Hard Winters Planning/Discussion Thread

[Firefoot]

Folwren, could you explain the use of ash for cleaning tack?

[Folwren]

I believe (though honestly I could be wrong because I didn't have to look it up when I wrote the post, though I wanted to) that ash can be used to clean leather and does not cause it to become stiff and brittle. I imagine you'd mix a bit of water with ashes so it's a sort of paste and then rub it into the leather and then gently wipe off excess. Now that I'm home (just got back from work a couple minutes ago), I will look into it.

[Folwren]

Ok. So apparently I just made that up. I can't find it anywhere online. That's really weird. I mean, of all the random things to pull out of one's head and think that it was something I had learned...why ash to clean leather?

Never mind. I'll take that out.

EDIT: Ash can be used to make soap. I must have heard that before and somehow in my scrambled brain I got it mixed up with cleaning leather. I just read about it online. So I'm not completely crazy.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Folwren

EDIT: Ash can be used to make soap. I must have heard that before and somehow in my scrambled brain I got it mixed up with cleaning leather. I just read about it online. So I'm not completely crazy.

Still beats what I know about the uses of ash - I just know it can be used as a fertilizer in small quantities, especially in poor soil that lacks organic material.

[Firefoot]

Haha, no worries. I've heard that about soap as well.

When I was looking last night I found a recipe for saddle soap that uses lye, beeswax, turpentine, oil, and water. Seems reasonable that these ingredients would be available to the Rohirrim. It can be stored indefinitely so there could be some on hand.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Folwren

So I'm not completely crazy.

Shoot, and here I thought you were one of us.

I didn't expect Rowenna to be such a 'bad girl'. Your turn.

[Mithalwen]

Ash can be used for cleaning - they suggest it for glass on a wood burning stove mixed into a paste so they might possibly use it for metal.

[piosenniel]

About wood ash and its uses for cleaning:

from SurvivalTopics.com - HERE - Note what sorts of ash from what sorts of trees works the best and what NOT to use ashes on as a cleaning agent.

from The Farmer's Almanac - HERE - Uses for garden soil, repelling slugs, melting ice, cleaning glass and metal

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

Recipe for quick and simple leather cleaner:

Leather Soap
From "the Art of Soapmaking" by Merilyn Mohr.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup clean rendered Tallow
1/4 cup Neats Foot Oil
1/2 cup Melted Beeswax
3/4 cup Cold Soft Water
1/4 cup Lye Flakes

Instructions:
Stir lye flakes into cold water until dissolved. Melt 1 cup tallow. Add neats foot oils and set aside to cool

Melt beeswax in top of double boiler. Add remaining 1/2 cup tallow to beeswax, stirring to melt and mix thoroughly. Retain tallow-wax mixture in hot water to liquefy.

When fat and lye are lukewarm, pour lye slowly into fat, stirring constantly to emulsify. Beating vigorously, add tallow-wax mixture in thin stream. This will cool and solidify quickly. Continue to beat till thick. Pour immediately into molds.

-----

*Neatsfoot oil - Neatsfoot oil is a yellow oil rendered and purified from the shin bones and feet (but not the hooves) of cattle. "Neat" in the oil's name comes from an old English word for cattle. Neatsfoot oil is used as a conditioning, softening and preservative agent for leather.

*Lye flakes - How to make - HERE

[Galadriel55]

Firefoot, do you have plans for Cerwyn's arrival? If you didn't, I was going to offer to meet her en-route to Scarburg. Logically thinking, Balan is travelling on more or less the same road as she is, at more or less the same time, but probably at a slightly quicker pace. I'm still hesitant to bring him in while Ledwyn continues to be interesting, but I was thinking of what I'm going to do for his entrance and I realized that he and Cerwyn would probably see each other on the road.

[Firefoot]

Sure, if he's traveling faster he can come up behind her on the road. Just remember she's wearing boy's clothing.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Firefoot

Sure, if he's traveling faster he can come up behind her on the road. Just remember she's wearing boy's clothing.

How good is her disguise? Like, at what point would he be able to tell that she's a girl (if at all)?

[Firefoot]

She'll have her hair pulled up under a hat, I think, and be wearing trousers. Probably a cloak as well given the weather. But the disguise is meant more for casual observers than close scrutiny. She's pretty bedraggled at this point so there might be stands of hair escaping from her hat, that sort of thing.

[Folwren]

The Rohirrim were described as having long hair in the book anyway.

[Firefoot]

Hmm good point. Do you think women would wear their hair longer than men?

[Firefoot]

Well, either way. I'll leave it up to you, G55, how long Balan will be deceived. Might be funny to write a few posts that way.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Firefoot

Well, either way. I'll leave it up to you, G55, how long Balan will be deceived. Might be funny to write a few posts that way.

I'll try to come up with something entertaining tonight or tomorrow.

[Mithalwen]

The books says men wear their hair long but I imagine men and women would most likely wear different styles? Elfthain and I think quite a few of the other Rohirric males in this RPG are described as having shorter hair. For Elfthain, I have personally rationalised it as being because he doesn't like the curls that appear if he lets it grow long and because he has been exposed to Gondorian fashions - Boromir is described as having his hair shorn at shoulder length and it seems reasonable to assume that was the norm.

However it describes Eowyn's hair as being released from its bonds when she removes her helm before the witch king that suggests she tucked it up rather than braiding it. So I guess you will have to choose. There are so many cultural conventions regarding hair across time and space that it is hard to say. Maybe the braids were a mark of age or rank or marital status.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The books says men wear their hair long but I imagine men and women would most likely wear different styles? Elfthain and I think quite a few of the other Rohirric males in this RPG are described as having shorter hair. For Elfthain, I have personally rationalised it as being because he doesn't like the curls that appear if he lets it grow long and because he has been exposed to Gondorian fashions - Boromir is described as having his hair shorn at shoulder length and it seems reasonable to assume that was the norm.

However it describes Eowyn's hair as being released from its bonds when she removes her helm before the witch king that suggests she tucked it up rather than braiding it. So I guess you will have to choose. There are so many cultural conventions regarding hair across time and space that it is hard to say. Maybe the braids were a mark of age or rank or marital status.

Well, one thing is certain - women who work in the kitchen must tie their hair up for practical reasons. Braids, buns, doesn't really matter, but I think this detail holds regardless or culture.

[Firefoot]

Both my characters are described as having shorter hair as well but it had more to do with my own preference for short hair when I started writing them (when I was 16...) than any practical or canonical reasons.

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The books says men wear their hair long but I imagine men and women would most likely wear different styles? Elfthain and I think quite a few of the other Rohirric males in this RPG are described as having shorter hair.

Huh...very true. My characters both have shorter hair.

It's nice having you around, Mith, you notice cool details and realistic stuff.

[Galadriel55]

My main inconsistency with Rohirric culture, I think, is not with hair length but with hair colour. Somehow I ended up imagining most of the Scarburg characters as having dark hair - black, brown, various shades of brown... The character bios don't help much; I tried to override my mental images, but they keep popping up. I don't have a problem imagining the LOTR Rohirrim as blonde, it's just a Scarburg thing.

[Firefoot]

I just wanted to mention that with Leof I was trying to open the door for the kind of conversation that might set the ball rolling for Elfthain to stay (since that was discussed a few weeks ago). I don't know if Folwren might want to jump in with Javan (who would seem to have the greatest interest in that so far, since they seem to be hitting it off)?

[Galadriel55]

Errr... sorry folks. Got a bit carried away with anatomy homework. Might do the post tomorrow.

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Firefoot

I just wanted to mention that with Leof I was trying to open the door for the kind of conversation that might set the ball rolling for Elfthain to stay (since that was discussed a few weeks ago). I don't know if Folwren might want to jump in with Javan (who would seem to have the greatest interest in that so far, since they seem to be hitting it off)?

I will give it my best...but not tonight. Hopefully tomorrow evening? Things are a bit crazy.

[Folwren]

Let me know if there are any errors in there. I wrote it quickly and didn't check it too closely. We DID decide that Garstan died, right, leaving Garwine and his sister orphans?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Folwren

Let me know if there are any errors in there. I wrote it quickly and didn't check it too closely. We DID decide that Garstan died, right, leaving Garwine and his sister orphans?

Yes, Garstan died... but isn't his son named Garmund?

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Yes, Garstan died... but isn't his son named Garmund?

Ha! maybe. Isn't there a Garwine here, too, though?? I'm so confused, and none of their names are on the character list. I'll change it to Garmund. I knew something wasn't right.

[Firefoot]

There used to be a soldier named Garwine written by Alcarillo.

[Thinlómien]

LMP - why not go with my suggestion as for where Eodwine could find Wilheard? Personally, I don't see Wilheard as a slacker (he's more like, mischevious and a little disinterested normally? and now depressed) and not a late riser by any means, I think being a morning person/ someone who sleeps very little anyway would better fit his character. I did not want ask you to rewrite your whole post, so I rather decided to go a different route to justify this ooc behaviour from Wilheard. I think this might be fun! But please, next time, ask me first, even if I'm seemingly not around - Legate is more diligent than I am and he keeps me updated on Scarburg.

So, basically, I'm thinking he went riding at night, got his clothes wet, caught a cold and has a rising fever now, high enough to make him a little confused. It makes sense Eodwine didn't notice it at first, especially if he expected Wilheard to be slacking and his perception was coloured by that.

But if we want, Wilheard could also have brought a disease from Edoras (if it's one with a long incubation period) or maybe from somewhere else in the surroundings - I mean, for the past few days, he's been a lot on his own, riding around, so maybe he met say travelling traders and got something from them. Or anything. The possibilities are as many as we want them to be...

[littlemanpoet]

I did ask, but never saw an answer. I posted my question back on September 24, on this thread. You can find it there if you like.

If you made a suggestion, I don't remember it. So not seeing an answer, I decided that it was high time I finally wrote something.

I really do not care if you want to go another direction with this. I could discard the whole post and it would bother me not a bit.

So let me know what you want to do.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

I did ask, but never saw an answer. I posted my question back on September 24, on this thread. You can find it there if you like.

If you made a suggestion, I don't remember it. So not seeing an answer, I decided that it was high time I finally wrote something.

I really do not care if you want to go another direction with this. I could discard the whole post and it would bother me not a bit.

So let me know what you want to do.

Well, just to be clear there was an answer:

Originally Posted by you, post 399 on this thread

Lommy, where will Eodwine find Wilheard?

Originally Posted by Legate, post 400

Lommy is away from internet until Sunday, but she told me to pass on, I quote: Maybe Eodwine could run into him when he's coming back from his morning ride? Or if that seems inconvenient, maybe he can be say practising archery with one or two (random) soldiers?

But fair enough, confusion happens to everyone. I thought you had simply thought your idea is funnier than mine (which it was though ) and decided to go for it instead, so I was a little annoyed. But I'm fine with as it is now.

Since we've both written posts with your idea in mind, I suggest we keep it. Like I said, this might even turn into an interesting subplot, and if not, I get an excuse to explore Wilheard's character with fever dreams.

(For those of you who have read George R.R. Martin, one of my favourite parts of the series is Brienne's fever dreams in A Feast for Crows.)

[littlemanpoet]

Oops Truth be told, I do now remember coming across that, and then promptly forgetting it. My bad. :/

Okay, we'll stick with what we've got so far.

[Folwren]

Do we have a healer here, or will Saeryn be the one looking after Wilheard?

[littlemanpoet]

We used to have a healer, but that writer left us long ago, and her character became a npc that was pretty much forgotten about. I think it best to assume that those who are now part of Scarburg must fend for themselves as best they can.

[Folwren]

K, that's what I kind of assumed. I think a character like that would travel around to tend to other households in a certain region, anyway, so she wouldn't be always around.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

We used to have a healer, but that writer left us long ago, and her character became a npc that was pretty much forgotten about. I think it best to assume that those who are now part of Scarburg must fend for themselves as best they can.

Originally Posted by Folwren

K, that's what I kind of assumed. I think a character like that would travel around to tend to other households in a certain region, anyway, so she wouldn't be always around.

Indeed. It's a pity now we don't have the forest-family writers anymore, they would have exactly fit right in. Anyway, if the knowledge of Wilheard not being well is going to spread, it occured to me that Stefnu could even join Saeryn or suggest substituting her for a while at some point (and she could try some curious mountain-folk medicine). How about that?

On another note: So which is it now, there seems to be now two different posts relating the same thing regarding Ruari and the honey. LMP?

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

On another note: So which is it now, there seems to be now two different posts relating the same thing regarding Ruari and the honey. LMP?

Second one. The first one was too tame, we decided.

[littlemanpoet]

I've deleted the too tame one.

[Firefoot]

Folwren and Mithalwen, did you guys cross post? If so, looks to me like the easiest resolution might be just to switch the order of the posts and no one will have to edit.

[Folwren]

I can move my post in an hour or two.