The Fellowship of the Fourth Age: A New Beginning Planning Thread - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

piosenniel · 06-18-2006, 01:17 PM

About Orcs and their eating habits --- how about, besides making the land more arable for crops and such, the Fellowship introduces animal husbandry to the Orcs. That would seem to me to be a better fit for them -- as a sort of herdsmen people - goats perhaps to take out to pasture - meat, milk, hides; pigs and chickens at home. I think Orcs could grasp quite easily the concepts of raising animals in herds, safeguarding them. Goats could learn to adapt to the sparse Mordor lands. And if they fancied horses, I think they would soon find it impossible to sustain a herd there. Since slavery is now disallowed, raising humans for food crops would also be seen as an inadvisable move.

I would think the Orcs would be ones to position themselves for their advantage. They can grasp the idea that eating people or other peoples' horses would not be an advantageous move. And they could understand,too, how the radical actions of individuals would negatively impact their group. I would think their leaders would deal such individuals a hard blow, if not a final one. (Geez - I have the image of Orcs as Klingons running through my mind at the moment . . . old trekker here

)

Meat from their animals could be exchanged for the crop-foods grown by the other group. The concept of an open market place for the two settlements could be introduced, allowing them to become economically dependent on one another.

~*~ Pio

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EDIT I reset the name of the thread - is that alright with everyone?

-----

Child of the 7th Age · 06-18-2006, 01:38 PM

Pio -

Funny you should say that. Ever since I began thinking about "reformed" Orcs, I have been thinking of them as Klingons or possibly a cross between Klingons and Plains Indians!

Yes, herding is a possibility as well as hunting. Actually, I can see the women herding and the men hunting, and perhaps having the women be more successful than the men.

I wonder if Orcs would have the ability/desire to "herd" or "capture" any wild animals that normally wouldn't be kept or hunted by a simple human farmer? Nothing in particular comes to mind....it just seems suited to their nature. I have no idea what kind of animals are running around Mordor with Sauron gone 19 years. Surely there must have been some.

Too bad there aren't any buffalo herds or wild warthogs or wild boars (or are there?). Wild boars would seem to be well suited to the Orc culture--good meat and a chance to prove themselves on some kind of pecking order, i.e., wild and dangerous and who's the best hunter. If there were edible wild animals of some type, it would also be another possible connection between the two cultures. The ex-slaves would certainly appreciate not having wild boars come tearing into their village.

Or are there other animals more suited to the climate and weather conditions of Mordor?

________________

Welcome back, Durelin!

Child of the 7th Age · 06-18-2006, 02:10 PM

Aiwendil's profile is in the proposal box. It is gargantuan, and I will try and edit/hack tonight. But the poor fellow has a real history that I felt compelled to include.

Aiwendil breaks all the rules for characters but that is because of who he is. He really did have a staff and the ability to change shapes. However, since he is a modest fellow who tends to shrink from responsibility and Manwe has instructed the Istari to remain low key, I do not think he will use these powers very often, at least not in public.

Pio - thread name looks good!

piosenniel · 06-18-2006, 02:19 PM

Lovely!

re: Orcs

I think the bases of those two arms of the mountain ranges that nearly cut off Gorgoroth from Nurn could sustain huntable animals - some small wily mountain goats, wild pigs in the scrubby growths of the foorhills, near the water sources. And yes - they would love to raid the gardens and fields. There might even be the occasional small hunting cat.

I do think that perhaps there would be tasty lizards and rodents of some sort available. The Orcs could keep guinea pig like animals, too, as a source of meat.

Child of the 7th Age · 06-18-2006, 06:43 PM

Tasty lizards and rodents....yum! Those dainties sound like the type of dish that could get to be a favorite in the absence of human flesh.

Guinea pigs?? Please. I once had a cavy who won first prize at the state fair. No orc is going to get his hands on him.

piosenniel · 06-19-2006, 02:23 AM

Now, now - about guinea pigs:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Guinea pigs, or cuy, cuye, curí, were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes.

As food, the guinea pig is described as a combination of rabbit and the dark meat on chicken, though in colour, taste, and the fineness of bones the gourmet will be reminded of quail. It is high in protein (21%) and low in fat (8%). Due to the fact that they require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce extremely quickly when compared to traditional stock animals, they can be raised as a source of food in an urban environment—unlike most western livestock animals.

To this day, cuyes continue to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains highlands, where they are an important source of protein and a mainstay of Andean folk medicine. Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million Guinea pigs each year, and the animal is so entrenched in the culture that one famous painting of the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cusco, Peru shows Christ and the twelve disciples dining on guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are also consumed in Ecuador, mainly in the Sierra region of the country, but are not depended upon as a staple source of protein.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A question on the character list:

What is the difference between an Ex-slave character and a slave escapee character. I'm too tired to look for it at present.

~*~ Pio

Child of the 7th Age · 06-19-2006, 02:56 AM

A slave escapee is one of the group of 50 people who just escaped from the plantation and have run down to the river to hide in the caves.

An ex-slave is one of a group of about 15 people who escaped from a plantation some time ago. They have already been hiding in the caves for a while, but their numbers have been severely decimated by frequent Orc attacks. They are the ones who advise the slave escapees that it is not wise to stay in the area, and they must all find someplace to go.

The two slave groups will be posting together from the beginning of the RPG so there's no problem about that. The second post of the game will be the meeting of the slaves and ex-slaves with the members of the Fellowship. (We will obviously skip over the journey, either with a few words or in a single post.) The group that will be posting on its own at the beginning is the Orcs, which is why I am concerned they have some steady writers.

______________
Lizards and rodents are fine but I draw the line at guinea pigs. And if anyone takes a swipe at my cat, he will surely die......

06-18-2006, 01:17 PM	#1
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	About Orcs and their eating habits --- how about, besides making the land more arable for crops and such, the Fellowship introduces animal husbandry to the Orcs. That would seem to me to be a better fit for them -- as a sort of herdsmen people - goats perhaps to take out to pasture - meat, milk, hides; pigs and chickens at home. I think Orcs could grasp quite easily the concepts of raising animals in herds, safeguarding them. Goats could learn to adapt to the sparse Mordor lands. And if they fancied horses, I think they would soon find it impossible to sustain a herd there. Since slavery is now disallowed, raising humans for food crops would also be seen as an inadvisable move. I would think the Orcs would be ones to position themselves for their advantage. They can grasp the idea that eating people or other peoples' horses would not be an advantageous move. And they could understand,too, how the radical actions of individuals would negatively impact their group. I would think their leaders would deal such individuals a hard blow, if not a final one. (Geez - I have the image of Orcs as Klingons running through my mind at the moment . . . old trekker here ) Meat from their animals could be exchanged for the crop-foods grown by the other group. The concept of an open market place for the two settlements could be introduced, allowing them to become economically dependent on one another. ~~ Pio ------------------------------------------------------------------------ EDIT* I reset the name of the thread - is that alright with everyone? ----- __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside. Last edited by piosenniel; 06-18-2006 at 01:30 PM.

06-18-2006, 01:38 PM	#2
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	Pio - Funny you should say that. Ever since I began thinking about "reformed" Orcs, I have been thinking of them as Klingons or possibly a cross between Klingons and Plains Indians! Yes, herding is a possibility as well as hunting. Actually, I can see the women herding and the men hunting, and perhaps having the women be more successful than the men. I wonder if Orcs would have the ability/desire to "herd" or "capture" any wild animals that normally wouldn't be kept or hunted by a simple human farmer? Nothing in particular comes to mind....it just seems suited to their nature. I have no idea what kind of animals are running around Mordor with Sauron gone 19 years. Surely there must have been some. Too bad there aren't any buffalo herds or wild warthogs or wild boars (or are there?). Wild boars would seem to be well suited to the Orc culture--good meat and a chance to prove themselves on some kind of pecking order, i.e., wild and dangerous and who's the best hunter. If there were edible wild animals of some type, it would also be another possible connection between the two cultures. The ex-slaves would certainly appreciate not having wild boars come tearing into their village. Or are there other animals more suited to the climate and weather conditions of Mordor? ________________ Welcome back, Durelin! __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

06-18-2006, 02:10 PM	#3
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	Aiwendil's profile is in the proposal box. It is gargantuan, and I will try and edit/hack tonight. But the poor fellow has a real history that I felt compelled to include. Aiwendil breaks all the rules for characters but that is because of who he is. He really did have a staff and the ability to change shapes. However, since he is a modest fellow who tends to shrink from responsibility and Manwe has instructed the Istari to remain low key, I do not think he will use these powers very often, at least not in public. Pio - thread name looks good! __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote. Last edited by Child of the 7th Age; 06-18-2006 at 02:18 PM.

06-18-2006, 02:19 PM	#4
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Lovely! re: Orcs I think the bases of those two arms of the mountain ranges that nearly cut off Gorgoroth from Nurn could sustain huntable animals - some small wily mountain goats, wild pigs in the scrubby growths of the foorhills, near the water sources. And yes - they would love to raid the gardens and fields. There might even be the occasional small hunting cat. I do think that perhaps there would be tasty lizards and rodents of some sort available. The Orcs could keep guinea pig like animals, too, as a source of meat. __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.

06-18-2006, 06:43 PM	#5
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	Tasty lizards and rodents....yum! Those dainties sound like the type of dish that could get to be a favorite in the absence of human flesh. Guinea pigs?? Please. I once had a cavy who won first prize at the state fair. No orc is going to get his hands on him. __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

06-19-2006, 02:56 AM	#7
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	A slave escapee is one of the group of 50 people who just escaped from the plantation and have run down to the river to hide in the caves. An ex-slave is one of a group of about 15 people who escaped from a plantation some time ago. They have already been hiding in the caves for a while, but their numbers have been severely decimated by frequent Orc attacks. They are the ones who advise the slave escapees that it is not wise to stay in the area, and they must all find someplace to go. The two slave groups will be posting together from the beginning of the RPG so there's no problem about that. The second post of the game will be the meeting of the slaves and ex-slaves with the members of the Fellowship. (We will obviously skip over the journey, either with a few words or in a single post.) The group that will be posting on its own at the beginning is the Orcs, which is why I am concerned they have some steady writers. ______________ Lizards and rodents are fine but I draw the line at guinea pigs. And if anyone takes a swipe at my cat, he will surely die...... __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

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