With which Human culture of Middle Earth do you have the greatest affinity?

[littlemanpoet]

Hmm... the Drúedain would have been an interesting inclusion. I think I am limited to 10 choices. I could have made 20 were it possible.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Nog, I'd say your imagination of Gondor is more or less correct. There were the descendants of Dúnedain and the descendants of the old people from White Mountains, definitely some minority of people with mixed Southron blood (in Pelargir & co. probably larger), not to speak of people with elven blood in Dol Amroth (now the Prof himself can tell us something about half-elves being uncanonical ), some Rohirric people, either migrated or just young Rohirs (from the Edoras-Minas Tirith au pair program), and from the time of the Kin-strife also some people with Northerner blood. And they all lived together in what seemed like a peaceful state (no inner problems).
Of course the picture (and the more the comparision to the RL) is a little bit idealised, but still I believe the main point is there.

[Thinlómien]

While have a great liking for Breelanders and how they're described in LotR makes me think of myself to some extent, I still have the greatest affinity with the Northmen.

Being a Finn, they feel somewhat homelike and familiar to me. The north-eastern part of ME has always felt closest to me with all the Woodmen, Beornings, Dalemen, Esgarothians, Wood-Elves, Dwarves, Wargs, Orcs, eagles, thrushes, ravens and dragons. Enough variety of peoples and creatures but they don't feel alien to each other still. Also, places like Mirkwood, The Long Lake and The Lonely Mountain have something very intriguing in them. And part of my affection to that corner of ME is surely due to that my first ever RPG (when I was nine years or something like that and a few years older) mostly took place there and the game master (who was no one else as Nogrod) managed to make the places so real and intriguing.

And I like the Northmen as peoples: Woodmen who know the forest, the urban and merry Esgarothians and the Dalemen with their lost kingdom. I like the somewhat mysterious Beornings the best, though: their affinity with animals, their brave warrior-spirit and the idea of them making honey cakes. Besides, I've always liked the northmen Beorn and Bard as characters.

[Aganzir]

I just realised something quite uncomfortable. I can't be objective when I think about the cultures, mainly because I've been M-E roleplaying for so long that the thoughts and opinions of the character I've played longest have started to affect mine.

I actually like all the northern people, no matter whether they live on the western or eastern side of the Mountains. However, Beornings are my favourite - mainly because of Beorn. Bear is one of the animals I like the most and I wouldn't mind living like Beorn: in a big house almost in the middle of nowhere with a lot of intelligent animals. And those honey-cakes, of course.

The others I like much are the Rohirrim. I've been riding more or less frequently since I was three, and about a year ago I found a stable where they teach riding in medieval style and fighting skills, and it's wonderful. Archery, fencing, spear, lance... And everything on horseback. Not to mention those stunts: picking an object from ground in gallop, hanging head downwards from the saddle, jumping over a burning obstacle... I love it.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I just realised something quite uncomfortable. I can't be objective when I think about the cultures, mainly because I've been M-E roleplaying for so long that the thoughts and opinions of the character I've played longest have started to affect mine.

I'd say that your choices in role playing give evidence to your affinity (which is a subjective thing after all) rather than skewing it.

I speak thus from experience; my primary character is Eorling; a secondary one was a Breeman who had been displaced; a tertiary character is a rather thorny hobbit; yet another character is a 1st age seer; four more are Eorling; even one from the 21st century visiting Gondor! oh, and a dog. ...and one old gaffer hobbit lately.

But the Eorling stands out - a pretty fair indicator for my affinities.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

I'd say that your choices in role playing give evidence to your affinity (which is a subjective thing after all) rather than skewing it.

Well, I don't know. I do like Gondorians but every single Gondorian my character has met has been a little, eh, not so nice. We have joked about them with my friends, and now it's become very hard to think of a nice and smart Gondorian. That's the game master's fault though. She must have some kind of antipathy towards them.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Well, I don't know. I do like Gondorians but every single Gondorian my character has met has been a little, eh, not so nice. We have joked about them with my friends, and now it's become very hard to think of a nice and smart Gondorian. That's the game master's fault though. She must have some kind of antipathy towards them.

Now that is a bit unfair. Why is it my fault that you never like my Gondorians?

I do like Gondorians, and speaking of them, yes, Nogrod, I think your imagination of them is pretty accurate or just sligthly biased... Go on and vote.