The Fellowship of the Fourth Age (Part 1): A New Beginning Discussion Thread

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

Shae is twenty-five, and nowhere near being a girl in her opinion. Of course, Athwen is quite a bit older, right? So, it's not too strange to have her see Shae as a girl...

Hm. I thought she was around twenty. Athwen is only thirty, unless I'm mistaken (which I may be, seeing as I haven't read her profile in a bit). But, drat.

No, twenty-five isn't a girl. That's what comes of assuming something without looking it up before writing it. Should I change what I wrote?

-- Folwren

[Brinniel]

Athwen is only thirty, unless I'm mistaken (which I may be, seeing as I haven't read her profile in a bit).

In your bio, you wrote that Athwen is 39 (I just checked).

I wouldn't worry about changing that comment...it's fine the way it is. Besides, Athwen could've easily mistaken Shae to be younger than she really is.

[Folwren]

Thirty-nine? Good grief! My character just lost nine years of her life! Just kidding. But it is a shock to learn that ones character who one thought was only thirty is thirty-nine...

Okay, then, I'll keep it as it is.

-- Folwren

[Tevildo]

My save is finally filled. I think Dorran may be in hot water.

Azhar is asking Athwen to go with her and the children.....

[Nogrod]

I'm so sorry I have been taken away from this the last weeks - and will be hands full of work for a few days still.

Just work from early morning to over midnight every day...

But I'll be back as soon as I can. Within a week I hope. Let's see how we can turn the tide...

[Durelin]

I'll do my best to get a post up very soon that brings the orcs out of the pit (they're still in the pit, right? Err...) and close to execution.

But if anyone wants to do that, feel free to jump in. If you want to cover anything else before that, put a save up or let me know, or both.

And then we just have to work out the 'rescue' so to speak. *is excited* This is great stuff!

[Durelin]

Forgive the double post...

I have finally posted. The execution has commenced.

Alright, so, my post is a little weird...I was kinda in a weird mood...it also is a little dramatic...perhaps too dramatic. Basically I have it so that the executioners are poised to kill when the Orc women and/or children come to the condemned Orcs' aid.

Too dramatic? What we had in mind? Was I too vague?

Just let me know.

Also...do we have Orc women and children around to step in?

[Folwren]

I liked it. I don't think it was too dramatic, either. Poor Athwen, though.

Hey, Durelin, I had an idea. If Khamir really thinks as badly of Athwen as your previous post made out, it might be humorous if sometime fairly shortly, he is wounded and comes under her care. We could make something interesting of it, and you could do a great deal of interesting character development there. what do you think?

-- Folwren

[Durelin]

Thank you. ^_^

And yes, that sounds awesome! Khamir actually holds great respect for Athwen because he's seen her work so hard to help people, so it will be a very interesting conflict when he's actually forced to confront her, and particularly in a situation where he is the one in the weaker position.

I'll look out for an opportunity for that.

[Firefoot]

A post for Grask will be forthcoming either tonight or tomorrow night. I've been waiting for this.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Yes Durelin, the post is great. It transitioned very well and sets the tone rather wonderfully!

[Brinniel]

It's been so quiet. Alas, has our RPG come to a halt?

I would add a post, but I am not sure where to go with the whole rescue coming up. But if someone puts me in the right direction, I am anxious to write again soon...

[Folwren]

Brin, I'm not sure what happened to everybody. I think people are extremely busy with lots of diferent RL stuff. I don't believe that everyone has fully given up on the game, though - it's too good for that.

I'm not quite possitive what is happening with the rescue myself, so I fear that I am a bad person to set you in the right direction.

-- Folwren

[Nogrod]

I do agree with Foley, this is too good to be deserted at this point!

I do apologise my absence but basically I can't help it. Too much work...

Everytime I think there seem to be idle evenings coming forwards in my calendar they get filled with this and that needed to be taken care of.

I might have chances to update myself on the story this week and possibly write something the next one.

Let's keep this alive!

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

I do apologise my absence but basically I can't help it. Too much work...

Everytime I think there seem to be idle evenings coming forwards in my calendar they get filled with this and that needed to be taken care of.

Or they just plain evaporate unexpectedly.... Wow, Nogrod! Sounds like your living my life!

Yes, I agree. I'm not ready to give up. And have another simple post for Carl in mind, but haven't gotten around to putting it in words yet. Sigh...wish that life could hold on long enough to give me a bit o' play time!

[Child of the 7th Age]

I would also like this story to continue if that is possible. I am rusty as the blazes as far as writing goes and am trying to crank out a post for a story in the Shire. Let me try to get something up in the next few days.

P.S. Maybe we should all go on strike in our regular life and demand better hours and working conditions!

[Brinniel]

Originally Posted by Folwren

Brin, I'm not sure what happened to everybody. I think people are extremely busy with lots of diferent RL stuff. I don't believe that everyone has fully given up on the game, though - it's too good for that.

No, I didn't think everyone had completely given up on the game. But I have been in abandoned RPGs before (quite frustrating), and after a month of no posts, I was getting worried.

I can understand the whole RL situation as well...back in school, while I have had quite a few free days lately, there are some days I can get really busy too. And my freetime will only decrease with each month as it draws closer to the end of semester (that's when the all-nighters begin).

In spite of all our busy schedules, hopefully we can manage to bring this RPG back on its feet sometime soon.

[Durelin]

*peeks in*

Sorry, I am alive. I can give excuses, but...why bother.

I'm kicking my butt back into gear in the RPing world, so I'll do my best to get posting again...

I absolutely love this game, and I too could not give up on it.

I need to have Khamir react to seeing a little Orc kid, and I'll do that very soon, promise.

[Nogrod]

Is there anyone around anymore?

What do you think if I make a post to get this going?

With your possible admission I could write something to turn this into something that moves again.

Who's around anyway?

I have until the new year time to sit down and to write in all peace without too many RL hindrances so I'd appreciate your answers in a day or two.

Are you ready to give me free hands to make this go further with a sweep or do you have some reservations what certain characters would not do (I would of course try to handle all the persons as true to their earlier postings as I could).

I just thought we should really make this alive again and I can try to do it with changing the situation.

[Folwren]

Nogrod,

I am still around, but you may do whatever you need to with my characters - if it is necessary.

-- Folwren

[Nogrod]

I took a quick look at the activities of those people who have written here somewhat actively... which is a relative thing as the last entry in the game itself is 3½ months old...

It seems that everyone else but Durelin and Tevildo have been around quite lately. I think the problem is that we are missing the orc-females (Undómë and Regin) and there seems to be a general confusion as to how things would start unfolding.

I try to come up wirth something. If what I write is okay to you let's kick this going once again... and if you dislike my solutions I can either modify them or delete the whole thing and try again differently.

I try to use those NPC's as much as I can but I'm afraid I need to lend some of your characters as well to make things believable. I'll promise to be careful with them.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

I'm still around and still interested, just have had too little free time, and at the moment a too much of a nasty cold.

[Nogrod]

I've posted now and things have developed a bit.

There should be lots to react for everyone!

And even if the first female addresses Beloan you should not wait for myself or Dury to write for him. On the contrary I'd suggest you took to writing all of you. And surely fex. Lindir and Aiwendil would have stature to speak generally in this situation. And why not others as well?

I wrote about the general mood changing, disquieting indeed. But that doesn't mean that everyone is just happy to give into the pleas of the orcs. It would be easy to imagine some like Khamir or Shae for instance to be quite ready to get rid of them all (or then not... up to you Dury and Brinn).

There is a small discrepancy between my account and Dury's account in "the Execution" but I think that Dury's description ran a bit contrary to all those posts made by the orc-writers before her that I decided to correct that. It's easier to edit one or two sentences from Dury's post than to edit or delete a bunch of posts of three writers from earlier on. Otherwise I tried to write my post in way that would be compatible with Dury's account.

I managed to write the post with quite minimal references to active player-characters. That led me to make the female orcs appear unnamed. If someone of you wishes to have her/his characters name to appear in the post I'm happy to add it there.

And last but not least. I needed to check the orcs from a host of different places and saw that we have gained one more female orc (by courtesy of Regin)! So just that everyone has the same idea about them I'll end with an updated list of the orcs.

"Basic" orcs

5 females:
Zagra, ~36 (Undómë, major character)
Mazhg, ~36 (Undómë, major character)
Ungolt, 28 (Regin, minor character)
Gwella, “younger” (no player)
Urga, “older” (no player)

8 males:
Ishkur, millenia old (Regin, major character)
Gwerr, millenia old (Nogrod, minor character)
Colagar, millenia old (no player)
Grask, 9 ( Firefoot, minor character)
Zuhut, 40+ (no player)
Griwzan, 40+ (no player)
no-name, ? (no player)
no-name, ? (no player)

The Uruks

3 males:
Makdush, 35 (Child, minor character)
Illak, ? (no player)
Kurrak, ? (no player)

PS. As usual: if you have any corrections to be made just inform me about it.

[Nogrod]

Ah, two more things...

If you think the way I handled the situation is bad in the first place please let me know and I can try it another way.

Secondly the thing where Dury's and my accounts differ. Now as I look at it again I don't think it's a major thing. Possibly nothing has to be changed. Dury wrote the following :

Weapons drawn and held close to the victims, the Orcs were ordered and led out of the pit, the men and women who were not their executioners still standing by with their own knives, bows, slings, and spears at the ready. But there was little resistance left in the condemned creatures, with their empty stomachs and bodies still heavy from the night before.

Now in a way all this fits to my account after all.

Now there is no mentioning of the skirmish that took place... and it had to take place as we had spent a bunch of posts where the orcs prepared for their runaway so they were in fighting spirits. And anyway as one of the persons writing for the orcs I couldn't believe an account where they just gave themselves away without a fight.

But as I said maybe it's just okay as there is no apparent contradiction involved.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Nogrod,

Thanks for the post. I'll read it more carefully but I'm sure it is fine.

I'd like to go forward if that is possible, though preferably at a slower pace than before. My time is limited the next few days because of family obligations (company visiting over the holidays).

I think we need to see who is still interested in posting and has the time to do so either now or at some point in the near future. We should probably contact people by pm and see if they respond. Then we can just start posting and carry along those characters we're not sure about unless and until someone surfaces.
I'll try to get out the pms in the next few days and see who responds.

[Folwren]

I'm willing and eager to post. Will do so this afternoon for Athwen's reactions.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Child of the 7th Age

I think we need to see who is still interested in posting and has the time to do so either now or at some point in the near future. We should probably contact people by pm and see if they respond.

I PM'd the same thing to ten people, that is Child, Dury, Foley, Brinn, Pio, Regin, Tevildo, Hilde, Firefoot and Undómë...

Dury's PM box was full but others should have gone through (indeed many of them has been marked read already so I'm optimistic about that).

Let's hope for people to turn up here - and in the thread itself.

[Undómë]

I've put up a SAVE and will try to get it filled tomorrow. Not sure how it will go. Mazhg is not the sort to fall on her knees and beg for anything - especially for the Orc males. And most likely if the two sisters reveal themselves they will be taken for boy-Orcs, as that is the style of dress and manner they've tried to adopt.

Ah well, we'll see what I can come up with.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Undómë

I've put up a SAVE and will try to get it filled tomorrow. Not sure how it will go. Mazhg is not the sort to fall on her knees and beg for anything - especially for the Orc males. And most likely if the two sisters reveal themselves they will be taken for boy-Orcs, as that is the style of dress and manner they've tried to adopt.

Good to see you back Undómë!

All the female orcs are now said to have come forwards. If there were some hiding still the number of the ones pegging for mercy should be fewer... I can fix that if you wish to have your characters to stay behind. That's no big deal.

If you settle with Zagra and Mazhg being there so please tell me how they would have spoken - if they would have spoken in the first instance. I kind of thought about this as I wrote the post and wasn't comfortable with any of those female "speeches" being suited to your characters but I had no energy to think it further then. I'm ready to make any changes you see fit.

And anyhow. As both you and Foley are wishing to write something I think Child could delete her save and see whether your posts come first - unless it postpones the advancement of the story once more to some unknown future...

Maybe Child - and everyne around - should just post when they can, without saves, and we could work those posts in reasoned order then afterwards if there are discrepancies?

I mean with this level of activity in posting we should not discourage anyone to post a.s.a.p.

Let us write this again and deal with timelines later as posts can be readjusted.

[Undómë]

I think I'll ask you to reduce the # of begging women by 2, if you would. Thanks in advance for doing so.

Mazhg and Zagra will be watching from the safety of some nearby hiding/spying place. If Child has posted before me, then I'll accommodate what's in her post.

Pio has agreed to work with what my two do. Her character is rather sidelined at the moment, too, it seems.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Undómë

I think I'll ask you to reduce the # of begging women by 2, if you would. Thanks in advance for doing so.

That will be done. Just a minute...

[piosenniel]

Yeah, I'll have Rôg do something to bring these two forward, U. Can you just set it up for me?

[Nogrod]

Changes made. The two sisters are outside the scene now.

It's kind of a good twist to the plot indeed that they're away as well as Rôg. Makes the future a bit more complicated... trust gained can be easily lost and that's a part of a gripping story.

[Folwren]

Hey, everyone. I apologize about not posting today or yesterday, as I had hoped. Tomorrow I should have plenty of time to write something. I will do my best to get a post up.

-- Folwren

[Child of the 7th Age]

Post up....

Nogrod - I assume that the third female orc in your revised post must be Gwella. Could you possibly remove her from that earlier scene and have just two female orcs make the plea? I had planned and written this based on your ORIGINAL post when you had used Undomie's two sisters. I didn't realize you'd involved Gwella. If necessary, I'll delete my own post but I'd rather not do that.

[Tevildo]

I'm kind of rusty so I hope this is ok. I'll try to do better posting. If the story picks up, it's easier to write. I also hope it's alright that I used Gwella. If anything needs changing, tell me. So far. no one in the other group knows what's going on by the pit.

[Nogrod]

My post is revised. From five female orcs we've come down to two... I have now named them in the post being Urga (NPC named earlier by Regin) and Ungolt (Regin's character). You were right Child, the third one was meant to be Gwella.

Please let me know if either or both of the two remaining females wish to get out and I'll think the whole post a new.

So the incident at the flooding pit is developing then? Good.

But at least I would like to read a reaction or two from around the execution as well. I mean that's quite a situation: orcs begging for mercy on behalf of other orcs... and the kid (Grask) as well...

I'll write some myself if I have time today as I still have Hadith and Beloan (as a shared character with Dury). But it would be nice to see other reactions as well. All of the fellowship is there (except Rôg it seems), all the played characters should be there...

[Folwren]

Golly. My post felt very choppy and poorly done.

I have to go now, that's why I stopped where I did. That, and I didn't know exactly what to do with Athwen. So, if Child or Tevildo wish to write for Azhar or Gwella, it'd be great. If not, let me know what's supposed to happen next and I'll post again.

-- Folwren

[Undómë]

SAVE filled.

Go ahead, Pio.

[piosenniel]

OK - I hope I've handled your two characters with a light hand, Undómë. Let me know if changes need be made. Rôg thinks they are young male Orcs as you indicated.

Rôg is now being offered as a hostage exchange for the Orc males. It offers a way for the men to 'save face' in letting the Orcs go.

Of course, there's always a chance the men won't take the offer. Yikes! Then I'd have to think of some way to get Rôg out of there in an expeditious manner.