to be seen. She was only mildly concerned that he was missing from the house. He was probably off with mother in the garden or out in the barn playing with the cat who’d just had a litter of kittens.

Elanor sat down to finish hemming the dress, a task that her mother had asked her to start the evening before. She held up the skirt against the sunlight which was streaming in through the window and took a close look at her line of stitches. She still could not match her mother’s skill with the needle. Some of her own stitches were long, others quite short and a little wiggly. She’d need to work on that some other time. For right now, this would have to do.

Elanor was determined to finish her chores so she could meet her cousin Elian Whitfield and perhaps one of his friends as they had agreed the day before. They planned to hike north about a mile or two to see if there was anything new or different to report now that the Dwarves had carts of ore heading to the west. Rumor had it that the Dwarves had again started doing business with the Elves who dwelled deep within Mirkwood. Elanor had no idea if this was true but she wanted to get a good look at those carts and the Dwarves who were driving them. Someday, she promised, she’d take a great trip all the way to the Lonely Mountain where the Dwarf folk were said to live, with all their grand halls and piles of gold and other rare ores. But, for now, a little hike a mile or so north was all that she could manage. Elanor threw the dress down in a crumpled pile on the table and slipped out the front door, running down the pathway in the direction of their agreed upon meeting point.

*******************

The two teen-agers had trudged along for a half hour or so heading steadily north. Elian told Elanor stories he had heard from his grandfather: how the Dwarves had returned to the mountain some two hundred years before and had dug deep into the tunnels and come up with amazing treasure. Elanor wondered what the treasure would look like. She imagined heaps of gold and mithril sitting in three of four large piles in the middle of the Dwarves’ Great Hall. It might be nice, she reflected, to have a pin or necklace to wear. The two stopped and sat under an overhanging beech tree, drinking from the water bottles they had brought with them. Despite all their hiking, they had not seen a single Dwarf or any carts laden with treasure.

“We’d best get back,” Elanor pressed. “Mother expects me to help with dinner.”

“But we didn’t see any Dwarves!” her cousin objected. “And that’s why we came.”

”Maybe so. But we can always come again any time we want.”

Just as they were about to head south, Elian got up and excitedly pointed towards the hills in front of them. Some distance away and barely visible, there seemed to be a whole herd of Dwarves running to the west as fast as their short legs could take them. Some of them were waving swords, staves, and axes in the air.

“By all Beruthiel’s cats, what’s happening over there?”

Before Elanor could open her mouth to venture an opinion, there was a terrible hissing and whirling noise that came from the air. Instinctively, Elian grabbed for his cousin’s hand and yanked her down into the tall grass and ferns so that they were totally hidden. Coming straight at them, a sinister, twisting figure made its way southward, flying through the air. The creature was gigantic, its color just as golden as all the piles of treasure that Elanor had envisioned in the tales that she'd heard. Elian could glimpse two long fingers of flame that seemed to shoot out from the wyrm’s gaping mouth, leaving trails of ashes and smoke behind. The two children huddled together under the bracken afraid to look up or show their heads above the foliage. When the terrible shadow had finally swept over them, they staggered abruptly to their feet. Elian was shaking and Elanor barely holding back tears. “Our families!” they both cried at once. With that the two friends took off running towards the south.

Regin Hardhammer

06-30-2004, 09:31 AM

Arwen,

This looks like fun. I am applying to play the “younger” twin. I sent you a pm regarding my proposed character and his first post. Please let me know whether this will work or if I should change something.

Hi, Kransha. Good to see you.

~Regin

**************************

FOR: the younger twin

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Land to Call their Own

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? None, but I have had a proposal approved for a game, Hunt for the Palantiri, which is supposed to start in August.

List them, please: n/a

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME: Eric Roland Millwood

AGE: 6 years- born just 2 hours after Eli

RACE: Man- Twin

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Home made slingshot that he uses to chase off birds that are bothering the crops. A stick used mainly for walking and occasionally for poking his brother in the ribs

APPEARANCE: A sturdy, tan-skinned boy whose clothes are often dirty and torn from roughhousing and frequent expeditions into the forest. He has an unkempt mop of chestnut curls that are always getting in his face. His eyes are brown and his face is dotted with freckles. He is of average height for his age. Overall, he looks like a young ragamuffin who gets into trouble. His mother and father are always after him to comb his hair, wash his face, and mind his manners.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Eric is a rambunctious boy who is naturally outgoing and likes to be the center of attention. This sometimes causes commotion in the family. Because Eli is sickly, he needs special care from his parents. Eric resents this at times. He also senses that Eli sometimes gets away with things because his parents regard the quieter boy as the “good” child, while his own pranks and teasing are looked on less favorably.

Although Eric deeply loves his entire family, he sometimes feels that he’s overshadowed by his siblings. He especially resents how his parents refer to him as the ‘youngest child’, even though he was born just two hours after his ‘bigger’ brother. These feelings lead to fights between the twins as well as bad behavior on his part. Eric needs to gain confidence so that he can let his good nature and affection for his family shine through. He needs to think more about them and less about himself. In trying to escape from the dragon with his family, he will need to use common sense, follow his parents’ orders, and not let his jealousy get in the way. That will not be easy.

HISTORY: Eric is the third child of Arinn and (name not known) Millwind, the younger of a set of twins. He also has an older sister. He and his family are close, and family values are important.

----------------------------------

Regin Hardhammer’s post

Eric watched sadly as Eli and his dad walked out into the fields after lunch, leaving him all alone to reflect on the horrible time he’d just had. Eli had kicked him in the shins under the table and left a blue bruise. His parents hadn’t even seen what happened and made him return the shiny rock that he had borrowed from his brother the day before. “It’s not fair,” Eric muttered. “My crybaby brother always gets what he wants.”

Eli was a sickly and frail boy, so his parents naturally felt the need to pay more attention to him. It seemed to Eric that whenever he did anything to his brother, the older boy immediately whined about it to his parents, who always sided with Eli. Nor did he like being called a “younger brother” when he was born only two hours later than his twin. “Life can be so unfair!” he noted with a grimace.

His father always took Eli to help him with the work in the field, but never Eric, even though he was probably tougher and could work harder. A couple of times he had thought about asking his father if he could come too, but stopped himself because he was afraid that his father would say no. Anyways, Eric reflected, he probably wouldn’t want me to come, since he likes to be with Eli.

Determined not to sulk in the house all day, Eric decided to go for a walk in the meadow near the lake. Maybe he could gather frogs there that he would later put in his sister’s bed. She always loved his little surprises, he thought with a grin. Walking through the tall grass, he noticed that a grey shadow had suddenly appeared on the ground and swiftly crept closer until it finally enveloped him. Eric looked up curiously and saw a very strange looking, monstrous bird. I didn’t know birds had scales and I’ve certainly never seen one that large before. Enchanted with this new creature, Eric sprinted gleefully after it, giving no thought to how he would get home. He whispered proudly to himself, “I bet Eli has never seen anything like this!”

Regin Hardhammer

06-30-2004, 12:20 PM

Nuru,

That's alright. Neither of us knew what the other was planning. I'd still like to have my character Eric considered.

Arwen - In case my current profile is not accepted, I'd be glad to play another part. However, I was wondering if the kid who gets lost is a separate character from the three children who are listed. I really would prefer to play a kid, since I've never done one before. If you supply basic info on this character, I could modify my existing profile to play the character who gets lost.

If that wouldn't work, I'll try and submit something for one of the adults.

Many thanks,

- Regin

Child of the 7th Age

06-30-2004, 01:10 PM

Arwen,

Please check your pms.

~Child

ArwenBaggins

06-30-2004, 02:36 PM

Regin, Nuru, Child:

Welcome, first of all. I'm very glad you've taken an interest in my little game.

Child:
You're in. Great profile; Elanor is a wonderful, "normal" character.

Regin, Nuru:
I think I am going to accept Regin for this part. He has a great display of sibling rivalry that I like, and he's kind of an outcasted kid. Nuru, would you mind playing one of the Whitfield children or an adult?

Thanks again everyone, and we're going to have lots of fun.
~Fëa

EDIT:

So, here are the characters needed:

CHARACTERS NEEDED LIST

Millwind Family

Parents

1. Father - Arinn Elden Millwind - ArwenBaggins
2. Mother – PLAYER NEEDED

Children

1. Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind- Child
2. Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins
3. Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind- Regin
~*~

Whitfield Family

Parent

1. Father (Arinn's brother-in-law) - PLAYER NEEDED
2. Mother -PLAYER NEEDED

NOTE: The Whitfield children will be Carry-along characters. No one will play them in particular; they can be used by anyone who needs them.

They are two children: Daisy and Elian, ages 8 and 14.

Nuru comes in here somewhere. ;)
~*~

Additional Child

There is another child who has some 'difficulty' reaching home. If you want to play this part, send a pm to the founders for further detail - Regin

~*~

Dragon

Smaug – Kransha

Nurumaiel

06-30-2004, 03:01 PM

Arwen, Thank you for letting me know, and I also thank you for your offer to play a Whitfield child or an adult. I think I will take you up on that offer. I would prefer to play a child. It's been awhile since I have and I've missed doing it. I've also been told I'm particularly good at it, so I would hope to give more to the game by playing one. ;) So you offer the part of either Daisy or Elian, then? If so I hope I have not caused you too much trouble in making you change one of the Carry-along characters to a regular character. If you are in fact not offering the part of one of those two children, I believe I'll work up a bio and post for the Millwind mother.

Please let me know at your convenience so I can get to work. :)

Regin, I would briefly let you know I do not grudge you the part. :) Arwen's choice of you over me shows that I am not the only one who has been impressed by your obvious talents as a writer, and so I look forward to writing with you. *little bow*

ArwenBaggins

06-30-2004, 03:53 PM

Nuru-

Whichever you prefer ma'am! :D We can make one of the Whitfield children a non-carry along, and keep the other one the way it is, or have you play the Millwind mother. It really doesn't matter to me. If you feel like you play a better child, go right ahead. ;)

~Fëa

Regin Hardhammer

06-30-2004, 05:14 PM

Thanks Nuru for your kind words. I'm sure this game will be fun. Thanks also to ArwenB for giving Eric a shot. He won't let you down.

Can't wait till it opens.

- Regin

Nurumaiel

06-30-2004, 08:09 PM

Here's a little Daisy-lass for you to consider, Arwen! Or would you prefer Fëa?

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? - Yes: The Long Winter, The Hobbit's Gift (owned), Holiday in the Sun (cameo), In the Shadow of the Star, Corsairs and Corsets (co-owned), Breelanders All! (cameo), Hills of Evendim

2.) How many RPG?s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? -- 1

List them, please:

-Friends of Nimrodel

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? ? Yes

-----

NAME : Daisy Whitfield

AGE : 8 years

RACE : Man

GENDER : Female

WEAPONS : Daisy carries no weapons, though some people say her eyes might prove dangerous to the hearts of boys someday.

APPEARANCE : Daisy is a graceful little child who tries to behave as she believes her mother would wish; that is as a lady. She is beginning to grow taller already, though some think it strange she should have her growing spurt so early in her years. She is not a particularly beautiful child, though most think that will change in years. She has never especially regretted being one of those girls that will not turn into beauties until they are older. She is not ugly, either, but she is merely not pretty. Her beauty lies mainly in her sweet, sparkling brown eyes. Unconsciously she will charm others with these eyes by looking at one, dropping her eyes in shyness, and then raising them again with a sweet little smile. Like her eyes, her hair is brown and while it is naturally straight it is only ever seen in slight waves for she braids her hair every night.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES : Daisy, as has been mentioned before, tries with all her heart to behave as a lady should, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy unladylike activities. At such a young age she still finds more pleasure in romping about with the boys than sitting at her needlework. She is not a 'tomboy,' however, and would detest to be described as such. She merely enjoys the games that she plays with the boys, though she she also finds pleasure in cooking.

Ah yes, cooking. Daisy may not care much for needlework (though it can be enjoyable at times), but she loves cooking dearly. Perhaps it was because she was encouraged in a charming way at a young age. When she was five she, with the help of her mother, made little cakes for her elder brother and some of his friends, and they showered her with compliments, blissfully eating the cakes and saying every now and then she was the best cook in the world. Fond memories of this inspire her to please more through her cooking talents.

For Daisy loves most to please people. Her little heart is only happy when she sees others happy, and she weeps when others weep. She has also been described as 'very motherly.' She enjoys caring for others and watching out for them, and feels an urge to protect them from danger if they cannot protect themselves.

Daisy is a very imaginitive little thing, which often causes her to fall into trouble with her parents. At times she will not hear her mother calling for she is out somewhere gazing at the sky and imagining she lives in the clouds, or perhaps she will forget an errand in her bliss over a glorious sunrise. She talks entirely too much, some people say, but others enjoy her prattling way. When she does talk she says interesting, imaginitive things and so most don't mind. Another thing that must be confessed is that she will cry very easily. Disappointments, injuries, scoldings, fear -especially if any of these things happen to someone else- and many other things reduce her to tears in a moment. She battles bravely against her tears, but at times cannot surpress them. Beauty, too, will make her eyes fill.

HISTORY : Daisy Whitfield was born to _______ and _______ Whitfield, the second in a family of two. Her little life has in fact been occupied with nothing exciting, but if she were tell someone what she imagined about her life there would be no end to the grand and glorious adventures she has had. However as she is convinced to stick to bare facts, she was born in Dale and has spent her eight years there, helping her mother about the house, and playing and dreaming (and cooking!) in her spare time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++

Nurumaiel's post

The little brown-haired girl sat under the shade of a tree, finding comfort in the fact that there was at last a shady spot to keep her protected from the sun. After a glance to make sure no one was about, she turned her eyes to the tree and placed a tender kiss on its rough bark, murmuring her thanks to it for its gallantry in defending her from the sun. She smiled regretfully up at the sun, spreading her arms as if she were questioning what else she could do, and then fixed her eyes on some little clouds flitting across the sky and dancing together. A rapturous little sigh burst from her and she clasped her two small hands together, her brown eyes shining. If a passerby had looked into those eyes, he would have seen at once that her heart was not in Dale any longer but flying about to dance with those clouds.

Daisy Whitfield had always been a dreamer, and folk had resigned themselves to the fact that she always would be. They had nothing against dreamers, or so they said, but there was something queer about the way her being fled her body to travel in some other realm, and only a sharp word spoken would bring her back to the solid ground again. She was a sensible child and a great help to her mother about the house, but folk felt that the term 'down-to-earth' would not be appropriate for her.

Daisy Whitfield danced with the clouds before pulling herself away to rise to her feet and climb the tree and perch in reality amid its green branches. There, now she felt closer to the sky and more akin to it. She let her brown head rest against the trunk of the tree and once again set about to dancing with the clouds. A soft wind rustled the leaves of the tree and made her long skirt billow out; so absorbed was she in her dreamings that she did not notice her skirt and been blown above her knees and could not pull it down again with maidenly blushes.

Caught up still in her dreamings, she wondered what it would be like to really dance with the clouds, like that large bird with scales was doing now. It had seemed to come from nowhere, but it made the dancing clouds seem more alluring. It was a beautiful thing, she reflected, and it would be interesting to ride on its back. Perhaps she would imagine she was riding on its back. She had never seen a bird so big... nor had she ever seen a bird with scales.

Her face paled, her lips opened in a soundless scream, and her little heart seemed to stop a moment before it resumed to beat: a loud, pounding beat that made her short of breath. She stared in wordless terror at the scaled bird and then a little scream did burst from her. Closing her eyes tightly, she buried her face against the trunk and tried to imagine the creature away. Opening her eyes again, she saw it was still there, and terror possessed her. But her limbs did not go numb, as they did so often in her nightmares. Instead speed was lent to her, and she slid from the tree with remarkable agility. Her eyes widened as she stared at the creature, and she realized again what it was.

The creature was a distance away, but it was growing steadily closer and Daisy could see the gleam of gold that dazzled from its scales when the sun fell upon it. Yet she was not enraptured by this sight. Beautiful, yes, but its beauty was lost to her and she saw it as only terrible. She pulled her skirts up to give her legs more freedom and ran, the tears of terror beginning to flow from her eyes. She had wandered far from home and she was frightened she would not reach the safety of her mother in time. She ran with all her strength, trying to imagine that the creature wasn't winging behind her.

But it was.

Her feet began to drag and her side burned like fire. But she ran still, until she saw her own house up ahead. A painful, breathless sob of relief burst from her and she began to slow a little. And then her feet stopped. She had run nearly a mile without a pause and her trembling little legs collapsed underneath her. Pitifully she crawled to the side of the road and buried herself against the side of the house in the shade of the tree. But it brought her no comfort. A tree could protect her from the sun; it could not protect her against the monster. She buried her face in her little hands and wept in despair.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++

ArwenBaggins

07-01-2004, 09:52 AM

Thanks for your continued interest Nuru! You're most definitely in. And you all can call me Fëa, by the way. ;)

Players wishing to play the Whitfield adults:

You may have to craft your character's description slightly around Nuru's Daisy. It might be just odd if we have two parents with bright red hair and blue eyes and their children complete opposites. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Thanks everyone!

~Fëa

Kransha

07-01-2004, 12:48 PM

Greetings, all! Just your friendly dragon checking in on current progress. Looking over the first accepted characters, this is most certainly going well. I, playing Smaug (the Magnificent), will be assisting with the story arc by basically destroying things everywhere and making it very hard to do anything. I look forward to reading your posts in this particular game and hope the outcome will be one of enjoyment...

Araréiel

07-02-2004, 03:03 AM

Here's my post for consideration. I'm new at this type of RPG. I'm used to one in which we have points and stuff. But you can take my character or leave her.

This is my first attempt at a character other than an Elf. This post was a bit difficult to write as I kept having to cross-reference what four other characters (the husband and children) were doing at the same time to tie them all together.

If I didn't do this right, or you don't want this character for whatever reason, just let me know.

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? Does the Green Dragon Inn count? EDIT by Pio - the Green Dragon does not count as an actual RPG

2.) How many RPGs on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? -- EDIT by Pio - "none"

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? ? Yes

NAME: Willow Millwind

AGE: 34

RACE: Man

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: She is rather adept with a bow and sword. Her father insisted she learn the ways of weaponry with her brother.

APPEARANCE: Willow is tall and graceful. Fair of complexion, her deep chestnut eyes have just a tint of gold. Her mahogany hair tumbles in curls down her back. While growing up on a farm, she was raised primarily indoors to be a housewife, and it shows. She has none of the rough look as one might expect.

PERSONALITY: Always treat others kindly. Her father expected no less. Just be happy and do your best. Her mother expected no more. Willow grew up well-educated, and part of this comes great empathy for others. She is kind, gentle, and considerate, and considers her place to be in the home, caring for her family. She considers her brother to be one of her best friends.

HISTORY: Willow was born in the Dale itself a few years after her brother. She was one of two girls born that day to her mother, the younger, and the only one to survive. This may explain why she herself had twins. Her mother had a son and younger twin daughters, she had a daughter and younger twin sons. Her father insisted that she be educated, her mother insisted that she be reared as a proper young lady. Married at 18, she birthed a daughter two years later, and named the child after her own middle name. Years later she bore twin sons, a delight. She takes great pride in raising her family to be strong and well bonded, close to her brother's family.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Araréiel's post

Sunlight streamed through the freshly cleaned windows of the tidy kitchen. Heat emanated from the oven, lunch nearly prepared. Willow Millwind glanced out the window, wondering where her husband and children were. It was uncommon of them to be late. She pulled the buns from the oven and placed them on a plate. Grabbing a bowl of fresh-churned butter, she headed to the table. A noise outside distracted her and she headed instead to the door, setting the butter on a near-by chair. Pushing the door open with her foot, she stepped outside.

"Lunch is ready, my big men!" Willow looked with pride on her handsome husband, still as much in love with him today as they day they married. She gave him a kiss, and laughed as Eli cried out how gross kissing it. She ruffled the already-messy hair of her son, marveling in how much he looked like his father. Eli ran in through the door, and Willow caught a glimpse of her other children settling into their places for lunch, the twins fighting over who sat where, her daughter settling the fight. Hoping to not be heard, Willow leaned close to her husband and whispered, "How was he today? You did not have him sit in the sun too long, did you?"

"No dear. He sat under the dogwood tree most of the time- he came out for naught of five minutes to hand me a stake and hurry home. Do not worry," He kissed her and chuckled as he entered the doorway. His wife always worried about the children in the sun, worried they would burn. For this reason, none of them ever had.

*******************************

Lunch was long-finished. Soon it would be time to start preparing supper. Eli had picked on his brother horribly, this time for being a tad bit shorter. Eric had tried to defend himself, saying he looked more like Papa, that Mama always said so. Eli had thrown his bun at Eric, causing a fight as Willow hadn't seen in her table in years. She had forced her sons to clean up the mess, not caring who started what, only angry that they had participated in such a display of tempers.

She glanced down at the sewing she was doing. Those boys sure were tough on their clothing, and needed lots of repairs. But this was special. She was sewing a delicate white gown. It would have a white sash and lots of embroidery in shades of blue, pink, and the palest of green. Elanor worked so hard to help out, and Willow wasn't sure Elanor fully knew how much she was appreciated. This gown was beautiful, the gown she described for her daughter in stories of princesses as a child, but impractical, and she was glad to be finishing the last of the embroidery. The gown was complete, and she would give it to her daughter as supper that night. She carefully folded the garment and put it in a box, ready to surprise her eldest child, for Elanor knew nothing of the dress. The child sewed so much for others. She deserved a treat, and didn't understand why her mother had asked her to do mending in the afternoon instead of after supper, but she complied anyway. Willow just needed her out of the kitchen.

Elanor's favorite meal was turkey. Not chicken, but turkey. So Willow cut up the bird to cook it faster. Time had flown and she was running low on time. If she quartered the bird it would be done in time. She seasoned the bird with some pepper, dried garlic, salt, and some parley, and placed it in the oven, dousing it with a bit of lemon juice before closing the heavy iron door. Humming to herself, she peel the potatoes, toss them into a cast iron pot, fill with water, place on stove. Oh, how she hated peeling potatoes! But it must be done. The cream on the counter, she chopped up more garlic. When the potatoes were done boiling, she'd mash them with the garlic and cream. Elanor's favorite. Thankfully, Elanor's favorite dessert was strawberry shortcake. Shortcake is simple to make, and Willow sliced the strawberries and tossed them with a bit of sugar, singing now as she started whipping a bit of cream with sugar to make it fluffy. Satisfied with the texture, she sat back down to wait for the food to cook.

Smells of seasoning began to fill the room, and the sunlight combined with the smells and heat soon lulled Willow to sleep. A couple horsed reared outside causing quit a commotion, startling her from her sleep. She jumped up and headed to the window, and only saw the horses. What had frightened them? The house was momentarily covered in darkness, as if clouds covered the sun. She glanced up, but saw nothing. The potatoes began to boil over, so she pulled the pot off the stove, cursing as she accidentally burned her finger.

As she sucked on her finger, willing the burning feeling to subside, Willow stepped out the door. "If those boys are scaring the horses again...," she muttered under her breath.

Slight dust kicked up as her skirt swept across the ground to the corral. Nothing. Maybe he hadn't been at the corral after all. The horses reared again as a shadow came over them. Looking up she saw....

Eyes widening, terror overcame Willow and she screamed. The dragon overhead turned back around and looked down at her as she ran back to the house. The winged creature continued to fly, not stopping, until he was far from the house. Willow tore through the door, running to a corner of the room. Where was her family? How could she find them? If she went outside and they came home, how would they find her? Willow cried with fright and confusion, praying in her heart that her family would return home soon, safe and sound.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ArwenBaggins

07-02-2004, 06:57 AM

Araréiel:

A very good post for your first Mortal!

There are a few things though:

1. PLEASE try to improve spelling & grammar; type our post in Microsoft Word first, and use spellcheck.

2. In your post, you constantly refered to Eli's twin as Cynan; it's Eric.

Fix number two and some of number one in your post, and you'll be in! ;)

People applying for the remaining characters:
Go ahead and post the profiles up, but I will not be able to accept them until Sunday evening. If you get it up today, I MAY be able to check in. I'm going camping, so... no computer or anything.

Thanks,
Fëa

Araréiel

07-02-2004, 09:01 AM

lol! I was dead tired last night when I posted that. My boyfriend's car broke down south of San Francisco, so I had to go drive out there really late. Didn't get home until way past midnight. What makes this really embarassing is that I used to do journalism and editting, and won a state spelling bee way back when, anout 10 years ago! Oh well, exhaustion happend to the best of us.

Nurumaiel

07-02-2004, 11:30 AM

Araréiel, good to see you in the game!

I am not in any way the owner of this game, merely a fellow player, but I do have a little suggestion for your first post for the sake of clearing any confusion. Your post where Eric interacts with his mother seemed to be mostly framed around my first post for Cynan. It's actually Regin's first post you should be referring to, and actually Eric was not in the least frightened of the dragon but thought quite a lot of himself for having seen something he didn't think Eli had. It was in my post that Cynan ran terrified to his mother and fainted in her arms, but Cynan will not be part of the game.

So perhaps you would edit your post to reflect off Regin's in oppose to mine?

I apologize to you if I sound like I'm assuming authority here, and I assure you I am not but merely make this as a friendly suggestion.

I really enjoyed your character and she seems a lovely mother, and again I look forward to playing with you!

By the way, hello, 'friendly dragon,' though I can't help but doubt the adjective. :D Hallo, Kransha. 'Twill be nice to be in a real RPG with you.

In all sincerity,
-Nuru

Araréiel

07-02-2004, 12:22 PM

No, you're right. Last night when I wrote the post I read the wrong one since I was so tired and barely seeing straight. This morning I just did the Ctrl+F thing to replace the name without checking the facts. I'll change that here in jus a few minutes. Thanks for pointing that out!

Araréiel

07-02-2004, 12:31 PM

Nurumaiel, if you see anything else I overlooked, please let me know. I just did a rush job changing the end since my mom needs the phone (cursed dial-up--when I move next week into my new house I'll have cable-yay! No more phone lines tied up!!).

I'm going to print off each characters rap sheet as well today so I can refer to paper instead of scrolling up and down. I think that's what confused me last night. I started reading the wrong one and was too tired to notice.

You made Cynan into a sweet-sounding child! And he gets to be my nephew! Cool!

ArwenBaggins

07-02-2004, 04:08 PM

Ara:

Mind if I call you that, first of all?

Also: Thank you for changing the post. You're in.

Nuru:

I didn't even think of that. THANK YOU!!!!! ;)

~Fëa

Nurumaiel

07-04-2004, 05:39 PM

Good day to you all, and I hope you are doing well.

I just stopped by to let you know that I shall be gone from early tomorrow morning to perhaps late Tuesday (probably 'till Wednesday as far as getting on the Downs goes; it depends how long it takes to unpack). I don't believe the game will have started by this time, but I felt I should notify you.

ArwenBaggins

07-04-2004, 05:47 PM

Everyone:

I have returned! I hope everyone is anxious for this game to open! :)

Nuru:

Have... er... fun? wherever you're going! :) I'm almost positive we won't be started by then, but things change. We'll just go with the flow and see ya when you get back!

~Fëa

Araréiel

07-05-2004, 05:19 PM

Ara is fine. It means Noble in Quenya.

FYI, I'm going to be here on and off the next week, hopefully not gone more than 24 hours at a time. We're getting ready to move right now. To make it worse, our car blew a piston a couple days ago, so we are also having to find time to look for a new car. If I am not seen for a day, here's your heads-up.

When do you anticipate the game starting?

ArwenBaggins

07-05-2004, 06:12 PM

Ara:

I can't really guess at all when this game will open. If I get both characters we need tomorrow, we can start by late Wednesday or Thursday. It just depends on when we get our players!

~Fëa

Araréiel

07-05-2004, 09:51 PM

Okay. I'm guessing I'm going to be really busy on and and off through Sunday. Classes tomorrow night, packing up Wednesday to move, moving Thursday and Friday, down to LA Saturday to get our new car (having to take the stupid bus), unpacking Sunday. IF everything goes as planned. However, this is becoming my escape, so I'll be here as often as possible.

Wherever the title came from it's very clever, a great play on the title of the children's song.

Nurumaiel

07-06-2004, 07:45 PM

Good day to you all! I'm back, and had a lovely time. I'm sorry to see the two positions haven't been filled in yet, but summer is, I do suppose, a slow time. I do not doubt that sooner or later those positions will be filled.

Now I will be gone again, but not until late July and only for about a week. As the absence will be a little longer, I thought I should perhaps let you know some time ahead.

Fallinel

07-08-2004, 03:23 PM

1. I have not yet participated in any RPGs at the Barrow-Downs.
2. See above.
3. Yes, as a Haradrim character, Njeri.

Profile for Fallinel's character:

NAME: Rhysdan Whitfield

AGE: 37 y/o

RACE: Mortal Man

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Small home-made bow and arrows; shepherd's staff (or crook)

APPEARANCE: Rhysdan is tall and slender; he is built for endurance rather than great physical strength. His hair is straight, shoulder-length, and dark brown, streaked with blond highlights from time spent in the sun. Rhysdan has a short beard and moustache, and his eyes are light brown.

PERSONALITY: Rhysdan is a gentle man, with an introspective nature and a wry sense of humor. He adores his wife and children, but feels particularly close to his dreamy daughter Daisy. His son, Elian, is more adventurous and outgoing, and resents the chores and responsibility associated with keeping livestock. Although the Whitfield family maintains a small kitchen garden and fields for grain and hay, Rhysdan's talents and interests lie with raising and tending sheep and dairy cattle. As a natural herdsman, Rhysdan appreciates the opportunity to reflect on matters, and the freedom to wander throughout the countryside. He is accompanied by his loyal sheepdog, Hawkweed.

HISTORY: The Whitfields had once been herdsmen, and in past times endured much more itinerant and difficult circumstances. Only in the last generation or two has any Whitfield man been able to own land and lead a more settled and civilized existence. Rhysdan's younger sister, Willow, is a genteel woman with great domestic skills and interests, whereas Rhys has reverted to a lifestyle that more closely resembles that of his restless ancestors. He is proud of his carefully- tended flock of sheep, prized for their thick, soft wool and for the cheeses that can be made from their milk. Rhysdan's small herd of sleek cattle produce rich milk that can be churned into butter, and sold for a good price in the markets of Dale.

Fallinel's post:

The sun was warm on Rhysdan's shoulders as he clambered among the large rocks, in search of the lost black-and-white ewe and her lamb. He used his staff expertly for balance and leverage, as he leapt from one boulder to the next; he knew from experience that the heavy, clumsy sheep could easily become wedged between rocks, and lacked the sense required to extricate themselves. Rhysdan scanned all the narrow, grassy spaces between the tumbled boulders, yet there was no sign of the ewe and her lamb. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. He had wanted to bring his son Elian along to help him search for the sheep, but the adventurous boy was off wandering the hills with his cousin. "Probably looking for Dwarves, or treasure, or some such imaginative nonsense, " thought Rhysdan, and smiled.

The ewe and lamb were not the first of Rhysdan's livestock to disappear; no-the old brown ram, and a young cream-colored heifer had also gone missing, without a trace left behind. No tell-tale sightings of circling carrion-birds for a sick or injured animal, either. The last time he had traveled into the Dale market, to sell cream, butter, and sheep's milk cheeses, he had heard disturbing tales of losses on other farms and homesteads, livestock spirited away mysteriously.

Rhysdan had hiked close to one of the towering southern arms of the Lonely Mountain in his search for the lost ewe and her lamb, enjoying the exertion as he moved steadily uphill, in spite of the nagging worries over his livestock. His red-speckled, blue-eyed sheepdog, Hawkweed, accompanied him, trotting to and fro amongst the boulders and patches of high grass, sniffing incessantly for the elusive sheep-scent. Something passed between the sun and the stone-littered field where Rhysdan stood, casting a long dark shadow on the grass, and Hawkweed immediately began barking frantically. That was so unlike the dog, who was usually devoted to his tasks; Rhysdan looked up, and in the bright sky saw something that left him feeling un-nerved, yet fascinated.

No, it can't be-those are only wild tales, meant to frighten children, thought Rhysdan. But there it was, golden-red scales glistening in the sun, long tail lashing from side to side as a rudder, immense leathery wings beating the air powerfully. Rhysdan could see fibers, or perhaps fur and skin trailing from one of the dragon's huge front claws. Hawkweed continued to bark madly, racing around the stones, and jumping on and off the tops of the smaller ones nervously. Rhysdan thought to silence the dog with a command, but then realized that the dragon was paying them little or no heed. Its attention appeared to be focused on the mountain itself, particularly on the southern side. It is looking for a den, just like a fox or wolf , thought the shepherd, who had little knowledge of dragons, but knew much about the wild animals of the area.

Then Rhysdan remembered that Elian and Elanor had decided to go adventuring near the mountain, and surely that golden monster had the vision of a hawk or eagle. Rhysdan called Hawkweed to his side, and began to run back towards his homestead...

ArwenBaggins

07-09-2004, 07:47 AM

Fallinel:

Welcome! A very good profile for a new roleplayer! I like Rhys. :) Only one or two things to fix, and you're in.

1. Could you make the post a little longer with a little bit more of a dragon encounter?

2. I'm not much of a Dale expert, but it really as rocky as you let on to be in your post?

Thanks!
~Fëa

Araréiel

07-09-2004, 09:48 AM

Nice writing! I agree about a it more of the dragon character, but Dale could have had some big rocks here and there. I've been in wooded areas with small boulders I couldn't explain, a few littering the ground.

One thing I'm confused on. He resents the responsibility of livestock, yet his interests lie i raising sheep and cattle. :)

Nurumaiel

07-09-2004, 10:39 AM

Araréiel, I believe the reference to the resentment concerned his son Elian. :)

Fallinel, it will be an honor to play with you. I am very glad to have you as my 'father.' :D

Fallinel

07-09-2004, 03:48 PM

Thank you, Nurumaiel- and yes, it was indeed Elian to whom I was referring regarding the resentment about chores. There is one sentence dedicated to a description of Elian in my initial post, based on the previously stated interactions between the boy and his cousin. ;)

ArwenBaggins- I will lengthen my post to include more interaction with Smaug, and speculation about his intentions.

Regarding the terrain outside of Dale: I'm visualizing the farms of the Millwinds and Whitfields to lie outside of the town, perhaps just to the west or northwest. I imagine the area between the two southern arms of the Lonely Mountain (from Thror's map) to have included fertile farmlands, but also rock-strewn meadows and pastures closer to the mountain itself. As an isolated mountain, Erebor seems to me to resemble one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascades, in which case boulders and large rocks would have rolled off the mountain slopes at repeated intervals in the past. I imagine Rhysdan to have hiked closer to the mountain in search of his sheep, which would put him in the rock-strewn meadows. There is this passage from The Hobbit :

There the river, after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale, turned from the Mountain on its road to the Lake, flowing swiftly and noisily. Its bank was bare and rocky, tall and steep above the stream; and gazing out from it over the narrow water, foaming and splashing among many boulders, they could see in the wide valley shadowed by the Mountain's arms the grey ruins of ancient houses, towers, and walls.

This is after Smaug has ruined much of the area, I know, but I still think that some of the terrain close to the mountain was quite rugged.

Just a general pondering about RPGs at this forum-I'm not really seeing the distinctions between the three different levels at this point. Admittedly, I've only poked my nose into a few of the games. Perhaps the differences will become clear with time and experience. :)

piosenniel

07-09-2004, 05:01 PM

Fallinel

Please check your PM's for a response to your observations on gaming in the Shire, Rohan, and Gondor.

And welcome to the game!

Looking forward to following the storyline as it evolves from all you writers! :)

~*~ Pio

Araréiel

07-09-2004, 06:04 PM

Ah, misread. Was in a rush. Sorry!

Child of the 7th Age

07-09-2004, 06:16 PM

Araréiel, Fallinel,

I have been out of town for a few days, and it is good to see that you have joined our ranks.

Fallinel - Many thanks for refreshing my memory regarding that passage in The Hobbit. I think it may be a good idea for me to dredge out my copy and reread some of the material on Dale and Long Lake to refresh my memory overall!

~Child of the 7th Age

ArwenBaggins

07-10-2004, 08:09 AM

I may have to dig out my version of the Hobbit as well! I remembered vaguely that passage, so thanks Fallinel for refreshing my memory.

Now... if only I could find The Hobbit! *searches around*

Ah, well, you're in Fallinel!

~Fëa

piosenniel

07-12-2004, 12:10 PM

CHARACTER LIST

** The Whitfields and Millwinds are next door neighbors **

Millwind Family

Parents

1.) Father - Arinn Elden Millwind (39y/o) - ArwenBaggins

2.) Mother - Willow Millwind (34y/o - sister of Mr. Whitfield ) - Araréiel

Children

1.) Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind (14y/o) - Child of the 7th Age

2.) Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins

3.) Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind (6y/o) - Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parents

1. Father - Rhysdan Whitfield (37 y/o - Arinn's brother-in-law) - Fallinel

2. Mother - STILL NEEDED

~*~

Children

1.) Daisy Whitfield - 8y/o girl - Nurumaiel

2.) Elian Whitfiled - 14y/o boy - Carry along character ONLY; may be used by other players as needed.

~*~

Dragon

1. Smaug – Kransha

ArwenBaggins

07-13-2004, 10:18 AM

We only need ONE more person to play.... come one people! :)

~Fëa

Pippin Pondlily

07-14-2004, 04:45 PM

Farmer in the Dale

ArwenBaggins, I have never participated in an RPG before but it looks like it would be quite a bit of fun. I have posted once in the Green Dragon and dropped a note in one of the threads requesting to be a part of an RPG. I was PMed about this one, read it over, and thought it looked brilliant. Hopefully the below is acceptable to you…

Character Description Form:

1.) Have you ever played In an RPG at the Barrow Downs? - No.

2.) How many RPGs on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? - None.

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? - Yes.

Profile:

Name - Esmerelda Whitfield

Age - 36

Race - Man of Dale

Gender - Female

Weapons - Whatever’s lying around to be used as a weapon: rocks, kitchen knives, walking sticks etc… Esmerelda will stop at nothing to protect herself, and the ones she loves.

Appearance - Esmerelda has beautiful long dark blond hair maintained by leather ties fastened a couple of inches behind her ears. Her facial features are very strong, almost bold with a sort of masculine quality that gives her a very strong and enchanting appearance. She has dark green eyes, and full, cleanly arched brows. Esmerelda is very tall for a woman, standing at around 5’10” with a well-built figure that commands attention and obedience. But she has a very gentle side to her as well that can calm and comfort her children.

Personality - Esmerelda is very firm but kind. She loves her two children very much and always does what’s best for them. Her tendency is not to be overbearing and to let them choose their own paths in life but she tends to want to direct them a little more to challenge themselves and put all their effort into what they want to do. While she approves of her son’s adventurous habits and curious nature, she is uneasy about Daisy’s dreaminess and hopes that with time her daughter will become more realistic like her mother and grow in strength and confidence. Esmerelda is very brave, intelligent and clever and maintains her household with the surest hand.

History - Esmerelda was born in the year 2734 in Dale to Paladin and Pervinca Storms. She was reared the middle of three daughters. Paladin worked at the local apothecary while Pervinca minded the home and children. Esmerelda’s oldest sister, Robin, took after her father and moved to Gondor to work as a pharmacist there and the Storms’ youngest daughter, Lily, died in child labor at age 19 leaving her husband a widower and childless.

In 2755, Esmerelda married Rhysdan Whitfield and moved into his home next door to his sister’s family. They had two children: Elian, born in 2756, and Daisy, born in 2762. Esmerelda grew to know and love the Millwinds very much and she is very close to Willow, her sister-in-law.

First Post:

Esmerelda stood over a cauldron of hot water and stirred with a thick staff her family’s laundry. Cottons and linens in earthy tones would surface and recede at random as they were soaked through in preparation to be soaped down and cleaned. She stopped for a moment to prod at the coals beneath the large iron pot and waited for signs of an orange glow before she resumed her stirring.

This was a wretched day for doing laundry. The sweltering afternoon heat was relentless as it beat down through the feeble shade of an old hickory and Esmerelda was very uncomfortable in her soft brown overdress and itched incessantly underneath the blue sash coiled about her waist.

Finally satisfied with the hot laundry she picked out one of Rhysdan’s shirts and set it hissing into a wide pan of cool water and draped it over the wash board. Securing the gathered ties of her linen chemise above her elbows she went to work soaping and scrubbing the shirt until the water was murky with dirt and grime. As she moved the fabric up and down over the ridges of the board the wooden disc that hung on a chord around her neck repeatedly knocked against the frame until she finally tucked it behind her into the back of her dress’s neckline, the front neckline she preferred for the hot weather being too low.

After four shirts, two of them Rhysdan’s and two of them Elian’s, Esmerelda sought out the water pump to refresh herself and splashed water onto her face and hands and in her mouth. As she was walking back to the cauldron a hot wind picked up and blew dust about the base of the cauldron and made the clothing hanging on the line snap in a frenzy. The hickory tree groaned and shuddered and the leaves rustled frantically. In the street and up across the hills Esmerelda could hear dogs barking and in the paddock outside the barn the horses reared and whinnied. She looked around for some explanation searching the horizons when an immense shadow passed across the fields before her. The woman shielded her eyes and squinted up into the sky. Her heart beat fast in her chest and her mouth opened in shock as she took in the gigantic, red-gold figure that soared overhead.

Esmerelda watched only for a second before quickly dousing the coals beneath the pot and abandoning the rest of her washing. She yanked open the back door of their home.

“Daisy! Daisy, come down here!” she called up the stairs to the bedrooms. There was no answer. “Daisy?” she walked into the kitchen and dining room area. The wind was ripping through the open window and whistling through the gaps in the boards. It had already blown the <A TITLE="Click for more information about flowers" STYLE="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: medium solid green;" HREF="http://search.targetwords.com/u.search?x=5977|1||||flowers|AA1VDw">flowers</A> from table onto the floor and the hanging herbs and roots were parallel to the ground and spinning, straining against their strings. “Daisy!” Esmerelda shouted again. When it was clear that her daughter was not in the house, the tall woman ran out the front door into the street. She cupped her hands about her mouth and called, “Daisy!” There was still no answer and her voice had to fight the wind to be heard. Her eyes searched about her frantically, up and down the street but there was no sign of her daughter. Then she rounded the house and nearly stumbled upon her.

“Mother!” the little girl cried, leaping up from her huddled position alongside the house. She wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s neck and buried her face into her shoulder. Esmerelda held her daughter tightly, whispered soothingly into her ear and ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s alright darling, I’m here, shh, it’s alright.” She went around again to the front of the house and stepped up onto the small porch ducking again into the doorway. Holding still to her daughter she crossed the living room into the kitchen and peered out the window. The dragon had flown to the edge of the town and was just out of sight. Then she glanced across the fields to the hills where her husband was tending the sheep. There was no way to reach him, undoubtedly he’d seen the beast. Suddenly she thought of Elian. Out for the day with his cousin, probably a mile north!

“Mummy, I’m scared,” whispered Daisy, her frightened body tense and salty tears hot against her mother’s cheek and neck. Esmerelda patted her back tenderly.

“It’s alright,” she said calmly, “we’re going to wait here for Daddy and Elian for a little while longer and then we’ll go over to see Uncle Arinn and Aunt Willow, alright?” Daisy nodded, her face still muffled in Esmerelda’s shoulder. “You’re a very brave girl,” she whispered, “it will be alright.” If Elian wasn’t back soon, she would take Daisy over to the Millwinds’ and go out to find him. She looked up again into the sky, the dragon was headed back their way…

*****

I hope that’s alright!

Thanks,
- P. Pondlily

ArwenBaggins

07-14-2004, 05:26 PM

That was a wonderful profile and post for a new roleplayer! You're in Pippin! :)

So, Cami/Pio, looks like we've got everyone, and we're set to get the first posts up in the thread!

~Fëa

Kransha

07-14-2004, 05:45 PM

Hillo, hillo, hillo. Just a shout-out from your friendly neighbourhood dragon. Just to clarify, for all newcoming writers, I'll be posting a number of times a week to progress the action, as Smaug is the one causing the damage that all you hapless lads and lassies must escape from. Good luck to you, and, as a word of advice, keep as far from Smaug as you can, for he's not in the best of moods...and hungry.

How does that phrase go?: 'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.'

piosenniel

07-14-2004, 06:10 PM

FINAL PLAYER/CHARACTER LIST

** The Whitfields and Millwinds are next door neighbors **

Millwind Family

Parents

1.) Father - Arinn Elden Millwind (39y/o) - ArwenBaggins

2.) Mother - Willow Millwind (34y/o - sister of Mr. Whitfield ) - Araréiel

Children

1.) Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind (14y/o) - Child of the 7th Age

2.) Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins

3.) Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind (6y/o) - Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parents

1. Father - Rhysdan Whitfield (37 y/o - Arinn's brother-in-law) - Fallinel

2. Mother - Esmerelda Whitfield (36) - Pippin Pondlilly

~*~

Children

1.) Daisy Whitfield - 8y/o girl - Nurumaiel

2.) Elian Whitfiled - 14y/o boy - Carry along character ONLY; may be used by other players as needed.

~*~

Dragon

1. Smaug – Kransha

piosenniel

07-14-2004, 06:12 PM

ArwenB

You now need to look at all the posts, and place a list of them, by Player's Name (not the character), in the order in which you want them on the game thread.

Put the the list here on the discussion thread and I will then place the posts for you and open the game for play.

Kransha's post is already on the RPG thread as first; your post that features Arinn is second.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arwen, you also need to PM your players to let them all know the game will be opening soon.

Thanks!

~*~ Pio

Pippin Pondlily

07-14-2004, 08:01 PM

Thanks very much! I'm excited about writing this now. :D

A little question though, is there a profile for Elian somewhere? I didn't catch one as I was reading through the thread...

If there isn't one, may I request that the lad has blond hair? That way Esmerelda's appearance fits a bit better with it all. I didn't realize that her daughter had brown hair until I read it again. Sorry!

- P. Pondlily

Child of the 7th Age

07-15-2004, 12:14 AM

Pippin,

That looks great! I'm glad you've decided to join.

I will be out-of-town July 16-23. No computer access over the coming weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, July 16-18). After that, I should be fine.

~Child of the 7th Age

ArwenBaggins

07-15-2004, 07:05 AM

Pippin:
Nay, there is no profile for Elian. He is something we call a carry-along character. No one in particular plays him, but people use him when need be. Sure, he can have blonde hair. :)

Cami and Everyone:
I will put up the post order by tomorrow morning; I'm a bit busy right now. I'll also put up an outline for the first couple of posts for the game.

Thanks, and have fun!
~Fëa

Regin Hardhammer

07-15-2004, 03:44 PM

I'm going to an out of state summer program for three weeks, but I will have computer access. However, I will need a few days to settle in and will not be able to post this weekend. Looking forward to the game.

- Regin

Pippin Pondlily

07-15-2004, 04:08 PM

Well I'll be out of town at my family's lake-cabin July 28th through August 4th (I think). I am not sure if I'll have computer access but I don't see why I wouldn't ... but if I don't that's where I'll be. I'll post again before I leave as a reminder.

Just to let you know,

- P. Pondlily

Nurumaiel

07-15-2004, 09:00 PM

I must also notify you of my upcoming absences...

I will be gone from July 23rd - 26th on a retreat, and it is possible I will also be gone from July 30th to sometime in the first week of August. I regret to say that in both of these absences I will have no internet access.

After that I am, in short, free, save for perhaps a week in late August, but that is farther in the future, and I think I shall have internet access then though not as much time. I am not quite certain if the game will be over by this time or not...

Child of the 7th Age

07-15-2004, 10:12 PM

Arwen and everyone else,

I am thinking that if anyone will be gone for more than 3-4 days without computer access, it would probably be a good idea for them to designate someone to carry along their character just before they leave (with a promise by that person that nothing too drastic will happen!). This could be the game founder, another specific poster, or even our group of posters as a whole.

Since the game is supposed to be just four weeks in length, this might be a wise precaution. Things could move rather quickly, especially in the latter half of the game. (You know how pesky and unpredictable dragons can be!)

How does this sound?

~Child

ArwenBaggins

07-16-2004, 08:31 AM

Cami and Everyone:

That sounds good. Everyone, before you leave, please let someone carry your character. :)

Alas! I'm being pushed from the computer. I may have 'net access this weekend, but it's iffy. I'll definately have the posting order by Sunday.

Here are the first two points that we will reach in the game, each lasting ONE WEEK:

1. Dragon flies through the sky and attacks Erebor. The family tries to gather all their members so they can flee to the lake. Family members face various obstacles getting home.

2 Dragon turns around and flies towards Dale.
--One of more of the children gets lost or can't get home, and family goes out and retrieves them (with difficulty).

Thanks,
Fëa

piosenniel

07-20-2004, 03:48 PM

ArwenB

Please put your list on board for the order of First Posts for this game - by tomorrow.

~*~ Piosenniel, Shire Moderator

ArwenBaggins

07-21-2004, 08:26 AM

Everyone--

Sorry for such the delay. There was a severe storm on Sunday and we lost power until early this morning.

Order of Posts in Game:

1. Kransha
2. ArwenBaggins
3. Regin Hardhammer
4. Araréiel
5. Child of the 7th Age
6. Fallinel
7. Nurumel
8. Pippin Pondlily

piosenniel

07-21-2004, 11:01 AM

The game is now open for play.

Please remove your signatures from all posts to the game - including SAVES.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ArwenB's previous instructions for the next 2 weeks of play:

Here are the first two points that we will reach in the game, each lasting ONE WEEK:

1. Dragon flies through the sky and attacks Erebor. The family tries to gather all their members so they can flee to the lake. Family members face various obstacles getting home.

2 Dragon turns around and flies towards Dale.
--One of more of the children gets lost or can't get home, and family goes out and retrieves them (with difficulty).

Nurumaiel

07-21-2004, 11:36 AM

Complying with Child's suggestion to ask someone to carry along my character in my absence, I'll ask my 'parents,' Fallinel and Pippin Pondlily. If you would have the goodness to carry Daisy while I'm away. You've read her profile, I think, so I'm not concerned with you doing anything way out of character for her. If upon my return I do see something that seems out of character for her there's always the edit function. :)

Again, I'll be leaving this Friday, July 23rd, and I'll be back on the 26th.

Pippin Pondlily

07-21-2004, 06:05 PM

Sure thing Nurumaiel, I'd be happy to.

Was going to post on the game thread but mine was the very last ... should I not post or would it still be okay ... not sure, am still new to it all.

- P. Pondlily

ArwenBaggins

07-21-2004, 06:11 PM

Pippin:

I'm putting in a save, for I need to go now. You can put up a post after mine. ;)

I saw Orlando Bloom today at the shooting of 'Elizabethtown'. I was almost attacked by *cough rabid cough* fangirls, but... :)

Anyway, off to put up the save- I know, I shouldn't, but I need too.

~Fëa

Nurumaiel

07-21-2004, 09:03 PM

Pippin, Daisy has become madly concerned with the safety of her brother and cousin, and she's crazily decided to go after them herself to rescue them. I leave the next step in your hands: catch her right at the doorstep, chase her for a bit and catch her, or let her go off all together. It's up to you! :)

Child of the 7th Age

07-21-2004, 09:35 PM

I've completed a post for Elanor and Elian that has them taking a slight detour, and Elanor beginning to worry about Eric.

I did have a question, especially for Arwen and Kransha. I am assuming we can "use" the Dragon to describe what we see happening from a distance as long as it doesn't contradict what Kransha actually does. Kransha presumably is free to latch onto such comments or go and cause other trouble on his own. I am also assuming that we can't describe the Dragon actually attacking us. This is something that our beloved Smaug would have to do on his own under Kransha's bold pen. (Kransha please have mercy! :eek: )

Does this sound about right? I do think we need to be able to describe what we're seeing or perhaps, for example, to explain something like a big wooden beam dropping in our path as a farmhouse burns and collapses. Then again, I wouldn't want to tread on his toes too closely. We all know how touchy Dragons are.....!

piosenniel

07-22-2004, 01:15 AM

Enlarge the Map below if it doesn't come up full size for you.

Scroll the bottom bar across to the right, not quite all the way - there will be, just between the Wood Elves in Mirkwood and the Iron Mountains, Erebor: The Lonely Mountain, Dale, and Esgaroth by the Long Lake.

Map of Middle-earth (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hugo1900/map%20of%20middle%20earth%20version%206.jpg)

Kransha

07-22-2004, 06:08 AM

I did have a question, especially for Arwen and Kransha. I am assuming we can "use" the Dragon to describe what we see happening from a distance as long as it doesn't contradict what Kransha actually does. Kransha presumably is free to latch onto such comments or go and cause other trouble on his own. I am also assuming that we can't describe the Dragon actually attacking us. This is something that our beloved Smaug would have to do on his own under Kransha's bold pen. (Kransha please have mercy! :eek: )

Yes, Smaug can be used as a 'device' to move things. Keep in mind that, for the first 7 or 8 days of this game, he'll be heading towards Erebor, the mountain looming mostly over Dale, and will be flying, for the most part, over Dale (and under hill...not). Thus, he'll be spouting a few flames onto Dale, but not outright attacking it. In a weeks time, Smaug will attack Erebor for a bit, all in one post, or a small series of posts, then turn around and attack Dale in earnest, which is when things get really tough.

Feel free to PM me about possible obstacles that Smaug might inadvertantly create. He will make a few individual attacks, like dipping down to grab some tastey morsel (I reckon all this havoc causing makes him hungry). At the finale of all this destruction, he'll pe picking on people just because he's mean sometimes, and in a bad mood after random watchmen have been shooting mislead arrows at him for hours. I will have a post up within the next few days just establishing where Smaug is on his flight around the mountain, and having him engage in some sporting activities with hapless Dale-folk.

BTW, Welcome to the Shire, Pippin Pondilly, Araréiel, and Falliniel. Hope you enjoy this game. And, of course, a hearty greetings to old friends, Nuru, Child, and Regin. Good luck to all of you.

P.S. Child, you usual aptness is further proved by the correctness of that last comment. Touchy indeed, and then some.

ArwenBaggins

07-22-2004, 11:47 AM

Eep! It seems that my computer (or the 'Downs itself *gasp*) was having problems last night. My SAVE slot didn't go in.

Alas, I am almost finished with my post, so I'll put the save up now and TRY to fill it in in an hour or so, but if not then by tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
Your friendly neighborhood Fëa

Pippin Pondlily

07-22-2004, 03:07 PM

Alright I posted on the game thread I hope it's alright I kinda rushed through it just now ... Just tell me if I should change or add anything. I may add more after ArwenB fills in her post.

- P. Pondlily

Child of the 7th Age

07-22-2004, 07:08 PM

Thanks Kransha for those helpful comments. I am assuming that Smaug touched down to get a tasty beef snack in my post! The woman at the farm may have shrieked out of fright, but Elanor was imagining something worse....

I will be out of touch 1-2 days only, travelling from one region to another. Will post when I hit ground.

~Cami

Regin Hardhammer

07-22-2004, 08:02 PM

Filled in my save. Eric is now unquestionably lost in the forest (and very hungry). How dangerous with a dragon on the loose. :eek:

- Regin

Fallinel

07-23-2004, 06:37 AM

Hello all-

I didn't disappear-just got busy while waiting for the game to start. I'm looking forward to participating in this RPG with everyone, and I'll add a post later today. I want to make sure I have a chance to read all the posts and storylines carefully.

~Fallinel

ArwenBaggins

07-23-2004, 07:10 AM

Everyone:

My post is now up. Arinn and Eli are home to find a cowering Willow. If only Arinn could join her! ;) Now, Arinn has stumbled upon the fact that his other two children are gone...

Fallinel-

This is where your post should come in, the reaction to mine. :)

~Fëa

Child of the 7th Age

07-24-2004, 06:38 PM

I have gone ahead and placed a save for the character of Willow. This is for her to respond briefly to the question that Arinn raised. She can place the post on the discussion thread or submit it by pm, and Pio or I will paste it in.

Arwen is having some trouble getting in contact with Araréiel, but we hope to be hearing from her soon. Meanwhile, the save will let us go forward with the action.

A general comment. Everyone has done a great job with their posts so far. Since this game is just four weeks long, we'll need to post regularly to push things forward. A good beginning, everyone!

************************************

I've done another post and gotten Elanor home. I also took a good, hard look at the region in Fonstad's Atlas of Middle Earth. If you have a copy of this book, there is a great view of things on page 110-111. If not, I've tried to give a little description in my post.

The one thing that really struck me is how close Dale was to the mountain itself. Two of the ridges of the mountain reach out and encircle the town on three sides. Not a good place to be at the moment. Also, Dale is on the west side of the Running River that spills down out of the mountain and encircles the town towards the east.

According to most of the sources I read, there is already a town called Esgaroth on Long Lake about twenty miles south. This is where we will eventually flee. However, the sources indicate that the new people from Dale likely "remade" this town when they came by setting it out over the lake and actually building on top of stilts. By doing this, they used the surrounding water as a means of defense.

Maybe we can pick up on this idea at the end of the story....

ArwenBaggins

07-25-2004, 09:59 AM

Child-

Thanks for putting up the save. Hopefully we can recover Ara!

And everyone, please try to post as much as you can. We've only got four weeks! :)

~Fëa

Pippin Pondlily

07-25-2004, 05:55 PM

I plan on posting late tonight and the once again before I go out of town on Tuesday, the 27th. I'll be gone, camping, for about 9 days, maybe more if the weather's good, with no internet access.

Fallinel, or Nurumaiel, if either of you would not mind taking care of my character and writing for her or carrying along, whatever's done, during my absence, I would much appreciate it.

Just to let you guys know what's about,

- P. Pondlily

Pippin Pondlily

07-25-2004, 09:48 PM

I'm a little confused at who's where at the moment in the story because Fallinel wrote that Hawkweed ran to Elanor and Elian up where they were in the rocky hills, I think they were, and in Child's post Elanor is getting back to her house and ArwenB wrote earlier that some people were supposed to not get home right away or something of that sort?

I sort of left it at just Esmerelda and Daisy still in their house waiting ... kind of a space filler really, I'll post again or add on to this one as soon as I figure out where everyone is ...

- P. Pondlily

Nurumaiel

07-26-2004, 12:14 PM

Hello, everyone! I got back from the retreat late last night and I be able to post a little bit until Thursday (July 29th) when I leave on a camping trip. I'm glad to see how the game has progressed so far, and I want to thank my 'mamma' for handling Daisy in such an excellent manner. :D

I'll jump in with a Daisy post when I feel it's appropriate.

Child of the 7th Age

07-26-2004, 12:15 PM

Pippin,

Good questions! Here's my view on this.

First, the person who wasn't supposed to get home right away is Regin's character Eric. He is the young boy who gets lost and we'll have to go out and find him. He's still out wandering somewhere unidentified. No one should see or talk to him for the moment. Everyone else should make it home in the next day or so (real time). Then we'll all go looking for Eric. If we want to keep on track with the outline, we'll need to rescue Eric by about next Tuesday August 3. That would be two weeks from the start of the game (on July 21).

Secondly, regarding the dog Hawkwood, I assumed the dog bounded away across the field when he saw the two teens, started running up the hill, but then turned back. Elian and Elanor had to climb fairly high and navigate around and over some large boulders to be able to go forward. I assumed the dog couldn't make it up this high and ran back. I've added a short paragraph to my post to clarify this.

Also to help get things in the right order, I've put my last post under yours. You raised the question where Elian is. So, to make chronological sense, my post should be after yours (instead of before), and I've moved it later. As far as my question at the end of my post as to where everyone is....I know my dad and one brother are home. I expect them to come rushing out in a minute.

Hope this clarifies things and helps.

Regin - In the next few days, could you give us another post on Eric being lost and give us some idea or clue we could eventually follow to find him?

Kransha - It's good to see that Smaug is enjoying himself at the expense of the poor folk of Dale....

BTW, Smaug has generously chowed down on all the livestock on the farm's outside Dale. (This dragon has some appetite!) If anyone wants to discover that the Millwood or Whitfield family cow has met an unfortunate and bloody demise, be my guest....

Pippin Pondlily

07-26-2004, 12:16 PM

Okay, that helps a lot, thanks.

I'll either post again later tonight if I know I wont have time again before I leave or sometime around lunch tomorrow.

- P. Pondlily

Child of the 7th Age

07-26-2004, 12:29 PM

Thanks Pippin and Nurumaiel for that update. Your absences overlap. I believe this means that the entire job of posting for the family would fall on Fallinel for about a week. This might be a bit heavy.

Fallinel - If you'd like, Arwen or I can assist as needed. We'd just have to be careful not to conflict in our posts. Let us know....

Hope this is alright with everyone.

ArwenBaggins

07-27-2004, 09:19 AM

Fallinel-

As Child has said, we would be glad to help carry the family. Although we are carrying Ara's character as well, I'm sure we can do this too.

I'm putting up a save now, to be filled when I return home for the public library.

~Fëa

Kransha

07-27-2004, 10:06 AM

The dragon cometh...

Forgive me, all, I was unable to post in this thread last night when my post went up. Luckily, Child covered that for me well. I will add thereto an explanation anyway, just to make understood exactly what Smaug has done and is doing at present.

Smaug has indeed cleared the fields of livestock, save one or two who he missed in his haste. For about two more days of real time, he'll be dragging his bulk through Dale's streets, destroying everything he can destroy. On Friday, or perhaps Thurdsay, US Eastern Time about midday, Smaug will elaborately attack Erebor. Then the day after, giving time for the Dale folk to watch the lightshow, he'll turn on Dale again and really start wreaking havoc.

Fallinel

07-27-2004, 09:00 PM

Hello all,

OK, I was a bit confused by the way things happened after my latest post, but it seems that the storyline can be made consistent with minor editing to my post. I was thinking that when Rhysdan's dog ran away towards the two figures (Elian and Elanor), he was still pretty high up in the foothills, and running downhill to greet them. Rhysdan and Hawkweed would have hiked quite far in search of the lost sheep, and the two teenagers would have run uphill a fair distance in their detour around Smaug, so the "meeting" was actually consistent with Elanor's high vantage point.

Anyway, I will have Elanor part company with Elian, so that she can run to her farm (as posted), and Elian will join his father for the return trip to their farm.

EDIT: Errr, scratch that, Rhysdan will see that Elanor and Elian can return safely on their own, and he will reach the farms a bit later than the two teenagers.

Pippin Pondlily

07-27-2004, 09:44 PM

Well, not a whole lot has happened since last I posted .... unless I was to write about Elian coming home ... but that would take but a few measly paragraphs, not really much for a substantial post ..... I guess I'll just leave it at this unless I get inspired within the next 20 or so minutes, heh.

I'm supposed to be leaving around noon tomorrow unless we get another call from the rangers about any sort of flood watch or bad weather warning that will delay our "take off" or whatever one wants to call it. I'll be back August fifth at the very latest.

Sorry for such a lengthy absence!

- P. Pondlily

ArwenBaggins

07-28-2004, 07:38 AM

Pippin-

Alas, no problem! We'll carry your character along until you return from your trip. So long!

~Fëa

Regin Hardhammer

07-28-2004, 11:14 AM

My post is up. Eric has finally found his way home or has he...... His jacket got wet so he took it off when he got out of the boat (cough, cough).

- Regin

Child of the 7th Age

07-28-2004, 11:46 AM

Thank you, Regin. What with muddy trails, discarded jackets and floating boats, you've left us a number of clues.

*******************

General note to everyone:

Where everyone is now.....

My post is also up. Since Ara did not show, she will be carried by three posters -- Arwen, myself, and, when he gets found, Regin. We seem to be in gear now. It is getting towards nightfall. I thought I'd summarize where we are to make sure we're all on the same page.

First, as far as I can see, everyone is home except Rhysdan and Eric. Eric is truly lost and Rhysdan is out helping a neighbor. Of course, no one knows that -- the families only know they are missing.

We've started a search on the farm itself and nearby land to locate the two missing culprits.

Fallinel -- you have a choice... you can have Rhysdan come home now and join with the others in the search, or you can have him get waylaid temporarily somewhere along the way, helping someone or whatever is plausible for the story. If you do that, you'll probably want him found by the time we go on that wider hunt for Eric. ( By the way, you did a great job editing your post. If you think I or someone else has misunderstood what you've written, just send a pm or put a note on the discussion thread. Most of us will be happy to edit if we can.)

BTW, Regin is truly lost. No one should find him for now, although you are free to look in various places and feel guilty if that fits the bill!

So for the moment, let's search close to the house. Maybe on the weekend, we can expand outward and search for him over wider territory? He should be found by next Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest to stay on schedule.

How does this sound to Arwen and everyone else? The hard thing with a short RPG is staying on track so I will put a periodic update here as to where I think everyone is and where we're going. I am also having trouble keeping track of where people are, so if I make a goof about your character, post another note on the thread.

********************

Now where did that crazy dragon go? :p

ArwenBaggins

07-29-2004, 08:34 AM

Well, it seems that Child has covered everything I wanted to say. On Wednesday or Thursday of next week, we'll move on to the next point in the storyline. Then I'll put up points three and maybe four.

Thanks everyone for your cooperation.

~Fëa

Child of the 7th Age

07-31-2004, 09:43 PM

This is tough to keep the story going with so many people gone.

Arwen -- I've filled in my save. Elanor and Elian are heading back to the farmhouse with at least some idea of where Eric may be. Do you want to do a post where the mom and dad make a decision whether or not we should search at night or wait till the next morning? Then, maybe next week, we could start out from there, following those clues?

Kransha.....please check your pms.

ArwenBaggins

08-01-2004, 05:38 PM

Child--

I believe that I will do a post, saying that we'll keep searching that night. We can't have poor little Eric out there by himself all night! :)

~Fëa

Child of the 7th Age

08-03-2004, 11:49 PM

Arwen -

I've pushed us forward to the point where the boat was originally moored.

I had to make one change in my earlier post. In order for us to follow the clues in order, Eric had to head southeast instead of northeast. I've made the change in my own earlier post. Could you change the reference in yours from north to south?

Arinn has to decide what to do next. Be merciful and let us sleep for an hour or two. In the morning we can start to follow the rest of the clues in Regin's post.

The only thing is we don't want to get there until Regin has posted his response to Kransha. If necessary, I'll save a space for him.

Better yet, Regin, could you save a spot for your experience with the dragon and then the search party could continue after that?

Hopefully, our vacationers will be returning soon!

Regin Hardhammer

08-04-2004, 06:19 PM

I have posted for Eric's experience with the Dragon. What a traumatic ordeal! Eric is terrified, yet determined as ever. What a ferocious beast that Dragon. He really should learn some manners. :D

- Regin

Kransha

08-05-2004, 08:23 AM

Just as notification:

I will be gone, on holiday/vacation/excursions/what-have-you, beginning today and ending Monday next, when I will return for a night and then go on another several day excursion. I'll probably be able to post if needed on Monday night or Tuesday morning, but otherwise, I'll be temporarily absent without BD access. I'm sure everyone will be able to survive without me for a little while (who am I kidding, you'll all probably wither and die without my brilliance to warm your souls, but I digress).

Farewell, auf weiderschen, au revoir, and all that...

Nurumaiel

08-05-2004, 12:06 PM

I have returned from long, enjoyable, and weary travellings, and have finished reading through all posts that have come up in my absence. I must confess, however, that I am in some confusion as to where Daisy and her mother are currently. Are they where we left off (where Daisy had tried to run away and her mother had caught her) or have they moved on.

I'm sure everyone will be able to survive without me for a little while (who am I kidding, you'll all probably wither and die without my brilliance to warm your souls...

Actually, Kransha, I do believe that we have a much better chance of surviving when Smaug isn't around. ;)

Child of the 7th Age

08-05-2004, 12:46 PM

Nuru,

So good to see you. Hope you enjoyed your trip. This is where I think we are:

Rhysdan went out to help some neighbors, and hasn't returned yet, which is a cause of some concern! Daisy is with her mom.

Eric is definitely lost. He drifted down the river in a boat south of the farm, left behind a number of clues in his post, and was blasted at by the dragon when he lay down to sleep. He is on the east side of the river instead of the west where he lives, but he hasn't figured that out.

In my last post, seven of us went to look for Rhysdan and epecially for Eric, whom we're most worried about. This included Arinn, Willow, Eli, and Elanor Millwind plus Esmerelda, Daisy, and Elian Whitfield. At one point in my post, Daisy was so tired that Arlinn hoisted her on his shoulders.

In my last post, we just found Eric's footprints right near a spot on the river where a small boat had obviously been moored.

We're waiting for Arlinn's advice on what we should do next--it is a few hours till dawn. Do we push on or rest, hopefully the latter for a bit.

Hope this helps some. Hopefully Pippin will be back soon too!

ArwenBaggins

08-05-2004, 03:53 PM

Alas, our dragon is going to give these poor farmers a bit of a respite while he goes galavanting somewhere! ;) I'm sure we'll manage. Have fun Kransha!

I'm off to post now with Arinn's desicion. Is he a very evil man that will make them push on forever? *evil laugh* No, of course not. He'll give them a few hours of rest and then keep looking for Eli.

~Fëa

Pippin Pondlily

08-05-2004, 09:37 PM

I just got back about 3 hours ago and between all the supervising/sorting things for the people to wash/dry clean/put away blah blah blah I've managed to post. I read the discussion thread but don't have time for read all the posts on the game thread tonight. I'll read it during breakfast tomorrow most probably and update my character and what she's doing, eh?

Sooo tired,
Pippin

Child of the 7th Age

08-05-2004, 10:20 PM

Yeah! It is very good to see both you and Nurumaiel again. Will look forward to seeing your post.

ArwenBaggins

08-06-2004, 06:46 AM

Nuru:

Please check your PMs, and welcome back! You too Pippin!

My save has been filled.
~Fëa

Nurumaiel

08-06-2004, 06:08 PM

Arwen, I'm in some confusion as to what I should do with my latest post. When I wrote it out you had a SAVE put up which you just recently filled in. In my post I had interaction between Daisy and her mother sitting by the river, but in your post you have the group continuing on as morning comes. As my post comes after yours it just doesn't fit. What would you like me to do? Write an entirely new post and delete the old one, or....?

Child of the 7th Age

08-06-2004, 07:23 PM

Normally, the person who fills in the earlier save needs to take into acount of anything written afterwards and conform to that.

However, there is an easier solution here, I think. I can easily move Nuru's post so that it comes before Arwen's. I would put it inside an earlier box but with a heading to show it was hers.

Nurumaiel, would this work for you? The alternative is for Arwen to hop her post forward after yours, if she gets to do the transfer before I do....

Please let me know.

Cami, Shire Moderator

ArwenBaggins

08-07-2004, 08:39 AM

Child, Nuru:

I'll go ahead and hop my post so it's after Nuru's. The thing is, I wrote that post before Nuru's had been posted. I didn't notice it until after I had filled in my SAVE.

Sorry for the confusion,
Fëa

Child of the 7th Age

08-07-2004, 07:54 PM

Thanks, Arwen. I think that works.

I have just yelled at everyone to wake up and get us out on the road. The Dragon has done a fly-by. Krandsha - You may or may not need/want to comment on my very brief reference, but I have put in a save in case you need it. If not needed, I will erase later.

Pippin Pondlily

08-07-2004, 08:06 PM

I'm on my Mum's laptop while she's out of her office at the moment to let you know what's going on. My computer crashed and I'm getting a new one tomorrow after church so I will definitely post then. SOO sorry for the delay!!

- P. Pondlily

PS I have had time to print out the posts so I'll read them now and get something ready to post right away. :D It's the least I can do.

Pippin Pondlily

08-08-2004, 12:35 PM

Ok, I've got a brand new computer that is in top condition so there won't be anymore technical delays on my part.

I've got a post up for Esmerelda (which I hope is accurate) and am ready to get back into this RPG. Thanks all for your patience.

- P. Pondlily

Child of the 7th Age

08-08-2004, 01:07 PM

Pippin,

Glad to hear that the computer thing worked out. We're eager to hear from Esmerelda...

Also Pippin and Nurumaiel , please check your pms.

~Cami

Fallinel

08-08-2004, 02:48 PM

Hello all,

I've had a very busy week at work, with no time to post properly. I'll have Rhysdan catch up with the others-he'll find a note from Esmerelda at the farmhouse, then head over to the Millwind homestead. Probably I will have Hawkweed the dog lead him to the point at which the others find Eric's footprints.

Fallinel ,

Glad to see you, but please check your pms before you write anything more. You'll need to catch up with the storyline as it's developed, rather than going back and trying to reconstruct. We look forward to seeing your edited post....

Cami Goodchild, Shire Moderator (Child of the 7th Age)

Child of the 7th Age

08-08-2004, 05:41 PM

General Note:

Until Fallinel puts up her revised post in the present save or a later space on the game, we will continue assuming that poor Uncle Rhysdan is "lost". So Esmerelda and Daisy can continue weeping!

ArwenBaggins

08-09-2004, 08:19 AM

Everyone:

After Fallinel's edited post is up, I will put in a post at my SAVE about going out on the search again. One question, Child- how far should I carry this post? In other words, to what spot on the clue line? We should be finding Eric by tomorrow or Wednesday... or should we go ahead and find him in my post?

~Fëa

Fallinel

08-09-2004, 09:06 AM

My edited post *is* up; I wrote it and inserted it last night. Rhysdan and his dog are at the Millwind farm, caught up chronologically to the point at which the search for Eric will resume. You can use Rhysdan and Hawkweed for the search party, or they can remain at the farm for any livestock chores or emergency organization in the farming community.

~ Fallinel

Pippin Pondlily

08-09-2004, 03:39 PM

Child - Nurumaiel and I sorted out the little ordeal and she's alright with my post as is. Thanks!

Two questions:

1. I thought Smaug ate all Dale's livestock except for a literal handful that are now frightened and running around like mad? And I was also under the impression that the town was half burning/destroyed... Am I correct in my understandings?

and 2. On the RPG thread in ArwenBaggins's save it says: "After Pippin's post is edited" but I assume she means Fallinel because I am not sure what in my post needed to be rewritten and in the Discussion Thread she mentioned Fallinel's edited post...

Only wondering,

- P. Pondlily

Kransha

08-09-2004, 04:14 PM

Hullo, 'ullo. I'm back, as y'all can plainly see. I'll be leaving again Wednesday, but only for a day or two. Now, to the other business at hand.

Child, all references are fine in your post. I don't believe I will need the Save you placed for me, since any post I made now would not be out of place. Thanks very much anyway for thinking of me.

Pippin P., your understandings are well understood. The section of Dale nearest the Lonely Mountain is semi-decimated, somewhat on fire, but not utterly annihilated. At present, Smaug is just having fiery fun with the fringes of town.

If necessary, and after reviewing all posts in detail, I will post, but not if it is unnecessary. I have time to post, so I can when called upon. You may all resume cowering in fear while Smaug terrorizes Dale and the surrounding countryside.

Child of the 7th Age

08-09-2004, 05:19 PM

Pippin,

About the reference to the "edit of Pippin's post". My guess is that Arwen actually meant that she'd wait for you and Nurumaiel to communicate before she filled in her save. She wanted to be sure whether you were staying at the house or going out searching again.

*********************

So now, I think, we are all on the same page. Kransha - temporarily welcome back!

I am going to do a short post right before Arwen's save. In effect it will summarize where we are now:

1. the Whitfields have been reunited,
2. Let's have Daisy, Esmerelda, and little Eli stay behind at the house.
3. Arlinn, Rhysdan (per Fallinel ), Elanor, and Elian will be heading back to the river to try and find Eric.
4. I'll also have Willow suggest that those staying behind work on packing some small satchels of clothes for both families. If the dragon keeps up his rampage in the immediate area(and I'm sure we can count on him!), the families may have to flee the house.

I'll stop my post just as we cross the threshold so Arwen can take over with her post leading the search party on. Arwen, can you lead us to the first clue---discover the place along the river where Eric's boat is pulled up on the beach and the path that leads out from that? Then, the next post--whoever does it from the search party-- could cover the jacket Eric discarded and that horrible gaping hole the dragon burned in the ground.

The folk at the house are on their own till we get back!

If anybody has any other ideas, just post them on this thread.

ArwenBaggins

08-10-2004, 07:25 AM

Everyone:

I'm going to do my post now, containing everything which Child said. Then, anyone in the search party can bring us to the next point.

~Fëa

Araréiel

08-10-2004, 01:42 PM

I am so sorry to have disappeared all of a sudden. I got very sick over a couple of days and ended up in the emergency room and admitted to the ICU. I had several absesses in my abdomen and they had to operate to get them all removed. In the process, I lost another part. Not fun. I got out of the hospital on Friday and have been too sore to get online since it hurts to sit up straight to type. I still have staples and retention sutures that come out Thursday. After I was hospitalized, I was so drugged with pain stuff and antibiotics that I couldn't think clear enough to have anyone come here for me and post. Please don't disallow me from future games. I am so sorry that this happened!

Child of the 7th Age

08-10-2004, 03:42 PM

Ara -

I am very sorry to hear what's happened. We have missed you and carried along Willow as best we could. I did remember that you'd said once about having to visit an emergency room.

No -- a medical situation preventing you from playing in a single game certainly does not disallow you from future participation. Just get well now. I've also written you a separate pm.

~Child

Araréiel

08-10-2004, 04:39 PM

I'll be fine as soon as these darned retention sutures come out on Thursday. They hurt!!

Is there anything I can do to help? I'm so sorry I created a difficulty in the game!

ArwenBaggins

08-13-2004, 09:00 AM

Ara:
Glad to see you well! You may have to take that question up with Child. :)

Everyone:
I've filled in my SAVE. Eric has been found at last. Either later today or tomorrow I will put up the finally two points in the plot, and we'll move on. We're a bit behind schedule, but we can all work together to fix that!

~Fëa

Child of the 7th Age

08-13-2004, 04:01 PM

Ara, Arwen,

Please check your pms. Sounds good!

~Child

Regin Hardhammer

08-13-2004, 05:27 PM

I will fill in my save Saturday night. If anyone needs to go ahead, please feel free as I am only going to talk about how I feel.

~Regin

ArwenBaggins

08-14-2004, 08:24 PM

Everyone-

As promised, here are the next too points in the storyline--

3. Dragon attacks Dale. The family flees, maybe gets stuck somewhere with debris falling on their heads. Dragon attacks and Girion defends them. He falls to his death and they make it out.

4. Dragon flies off and sits on his horde in Erebor. Family treks down with others to the Lake. Girion's family has survived so the royal line is intact. Families decide to remain and build a new community, hoping for the day they can return home. (In the distance, Dwarves march off....)

Thanks,
Fëa

Regin Hardhammer

08-14-2004, 11:20 PM

My post is up. Eric is happy to be found and has a newfound appreciation for his family. Who is Girion?

Child of the 7th Age

08-17-2004, 09:06 PM

Regin -

Girion was the last King of Dale of the old line. He was killed by Smaug but his wife and children escaped to continue the royal line.

Everyone -

We are back at the house and will be going now to Dale where we get in real trouble.

Kransha, Arwen - Please check your pms.

Child of the 7th Age

08-18-2004, 02:21 PM

Pippin, Regin, Ara, Nurumaiel,

Please check your pms.

~Child

ArwenBaggins

08-18-2004, 04:35 PM

Everyone:

I'll be posting tomorrow about the family heading toward Dale. School starts bright and early in the morning, so it won't be until later in the evening.

Thanks,
Fëa

Pippin Pondlily

08-18-2004, 08:20 PM

I'm here. School commenced on Monday and I've been a little harried. But I plan to attend here daily and will catch up completely with a post or whatever it is needed of me tomorrow afternoon.

- P. Pondlily

Kransha

08-19-2004, 08:13 PM

I must apologize, but the SAVE I put up must remain up for 24 hours more. I was called away on some urgent business today. I also apologize for my lack of posts in the thread of late. I've been busy, much busier than I expected I'd be at this time. I will *definately* have a Smaug post up tomorrow, which will contain Smaug's re-attack (or is that counter-attack?) on Dale. There will be much, much havoc wrought on the hapless town and townspeople, so look out! The assault is unrestricted, so Smaug's ready to go all-out.

Child of the 7th Age

08-19-2004, 10:32 PM

Master Kransha,

We await your return with anticipation.

~Child

Regin Hardhammer

08-23-2004, 11:55 PM

Nurumaiel - Please check your pms and let me know if there's any problem and let me know if you could have your character run back to get help.

--------------------------------------

I filled in my save. Things look pretty bad. The fire is spreading and Princess Layla (no relation to Star Wars!) just got trapped under a small beam. The kids can't pull it off on their own. Even if we pull the Princess out, that fire looks pretty bad.

ArwenBaggins

08-25-2004, 04:09 PM

Everyone--

Just a reminder; the game ends AUGUST 31! The deadline is fast approaching, but I think we're going to make it.

Keep up the good work and great posts,
Fëa

P.S. Heh... Charade in the avatar Kransha? I like it... and the Yoshimitsu one you had before. ;)

Child of the 7th Age

08-25-2004, 04:38 PM

Hi, Arwen! check your pms please. Child

piosenniel

08-28-2004, 10:34 AM

Arwen -

Your pm box is full. Please clear it out.

Pio, Shire mod

ArwenBaggins

08-28-2004, 07:19 PM

Everyone--

Dearly sorry! The computer has crashed... once again. I am now at my dad's house. I know the game is ending soon, and I am doing the best I can. Again, I'm sorry. I'll try and get a post in by tomorrow morning- hopefully tonight. My post was saved on my computer, so now it's history.

~Fëa

Nurumaiel

08-28-2004, 08:55 PM

Child and Regin, I must confess I am more than a little confused. We have a young girl who has just recently been rescued from where she had been pinned under a beam... Regin calls her Layla and Child calls her Enid. Very minor, but confusing neverthless. :)

I'd like to know what her name actually is before I attempt to write again as Daisy, and also to correct my previous post if necessary.

Child of the 7th Age

08-28-2004, 09:33 PM

Nurumaiel,

This is my mistake. Regin went first so we should follow his lead. I will go back and edit to change to "Layla." Thanks.

Cami

Child of the 7th Age

08-28-2004, 09:47 PM

Everyone,

Arwen and I have finally managed to get in touch and discuss the game. (Her pms have been full and she has not been able to read any of my mail since the middle of the week because of her computer crash.)

This is where we now stand:

My post has brought us down through the rescue of Layla. Except for Arinn, everyone in the family is mounted on horseback and will be leaving for the trek down to Long Lake. Arinn is staying to fight.
Arwen is going to fill in her save with a scene where Arinn battles Smaug and is injured. He will then retreat or be carried off the field. :eek: He will also make his way down to Long Lake.
Kransha will do a post where he kills Girion. However, I believe he has another surprize for the dragon! Kransha You can post immediately since we know what Arwen is going to say, or can wait till she fills hers in....whatever you prefer.
Anywhere along the line, anyone is free to post their feelings about what is going on: Arinn staying behind, the fire and the rescue, or the dragon's attack. You can also describe the trek to Long Lake and any obstacles you may encounter in Dale or on the road down. Don't worry about the order of things. Just go ahead and post. If there is any problem with the order of the posts, I will "realign" them.
The game is slated to end on Tuesay, Aug. 31 at midnight. This was an extension from our original date of Aug. 21. Please get your final posts up by Tuesday night.
Either Arwen or I, or both of us, will do final summary post(s) to tie up any loose ends.

I am sending pms out to all the posters to let them know the game will be ending.

If you have any questions or concerns, post them on this thread or send a pm.

Cami