Castle Maladil - Discussion thread

[Gandalf_theGrey]

Clearing Up Some Confusion Regarding the Planned Strategic Timeline of Events Connected with the Company's Arrival at Castle Maladil

... followed by individual or group personal notes to Belin Ibaimendi, Susan Delgado, theLadyAerowen, The-Fifth and piosenniel ... and a general note to those not receiving a personal note this time around (wherein I'll end up making a personal comment to Aylwen Dreamsong, after all!) [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Now on to the main topic of this post:

There seems to be some confusion on the part of more than one person, as to the time of day or night when the company will be physically showing up on the Castle's doorstep.

To answer this question definitively, I've scrolled back through the RPG and would like to quote from a post I made on January 9, 2003 at 8:28 p.m.:

* Gandalf then addressed the entire company. * Our arrival at Castle Maladil should be tomorrow evening. If we arrive during the afternoon, we will set up camp off the main road, within sight of the side road leading to the Castle, and await nightfall.

After sundown, we shall approach the Castle ... the bards, including Hinura, Estelarion, and Menelduliniel wielding harp or flute, others carrying candles or lanterns as sources of light. The music of the bards shall be light to the ear, and I am well pleased at all the practicing and song preparation I've heard so far. You work well together! Hinura, I look forward to hearing Bog a'Lochain. And Meneli and Estelarion, already your choice of song resonates with new notes of hope ... * Gandalf checked himself before saying "to those in exile," preferring to leave the sentence incomplete. *

Please no torches, as torches too often bring to mind images of brigands and marauders. Poppy shall carry the trust of Elrond's gold, and have no light source of her own.

The three rods you've been given are for you to hold in readiness, for their light is fleeting.

piosenniel:

From your post, it appears that Holly has forgotten the above plan to approach the Castle at night. However, please keep your post as is ... there's no need to edit, as you've actually given me something to work with as far as character interaction goes ... Gandalf can remind Holly that they won't be approaching the Castle "on the morrow" but rather, "this very night!" Also, I like how you've failed to have Holly perceive Kenelm's song. Very good, for indeed it would be very iffy as to whether she would be attuned to picking up ghostly apparitions, locutions, sounds, feelings, or presentiments on her own. Indeed, I might likely end up rolling dice to determine what, if anything, Holly is able to hear of Kenelm's harp notes, melody, and the words of his song. I can then describe in my post what effect Kenelm's song has on Holly.

Gandalf as a Maia is of course far likelier to notice Kenelm's song, especially as he's been straining his concentration towards the Castle in the hopes of observing just such phenomena.

Belin Ibaimendi, Susan Delgado, theLadyAerowen, The-Fifth:

You know, those behind-the-scene chats and/or dice-rolling sessions we've had have proved tremendously productive when it comes to the resulting rich posts that you've all written! Awesome work, gang. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

All Else:

If your character has not had a personal chance to shine yet ... no worries, you will. Please feel welcome at any time to send me a PM if you wish to inquire about the level of your upcoming involvement, and/or to let me know what sorts of actions you're interested in taking to give yourself a bigger role in the story. Aylwen Dreamsong for example, ... if you're wondering what exciting or unusual or geared towards you and the contributions you can make as a valuable individual, connected with you personally as hostler, can possibly happen to you in the stables of Laurëondo ... methinks you're going to be very pleasantly surprised with what I've been planning for you!

There will definitely be enough action to go around for everybody, and everyone has an important role to play ... and in fact, I'm working, visibly or invisibly, to tailor characters and situations towards each member of the company so that all can be included to the degree and level that each one wishes.

Finally, somewhere around Christmas I put up a post in the Discussion thread concerning the kinds of questions your characters may want to ask, and the sorts of conditions which require dice-rolling once we get to the Castle. It might be a good idea to go back and take a look at that post again, as a review.

At your Service,

Gandalf the Grey