Eve of Mirkwood [Full]

[Redclaw]

What do you think the relations overall between men and elves of Mirkwood would be? Would the job of babysitting the loggers be regarded as something honorable, as a sort of embassy to another race, and perhaps entertaining? Or would it be viewed as a distasteful thing; a necessary evil and something most elves would see as being akin to jury duty. Someone's gotta do it, as long as it's not -me-.

Personally, I would most easily see the elves viewing the humans with distrust and greeting them with threats if they break whatever rules the elves set before them. I could see some sort of limit or border being put on their logging, and an elf or two assigned to keep an eye on them. Just my two cents.

EDIT: Speaking of, did you see my 04-03 post, Redclaw ? Do you think you can fit your character into the logging context?

I did, and I see no problem with that connection. He wouldn't want to use his fine Eotheod stallion for such a task, but could easily have a draft horse or two to use. He'd be spending his time daydreaming about riding into battle beside his cousins, however.

On a different note, have any of you played the Lord of the Rings Online MMORPG? It dealt with the magic question in a slightly different way, and one that seems in tune with where 4E is going. Basically the idea was that hit points are a combination of actual wounds mixed with morale and will to fight. Thus the 'healing' class is actually the equivalent of the bard, as their music can restore some morale. That backs up Binder_Fred's suggestion fo the bard as a solid choice, spellcaster-wise, and could justify the bard's ability to cast CLW, etc. Just a thought.

 

[Shayuri]

Yar, actually, that's where I'm going with it. I'm the elf assigned to keep an eye on the humans. I'm just trying to decide, for story purposes, if that's a "Yay! I'm important enough to qualify for this!" job or a "Damn, who did you cheese off?" job.

 

[renau1g]

By which you mean a wandering Beorning, or a disenfranchised oaf from Rhun? (by oaf I'm painting the picture of a luggish type human of Conanish type, probably fleeing the destruction of his small-village settlement and the Wainriders in Rhun)? The only true barbarians in the Middle-Earth sense within this district are the Vikingish chariot-driving Wainriders. Other barbarian races include the Mumakil riding Southron (featured in the Battle of Pelennor Fields when the elephant-like Mumakil decimated Theoden's riders) or Haradrim as Gondor Men call them, and also the Variags of Khand to the southeast of Mordor. There are also Black Numenors and Corsairs in the far south of Umbar, survivors of the destruction of Numenor who sailed to the city port of Umbar at the end of the Second Age with the intention of contesting Sauron, but who fell under his spell, as Men were wont to do in those days (edit: and, I forgot to add, the rebellious Gondor Men of the kin-strife in the 14th century who were throne out of the Kingdom and who subsequently seized control of Umbar, though I never really considered them barbarians). That's the barbarians in a nutshell. None of them will be found as travelling individuals, as they are collectively under the Dark Lord's sway. Besides which they are all horribly evil and I'd prefer neutral or goodly characters.

I suppose the Forodwaith of the far north would be classed as barbarians by your average Dunedain, though in my own head I always had them down as a clever and goodly people.

My thoughts are leaning towards the second consideration of the wandering oaf. My concept for a barbarian isn't the traditional one of living in a tribe, hunting elk or caribou, etc., but rather someone who hasn't been formally trained with weapons, and instead relies more on his strength over skill. I like the idea of fleeing the destruction of a villiage. I'm thinking that he could be overcome with grief as his family and friends were decimated by
the Wainriders and fell into a more savage state (I would liken it to The Hunter that Drizzt becomes in the Dark Elf Trilogy). Maybe a group of them were sent out to hunt for people escaping the initial destruction and my PC would ambush them to attain revenge after avoiding their capture for weeks. After this he'd wake up from his state and want to get far away from his location. He'd wake up every night from a nightmare, seeing his family being killed by the invaders and relive that moment. Eventually, he'd turn to the bottle to cope with his feelings. He'd do odd jobs as he travelled from place to place, staying just long enough to wear out his welcome. After a few years of this, he found himself at a logging camp...

 

[Binder Fred]

Eventually, he'd turn to the bottle to cope with his feelings. He'd do odd jobs as he travelled from place to place, staying just long enough to wear out his welcome. After a few years of this, he found himself at a logging camp...

Hey there Renau.

Not the most reliable of fellows, I take it. You're still going for a logger spot? If you're character is on the bottle, he might prefer a job that affords more opportunities to - uh - indulge, so to speak, such as the aformentioned adventure in cookery or - why not - camp helper (in charge of getting water, cutting firewood, scouting out the next skid road and all the other little jobs around the camp (probably including a little fishing/hunting on the side to spice up the menu))?

If you're still in the logging trade, I was sort of thinking my character could be the foreman of the place (a smith is fairly centraly-located all the time) with you as my second in command/go to person out in the field, so to speak. Obviously that doesn't work if he's barely fonctional... or is he the hyper-competent type for a while and then there's the plunge (and then back up and then back down and then...)? That could work.

Let me know,
Binder Fred, who's going for a Track-less ranger.

 

[renau1g]

I was hoping that maybe another character could help pull him from the brink. He wouldn't be soused all the time more like the roller-coaster up & down. I like the cook idea... wouldn't of thought it myself, but it might be an interesting twist.

 

[Necro_Kinder]

What are we doing for starting gold? Are we using just the random starting gold for our class rolled on Invisible castle? I thought that's what was stated earlier, but that does make it hard for me to afford a horse, and it would be odd for a brand new knight / squire to walk all the way to Mirkwood from Gondor.

 

[Shayuri]

As I understand it, we're using starting gold, and the GM will spot us on things we'd logically possess but can't afford...like horses and so on.

No one has anything to say or suggest on my questions? Doh!

 

[Binder Fred]

No one has anything to say or suggest on my questions? Doh!

I *do* have a few thoughts actually (who would have guessed, right . Give me 24 and I might even have the time to type them up.

Binder Fred, so busy it hu-rts. <"Right," said Fred.>

 

[renau1g]

My thoughts are it kind of depends on how the elven relations are at this point (my knowledge of this time isn't terribly strong), but at least it always seemed that the elves were cool towards humans (at best) on an everyday diplomacy basis. I would lean towards the cheesing off feeling, unless you're a real young elf and maybe you're first assignment, which you might be feeling proud of and not be upset even if it's not the most glamourous position.

 

[Binder Fred]

I thought I was busy before :looks like I was wrong. Got to love those 14-hour days.

Anyways, back to it : what's the progress since last we spoke (so to speak)? We had :

- One dwarven smith/foreman played by yours truly
- One barbarian/cook on the sauce played by Renau1g
- One elven scout/forest engineer played by Shayuri
- One "future" rider of Rohan/skidder driver played by Redclaw (any thought on his relationship with the other three working at the camp? Why he's there if his family is rich enough to afford (to raise?) battle horses) and finaly
- One gondorian knight played by Necro Kinder (you game for the "chasing vague indications" scenario or did you go another way?)

Not to forget Fenris, of course, the Undecided.

I was hoping that maybe another character could help pull him from the brink. He wouldn't be soused all the time more like the roller-coaster up & down.

If he needs an ear, my character is your guy. He'll even keep your "in case of emergency but never again" bottle. Your character trying to get it back by any means available might be part of their daily ritual... What do you say?

What do you think the relations overall between men and elves of Mirkwood would be? Would the job of babysitting the loggers be regarded as something honorable, as a sort of embassy to another race, and perhaps entertaining? Or would it be viewed as a distasteful thing; a necessary evil and something most elves would see as being akin to jury duty.

As I see it elves of the wood would neither reguard the position highly nor spit on it. Rather they'd mostly see it as a (odd?) passtime only impacting their lives indirectly... Unless one of them has put some of his/her reputation on the line with his/her backing of this project? One of the (not so?) nobles maybe (the scout himself? His patron?), using a "human cooperation"/"riches from outside" platform to get (her faction?) ahead in the great socio-political dance? *Then* the position becomes one that people want or hate or manoeuvre to get the most competent/most likely to fail elf in that perticular spot. The platform could have been behind the whole cooperation deal from the very begining or it might have started small, for another reason altogether (one personnal/perticular to the scout?) before one of the (relatively) big decided to back or oppose the project and gotten things spinning faster and harder than said scout first anticipated.

That said I don't have that sharp a grasp of the Tolkien elves psyche (as differentiate from humans). There seems to be a continuum of elven attitudes, from the magicaly light singers in Elron's valley to the blander Legolas (my own opinion, of course), not to forget the queen Galadriel. Whatever motives lie behind, it's certain that the assignement will provide 1) time away from elven culture (does he wish to avoid someone/some other callings?), 2) contact with non-elves/a perticular person (fallen for a human girl/boy/rugged dwarven smith? and 3) an opportunity to exert power/influence/make a difference/cause mischief. Reach in with both hands, my friend.

Binder Fred, good to be back.