Farmer in the Dale Discussion Thread

[piosenniel]

ArwenBaggins invites you to play in her RPG:

Farmer in the Dale


Historical Background:

Smaug was the last of the great firedrakes, and said to be the greatest dragon of his time. At some time during the twenty-eighth century of the Third Age, he came to hear of the immense wealth held by the Dwarves of Erebor. Where he came from we do not know for certain, but in the year III 2770 he descended in fire on the Lonely Mountain, destroying the Dwarf-kingdom and the nearby township of Dale.

[piosenniel]

Basic Storyline:

Smaug has descended from Erebor and is burning as he goes. He has finally arrived at Dale, and the civilians fear that they too shall be burned by the horrid beast. The Millwind family must escape from the cataclysmic Dale and flee down the River Running, toward Long Lake.

[piosenniel]

The purpose of the story is to: Escape from Smaug and the destruction of Dale and the surrounding land.

This means we will know the story is over when: The characters have been safely transported across the River Running.

__________________________________


Starting Location: Dale

Likely destination: Across the River Running

[piosenniel]

Timeframes:

This game takes place in the 3rd Age at around year 2770.

Storyline itself or plot covers 7 days.

This game requires a time commitment of 4 weeks from me, the game owner, and from the major players.

[piosenniel]

Characters needed: – Mortals of Dale

Character types that would not belong:

Any races other than mortal, and anyone living somewhere other than Dale.

[piosenniel]

CHARACTER LIST

** The Whitfields and Millwinds are next door neighbors **

Millwind Family

Parents

1.) Father - Arinn Elden Millwind (39y/o) - ArwenBaggins

2.) Mother - Willow Millwind (34y/o - sister of Mr. Whitfield ) - Araréiel

Children

1.) Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind (14y/o) - Child of the 7th Age

2.) Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins

3.) Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind (6y/o) - Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parents

1. Father (Willow Millwind's brother/Arinn Millwind's brother-in-law) - STILL NEEDED

2. Mother - STILL NEEDED

~*~

Children

1.) Daisy Whitfield - 8y/o girl - Nurumaiel

2.) Elian Whitfiled - 14y/o boy - Carry along character ONLY; may be used by other players as needed.

~*~

Dragon

1. Smaug – Kransha

[Child of the 7th Age]

Arwen –

I enjoyed your proposal so much that I am applying to play the fourteen-year old Millwind daughter. Please let me know if this will work.

I found it hard to write the first post without knowing what the other family members were doing. I will change the details as needed to respond to their posts.

~Child

****************

FOR: Elanor Millwind

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Various including the Star RPGs, The Long Winter, The Hobbit's Gift, etc.

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? One

List them, please: Here There Be Dragons

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES

PROFILE

NAME: Elanor Millwind

AGE: 14 years old

RACE: Human

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: Her young cousin who lives next door secretly taught Elanor how to shoot a bow without her parents knowing about it. Later on, after much begging and pleading, she persuaded her parents to allow her to secure her own bow and a quiver of arrows so that she can help protect the chicken coop, especially in winter when hungry predators sneak into the barnyard searching for a tasty snack.

Aside from this, the only other weapon Elanor has brandished is a large frying pan. Last summer, when her father was off in a neighboring village to sell some produce, a thief slipped inside the Millwood barn intent on stealing their only milk cow. Grunge, Elanor’s best friend who happens to be a guard dog, succeeded in bringing the culprit down with his sharp teeth and claws. Elanor was then able to knock the intruder out with a few strategic whacks to the head.

APPEARANCE: Elanor has bright blue eyes and a head of untidy auburn curls that she ties back with a ribbon. She generally wears long skirts and blouses like most of the other girls in Dale. Occasionally, however, when off on her own in the woods, she will slip on an old pair of Elian’s pants so that it is easier to run and ride. While Elanor can’t claim to be the most gorgeous girl in Dale, she is tall and slender and has a pleasant, cheerful face. Her attractive smile has not been lost on several of Elian’s friends who vie for her attention and favors.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: To the outward eye, Elanor is a dutiful daughter who has mastered most of the household chores that girls in Dale are expected to learn. Although only fourteen, she already knows how to cook, sew, and keep house and can tend the garden and care for the various animals on the farm. Her parents are proud of her.

Elanor is deeply attached to all her family, and especially to her mother. Her parents rely heavily on her common sense and maturity and, for this reason, have her help take care of the younger siblings. Yet, despite her generally cheerful nature, she sometimes tires of the responsibility that comes with being the eldest child and longs for a break. On these occasions, she runs off on her own to get away from her brothers’ bickering and may ramble deep into the woods or over the fields. Sometimes she is accompanied by her two closest friends. One is Elian Whitfield, her next door neighbor and cousin; the other is the brown guard dog Grunge whom she’s raised from a puppy.

Despite her outward conformity to the norms and standards of the community, Elanor has ideas in her head for the future that might surprise her mother and father. She dreams of someday being a healer. Already, she has gathered together a small kit of herbs and has tried out some remedies on the small animals that live in the countryside surrounding their family farm.

HISTORY: She is the eldest daughter in the Millwood family. Her parents are Arinn and ________Millwood. Her younger siblings are the six year-old twins, Eli and _______.

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

Child of the 7th Age’s post


Elanor got up from the lunch table and began to clear off the dishes, waving goodbye to her father and Eli as they trudged back towards the fields. Her mother was so busy with the farm and household chores that she had asked her to keep an eye on _______. Elanor had gone out to the garden to pick a bucket of beans for dinner. By the time she returned to the house, her brother _______was nowhere to be seen. She was only mildly concerned that he was missing from the house. He was probably off with mother in the garden or out in the barn playing with the cat who’d just had a litter of kittens.

Elanor sat down to finish hemming the dress, a task that her mother had asked her to start the evening before. She held up the skirt against the sunlight which was streaming in through the window and took a close look at her line of stitches. She still could not match her mother’s skill with the needle. Some of her own stitches were long, others quite short and a little wiggly. She’d need to work on that some other time. For right now, this would have to do.

Elanor was determined to finish her chores so she could meet her cousin Elian Whitfield and perhaps one of his friends as they had agreed the day before. They planned to hike north about a mile or two to see if there was anything new or different to report now that the Dwarves had carts of ore heading to the west. Rumor had it that the Dwarves had again started doing business with the Elves who dwelled deep within Mirkwood. Elanor had no idea if this was true but she wanted to get a good look at those carts and the Dwarves who were driving them. Someday, she promised, she’d take a great trip all the way to the Lonely Mountain where the Dwarf folk were said to live, with all their grand halls and piles of gold and other rare ores. But, for now, a little hike a mile or so north was all that she could manage. Elanor threw the dress down in a crumpled pile on the table and slipped out the front door, running down the pathway in the direction of their agreed upon meeting point.

*******************


The two teen-agers had trudged along for a half hour or so heading steadily north. Elian told Elanor stories he had heard from his grandfather: how the Dwarves had returned to the mountain some two hundred years before and had dug deep into the tunnels and come up with amazing treasure. Elanor wondered what the treasure would look like. She imagined heaps of gold and mithril sitting in three of four large piles in the middle of the Dwarves’ Great Hall. It might be nice, she reflected, to have a pin or necklace to wear. The two stopped and sat under an overhanging beech tree, drinking from the water bottles they had brought with them. Despite all their hiking, they had not seen a single Dwarf or any carts laden with treasure.

“We’d best get back,” Elanor pressed. “Mother expects me to help with dinner.”

“But we didn’t see any Dwarves!” her cousin objected. “And that’s why we came.”

”Maybe so. But we can always come again any time we want.”

Just as they were about to head south, Elian got up and excitedly pointed towards the hills in front of them. Some distance away and barely visible, there seemed to be a whole herd of Dwarves running to the west as fast as their short legs could take them. Some of them were waving swords, staves, and axes in the air.

“By all Beruthiel’s cats, what’s happening over there?”

Before Elanor could open her mouth to venture an opinion, there was a terrible hissing and whirling noise that came from the air. Instinctively, Elian grabbed for his cousin’s hand and yanked her down into the tall grass and ferns so that they were totally hidden. Coming straight at them, a sinister, twisting figure made its way southward, flying through the air. The creature was gigantic, its color just as golden as all the piles of treasure that Elanor had envisioned in the tales that she'd heard. Elian could glimpse two long fingers of flame that seemed to shoot out from the wyrm’s gaping mouth, leaving trails of ashes and smoke behind. The two children huddled together under the bracken afraid to look up or show their heads above the foliage. When the terrible shadow had finally swept over them, they staggered abruptly to their feet. Elian was shaking and Elanor barely holding back tears. “Our families!” they both cried at once. With that the two friends took off running towards the south.

[Regin Hardhammer]

Arwen,

This looks like fun. I am applying to play the “younger” twin. I sent you a pm regarding my proposed character and his first post. Please let me know whether this will work or if I should change something.

Hi, Kransha. Good to see you.

~Regin

**************************

FOR: the younger twin

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Land to Call their Own

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? None, but I have had a proposal approved for a game, Hunt for the Palantiri, which is supposed to start in August.

List them, please: n/a

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME: Eric Roland Millwood

AGE: 6 years- born just 2 hours after Eli

RACE: Man- Twin

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Home made slingshot that he uses to chase off birds that are bothering the crops. A stick used mainly for walking and occasionally for poking his brother in the ribs

APPEARANCE: A sturdy, tan-skinned boy whose clothes are often dirty and torn from roughhousing and frequent expeditions into the forest. He has an unkempt mop of chestnut curls that are always getting in his face. His eyes are brown and his face is dotted with freckles. He is of average height for his age. Overall, he looks like a young ragamuffin who gets into trouble. His mother and father are always after him to comb his hair, wash his face, and mind his manners.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Eric is a rambunctious boy who is naturally outgoing and likes to be the center of attention. This sometimes causes commotion in the family. Because Eli is sickly, he needs special care from his parents. Eric resents this at times. He also senses that Eli sometimes gets away with things because his parents regard the quieter boy as the “good” child, while his own pranks and teasing are looked on less favorably.

Although Eric deeply loves his entire family, he sometimes feels that he’s overshadowed by his siblings. He especially resents how his parents refer to him as the ‘youngest child’, even though he was born just two hours after his ‘bigger’ brother. These feelings lead to fights between the twins as well as bad behavior on his part. Eric needs to gain confidence so that he can let his good nature and affection for his family shine through. He needs to think more about them and less about himself. In trying to escape from the dragon with his family, he will need to use common sense, follow his parents’ orders, and not let his jealousy get in the way. That will not be easy.


HISTORY: Eric is the third child of Arinn and (name not known) Millwind, the younger of a set of twins. He also has an older sister. He and his family are close, and family values are important.

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

Regin Hardhammer’s post

Eric watched sadly as Eli and his dad walked out into the fields after lunch, leaving him all alone to reflect on the horrible time he’d just had. Eli had kicked him in the shins under the table and left a blue bruise. His parents hadn’t even seen what happened and made him return the shiny rock that he had borrowed from his brother the day before. “It’s not fair,” Eric muttered. “My crybaby brother always gets what he wants.”

Eli was a sickly and frail boy, so his parents naturally felt the need to pay more attention to him. It seemed to Eric that whenever he did anything to his brother, the older boy immediately whined about it to his parents, who always sided with Eli. Nor did he like being called a “younger brother” when he was born only two hours later than his twin. “Life can be so unfair!” he noted with a grimace.

His father always took Eli to help him with the work in the field, but never Eric, even though he was probably tougher and could work harder. A couple of times he had thought about asking his father if he could come too, but stopped himself because he was afraid that his father would say no. Anyways, Eric reflected, he probably wouldn’t want me to come, since he likes to be with Eli.

Determined not to sulk in the house all day, Eric decided to go for a walk in the meadow near the lake. Maybe he could gather frogs there that he would later put in his sister’s bed. She always loved his little surprises, he thought with a grin. Walking through the tall grass, he noticed that a grey shadow had suddenly appeared on the ground and swiftly crept closer until it finally enveloped him. Eric looked up curiously and saw a very strange looking, monstrous bird. I didn’t know birds had scales and I’ve certainly never seen one that large before. Enchanted with this new creature, Eric sprinted gleefully after it, giving no thought to how he would get home. He whispered proudly to himself, “I bet Eli has never seen anything like this!”

[Regin Hardhammer]

Nuru,

That's alright. Neither of us knew what the other was planning. I'd still like to have my character Eric considered.

Arwen - In case my current profile is not accepted, I'd be glad to play another part. However, I was wondering if the kid who gets lost is a separate character from the three children who are listed. I really would prefer to play a kid, since I've never done one before. If you supply basic info on this character, I could modify my existing profile to play the character who gets lost.

If that wouldn't work, I'll try and submit something for one of the adults.

Many thanks,

- Regin

[Child of the 7th Age]

Arwen,

Please check your pms.

~Child

[ArwenBaggins]

Regin, Nuru, Child:

Welcome, first of all. I'm very glad you've taken an interest in my little game.

Child:
You're in. Great profile; Elanor is a wonderful, "normal" character.

Regin, Nuru:
I think I am going to accept Regin for this part. He has a great display of sibling rivalry that I like, and he's kind of an outcasted kid. Nuru, would you mind playing one of the Whitfield children or an adult?

Thanks again everyone, and we're going to have lots of fun.
~Fëa

EDIT:

So, here are the characters needed:

CHARACTERS NEEDED LIST

Millwind Family

Parents

1. Father - Arinn Elden Millwind - ArwenBaggins
2. Mother – PLAYER NEEDED

Children

1. Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind- Child
2. Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins
3. Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind- Regin
~*~

Whitfield Family

Parent

1. Father (Arinn's brother-in-law) - PLAYER NEEDED
2. Mother -PLAYER NEEDED

NOTE: The Whitfield children will be Carry-along characters. No one will play them in particular; they can be used by anyone who needs them.

They are two children: Daisy and Elian, ages 8 and 14.

Nuru comes in here somewhere.
~*~

Additional Child

There is another child who has some 'difficulty' reaching home. If you want to play this part, send a pm to the founders for further detail - Regin

~*~

Dragon

Smaug – Kransha

[Araréiel]

Nurumaiel, if you see anything else I overlooked, please let me know. I just did a rush job changing the end since my mom needs the phone (cursed dial-up--when I move next week into my new house I'll have cable-yay! No more phone lines tied up!!).

I'm going to print off each characters rap sheet as well today so I can refer to paper instead of scrolling up and down. I think that's what confused me last night. I started reading the wrong one and was too tired to notice.

You made Cynan into a sweet-sounding child! And he gets to be my nephew! Cool!

[ArwenBaggins]

Ara:

Mind if I call you that, first of all?

Also: Thank you for changing the post. You're in.

Nuru:

I didn't even think of that. THANK YOU!!!!!

~Fëa

[Nurumaiel]

Good day to you all, and I hope you are doing well.

I just stopped by to let you know that I shall be gone from early tomorrow morning to perhaps late Tuesday (probably 'till Wednesday as far as getting on the Downs goes; it depends how long it takes to unpack). I don't believe the game will have started by this time, but I felt I should notify you.

[ArwenBaggins]

Everyone:

I have returned! I hope everyone is anxious for this game to open!

Nuru:

Have... er... fun? wherever you're going! I'm almost positive we won't be started by then, but things change. We'll just go with the flow and see ya when you get back!

~Fëa

[Araréiel]

Ara is fine. It means Noble in Quenya.

FYI, I'm going to be here on and off the next week, hopefully not gone more than 24 hours at a time. We're getting ready to move right now. To make it worse, our car blew a piston a couple days ago, so we are also having to find time to look for a new car. If I am not seen for a day, here's your heads-up.

When do you anticipate the game starting?

[ArwenBaggins]

Ara:

I can't really guess at all when this game will open. If I get both characters we need tomorrow, we can start by late Wednesday or Thursday. It just depends on when we get our players!

~Fëa

[Araréiel]

Okay. I'm guessing I'm going to be really busy on and and off through Sunday. Classes tomorrow night, packing up Wednesday to move, moving Thursday and Friday, down to LA Saturday to get our new car (having to take the stupid bus), unpacking Sunday. IF everything goes as planned. However, this is becoming my escape, so I'll be here as often as possible.

Wherever the title came from it's very clever, a great play on the title of the children's song.

[Nurumaiel]

Good day to you all! I'm back, and had a lovely time. I'm sorry to see the two positions haven't been filled in yet, but summer is, I do suppose, a slow time. I do not doubt that sooner or later those positions will be filled.

Now I will be gone again, but not until late July and only for about a week. As the absence will be a little longer, I thought I should perhaps let you know some time ahead.

[Fallinel]

1. I have not yet participated in any RPGs at the Barrow-Downs.
2. See above.
3. Yes, as a Haradrim character, Njeri.

Profile for Fallinel's character:

NAME: Rhysdan Whitfield

AGE: 37 y/o

RACE: Mortal Man

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Small home-made bow and arrows; shepherd's staff (or crook)

APPEARANCE: Rhysdan is tall and slender; he is built for endurance rather than great physical strength. His hair is straight, shoulder-length, and dark brown, streaked with blond highlights from time spent in the sun. Rhysdan has a short beard and moustache, and his eyes are light brown.

PERSONALITY: Rhysdan is a gentle man, with an introspective nature and a wry sense of humor. He adores his wife and children, but feels particularly close to his dreamy daughter Daisy. His son, Elian, is more adventurous and outgoing, and resents the chores and responsibility associated with keeping livestock. Although the Whitfield family maintains a small kitchen garden and fields for grain and hay, Rhysdan's talents and interests lie with raising and tending sheep and dairy cattle. As a natural herdsman, Rhysdan appreciates the opportunity to reflect on matters, and the freedom to wander throughout the countryside. He is accompanied by his loyal sheepdog, Hawkweed.

HISTORY: The Whitfields had once been herdsmen, and in past times endured much more itinerant and difficult circumstances. Only in the last generation or two has any Whitfield man been able to own land and lead a more settled and civilized existence. Rhysdan's younger sister, Willow, is a genteel woman with great domestic skills and interests, whereas Rhys has reverted to a lifestyle that more closely resembles that of his restless ancestors. He is proud of his carefully- tended flock of sheep, prized for their thick, soft wool and for the cheeses that can be made from their milk. Rhysdan's small herd of sleek cattle produce rich milk that can be churned into butter, and sold for a good price in the markets of Dale.

Fallinel's post:

The sun was warm on Rhysdan's shoulders as he clambered among the large rocks, in search of the lost black-and-white ewe and her lamb. He used his staff expertly for balance and leverage, as he leapt from one boulder to the next; he knew from experience that the heavy, clumsy sheep could easily become wedged between rocks, and lacked the sense required to extricate themselves. Rhysdan scanned all the narrow, grassy spaces between the tumbled boulders, yet there was no sign of the ewe and her lamb. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. He had wanted to bring his son Elian along to help him search for the sheep, but the adventurous boy was off wandering the hills with his cousin. "Probably looking for Dwarves, or treasure, or some such imaginative nonsense, " thought Rhysdan, and smiled.

The ewe and lamb were not the first of Rhysdan's livestock to disappear; no-the old brown ram, and a young cream-colored heifer had also gone missing, without a trace left behind. No tell-tale sightings of circling carrion-birds for a sick or injured animal, either. The last time he had traveled into the Dale market, to sell cream, butter, and sheep's milk cheeses, he had heard disturbing tales of losses on other farms and homesteads, livestock spirited away mysteriously.

Rhysdan had hiked close to one of the towering southern arms of the Lonely Mountain in his search for the lost ewe and her lamb, enjoying the exertion as he moved steadily uphill, in spite of the nagging worries over his livestock. His red-speckled, blue-eyed sheepdog, Hawkweed, accompanied him, trotting to and fro amongst the boulders and patches of high grass, sniffing incessantly for the elusive sheep-scent. Something passed between the sun and the stone-littered field where Rhysdan stood, casting a long dark shadow on the grass, and Hawkweed immediately began barking frantically. That was so unlike the dog, who was usually devoted to his tasks; Rhysdan looked up, and in the bright sky saw something that left him feeling un-nerved, yet fascinated.

No, it can't be-those are only wild tales, meant to frighten children, thought Rhysdan. But there it was, golden-red scales glistening in the sun, long tail lashing from side to side as a rudder, immense leathery wings beating the air powerfully. Rhysdan could see fibers, or perhaps fur and skin trailing from one of the dragon's huge front claws. Hawkweed continued to bark madly, racing around the stones, and jumping on and off the tops of the smaller ones nervously. Rhysdan thought to silence the dog with a command, but then realized that the dragon was paying them little or no heed. Its attention appeared to be focused on the mountain itself, particularly on the southern side. It is looking for a den, just like a fox or wolf , thought the shepherd, who had little knowledge of dragons, but knew much about the wild animals of the area.

Then Rhysdan remembered that Elian and Elanor had decided to go adventuring near the mountain, and surely that golden monster had the vision of a hawk or eagle. Rhysdan called Hawkweed to his side, and began to run back towards his homestead...

[piosenniel]

CHARACTER LIST

** The Whitfields and Millwinds are next door neighbors **

Millwind Family

Parents

1.) Father - Arinn Elden Millwind (39y/o) - ArwenBaggins

2.) Mother - Willow Millwind (34y/o - sister of Mr. Whitfield ) - Araréiel

Children

1.) Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind (14y/o) - Child of the 7th Age

2.) Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins

3.) Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind (6y/o) - Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parents

1. Father - Rhysdan Whitfield (37 y/o - Arinn's brother-in-law) - Fallinel

2. Mother - STILL NEEDED

~*~

Children

1.) Daisy Whitfield - 8y/o girl - Nurumaiel

2.) Elian Whitfiled - 14y/o boy - Carry along character ONLY; may be used by other players as needed.

~*~

Dragon

1. Smaug – Kransha

[ArwenBaggins]

We only need ONE more person to play.... come one people!

~Fëa

[Pippin Pondlily]

Farmer in the Dale

ArwenBaggins, I have never participated in an RPG before but it looks like it would be quite a bit of fun. I have posted once in the Green Dragon and dropped a note in one of the threads requesting to be a part of an RPG. I was PMed about this one, read it over, and thought it looked brilliant. Hopefully the below is acceptable to you…

Character Description Form:

1.) Have you ever played In an RPG at the Barrow Downs? - No.

2.) How many RPGs on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? - None.

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? - Yes.

Profile:

Name - Esmerelda Whitfield

Age - 36

Race - Man of Dale

Gender - Female

Weapons - Whatever’s lying around to be used as a weapon: rocks, kitchen knives, walking sticks etc… Esmerelda will stop at nothing to protect herself, and the ones she loves.

Appearance - Esmerelda has beautiful long dark blond hair maintained by leather ties fastened a couple of inches behind her ears. Her facial features are very strong, almost bold with a sort of masculine quality that gives her a very strong and enchanting appearance. She has dark green eyes, and full, cleanly arched brows. Esmerelda is very tall for a woman, standing at around 5’10” with a well-built figure that commands attention and obedience. But she has a very gentle side to her as well that can calm and comfort her children.

Personality - Esmerelda is very firm but kind. She loves her two children very much and always does what’s best for them. Her tendency is not to be overbearing and to let them choose their own paths in life but she tends to want to direct them a little more to challenge themselves and put all their effort into what they want to do. While she approves of her son’s adventurous habits and curious nature, she is uneasy about Daisy’s dreaminess and hopes that with time her daughter will become more realistic like her mother and grow in strength and confidence. Esmerelda is very brave, intelligent and clever and maintains her household with the surest hand.

History - Esmerelda was born in the year 2734 in Dale to Paladin and Pervinca Storms. She was reared the middle of three daughters. Paladin worked at the local apothecary while Pervinca minded the home and children. Esmerelda’s oldest sister, Robin, took after her father and moved to Gondor to work as a pharmacist there and the Storms’ youngest daughter, Lily, died in child labor at age 19 leaving her husband a widower and childless.

In 2755, Esmerelda married Rhysdan Whitfield and moved into his home next door to his sister’s family. They had two children: Elian, born in 2756, and Daisy, born in 2762. Esmerelda grew to know and love the Millwinds very much and she is very close to Willow, her sister-in-law.


First Post:

Esmerelda stood over a cauldron of hot water and stirred with a thick staff her family’s laundry. Cottons and linens in earthy tones would surface and recede at random as they were soaked through in preparation to be soaped down and cleaned. She stopped for a moment to prod at the coals beneath the large iron pot and waited for signs of an orange glow before she resumed her stirring.

This was a wretched day for doing laundry. The sweltering afternoon heat was relentless as it beat down through the feeble shade of an old hickory and Esmerelda was very uncomfortable in her soft brown overdress and itched incessantly underneath the blue sash coiled about her waist.

Finally satisfied with the hot laundry she picked out one of Rhysdan’s shirts and set it hissing into a wide pan of cool water and draped it over the wash board. Securing the gathered ties of her linen chemise above her elbows she went to work soaping and scrubbing the shirt until the water was murky with dirt and grime. As she moved the fabric up and down over the ridges of the board the wooden disc that hung on a chord around her neck repeatedly knocked against the frame until she finally tucked it behind her into the back of her dress’s neckline, the front neckline she preferred for the hot weather being too low.

After four shirts, two of them Rhysdan’s and two of them Elian’s, Esmerelda sought out the water pump to refresh herself and splashed water onto her face and hands and in her mouth. As she was walking back to the cauldron a hot wind picked up and blew dust about the base of the cauldron and made the clothing hanging on the line snap in a frenzy. The hickory tree groaned and shuddered and the leaves rustled frantically. In the street and up across the hills Esmerelda could hear dogs barking and in the paddock outside the barn the horses reared and whinnied. She looked around for some explanation searching the horizons when an immense shadow passed across the fields before her. The woman shielded her eyes and squinted up into the sky. Her heart beat fast in her chest and her mouth opened in shock as she took in the gigantic, red-gold figure that soared overhead.

Esmerelda watched only for a second before quickly dousing the coals beneath the pot and abandoning the rest of her washing. She yanked open the back door of their home.

“Daisy! Daisy, come down here!” she called up the stairs to the bedrooms. There was no answer. “Daisy?” she walked into the kitchen and dining room area. The wind was ripping through the open window and whistling through the gaps in the boards. It had already blown the <A TITLE="Click for more information about flowers" STYLE="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: medium solid green;" HREF="http://search.targetwords.com/u.search?x=5977|1||||flowers|AA1VDw">flowers</A> from table onto the floor and the hanging herbs and roots were parallel to the ground and spinning, straining against their strings. “Daisy!” Esmerelda shouted again. When it was clear that her daughter was not in the house, the tall woman ran out the front door into the street. She cupped her hands about her mouth and called, “Daisy!” There was still no answer and her voice had to fight the wind to be heard. Her eyes searched about her frantically, up and down the street but there was no sign of her daughter. Then she rounded the house and nearly stumbled upon her.

“Mother!” the little girl cried, leaping up from her huddled position alongside the house. She wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s neck and buried her face into her shoulder. Esmerelda held her daughter tightly, whispered soothingly into her ear and ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s alright darling, I’m here, shh, it’s alright.” She went around again to the front of the house and stepped up onto the small porch ducking again into the doorway. Holding still to her daughter she crossed the living room into the kitchen and peered out the window. The dragon had flown to the edge of the town and was just out of sight. Then she glanced across the fields to the hills where her husband was tending the sheep. There was no way to reach him, undoubtedly he’d seen the beast. Suddenly she thought of Elian. Out for the day with his cousin, probably a mile north!

“Mummy, I’m scared,” whispered Daisy, her frightened body tense and salty tears hot against her mother’s cheek and neck. Esmerelda patted her back tenderly.

“It’s alright,” she said calmly, “we’re going to wait here for Daddy and Elian for a little while longer and then we’ll go over to see Uncle Arinn and Aunt Willow, alright?” Daisy nodded, her face still muffled in Esmerelda’s shoulder. “You’re a very brave girl,” she whispered, “it will be alright.” If Elian wasn’t back soon, she would take Daisy over to the Millwinds’ and go out to find him. She looked up again into the sky, the dragon was headed back their way…

*****

I hope that’s alright!

Thanks,
- P. Pondlily

[ArwenBaggins]

That was a wonderful profile and post for a new roleplayer! You're in Pippin!

So, Cami/Pio, looks like we've got everyone, and we're set to get the first posts up in the thread!

~Fëa

[Kransha]

Hillo, hillo, hillo. Just a shout-out from your friendly neighbourhood dragon. Just to clarify, for all newcoming writers, I'll be posting a number of times a week to progress the action, as Smaug is the one causing the damage that all you hapless lads and lassies must escape from. Good luck to you, and, as a word of advice, keep as far from Smaug as you can, for he's not in the best of moods...and hungry.

How does that phrase go?: 'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.'