Sorry - I've been snowed under with work and other RL concerns.

I will most likely fill my SAVE tomorrow. I'm still trying to decide how far I'll take it.

I have a question, Littlemanpoet and Envinyatar. Is this creepy shadow thing still supposed to be "alive" after the istari confront the thing (whatever alive means in terms of a shadow?) Or are the two istari going to overpower it for once and all? I guess I'm trying to understand if this will be the final confrontation, or if this will be a lead up to some other concluding scene?

Does anyone know?

My take on it is that even if the two Blue Istari can overpower it, they can't kill it because evil as it is, it still derives its existence from Eru. It must be cast into the Void. Do the Blue Istari have the power to do that? If not, then it must be imprisoned over again somewhere in Middle Earth. Those are the options as far as I can figure them.

I seem to recall that Nerindel had a character (not Mara) with a rather potent sword... ?

There is another option the two Istari have; that is, if they are on the verge of being swallowed up by this creature.

However, it should only be used as a last resort.

Nerindel - are you planning on having your man with the sword come in at sometime?

LMP - have you named the creature and was he originally a maiar associated with Melkor or was he corrupted from another of the Valar's people?

I think it would make for a better story if we brought this all the way through to the last resort.

I for one would like to see this carried through.

I haven't named it. Do you think I should? This is one of Melkor's own.

Rose

I've moved my post below your SAVE so that White Paw can join in.




Credits to JRR Tolkien for the phrase: "like the glitter of swords, like the rush of leaves in a great wind or the fall of stones in the mountains" -- it's from the War of the Jewels, describing the Valarin language.

Thanks! I've filled my save; the hound has joined you. :)

Oh, no! From Tevildo's perspective, this is almost as bad as the shadow creature.

Save filled.

bah stuff and fluff, if I had time I would definately banish both work and the need to decorate to Mordor, then perhaps I can finally get some peace to write!!! Well anyway back on topic I have begun filling save #118

I was thinking of having our dear seerer see something that may put our young Wenda in danger a little further down the line? LMP how do feel about your shadow engulfing someone or something Wenda trusts... perhaps one of her fellow reindeer???

As for my man with the sword, I'll see what I can do. There is a decidedly more grey area to Arato and he will think a little like the thing he stalks. And the sword...hmm Well it is rumoured to have been crafted by Aule, but I am wondering how it could help.... perhaps open a fissure of some kind, maybe? well I'm open to suggestions.

Hmmmmm..... I had seen this winding down rather soon. What do you have in mind, Nerindel? How is the shadow going to get past the Mori and Stamo?

Unless the creature withdraws completely from Mori and Stamo, I can't really see him getting past them.

And even then, they will pursue him and attempt to put themselves between him and his prey. But - since they are his objects of desire at the moment, why would he withdraw?

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Edit:

Old Goody has invoked their patron. Should the two feel inadequate to the task at hand, he will step in for a brief moment.

And, well . . . the creature will be toast . . .

Nerindel,

I've been away for several days and just got back to see your edit in post #118 that involved Owl. Will you be adding to that post, since it says "to be continued"? I see you also have a later save up. Please let me know about #118. I'd like to post for Owl but I hesitate to do so until I know what your group is doing. (I can have him fly back to Mori and Stamo, or stay with you folk....)

Thanks.

No go ahead and post Child I've edited it to finish as is.

As to what our group is doing I'm at a loss, if Mori and Stamo are going to finish the creature off now, where does Greenbread figure in this story, is he to merely provide sanctuary for Wenda? where do you want to go with this LMP

Another question would be would not this creature figure that he is out matched by the two istari...perhaps being weaker than he once was, he decides to back off and go after Wenda, perhaps her fea would add greatly to his strength??? I'm sure he could root a few trees in an attempt to slow down Mori and Stamo and perhaps in the doing so stir Greenbread into helping somehow??? just a thought.

At the moment I am reluctant to bring Arato back in as it seems a bit much and too far of a stretch to have three against one, but it could perhaps tip the balance enough for the creature to retreat..... let me know what the rest of you think?

Green bread? :p

I like this direction, though. I can see this maiar thinking this kind of thing. Also, he'll be interested in also consuming Greenbeard and Mara while he's at Wenda. Therefore, Arato may be quite useful after all, if only he has the means of banishing this maiar to the void. Or have we rejected that?

oh oops, my apologies to his Entishness. :p

Hmmm I thought we had found it to be too far of a stretch that the sword would be that powerful, mmm what if instead of opening the void it could be used in some other fashion... perhaps entombing the creature below the Iron mountains? As the sword was forged by Aule perhaps it could draws upon the elements of the mountain to entomb this evil maiar without effecting the landscape without? Hmm.. but then how would we coerce this creature that has only just escaped a stone prison to walk willingly into another???? Any ideas?

Hmm..... I like it. With bait. Wenda-bait! :p

Ok Wenda-bait it is then :P I don't have time to fill Arato's 'intervention' post tonight but I will get to it ASAP!

Happy Birthday!!! Btw LMP ;)

Save #126 is filled.

I intentionally had him wrongly second guess the evil maiar as he is as yet unware that Wenda and Mara have left the inn.

LMP if you want to change your post and have the creature sense him as well or perhaps the sword as it has a subtle power of its own *shrugs* Just because Arato thinks he has masked his presence doesn't necessarily mean it is so ;)

Nice touch, Nerindel. Having characters be wrong about something is not a thing this writer remembers to do too often, and it makes for nice plot twists. I'll edit my post to account for Arato and then post again as soon as I can. May not be until the morrow....

That was a great post, Envinyatar! :)

How do we want to proceed from here?

I'm a little befuddled by the comment from Stamo (?) about someone calling for someone's aid. Um, huh? :confused:

I hope that Old Goody continues her story, and I hope to see another post from Nerindel about probably both Mara and Arato.

Child, we do hope to see a post from you regarding your owl, to fill in that 11 day old 'save'. ;)

But as to the tale. How close a call do we want to make this?

This is in reference to Undómë's post #125:



She is calling on The Hunter; though I doubt she knows his name as Oromë. He is the Huntsman of the Valar. And the Valar who sent the two blue robed istari and the one who hunted the creatures of Melkor in the early days.

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If you want to make this a fairly close call, then perhaps the two istari should go back to the Inn for some reason while Arato goes to protect Wenda and Mara. I can't see the creature lasting long against the two maiar.

What do the other gamers think?

Put it this way: a close call for Wenda. Mori and Stamo could with Arato be chasing the Maiar (what's his name?) and get to him just in the nick of time as he's trying to wrest Wenda's twin souls from her.

Littlemanpoet,

My sincere apologies. I will erase my save. I am bogged down with real life but there is a secondary problem here. To be truthful I have been stalling on this post because I am totally uncertain what to do with Owl. The way the story has panned out, there is no comfortable place for the animal creatures, since they are not the intended victims, nor do they have the power/clout to make any kind of positive contribution to killing the shadow thing. The best they can do is lie low or comment on what's going on.

Pio's and Tevildo's beasts have also stayed low (as have the hobbit folk at the actual Inn.) I don't know about Pio's characters but I do know Tevildo is hard put to come up with a meaningful way to involve the cat in the plot line and is therefore "sleeping it out".

From my personal perspective, there are two possibilities. Finish up the game quickly on the lines you've suggested...i.e, have a fast show down involving the major characters with the istari getting there after a near miss. The other option is to do what Envinyatar is suggesting. That idea looked interesting to me: that there be some kind of diversion that momentarily leads the wizards and the animal creatures back to the Inn. This would delay the wizards from confronting the nasty shadow, give the beasts and others at the Inn a chance to actually do something, presumably against some kind of threat. Once the Istari saw that the Inn folk and animals could stand up and fight on their own, they could even race back to help do in the shadow thing if that was desirable.

I am willing to go with either option, though the latter obviously has more leeway for my character. The advantage of option #1 (just focusing on the current central characters and plot) is that we get things tied up quickly. I can definitely understand if that's the preferred path. The advantage of inventing a sub-plot, by contrast, is that the original characters in the Inn would be able to lend a hand in some small way in the fight, plus Mori and Stamo would have an excuse for not being there right off to dispense with the shadow. The disadvantages of option #2 are that it would take longer to wrap up the story (even if we're careful to keep things short and sweet), and, sadly, I can't seem to come up with any credible notion as to what the threat to the Inn might be.

I would be quite happy to play this out along either of the lines outlined above but, like Envinyatar, would be curious to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. For the moment, I will leave the save there until I can confirm the direction we're going. I will erase it later if it's not needed.

The creature's names:

Tauramá (Mighty Hand) - original maiar name

Fëaricië (Soul Twister) - post corruption name

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Either way is fine with me to progress with the story.

If the istari do go back to the Inn, we could use the plot line that some of the dread-wolves (like the Wargs from the Hobbit) have become emboldened and are sweeping down from the hills toward the village . . .

Owl could get a message from wren about it, then the istari and Arato could split up . . .

Just a thought

Child, I am so sorry for not having even considered the story writing problems the animal and other character writers might be having! :eek: :( Thanks so much for bringing it up. I'm completely in favor of the evil maiar going back to the inn instead of straight to Wenda.

If everyone else is okay with it, I just need help knowing what I might need to edit in a few posts.

We don't really need the creature to return to the Inn, do we?

Can we make it a more handleable problem and use the wolves?

Well, that's true..... they could be wargs...? (not werewolves) :p

Hey, I like this idea, especially wolves (regular wolves would work)....a really creepy pack of hungry wolves following along in the wake of the shadow thing. Maybe someone could do a post for the wolves as they make their way towards the north intending to join up with the shadow creature but then see the Inn in their path and decide to stop and have a little "snack" first. :eek:

I don't think bringing the big shadow thing back to the Inn is a good idea. The animals would have the same problem dealing with it there as they did out in the forest and plain. The creature is just too powerful for them to make any real contribution to its defeat. I think we need a "villain" that's more their own size. You could have cooperation between the animals and the people at the Inn in order to defeat the wolves.

I do like the idea of the wolves. If you'd like, I can do a post where Owl decides to fly back to the Inn and check on the animals there. This would be a credible choice for him since he is nominally "leader" of those animals. He can do a reconnaisance flight above the Inn to check that everything's alright, see a ravenous wolf pack approaching from the south, then head straight towards the Inn and hoot out a warning to the residents to get ready for a possible attack. Finally, he would race back to Mori and Stamo to beg for their assistance.

If you think this will work, let me know and I'll get the post up.

"Wren" checking in here. Ready and willing to pull out the tail hairs of some nasty wolf and peck their evil little eyes out!!!!

Sincerely, the bloodthirsty, and sober at the moment, bird

I'm really excited to see this taking off for the inndwellers and animals. It was needed. Thanks, Child, for speaking up. :)

Owl should take flight tomorrow.... He had plans for tonight but got waylaid by an attack of the Easterlings in the Shire.

Save filled.

Good grief! I haven't the slightest idea how Owl can make known the danger he's seen and heard. Now that Mori and Stamo have left, how will those inside the Inn understand what is going on as they speak a different tongue? Right now all the animals have gathered in the courtyard and are making very loud, disruptive noises. Anyone care to have a stab at resolving this?

Save filled again.

Envinyatar -

When your characters arrive, they may notice a large mob of animals who have crowded into the Inn, hoping to get protection for their young ones. :rolleyes:

Good luck in sorting this out.....

SAVE filled :)

Do you want to start the attack of the Wolves, Child? Once we've done some brief posts maybe on getting ready for the attack?

- E -

The Hobbits have offered a plan that might make the wolves a more manageable foe . . .

Will Owl speak to his fellow birds and see if they would help?

Also, Huan, does Birger want to help the Hobbits? Does he have a bow he could use? Or even a good sling to throw little bladder-skins of oil at the wolves and rocks and whatever you can think of.

My save is filled with the description of the band. I hope I have the time of day right. (I have lost track of day and night.) I will edit if needed.

Tomorrow I hope to post for Owl.

Oooooh . . . this should be interesting . . . :D

Yum, yum. Songbirds..... :eek:

Tevildo has posed a question to Owl.

I am so happy to see that Wren is volunteering for Tevildo's songbird brigade. :p