Númenórean Blood Runs Black Planning/Discussion Thread

[Bêthberry]

I hope it isn't out of place to suggest this link for Seafaring and schooner vocabulary . Just so everyone 's rowing to the same starboard.

You wouldn't want to end up rowing around in circles now, would you?

[Eorl of Rohan]

Er, Esau, you're a girl?

[Alcarillo]

Originally Posted by Dunwen

Would Gondor issue any kind of uniform to its common soldiers (perhaps a plain helmet with noseguard and a black padded jerkin with a cheap yet tasteful rendition of the White Tree and Stars ), or do we wear our civilian clothes?

In all the nautical movies and pictures and cross-sections I've seen (quite alot in the past few days), the soldiers are in uniform. So yes, I would say that the soldiers would wear some sort of uniform at most if not all times, in varying degrees of battle-readiness; i.e., fancy armor for battles, that black padded jerkin you mentioned for patrolling the ship, other sorts of soldiers' clothing for rest and relaxation, etc.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Er. In my character bio, I said 'the blue and silver of Gondorian Guards', not knowing the color or indeed anything of the Gondor unifom, so, if anyone knows any better, tell me and I'll change it.

[Dunwen]

Please see post #121 on the following page - Character Bio moved there for ease of transfer to the Discussion Thread.

~*~ Pio

[piosenniel]

Note on colors:

White on blue would most likely represent the troops of Dol Amroth.

White on black, especially the White Tree wtih its seven stars on a field of sable, are the colors for Gondor.

[Amanaduial the archer]

Ferethor hates Hedge's character for a captain's pet, he hates Aman's character because Ferethor tried to kill him once (a scar at the wrist to remind him), and eventually got only his lieutenant beaten to death and him alive (he feels REALLY bad about this, as he was the one who thought it up and talked Lieutenant Linvail into it, the only person he knew on the ship), Spawn's character because he was the one who took Linvail's place at the oars (This is unrealistic, but perfectly admissible, as he keeps reminding Ferethor of Linvail), he hates the row-soldier as he put it because he was the one who whipped him to shreds on his first post, etc.

I'm sorry, could you just clarify this: you wish my character to have tried to kill yours, or vice versa? 'Cos believe me, if Rakin had tried, you'd have a helluva lot more to remind you than a wee scar on your wrist. Also, I don't quite understand the part about the Lieutenant? However, by all means hate Rakin - you're perfectly justified, having had a life of slavery and all that jazz; besides, everyone else seems to.

Spawn - sure, that's fine. Hiriel and Anguiriel have written their posts with the ship in motion, I believe, so that'll fit in just fine.

Fordim - is your character going to come onto Fame and Fortune at the beginning of the game, or would you prefer him to already be on? I mean, why not start off the game for the corsairs for a nice wee coastal village raid and take a few prisoners? Failing that, to stick with your idea of him having been a 'high-ranking' slave in a previous posting (for lack of a better word), we could meet with another ship and take him on board? Just one thing though: if he had been caught trying to stir up rebellion amongst other slaves on another ship, my guess is that he would have long since relinquished his hold on this life, and certainly wouldn't be passed on to plague another ship and another captain - unless we're getting into confused and complex-imicated ideas of wider ranging plots against Rakin, destroying his ship and ruining his reputation in the process. Which, y'know, pardon me if I'm becoming paranoid, but bearing in mind the current disposition towards Rakin... However, I think this would be a little unlikely bearing in mind that Azaryan and Sangalazin are travelling on the ship - it is unlikely in the extreme that another corsair captain would put the Lords of Umbar in danger like that. So maybe if you were to think up another 'crime' that has had your character so unceremoniously shunted from his priveleged position on another ship onto mine? Be as creative as you like - Rakin doesn't have to know at the beginning - but inciting slave rebellion would probably have led only to death. Maybe he was otherwise involved with an unruly gang of slaves, but as he is otherwise a 'good slave' and held the position of slave commander on his previous ship, he was not punished by death and so has simply been moved, so as to be away from the negative influence of his fellows. Doncha know. I don't know, whatever works for you, just an idea.

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

PLACED ON DISCUSSION THREAD ~*~ PIO

Er, Esau, you're a girl?

Most definitely.

Well, here we go...

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Character Description Form:

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

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? None.

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

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dancing spawn of ungoliant's character


NAME: Jagar

AGE: 26

RACE: Men (Haradrim)

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: A piece of rope.

APPEARANCE: As a Southron Jagar's complexion is dark and he has brown or almost black eyes. His hair is short, curly, ragged and as dark as his eyes. Jagar is scrawny but tall. Some say that there would be Numenorean blood in his line but most think it's just a mere story Jagar's tribe's women cherish. The only feature that could be Numenorean origin is his height. He is worn and sweat has hardened his clothes. He sits a couple rows behind Ferethor on the right side of an aisle between the slaves.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Jagar has been aboard only a few months but the horrible conditions are taking their toll on him and sometimes he seems slightly mad. He talks to himself, hums and acts indifferently. He tries to deny the reality and escape into his imagination by seeking consolation from nature and songs. Jagar is confused because he begins to realize how much his tribe's culture contradicts with his own values.

Jagar is independent and he'd like to be alone but it's quite impossible considering he is in chains with hundreds of other slaves. Therefore he isn't very talkative but he's not hostile either.

HISTORY: Jagar was a member of a large and powerful tribe. He travelled to the sea as a boy and fell in love with the local lifestyle. When Jagar grew up he left to the coast to live on his own.


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dancing spawn of ungoliant's post

The hot air below deck smelled of sweat and blood. Jagar gasped and felt his heartbeat pounding in his throat. A man sitting next to him had collapsed onto the oar unable to force his tortured body to work any longer. Although it was gruesome, the sight made him chuckle. The limp body of the man swung to-and-fro with every pull making him look like a puppet and making rowing even harder. Was he dead? No, not yet. "Will be soon", Jagar mumbled to himself. "Isn't this something! Great ships with crimson sails, wasn't that what you wanted to see?" a little voice jeered inside his head.

When Jagar was a mere boy, he had travelled north to the coast with his father to inspect their tribe's lands. He had seen proud ships setting off from the harbours, the sun dazzling on foaming waves and screaming flocks of seabirds that circled above docks waiting the fishermen to clean their catch. As time passed, Jagar didn't forsake the sight of the glimmering sea and he longed for the freedom that the life on the coast breathed. Getting captured was not part of the plan.

During these months aboard Jagar had learnt that by keeping up with the pace and holding your tongue you could keep the whip away. The man sitting next to him had done neither. Rankling wounds run across his back making his remaining clothes sticky with matter. Jagar thought of his family. They had kept slaves, too, people from scattered and weak tribes who had chosen thralldom over death.

A whip of lash whizzed past Jagar's ear hitting the man next to him on the back and spattering blood drops around. The poor man moaned hoarsely as a new wound ripped the old scars open and coloured his ragged shirt carmine red. There was a time when this sight would have made Jagar feel sick but now he just stared forward squeezing the oar. The man was detached from his chains and dragged away. A few rows from Jagar another man was being beaten for dropping his oar.

Jagar moved quickly to the seat beside the oar hole and breathed the salty air. Finally he could see a glimpse of the swelling sea and boundless sky. How free the seagulls were! He wanted to wring their necks, shoot them down, so they couldn't fly around the cursed ship as though mocking him. No, he wanted to be one of them and ride with the breeze that blew from the vast ocean and hailed a new dawn. But here Jagar was chained in a ship and going to war against Gondor.

Harad was an enemy of Gondor as was Umbar. Jagar had learnt that long ago. If he was a free man, he would have gone to war gladly but not like this, not as a thrall trapped in an Umbarian ship. They made slaves row under pain of torment and death, but if he ever reached Gondor, what would the battle be but torment and death? Maybe he would die pathetically as an old man holding an oar after wasting his years rowing Numenorean lords from war to war. They would just throw him overboard for the sport of different sea creatures and keep conquering the world. This thought made him chuckle again. But why would he have been so eager to go to war against Gondor? He had no personal reason to hate that land. Jagar tried to reminisce an old song his mother had used to sing but the words escaped from his mind. Something about wind and horizon...


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And now, what do I need to change? Typos, weird expressions, mistakes? Pio and Eorl have helped me really much already with all this but tell me if there's something you don't like. I'll be away next fortnight so I can't make the changes myself, though.