Eorling Mead Hall Planning/Discussion Thread

[littlemanpoet]

North is back of the kitchen. South is the front door. The stables are west. The idea is that the White Mountains are behind the mead hall, and it looks out over the plain (if it has a clear view, which is by no means a given). I haven't thought about what's "across the street".

[Bêthberry]

Cool stuff going on here!

Sorry I didn't get back promptly about the layout questions here or to post. Work has been hectic lately and there's so much going on that needs to be done before the fun of participating in gaming. (No, no, I won't call it the "Downs" syndrome. )

There had been two chimneys in the old Horse, one in the Great Hall and one in the kitchen. The one in the kitchen also provided a chimney for smaller fireplaces in some of the more prestigious rooms of the Inn. So that is why I was confused about what fell where. (Gotta learn to remember what I read in everyone's posts!) The kitchen chimney/fire would not have been near the outside wall. But that, as they say, is ancient history and obviously no one is bound by that plan.

I have a question for LMP. What has happened to the banners that once flew from the rafters in the Great Hall? They commemorated old games completed in Rohan. Are they under the pile of rubble or has the Ostler put them away safely to await the completion of new construction?

The old rag lady might be interested in them.

I haven't checked out Jenny's new floorplan yet. Ruthven has her own home, a stoop (or squat) behind some of the other finer houses in Edoras.

Sorry, won't be posting today--no play time.

[JennyHallu]

Bethberry, I put two chimneys:

One is to a large hearth, shared by the kitchen and the hall, and one to a smaller summer hearth on the back wall, to be used when the outdoor heat means patrons are not interested in additional heat from the chimney.

I meant I need more chimneys in that I did not design the Hall with any chimneys or fireplaces at all in the residential wing, and while small coal braziers, wood-burning stoves small enough not to need a chimney, and bed warmers could easily have been used to augment heat in those rooms, they surely wouldn't be enough for comfort in a harsh winter.

Also, chimneys are very difficult to route to several fireplaces unless those fireplaces are on top of eachother, and such ductwork would vastly increase the risk of fire.

Honestly, my solution to this problem will probably be to add a few random chimneys to the roof of the residential wing, and let each player decide whether the placement of the chimney and of their room means they likely have a fireplace. Remember that even if your room doesn't have one, the presence of a chimney in the wall will warm your room a great deal (even if you were never particulary chilly to begin with.

As for the outer appearance of the building, consensus seems to be that it is constructed partially of stone, and the rest made up of half-timbered wattle-and-daub walls. (Wikipedia has some excellent articles describing both these terms) My husband has been putting at least one window in every room for light (He gave Eodwine a double window, but everyone else's is identical.) He plans to draw these as glazed windows, but with small panes in a diamond pattern. Objections? We hadn't considered shutters. What do you think? The bold line around the outside of the lot was intended to indicate a wall for security. Do you agree that there should be one? How tall? This wall was incorporated as the back wall of the stable, which is, in our current version, a fairly simple building, almost a lean-to, open in the front with vents for light and air circulation between the top of the wall and the roof. Neal has the roofs patterned for wooden shake shingles. Objections? Suggestions?

Please by no means regard this plan as final! Please give me suggestions for improvements, and with Lmp's approval, I'll edit the plan quite cheerfully! I just felt that the confusion as to who was where and how they got there could be remedied by some common idea as to where the rooms are in relation to eachother, and I don't mean to force my own mental image of the building on the rest of you. I don't want this to be a unilateral project, I want this plan to be a collaborative effort.

[Nerindel]

Cool map Jenny, very helpful! I always pictured the residental quarters on the other side of the inn, but it looks great.

Can Æðel please have room #17.

[JennyHallu]

Oh, and by the by, I intend to have Marenil move (fairly soon) down to a smaller room on the first floor. He feels somewhat uncomfortable among the nobility and official-ness, and prefers to be closer to the everyday running of the Hall. He'd also like to free the large upstairs room for more important guests. He also wants to occasionally get Lin out of his hair, but that's the least of his reasoning.

With Lmp's approval, of course.

Oh and Folwren, I put a question mark beside Thornden's name. I thought that Thornden, as he is working on taking a very important role within Eodwine's household, might have an upstairs room, but it is of course up to you.

I took the upstairs room because Lin's spoiled, and the other rooms already assigned have been given out according to descriptions in the story thread of relative placement.

EDIT: Just noticed your request, Nerindel: I'll get you and Garwine both named on the chart tonight after work.

[Kath]

Guess Kara will take room 12 then please! Plans look really good Jenny.

[littlemanpoet]

Interesting! No need to change your post, Folwren.

So do we immediately jump to the conclusion of horse thieving?

As to punishment, I'm betting that that website may have info on that; you know, the one Nerindel supplied and that Bethberry got the wattle and daub info from. I can't remember what it's called off hand, but I have a link to it in my introductory post which you can link to in my sig.

[Anguirel]

Well, I'm hoping you'll allow Manawyth a fair defence. Maybe a boring old trial by a jury picked by the Eorl, maybe an ordeal by fire or ordeal by combat...

In terms of punishment, here is a pertinent link. Open theft of something as valuable as a horse, particularly in Rohan, might well be death or mutilation as a bootless crime...though Gandalf seems to have got away with it, admittedly...

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

So do we immediately jump to the conclusion of horse thieving?

As to punishment, I'm betting that that website may have info on that; you know, the one Nerindel supplied and that Bethberry got the wattle and daub info from. I can't remember what it's called off hand, but I have a link to it in my introductory post which you can link to in my sig.

If somebody recognizes Manawyth's horse as their own, who's not to jump to horse thieving? Anquirel said in his first post that that horse didn't belong to him!

We'll allow Manawyth a fair defence, have no worries about that.

Not trial by ordeal, please. I hate that. It's so stupidly unfair.

Gotta run.

-- Folwren

[Folwren]

LMP, can Thornden please not be sent away quite immediately? Please, please? He'll go almost as soon as the boy comes 'round. I promise he'll get all his work done! (Sounding like a begging child here )

He'd like to see that he's got a chance of surviving. And Taralphiel and I had an idea, in which it's somewhat necessary that Thornden and Lys meet eachother sometime in the early part of his arrival. . .

-- Folwren

[littlemanpoet]

Folwren, Thornden can do whatever you want him to do. There are always consequences for actions, but they can be headed off. For example, if you want Thornden to stick around, have him do it, and have him put together a set of reasons why he needs to stay around, armed with which he goes to Eodwine and gives the Eorl his speal.

Originally Posted by Anguirel

Well, I'm hoping you'll allow Manawyth a fair defence. Maybe a boring old trial by a jury picked by the Eorl, maybe an ordeal by fire or ordeal by combat...

The way Anglo-Saxon law worked was by witness. The highest rank witness always won the case. Plain and simple. So if a freeholder brings an accusation against Manawyth, and Eodwine, an Eorl, speaks in Manawyth's defense, Manawyth is considered innocent. If Eodwine speaks his guilt, he's considered guilty. If Eodwine chooses not to speak, then Manawyth's fate is in the hands of the highest ranking person he can find to lend support to his case. That's how Anglo-Saxon law worked. Scary, eh? Now, here in semi-enlightened Rohan, things may fun not quite so deterministically.

Originally Posted by Folwren

If somebody recognizes Manawyth's horse as their own, who's not to jump to horse thieving? Anquirel said in his first post that that horse didn't belong to him!

But of course. But it's not the only thing one may think. However, it is the most likely.

Celuien, yes on the stove. Please!

Oh! One more thing. Firefoot, I'm choosing not to post right now as all I have in mind is Eodwine's answer to Léof's query, which is that if Æðel requests it, he is to ride to Meduseld and ask for the aid of the Healer (who as a nonplayer character is beginning to gain a rather substantial "non"-role, and ought to have a name ... .any ideas?)

[Alcarillo]

Originally Posted by lmp

(who as a nonplayer character is beginning to gain a rather substantial "non"-role, and ought to have a name ... .any ideas?)

A while ago, when Marenil had his heart attack, Garwine ran to Meduseld to fetch a healer. I think I named him Hrethel, if I remember correctly.

Edit - Check out what I just found! Leof's got his own trading card!

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Celuien, yes on the stove. Please!

Guess everyone's tired of cold sandwiches.

Alrighty, he'll get to work on that stove. Three days should have it just about done. And no need to wait for lime mortar to set for a week before using the stove - he's using dry set and carving to make the blocks fit...

Hmm. Tonight is sort of busy. Maybe late this afternoon, or earlier if my team stays as low on the workload as it's been recently.

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Folwren, Thornden can do whatever you want him to do. There are always consequences for actions, but they can be headed off. For example, if you want Thornden to stick around, have him do it, and have him put together a set of reasons why he needs to stay around, armed with which he goes to Eodwine and gives the Eorl his speal.

Oh, well, that's likely. I don't want him to disobey intentionally and get marked as such. He's got to be more responsible than that. He'll have to go, even though he won't want to.

Actually, would this be a good way to bring up the conflict that you've mentioned before? One reason to get Jenny's character in as the actual steward? Because Thornden runs on impulse occasionally (as I assume he would if he decided to go directly against orders just to see if Lys survives).

What do you think? Or are you going to be vague and stuborn like other RPers I've written with and say 'You decide, and whatever you write, I'll decide what my character'll do'? I hope not.

-- Folwren

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I have a question for LMP. What has happened to the banners that once flew from the rafters in the Great Hall? They commemorated old games completed in Rohan. Are they under the pile of rubble or has the Ostler put them away safely to await the completion of new construction

The banners and the old White Horse sign have been safely squirreled away. The roof and ceiling had already been removed, so any decorations will have been caringly dealt with.

No wall for security. Believe it or not. The old White Horse Inn (unless Bethberry corrects me) was a rather open establishment, ready for business. So the change to a Mead Hall will probably mean a wall, but the height thereof will be determined later.

Rest assured, Jenny, I'll let you know if there's anything I won't allow, so you don't have to keep saying "with LMP's approval".