The Great Golden Hoard Game Thread

[Valier]

Rules and Regulations
Mods-Valier, Roa_aoife, Rune son of Bjarne

All players must complete their Day scenarios in 36 hours!! that includes picking their direction and moving into the scenario, asking and receiving answers about the scenario and posting all that is required. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE ALL THIS IN 36 HOURS YOU DO NOT MOVE FORWARD.

We expect this game to take a little over two weeks to complete. Please be prepared to commit for that time frame. Also, as this game will have a lot of behind the scenes communication, remember to KEEP YOUR PM BOX CLEAR.

The game will begin when we have enough players and us Mods are finished our prep work.

Day =36 hours

#1 Mod or co-Mod will post the days stats, tallies, and players current location. A map will be provided each day. Each player will be assigned a different colour.

#2 Players are given 3 short descriptions of each direction, left, right or straight all via pm.
(NOTE: All players when they choose their direction will always be facing West.)

#3 Players then choose their direction, then they will receive their preset scenario. Players ask 3 questions concerning their scenario, all this is done by pm. Players choose your words wisely!!

#4 Players will then post on the thread. They MUST state which direction they picked, what they encountered and how they dealt with it. (All this is done in RP style IE: Third person. Don't just state stuff, do it with style.) Players may leave "hints" in their post pertaining to the answers they received for their questions about the scenario. they may choose to help others or not.


Night =12 hours

#1 All players must vote for the Best scenario of the day via pm. (you may not vote for yourself!)
The player with the most votes will be notified and the following Day will get to advance two locations in the direction of their choosing.

#2 Night is a time for the players to rest and socialize with others near them. Players MUST post where they are sleeping. That is all that is required from players at night besides voting. HOWEVER players may pass the time with character development and chat with others near you. Players will be told every night who they are near, so no long distance talking. All this must be in RP style. No banter about the game. You may share as much or as little about your choices and questions as you wish.

If players hit a dead end along the way, they are forced to turn around and go back the way they came. They will stay at the location they started from that day. They will stay there and do nothing all day until the night, then they continue. There are other surprise spots as well that may advance you or set you back.

Regarding RP ishing
Note: THIS IS NOT AN RPG, IT IS A GAME THAT INCLUDES ROLEPLAYING POSTS.

All players must include their user name into their chosen name. EX: Valier = Valencia This will help to keep things organized so we don't have to keep track of 2 names per player.


Nothing is allowed in your posts that you do not already have, or asked about. You must use these guidelines when you create your posts.EX: You are attacked by Orcs near the river Isen. You may not magically make the river swell up and over take the Orcs. EVERYTHING MUST BE PLAUSABLE!!!! IT MUST REALLY WORK! Be creative, just don't go loonie.

Players or Mods may dispute any scenario post that we think is too unrealistic or not plausible. They are to pm a Mod with the problem. The offending player will be notified. They will be given a chance to explain themselves further. If the challenging Mod or player is satisfied they continue, if not the player stays at the place they originated at the whole day and does nothing, they continue with their night phase then continue the next morning.

Just remember during the day you want your posts to be like a quick little story. You need not post pages....just get to the point, keep it simple and be creative.

All players first post of the game MUST include a character bio worked into their story containing; Name, race, location (where from?) and a short visual description and the choices of items brought (following list) Also all players will have to incorporate more of the storyline into their posts about how they came to be on this journey. (More info to come....It's a secret...)

List of items allowed

1 Length of rope
food and water rations
2 sets of clothing (your choice)
2 weapons (your choice)
1 novelty item (must not be on the above list and must be carriable)
Players must describe all the "your choice" items in their first game post as well.

Edit when necessary, but keep it reasonable.

No signatures please.

Please do not post on this thread until the game starts!! Sign up and all questions will be answered on the previous misspelled thread.
__________________

[Roa_Aoife]

Here's the map, with the start and finish marked.

[Valier]

My name is Berrick, the year is 1299. I am writing this now so I may record what has taken place and what is yet to take place.

It all began with the Hoard. Dragon Hoard, that is. I came across this vast treasure on one of my many adventures. I was meandering through the Hills of Evendim, enjoying my freedom, when my old eyes spotted a small opening behind a large fallen boulder. I lit my torch and headed inside towards the darkness. I walked deeper and deeper still, till I thought my heart would quell. There before me loomed the largest golden pile I had ever seen and mind you, I have traveled so much and done so many things that I myself have an abundance of my own treasure. This pile had been abandoned, not, I assume, by the Dragons own wishes. Why here of all places? I doubt I will ever know.

As I stood there in that dank, dark cave with my torch raised high, I began to think of the many things I could do with this bounty, but as I raised the torch higher, my back gave a shudder and my old muscles racked with pain. The dreams vanished. I am an old man, I thought, my life is almost at its end. Why would I need this treasure? I had no kin, no family, and no heir to take my place. I had barely five persons with whom I had any sort of repertoire, and they all worked for me in one way or another. I had no one.

Those words echoed through my head as I slumped to the cold ground. I have no one, I have wasted my life. All the fortune and travel means nothing if you have no one to share it with. As I lay on the ground, the pain began to ebb away; I would make it still. The thought then occurred to me, why keep this gold? Why not give it away? But to whom? I would of course make sure the people I had hired would be well cared for before I died, but did they deserve all this treasure? Who really did?

I laid there for what seemed like an eternity before I had made up my mind. I would leave my legacy. I would enlist a group of adventurers and lead them to the gold. The first one to reach the Hoard shall have it, but also they shall hear my last words.

I raised myself slowly, the damp sticking to my pants. I knew what needed to be done. I would need help....My old mind reeled as I reached the cave mouth. I mustered up the strength and covered the hole as best as I could. I will return shortly, and with a plan.







My name is Berrick. The year is now 1300. Evil has begun to stir in middle Earth, but my plans are all set and being carried out. Mind you, it has taken long enough and has cost me most of my own fortune, but the reward for my deeds will be greater. I have enlisted these adventurers in a clever way, if I do say so myself. I, having owned a vineyard, have decided the best way to ship these "invitations" would be to hand write my wishes on the underside of several labels. The invitations read as follows:

If you are a great adventurer in your heart, leave all that you have and come. Come to Dorwinion on the banks of the Sea of Rhun. You will there embark on your life's greatest adventure, with a prize to be won. Come alone and bring with you only these things.

2 sets of clothing
2 weapons of your choice
1 length of rope
Food and water rations
1 novelty item (must not be on the above list and must be carriable)

Good Luck


I then hand packed these bottles of wine and sent them with carriers in all directions. Then the work of preparing the course began. I hired many and the work was done quickly. I am tired now. I have little time left. I now start on one of my last adventures....to meet my heir and my destiny.



ALL PLAYERS MAY NOW POST THEIR FIRST POSTS, FOLLOWING THIS POST....

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo stalked through the woods with a huge grin on his face. Sure, he wasn't quite clean, and his clothes had been torn by the unlikely number of thickets he had had to negotiate, but he was happy nonetheless. Who would have thought that he would be summoned by the seductive voice of adventure? Certainly not Éomeléo himself. He had anticipated nothing but problems for this week. How fortunate indeed! Most of the people he associated with would be horrified by the prospect of sleeping in fields. Adventuring: what a simple way to escape. Why had he never hit upon this idea before? Why had it taken that wine bottle to set him free?

Anyway, the opportunity to strike two birds with one stone had presented itself, and here was one Gondorian nobleman who jumped at the chance to grab his majestic blue cloak and flee. The trip so far had been wholly uneventful; but Éomeléo had been convincing himself that he was 'roughing it' out in the wild. It never hurts to get a bit of self-esteem into your system, especially when you lack hardiness to the extent that this fellow does. He is rather tall and proud to look at, delighted by his, almost royal, attire — waistcoat, ruffled shirt, and a splendid feathered hat (all royal blue); but he has clearly been protected his whole life, "wrapped up in cotton" they say, so of course he had no idea just how incredulous his family were when they read the message notifying of his journey.

In his bag he carried some rope, some food and water, and a bundle of clothes (another shirt, a jacket and spare cloak — again, all royal blue). His sword was hanging by his side and his crossbow was at his back. Attached to a chain around his neck was a golden ocarina, whose music could enchant even the most stubborn soul. Plus, he had made sure to have a haircut before he left so he was still looking quite prim.

Yes, this was the life. Éomeléo reached the end of the woods and there he saw it! The lush green banks of the Sea of Rhûn. Not at all like what they said it was in Gondor. "Let it begin!" he yelled, and the birds flew away in surprise and annoyance.

[Valesse]

Valesseka pushed her mousey-brown hair out of her eyes and looked out across the Sea of Rhûn with a grin, only to have her bangs whip back into her face again. Despite this, Valesseka considered herself to be a fairly lucky human being. She'd always had all she really needed, food, water, shelter... (not that she wasn't working to supply these things, you'd have to being of the peasent class)... and now she had found her ticket to adventure. In all honesty the idea had never occured to her before, but once she had a traveller read the bottle label aloud the thought of travelling herself was not soon to vanish.

Shifting her pack; Valesseka went over it's contents in her head to keep from squeaking at the large amount of water before her. There was food, water, wool and leather clothing... any other kind of fabrics besides maybe burlap would be a mystery to her. Then there was also rope, a throwing axe, and a cap to the stave she was currently using as a walking stick. But most important out of all of her packed items was Valesseka's brooch, glittering grandly out of place on her dull and worn attire.

At the water, Valesseka rubbed her hands together anxiously before catching sight of herself in the water. She was muscularly built, and just slightly over average in height... not entirely trim, but -possibly because she had to walk from eastern Arnor- not overweight, either. Even so, she was fairly vain about her face, and made sure that it was as nicely cared for as she could manage.

Hearing a shout, Valesseka jumped and stared at a very finely dressed man, curious, but frightened, she wondered if this was the mysterious Berrick. (Though, indeed, it is Éomeléo.)

[Gil-Galad]

Galadster looked around at the Easterling Marketplace, all fine men no doubt, but all confused about what is really going on in this world. Galadster looks down to the paper in his hands, is this really what he wants to do, go on this crazy adventure where he is proably going to lose one of his limbs? This is indeed a calling for a Mighty Warrior of Rhun. You only get to live one life so why not do something that you don't know what is going to happen.

He checks his bag one more time, 'Rope. check. Food and water. check. yumm Aunt Marie's Apple Pie... Tunic. check. robe. check. and finnally, my Rat Tail.

I adjust my Scimitar, Short Bow and Quiver then i walk out to a cliff looking of the lake of Rhun. its a nice lake. lovely foilage around. the odd majestik moose. I take a deep breath in, and then get startled by a large yell, and i fall about 4 feet to the shore with a big thud. ouch.

[THE Ka]

Near the northern edge of The Old Forest, on the eastern side of the broad Brandywine River, stood a collection of ash trees that were scattered into the distance of other trees and among the shore. Among them stood a sentient shepherd of this end of the forest, an ent. Dozing off into the glassy distance of the river, it was watching what may be passing in its waters, to pass the time, as it did most everyday, for about most of the third age so far.

Ho hmm… If I stand in anymore of this I am going to go treeish… Wait, maybe I already have! No, no, I couldn’t have, I still can move my roots, and I’m not as grumpy as that old huorn willow down the river. I can’t blame him though; humans and other beings alike seem to be greedy for wood and land. It’s amazing I haven’t been felled yet, I guess it comes with your neighbors’ reputation. Even so, drowning and other forms of discouragement do not seem to be that effective to keep men away. If there was something else to feed this greed of theirs, and possibly make a trade of land with them for it, they might keep away long enough for new trees to move in. Hah ho hmm… What do men greed after, besides land and wood? I’ve thought of this before, but did I reach a decision? Ha, now that’s a funny thought, hasty decisions, from an ent!

This ash ent, called Kafkalina, was about to sigh another day away and maybe tend to a few rowdy adolescent ash trees, when the ent noticed a few objects floating down river. They seemed to belong to either men or elves, possibly the result of an ill-gone boating trip, or an ambush. As the first of them approached, the ent saw that they were not harmed in anyway, and seemed to only but recently have entered the water.

… Well, it’s been the right amount of time I guess to make one. Hmm… I’ve seen them carry those bags full of pressed gold, and they seen to value them quite a lot. Also, minerals that shine when struck and shown in Arien’s rays, they use those to adorn themselves and their tools too. So they value minerals, birthed from deep within Arda, and they want to have much of them as well…

The first was a barrel, which Kafkalina bent down to scoop out of the water. The ent found this to be empty, and the inside stained a purplish colour. Another barrel came, and the ent didn’t bother with this one, since it seemed the same. Then the third came, a crate of empty long necked bottles that clanged together with the crate. Forth and lastly, came an unopened bottle that seemed to be tagging along. The ent spurred by some unknown reasoning, slowly bent down and retrieved the bottle. The bottom was broken and the drink inside now long gone, but it oddly had a paper wrapping of some kind.

… They are not easy to come by, that is for sure, that must surely add to their value among men. Then there it is! Men have a want for these precious minerals. Now that I have my decision, I only have to find some of these minerals, rare in abundance, though I will need many to sway their wants of this land. Ho hmm… Though, how could I even find these minerals of great value with any greater or, similar chance than men?

Carefully, Kafkalina peeled back the damp wrapper to find a curious message written on the inside. Though slightly smudged, the ent could clearly read the speech of it’s author:

If you are a great adventurer in your heart, leave all that you have and come. Come to Dorwinion on the banks of the Sea of Rhun. You will there embark on your life's greatest adventure, with a prize to be won. Come alone and bring with you only these things.

The ent stood as still as it usually did, but it’s mind was swimming with thought. Obviously this message was meant for the drinker intended, but they seemed to be too consumed in some other state to wonder why this bottle had a slim paper wrapped around it. Kafkalina read it again, and rethought again. This obviously as well, would take some good crafted ent decision making.

I have never left my trees before, but if I am to have any forest to call home to, I must find a means to secure it. Ho hmm… A prize to be won? Anything could be a prize to be won, they are not material things only. No, no, I’m thinking too hard about this, I have to remember to whom this was most likely written to, and it’s author. This was intended for either men or elves, or any other of Eru’s children. It was called ‘life’s greatest adventure’, now, I can see any day men fell trees for wood and land; it is only often that they fight with neighbors over it. If I was a man or, an elve I wouldn’t consider that a great adventure worth my risk and life. Then this treasure must be of much greater importance, and rarity. Ha he ha! Men and elves, and other beings would truly risk so much for their value!
If it was possible for me to acquire these precious gems and gold, enough in abundance could reclaim land and keep men and others satisfied themselves. If I’m ever going to keep myself from turning into a feeble minded, angry old Huorn, I have to find a way to retrieve lost land and forests. Fine then, I will go upon this adventure, and maybe even chance upon other ents not already lost to becoming treeish.

Once settled, the ent scanned the list of things needed for the journey. Trying best as it could, the ent gathered supplies as it could.

Now let’s see, it calls for ‘2 sets of clothing’… Well, let me see here…

Kafkalina looked at its branches, and down to its roots. Trying to find something similar to what was called for, the ent plucked off a few stray shoots and shook out a few empty birds’ nests from it’s head, it was spring already and it was already in full green. The other set would have to wait for the autumn season, and colder weather. Next walking down into the forest deep, the ent collected the rest of the called for items, a rope made of strong willow strands, entwine and other needed food, and as for weapons, Kafkalina would be able to acquire such at Dorwinion's nearby nature easily.

Finally, ‘one novelty item’. Ho hmmm… must be ‘cariable’. Well, maybe I could bring an ash tree with me. No, they would attract axes with their complaining and drink all of the entwine… Lazy homebodies…. Wait, I have those mallorn seeds hidden away, the ones the elves left so many years ago. They are no use here among these common sprouts, maybe they can help my way in Dorwinion.

With all things in stow, the ent gave farewell to the ash trees and their Huorns, and made way to the beginning of the adventure. Kafkalina arrived to Dorwinion with little challenge and upon Rhun’s banks viewed two human figures and another in the water. Though never meeting any ents so far, Kafkalina was not discouraged to catch up on what other children of Eru had become, and with caution approached them in the shroud of nearby trees.