[Child of the 7th Age]

Annun,

Yes, I've already wondered about this since the first moment I suggested a migration.

There's going to be outlaws killed, no doubt about it. But some will survive. And I can't see Breelanders, Big or Little, going out and murdering unarmed women and children, even if they were attacked by the men.

I am also assuming that most of these people are not up for a fight to the death. There will be a hard, fierce battle with people killed on both sides. Assuming the brigands surrender, what happens then?

Perhaps some displaced villagers elect to hit the road again, perhaps back towards the area of the Forgotten Villages, which isn't far from the Weather Hills. These were occupied by hobbits for 250 years and were recently deserted.

Or possibly the Rangers would offer them a chance to start over by leading them to one of the mannish settlements in Arthedain that lies to the north? Pehaps the draught is less severe up north. These settlements were looking for good fighters to stand against the Witch King, and the refugees would be able to get their "revenge" against the true forces that caused their misery...

The Rangers will promise to keep an eye on them to make sure there's no more shenanigans as well as to help them get settled wherever they're going.

Neither of these are terribly safe places to live but in this period, no place is wholly safe. The serious trouble will start up in another 45 years.

I think this is more realistic than the Breelanders themselves offering to take any of the defeated enemy in. I do think that the more "sensitive" among the Breelanders will look out at the refugees departing to another locale and realize that "There, but for the luck of the draw, go I." I can see Andreth thinking this. Wars, even just wars, create hard situations and difficult choices.

We don't have to pin the specifics down now, but I am curious how others would approach this. Are these out and out nasties to be driven off the face of the earth? Or are they enemies to be defeated and then allowed, even helped, to find a place to live? I think we may be aiming for the latter. This is certainly the policy that Aragorn will later adopt after the war of the Ring. Frodo's treatment of Saruman is an even more extreme example of this kind of mercy.

What do people think?

BTW, I would say that this dilemma will force a different definition of "us,them" vis-a-vis hobbits and Big Folk. It will drive them together very fast and firm at the end of our story.

And I must say our little RPG has taken on layers of unexpected meaning. To say nothing of complexities that give me a headache! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

cami

[ August 28, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]