Farmer in the Dale Discussion Thread

[piosenniel]

ArwenBaggins invites you to play in her RPG:

Farmer in the Dale


Historical Background:

Smaug was the last of the great firedrakes, and said to be the greatest dragon of his time. At some time during the twenty-eighth century of the Third Age, he came to hear of the immense wealth held by the Dwarves of Erebor. Where he came from we do not know for certain, but in the year III 2770 he descended in fire on the Lonely Mountain, destroying the Dwarf-kingdom and the nearby township of Dale.

[piosenniel]

Basic Storyline:

Smaug has descended from Erebor and is burning as he goes. He has finally arrived at Dale, and the civilians fear that they too shall be burned by the horrid beast. The Millwind family must escape from the cataclysmic Dale and flee down the River Running, toward Long Lake.

[piosenniel]

The purpose of the story is to: Escape from Smaug and the destruction of Dale and the surrounding land.

This means we will know the story is over when: The characters have been safely transported across the River Running.

__________________________________


Starting Location: Dale

Likely destination: Across the River Running

[piosenniel]

Timeframes:

This game takes place in the 3rd Age at around year 2770.

Storyline itself or plot covers 7 days.

This game requires a time commitment of 4 weeks from me, the game owner, and from the major players.

[piosenniel]

Characters needed: – Mortals of Dale

Character types that would not belong:

Any races other than mortal, and anyone living somewhere other than Dale.

[piosenniel]

CHARACTER LIST

** The Whitfields and Millwinds are next door neighbors **

Millwind Family

Parents

1.) Father - Arinn Elden Millwind (39y/o) - ArwenBaggins

2.) Mother - Willow Millwind (34y/o - sister of Mr. Whitfield ) - Araréiel

Children

1.) Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind (14y/o) - Child of the 7th Age

2.) Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins

3.) Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind (6y/o) - Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parents

1. Father (Willow Millwind's brother/Arinn Millwind's brother-in-law) - STILL NEEDED

2. Mother - STILL NEEDED

~*~

Children

1.) Daisy Whitfield - 8y/o girl - Nurumaiel

2.) Elian Whitfiled - 14y/o boy - Carry along character ONLY; may be used by other players as needed.

~*~

Dragon

1. Smaug – Kransha

[piosenniel]

Dedicated Character

Profile for Kransha’s character:

NAME: Smaug the Golden, the Dreadful, the Tremendous, the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities, the Mighty, the Impenetrable, and the Magnificent. (Note: Called Tragu in the language of Dale)

AGE: Unknown (presumably bred in Angband)

RACE: Dragon (Fire-drake)

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Naught but his teeth, claws, tails, and fiery breath.

APPEARANCE: Smaug is a great dragon, red-gold in color. He bears a pair of large, leathery wings as well. He has many hard, jagged, golden scales covering him like armor for protection, but a pale underbelly which is encrusted with sparkling gems lies below. There is, of course, a bare patch in the hollow of his left breast, but he doesn’t know that.

PERSONALITY: One of the many intelligent dragons, Smaug is fluent in the common tongue and very cunning. His powerful gaze can cast dragon-spells upon those who look upon it, and he can compel those to do his bidding, whatever it may be. He is particularly fond of riddling and is often lulled into conversation with his prey, but only a clever few have managed to escape his fiery wroth when it comes. Though he is mostly as cunning and intellectual as he thinks himself to be, he sometimes gets caught up in that, as well as thoughts of himself. As grand as he appears to others, he is at least twice as grand to himself, his only arrogant flaw.

HISTORY: Little or nothing is known of Smaug the Magnificent before he arrived from the northern regions in the year 2770 of the Third Age. He was presumably bred with the other dragons of Melkor in the pits of Angband, but this is an unknown fact. He is one of the last, possibly the last, of the Fire-drakes, and the greatest dragon of his day. Whatever secrets he knows of his past before his descent upon Erebor and Dale he plans to (and eventually did) take to his grave.

~*~

Kransha’s post - Smaug

The eyes of the dragon, keen and sharp with malevolent pupils focused intently upon the lands that stretched far a wide beneath his soaring bulk, blinked together in an eerily rhythmic succession as the monstrous creature, the golden being lurching along through the river of the sky, neared his goal. Vague, pulsating embers lurked beneath the cold orbs set into his dragon skull and wafting plumes of smoke curled from the narrow gaps between his jagged fangs, jutting out from a pair of thick, muscular jaws that snapped together in anticipation. In the distance, not far beneath the red-gold form, there sat a single mountain rising out of the flat plane of the earth. The flat length of land around its sloping sides were dotted with some isolated tree groves and a minute stretch of woodland. Rising and dipping from the protuberant southern spur of was a thin line of water, a running river that looped gracefully around the crags of mountainous rock. At one end of the structure that was carefully laced into the mountain face, there were stairs and the indication of a modest gate, which presumably led in somewhere, the goal of Smaug. Therein, he knew, lay heaps of fantastic trinkets, baubles, bangles, precious stones, and a vast mélange of glittering objects that the excitedly vigorous dragon could assimilate into his hoard.

Smaug the Magnificent had not descended from his perch in the north for longer than even he, the mighty dragon himself, could recall accurately. His grounds for ‘nesting’ as the chattering aviary creatures around him dubbed it, where now vacant, probably inhabited by some unworthy band of thieving birds who had alighted there unknowingly. But, he would soon find a new lair, a place to lay his weary head in times of weariness that was no longer bleak and dreary, but altogether magnificent, decked in full with the spoils that Smaug would collect from each and every wretched mortal in these lands who had a particle of necessary wealth upon it.

As a sinister grin peeled across Smaug’s scaly lips, the dragon’s wings turned up with drastic force, causing his bulk to arch forward and veer down, honing in on the rough mountaintop. He soared, with as much grace as was possibly for a being of his tremendous size, down through the last thin, shriveled wisps of ivory cloud. He wheeled about through the air, watching with narrowing eyes, glowing with faint and gleeful fury, as the lonely cone of rock, worn away by years of wind, rose up to meet him while he fell, stretching his arms and legs out to each side with talons ready and eager, wings flapping madly against any meek gust that tried to stand in his way.

His mouth, the whole gaping maw of it, suddenly opened, each monumental jaw stretching with his glinting teeth pulled back into his ferocious face and a great and terrible light, brilliant red with orange fringes that flickered outward like feathery capes, began to well up in the pit of his throat. Soon, the building surplus of flame began to billow out like foamy waves which worked their way out from the gates formed by Smaug’s daggers of fangs. As his throat swelled, pulling in a gargantuan gust of air that filled his innards to the brim, he let loose the breath. From Smaug came a searing, blinding pillar of fire that spiraled down and stretched out like two giant hands and countless jagged talons that wrapped around the side of the mountain, burning away the rock itself. The dragon wasted no time in propelling himself from side to side through the sky’s ocean, zigzagging madly about as murderous gusts of fire bubbled up from him and poured out onto to the mountain. He burst out column after column of the searing red, its fringed edges lapping at the rocks and the force of each blast sending up a spray of dust, rock, and rubble from each point of impact. The mountain began to feel the sting of his mighty attacks, by now checkered with blotches of ashen rock that had been charred into disintegrating rubble by the intense heat of the dragon’s breath. As he continued his maniacal assault, his fiery eyes turned up, away from the current target of his incendiary strategy, and looked off into the distance, towards the cleansing river and south.

He saw a new goal. He would certainly return to this mountain, try to get inside and claim his wealth, but he had to eliminate the scent of man and dwarf from these lands as best as he could. Beneath him once again was a city, or town, or some gathering glade of houses and structures that dotted the southern slopes of the Lonely Mountain, looking with a calmed serenity out onto the looping river that ran down from its source in the mountain’s side. A more narrow, almost voracious grin began to grow on Smaug’s face as he turned around the mountain, still spouting flame bursts every few seconds as he turned, extending his magnificent wings perpendicular to the plain below and turning his glittering, gem encrusted underbelly towards the ruined, crumbling side of the mountain.

Slowly, holding in his breath as he dipped again, Smaug the Golden headed towards Dale…

[piosenniel]

ArwenBaggins, the game owner will play 2 characters:

1.) NAME: Arinn Elden Millwind

AGE: 39

RACE: Mortal of Dale

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Arinn, though a farmer, has a sword with him at all times. He has a good arm, and will hurl rocks when he feels like it.

APPEARANCE: Arinn Millwind is tall and lean- farming leaves no time to gain weight and his height helps him in his job. His eyes are dim blue-gray like the sky in the shadow of the mountains. His hair is deep mahogany falls in waves to Arinn's mid-shoulders. He has a five o' clock shadow, outlining his angular chin. His skin is slightly tanned from his hard work in the sun.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Arinn has a serious demeanor, especially when farming or making important decisions. While not a harsh father, he makes sure that his children obey the rules. He does let a little white lie or rock thrown slip through every once and a while, but makes sure he doesn't hear about it again. He believes in strong family ties and telling the truth. Arinn loves the peace the early morning and late evening bring; after his day working, he will sit with his wife and children and watch the sunset behind the mountains.

HISTORY: Arinn Elden Millwind is the second of six children. His oldest sister lives with a respectable warrior in Rohan. The other four children (three brothers and two sisters) live scattered across Dale and Gondor.

At age 23, Arinn married (name of wife undecided) Whitfield, the daughter of a local merchant. They have a daughter, and two twin six-year-old boys, born in 2764.

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2.) NAME: Eli Ross Millwind

AGE: 6

RACE: Mortal

GENDER: Male - twin

WEAPONS: Eli carries only a few rocks in his pocket for protection.

APPEARANCE: Eli is taller than most six-year-olds, but not by much. He has tanned skin and is usually sunburned on his frequently bared feet because his skin is very tender and sunburns easily. His eyes are the main focal point of this young boy- the left is a bright sea green, the other a bright gray, giving him a fey and whimsical look. They are always wide, looking for new places to explore. His hair is dangling uneven about his ears, light and sandy brown in color. He was a sickly baby, and gets sick very easily.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Eli is a quiet boy, like his father. He likes to explore and "be a big boy", trying to help his father whenever he can. While he isn't extremely vulnerable in the sun because of his sickness, shade is a preferred sanctuary when romping and playing. He often gets in trouble for wandering off; his mother is over-protective. Eli can not be trusted with secrets- they will slip out before you can tell the whole secret. His brother is his best friend- they love sneaking off and switching places.

HISTORY: Eli is the second child of Arinn and (name not known) Millwind, the oldest of a set of twins. He and his family are close, and family values are important.

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ArwenBaggins’ post FIRST FOR GAME AFTER SMAUG

"Eli, hand me a stake," Arinn Millwind was kneeling in a garden amongst growing corn and okra. A young boy, straddling a row of green beans, walked quickly toward his father with a sharp wooden stake in his small, tanned hand.

He dropped to his knees and handed his father the piece of wood, wiping a large pearly bead of sweat from his forehead. "Here ya go Papa… whatcha plantin' now?" Eli picked up a handful of dark brown soil, a worm wriggling up his short finger.

Arinn took the stake and nodded in thanks and used the pole to straighten a feeble tomato seedling. He then mopped his forehead and held the small of his back, standing slowly. The sun blazed down upon the farm in Dale, the workplace of the Millwind family. "Come on in with me Eli; 'tis probably time for lunch… where's your brother?" Eli stood as well, shrugging and running off toward the house about half a mile away. "I wish he'd slow down once and a while! He will overheat!" he shook his head, laughing slightly at his energetic son, and walked briskly toward his home.

His wife met them on the porch. "Lunch is ready, my big men!" she kissed Arinn and rubbed Eli's messy waves of dust-color. After the boy dashed into the open door and skidded to a stop in the kitchen with his older sister and younger brother, the woman leaned in close to her husband and pushed a lock of sweaty chestnut hair from his ear, whispering: "How was he today? You did not have him sit in the sun too long, did you?"

"No dear. He sat under the dogwood tree most of the time- he came out for naught of five minutes to hand me a stake and hurry home. Do not worry," He kissed her forehead and entered their home.

Arinn sat at the table, between his daughter and his youngest child, a son. "Gimme my rock back!" Eli kicked the other twin in the shins underneath the table, trying to choke back tears. "Papa! Mama! He won' gimme my rock back!" Arinn cast a swift, austere look to the boy, who immediately dropped the shiny, polished, gray rock. Eli smiled weakly and sat back in his chair, dropping the rock in his pocket. It was a rock given to the boy by his father, a precious gift that he treasured with all his heart.

It's normal… Arinn forced himself to think. Fighting was a normal part of having children. He didn't like it, but it was normal.

*****
Only roughly a dozen miles away, a large, ominous shadow flew over Erebor, the very edge of the dark silhouette growing dangerously closer to Dale. Arinn was again outside, working without rest on the planting of the season. Eli, seemingly unseperable from his father, sat in the cool shade beneath the dogwood tree, the smooth gray stone lying in his hands.

Suddenly, a loud but distant screech was heard, and Arinn looked up instantaneously toward the shadow. "A dragon…!" He muttered under his breath in disbelieve. "Eli! A dragon! We need to get home and warn everyone. ELI?" Arinn pulled himself from the ground and looked around frenetically, calling his son's name.

Eli had already taken off. He heard his father yelling behind him, but he would catch up, wouldn't he? He would suspect that Eli was a smart enough boy to run home, wouldn't he? "Papa! I'm over here!" a rising wind and the rustling of field grass soon drowned his voice out.

His legs were growing weak; he wasn't used to running this long and far. He stopped for a moment and twirled frantically, looking and yelling for his father without answer. Deciding that it was absolutely necessary that he got home, he continued running, running, toward the seemingly-safe confines of his home.

"Eli! Eli? Where are you?" Arinn cast another quickly glance toward the north, but then turned his eyes back to the land in front of him. Where was his son?

Eli could not run any longer. With one last scream, he collapsed amidst the tall millet. His breath came slow and he moaned like a small wounded animal. Arinn found him five minutes later, lying sprawled on his stomach in the dirt. Muttering his son's name, he tried to crack a smile as he lifted him from the ground and cradled him like an even younger child.

The boy cracked open his dreamlike eyes, struggling to get a good hold on his father's loose shirt. "Papa, I'm sorry dat I ran. I'm just real scared of dragons. An' I wanted ta be tha big boy, warnin' everyone 'bout it. I'm sorry," his bottom lip puckered and a single tear dropped down his cheek onto his heaving chest.

While he wanted to express how serious what he had done was, Arinn couldn't seem to bring himself to do it. Instead, he hugged Eli close and shook his head, kept walking fleetly, and said, "Do not worry. We will go home and tell Mama, and then I will go out and tell everyone else around here."

"Okay Papa. But… but d'you think dat I could come with you?" Eli's breathing came a little slower now, nearing its normal rate.

Arinn sighed. He could not let Eli find that he was scared as well. "We will just have to see."

[piosenniel]

CHARACTERS NEEDED LIST

Millwind Family

Parents

• 1. Father - Arinn Elden Millwind - ArwenBaggins
• 2. Mother – PLAYER NEEDED

Children

• 1. Daughter/Oldest Child - no older than 14 year – PLAYER NEEDED
• 2. Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins
• 3. Son/Younger Twin – 6y/o) – PLAYER NEEDED

~*~

Whitfield Family

Parent

• 1. Father (Arinn's brother-in-law) - PLAYER NEEDED
• 2. Mother -PLAYER NEEDED

NOTE: The Whitfield children will be Carry-along characters. No one will play them in particular; they can be used by anyone who needs them.

They are two children: Daisy and Elian, ages 8 and 14.

The Whitfields live next door to the Millwinds.

~*~

Additional Child

• There is another child who has some 'difficulty' reaching home. Regin Hardhammer

~*~

Dragon

• Smaug – Kransha

[piosenniel]

Please use this form for creating your character to post on the discussion thread.

1.) It is a requirement that all potential game players in the Shire will have posted in The Green Dragon Inn or have played to completion an RPG on the Barrow Downs.

2.) Those who have not played before in a Shire RPG will be given preference. Final preference, though, will be at the discretion of the Game Owner.
_______________________________________

Character Description Form:

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES/NO - Which one?

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in?

List them, please:

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES/NO
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME:

AGE:

RACE:

GENDER:

WEAPONS (No magical, super-hero, mithril weapons. Just good solid Middle-earth weapons and armor only that is appropriate to the race of the character and the time period.):

APPEARANCE:

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: (No half-Elven characters. No mixed-type characters. No super-heroes. No assassins. No one all powerful, martial arts proficient, or having any magical traits. Just regular characters with normal abilities for their races only):

HISTORY:

__________________________________


First post:


This is a requirement for this game. Character Descriptions without a First Post attached will be sent back to the writer. They may be submitted again, once there is a First Post to go with them.

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NOTE: What to write for your First Post

First posts would describe where your character is when the Dragon first strikes, their initial thoughts on seeing the creature, and how they hope to get home.

The Millwood wife should, of course, greet her child and husband.

[piosenniel]

The Discussion Thread is now open to take on players

Please remember to submit a First Post WITH you character description.


~*~ Pio, Shire Moderator

[Child of the 7th Age]

Arwen –

I enjoyed your proposal so much that I am applying to play the fourteen-year old Millwind daughter. Please let me know if this will work.

I found it hard to write the first post without knowing what the other family members were doing. I will change the details as needed to respond to their posts.

~Child

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

FOR: Elanor Millwind

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Various including the Star RPGs, The Long Winter, The Hobbit's Gift, etc.

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? One

List them, please: Here There Be Dragons

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES

PROFILE

NAME: Elanor Millwind

AGE: 14 years old

RACE: Human

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: Her young cousin who lives next door secretly taught Elanor how to shoot a bow without her parents knowing about it. Later on, after much begging and pleading, she persuaded her parents to allow her to secure her own bow and a quiver of arrows so that she can help protect the chicken coop, especially in winter when hungry predators sneak into the barnyard searching for a tasty snack.

Aside from this, the only other weapon Elanor has brandished is a large frying pan. Last summer, when her father was off in a neighboring village to sell some produce, a thief slipped inside the Millwood barn intent on stealing their only milk cow. Grunge, Elanor’s best friend who happens to be a guard dog, succeeded in bringing the culprit down with his sharp teeth and claws. Elanor was then able to knock the intruder out with a few strategic whacks to the head.

APPEARANCE: Elanor has bright blue eyes and a head of untidy auburn curls that she ties back with a ribbon. She generally wears long skirts and blouses like most of the other girls in Dale. Occasionally, however, when off on her own in the woods, she will slip on an old pair of Elian’s pants so that it is easier to run and ride. While Elanor can’t claim to be the most gorgeous girl in Dale, she is tall and slender and has a pleasant, cheerful face. Her attractive smile has not been lost on several of Elian’s friends who vie for her attention and favors.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: To the outward eye, Elanor is a dutiful daughter who has mastered most of the household chores that girls in Dale are expected to learn. Although only fourteen, she already knows how to cook, sew, and keep house and can tend the garden and care for the various animals on the farm. Her parents are proud of her.

Elanor is deeply attached to all her family, and especially to her mother. Her parents rely heavily on her common sense and maturity and, for this reason, have her help take care of the younger siblings. Yet, despite her generally cheerful nature, she sometimes tires of the responsibility that comes with being the eldest child and longs for a break. On these occasions, she runs off on her own to get away from her brothers’ bickering and may ramble deep into the woods or over the fields. Sometimes she is accompanied by her two closest friends. One is Elian Whitfield, her next door neighbor and cousin; the other is the brown guard dog Grunge whom she’s raised from a puppy.

Despite her outward conformity to the norms and standards of the community, Elanor has ideas in her head for the future that might surprise her mother and father. She dreams of someday being a healer. Already, she has gathered together a small kit of herbs and has tried out some remedies on the small animals that live in the countryside surrounding their family farm.

HISTORY: She is the eldest daughter in the Millwood family. Her parents are Arinn and ________Millwood. Her younger siblings are the six year-old twins, Eli and _______.

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Child of the 7th Age’s post


Elanor got up from the lunch table and began to clear off the dishes, waving goodbye to her father and Eli as they trudged back towards the fields. Her mother was so busy with the farm and household chores that she had asked her to keep an eye on _______. Elanor had gone out to the garden to pick a bucket of beans for dinner. By the time she returned to the house, her brother _______was nowhere to be seen. She was only mildly concerned that he was missing from the house. He was probably off with mother in the garden or out in the barn playing with the cat who’d just had a litter of kittens.

Elanor sat down to finish hemming the dress, a task that her mother had asked her to start the evening before. She held up the skirt against the sunlight which was streaming in through the window and took a close look at her line of stitches. She still could not match her mother’s skill with the needle. Some of her own stitches were long, others quite short and a little wiggly. She’d need to work on that some other time. For right now, this would have to do.

Elanor was determined to finish her chores so she could meet her cousin Elian Whitfield and perhaps one of his friends as they had agreed the day before. They planned to hike north about a mile or two to see if there was anything new or different to report now that the Dwarves had carts of ore heading to the west. Rumor had it that the Dwarves had again started doing business with the Elves who dwelled deep within Mirkwood. Elanor had no idea if this was true but she wanted to get a good look at those carts and the Dwarves who were driving them. Someday, she promised, she’d take a great trip all the way to the Lonely Mountain where the Dwarf folk were said to live, with all their grand halls and piles of gold and other rare ores. But, for now, a little hike a mile or so north was all that she could manage. Elanor threw the dress down in a crumpled pile on the table and slipped out the front door, running down the pathway in the direction of their agreed upon meeting point.

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


The two teen-agers had trudged along for a half hour or so heading steadily north. Elian told Elanor stories he had heard from his grandfather: how the Dwarves had returned to the mountain some two hundred years before and had dug deep into the tunnels and come up with amazing treasure. Elanor wondered what the treasure would look like. She imagined heaps of gold and mithril sitting in three of four large piles in the middle of the Dwarves’ Great Hall. It might be nice, she reflected, to have a pin or necklace to wear. The two stopped and sat under an overhanging beech tree, drinking from the water bottles they had brought with them. Despite all their hiking, they had not seen a single Dwarf or any carts laden with treasure.

“We’d best get back,” Elanor pressed. “Mother expects me to help with dinner.”

“But we didn’t see any Dwarves!” her cousin objected. “And that’s why we came.”

”Maybe so. But we can always come again any time we want.”

Just as they were about to head south, Elian got up and excitedly pointed towards the hills in front of them. Some distance away and barely visible, there seemed to be a whole herd of Dwarves running to the west as fast as their short legs could take them. Some of them were waving swords, staves, and axes in the air.

“By all Beruthiel’s cats, what’s happening over there?”

Before Elanor could open her mouth to venture an opinion, there was a terrible hissing and whirling noise that came from the air. Instinctively, Elian grabbed for his cousin’s hand and yanked her down into the tall grass and ferns so that they were totally hidden. Coming straight at them, a sinister, twisting figure made its way southward, flying through the air. The creature was gigantic, its color just as golden as all the piles of treasure that Elanor had envisioned in the tales that she'd heard. Elian could glimpse two long fingers of flame that seemed to shoot out from the wyrm’s gaping mouth, leaving trails of ashes and smoke behind. The two children huddled together under the bracken afraid to look up or show their heads above the foliage. When the terrible shadow had finally swept over them, they staggered abruptly to their feet. Elian was shaking and Elanor barely holding back tears. “Our families!” they both cried at once. With that the two friends took off running towards the south.

[Regin Hardhammer]

Arwen,

This looks like fun. I am applying to play the “younger” twin. I sent you a pm regarding my proposed character and his first post. Please let me know whether this will work or if I should change something.

Hi, Kransha. Good to see you.

~Regin

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

FOR: the younger twin

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES - Which one? Land to Call their Own

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? None, but I have had a proposal approved for a game, Hunt for the Palantiri, which is supposed to start in August.

List them, please: n/a

Please note you may play in only 2 (TWO) Shire games at one time. Exceptions to this may be made for this on a case by case basis by the Shire Moderators. (The Green Dragon Inn DOES NOT count as a game for this.)


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME: Eric Roland Millwood

AGE: 6 years- born just 2 hours after Eli

RACE: Man- Twin

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Home made slingshot that he uses to chase off birds that are bothering the crops. A stick used mainly for walking and occasionally for poking his brother in the ribs

APPEARANCE: A sturdy, tan-skinned boy whose clothes are often dirty and torn from roughhousing and frequent expeditions into the forest. He has an unkempt mop of chestnut curls that are always getting in his face. His eyes are brown and his face is dotted with freckles. He is of average height for his age. Overall, he looks like a young ragamuffin who gets into trouble. His mother and father are always after him to comb his hair, wash his face, and mind his manners.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Eric is a rambunctious boy who is naturally outgoing and likes to be the center of attention. This sometimes causes commotion in the family. Because Eli is sickly, he needs special care from his parents. Eric resents this at times. He also senses that Eli sometimes gets away with things because his parents regard the quieter boy as the “good” child, while his own pranks and teasing are looked on less favorably.

Although Eric deeply loves his entire family, he sometimes feels that he’s overshadowed by his siblings. He especially resents how his parents refer to him as the ‘youngest child’, even though he was born just two hours after his ‘bigger’ brother. These feelings lead to fights between the twins as well as bad behavior on his part. Eric needs to gain confidence so that he can let his good nature and affection for his family shine through. He needs to think more about them and less about himself. In trying to escape from the dragon with his family, he will need to use common sense, follow his parents’ orders, and not let his jealousy get in the way. That will not be easy.


HISTORY: Eric is the third child of Arinn and (name not known) Millwind, the younger of a set of twins. He also has an older sister. He and his family are close, and family values are important.

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Regin Hardhammer’s post

Eric watched sadly as Eli and his dad walked out into the fields after lunch, leaving him all alone to reflect on the horrible time he’d just had. Eli had kicked him in the shins under the table and left a blue bruise. His parents hadn’t even seen what happened and made him return the shiny rock that he had borrowed from his brother the day before. “It’s not fair,” Eric muttered. “My crybaby brother always gets what he wants.”

Eli was a sickly and frail boy, so his parents naturally felt the need to pay more attention to him. It seemed to Eric that whenever he did anything to his brother, the older boy immediately whined about it to his parents, who always sided with Eli. Nor did he like being called a “younger brother” when he was born only two hours later than his twin. “Life can be so unfair!” he noted with a grimace.

His father always took Eli to help him with the work in the field, but never Eric, even though he was probably tougher and could work harder. A couple of times he had thought about asking his father if he could come too, but stopped himself because he was afraid that his father would say no. Anyways, Eric reflected, he probably wouldn’t want me to come, since he likes to be with Eli.

Determined not to sulk in the house all day, Eric decided to go for a walk in the meadow near the lake. Maybe he could gather frogs there that he would later put in his sister’s bed. She always loved his little surprises, he thought with a grin. Walking through the tall grass, he noticed that a grey shadow had suddenly appeared on the ground and swiftly crept closer until it finally enveloped him. Eric looked up curiously and saw a very strange looking, monstrous bird. I didn’t know birds had scales and I’ve certainly never seen one that large before. Enchanted with this new creature, Eric sprinted gleefully after it, giving no thought to how he would get home. He whispered proudly to himself, “I bet Eli has never seen anything like this!”

[Regin Hardhammer]

Nuru,

That's alright. Neither of us knew what the other was planning. I'd still like to have my character Eric considered.

Arwen - In case my current profile is not accepted, I'd be glad to play another part. However, I was wondering if the kid who gets lost is a separate character from the three children who are listed. I really would prefer to play a kid, since I've never done one before. If you supply basic info on this character, I could modify my existing profile to play the character who gets lost.

If that wouldn't work, I'll try and submit something for one of the adults.

Many thanks,

- Regin

[Child of the 7th Age]

Arwen,

Please check your pms.

~Child

[ArwenBaggins]

Regin, Nuru, Child:

Welcome, first of all. I'm very glad you've taken an interest in my little game.

Child:
You're in. Great profile; Elanor is a wonderful, "normal" character.

Regin, Nuru:
I think I am going to accept Regin for this part. He has a great display of sibling rivalry that I like, and he's kind of an outcasted kid. Nuru, would you mind playing one of the Whitfield children or an adult?

Thanks again everyone, and we're going to have lots of fun.
~Fëa

EDIT:

So, here are the characters needed:

CHARACTERS NEEDED LIST

Millwind Family

Parents

1. Father - Arinn Elden Millwind - ArwenBaggins
2. Mother – PLAYER NEEDED

Children

1. Daughter/Oldest Child - Elanor Millwind- Child
2. Son/Older Twin – Eli Ross Millwind (6y/o) - ArwenBaggins
3. Son/Younger Twin – Eric Roland Millwind- Regin
~*~

Whitfield Family

Parent

1. Father (Arinn's brother-in-law) - PLAYER NEEDED
2. Mother -PLAYER NEEDED

NOTE: The Whitfield children will be Carry-along characters. No one will play them in particular; they can be used by anyone who needs them.

They are two children: Daisy and Elian, ages 8 and 14.

Nuru comes in here somewhere.
~*~

Additional Child

There is another child who has some 'difficulty' reaching home. If you want to play this part, send a pm to the founders for further detail - Regin

~*~

Dragon

Smaug – Kransha

[Nurumaiel]

Arwen, Thank you for letting me know, and I also thank you for your offer to play a Whitfield child or an adult. I think I will take you up on that offer. I would prefer to play a child. It's been awhile since I have and I've missed doing it. I've also been told I'm particularly good at it, so I would hope to give more to the game by playing one. So you offer the part of either Daisy or Elian, then? If so I hope I have not caused you too much trouble in making you change one of the Carry-along characters to a regular character. If you are in fact not offering the part of one of those two children, I believe I'll work up a bio and post for the Millwind mother.

Please let me know at your convenience so I can get to work.

Regin, I would briefly let you know I do not grudge you the part. Arwen's choice of you over me shows that I am not the only one who has been impressed by your obvious talents as a writer, and so I look forward to writing with you. *little bow*

[ArwenBaggins]

Nuru-

Whichever you prefer ma'am! We can make one of the Whitfield children a non-carry along, and keep the other one the way it is, or have you play the Millwind mother. It really doesn't matter to me. If you feel like you play a better child, go right ahead.

~Fëa

[Regin Hardhammer]

Thanks Nuru for your kind words. I'm sure this game will be fun. Thanks also to ArwenB for giving Eric a shot. He won't let you down.

Can't wait till it opens.

- Regin

[Nurumaiel]

Here's a little Daisy-lass for you to consider, Arwen! Or would you prefer Fëa?

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? - Yes: The Long Winter, The Hobbit's Gift (owned), Holiday in the Sun (cameo), In the Shadow of the Star, Corsairs and Corsets (co-owned), Breelanders All! (cameo), Hills of Evendim

2.) How many RPG?s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? -- 1

List them, please:

-Friends of Nimrodel

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? ? Yes

-----

NAME : Daisy Whitfield

AGE : 8 years

RACE : Man

GENDER : Female

WEAPONS : Daisy carries no weapons, though some people say her eyes might prove dangerous to the hearts of boys someday.

APPEARANCE : Daisy is a graceful little child who tries to behave as she believes her mother would wish; that is as a lady. She is beginning to grow taller already, though some think it strange she should have her growing spurt so early in her years. She is not a particularly beautiful child, though most think that will change in years. She has never especially regretted being one of those girls that will not turn into beauties until they are older. She is not ugly, either, but she is merely not pretty. Her beauty lies mainly in her sweet, sparkling brown eyes. Unconsciously she will charm others with these eyes by looking at one, dropping her eyes in shyness, and then raising them again with a sweet little smile. Like her eyes, her hair is brown and while it is naturally straight it is only ever seen in slight waves for she braids her hair every night.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES : Daisy, as has been mentioned before, tries with all her heart to behave as a lady should, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy unladylike activities. At such a young age she still finds more pleasure in romping about with the boys than sitting at her needlework. She is not a 'tomboy,' however, and would detest to be described as such. She merely enjoys the games that she plays with the boys, though she she also finds pleasure in cooking.

Ah yes, cooking. Daisy may not care much for needlework (though it can be enjoyable at times), but she loves cooking dearly. Perhaps it was because she was encouraged in a charming way at a young age. When she was five she, with the help of her mother, made little cakes for her elder brother and some of his friends, and they showered her with compliments, blissfully eating the cakes and saying every now and then she was the best cook in the world. Fond memories of this inspire her to please more through her cooking talents.

For Daisy loves most to please people. Her little heart is only happy when she sees others happy, and she weeps when others weep. She has also been described as 'very motherly.' She enjoys caring for others and watching out for them, and feels an urge to protect them from danger if they cannot protect themselves.

Daisy is a very imaginitive little thing, which often causes her to fall into trouble with her parents. At times she will not hear her mother calling for she is out somewhere gazing at the sky and imagining she lives in the clouds, or perhaps she will forget an errand in her bliss over a glorious sunrise. She talks entirely too much, some people say, but others enjoy her prattling way. When she does talk she says interesting, imaginitive things and so most don't mind. Another thing that must be confessed is that she will cry very easily. Disappointments, injuries, scoldings, fear -especially if any of these things happen to someone else- and many other things reduce her to tears in a moment. She battles bravely against her tears, but at times cannot surpress them. Beauty, too, will make her eyes fill.

HISTORY : Daisy Whitfield was born to _______ and _______ Whitfield, the second in a family of two. Her little life has in fact been occupied with nothing exciting, but if she were tell someone what she imagined about her life there would be no end to the grand and glorious adventures she has had. However as she is convinced to stick to bare facts, she was born in Dale and has spent her eight years there, helping her mother about the house, and playing and dreaming (and cooking!) in her spare time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++


Nurumaiel's post

The little brown-haired girl sat under the shade of a tree, finding comfort in the fact that there was at last a shady spot to keep her protected from the sun. After a glance to make sure no one was about, she turned her eyes to the tree and placed a tender kiss on its rough bark, murmuring her thanks to it for its gallantry in defending her from the sun. She smiled regretfully up at the sun, spreading her arms as if she were questioning what else she could do, and then fixed her eyes on some little clouds flitting across the sky and dancing together. A rapturous little sigh burst from her and she clasped her two small hands together, her brown eyes shining. If a passerby had looked into those eyes, he would have seen at once that her heart was not in Dale any longer but flying about to dance with those clouds.

Daisy Whitfield had always been a dreamer, and folk had resigned themselves to the fact that she always would be. They had nothing against dreamers, or so they said, but there was something queer about the way her being fled her body to travel in some other realm, and only a sharp word spoken would bring her back to the solid ground again. She was a sensible child and a great help to her mother about the house, but folk felt that the term 'down-to-earth' would not be appropriate for her.

Daisy Whitfield danced with the clouds before pulling herself away to rise to her feet and climb the tree and perch in reality amid its green branches. There, now she felt closer to the sky and more akin to it. She let her brown head rest against the trunk of the tree and once again set about to dancing with the clouds. A soft wind rustled the leaves of the tree and made her long skirt billow out; so absorbed was she in her dreamings that she did not notice her skirt and been blown above her knees and could not pull it down again with maidenly blushes.

Caught up still in her dreamings, she wondered what it would be like to really dance with the clouds, like that large bird with scales was doing now. It had seemed to come from nowhere, but it made the dancing clouds seem more alluring. It was a beautiful thing, she reflected, and it would be interesting to ride on its back. Perhaps she would imagine she was riding on its back. She had never seen a bird so big... nor had she ever seen a bird with scales.

Her face paled, her lips opened in a soundless scream, and her little heart seemed to stop a moment before it resumed to beat: a loud, pounding beat that made her short of breath. She stared in wordless terror at the scaled bird and then a little scream did burst from her. Closing her eyes tightly, she buried her face against the trunk and tried to imagine the creature away. Opening her eyes again, she saw it was still there, and terror possessed her. But her limbs did not go numb, as they did so often in her nightmares. Instead speed was lent to her, and she slid from the tree with remarkable agility. Her eyes widened as she stared at the creature, and she realized again what it was.

The creature was a distance away, but it was growing steadily closer and Daisy could see the gleam of gold that dazzled from its scales when the sun fell upon it. Yet she was not enraptured by this sight. Beautiful, yes, but its beauty was lost to her and she saw it as only terrible. She pulled her skirts up to give her legs more freedom and ran, the tears of terror beginning to flow from her eyes. She had wandered far from home and she was frightened she would not reach the safety of her mother in time. She ran with all her strength, trying to imagine that the creature wasn't winging behind her.

But it was.

Her feet began to drag and her side burned like fire. But she ran still, until she saw her own house up ahead. A painful, breathless sob of relief burst from her and she began to slow a little. And then her feet stopped. She had run nearly a mile without a pause and her trembling little legs collapsed underneath her. Pitifully she crawled to the side of the road and buried herself against the side of the house in the shade of the tree. But it brought her no comfort. A tree could protect her from the sun; it could not protect her against the monster. She buried her face in her little hands and wept in despair.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++

[ArwenBaggins]

Thanks for your continued interest Nuru! You're most definitely in. And you all can call me Fëa, by the way.

Players wishing to play the Whitfield adults:

You may have to craft your character's description slightly around Nuru's Daisy. It might be just odd if we have two parents with bright red hair and blue eyes and their children complete opposites. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Thanks everyone!

~Fëa

[Kransha]

Greetings, all! Just your friendly dragon checking in on current progress. Looking over the first accepted characters, this is most certainly going well. I, playing Smaug (the Magnificent), will be assisting with the story arc by basically destroying things everywhere and making it very hard to do anything. I look forward to reading your posts in this particular game and hope the outcome will be one of enjoyment...

[Araréiel]

Here's my post for consideration. I'm new at this type of RPG. I'm used to one in which we have points and stuff. But you can take my character or leave her.

This is my first attempt at a character other than an Elf. This post was a bit difficult to write as I kept having to cross-reference what four other characters (the husband and children) were doing at the same time to tie them all together.

If I didn't do this right, or you don't want this character for whatever reason, just let me know.

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? Does the Green Dragon Inn count? EDIT by Pio - the Green Dragon does not count as an actual RPG

2.) How many RPGs on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in? -- EDIT by Pio - "none"


3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn? ? Yes



NAME: Willow Millwind

AGE: 34

RACE: Man

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: She is rather adept with a bow and sword. Her father insisted she learn the ways of weaponry with her brother.

APPEARANCE: Willow is tall and graceful. Fair of complexion, her deep chestnut eyes have just a tint of gold. Her mahogany hair tumbles in curls down her back. While growing up on a farm, she was raised primarily indoors to be a housewife, and it shows. She has none of the rough look as one might expect.

PERSONALITY: Always treat others kindly. Her father expected no less. Just be happy and do your best. Her mother expected no more. Willow grew up well-educated, and part of this comes great empathy for others. She is kind, gentle, and considerate, and considers her place to be in the home, caring for her family. She considers her brother to be one of her best friends.

HISTORY: Willow was born in the Dale itself a few years after her brother. She was one of two girls born that day to her mother, the younger, and the only one to survive. This may explain why she herself had twins. Her mother had a son and younger twin daughters, she had a daughter and younger twin sons. Her father insisted that she be educated, her mother insisted that she be reared as a proper young lady. Married at 18, she birthed a daughter two years later, and named the child after her own middle name. Years later she bore twin sons, a delight. She takes great pride in raising her family to be strong and well bonded, close to her brother's family.


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

Araréiel's post

Sunlight streamed through the freshly cleaned windows of the tidy kitchen. Heat emanated from the oven, lunch nearly prepared. Willow Millwind glanced out the window, wondering where her husband and children were. It was uncommon of them to be late. She pulled the buns from the oven and placed them on a plate. Grabbing a bowl of fresh-churned butter, she headed to the table. A noise outside distracted her and she headed instead to the door, setting the butter on a near-by chair. Pushing the door open with her foot, she stepped outside.

"Lunch is ready, my big men!" Willow looked with pride on her handsome husband, still as much in love with him today as they day they married. She gave him a kiss, and laughed as Eli cried out how gross kissing it. She ruffled the already-messy hair of her son, marveling in how much he looked like his father. Eli ran in through the door, and Willow caught a glimpse of her other children settling into their places for lunch, the twins fighting over who sat where, her daughter settling the fight. Hoping to not be heard, Willow leaned close to her husband and whispered, "How was he today? You did not have him sit in the sun too long, did you?"

"No dear. He sat under the dogwood tree most of the time- he came out for naught of five minutes to hand me a stake and hurry home. Do not worry," He kissed her and chuckled as he entered the doorway. His wife always worried about the children in the sun, worried they would burn. For this reason, none of them ever had.

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

Lunch was long-finished. Soon it would be time to start preparing supper. Eli had picked on his brother horribly, this time for being a tad bit shorter. Eric had tried to defend himself, saying he looked more like Papa, that Mama always said so. Eli had thrown his bun at Eric, causing a fight as Willow hadn't seen in her table in years. She had forced her sons to clean up the mess, not caring who started what, only angry that they had participated in such a display of tempers.

She glanced down at the sewing she was doing. Those boys sure were tough on their clothing, and needed lots of repairs. But this was special. She was sewing a delicate white gown. It would have a white sash and lots of embroidery in shades of blue, pink, and the palest of green. Elanor worked so hard to help out, and Willow wasn't sure Elanor fully knew how much she was appreciated. This gown was beautiful, the gown she described for her daughter in stories of princesses as a child, but impractical, and she was glad to be finishing the last of the embroidery. The gown was complete, and she would give it to her daughter as supper that night. She carefully folded the garment and put it in a box, ready to surprise her eldest child, for Elanor knew nothing of the dress. The child sewed so much for others. She deserved a treat, and didn't understand why her mother had asked her to do mending in the afternoon instead of after supper, but she complied anyway. Willow just needed her out of the kitchen.

Elanor's favorite meal was turkey. Not chicken, but turkey. So Willow cut up the bird to cook it faster. Time had flown and she was running low on time. If she quartered the bird it would be done in time. She seasoned the bird with some pepper, dried garlic, salt, and some parley, and placed it in the oven, dousing it with a bit of lemon juice before closing the heavy iron door. Humming to herself, she peel the potatoes, toss them into a cast iron pot, fill with water, place on stove. Oh, how she hated peeling potatoes! But it must be done. The cream on the counter, she chopped up more garlic. When the potatoes were done boiling, she'd mash them with the garlic and cream. Elanor's favorite. Thankfully, Elanor's favorite dessert was strawberry shortcake. Shortcake is simple to make, and Willow sliced the strawberries and tossed them with a bit of sugar, singing now as she started whipping a bit of cream with sugar to make it fluffy. Satisfied with the texture, she sat back down to wait for the food to cook.

Smells of seasoning began to fill the room, and the sunlight combined with the smells and heat soon lulled Willow to sleep. A couple horsed reared outside causing quit a commotion, startling her from her sleep. She jumped up and headed to the window, and only saw the horses. What had frightened them? The house was momentarily covered in darkness, as if clouds covered the sun. She glanced up, but saw nothing. The potatoes began to boil over, so she pulled the pot off the stove, cursing as she accidentally burned her finger.

As she sucked on her finger, willing the burning feeling to subside, Willow stepped out the door. "If those boys are scaring the horses again...," she muttered under her breath.

Slight dust kicked up as her skirt swept across the ground to the corral. Nothing. Maybe he hadn't been at the corral after all. The horses reared again as a shadow came over them. Looking up she saw....

Eyes widening, terror overcame Willow and she screamed. The dragon overhead turned back around and looked down at her as she ran back to the house. The winged creature continued to fly, not stopping, until he was far from the house. Willow tore through the door, running to a corner of the room. Where was her family? How could she find them? If she went outside and they came home, how would they find her? Willow cried with fright and confusion, praying in her heart that her family would return home soon, safe and sound.

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[ArwenBaggins]

Araréiel:

A very good post for your first Mortal!

There are a few things though:

1. PLEASE try to improve spelling & grammar; type our post in Microsoft Word first, and use spellcheck.

2. In your post, you constantly refered to Eli's twin as Cynan; it's Eric.

Fix number two and some of number one in your post, and you'll be in!

People applying for the remaining characters:
Go ahead and post the profiles up, but I will not be able to accept them until Sunday evening. If you get it up today, I MAY be able to check in. I'm going camping, so... no computer or anything.

Thanks,
Fëa

[Araréiel]

lol! I was dead tired last night when I posted that. My boyfriend's car broke down south of San Francisco, so I had to go drive out there really late. Didn't get home until way past midnight. What makes this really embarassing is that I used to do journalism and editting, and won a state spelling bee way back when, anout 10 years ago! Oh well, exhaustion happend to the best of us.

[Nurumaiel]

Araréiel, good to see you in the game!

I am not in any way the owner of this game, merely a fellow player, but I do have a little suggestion for your first post for the sake of clearing any confusion. Your post where Eric interacts with his mother seemed to be mostly framed around my first post for Cynan. It's actually Regin's first post you should be referring to, and actually Eric was not in the least frightened of the dragon but thought quite a lot of himself for having seen something he didn't think Eli had. It was in my post that Cynan ran terrified to his mother and fainted in her arms, but Cynan will not be part of the game.

So perhaps you would edit your post to reflect off Regin's in oppose to mine?

I apologize to you if I sound like I'm assuming authority here, and I assure you I am not but merely make this as a friendly suggestion.

I really enjoyed your character and she seems a lovely mother, and again I look forward to playing with you!

By the way, hello, 'friendly dragon,' though I can't help but doubt the adjective. Hallo, Kransha. 'Twill be nice to be in a real RPG with you.

In all sincerity,
-Nuru

[Araréiel]

No, you're right. Last night when I wrote the post I read the wrong one since I was so tired and barely seeing straight. This morning I just did the Ctrl+F thing to replace the name without checking the facts. I'll change that here in jus a few minutes. Thanks for pointing that out!

[Araréiel]

Nurumaiel, if you see anything else I overlooked, please let me know. I just did a rush job changing the end since my mom needs the phone (cursed dial-up--when I move next week into my new house I'll have cable-yay! No more phone lines tied up!!).

I'm going to print off each characters rap sheet as well today so I can refer to paper instead of scrolling up and down. I think that's what confused me last night. I started reading the wrong one and was too tired to notice.

You made Cynan into a sweet-sounding child! And he gets to be my nephew! Cool!

[ArwenBaggins]

Ara:

Mind if I call you that, first of all?

Also: Thank you for changing the post. You're in.

Nuru:

I didn't even think of that. THANK YOU!!!!!

~Fëa

[Nurumaiel]

Good day to you all, and I hope you are doing well.

I just stopped by to let you know that I shall be gone from early tomorrow morning to perhaps late Tuesday (probably 'till Wednesday as far as getting on the Downs goes; it depends how long it takes to unpack). I don't believe the game will have started by this time, but I felt I should notify you.

[ArwenBaggins]

Everyone:

I have returned! I hope everyone is anxious for this game to open!

Nuru:

Have... er... fun? wherever you're going! I'm almost positive we won't be started by then, but things change. We'll just go with the flow and see ya when you get back!

~Fëa

[Araréiel]

Ara is fine. It means Noble in Quenya.

FYI, I'm going to be here on and off the next week, hopefully not gone more than 24 hours at a time. We're getting ready to move right now. To make it worse, our car blew a piston a couple days ago, so we are also having to find time to look for a new car. If I am not seen for a day, here's your heads-up.

When do you anticipate the game starting?

[ArwenBaggins]

Ara:

I can't really guess at all when this game will open. If I get both characters we need tomorrow, we can start by late Wednesday or Thursday. It just depends on when we get our players!

~Fëa

[Araréiel]

Okay. I'm guessing I'm going to be really busy on and and off through Sunday. Classes tomorrow night, packing up Wednesday to move, moving Thursday and Friday, down to LA Saturday to get our new car (having to take the stupid bus), unpacking Sunday. IF everything goes as planned. However, this is becoming my escape, so I'll be here as often as possible.

Wherever the title came from it's very clever, a great play on the title of the children's song.

[Nurumaiel]

Good day to you all! I'm back, and had a lovely time. I'm sorry to see the two positions haven't been filled in yet, but summer is, I do suppose, a slow time. I do not doubt that sooner or later those positions will be filled.

Now I will be gone again, but not until late July and only for about a week. As the absence will be a little longer, I thought I should perhaps let you know some time ahead.

[Fallinel]

1. I have not yet participated in any RPGs at the Barrow-Downs.
2. See above.
3. Yes, as a Haradrim character, Njeri.

Profile for Fallinel's character:

NAME: Rhysdan Whitfield

AGE: 37 y/o

RACE: Mortal Man

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Small home-made bow and arrows; shepherd's staff (or crook)

APPEARANCE: Rhysdan is tall and slender; he is built for endurance rather than great physical strength. His hair is straight, shoulder-length, and dark brown, streaked with blond highlights from time spent in the sun. Rhysdan has a short beard and moustache, and his eyes are light brown.

PERSONALITY: Rhysdan is a gentle man, with an introspective nature and a wry sense of humor. He adores his wife and children, but feels particularly close to his dreamy daughter Daisy. His son, Elian, is more adventurous and outgoing, and resents the chores and responsibility associated with keeping livestock. Although the Whitfield family maintains a small kitchen garden and fields for grain and hay, Rhysdan's talents and interests lie with raising and tending sheep and dairy cattle. As a natural herdsman, Rhysdan appreciates the opportunity to reflect on matters, and the freedom to wander throughout the countryside. He is accompanied by his loyal sheepdog, Hawkweed.

HISTORY: The Whitfields had once been herdsmen, and in past times endured much more itinerant and difficult circumstances. Only in the last generation or two has any Whitfield man been able to own land and lead a more settled and civilized existence. Rhysdan's younger sister, Willow, is a genteel woman with great domestic skills and interests, whereas Rhys has reverted to a lifestyle that more closely resembles that of his restless ancestors. He is proud of his carefully- tended flock of sheep, prized for their thick, soft wool and for the cheeses that can be made from their milk. Rhysdan's small herd of sleek cattle produce rich milk that can be churned into butter, and sold for a good price in the markets of Dale.

Fallinel's post:

The sun was warm on Rhysdan's shoulders as he clambered among the large rocks, in search of the lost black-and-white ewe and her lamb. He used his staff expertly for balance and leverage, as he leapt from one boulder to the next; he knew from experience that the heavy, clumsy sheep could easily become wedged between rocks, and lacked the sense required to extricate themselves. Rhysdan scanned all the narrow, grassy spaces between the tumbled boulders, yet there was no sign of the ewe and her lamb. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. He had wanted to bring his son Elian along to help him search for the sheep, but the adventurous boy was off wandering the hills with his cousin. "Probably looking for Dwarves, or treasure, or some such imaginative nonsense, " thought Rhysdan, and smiled.

The ewe and lamb were not the first of Rhysdan's livestock to disappear; no-the old brown ram, and a young cream-colored heifer had also gone missing, without a trace left behind. No tell-tale sightings of circling carrion-birds for a sick or injured animal, either. The last time he had traveled into the Dale market, to sell cream, butter, and sheep's milk cheeses, he had heard disturbing tales of losses on other farms and homesteads, livestock spirited away mysteriously.

Rhysdan had hiked close to one of the towering southern arms of the Lonely Mountain in his search for the lost ewe and her lamb, enjoying the exertion as he moved steadily uphill, in spite of the nagging worries over his livestock. His red-speckled, blue-eyed sheepdog, Hawkweed, accompanied him, trotting to and fro amongst the boulders and patches of high grass, sniffing incessantly for the elusive sheep-scent. Something passed between the sun and the stone-littered field where Rhysdan stood, casting a long dark shadow on the grass, and Hawkweed immediately began barking frantically. That was so unlike the dog, who was usually devoted to his tasks; Rhysdan looked up, and in the bright sky saw something that left him feeling un-nerved, yet fascinated.

No, it can't be-those are only wild tales, meant to frighten children, thought Rhysdan. But there it was, golden-red scales glistening in the sun, long tail lashing from side to side as a rudder, immense leathery wings beating the air powerfully. Rhysdan could see fibers, or perhaps fur and skin trailing from one of the dragon's huge front claws. Hawkweed continued to bark madly, racing around the stones, and jumping on and off the tops of the smaller ones nervously. Rhysdan thought to silence the dog with a command, but then realized that the dragon was paying them little or no heed. Its attention appeared to be focused on the mountain itself, particularly on the southern side. It is looking for a den, just like a fox or wolf , thought the shepherd, who had little knowledge of dragons, but knew much about the wild animals of the area.

Then Rhysdan remembered that Elian and Elanor had decided to go adventuring near the mountain, and surely that golden monster had the vision of a hawk or eagle. Rhysdan called Hawkweed to his side, and began to run back towards his homestead...

[ArwenBaggins]

Fallinel:

Welcome! A very good profile for a new roleplayer! I like Rhys. Only one or two things to fix, and you're in.

1. Could you make the post a little longer with a little bit more of a dragon encounter?

2. I'm not much of a Dale expert, but it really as rocky as you let on to be in your post?

Thanks!
~Fëa

[Araréiel]

Nice writing! I agree about a it more of the dragon character, but Dale could have had some big rocks here and there. I've been in wooded areas with small boulders I couldn't explain, a few littering the ground.

One thing I'm confused on. He resents the responsibility of livestock, yet his interests lie i raising sheep and cattle.

[Nurumaiel]

Araréiel, I believe the reference to the resentment concerned his son Elian.

Fallinel, it will be an honor to play with you. I am very glad to have you as my 'father.'

[Fallinel]

Thank you, Nurumaiel- and yes, it was indeed Elian to whom I was referring regarding the resentment about chores. There is one sentence dedicated to a description of Elian in my initial post, based on the previously stated interactions between the boy and his cousin.

ArwenBaggins- I will lengthen my post to include more interaction with Smaug, and speculation about his intentions.

Regarding the terrain outside of Dale: I'm visualizing the farms of the Millwinds and Whitfields to lie outside of the town, perhaps just to the west or northwest. I imagine the area between the two southern arms of the Lonely Mountain (from Thror's map) to have included fertile farmlands, but also rock-strewn meadows and pastures closer to the mountain itself. As an isolated mountain, Erebor seems to me to resemble one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascades, in which case boulders and large rocks would have rolled off the mountain slopes at repeated intervals in the past. I imagine Rhysdan to have hiked closer to the mountain in search of his sheep, which would put him in the rock-strewn meadows. There is this passage from The Hobbit :

There the river, after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale, turned from the Mountain on its road to the Lake, flowing swiftly and noisily. Its bank was bare and rocky, tall and steep above the stream; and gazing out from it over the narrow water, foaming and splashing among many boulders, they could see in the wide valley shadowed by the Mountain's arms the grey ruins of ancient houses, towers, and walls.

This is after Smaug has ruined much of the area, I know, but I still think that some of the terrain close to the mountain was quite rugged.

Just a general pondering about RPGs at this forum-I'm not really seeing the distinctions between the three different levels at this point. Admittedly, I've only poked my nose into a few of the games. Perhaps the differences will become clear with time and experience.