Wilderness, Weathertop, and Wild Things Discussion Thread

[Envinyatar]

Alright - Fen has agreed to go and show the massacre at the Whittleworth farm to the companions.

What we need now is this:

Thoronmir and/or Menecar - can you please do a scene where you either interview or talk about someone you've interviewed about an incident (make up the details any way you wish). It should happen somewhere not too far from Weather top and how you think that this incident could provide some clues.

Then we need one more incident for the third group to investigate - so Osric and/or Aidwain can you do something similar.

I'd like us to have these in place by the middle of next week, so that we can inspect the 3 places we've been referred to, then move on to the meeting at Weathertop.

- E -

[rutslegolas]

Osric would you please write the third incident ,I am afraid I am not too good at conversations

[Nuranar]

rutslegolas, in your post would you please have Aidwain go out the next morning instead of that night? It's already dark, and the market and shops in Bree would certainly be closed at that time.

Alaksoron, please check and reply to your PM's.

Nuranar

[rutslegolas]

Sure thing. Soory forgot it was night !!

[Alaksoron]

Nuranar, I am quite sure I do not want Osric to be seriously wounded. Forgive me if that is selfish. I am willing to have him wounded, however. Would a slash acros the left knuckles, severely impairing the use of that hand, and an arrow in the calf, thus causing him to limp, qualify as moderate? I would like for Osric to still be able to fight, even if he is not so dextrous. I can dramatize the difficulties he has using his hand if you like, as well.

Also, might I ask if there is a pre-ordained plan for getting Loudewater to join the party? If not, I would like to talk to you, Saurreg, about it.

[rutslegolas]

Nuranar,if Alaksoron ( Osric ) does not wish to be injured ,Aidwain can be injured I have no problems .

[Meneltarmacil]

Sorry I haven't posted at all this week, but I've had tons and tons of homework the whole time. I will make up for it this weekend though. Again, sorry I didn't post like you asked me.

[Saurreg]

Originally Posted by Alaksoron

Also, might I ask if there is a pre-ordained plan for getting Loudewater to join the party? If not, I would like to talk to you, Saurreg, about it.

Prattle on Alaksoron. I'm at all ears.

[Nuranar]

Saurreg and Alaksoron: Whatever you cook up between you, please keep me informed.

Meneltarmacil: I understand about the homework - believe me! I spent 4 hours in the computer lab today, and the assignment still isn't finished. If at all possible, though, please just post on the discussion. If things pile up for a couple days, let us know you can't post. That way the rest of us know to pick up the slack and keep going.
By the way, please tell Dragon Elf to check his PM's. I've just sent him one, but he hasn't seen the one I sent 5 days ago. Please tell him it's important to check those.

Alaksoron: In your last post, Osric has an Elven sword with a Sindarin name, which he translates for Aidwain (who already speaks it). It is so extraordinary for Osric to have this that it must be explained. The Rohirrim had virtually no contact with the Elves at any time, and they have their own separate language. Even the Common Tongue is only a second language for them. Please explain (1) how Osric got this sword and (2) why he knows Sindarin. (By the way, where did you find the translation for "Azar"?)

Also, Osric sounds a bit cocky about his ability as a swordsman. Especially, the way he speaks about Tarondo - an Elf - is almost insulting, and he's talking to another Elf. Elves are very very rarely seen by the Rohirrim, and Osric's casual attitude is very unusual to me. Frankly, he sounds quite disrespectful.
Are you intending Osric to be that sort of character? Because if so, I want to discuss how we're going to work that out in the rest of the story. Tarondo's a nice guy, but he's not going to stand for cockiness in this team.
If you're not meaning for Osric to be like that, would you please reword what he says? He can talk about being a blademaster without being boastful.

rutslegolas: Thanks for your willingness for Aidwain to be wounded. Is it all right if he's the one seriously wounded?

Oh, Alaksoron again: That's fine if you don't want Osric to be wounded - much. It's not a selfishness thing; it's just a preference. No problem.

That got me thinking, though. Everyone, if you need to, go back and re-read the plan for this RPG. We've got a long, tough road ahead of us to Rivendell. There are very few of us, only 9 when we pick up Andas Loudewater, and we're going up against 4 trolls and a whole troop of Orcs. The odds are pretty bad! The skirmish at Weathertop is only the very first step. We'll be fighting our way through for the next 150 miles.

So I'd like everyone to consider at least 1 injury of some kind, and quite possibly more. As Alaksoron talked about, there's a lot of variety in seriousness. What he suggested (slash across the knuckles and arrow in the calf) is from light to moderate. For our purposes, the seriousness of an injury is how incapacitating it is. Keep in mind that even small cuts may become infected and become serious. Be thinking about what your character can sustain.

I was going to fill my save tonight, but I'm too tired to be creative. Now that the business is out of the way, I'm going to recharge. I'll post in the morning. Sorry for the delay, but don't let me stop you!

Carry on!

Nuranar

[rutslegolas]

Thanks Envinyatar ,I have found a place to make camp ,and also found some footprints for you ( Veryadan ) to deduce some conclusions.

[Saurreg]

Here's my post that will set up my character's departure. please fill it in your save Envinyatar, thank you.

==========================

Andas Loudewater was humming an old melody to himself as he approached the farmstead riding upon his latest acquisition – a brown little pack mule. He had sauntered upon the live animal market at the town square on the way home and suddenly decided to take a look. It wasn’t long till he set his eyes on the said crossbred and fell for it’s dark black liquid eyes that seemed to convey ”Buy me Andas, buy me! I’m worth your entire month’s earning and more!” This was what the farmer did, much to the delighted surprise of the mule owner who knew that the value of the animal was far less than the amount of guineas he was receiving. But Loudewater did not mind, not one bit. He wanted an animal from the market square (which incidentally could have been a pair of sleepy salamanders further down the stalls) that day and he was pretty sure that he would not be leaving town without a buy. Besides what was money to him anyway?

Andas Loudewater was a new man. He was a happy man who wanted to go on a trip. He was also a new man who named his animals.

Meet “Killer”, Loudewater’s steed extraordinaire.

The mid-morning was blazing as the farmer arrived at his destination. He got off the mule, gave it an affectionate pat between the long furry ears before marching briskly into the cottage. He stepped onto the porch, swung the door open with aplomb and promptly hollered,

“HONEY I’M HOME!”

His enthusiastic introduction was greeted initially by the silence of the main room, but the inevitable was ensured. And it came from the solar,

“ANDAS LOUDEWATER! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHY WEREN’T YOU HOME LAST NIGHT?!”

The joy. It tickles your heart and keeps your body warm, like the gentle embrace of a loved one. The joy, it is a key that unlocks the door and let the bright rays of the sun in. Nourishing all with indescribable delight and hope.

“I WAS OUT DRINKING! I SLEPT IN TOWN!” Replied the farmer as he headed up the stairs towards the bedroom in brisk light steps.

He entered the bedroom, pulled his muddied boots and stripped off his soiled garments, tossing them carelessly onto the floorboards. He then reached for a large wicker case, flipped open the top and pulled out a white linen shirt, another brown tunic and a pair of trousers and put them on.

The now-familiar disembodied voice boomed,

“AND WHO SAID YOU COULD SPEND THE NIGHT OUTSIDE?! THERE WERE CHORES TO BE DONE THIS MORNING ANDAS! YOU HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES!”

The joy, it was louder than rolling thunder yet softer than a lover’s whisper. It was the uncontrollable laughter of innocent children at play but also the measured tones of a sagely storyteller.

Loudewater ignored the outburst and continued to put on his clothes. He took a sniff at the new tunic and decided that it needed further smoking.

There was the sound of a furry of steps and Helga appeared before the doorway of the bedroom, eyes blazing with unbraided anger. But that soon gave way to shock as she espied the guilty pair of boots and the crumbled heap of clothes.

“My… My floor,” She stammered without taking her beady little eyes off the obnoxious footwear, “Andas, what… what have you done to my nice clean floor?”

“Oh those! I was changing and I had to take them off. You can’t expect me to take off my trousers with those oversized things on could jah?” Loudewater replied nonchalantly as he struggled to buckle his leather belt.

He then picked up the offensive pair of scalawags, put them on again and headed out the door, sidestepping his wife who was still in a mystified state of disbelieving. Heading down the flight of stairs, he entered the kitchen and proceeded to raid the cupboard.

“Andas! How dare you! You… you…”

Helga was threatening her husband as she entered the kitchen but stopped mid sentence when she saw what he was doing. Loudewater was whistling to himself as he wrapped a large piece of dried spiced beef in fine muslin, he had already consigned a loaf of rye bread and generous wedge of aged cheddar to a similar fate. Beside them stood a large wooden flask filled with cheap ale.

“I love the smell of spiced beef in the morning,” he drawled teasingly to his wife, eyes sparkling with mischief, “it smells… it smells like success!”

The deed done, he then reached for a large sheepskin fanny pack and stuffed the mummified foodstuff into it. A couple of wind-dried (but still good) apples plucked from the tree in the backcourt were tossed in for a good measure. Loudewater then buckled the large bulging pouch onto his belt and grabbed the flask by its shoulder strap.

“Well, all packed and done. Time to go!” He proclaimed as he headed back towards the main hall, not even giving Helga the briefest of glances.

“Go? Go where?”

“Why, a trip of course! I’m heading east on the main road.”

“But why Andas? You can’t just go! You’ve got chores. The sheepfold needs fixing and the roof leaked last night, you have to thatch it!”

“That can wait dear. It won’t rain anytime now and you’ll just have to keep an eye out for ‘em sheep from time to time. But for now, TRIP!”

Andas affixed the sheath of his trusty old dagger onto the straining leather belt and grabbed the cope by the hood before opening the front door.

“But what about last month’s earnings from those wool shavings and the cabbages? Are you still holding on to the money purse? And what about me?” Inquired Helga, nonplussed and voice quivering. The fire had died in her eyes and was replaced by the dullness of doubt and fear.

“Not to worry dear,” Replied Loudewater confidently as he beckoned Helga to join him at the door which, she did so hesitantly, “I have invested it in this fine animal that will earn us great dividends in the near future! Helga, meet Killer!”

Loudewater pointed at the little brown mule which had somehow found its way into the garden vegetable garden and was helping himself to young immature greens. Killer took in Mrs. Loudewater with his dark liquid globes and whined appreciatively (at least that was what Loudewater thought). Helga just stood solidified, lower jaw hanging by their hinges.

“Well, gotta to go now, ‘tis a good day for riding.”

Loudewater stepped off the porch, went to Killer and led him out of the patch by the reins. As he led the mule onto the dirt road, the farmer cocked his head and deliberated.

He turned around and gazed at Helga with eyes that momentarily shone with compassion, love and surprise instead of the maniacal glint the dominated the entire morning. His voice wavier wavered and choked with emotion as he said,

“By God woman, you look… beautiful. By God…”

Loudewater stared at Helga for a while before turning towards Killer, mounting him and delivering the twin taps to its sides with the back of his heels that sent the animal trotting down the road, head bobbing up and down.

Loudewater’s thoughts were still on Helga. Mouthing over and over again,

“By God... by God…”

[piosenniel]

Saurreg

Post placed on game.

~*~ Pio

[Envinyatar]

Thanks, Pio!

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rutslegolas and Alaksoron

I've got us bedded down for the night. The three of us have had a brief look at some of the footprints.

Can one of you get us up and going the next morning? We should go a little further forth along the marshes and find evidence of the killed shepherd and his dog.

Let's get some speculation going on how an entire flock of sheep could be carried off. Say we not a number of sheep hoofprints around the drying mud, then they just seem to disappear into thin air . . .

Be creative - we don't know for certain that there are trolls about . . .

[Kransha]

My post is up, and the baddies are off.

Any of you goodies have any "preferences," or would you prefer to leave the matter of greivous injury-making to us fearsome villains?

[Nuranar]

Kransha, I'm willing for it to be first-come first-serve, meaning your people take a few whacks at us, then we respond and add anything more we want. This'll alternate, of course, depending on when and in what order people post. I'm allowing a full two days for the battle, so don't cut it off short.

Just to make sure everyone's clear on the KEM's order of appearance: (That's King Elessar's Messengers, btw.)

1. Veryadan, Aidwain, and Osric are going to be ambushed by the baddies. Veryadan's going to be seriously wounded at some point in the battle. (I don't know how he's going to handle that.)

2. Luinien, Thoronmir, and Menecar will show up part-way through, perhaps Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, depending on how many people have gotten their posts in. They will semi-rescue the first three, keeping them from being squashed right away. But the baddies aren't about to cut and run, although perhaps it'll take them some time to gear up from "playing around" to "seriously trying to do damage." Luinien will probably take a hit - er, a wound - at some point during this phase. (Sorry for the Civil War reenacting lingo! )

3. Tarondo and Silrûth will arrive last, on Thursday, or sooner if the battle's to that point. I have visions of our friendly neighborhood Amazon Elf charging into the fray; perhaps the appearance of one such Elf, plus another, will make our baddies decide to lay off for the time being.

If I've confused anyone, just say specfically what you're wondering about. I'd love to explain!

Carry on,
Nuranar

[rutslegolas]

Well I have done my post about hunting a rabbit and finding something more intresting

I am ready to kick some major orc butt

[Saurreg]

So i take it that my character arrives at weathertop first? Or do I arrive later and witness a grand battle between the first group of investigators and the villains.

Need guidance. Help! Help!

[Nuranar]

Saurreg,

I'd rather Andas didn't get to Weathertop until well into the battle. "Well into" signifying after the first group (Veryadan, Aidwain, and Osric) and possibly after the second group (Luinien, Thoronmir, and Menecar). You could even have him show up right at the end.

The point is that he'll be with them and he's trollbait if he goes back to Bree. I don't mind if he participates in the battle somewhat. But I'd like you to think it through first: Is he more likely to cut and run (like the old Andas) or to jump in the fray with both feet (like the new Andas)? Will the sight of violent death and in-progress battle cause the new Andas to revert to the old? Will it have the opposite effect?

Just to jump-start your thinking. Let me know what you decide, or pose a specific question and I'll discuss it some more. Carry on!

Nuranar

[Saurreg]

Great! I'll take up your suggestion Nuranar. My character will arrive only when the battle is raging furiously. And compared to the other characters, I can assure my character's response will be distinctively Loudewater.

So when I fill up my save, it will still be loudewater on the way to Weathertop. I will keep an close eye on developments and slot in another save where most appropriate.

Where Loudewater goes on from there will be purely RPG interractive.

BTW, just a reminder, Meneltarmacil and I have come to an agreement that his character will be injured trying to save mine. But that will be much later.

[rutslegolas]

I have written about the general attacks of the trolls ,now can someone come and resuce us ??

[Envinyatar]

I'll second the request for reinforcements!

Veryadan is now quite out of commission.

Osric has his hands full with the last two Orcs.

The two Trolls have turned their attention to Aidwain, whose arrows actually are having some effect on the ungainly creatures . . .

[Nuranar]

I've put up a save for the reinforcements - that is, Luinien, Thoronmir, and Menecar. If all goes well I should fill it by the evening. (I'm in the lab once again.)

Kransha, if you want to get in first, you can have my save.

Meneltarmacil, way to come through! One request: We were supposed to investigate the merchants who disappeared, not the shepherd and flock. An easy mistake to make. Would you like to modify that?

GREAT work, everyone! I'm thrilled how swiftly we're moving along.

Nuranar

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EDIT BY PIO:

Nuranar and Meneltarmacil

I'll just go ahead and change the word 'shepherd' to 'merchants'.

[rutslegolas]

Aidwain has now injured a troll ( Baddies can you decide which one of them with an arrow in one of his eye ),and he is now looking after Veryadan's state of injuries.

[Saurreg]

Question: is the battle taking place at the summit of the hill beside Weathertop, or some distant downhill between the woods and the hillside clearing?

ED: I'll wait and see if anyone else wants to deliver his/her coup de grâce to a very unfortunate orc before posting. Am I right to say that so far only Primrose's trolls are leading the assault supported by a small number of orcs?

Can we see more orcs?

[Kransha]

There are currently no orcs on Weathertop.

If anyone puts a post up after my save, that person may assume that there are orcs on the summit. I have already described the dimensions of the second wave (See Post #217 above). My save, unfortunately, cannot be filled until tonight, so do not wait for it to be filled if you want to do some hacking at the orc company.

[rutslegolas]

Nuranar

Post edited,and who is going to treat the wounds of Veryadan someone expert in medicinal herbs of Middle-Earth ??

[piosenniel]

Please Note:

Tark refers to a man of Numenorean descent and was also used to refer to men from Gondor. It does not refer to Elves.

It is most likely a debased form (Black Speech) derived from the Westron or Common Speech word Tarkil (Man of Numenor), which in turn is probably a variation of the Quenyan word, Tarcil (Ship King)

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Alaksoron

Where in Tolkien's writings is your reference for the fact that Orc blood is like acid and can corrode metal?

[Kransha]

Thank you, pio. I knew that, but my mind is rather muddled at present. The whole Black Speech mini-dictionary is back on Page 2, if I remember correctly. Your knowledge of canon is far more immediate thank mine.

OK, to sum up, it appears that there are 3 orcs left. One nameless orc, Bubkur, and Kransha. Bubkur is in combat with Thoronmir, and is apparently wounded. The unnamed orcs is good to go down, so I'll let him be slain, though Kransha will be the one to resolve that the orcs must flee the field, probably because of the lack of troops and the heavy injuries done to the trolls.

Since I cannot actually post until circa 6 o'clock EST tonight, I'll put up a save now. You all have the details of the retreat, so post at your leisure in the wake of that save. Sadly, these past few days have borne an extremely chaotic chain of real life events for me, which has limited my surfeit of posts, but that ends tonight. Final notes: Meneltarmacil, your idea of building an unspoken enmity between Bubkur and your character is a good one. If it is manageable, I'll have Bubkur engage Menecar several more times before the battle at the Stone Trolls.

Is all this doable, coherent, comprehensible, and legible? I certainly hope so. I have to go take a couple of orc-brand aspirin before I fall over. As per my post above, the retreat save will be up between 6 and 7 o'clock tonight (Eastern time, by the way).

[Kransha]

'Ello, 'ello.

Bazzog/Grathgrob/Bubkur/Kransha/Ugwakh reporting for duty.

Would it be possible for a list to be compiled of all the goodies who plan to be wounded by, fight with, or do damage to my own characters. I will be fine with anything that is done, but I would like to know who is doing it and what it will be. As far as I know, my orc character, Kransha, will be wounding Meneltarmacil's character at a battle at the Stone Trolls' location, and then face off again Saurreg's. But, I know next to nothing about what is supposed to occur at Weathertop in several days. Anything I should know...that I don't know already?

Thanks, in advance.

[Envinyatar]

rutslegolas

Please see my post #80 on the game.

We spent the day looking about the area of the marshes and are now heading back toward our camp, discussing as we go, what we've found.

Veryadan has asked Aidwain if he could make any sense out of the footprints they saw. We've agreed there are Trolls and Orcs - but can Aidwain make a guess at the number of Trolls involved in killing the shepherd and his dog?

Perhaps his particularly sharp Elven eyes were able to distinguish four different sets of those large footprints.

There are too many footprints of the Orcs about and they are too smudged to make a guess on them. But they add their weight to the idea that behind the Troll attacks there are the cunning brains of Orcs.

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Nuranar

Can you please handle the question of who will be injured at the initial encounter on Weathertop?

Thanks!

Day after tomorrow - real time - I will get our group to the top of Weathertop. OUr investigations will be done. We will arrive there first, planning to meet the other two groups when they arrive and share our information.

[Primrose Bolger]

oooh . . . 3 saves from the spawn of shadow contingent!

We are a restless lot!

[rutslegolas]

Ok Envinyatar I have my post up

But where is Osric you seem to say he goes alone to investigate??

[Nuranar]

At Weathertop[

Veryadan will be seriously wounded. Several others will be at least slightly injured in some way. The baddies can indicate this is their posts and we will respond; we can also have our own characters be injured without the baddies writing about it.

Please keep in mind the kind of fighting we'll be doing: Much less fencing than a knock-down drag-out brawl. Plus whoever goes up against a Troll is more likely to get things broken than to be stabbed. You'll want to stay away from the orcs' blades/knives/axes/whatever, if possible. Most of your characters should be experienced enough to protect themselves. Things WILL happen, though.

Esgallhugwen,

I have put up a SAVE for your post. Please put it up on the discussion, and then either I or Pio (whoever gets to it first) can fit it into the save. Thanks!

Nuranar