Hard Winters Planning/Discussion Thread

[Arry]

OK - so here are my characters ---

NAME: Secg

AGE/GENDER/RACE/WHERE FROM: 7 y.o. Eorling boy; lives in the woods southeast of the Scarburg Meadhall

APPEARANCE : Scrawny, agile kid with brown eyes and dark blond hair that sort of sticks out wildly all over his head. His older sister, Fana, tries to corral him and keep it snipped to a shortish length. It’s of no bother to him that his head looks like a clump of sedge-grass has sprung up on top. It’s always been that way and if he needs to look presentable, he simply puts on a cap. Fana, his sister, keeps his clothes clean and mended as best she can. He’s a rough and tumble sort of kid and there are always tears and holes here and there for her to patch.

BITS OF CHARACTER/HISTORY YOU FEEL MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN DEFINING THE CHARACTER:
Fiercely devoted to his sister and his little brother. A bright, quick mind – but sometimes his schemes get him into a bit of trouble. He takes care of and is quite fond of Naep, his nanny-goat. During the harsh wintertime, Naep lived inside the stone hut with straw-thatched roof that served as the family’s residence
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NAME: Thystel

AGE/GENDER/RACE/WHERE FROM: 5 y.o. Eorling boy (see Secg’s bio for where they live)

APPEARANCE : Sturdy little boy, just on the cusp of lengthening out like his brother. Dark blond hair much like his brother’s – sticking out all over, unless his sister can catch him and get it brushed into some semblance of order. He’d rather just shove it under a cap, though, like his big brother. He wears his brother’s hand-me-downs and looks at times like a patchworked little fellow.

BITS OF CHARACTER/HISTORY YOU FEEL MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN DEFINING THE CHARACTER:
Serious faced, given to scrutinizing strangers to the point where they often feel a bit uncomfortable. He has an able mind like his brother and sister and catalogs a great deal of information away in the mind behind his innocent little face. He’s his brother’s little shadow – trying all the things his brother does. He, too, is fiercely devoted to his sister. He takes care of the family’s chickens – only one of which has made it through the winter with them. Her name is Ulcia (Ully, for short), and she too, has wintered inside the hut with the family and Naep, the goat. She roosted in the strawy eaves and rafters in the sturdy little hut.

LINKED ~*~ Pio

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Hey, "U" - it occurs to me that we'd better put together a short bio for Grandma Haesel. Are you game to do it?

- A -

[Firefoot]

Great to see so many new characters! Welcome, all!

[Nogrod]

This might be a redundant question - and sorry for asking if it is something you have held self-evident all the time and thought carefully already...

But have you all new writers to this story already thought of how your characters end up / have ended up to the Mead Hall?

You can arrive with the caravan or just on your own (after the winter has just lifted it's worse hold it makes it possible for you to run somewhere to find food) in a sense "real time" as the writing starts, or your characters could have possibly joined the Mead Hall during the winter - or even earlier if you wish.

We have a four years jump here so please feel free to put your characters into the Mead Hall at the moment you think fits best your ideas about your characters' past.

If you decide that your characters have stayed at the Mead Hall already a year or two (game-time) before we start (in real terms), we can always come up with some relations they'd have with the other residents afterwards.

[Inziladun]

Hm. Perhaps Ladavan has already been there for a time, if indeed some explanation of it seems logical.

[Undómë]

Originally Posted by Arry

Hey, "U" - it occurs to me that we'd better put together a short bio for Grandma Haesel. Are you game to do it?

Now how did she get forgotten? Yes, I'll get something together for her.
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Originally Posted by Nogrod

This might be a redundant question - and sorry for asking if it is something you have held self-evident all the time and thought carefully already...

But have you all new writers to this story already thought of how your characters end up / have ended up to the Mead Hall?

Our little family doesn't live at the Meadhall. We live out in the woods; Grannny prides herself on her independence. I think that normally we would come in at the first spring fair/market... but this year we'll come in a little earlier - needing to get something for Granny Haesel, I think. So, you Meadhallers would have seen us now and then and know Granny by reputations and use of her herbal elixirs and balms (perhaps even come to the hut for more urgent needs) . But, really we're quite the wildings compared to you more sophisticated "-hallers "

Does this sound feasible?

[littlemanpoet]

Inziladun, welcome. I'm interested in your ideas for your character. I think that we have other Dunlanders, such as Modtryth and famliy, am I right? It might be interesting how that all works out.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Inziladun, welcome. I'm interested in your ideas for your character. I think that we have other Dunlanders, such as Modtryth and famliy, am I right? It might be interesting how that all works out.

Thanks! I'm more then open to any suggestions.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Undómë

Our little family doesn't live at the Meadhall. We live out in the woods; Grannny prides herself on her independence. I think that normally we would come in at the first spring fair/market... but this year we'll come in a little earlier - needing to get something for Granny Haesel, I think. So, you Meadhallers would have seen us now and then and know Granny by reputations and use of her herbal elixirs and balms (perhaps even come to the hut for more urgent needs).

If you live in the woods the Mead Hall people will be first and foremost astonished to see you alive after that harsh winter - not probably quite understanding that some folks could actually manage that kind of climate even easier than those depending on farming for their diet.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

If you live in the woods the Mead Hall people will be first and foremost astonished to see you alive after that harsh winter - not probably quite understanding that some folks could actually manage that kind of climate even easier than those depending on farming for their diet.

Can we start a witch hunt for these suspicious people surviving on their own in the wild?

[Thinlómien]

I have been rereading Wulfric and Wilheard's old posts. Boy those two managed to poke their noses into many things and cause a lot of chaos. I'm also writing down for myself that Wilheard is a lot meaner than I thought, thinks Scarburg is a cursed place, probably has ADHD, has no head for drinking (this should be fun!) and often needs to pee. (Seriously, he tells that to his brother twice in all their 20-ish posts.)

I also found an NPC soldier called Osmund, originally from Scarburg. He was quick to befriend Athanar's men, and seems jolly and jovial by nature. (He has a very long monologue about the beautiful women of Scarburg in one of my posts.) I'll add him to my list of characters. Anyone else remember any NPCs that would likely be around (ie. probably not Athanar's soldiers)*, please remind me and we can keep them.

* speaking of which, what about those that are definitely going to be around? Did Hilderinc and Áforglaed, for instance, spend the Hard Winter in Scarburg, or did they ride to Edoras with Athanar and come back with Wilheard? Legate?

Firefoot, duly noted. I edited what my list says about Scyld.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I have been rereading Wulfric and Wilheard's old posts. Boy those two managed to poke their noses into many things and cause a lot of chaos. I'm also writing down for myself that Wilheard is a lot meaner than I thought, thinks Scarburg is a cursed place, probably has ADHD, has no head for drinking (this should be fun!) and often needs to pee. (Seriously, he tells that to his brother twice in all their 20-ish posts.)

I really think he seems like a fun character. He should contribute to make things more lively around...

* speaking of which, what about those that are definitely going to be around? Did Hilderinc and Áforglaed, for instance, spend the Hard Winter in Scarburg, or did they ride to Edoras with Athanar and come back with Wilheard? Legate?

See my last post on the old Scarburg thread (not the discussion thread, the actual thread). Hilderinc and Áforglaed at least would be spending winter already in Scarburg, or that's how I assumed it to be (Athanar leaves and delegates some of his men who will be left behind and helping Eodwine as extra hands, so that Scarburg isn't suddenly low on manforce. That probably would also logically imply we do not have that many more actual guards, otherwise Athanar wouldn't need to do that).

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

See my last post on the old Scarburg thread (not the discussion thread, the actual thread). Hilderinc and Áforglaed at least would be spending winter already in Scarburg, or that's how I assumed it to be (Athanar leaves and delegates some of his men who will be left behind and helping Eodwine as extra hands, so that Scarburg isn't suddenly low on manforce. That probably would also logically imply we do not have that many more actual guards, otherwise Athanar wouldn't need to do that).

Thanks! Duly noted.

And I have good news:

1) I now have a draft for the first post. So, whenever you guys are ready to roll, I can finish and post it.

2) I heard back from Kath already and she says she'll be back! Probably just writing one of Frodides and Kara, but she doesn't yet know which one. I nudged her to pop by.