[Child of the 7th Age]

Possible Approaches to our Story:

I. PRETTY CERTAIN

A. Time Crystal I think we mainly agree that Kali will be the guardian of the time crystal. This will free up the rest of the story line quite a bit.

B.Mith's Background We want to start off with this, if possible. We will fit in other things after that section either as live action or as stories being told and/or discussed.

II. UNCERTAIN

A. Tuor and Idril

1. T and I may appear as messengers from Valinor at the beginning of the story, OR

2. T and I will appear after we get the time crystal from Kali. Maybe their presence is automatically triggered when an Elf takes up the crystal and tries to make it work. Once again it is T and I's concern for the hobbit peoples (and perhaps their guilt about what happened in Gondolin), along with their Ulmo ties,that generates this. I wonder if Idril will be a bit flummoxed by Pio as the unlikely candidate for the task.

3. Drop T and I altogether. There are several problems with this. They are woven very tightly into the story at a number of points. They gave us the Morgoth memo re Beleriand and revealed certain things to Child and the hobbits regarding the prophecy and the role of the hobbits. (We could probably manage the memo from another source, but the prophecies and role of the hobbits would be much harder.) Also, they are part of the cristening scene. The Idril of Beleriand is not as Elflike or understanding as the one who came to us on the Star. She has obviously grown in compassion and understanding, and that growth is interesting to see.

Any other ideas?

My personal preference would be #1, or #2.

B. Pio's Role and Beginning of Story

1. "Pio, the Unlikely Candidate" ---We know Pio is not a sylphlike creature standing with yearning in her eyes at Grey Havens. But there aren't many hobbit/Elven blends around. Is it possible that she is the unlikely candidate to do this job, even if she doesn't like it, and even if T and I don't like it? I mean instead of coming to Grey Havens, T and I must go meet her in the sleazy tavern of Minas Tirith. Maybe Pio's initial reasons for taking on this task are not the idealistic ones that T and I might want or expect. Hey, Pio is out of money and she needs a good gig (well, maybe not that crude.) I do like the incongruity of this scene.

The Valar have nothing to do with this part. This is an Elvish matter. If I were Idril, I would not feel so good about escaping Gondolin, and having all those hobbits trapped. In this scenario, Idril is trying to make up for some of her own mistakes. (Hey, they didn't have to stick the hobbits by the North gate. Why weren't they closer to the secret tunnel?)

2. We go with something closer to Mith's suggestion and yours. Child finds some allusion to lost hobbits. This might come from one of several sources: something Bilbo said to her, an old lay (Helen could come up with something), a document, a story told by a Stoor family. She goes to Mith and his ship becomes the Star. Or Mith's ship is laid up and Pio wins the Star through a game of dice.

Does our ship need to be Elven? Or not?

3. Mean man uses ship for ill purposes (fake trips to Valinor?? for men and hobbits). We use Mith's ship to take off after him and do battle and win the ship.

Pat -- what general scenario do you feel most confortable with? I still like #1, but don't want to do anything that Pio would feel uncomfortable with Are the others better? Which one?

By the way, Child is too poor to hire Pio's ship, I think. The only one with any money at all would be Mith.

I vote for keeping the christenting.

IS IT YEAR 10 OF THE 4TH AGE??? I need to know this to build Child's background.