The Threat of the Trees: Discussion Thread

[VanimaEdhel]

Well, if you wanted to keep LinGalad on, as he was closest with Kalir, I could probably grab him for you.

As for the other characters, I would vote that we try to get a game owner to play Radagast, as he's sort of the head of the group. The other three you could probably either write out somehow or give to other players, if they are willing to play them.

[Child of the 7th Age]

My personal preference would be to come up with a streamlined plot, and then to see how characters fit in.

Our existing plot assumes a lot of characters for whom we don't currently have players: a group of imprisoned Entwives; plantation owner(s) over the Entwife slaves; and several Easterlings who will later give chase after we rescue the Entwives.

Bethberry states that she'd prefer us to come up with a plot that will work with the six posters we currently have, rather than adding others. If this is the case, somehow we have to simplify things or come up with a totally different angle that would dispense with some of these "extra" characters.

I am personally very flexible. I don't mind if we take a different slant on the story and I will gladly see any or all of my characters die or be written off if this helps.

Cami

[Bêthberry]

That's the spirit, Child!

The most fruitful way to proceed is precisely that: not simply to state which character/s one wants, but to discuss how, with fewer gamers, to create a feasible plot and with which characters. Think in terms of the story's need.

Of course if Mattius is around to post in September he can still run Radagast, but don't be wedded to the idea that things cannot change.

Bêthberry

[VanimaEdhel]

As always, I welcome the death of my characters for a noble cause. I apologize profusely to them afterwards, promising to make it up to them somehow, but I love being able to say that my characters died for the game.

Do any of you gamers have any basic storyline ideas that can work in our lack of characters? I'm trying to think of them, and I'm writing them down as I do so.

[Lyra Greenleaf]

Hey everyone! I’m back! (Well kind of). We restored factory settings on our computer which means we can get the internet again! But we don’t have a virus scan until Monday, so I’m not really supposed to be here… or online at all… But if there’s still a space for me in this game I will be back in three days, for good. (Crossing my fingers!)

[DayVampyre]

mmm'kay, so here's the plot, as I have so far been able to understand, as it seemed to be getting complicated in the last it there...

go into forest--find out why trees attacking, somehow---leave the Fanghorn and go south?--stop what's going on down there


...what would make sense would be to find out what is going on the the fanghorn, and then head back to Isengaurd, although I think that going to Gondor might make more sense and telling the king and whatnot, what is going on there and that it is the Southorns causing the trouble. Seeing as Gondor had always had problems with them anyway, an army could be assigned out from there.

Then if your personnal character would choose to go on, they could post from inside the battle the liberation of the entwives and whatnot.

Also if you were choose that your character not go into battle, you would be free to post as the Southron warriors in battle. Then we would be able to play without having to recruit a whole slew of new players, and would let players tired of playing their character, a fresher and different view of the game.

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

I can see myself having a lot of fun posting for Ajada if we decide to go and tell the king. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

I don't imagine Ajada would go into battle, so I'd be happy to play a southron warrior in said battle.

-Aylwen

[ August 31, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Day Vampyre,

I think your basic idea is right on. Eliminate the part where the good guys go to Rhun and physically rescue the Entwives off the plantations as a separate part of the plot. It would have been an intriguing tale, but we just don't have the manpower. Instead focus on the military conflict. Let posters chose to join the army of Gondor or that of the Easterlings. They could keep their own character or invent a new one.

This would assume that the Entwives are still slaving away in Rhun. That way, we wouldn't have to post for them throughout the game, simply know they are waiting in captivity.

I do feel the best route would be for the good guys to go to Gondor immediately and tell the king. Then have him send out an army. Posters could choose whether they wanted to be in the army of Gondor or with the attacking baddies.

Would the battle take place in Rhun or Gondor itself or somewhere in between? If in Rhun or in-between, the army could continue on to the plantations and physically liberate the Entwives. If closer to Gondor, the freeing of the Entwives could just be part of the peace accord. They would show up in Fangorn at the very end after they'd been turned loose from Rhun.

Presumably, I would keep my two baddie characters: Saelonia the Priestess and Azunel, an Easterling military commander as part of the attacking group.

I have edited my last post. It now says that Saelonia sent back a messenger bird with a note. In it, she urges the "khan" of Rhun to send a mighty army to attack Minas Tirith. I also edited my post to say that Peachblossom will be taken back to Rhun in chains to rejoin her enslaved sisters.

That would eliminate her from the storyline as a separate entity until the very end. But I'd very much like to use Peachblossom to do a little vignette near the conclusion of the game in which she describes the joyful reunion of the Ents and Entwives? Would this be alright? That crazy post has been percolating in my mind for months!

I did have two questions about some loose threads for my characters. In my last post, I said the Easterlings would lead the huorn forward towards Isengard and Edoras to wreck havoc and divert the attention of the King of Gondor away from his eastern border where the larger attack would come. Do you want to leave that part in? Or should I change it to eliminate the part about Isengard and Edoras, and instead say that the huorn will march out from the forest towards Minas Tirith and join the attacking force sent by the Khan to bring down Gondor. Please advise what you'd like me to do with this.

Also, the original game plan was for Peachblossom to escape the Easterling caravan late at night and find the good guys who've come to Fangorn, telling them about her enslaved sisters, and the planned attack by Rhun on Gondor. I can still do this if you want. I'll merely have her decide to return to the Easterling camp because she is afraid what her captors will do to her sisters if she escapes. She'd return to the Easterling caravan in the middle of the night without Saelonia even realizing that she's been gone. Then she'd be dragged off towards Rhun again.

Will this work as a way to tell the good guys about the attack? Or do you prefer to develop another way to handle this and leave Peachblossom out of the mix? Either way is fine. Just let me know...

********************************************

Lyra

I'm glad you're back so soon. I hope you'll go ahead with your earlier plan to join up with the "bad guys."

Cami/Child

[ August 30, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[VanimaEdhel]

If possible, posting for a baddie would be a very nice change for me. I think I could use some experience playing evil people. If you want, I could even start working out the character now so that I have it all prepared for when we need it. Anyway, I don't think that Kalir, a farmer, would be of any use as a soldier. He probably would want to go home once the Entwives and the Ents were reunited, not taking part in the actual battle.

So I take it we've decided that this will have a happy ending and will not be a failed mission/battle? Sometimes the missions that fail, or at least have more of a bittersweet ending, are the most touching. Obviously, as an evil character, I offer my character to be killed off in the end, but maybe we could work out some of the good characters dying (if some of you are going to play soldiers, maybe you could play one of the soldiers that dies in the battle).

[Brinniel]

Lyra- Glad to see you're back. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I like your idea, Day Vampyre. If we had left in the part where we go to Rhun, it would end up as one big mess, with the little characters we have. Also, going to Gondor really would make more sense.

BTW, we could still use Peachblossom to slip away at night and warn the good guys of the Easterling's plans. But she would then return to the Easterlings encampment that same night, since she will be afraid that her sisters will be punished and slain if she were to run away.

I think that's a good idea. That way our group will have easily accomplished their quest to find out what has been going on in Fangorn and will have a reason now to leave for Gondor.

Question: If we'll be putting our main focus onto our current group of good guys, the Gondorians, and Easterlings, then do we really need our huorns that are in play?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Brinniel,

In order to have some continuity in the story line, I think you'd have to say where the huorn are going. The sole reason for Azunel and Saelonia to go to Fangorn was to get the huorn to join on as allies of the Easterlings. So they'd want to "use" their ally in some way.

Either the huorn will cause havoc in the countryside around Isengard, or head immediately out to link up with the attacking force from Rhun. (Which do you prefer? Maybe the latter?)

But I could have Saelonia describe what they're going to do in just one paragraph. Then they'd drop from the storyline completely. No one would have to post for them.

The only thing you might want to do is briefly allude to the fact that they were present at the final battle, and that they were pleased to see the Entwives return to Fangorn at the very end of the story. Other than that, we could ignore them.

Do you think this will work?

Also, as far as sadness goes, I do see one thing. The handful of Entwives left alive will be very few. Not enough to ensure the survival of the race... So the reunion will be bittersweet.

Cami/Child

[ August 30, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[DayVampyre]

I like the bit with Peachblossom 'escapes' and finds our group of do-gooders and then returns, cause really how else are these guys going to find out exactly what's going on....


I think that the battle would play out better in Rhun than in Gondor. Then we would be able the liberate the entwives and whatnot.

With reguard as what to do with the huorns, them doubling back and going to Rhun, would be significantly easier...but would the story still flow well if that happened?

I think that the Huorns should stay and run amok, cause, you know, Gondor's got men to spare and so does Edoras for that matter.

[Mattius]

Good evening friends!

Sorry again about not being on all of the last month but I have been sorting a lot of stuff out. But now I can get to the PC at least once a week (probably more). Then when I go to University (starting September 23rd) I will be back fully.

Right then, first of all to answer Bethberry's question, I would not mind being a co-owner still but the same applies for the filp side.

Also in terms of the lack of posters, having just read the RPG page it seems that its all about to kick off in Fangorn so we could have a small batlle where some people may, gasp, die(!!). This would free us of those who are no longer participating and also give the survivors the will to push on the Minas Tirith ASAP.

And oh yeah one last thing, the streamlined storyline of racing to Gondor, warning the King- BATTLE, is fine with me!

Adios!

[DayVampyre]

'kay so since we've gotten our meathooks around a pretty firm tentitive plan shall we start playing again? Is there anything ya'll would still like from me to comb over and whatnot?

Also, as to direct the newpostings, instead of just wandering aimlessly around the forest, I propose that the adventurers settle in a camp. It is night after all!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Day Vampire,

Do you want to use Mattius' idea about having a battle in Fangorn to kill off some folk and "get rid" of characters that way?

The only other thing I can think of that Bethberry mentioned was this:

1. How often will people post?

2. About how much longer will the game take?

As far as posting goes, could we say once a week, even though we may do more frequently than that?

How long? I don't know....is three months realistic?

Also, the new baddies will need to post a brief profile on the thread before they do their first post, but that can be after we start playing again.

Day Vampyre - If we can agree on the above, or some variation, can someone check with Bethberry to see if we can get running again?

Cami/Child

[ September 02, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[DayVampyre]

The Fanghorn Battle would, indeed be good way to "Ahem" get rid of the extra characters and whatnot.

It would be easy enough to set up. After the ent-lady gives her visit and tells the group what is going on, just have a small scouting party that was looking for her, attack.

With regaurds to posting, posting once a week or more is great as for the 3 months limit, sounds pretty good...give or take a margin of three days.

[ September 02, 2003: Message edited by: DayVampyre ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Only three days? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Actually, the idea of having Peachblossom forcibly seized by the Easterlings' search party sounds good. Better than what I'd come up with before.

Cami/Child

[Bêthberry]

Okay, great work here.

I see:

1) a pared-down plot that will be managable with the gamers available, with a clear sense of where the action will lead/conclude.
2) an agreed-upon posting schedule. (Remember, in a tightly plotted game, one person not posting means many others likely cannot post either. Gaming, like nature, abhors a vacuum.)
3) a time frame, something to aim for: shall we say, then end of December? (Hah, last posts as a new year's eve party)

What I don't see is something specific about which game owner will do what. Who is the one owner I can contact, who will then contact everyone else in the game, if need be? Who will be responsible for nudging tardy gamers? Who will check in daily or at least every other day, just in case any problems or confusions develop? Remember, the game actually belongs to ALL the gamers, who contribute ideas and posts. But the game does need someone to 'oversee' it so that narrative threads don't unravel. Let me know which game owner will do what and then I will open the thread.

Bêthberry

[DayVampyre]

I can do it, if no one else wants to [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Bêthberry]

Let the game continue. Have fun! (PS. The game thread has been open for several weeks, since we recovered from the technical problems.)

[VanimaEdhel]

All this sounds feasible to me.

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Yay! Lets get started again! I posted last, so don't look at me! [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

-Aylwen

[Brinniel]

What I don't see is something specific about which game owner will do what. Who is the one owner I can contact, who will then contact everyone else in the game, if need be? Who will be responsible for nudging tardy gamers? Who will check in daily or at least every other day, just in case any problems or confusions develop?

You can contact me, Bethberry by PM or email me at Brinniel@juno.com. I am willing to contact others if there is ever a need to. Also, I will check this thread as often as I can, like I always have.

The Fanghorn Battle would, indeed be good way to "Ahem" get rid of the extra characters and whatnot.

I think I can manage to write a dramatic death scene for Endereth. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] (Hm, I wonder if Ith will kill me if she ever finds out my plans for her character...)

It's good to see this RPG running again. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Now, let's start posting everyone (I'll wait for someone else to post before I do since I posted just before Aylwen).

[Lyra Greenleaf]

Here are the bios for a baddie and an Entwife. Sorry it's been so long but I lost them when I had to reset my computer. I hope they're OK?

The Entwife:
Name: Lightbark
Age: 2000. Or so.
Race: Ent(wife) Of an apple-tree persuasion.
History/ Character: She can remember being in the forest with the Ents but (even though she misses them) she loves to feel the bright sunlight and grow flowers that could not stand the dark forest. Gardening is her life and what she most hates about captivity is no freedom to choose what to plant and no chance to enjoy it. Since Peachblossom was taken she has become a sort of unnoficial leader of the Entwives as she is (relatively) outspoken and hasty. She wants action and the Entwives are beginning to listen.

The baddie:
Name: Altair (the flying eagle, a star in the Lyra constellation. I didn't know that existed!)
Age: 21
Race: Easterling
Appearance: Lots of black hair, big dark eyes, tall and quite thin, very good looking. However- prone to looking sulky and /or arrogant.
History: The spoiled only son of the Khan, he is very arrogant of himself and his position. He has three older sisters who (along with his mother) have taught him that he is important above everyone else. His father is a wise man who knows that his son has to learn humility and so sent him to serve under Saelonia, a trusted friend. As yet it hasn't worked.
Character: Arrogant, spoiled, flirtatious, sulky, thinks women are inferior, vain of his appearance, but scrupulous of rank. Obeys both his father and Saelonia implicitly even if he hates doing it and doesn't agree. Also very fond of all his family.

[Child of the 7th Age]

I will try and get up a post where Peachblossom overhears the Easterlings' plans and escapes, probably late tonight.

*****************************************

Bethberry -

Please check your e-mails.

Cami/Child

[Mattius]

Hey!

I posted on the RPG thread, let me know if you want it changing or not.

Cheers!

Matt

[Child of the 7th Age]

Good guys (and bad),

My last post sketched out the battle strategies of the bad guys. The main body fo the Khan's troops will come north of Mordor along the foothills of the Ash Mountains, then swing northwest to the Dead Marches and down again to the Wetwang that borders the Anduin at the base of the Falls. Their plan is to march south from there following the course of the river and attack Minas Tirith.

This is the same information that Peachblossom will bring to you folk in the woods in my next post.

(I hope this is alright with Lyra and Vanima. I thought it was the most secret and protected route the Khan's folk could take. If you see any problems with this, let me know.)

It is up to you folk (the good guys) to decide later in the story where you want your troops to battle the Khan's forces. A "battle" in the marshes itself might be kind of interesting given the terrain, or you could encounter us anywhere along the earlier part of that route.

Since the three "evil" posters will presumably be tracing out the march from the east towards the Wetwang, please let us know later in the story how far we should get, i.e. tell us exactly where the good guys would like to attack us.

We mean to be obliging villains and don't want to rush to the Wetwang if you prefer to do us in along the Ash Mountains or at some other point.... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Cami/Child

[ September 06, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Lyra Greenleaf]

That's fine by me for one, but I haven't been accepted yet.

[Brinniel]

I like the idea of having a battle in the marshes. That would be interesting...

That's fine by me for one, but I haven't been accepted yet.

Of course you're accepted, Lyra. Hm, Altair. I like that name. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[DayVampyre]

A battle in the stinky swampy marshes?!? [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]


Yeah, I think I can dig on that [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Mattius]

Yeah the Marshes sound like a good idea to me too [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[VanimaEdhel]

Marshes...yummy...and here's my evil character:

Name: Navru
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Race: Easterling
Appearance: Nearly black eyes; dark, straight hair; strong build; 6' tall; about 210 pounds; average-looking
Personality: Strictly a soldier; he does not have a high rank, but he's all about business
Weapon: Sword
Markings: A faint scar left on his right cheek from his right ear to his right nose from an accident he had when he was a boy
History: His father was a soldier and his father before him and so forth. He has no siblings. He married when he was nineteen. His wife is the daughter of another soldier. Her name is Ataman. They have two children, the older a five-year old daughter named Bosha and the younger a two-year old son named Goman. His wife wished he would stay home, but his allegiance is to the army.

Is that character okay? Sorry it took me too long. School preparation took longer than I thought. I can change anything you want. And I was thinking he could be killed off.

[Brinniel]

Looks good to me, Vanima. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[DayVampyre]

Hey guys, lets pick up on the posting here...its been awhile since anyone other than Child, Mattius and myself have posted... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Child of the 7th Age]

I'd like to do the post where Peachblossom breaks out and goes wandering through the forest, and runs into the "good guys" and spills the beans.

But I hesitate to do that since it means I'd have two posts in a row.

Also, are the "good guys" ready for an Entwife visitor? That should lead shortly into the first battle when the Easterlings come looking for her and she gets dragged off....

How about it?

Cami/Child

[Brinniel]

Well, I haven't posted yet because, for one, I've been a tad busy. And two, I was kind of waiting for Peachblossom to come anyway. I don't think there's anything I can contribute to the RPG without making it drag until Peachblossom runs into us.

So I'll say, go ahead, Child, and lead the entwife to us "good guys." [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Brinniel,

....At your service. I've saved a spot and will try to get the post up this afternoon.

Cami/Child

[VanimaEdhel]

When do you want the other Easterlings to start posting? Around now or do you need us to wait a while more?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Anyone care to say hello to an Entwife? She has come blundering into your camp and has something to tell you. Anyone is welcome to use my character to get the vital facts about the assault.

********************************************

Vanima,

I do know that the Easterlings are supposed to discover Peachblossom is missing when they get up, and then send out a sizable military group to get her back. They will kill off our disposable characters.

Could you do the posts for that? First wake up and find her gone, and then send out a patrol to trace her down. Maybe you could be placed in charge of that patrol who comes searching for her?

Remember she was dragging that blasted bar and made no attempt to cover her tracks. I think you can find her pretty easily. Just give the good guys a chance to get the information out of her. Then you can probably come crashing into camp.

Is that OK with everybody?

Cami

[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Brinniel]

Ack. I guess I got to the RPG too slow. I wrote a post, but it looks like you beat me to posting it, DV.

Bethberry- Do you think you could place my post before DV's, if I PM it to you?