Scarburg Meadhall Discussion Thread

[Folwren]

Aw! I hope Leof doesn't think Quin's being stand-off-ish! I like Quin's and Leof's seeming friendship. I think maybe I'll post. We could make this very uncomfortable for no reason whatsoever...kind of like the play 'Much Ado About Nothing.' Haha.

-- Foley

[littlemanpoet]

Thanks for the help, Firefoot. Rowenna appreciates it.

[Firefoot]

Hahaha. This should be good.

[littlemanpoet]

Firefoot, I'd like to set things up so that Rowenna sees from a distance that Nydfara and Aldric are talking, so that she can wonder if Nydfara put Aldric up to "coming on" to her. This would then turn to suspicion that he had, and getting angry in a hurry, she determines to confront him, which she will do as the story makes convenient (or not ) - what do you think?

[Firefoot]

Elempi, that sounds perfect and very much in line with what I was thinking.

I should have posts up for both Leof and Scyld sometime today.

[Nogrod]

Hi there good people.

I'm very sorry I haven't checked on the 'Downs for ages.

The real life hasn't been too good to me (all my personal health problems after the operation & the situation with my mom & her later life's partner) - or at times it has been too good (the Barrow-Downs moot in Finland) or just plain busy (new year at school with all the stuff from the end of last semester undone etc.). And like I think you all know, the working-field is ever more competitive, every day more so (where will this all lead to, to Chinese working hours?)

But I have not totally forgotten this one. I have just been afraid to check in to learn what I would be supposed to do while the RL has cast it's obstacles in front of me.

But if and when you can still go on (I see a lot of discussion of late), please do so, and if lmp wishes to get the hosting back to him - please let's arrange it thus if it helps things go forwards. I feel a wretched host right now.

I'm going to be still quite busy with the RL at least for a week or two from now so anything required of Athanar would have to wait - unless someone PM'd me a shortcut to what is going on and where he should react to in a short way; so that I could just react to make things go forwards. To that I think I could steal the time for.


If there is anything to say on my behalf for my inattentiviness, it's probably only that I have not had time to take part in any other threads either (not even ww - if there has been any of late) - and even on Facebook I have probably more action in others tagging photos of me than me really saying anything...

But I'll be back. Hopefully sooner than later.

[Firefoot]

Thanks for the update, Nogrod. I hope things work themselves out for you.

[littlemanpoet]

Nogrod, you and yours have my sympathy and prayers.

Are you resolved in regard to modding? I certainly appreciate your kind regard in offering it to me, but I hope this is not brought on only by feeling. You're in a tough spot right now. so please let us know if you think this would be truly best for the rpg. I'd appreciate it if others would speak before any decisions are made. Something like this ought to be a group decision, I think.

Firefoot, that was too funny!

[Durelin]

I've been missing writing for this but I've found it hard to do so for a while. Mostly it's just been life, but also there seems to be a disconnect between those 'native' to this thread and those not. And I don't mean that offensively; it's only natural anyway. And it hasn't been helped of course by the fact that Nogrod has been busy, and really there's not been much action from any of the characters surrounding Athanar besides Legate's Hilderinc.

Anyway, still my own fault for not posting. I would like the storyline to continue from both sides of this new Eorl thing. Though sometimes I feel like there might be too many characters and players involved to keep up with haha...(that is, when everyone's posting)

As for Nogrod being unable to post -- from an OOC point of view it doesn't really matter who's 'mod' to me! But what do you think we should do with Athanar? Should someone else play him for the time being? But then we also have Lommy and Mnemo pretty much missing? (I mean, I have been pretty much gone myself, as well, so I am definitely not complaining just wondering)

I'm not sure what direction the thread should head in I guess is what I'm saying. We've switched back in activity to having far more characters active from the 'native Scarburg/Eorling Mead Hall' characters than 'new Eorl' characters. Obviously not a bad thing, but maybe should dictate how the thread moves forward.

I'm really in no position to make any suggestions or anything, but I just wanted to post my observations.

/rambling

[Firefoot]

I think you hit on a lot of good points, Durelin.

I also think that it can be really easy for people to look around at the characters who are actively posting and say, "Well, I don't see why my character would interact with any of the available characters" and then not post (I'm guilty of this too). And it can happen for a variety of reasons: the character as created is just kind of a loner, or there's no one else available in the character's age group, or all the writers of the character's previous compadres have gone AWOL.

Rather than not posting at that point, I think what needs to happen is that we all make a greater effort to be aware of what other characters aren't busy, and make them interact for some reason. Like what we did with building the sheep pen.

As for writers who have gone missing a bit (Mnemo and Lommy were mentioned) - Mnemo has at least been around the Downs, and Lommy, I would imagine, is somewhere in the same boat as Nogrod... Can we bring people back in?

As for leadership in the hall, I'd agree with Elempi. Everyone goes through tough spots in RL and I don't think anyone on the Downs would expect you to prioritize us over that. If you want to come back, I'm perfectly happy to wait for you.

[Folwren]

I have enjoyed Nogrod's mod-ship of the game, and I think that it wouldn't be the same if someone other than Nogrod took Athanar's character. So I, too, kind of feel we shouldn't remove him as mod and eorl-player. I think that if there are strong characters and players who are consistent (Elempi, Firefoot, Legate, and I are pretty consistent) it's not a terrible thing if Nogrod isn't ALWAYS about.

I wish we could find a way, though, that would make the new-er players who were integrated with the mod-change feel more comfortable and at home. It is really interesting to me how the occurrences in the story-line are mirrored somewhat here in RL.

Possibly we could take Durelin's suggestion and have someone temporarily take Athanar's character? Just so he can have a presence in the hall, and so forth? I feel confident that in the given scenario, with the formal feast and all, his actions will be straight forward and predictable. (Haha...that's funny..."predictable"...I can never predict Athanar.) I guess so long as no one else does anything out of the ordinary, he'll be predictable.

No other thoughts to offer right now.

-- Foley

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Durelin

I've been missing writing for this but I've found it hard to do so for a while. Mostly it's just been life, but also there seems to be a disconnect between those 'native' to this thread and those not. And I don't mean that offensively; it's only natural anyway. And it hasn't been helped of course by the fact that Nogrod has been busy, and really there's not been much action from any of the characters surrounding Athanar besides Legate's Hilderinc.

Anyway, still my own fault for not posting. I would like the storyline to continue from both sides of this new Eorl thing. Though sometimes I feel like there might be too many characters and players involved to keep up with haha...(that is, when everyone's posting)

As for Nogrod being unable to post -- from an OOC point of view it doesn't really matter who's 'mod' to me! But what do you think we should do with Athanar? Should someone else play him for the time being? But then we also have Lommy and Mnemo pretty much missing? (I mean, I have been pretty much gone myself, as well, so I am definitely not complaining just wondering)

I'm not sure what direction the thread should head in I guess is what I'm saying. We've switched back in activity to having far more characters active from the 'native Scarburg/Eorling Mead Hall' characters than 'new Eorl' characters. Obviously not a bad thing, but maybe should dictate how the thread moves forward.

I'm really in no position to make any suggestions or anything, but I just wanted to post my observations.

/rambling

I agree with Dury's points raised earlier, and while I think that it's a pity that e.g. Nogrod is not posting, I would say that it is not such a big deal. I mean, this has been just some time - barely, say, a couple of months. Generally speaking, RL-busy times (or other reasons) happen, and actually rather many people of those now active have been away for a long time before. So I would not really be that concerned about that - the game can keep moving on and focus on other stuff. Sure, Athanar is a rather central character now, but as some have pointed out, it can be amended.

Indeed I have to confess that maybe I could have been a bit more active, though probably all of us could, but after all, we are here to have fun and it's not "obligatory" to post in the end (and let's face it, we are all guilty of the crime). I agree with Firefoot that the good "medicine" is to make characters involved in some get-together general tasks, like the sheep pen thing was. It is easier for the "old" characters to have separate conversations with each other, since they have old "relationship issues" and stuff, but I think another good thing to do would be possibly to somehow make the "new" characters somehow involved in that... I think the "old" characters' players could contribute here as well, though the activity from the "new" characters would be more naturally put-in (let's say a character overhearing a conversation, leading to them talking to one of the sides later on... actually, now as I am writing this, a few "evil plans" have formed in my head... let's see, I'll think about this.... ). Anyway, I think if the "old" characters' discussions are being made a bit more "public", and the "new" characters get a bit more, hmm, involved, it might do the trick (I thought I could actually possibly take some of the NPC soldiers of Athanar's and make them a bit more of semi-characters of mine, as I operate them most often anyway, and they are rather more talkative than Hilderinc and thus I could use them at least as "catalysers" - I am thinking e.g. Áforglaed).

Anyway, as for the "lack of players": I don't know about e.g. Mnemo, but at least when it comes to Lommy, I know that she has had a really busy RL time now (after the summer 'Downer-moot during which she also didn't have time to post, as neither of us who participated did), and she simply had decided not to get involved on the 'Downs since it would be unmanageably time-consuming; however, I believe (and that's what she actually has told me) that she should have more time on her hands from now on, and she said that maybe in the horizont of two weeks, or a couple of weeks anyway, she might return here and catch up with Scarburg. And so, if we get Wulfric and Wilheard on the scene... with the matter of Eodwine back... I think we won't be bored. More like, Béma save us.

Originally Posted by Folwren

I have enjoyed Nogrod's mod-ship of the game, and I think that it wouldn't be the same if someone other than Nogrod took Athanar's character. So I, too, kind of feel we shouldn't remove him as mod and eorl-player. I think that if there are strong characters and players who are consistent (Elempi, Firefoot, Legate, and I are pretty consistent) it's not a terrible thing if Nogrod isn't ALWAYS about.

I wish we could find a way, though, that would make the new-er players who were integrated with the mod-change feel more comfortable and at home. It is really interesting to me how the occurrences in the story-line are mirrored somewhat here in RL.

Possibly we could take Durelin's suggestion and have someone temporarily take Athanar's character? Just so he can have a presence in the hall, and so forth? I feel confident that in the given scenario, with the formal feast and all, his actions will be straight forward and predictable. (Haha...that's funny..."predictable"...I can never predict Athanar.) I guess so long as no one else does anything out of the ordinary, he'll be predictable.

Depending how badly we need Athanar, of course. I mean, the inner-relationship dramas can work without him, of course. Saeryn's concerns might need Athanar, but that is a kind of thing which would probably really need Nogrod. Perhaps then, in an inventive way, we (or the players whose characters it concerns, anyway) could come up with some pressing issue (I don't necessarily mean war coming to Scarburg, it can be something related to the one or two characters in question) that would sort of push the thing into the background until Nog returns. If we have the need for an evening meal where Eodwine is supposed to be "officially welcome back/introduced to the Hall", it can be a short speech which, in the worst case, can be just mentioned in narration (as in "...then, Athanar rose up and told them all that...") in order to avoid direct speech, if we want to avoid it; or Athanar sits in the background and says "we welcome Eodwine back... my good and trusted friend of old..." then he hesitates about mentioning personally the fact that Eodwine has sworn loyalty to him, but Eodwine himself could say it, maybe? - thus the ball would be on LMP's side (that is, if Eodwine still feels the same even after his talk to Saeryn). For example. Or something like that. And then we can see.

Random remark to something that's been sort of mentioned by some above as well: I don't know how it seems to others, but *I*, for one, don't feel myself being any less interested in the thread because I am not an "original" player. From the point I actually entered the game, it started to be my game, and the only reason why e.g. I am not always around is that I had a lot more stuff on my hands in general. So let me echo Hilderinc and say that I don't think there are really any differences between "old" and "new" players in this aspect. I mean, aside from Foley, the "old" players haven't really been around consistently for a long time until Eodwine came back, either (Foley is basically the only one "fully consistent all-time poster" I know of). So that's just to say, I don't think the "problem" is really in that some people would be less interested or feeling less involved in the story as a whole. (And like I said, in fact I think there is no problem at all. It just sort of coincided that many people from the "new squad" have been busy.)

Whoops... Sorry for the novels.

[littlemanpoet]

I think Legate has done a great job of suggesting a good direction for a lot of things.

Eodwine will have more to do with Athanar's men once he has settled in. It was inevitable that he would greet and make re-acquaintance with those most familiar to him. After the feast and once he has recovered more of his strength, I see Eodwine having a lot to do with the "new" players' characters.

And my smiths can already have somewhat to do with various and sundry, especially Garreth.

[Firefoot]

Elempi, are you thinking that Rowenna's going to hold off a while yet before confronting Scyld? If so, Scyld is open for interacting with other players for a while... as fun as Aldric is, it'll get dull really fast if nobody else joins in (or Scyld could excuse himself to go somewhere else if something catches his eye...).

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Firefoot

Elempi, are you thinking that Rowenna's going to hold off a while yet before confronting Scyld? If so, Scyld is open for interacting with other players for a while... as fun as Aldric is, it'll get dull really fast if nobody else joins in (or Scyld could excuse himself to go somewhere else if something catches his eye...).

Yeah, Rowenna will choose the time most advantageous to her.

I've put Harreld and Garreth and the same table with Quin and Léof, and two unnamed others (not Scyld or Aldric, sorry). But there's room for more at the table, no doubt. And who the other two are already there, is still up for grabs.

[Firefoot]

Hahaha, okay. Just checking.

I also put Stigend and Garstan as sitting at that table in my last post for Leof.

[littlemanpoet]

Oops - if I had paid better attention I would have noticed that. I'll go fix that in my last post.

.... watch out for the prowling Rowenna .... she will pounce on Nydfara unawares and have him for din din. Meeeeowwwwww!

[Gwathagor]

Yikes.

[Nogrod]

Hi there.

And a good coincidence I happened to read this just as lmp had wrote things on Athanar.

Sadly I hadn't time enough to check all the other posts, but I'd like you lmp to make the following changes concerning lord Athanar... (just swap this into your post there in place of the original part, I suppose?)

"Men and women of Scarburg! Today we welcome Eodwine back among us." Applause followed and died away after a moment. "Eodwine has been your capable leader, but fell sick. Many of you thought that he would not live – and so did our good king. But now he stands back with us, even if in kindling health." More applause. "King Eomer has charged Eodwine to return to Scarburg to return to his wife and to give me his full support in making the Scarburg Mead Hall the great hall it should be. I thank our king for this. As soon as he has regained his health, he will take back a central role in Scarburg Mead Hall. May his health return in full quickly and let the Scarburg Mead Hall flourish, like we showed it should in dealing with the local lords opposing king's justice and all fairness as rohanites... with lord Eodwine we're even stronger! Cheers for our good lord to have come back!”

There were loud cheers from all the corners of the hall. People were excited.

“Today we celebrate his return with a feast, held in his honor. Three cheers for Eodwine, Counselor to the Eorl of Scarburg!"

The three cheers were given, each one louder than the last. And so they sat down to feast.

Okay. I can live with the term "counselor" - as I don't just now come up with any better Athanar would have used in that place.

The changes are not big ones, but ones of Athanar being a bit more verbiose person and maybe making some specially pointed utterances; like giving something for the soldiers (old and new) to celebrate as to what they achieved together - and to remind the "earlier folk" about the king's role in this whole business...

Hoping to be with you more in as near a future as possible... and coming to the more general issues as well then.


PS. lmp: I think you can see the ambivalences and hints I have written in there in my new version of what lord Athanar says. I tried to keep them open enough to any interpretations... but also letting him make some points he would like to have made on that occasion (like using it to try and bring the "old & new" even more together by applauding their joint effort with the local lords etc.).

[littlemanpoet]

Changes happily made, Nogrod. I'm happy you can find the time to participate and hope it does not cost you too much to do so. I've used the word "Eorling" in the place of "Rohanite". Hope you don't mind.

[Folwren]

Firefoot, Quin will not answer Garreth, so I think I'll let you post next on that.

And I will post for Saeryn sometime in the relatively near future, I think.


-- Foley

[Firefoot]

Hay-filling, hay-filled newt, is it?

Good stuff, Legate.

[coolguy17]

Can i join???

[Durelin]

Haha, I love Scyrr. Great writing Legate. Sorry for the 'filler' post but I didn't feel like Coen should interrupt yet, and Legate writes Scyrr so well I didn't want to move the 'argument' forward...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Durelin

Haha, I love Scyrr. Great writing Legate. Sorry for the 'filler' post but I didn't feel like Coen should interrupt yet, and Legate writes Scyrr so well I didn't want to move the 'argument' forward...

Well it sort of made me stop a bit, I've been actually exactly thinking just before that that maybe one good way to get Scyrr out of the way would be to make Coen come up to him and I was thinking that maybe I could ask you about it, but seems you basically beat me to it For further reference, in any case, feel free to interrupt at any point, if you wished to interfere.

Anyway, right now I am most curious what becomes of this And, of course, what Scyrr will do next (if anything) will depend on that.

[Durelin]

If you'd like me to edit and have Coen talk to Scyrr immediately I certainly can. When I started writing the post I thought I might do that, but then it felt kind of right for Coen to wait to try to avoid embarrassing Scyrr (more than Scyrr has already embarrassed himself). He likes Scyrr, and being a sort of "man's man" for lack of better phrasing, he understands Scyrr's blustering nature and forgives him more readily for it than others. If that makes sense? Haha.

Edit: Duh! You already posted. Great post again! You carry all the NPC soldiers and make them all so real to me. Though I feel like I need to pick up the slack sometimes so you don't have to deal with them all haha.


Also, here's a new character:

Name: Tyrdda

Age/Gender/Race/Where from: Around 17 or so, Female, from Scarburg

Appearance: Light brown hair, brown eyes, just over five feet tall. She is larger framed than some women but with significant curves. She has a roundish, soft face with large, sharp eyes. She almost always keeps her hair wrapped up under a kerchief of sorts.

Personality/Bio: Tyrdda is not one to mess with. She always held her own with her elder brothers and helped take care of her younger siblings as soon as she could take care of herself. She grew up on a farm around Scarburg and served in the hall since Eodwine first arrived. She enjoys the company of the riders as well as of the other serving women. She scoffs at the gossipy women but usually listens in to their talks.

Linked ~*~ Pio

[Folwren]

I'm excited about a new female character, Durelin! I'm glad there's so much posting in the Hall. Things are getting exciting!

Coolguy17 - I think that you can join according to the rules, but I think that possibly it would be easier if you joined the Golden Perch thread. Nothing is happening there, but we can change that. Once people start posting, others will come back to it. The Golden Perch is a better place to get your feet wet in RPGing here on the Downs.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Your new character looks really interesting, Dury! Hope that it means we will be seeing more of you posting

I have posted for Scyrr... Scyrr had spoken and also a bit for Hilderinc... by the way, if anybody felt like engaging him as a night-walker, having a small chat or something, that's also a possibility... open for grabs, as they say... that's especially for those who might not be engaged in the inside-scene... Anyway, I am interested to see how will that one develop (I think it might be possibly coming near to an end... depends on the behavior of all people, however )

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Whoops... Foley, the last sentence of Scyrr's was still supposed to be addressing Léof, he was only pointing at Quin to make it clear (also to Quin, of course) that if Léof wants them all gone, than includes also Quin. The "kid" remark was still aimed at Léof.

[Durelin]

I'm gonna go ahead and have Coen intervene because now it's just me delaying and not Coen ;p (Unless you're already working on a post Legate)

I'll not mention anything specific regarding the last bit of dialogue in case Foley decides to make changes.

[Folwren]

Oh. Okay. I edited my post to reflect your clarification, Legate.

[Durelin]

Let me know if I need to edit anything!

Legate - Tylda has harassed...erm, I mean, addressed Hilderinc

Also I feel really stupid. I've been trying to figure out forever what the best term is to refer to the 'soldiers' (because soldiers doesn't feel right to me) and finally I realized...durr, riders. Cause this is Rohan....

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Great posts, both of ye! Nice one, Foley, and great save from Coen, Dury. I will get a post up sometime later today...

Originally Posted by Durelin

Let me know if I need to edit anything!

Legate - Tylda has harassed...erm, I mean, addressed Hilderinc

Also I feel really stupid. I've been trying to figure out forever what the best term is to refer to the 'soldiers' (because soldiers doesn't feel right to me) and finally I realized...durr, riders. Cause this is Rohan....

That's actually not funny at all, I feel similarly stupid because I think neither of us had thought of it before. It just might be that we are all the time in situations when the people are on foot, therefore, they really don't seem like "riders" in the situation... but of course. How stupid.

I'll definitely have Hilderinc reply in my next post...

Technical question, however, Dury - so what is the name? It seems to be Tylda according to your RP post and this post, only in your original character-info post, you wrote Tyrdda, so curious...

[Durelin]

Haha, woops! Speaking of stupid...thanks, Legate. I originally put it as Tylda and then changed it to Tyrdda... >< Editing my post, it's Tyrdda, I promise.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Durelin

Also I feel really stupid. I've been trying to figure out forever what the best term is to refer to the 'soldiers' (because soldiers doesn't feel right to me) and finally I realized...durr, riders. Cause this is Rohan....

I've struggled with the same issue and settled on "warriors". "Riders" is better, so I guess that makes me stupider than you, Dury.

[Firefoot]

Durelin, can't wait for Coen to try and "have a word" with Leof (and Quin) later. Could get really interesting, depending on how Coen approaches it...

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Firefoot

Durelin, can't wait for Coen to try and "have a word" with Leof (and Quin) later. Could get really interesting, depending on how Coen approaches it...

I second that sentiment. Let's not forget this.

-- Foley

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Folwren

I second that sentiment. Let's not forget this.

Exactly. I would love to see that too.

Posted for Hilderinc. Not sure how much of a chatty person is he, but that's a good start, I would say. I don't know whether Tyrdda will try to pursue the dialogue into any striking lengths, but she surely can pick up on anything he had just said. But that's up to you, Dury

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Exactly. I would love to see that too.

I can just see Leof getting upset with Coen about calling him 'lad' again and all, and Quin in the background just being like, "No, no, no!" Haha.

-- Foley

[Folwren]

I've got a post in the works for Saeryn, it'll be up a little later today.