Homeward Bound Discussion Thread

[Eorl of Rohan]

Originally Posted by Folwren

Eorl: In your first post, you noted that the children are half Easterling, but have enough Gondorian blood in them to make them look completely Gondorian. I fear I have somewhat twisted that. I noted that in Penram's bio, he looks pretty much Gondorian. I, however, made Merra look very dark, but have the features of a Gondorian. Will that be okay?

The reason I wanted the kids to look Gondorian was because otherwise Merra and Penram would to face intense prejudice and perhaps even hostility from native Gondorians after they came back to Gondor. But hey, if you think your character can overcome such minor hardships as racial discrimination and latent distrust toward a race that is considered to be predominantly if not entirely evil, then the choice is entirely up to you. I will change my post to reflect yours.

Originally Posted by Folwren

Everyone: Should my character be a fairly 'good girl' and be somewhat normal (option 1), or should she be a bit messed up (option 2)? Option two will definitely add more conflict later in the story. I would love to hear everyone's opinion.

My vote is a mix of the two. Messed up but with a kind heart deep deep deeeeeeeeeep inside

[piosenniel]

Reposting this -

Note to Players:

When you do write your First Post, please go back to your Character Bio post and edit it onto the bottom of that post.

Thanks in advance!

~*~ Pio

[Thinlómien]

I'm sorry, but no first post coming before Monday. I would've had time yesterday but I fell asleep while reading a book because I was so tired... If you want to start without my first post, go on and do it.

[Durelin]

My first post is up in my character bio post. Finally. Sorry it took so long...

[Eorl of Rohan]

+shivers+ Woa. Mir's cynicism seems even benign compared to Regnar's fury. He's got some issues, hasn't he?

[Durelin]

Haha...oh dear, my characters always turn out so emo it seems. >< I can't resist the tortured soul who's suffered the bonds of slavery for five years and other horrible things leaving them bitter and driven largely by their anger, or at least certainly not by hope... It's the same thing every time.

Maybe instead of 'emo' I could refer to them as a sort of 'destroyer' archetype to make myself feel better? XD

I am looking forward to Regnar and Mir's interactions, and getting to know more of Mir...he seems to have a lot going on.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Haha...oh dear, my characters always turn out so emo it seems. >< I can't resist the tortured soul who's suffered the bonds of slavery for five years and other horrible things leaving them bitter and driven largely by their anger, or at least certainly not by hope...

I know! I can't resist it either. Anyway, Ariel Silverwood's First Post has come up, and it turns out that he's a wimp.
Now Silverwood's apparently just as much scared of Regnar as he is of Artamir.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Originally Posted by piosenniel

Eorl of Rohan invites you to play in his game

Homeward Bound

I've just noticed... I'm a HER, not HIS

PS. And still waiting for Lommy and Foley and D to write their first post~

-----------

Oops! Gender corrected
~*~ Pio

[Folwren]

Awesome. I was finding little fuel to build my first post with. I'm hoping now I'll be able to write something.

-- Foley

[Folwren]

Eorl,

I have a question. Do Mir and the two cihldren live at the barracks, or are they there this night for some unknown reason? I'm kind of imagining that they live elsewhere and are only here this night because Mir had some extra stuff to attend to and he hauled the kids along because he wanted to make sure they were safe?

Anyway, I'm going to post up my first post sometime soon, and if my assumption of the situation is incorrect, I can fix the beginning of my post.

EDIT: Post is up! I wrote some for Penram, Dimturiel, I hope it's alright.

-- Foley

[Eorl of Rohan]

Yep, your guess is pretty much correct. -runs off to read Foley's post-

[Dimturiel]

I see you've opted for the second version for your characters' bio, Folwren. This should be interesting. And yes, it's quite all right what you've written for Penram, he reacts exactly as I would have had him react. I'll have my post in on Saturday afternoon. I'm helping at a conference taking place in my university today and tommorrow , meaning that I'm stuck here from dawn till dusk so I won't be able to write anything before that's over. But I hope to get the post done by Saturday night.

[Thinlómien]

Ick, this is exactly why I wasn't so keen on taking part in one more RPG... but unless I start feeling sleepy soon I will write my first post today still. (Or will probably go past midnight so tecnically tomorrow... )

[Thinlómien]

Forgive me my confusion, but why exactly are the slaves in Mir's office? I can understand why Regnár and Ariel are there, but why are Susca and the two Rohirrim there? Did somebody (Regnár?) tell them to try to make it there during the hunt or something? Or should I come up with a reason of my own? (Like, for example, Susca saw Regnár and Ariel sneak away from the hunt to the barracks and followed them?)

And one minor thing - Eorl, I wrote in my character bio that Suscana is nowadays known as Susca, so your characters wouldn't know her real/full name so they would probably think of her as "Susca" not "Suscana". No need to edit bu remember that next time.

I'm starting to feel sleepy and I'm slightly confused, so I'm not writing anything right now. Once I sit down to write my first post it will be quickly done though, as I already know all the relevant details except for what happened during the hunt...

[Durelin]

I'm not really sure how, but my assumption was that all the slaves had somehow gotten in on this plot together ahead of time. But perhaps it would make more sense for Susca to be picked up along the way?

If nothing else, we can claim that they met in the slave quarters/pens they were all thrown in the night before they were released for the harvest festival?

[Eorl of Rohan]

Forgive me my confusion, but why exactly are the slaves in Mir's office? I can understand why Regnár and Ariel are there, but why are Susca and the two Rohirrim there? Did somebody (Regnár?) tell them to try to make it there during the hunt or something?

I tried to make that clear in Ariel's first post, but I suppose I failed. Sorry for the confusion, and currently, there's only one Rohirrim there.

Ariel remembered more than two score faces he had seen in the cells of the Harvest Festival Preparation Committee: wide-eyed children, mothers desperately clutching suckling babes to their breasts, weeping old women, and snarling young men. They had been thrown helter-skelter into a makeshift pen like so many cattle to await the day of the Harvest Hunt. He had hoped – unreasonably, as he well knew – that all of them would survive the hunt to meet them here, in the Barracks, just as his captain had suggested. But life was cheap in the City of Rhun, why should theirs be any different? In the end, they four were the only ones that managed to make it here unscathed.

My premise was that everyone was thrown into the same cell the night before the slave hunt, and that Regnar had come up with an escape plan in which he told ALL the other slaves to meet him in the shadows of the Guard Barracks. But the people who survived long enough to arrive at the Barracks were only these four.

And one minor thing - Eorl, I wrote in my character bio that Suscana is nowadays known as Susca, so your characters wouldn't know her real/full name so they would probably think of her as "Susca" not "Suscana". No need to edit bu remember that next time.

I was aware, but I thought that this familiar term of address would be known by everyone of Gondorian descent. For instance, everyone knows that Jack is John, or Lotty is Charlotte, and Letty is Letitia... If Suscana was a common first name in Gondor, anyone who heard 'Susca' would think of Suscana, I thought. And Ariel was the type of shy young man who would think and call everybody by their proper full name. But if you want it so that no one knows the full name of Suscana, then I will write so from now on.

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Dimturiel

I see you've opted for the second version for your characters' bio, Folwren. This should be interesting.

Yeah, I did. Eorl was the only one to respond, and I liked the second option anyway. It'll make it more fun. I tried to soften it a bit, as Eorl suggested, but we'll see...

And yes, it's quite all right what you've written for Penram, he reacts exactly as I would have had him react. I'll have my post in on Saturday afternoon.

Awesome! I can't wait to see your post. I really, really love playing a character that is close to another character played by a real life player. I hope we can both find time to post a lot.

-- Foley

[Dimturiel]

My first post is up - finally. Let me know if it's ok.

[Eorl of Rohan]

No problems whatsoever, Dimturiel.

~is writing second post~

Hm. Durelin, How do you think Regnar would react when Mir deliberately reminds him of the time Regnar drove those under his command into a death trap in his rash desire to gain fame? Kinda like this, but longer and more detailed: “You and your rash plans, isn’t that what earned you thralldom in the first place? How many lives would your bloodlust gorge upon until it was sated, Regnar of Gondor, how many more must need be butchered for your rashness and pride?”

Would Regnar keep his calm (realizing that Mir was trying to provoke him into killing him), would you say, or not care in the slightest (he doesn't feel any guilt over his vanguard's massacre), or furious enough to draw his sword and thus need Ariel's intervention in order to not kill Mir?

[Thinlómien]

Interesting point about nicknames, Eorl! Okay, let's make it so that Suscana is a slightly rare name and Susca a common shortening of it, so those who have heard the name Suscana can obviously figure out that Susca is a shortening of it and those who haven't heard it won't know...

In other words, I'm off to write my first post.

[Thinlómien]

PS. And thanks for the clarification! I did read Ariel's first post quite closely but I was still confused, but probably just by my own fault...

[Durelin]

I would say he'd have to be stopped from killing Mir before/after saying something about how he doesn't treat men like animals and send them to slaughter like the Easterlings do.

[Thinlómien]

Added first post. It's not very good and it's very short, but I'll write something better when I have more time and it's not almost 2am. Hope to get things rolling soon...

[Folwren]

So....I'm curious to know if the game thread has actually been opened? And if it hasn't, maybe we should wait to add second posts for it to open. Pio? Are you 'round? Can you open the game thread for us, please?

Also.....I've been mulling this over in my mind...since I've jumped in with one character, I'm thinking maybe I may as well jump in with another. But the problem is, I will only have opportunity to post on the weekends, and MAYBE on occasion during the week during the months of June and July. That's not so bad, unless there's a lot of action, and then it could be really bad.

So, what do you think - should I take the other Rohirrim?

[Folwren]

If I did just happen to take on this Rohirrim character, here's what he'd be like. (I find I really like Rohirric characters....I've done so many of them, I guess they've become easy for me to draw up and identify with.)

NAME: Hama

AGE: 27 – roughly the same age as Regnár

RACE: Rohirrim

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: A spear and a short sword, as he was able to kill one of the Easterlings

APPEARANCE: Hama is of the tall, proud race of the sons of Eorl. He has long, blond hair and a beard, both of which, despite his position of a slave, he keeps well groomed. His eyes are blue-grey, and he has high proud cheekbones. He is well-built and muscular.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Hama is bold and courageous, but also gentle and considerate. He has a good sense of humor, a good sense of right and wrong, and the tendency to see good done to everyone around him. His weakness is the desire to see the good in everybody and the unwillingness to think ill of anybody. Another weakness is also his resentful temper. It is not roused often, but when he is made angry, he becomes very angry, and finds it very hard to forgive if he considers someone to have been very, very wrong in something.

HISTORY: He was a soldier of King Theoden, born and raised in the West Emnet of Rohan among a family of five brothers and four sisters. He rode to war with the king and fought on the Pellenor fields. He was taken captive as he and his brothers rode after the fleeing Easterlings. He was the only one of his brothers to have survived the skirmish that ended in his capture, and he was lucky to have survived.

His mannerisms and his ability to get along with just about anybody kept him alive and well in his years of slavery. It was his charisma that became his downfall, for another slave, an Easterling, who was set as over-master of the other slaves in their master’s house, feared that Hama would soon take his place, for his master seemed to trust and like Hama far too well. So the Easterling thrall arranged it that Hama be sent to the Harvent Hunt, and so he was. He was one of the only fit and healthy ones and would have stood a good chance of surviving the entire night, but he liked the idea of escape – it would prove adventurous, he was sure, plus, if it succeeded, they’d be free – so on his way to their meeting place, he ambushed and killed a guard and took his weapons, and so he is here.

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Folwren's post - Hama

All the violence was absolutely unnecessary. Hama stood behind all the others in the doorway, easily looking over Susca’s head and watching the struggle disapprovingly. Precious time was being wasted by bandying words back and forth and there were more important things to do than threaten to kill their only way out. He was about to point this out to Regnár when Regnár finally stood up. Hama gently eased his way into the room, passing behind Susca with a hand on her shoulder as he came in. His eyes turned towards the closet indicated to contain the guard’s livery. Ariel was already sorting through the slim pickings there. Without looking, Hama knew there would be nothing to fit his tall, powerful frame. He shrugged, not carrying much. He could manage.

He did not see the boy before he heard his voice, shrill with fear. “No, don’t kill us! We’re Gondorian, just like you! At least spare my sister. She will not betray you. She is only a child. She cannot even understand what is happening.”

Hama looked around sharply. Regnár’s eyes were set rather hard on the children. Hama didn’t like the expression in his face. He took half a step in their direction, and answered the boy instead of addressing Regnár.

“You don’t have to worry. We don’t kill helpless people when we can help it.” This was half directed to Regnár. “Come on out of the corner there, and stay in sight, that’s all.” He waited for some sign of acknowledgment from the boy, then, with a final glance at Regnár, he turned his back again and pretended to mind his own business.

----------

Linked ~*~ Pio

[Eorl of Rohan]

+sighs contentedly as she snuggles down in her armchair to read the posts+

With Lommy’s first post, Homeward Bound can finally be underway~

Also, thanks for taking another character, Folwen! I was at the end of my wits wondering what to do with the Rohirrim character.
It seems like Hama is the only 'nice' character in this roleplay other than the children, too!

Everyone, may I post my Second Post now, Artamir's Home Scene? Or does anyone have more to say?

[piosenniel]

Eorl - here's what needs to happen now:

Take a look at your post for Ariel and your players' First Posts and decide what order you want them in for the game thread. Post that order for me and I'll transfer the posts to the game thread and open that thread for play.

Then, you can post your next post directly to the game thread.

Here's a quick link to Players/Characters/First Posts:

Player/Character List

1.) Eorl of Rohan - Mir Wainrider (short for Artamir) - (Easterling)
2.) Durelin - Regnár - (Gondorian Former Soldier)
3.) Thinlómien - Susca (Suscana) - (Gondorian Civilian Female)
4.) Dimturiel - Penram (Gondorian/Easterling Teenage Boy - BROTHER to little girl)
5.) Folwren - Merra - (Gondorian/Easterling Little Girl - SISTER to teenage boy)
6.) Eorl of Rohan - Ariel Silverwood - (Gondorian Former Soldier)
7.) Folwren - Hama - (Rohirrim)

[Eorl of Rohan]

Artamir -> Ariel -> Regnar -> Susca -> Merra -> Penram -> Hama

As an aside, as per the request of Folwen who wishes her character to look like an Easterling, please edit the following in Mir's First Post:

"half Easterling, but with enough of the Gondorian blood in them to make them completely Gondorian in appearance"
TO "half Easterling, but with enough of the Gondorian blood in them to give them distinctively Gondorian features, especially the boy who was fair of face and hair"

[piosenniel]

Edit done, Eorl

The game thread is now open for play - Have fun!!

~*~ Pio

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Eorl of Rohan

Also, thanks for taking another character, Folwen! I was at the end of my wits wondering what to do with the Rohirrim character.
It seems like Hama is the only 'nice' character in this roleplay other than the children, too!

No problem. It does seem like Hama is the only nice character. It was actually when I got the idea that we probably should have a peace maker in the group and that I could make an interesting character out of it that I decided to take on the Rohirrim character.

I posted a brief post for both Merra and Hama, both of which will not interfere other players from reacting to what Mir said.

-- Foley

[Folwren]

Hello? (I think I can hear an echo in this empty place...)

Thought I'd drop in and stir the pot a little and see if anyone's around who can write a post. Eorl and I both have posted for all of our characters and can't really post anymore.

I'm leaving tomorrow evening for staff training for camp, so tomorrow will be the last day until Friday evening that I can post something.

-- Foley

[Eorl of Rohan]

*sighs* I know, Folwen.
I finally see what Pio meant when he said that roleplay is a little 'slow' these days.
Hope Durelin comes around to write his post sometime soon...

[Thinlómien]

I'm leaving for a month's trip to the US within two weeks and I am (like I've been all spring) quite busy, but I'll write at least one post before I leave and if I'm needed I can even write something short while I'm on the trip...

[Eorl of Rohan]

Hopefully, one day, we could start this RPG up again. =)
Until then, I suppose there's nothing to do but wait...

[Durelin]

I am very sorry that I completely and utterly neglected this game. I'm going to see about posting right now.

[Folwren]

Hm. I didn't realize that this game had been posted on at all....I can post for Hama, but before I do, I'd like to see who else was around.

-- Folwren

[Thinlómien]

*whacks self with stick*

I have lots of reasons why I didn't post before I left, but they are, in the end, just excuses. I am sorry.

I'm going to have a look at the thread now and see if I can post. I'm warning, though, that I will be then inactive for 1,5 weeks then POSSIBLY able to write a post in the first weekend of August and then be inactive for one more week. But after that I should be around properly.

[Thinlómien]

Ok, I will post later today! (I have to surrender my internet very soon to my little sister, but I can write a post to this RPG and to Scarburg Meadhall if I need to while she uses it. )

[Durelin]

So I guess Eorl got completely fed up with me right about when I decided to finally post (which is completely understandable)...I really feel terrible about this game.

What should happen to it?

Should I PM Eorl to ask if she'll give me another chance? (Basically wondering if anyone has already PMed her/when was the last time)

[Folwren]

Is piosenniel around anymore?

I honestly don't think Eorl is nearby at all. We can try PMing her. The problem is, it would take an extraordinary amount of effort to get myself back into this game. I couldn't even remember the plot until I went back and reviewed some stuff. However, if people were around and willing to try it, I'd be game, too.

So, Dury, you could try PMing her, how 'bout?