Tapestry of Dreams, Part 2 Discussion

[littlemanpoet]

From my viewpoint, at Saethryd's it's a matter of taking Mellonin back into the group and heading on. I don't see the use in Saethryd joining the group because Celuien won't be available to write her. For that matter, I'm not sure it's desirable to bring Mellonin back into the group, for the same reason. She has found her brother, so that part of her quest is over. Why is she still involved? - - - because Helen gave her a dream. What was her dream? I haven't the foggiest what it was, or how it impinges upon the plot, especially without Helen here to write the character. Thus, she's just baggage. Sorry, Helen.

What Rûgh does is up to Firefoot. Ædegard & Leafa may now depart from the quest and go home to her papa.

As for the other group, they are chasing down Tharonwë, and maybe they'll catch up to him before he reaches Nimrodel, maybe not. I can't imagine him wanting them to. I suppose he'll have to start setting up ways to put his pursuers out of commission. So that could mean the deaths, or at least the injury (and decommissioning for the sake of this plot), of a number of what have turned into NPCs, which I personally wouldn't mind, because it's hard to carry around all these extras.

Frankly, I'd like to wrap this up soon. I'm out of patience with it.

There is precisely one thing that will bring me back into patience with this story: those characters for whom there are active writers, are the only ones left on the quest.

Imagine, therefore, if we only have Bergil, Indil, Raefindan, Aeron, Jorje, Rûgh (and Liornung should his writer become active), and Mellondu (just because he's central to the plot). A nice tight cast for a nice tight plot. Wouldn't that be refreshing?

[Imladris]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Frankly, I'd like to wrap this up soon. I'm out of patience with it.

Agreed a thousand times over.

I've lost track of the story and the characters and carrying the NPCs I find annoying.

I like the idea of Tharonwe slowing them down. =] Conflict, action, bring it on.

I would post for Aeron, but I'd like something for him to react to (An Indil post or a Tharonwe post), but if time is short I will write a forwarding post from his Point of View.

[Firefoot]

What Rûgh does is up to Firefoot.

I haven't decided yet... he'll probably follow them around for a bit, maybe helping, maybe hurting - he'll probably make his role more explicit once Tharonwe enters the scene - lesser of two evils and all that.

I've lost track of the story and the characters

Much agreed. And not having actually participated in the original, I find it all the harder to remember who's who and how the dreams all fit into the story - especially since there was such a time difference between the start of the planning for this one and the end of the original one.

[littlemanpoet]

Thanks for the responses.

Based on who is still actually writing, our characters are:

• Nuru: Liornung and Leafa
• LMP: Raefindan, Ædegard, Jorje (Marigold too for what it's worth), and Tharonwë
• Imladris: Aeron & Gwyllion
• Fea: Indil
• Firefoot: Rûgh
• Formy: Bergil

Those characters that have lost their writers are:

• Mellonin, sister of Mellondu (Helen)
• Mellondu, within whom lives Amroth (Helen)
• Ravion the Ranger and interested in Mellonin (Orual)
• Saethryd (Celuien)
• Bella (Aylwen Dreamsong)
• Erebemlin (Alaklondewen) & Taitheneb (who is already dispensed with)

Here's my proposal:

1. Have Ravion, Bella, Leafa and Ældewynn discover that Mellonin has received a severe head wound and needs to stay right where she is until they are sure she will live, and then they determine that she must be taken back to civilization. So they stay.

2. But word must reach the others, so Liornung volunteers to follow them and Jorje goes with him; but Ravion's ranger skills will be needed to help Liornung find the trail; once this is accomplished, Ravion urgently returns to Saethryd's cottage. Of course, they don't know that Rûgh is watching all of this and could have shown Liornung the way without Ravion having to go through all of this back-and-forth-ing.

3. Traps and whatnot start waylaying the party, and Erebemlin goes down with a wound (mortal?). Mellondu is the only npc that remains, beause he's essential to the plot. Unless we have it that Mellondu is discovered as Amroth's host by Tharonwë, and naturally Tharonwë tries to kill him (and succeeds?). But in the nick of time, Amroth somehow (we can figure it out later) conveys himself to another of the group (Bergil? Liornung? Aeron? ... not Raefindan because he already has Imrazor to dream about). And things move forward.

What do you think? Are there any other questions as to plot outline?

[Nurumaiel]

lmp, no thoughts or questions, just a brief note to let you know that come Monday I should be up and, at long last, ready to go! And hopefully nothing happens this time around to sidetrack me.

We had a rather chilly and wintery-feeling morning today, and I threw on a warm coat, sat by the empty fireplace, and played my violin... and all of a sudden I found myself missing Liornung, and most anxious to get back to him.

[Formendacil]

Interesting ideas... Alas, but I'm not seemingly able to add anything at the moment, possibly due to this being the first day of classes, and I'm brain-dead as a result...

Anyway, I certainly agree that there is too much deadwood on this RPG, and a serious pruning needs to take place--drastic as some deaths might be, they would probably help the plot a lot.

That being said, my character is probably the least-affected by the changes, unless Amroth DOES somehow transfer, which is a very interesting proposition, and one that both intrigues me and scares me, as a writer. That being said, I'd think the story BETTER if we could ideally preserve Mellondu, but only if he can remain an essential character. If he becomes baggage for the company, or a mere shell for a once-removed Amroth, then he might serve no good purpose to remain, and might be better killed--and would possibly provide a nice artistic contrast to Mellonin, who drops out of the story into a happy, quiet life.

Just some random musings on one of LMP's tangents, really...

At the moment, I'm sort of in the state of mind that it makes the most sense to have some postage about Tharonwë and Indil as they move on before bringing Bergil in after them, so I'm not so much procrastinating about posting, as procrastinating with a reason.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Hi. I'm here, just tired. First week of classes. Moving in, and classes, and homework, and meetings, and... Was it this stressful the last few years I did it?

I can post an Indil/Tharonwe moment this weekend (I'm afraid probably not before then), unless you (LMP) want to.

Though I like each character in turn, I'm all for culling to simplify the story and the writing. Theory is, if we're confused and bored writing it, how the x are casual readers going to feel? It's not like everyone has to die, they just have to get shunted out of the plot in a reasonably (but believably) fast manner. Once we're excited, the writing will reflect it.

And though I think it would be tragically pretty to have Mellondu kick it (especially if contrasted with Mellonin; just think: the innocent are those who suffer most), I also think he's a wonderful Amroth-carrier, and it would be superficial at best for us to remove him.

A side note: Indil's blocking out deaths. It's tugging at my mind that if she witnesses or finds out about deaths of those who have taken her in, and is forced to come to terms with it, it might toss her deeper inside her own mind's capabilities. Anything from insanity to more control over visions, to simply weeping helplessly out of fear and pain.