Númenórean Blood Runs Black Planning/Discussion Thread

[Thinlómien]

I would like to post, but I hesitate a bit because I'm not sure what to write. Just to write soldiers trying to kill each other...hmm... I can do that or make Lingwë nearly get himself killed or drowned or something... But if anyone has any tactic idea please tell me because I don't want to post nonsense...

[Firefoot]

Well, I would look at it first in the sense that the F&F has to escape, so the attack on the ship can't be extremely successful. I can't really help you with tactics - I really don't have much idea at all of how sea battles work - but I would start there.

[Alcarillo]

Lommy - You could try posting a death scene for Sergeant Nillendion. I've had an idea in my head for a couple of days about killing off one of the NPC characters (if none of you mind), just to give a bit of drama to the story. It's up to you, though.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Alcarillo

Lommy - You could try posting a death scene for Sergeant Nillendion. I've had an idea in my head for a couple of days about killing off one of the NPC characters (if none of you mind), just to give a bit of drama to the story. It's up to you, though.

Sounds interesting... I could do that. You said you've thought about that, do you have in particular ideas or do I just make up something? I could do it on Thursday or Saturday, I hope we're not moving on that fast that I couldn't do it then. I'll think about this.

[Firefoot]

A heads-up for you all - I'm going to be going away from Friday to next Wednesday. I'm going to have a post up either tonight or tomorrow sometime before I leave.

[Alcarillo]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Sounds interesting... I could do that. You said you've thought about that, do you have in particular ideas or do I just make up something?

You could have Nillendion killed while fighting one of those big, black-armored guards, or maybe while trying to get belowdecks to the slaves. Just a couple of ideas; you can let him die anyway you want.

I could do it on Thursday or Saturday, I hope we're not moving on that fast that I couldn't do it then. I'll think about this.

Well, you know the sluggish pace this RPG moves at.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Alcarillo

Well, you know the sluggish pace this RPG moves at.

The first time I enjoy it. Anyway, I made a save, and it will be filled on today, tomorrow or Saturday.

[Alcarillo]

Alcarillo's Master Plan for the Raca vs. Fame and Fortune Battle

Here is my take on how the Raca vs. Fame and Fortune battle could play out. I will refer to the crewmembers of the Raca as Racans and the Fame and Fortune as the F&F.

• Raca and F&F near each other, arrows exchanged.
• Raca boards F&F, and vice versa. (We are at this point)
• Racans invade in two main groups: soldiers and sailors. Soldiers, led by Nillendion, might try to get below decks to slaves. Sailors, led by Vorimandur, fight above deck.
• "The sergeant whose name begins with N", as Lommy calls him , is killed.
• Fighting continues, so on and so forth, etc. Perhaps the slave-freeing idea will work out, perhaps not.
• The F&F begins to retreat, for one or more of the reasons below.

1. Pulling away from the Raca will make those Racans aboard the F&F want to escape. They'll all try to get back aboard the Raca as soon as they can. Who wants to be stranded on an enemy ship?

2. Another ship, such as the Cuivie or the NPC Numenna, is approaching and the combined manpower of two Gondorian ships could defeat the F&F.

3. The F&F is overpowered and is escaping the fight.

• In my opinion, the first two reasons are the most plausible. The third is unlikely. I doubt that the ship carrying the Lord Sangalazin (and formerly Azaryan) would be so under-manned as to be defeated by the Raca alone.
• Now, why doesn’t the other Corsair ship (the one not attacked by the Cuivie) come to the F&F's defense? I have two possible reasons.

1. It's already escaping.

2. It has been already captured by the Gondorians.

• I would think that the first reason is better. If the other ship has already been captured by the Gondorians, that would leave the F&F all alone on its journey back out to sea (where I assume it'll be going). If, however, the other ship has left the battle, then at least the F&F has an escort of some sort.

So, I think what would be best is for, at the battle's end, the F&F to escape in order to get the Racans off and because other Gondorian ships are approaching. The other corsair ship is already fleeing, leaving the F&F without any help in a larger battle.

So there are my thoughts about this battle. Questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome.

[Firefoot]

Weren't there four Corsair ships? I know I have it that way in one of my posts...

[Alcarillo]

I though there were three: Fame and Fortune, Castamir, and Tarkos. I guess I'll need to do some fact-checking.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Aman

Gondorian vessels, a small fleet of warships, broad and sturdy, perched boldy astride the water, a hundred eyes on each watching his ship and the two other corsair vessels, the Tarkos between his ship and the fleet, the Castamir nearer to Pelagir. Two fine ships: together with Fame and Fortune, these were three of the largest vessels boasted by Umbar, making them a matched attacking force on this enemy fleet - or, Rakin added mentally, grim faced, an immeasurable prize for the Gondorians should the battle not go their way.

So there were three Corsair ships.

[Thinlómien]

We have discussed about F&F takling PC-prisoners. I think this would (F&F fleeing, Alcarillo's plan #1) be the ideal moment to do so, if people are still interested in that. Of course, we need a "volunteer" to be taken as a prisoner and so on.

And Alcarillo, I finally learned it. It's Nillendion. Does the name mean something? (Just thinking...)

[Folwren]

I've taken down my save. I'm going to wait until I post any more after battle posts because I think we ought to try to keep fairly in time with the happenings on the Raca and Fame and Fortune. The battle that the Cuivie fought with the NP Corsair ship should have been roughly about the same time that the Raca and Fame and Fortune end up fighting, but we went through it really fast because Firefoot and I were the only players.

So, when the fight between the Raca and Fame and Fortune comes closer to a close, I'll put up my nest post.

By the way - it's evening/night, remember.

-- Folwren

[Anguirel]

I'm off to Italy till April the 13th or thereabouts. I leave Aman Andlang and his lads to control...

[Alcarillo]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

And Alcarillo, I finally learned it. It's Nillendion. Does the name mean something? (Just thinking...)

I wouldn't know; I got it from the character bio of one of you soldiers.

[Thinlómien]

I am very sorry that I didn't fill in the save Saturday at the latest as I promised but I had problems with my internet access. I'm going to fill it in half an hour after I've done the final changes to the text.

[Durelin]

I'm thinking that my next post will involve at least a small hole blown in the side of that ship near the bottom of it, at that slave deck, caused by some kind of shrapnel. A slave will be wounded, and Chakka will use Jagar's alcohol to disinfect the slave's wounds. Perhaps Ferethor will go crazy on Chakka for it.

[Dunwen]

Greetings from RL, all. My apologies for not getting back to the game sooner, but work has been getting more intense over the last 6 weeks. I've posted a save so Nimir can participate in the battle at hand. Hopefully things are quiet for the next month, so I'll be able to actually *write posts*.

[Thinlómien]

Great to see you around, Dunwen. I feared you had mysteriously disappeared.

I'm rather amused by the names in this game. The Ráca is pronounced like 'raaka' in Finnish which means raw or savage. Also I presume the 'cura' part in Curamir is pronounced like 'kura' in Finnish which means mud. And the 'nimi' part of Nimir reminds me of Finnish 'nimi' which means name. So I'm sailing aboard the Raw with Mudmir and Name-r...

[Dunwen]

Thinlómien wrote:

Great to see you around, Dunwen. I feared you had mysteriously disappeared.

<groans> Only into bowels of bookkeeping, but I have escaped my chains for a brief time -- Wheeeeeee!!!!

Lommy, I made a reference in my post to the bit where your would-be killer is stopped by a couple of arrows (go archers! go archers!), but if it seems too far-fetched, or you have other objections, I'll be happy to edit that part out. Just let me know.

[Alcarillo]

Originally Posted by Thinlomien

I'm rather amused by the names in this game. The Ráca is pronounced like 'raaka' in Finnish which means raw or savage.

Ráca is a Quenya word for wolf, actually, so the savage definition is not far off. Maybe Tolkien saw the Finnish word and thought it would make a nice word for wolf. He did make Quenya to sound like Finnish.

Dunwen - Glad to see ya! Great post. And not to be nit-picky, but I think the corsair archers were in a line on deck, not in the masts. I think Arry called it a firing line in one of his posts. And it'd be a rather dangerous keeping lit braziers in the rigging.

[Dunwen]

Thanks for the welcome back, Cap'n -- it was a pain in certain body parts to be AWOL so long.

Dunwen - Glad to see ya! Great post. And not to be nit-picky, but I think the corsair archers were in a line on deck, not in the masts. I think Arry called it a firing line in one of his posts. And it'd be a rather dangerous keeping lit braziers in the rigging.

Bother! Off to do a re-write Thanks for pointing that out!

[Thinlómien]

Great post, Dunwen. I think the reference was okay. I even quite liked it.

One thing: I think it's Lebennin, not Lebinnin. (I might be wrong.)

And "spawn of Sauron" amuses me.

[Firefoot]

Well, the fight has been going on for a while (RL time, that is) - I think we need to start looking at who still wants to get up fighting posts and then move on. Maybe that's what this game needs is a change of pace. As far as I can tell, what needs to happen is the Gondorians need to be forced back off the F&F (ideas, anyone?), and the rest of the Corsair ships need to make their escape. And after that...? I don't think Perky was ever very specific on what he intended to happen past the Corsair city being taken and them defeated. So would we like to look at anything else happening in between?

pio - did Perky have some sort of timeline of events?

[Durelin]

Alack... Quoth the teenager, "school sucks."

I'm going to get that post up, I swear. It will not drag the battle on, though. And if someone wants to end it before I can get my post up, that's fine, too, of course: I'll just make it a little recount and then continue on to anything in the aftermath.

[piosenniel]

Firefoot

Perky gave no timeline for events. So whatever you remaining gamers decide will be fine.

~*~ Pio

[Kath]

*grumbles at being prodded*

I'm here Alcarillo! Just got a little distracted. And, like many others, I wasn't sure exactly where this game was going.

Could we perhaps develop a more detailed plan? Just so we know what's supposed to be happening and when.

[Folwren]

Let me look over what Perky said when he was here, and then peer at the time line and appendixes in the book, and then what we've talked about and written already and I'll try to get a more detailed time line out on the this thread for the game.

It doesn't help with we have most of the Gondorians here and hardly any Corsairs over there. Maybe when school ends and Anguirel's back from Italy. But when that happens, I'm going to be busy...but perhaps not too busy.

Don't expect it today. My soon to become Aunthood is causing me to make a dress for my darling sister-in-law, and I've got to get that done today.

-- Folwren

[Firefoot]

I'm pretty sure that Telumehtar's plan in post #32 was as explicit as Perky ever got:

"...Now, obviously, here is Gondor. The river runs here, and Umbar is down here. Now, here are our forces, and here are the Umbarian raiders. I've created a small blockade to guard the coast in the event of their arrival. Should they arrive, I've set up a small flare system for the word to travel. We can assume that so long as we have no heard word via flare, the Bay of Belfalas and the River Anduin are clear of enemy ships. We then go down the river, and gather in Tolfalas. It's a long journey, and I have no doubt you'll pick up many things on the open seas. Once we reach Umbar, I will send my men to the harbors, and to the main capitol building. Once the capitol is taken, we secure the city, and light our beacon atop the lighthouse in the harbor. This plan should work so long as the seas on our journey are clear. It's a rough outline, of course, and will take much more planning."

Pretty much everything Tolkien gave us is here:Post #2

So a rough outline of what needs to happen:

• Remaining two Corsairs ships (F&F being one) escape Pelargir
• (?) Gondorians stop for a short time in Pelargir to set things to rights, or at least set the people there working on it
• Potential for something to happen at Tolfalas for Gondorians and/or Corsairs?
• Corsairs arrive back at the Haven of Umbar - do they expect Gondorian attack? What have they figured out?
• Gondorians arrive at the Haven of Umbar, lay final plans, attack, are victorious
• Aftermath/Conclusion

As near as I can tell, the distance from Pelargir to the Havens of Umbar is somewhere around 500 miles. I'm not sure how long this will take to travel by ship - two weeks? one week? Depending on the wind, of course. Some of that can probably be skipped over.

The other thing to look at is that the rest of the game is very heavily centered around fighting - do we want to add any other events, or just let the interactions between characters go where they go? I would be inclined to think the latter, unless someone comes up with a good idea. Right now, it seems the game is suffering from both a lack of over-planning and under-planning. I don't think everything needs to be planned out play-by-play; I'd rather see what we can just come up with as we go.

Thoughts? Ideas? Agree/disagree?

I think it might be a good idea for people to check in and let us know you're still here, as well, if you haven't posted sometime within the past week or so.

[The Perky Ent]

This is Perky Speaking....


So, where do I begin. My life has been a whirlwind of emotions and events right now. Last I remember (sometime in January?) I was still deposed as Katrina had wrecked my neighborhood. I got finished with that around Febuary/March.

Come back to the Downs, right?

Heh. My dad's condition (and for those of you who didn't know, he had cancer) got worse. Constantly we were going back and forth from New Orleans and Houston. And the hospital. Well....every week it got worse. Around 2:10 pm, 4/3/06 he passed from our lives. He will be missed and remembered. Over 300 people at the funeral. He touched a lot of lives.

So, right now, I guess the reason why i'm here is because someone was talking about how, get this, perky he was as a kid. And guess what popped into my mind.

I am so sorry for having to abandon my time here with you all on the downs. my writing has improved quite a bit. I just thought you should know a bit more why I was gone. I'll try and look on the game if I get the time, but, as stated, many things going on.


Best wishes,

~*~ Perky ~*~

[Thinlómien]

EDIT BY PIO:From The Shire Rules -

Quote:
18. Please note: A game which hasn't been posted on in 2 weeks signifies a lack of interest in the game, and the Moderator may choose to close the game and remove it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does that mean that the game is completely lost? Or is it negotiatable? (or whetever the word is...)

[Firefoot]

Well, if people start showing interest we can continue, I would suppose. But there really doesn't seem to be that much interest. In two weeks, no one has even responded to my post above, much less posted. It's been like this for several months, too...

[Anguirel]

We really need Aman, or if the worst comes to the worst a replacement, though that would be rather a disaster...

[piosenniel]

Since the game is missing the majority of its Corsair contingent, would it be possible to bring the game to a close here? If there were sufficient interest, another game could be planned at some time to cover the 'invasion' of Umbar and the defeat of the Corsairs.

You could work with Firefoot's two suggestions:

** Remaining two Corsairs ships (F&F being one) escape Pelargir
** Gondorians stop for a short time in Pelargir to set things to rights, or at least set the people there working on it

The remaining Corsairs, which are Anguirel and Arry, and Durelin the slaves could write final posts as the Corsair ships sail south toward Umbar.

The Gondorians can write about sending ships after the Corsairs to chase them from the Bay and out of Gondor waters, then if you wish can finish up helping the people of Pelargir set things to rights, or however you'd like to close the game.

This closing up part can take as long as you wish - as long as players are willing to post.

I also liked Firefoot's suggestion: "I'd rather see what we can just come up with as we go".

Is this something the players for this game would be interested in doing?

~*~ Pio

[Anguirel]

Pio, the height of good sense as always. I think many of us will breath a sight of relief if we round this off as not a painstaking squib, but an epic Part 1.

I'd be extremely happy to help finishing things off. Sangalazin will party in the midst of the defeat!

[Kath]

This sounds like an excellent idea. Perhaps Perky will be able to continue with part 2 when he can return, and we'll have left him with a good base to go from.

[Folwren]

Alright, that sounds best. I would love to continue the story, but it's impossible when the Corsair RPers are not in action.

To finish it up, however, we still need posts from that side. So, Anguirel, Arry - if you're the only two around, please write about the F & F's luck during the battle. . .

As for us Gondorians, those on the Raca can post about the battle, if they still want to, however Firefoot and I really fought our little skirmish rather too quickly, maybe, and we have pretty much nothing to write, until after the Corsair's escape. When that happens, we'll go to the Pelegir and wrap up this Part 1.

If we ever do Part 2, hopefully Perky will be able to come back and join us. And perhaps Aman and Durelin will be less busy, too.

-- Folwren

[Arry]

Day after tomorrow I can write the F&F and the Castamir away from the battle; escaping to the bay. The Tarkos, from what I can see, has been taken by Gondor. I'll make this my final post for my character.

Anguirel - can you do a final post then getting the ships to Umbar . . . or whatever you'd like to do for a final post . . .

Does this sound alright with you?

[piosenniel]

I'll open the game thread back up.

Once I see how the posting is going, I'll set a date by which all final posts must be on board.

~*~ Pio

[Firefoot]

however Firefoot and I really fought our little skirmish rather too quickly, maybe, and we have pretty much nothing to write, until after the Corsair's escape.

Too true... especially with Menelcar being injured, it's difficult to do much of anything with him until the battle really is over.

Anguirel - can you do a final post then getting the ships to Umbar . . . or whatever you'd like to do for a final post . . .

I would suggest that you Corsairs would probably want to end before you actually land in Umbar. If and when we decide to do part 2, you could probably start there, landing in Umbar.

[Amanaduial the archer]

...I promise you, before youse all attack me (and rightfully so, I guess), that it was certainly not lack of interest that stopped me from posting: rather lack of time and then lack of internet connection for nearly a month. I do apologise You have all managed quite wonderfully however - the battle posts are excellent. I shall get up a post as soon as I can as soon as this post is replied to just checking: a continuation of events and battle, and then beginning to turn the ships to get the heckers out of there? Just so I don't get things horribly wrong...

Part 2 sounds good, I would be very interested - just give a few months while I lie low and attempt to get my AS Levels out of the way...

- Captain Rakin, back at your service