The Fall of the North Planning/Discussion Thread

[Arry]

alaklondewen

Your post was great! I'll use it to effect the rescue of the prisoners in a long post tomorrow.

That is . . . unless Faerim or Angóre wants to take a crack at it. Let me know.

-- Arry

[Arry]

The Elves and the woman and child have now been rescued and are heading back to the Dunedain camp.

There is every opportunity for the Dunedain troops to meet up with them somewhere along the line and engage the pursuing Orcs.

-- Arry

[Kransha]

Thank you, Arry, for getting us this far.

Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to post an encounter between the Dunedain, orcs, and Elves tonight. I would be very grateful if someone involved could do this, handled in whatever manner seems good (Arry, Saurreg, Aman, CoD, Garen, alak, Nilpaurion, Mith, whoever wants to). If not, I can concievably do it, but it would be very hard for me to do.

I will, though, post in the aftermath of the meeting/rescue/battle to get us to the Ered Luin.

[Kransha]

My last post can be, now, completely disregarded, since I have, in fact, posted (so...many...commas).

If anyone want to put up a "battle post", I HIGHLY recommend you put up a save, because the battle will be over tomorrow. It's not meant to be a long battle, or a very epic one. Just a disorganized, unprepared-for skirmish. Hirvegil tactical bungles will probably cost the Rearguard more men then it needs to lose because of the mad charge he initiated, which almost cost the Elves and Faerim their lives.

Tomorrow, arround afternoon EST, I'll be moving us straight from whatever is going on to the Ered Luin, and onto the next stage of our adventure.

[Saurreg]

Not one to blow my horn, but I thought the last two posts of the RPG complemented one another will didn't they?

Aside from my atrocious writing, I thought the fantastic post of Garen LiLorian's tied very well with mine. He wrote about the charge of the cavalry as seen through the eyes of the elves and I concluded with the end of the charge as seen through the eyes of my character. Perhaps now Kransha would tidy up some loose ends with his ever spectacular contributions!

[Amanaduial the archer]

Kransha - I can't rate you again yet, but...oh, funniest post, really very amusing. The image of the intoxicated Johnny Depp on horseback is now irrevocably infused into Hirvegil in that post!

I hope I have handled Erenor correctly for you, Mithalwen - I tried not to stray out of what you have said of her personality in her profile and previous posts, and she is now merrily (well, maybe not) attacking the orcs on her own horse. I hope I handled her correctly?

[Kransha]

I've posted - twice (oy).

First, I apologize for the awful amount of reading this requires everyone to do. My first post just gets us out of the battle and back to the camp, so no one has to read it, but the second post contains a lot of crucial information. Purely for the sake of verbal, mental, emotional, and philosophical clarification, I'll summarize: Belegorn must now lead a group, consisting only of the characters played by players (minus Hirvegil), deep into the caverns of the Ered Luin to look for food, supplies, or "other lifeforms." Its a hazardous job but, as they say about trendy fads today, everybody's doing it. The Dunedain will disperse through the caves in different directions.

There are miles to explore, underground levels that go deep into the earth, and things that lurk in the shadows - baaaad things (Beware!). No groups will be in close proximity to each other. Think of the situation presented to the Fellowship of the Ring as they explored the depths of Moria, the Black Pit. The Dwarven cities, Belegost and Nogrod, met similar fates; now long abandoned. They were once great cities which delved deep and...well, you know.

That is all. Hopefully that information provides suitable background to start off this new branch of the storyline. I am, of course, continually pleased by the greatness of everyone's posts. Great job, everyone!

P.S. Thanks much for the accolades, Aman. Now, unfortunately, I've been left with the mental image of Hirvegil saying "saavy" a little too often (Hey, don't look at me that way. My brother made me see it!).

P.P.S. My posts were, actually, so long that I had to clip out a section of long description of the immediate beginning of the caverns. I will fill it, pio in 24 hours. It is, by no means, essential, since I want the players to describe their surroundings rather than me...

P.P.P.S. I do hope I handled the character[s] I used adequately. Saurreg, since my posts contained a great deal of interaction between Hirvegil and Belegorn, don't hesitate to inform me if you think I misused him.

[Saurreg]

Kransha, you handled my character just fine.

I guess now would be a good time for the other players to post a breather while the battered rearguard takes a break. I'll post later this week.

Cheers!

[Arry]

Kransha

In view of my post, #118, you might want to emend this part of your post:

Hírvegil shifted unreadily. “How many?” he asked, his own voice becoming slow and steady. Like a well-oiled machine, Belegorn rattled off casualty numbers from memory. “Fourteen dead, three gravely injured, and many more with minor wounds. Luckily the maids of the camp volunteered to tend to them, though little real tending or medical attention was needed. The Elves are safe – and as caustic as ever – and the men have mostly recovered.”

The Elven prisoners are safe, but Gaeredhel and Rôsgollo are dead in the fight with the Orcs.

[alaklondewen]

Wow, Arry, this is an unpleasant surprise this morning. The death of any Elf is hard to take, but one that is personally known is more so. I must say that it's been a pleasure working with you, and I hope I adequately portray Ereglin's grief at loosing the two young soldiers.

Good luck to you.

~Alak

[Saurreg]

That's it Arry? It was nice RPing with you.

From one Star trek fan to another, a Klingon saying;

"Today we conquer! Tomorrow... Well, war has its fortunes! Kah paq!"

[Garen LiLorian]

Wow. Sorry to see you go, Arry! It's been fun RPing with you, and hopefully we can do it again sometime!

[Kransha]

Arry, I will of course edit both my posts accordingly (it may take some time though). Fantastic job on your closing there, and it has been a great pleasure gaming with you again. Your characters are always intriguing and enjoyable to read about. Congratulations on a job well done!

Saurreg: there is time to rest, but not much. Even with all this "stuff" to endure, the group which Belegorn shall lead must head off soon. I neglected to mention, but will now, that the Dunedain are in fact becoming low on supplies, and need to find some new food sources before theirs becomes scant (they are still eating healthily, but not for long).

Novnarwen: In relation to your last PM, it might be more prudent to wait until later this week.

[CaptainofDespair]

Alrighty, I will be unable to fill my Save, and to post anything else for about a week. I'm quite overburdened with essays and other coursework for the next few days. If I can post anything, I'll be sure to get it up. But, as is most likely, I won't be posting anything for the next week.

[Osse]

Just planning post for Carthor's part in the exploration party...

I was planning to have a recount of the speech, the preparation for the journey as well as its initial stages, followed by the finding of a storeroom. The Dunedain find it in shambles - the great stone jars that were full of barley have been smashed, the casks of beer and salted meats ransacked... all the precious metals, stones and ore is all but gone - the place appears to have been looted by strong, powerful, stone-like hands. I figure this will lead into a conflict with the 'clique'...

Does anyone want to post first, with talk of the reactions to being instructed to go, with misgivings etc.? I had planned to only refer to these subjects in passing, and that in a reflective stance most probably, so anyone wishing to do so's posts would fit better before mine.

All for now... my post will be pretty hefty i suppose, so don't expect it too soon.

Osse

[Saurreg]

My post will be very short. It will deal with the mobilisation of the exploration party and the descend into the bowels of the earth.

Osse's got some great ideas and I'm not going to cram his style. He can fill in his ideas to the most minute of details before or after me.

[Kransha]

Osse, you definately have the right idea and, as Saurreg wisely put it, I'm not going to cramp your style. Hirvegil is, obviously, going to be sitting it out for a bit. This is a bid to give Belegorn more independance, as well as the group, (and, in Mellonar's eyes, to give Belegorn more chances to show his worth or screw up). Unfortunately, as I said, there are some dark creatures in the Ered Luin, including Novnarwen's band of trolls.

Without military aid, the party will have to be careful. Hopefully the Elves will be able to work with Belegorn and the others in order to avoid, outmaneuver, or "whatever" the trolls before they're all ground into jelly.

Speaking of, I am very interested to see what the Elves' reaction to the death of their kinsmen was and is? What's going on in those oh-so-alien minds, anway?

[Mithalwen]

Possibly having had to spend so much time coshed/drugged as a plot device and dumped in the Ered Luin without a squeak has made us fatalistic/apathetic .....

[Saurreg]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Possibly having had to spend so much time coshed/drugged as a plot device and dumped in the Ered Luin without a squeak has made us fatalistic/apathetic .....

Aw... Don't be such a no Mithy. Perhaps Kransha can set up a scenario whereby Belegorn and company gets hammered by the hordes of the underdark and your character can come to the rescue! K?

[Osse]

Nice Saurreg...

Writing of my post will be slow going over the next few days, as it's going to be a busy time. Hopefully I'll find time to make it worthy. Anyone who was planning posts of initial stages of travel in the dwarf halls can, and probably should, post before me.

[Kransha]

Of course, Mithalwen, I apologize for exploiting the incapacitation of your character and others for the sake of the plot (even though I can't, for the life of me, figure out what "without a squeak" means in that context...I think I'm getting senile). I realize that this is always hard to adapt to under most circumstances, but you will get more chances to evolve in the game. Also, leaving the Elves fatalistic/apathetic was what I was going for...sort of.

It's been a bit since anyone has posted. I'd like to take this oppurtunity to give everyone a little nudge. I realize also that many may be hesitant to post before Osse, who has offered himself up as the next plot-mover, but there's no need to be too hesitant. This oppurtunity to explore a whole lost city doesn't come around very often, and I leave the description thereof up to you all. Hopefully there can be a "rendez-vous" of sorts with those dastardly trolls soon enough (from a role-player's point of view, at least).

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

***** POST PLACED ON GAME ***** ~*~ PIO

And yes, all reports of my disappearance are gravely exaggerated.

Your disappearance was the one exaggerated. Two bloody months!

Right. Enedwaith, having recovered from the shock of learning two new languages (plus a new alphabet) I see that I have a momentous task of catching-up to do.

Ms. Pio, would you mind posting this before alak’s post # 111? Thanks!

~*~

While her body laid motionless on the frigid ground, Bethiril’s mind was in a place of violent turmoil.

Barely a month ago, the decision would have been easy. Erenor and Angóre meant nothing to her, and she would have betrayed them, despite their kinship, to fulfil what she had hoped to do. But now, despite the feebleness of the bond between them, the act of treachery needed she needed to do could not now be done without a great struggle.

She did not want any of them to be freed by force. She wanted this crisis resolved peacefully. Surely, the Orc chief’s plan made sense—with a land to call their own, the Glamhoth would, perhaps, no longer need to take up arms. Then the Firimar, seeing that the Orcs are no longer a threat, would follow suit. A lasting peace—all she had to do was make sure that none of them escaped. All she had to do was bring to their captors knowledge of Erenor’s concealed weapon. All she had to do was warn the Orcs of a plan to assault their camp.

But her heart, which she had kept under control for so long, now rebelled against her mind. Bethiril had begun to love her fellow emissary, the love of an older, wiser sister for a younger sibling with wisdom of her own, but who too often moved impetuously. She had sometimes thought of trying to win Erenor over to her cause, yet realised that in stifling the free spirit within, she would destroy her.

And in betraying your friend, you would destroy yourself.

She was roused from her thoughts by Ereglin, who wanted to know whether she was fine or not. There must be other ways of fulfilling my mission, she said to herself, as she set all thoughts of treachery aside.

[Nuranar]

I've been checking in daily, but the usual round of duties, on top of uncertainty of what to write, have kept me from posting. But now, before Osse stirs up some excitement, I'll get in.

My save will be filled, Lord willing, by Friday evening. (I will be traveling a good bit of tomorrow.)

[Mithalwen]

Without a squeak ie without a squeak of protest - I meant that given the Elves were united in their opposition to retreating to the Ered Luin as a course of action I am surprised that they would have meekly trotted of there without a murmur when from all I could follow of the route their abduction would have brought them relatively close to Mithlond.

[Amanaduial the archer]

Apologies, I meant to post a regular 'disclaimer' of my post but church called so I didn't have time. Mithalwen - is my handling of Erenor alright in my last post? Please PM me if you wish me to edit etc

[Nuranar]

My Save, she is filled.

Osse, Aman, and Nornarwen, please let me know if there's anything you wished changed. I did my best, but they're your characters, not mine.

[Garen LiLorian]

Just a quick post from a public computer to let everyone know that I am not, in fact, dead in a ditch somewhere.

I am, however, on a family vacation and without the services of my trusty laptop (Airport baggage handlers... ) I will try to check in as often as I can over the next week, but I would be very pleased if Angore could be carried along until next Sunday or so, when I shall once again be able to post.

Thanks much,
Garen

P.S. Great posts by all in the last week or so! Really a pleasure to read.

[Osse]

Nuranar - your handling of Carthor was excellent, no issues there.

[Saurreg]

I am thinking of enlisting the invaluable aid of Osse's character in my post. The background of his character (experience and training) makes it the best candidate as military advisor and if not, joint-commanding officer of the military contigent. What say you Osse?

I should think that the complexity of the dwavern tunnels will prove to be a navigational problem for the Dünedain survivors, especially with the threat posed by Novnarwen's horde (wonderfully written intro!). So I wonder if it would be alright to Amanaduial and all writers with elven characters that I also enlist your life-like characters in the same post as leaders of advance scouting/reconnaissance kampfgrüppens (teams)? My character would be hoping that superior elven senses would allow the survivors to make sense of the labyrinth they are in and interprete some sort of a pattern in the network of tunnels.

Permissions? Objections? Suggestions? Counter-suggestions?!

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Amanaduial the archer

Apologies, I meant to post a regular 'disclaimer' of my post but church called so I didn't have time. Mithalwen - is my handling of Erenor alright in my last post? Please PM me if you wish me to edit etc

No major issues as things stand but I will PM a couple of minor edits to make ERenor slightly warmer - she is steely but not quite so cold as all that

[Amanaduial the archer]

Thanks - and here was me thinking maybe I had made her a little too friendly! Typical....

[Osse]

Carthor, I think, would shy away from the responsibility at first - but the role fits him. A little look at the group he'd help lead would give him a shove in the right direction I think... Belegorn would only have to prod slightly for Carthor to take the role...

So yes, I'm more than happy for Carthor to take the role of military advisor/second in command.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

I think the Elves--well, at least Bethiril and Erenor--, having recovered from grief, weariness, or stress, will now try to do what they did back in the North Downs--bother your King.

Fellow Elves: If he is presumptive, let him know. I enjoy watching him deflate.

[Osse]

Deleted my save, will let everyone organise and post about events before the start of the journey before I go off and move us all along by a week or so, or at least a few days. Will write up a small post, a 'teaser' if you like, for now.

EDIT: Posted... it's a little larger than I intended, but that's always my way.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

My post above was meant for Saurreg.

[Osse]

Thought so...

[Saurreg]

Originally Posted by Nilpaurion Felagund

My post above was meant for Saurreg.

You enjoy watching me deflate?

[Saurreg]

Osse - do let me know if my usage of your character is not okay. I'll do an edit if needed.

[Mithalwen]

Nilp -I don't understand Berethil's conversation with Erenor - which event do you mean?

[Amanaduial the archer]

Your edits have been made, Mithalwen I also added a little to the last paragraph, but your changes were fine, excellent. And thank you, by the way - hey, I'm always up for an unexpected gift or two...

Thanks,
- Aman