An Adventure of Hobbit Proportions Discussion Thread

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Valier

I want everyone to think about a good reason why your character would go on this journey and we can all work out how we meet. I figure we don't all have to be in Buckland, we can meet someone or someones..later on as we travel a wee bit.

Actually I thought about this possibility before. I thought it might be better that someone could be "picked" during the journey, it's more "natural". I don't have my character done yet, but I'm pondering the idea that this could be the case. My question on this will be, where I could expect my character to join, because most of the personal info stems from it. Of course, I could make some changes later according to the development of the story if you don't know already. But if you could tell me if you have at least vague idea through which places the company will travel, so that I could pick the place where I dwell.

[Valier]

We will be traveling North along the Brandywine river for a distance, Legate. I am sure you could be doing something along the river or the road where we could pick you up, if that is to your liking.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

That's what I wanted to hear. So that's along the Brandywine, not any short-cuts through the Shire itself (nothing like turning westward and taking the road to Oatbarton or or anything like that)? And the company is not taking any roads - just going along the river?

[Thinlómien]

Hello all! We seem to be having a merry little party here, yay!


Here's my character description form:

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NAME: Tansy Bogsworth

AGE: 44

RACE: Hobbit

GENDER: female

WEAPONS: Tansy carries her father's old hunting bow. It is a light and short bow, made of fir. She also has nineteen arrows with red feathers. Like always on longer journeys, she has her two knives: a broad and heavy one and a tiny one with her initials carved on the blade.

APPEARANCE: Tansy is 3'1'' which makes her relatively tall for a Hobbit woman. She is plump like most Hobbits and has a broad, friendly face (which is not uncommon for a Hobbit either). Her hair is brown, but there is no hint of red in her hair colour: it's a dry, slightly greyish brown. Tansy's eyes are green but there's brown and grey in them as well. She could be called pretty, even though the acne from her teens has left its marks on her face.

Tansy dresses as befits a Hobbit woman of her age and class. Her favourite colour is green and that shows in her choice of clothing. She is seldom seen in bright colours, with the exception of often wearing a yellow scarf.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES:
Tansy is a dutiful, family-loving, outgoing and hospitable woman. She's probably more reserved and less cheerful than the average Hobbit, but seems to share the general amiable Hobbit spirit. Still unmarried at 44 and having some un-Hobbitish interests, she is considered slightly odd in Brandy Hall, her home town.

Caring and brave, Tansy is ready to stand by those she loves and fight to the bitter end for them. She has courage to question the authorities and the norms. She is skilled in her work as a seamstress and has some special skills as well. She is specialised in different teas and loves trying to make new tea blendings. She knows also some minor healers' herb teas, the recipes of which she has either learned from her grandmother or discovered by herself. Tansy's fingers are nimble and she is more agile than the average hobbit.

Tansy's weakness is her pride. She takes pride in her work and in her choices, sometimes up to the point of arrogance. It is sometimes difficult for her to apologise or to admit she has been wrong. Her stubborness also makes her sometimes stick to the past and prevents her from seeing herself, others or the situation at hand from a new angle. She is nearsighted, which can cause her trouble, but she has learned to cope with it.

HISTORY:
Tansy Bogsworth, the firstborn of Robin Bogsworth and and his wife Maylily (originally surnamed Burrows), was born on a rainy autumn night in year 1532 S.R. Two years after her birth she got a little sister who was named Daisy. Six years after Daisy's birth the third child and only son of Mr and Mrs Bogsworth was born. He was named Fredegar after the famous guerilla leader Fredegar Bolger.

Tansy and Daisy were different, but close. In their teens and tweens they displayed curiousity that was remarkable even for young Hobbits. They roamed the towns and woods near and far, meeting new people and discovering new places. Sometimes they took their brother with them, but he was too young to be truly part of what his sisters shared.

When they grew up, Daisy gave up her adventures and independent life, but Tansy didn't. Daisy married the year she turned 33 and she's currently living with her husband Tom, their six children and Tom's old parents. Tansy remained unmarried, even though there was no lack of suitors for her. Though people didn't generally approve this behaviour, they understood that maybe the young woman didn't want marry just yet. ”Wait a year or two, now that her sister has married, and Tansy Bogsworth will be married happily just like her sister”, they said.

But Tansy Bogsworth didn't marry. She declined all proposals. When she was asked why didn't she accept any of her suitors, she replied: ”None of them has been the kind of man I'd want to share my life with.” This absurd statement was repeated in the taverns of Brandy Hall for years, usually accompanied with a laugh.

However, a more important reason for her to stay home and unmarried than the poor character of her suitors was Tansy's own family. Fredegar, a lumberjack, had been in an accident and his legs had been paralysed. His hands had been damaged as well. Some days, they were shaking so much he couldn't hold anything in his hands. Sometimes, they seemed normal yet even then they were weak and his fingers stiff. Grandmother Bogsworth was very old and sick, unable to do almost anything by herself. And Fredegar and Tansy's parents weren't getting any younger either.

”You need me here, mum. Grandma needs me, Fred needs me and you can't manage all the household chores alone. That's why I can't marry and move away and start having children”, she explained her mother one day when she had asked why didn't she even seriously consider the proposals she received. Her mother had answered that she needed to have a life of her own and that she could bring her husband to live with them, if he would agree. Tansy's reply was: ”If I'd find a husband who'd want to move here, I could consider marrying. But husbands want children and there's enough people in this household to take care of already!” So the matter was settled and Tansy Bogsworth remained unmarried.

Tansy loves to go for long walks and sometimes she is away even for days. She also has the fame of an incurable flirt. These facts combined with her marital status have made her a juicy subject of gossip for many of the townsfolk and a sort of idol to the local teens. Being blessed with the gift of storytelling and having more knowledge about the surrounding ares than most other townspeople, she has made friends with many young Hobbits who are eager to hear her stories. She has also made friends with some older women who admire her work either as a seamstress or as a tea-maker.

Though Tansy has lots of friends and is very close with her family, she sometimes feels alone. She does not know if it's because she has no friends of her age (they are all too occupied with their families), because she does not have a husband and children like everyone else (she rebukes herself for even considering this the source of her unhappiness) or because she has some unidentifiable yearning in her, the same yearning that makes her feet restless in the autumn, the yearning that was only satisfied in her wild teen and tween years.

[Finduilas]

Boromir, taking your younger sister would fix every problem I was having. I couldn't think of a last name, and I always have problems with the history part. I will make my bio to fit yours, and the name Mira works.

Would it be possible to change her age slightly? 16 would be a bit young... Maybe having her 18 years younger? That would put her at 20, and as I was planning my character to be youngish (23) that wouldn't be far off.

Tell me what you think, and I'll finish the history, then post my bio.

[Finduilas]

Well none of ye have been around, and me bio is mostly finished. So I'll here post it...

Finduilas's character

NAME: Mira Hilldweller

AGE: 20

RACE: Hobbit

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: None

APPEARANCE: 3’3" She has a very jovial face, with light brown, curly, long hair, and brown eyes. She is round but not particularly fat. Prefers light buttery yellows and moss green as dress colors, with brown accents.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Skittish of anything behind her that she can’t see, and is liable to squeak if she is touched unexpectedly. She dislikes being teased, and so rarely teases anyone else. She is generally happy and carefree, and is mostly unadventurous.

HISTORY: Mira’s mother died at her birth. Her father, Hugo Hilldweller, seemed to some to blame Mira for Rosemary’s, her mother, death, and therefore was slightly cold towards Mira. Mira’s older brother Rufus was extremely protective of Mira, occasionally to a point of being annoying. Rufus, or Rudy as he was usually called, was 18 years older that Mira, therefore he was very fit for the job. Mira, though as afore said occasionally annoyed by Rudy, loves him greatly, and would follow him around on occasion.

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Should I changer her appearance or personality? Or at least her personality?

[Valier]

Originally Posted by Legate

That's what I wanted to hear. So that's along the Brandywine, not any short-cuts through the Shire itself (nothing like turning westward and taking the road to Oatbarton or or anything like that)? And the company is not taking any roads - just going along the river?

Well.... I believe we will travel through Buckland and cross the bridge. After the bridge .....well I have some ideas.... but there is always room for a little side tracking is'nt there? I am sure if you had somewhere in mind that you wanted to start, we can find a way to "find" you. I think we should wait till we start and get going and let our characters find there way. I will be having Bunny lead the way a little bit, because of her map, but I am sure others will have other plans or ideas.

I love the bios. Hopefully we will hear from the maybes soon and then we can get down to discussing things and picking our name.......speaking of the name does anyone care for the one we have? It was just a spur of the moment thing, so I won't be hurt if anyone wants to change it.