In the Shadow of the Star: Discussion Thread (Part 1)

[piosenniel]

~~ This will be an Invitation Only game. ~~

It is still under construction by the Innkeepers at present.

These posters may use the thread for now:

Child of the 7th Age

Piosenniel

Mithadan

Birdland

Mark12_30

]

[ September 15, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[mark12_30]

okay, first question: what did Gamba do to deserve that?! (bugeyed)

[piosenniel]

3. Cami 'kills' Gamba

I think Cami took on more than she realized with this Hobbit! Must have pushed her over the edge again.

Mithadan suggested Lórien (Irmo) and/or Estë as possibilities for the dream narrators. That would seem appropriate, since Irmo is the master of visions and dreams, and Estë is concerned with healing.

Any other suggestions?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Those are good ideas. Lorien especially, as the brother of Nienna and the tie-in with dreams. We have Nienna allusions in the first RPG as well as references to the gardens of Lorien (remember Cami's dreams of Nienna?)

Regarding Gamba -- He's the sort of hobbit you can't help but be attracted to, but he will never be easy to live with. I suspect he's still doing a lot of grieving for the lost ones in his life. Poor Cami is overworked and has also lost all her friends except for Rose who is considerably younger than she is. Half the hobbits in Greenwood are in awe of her as Nitir, and the other half are banging on her door to present themselves as suitors. Plus, she has a pack of children to care for now. No wonder she loses patience with Gamba, and Bilbo is concerned about her!

[piosenniel]

Sharon:

I've 'cut and pasted' in my pulled out/reworked posts.

Also dated them as I could to give something of a time line to work with.

[ January 26, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Pio,

I think there's a discrepency we may need to iron out. According to my Star notes, we left Minas Anor in the 10th year of the 4th Age. I had done that to have Cami be age 49 on the journey (according to her biography, etc. and family tree which I have at home on paper).

I am assuming our adventures and its aftermath took about one year. That's why I say Frodo and Bilbo have been gone eleven years in Tol Eressea.

You mention this tale as being set in the 7th or 8th year of the 4th age.

So we aren't on the same page! I'm willing to change the date by a few years if you need that. It will make Cami a tad younger in this story, but I can live with that. I don't want to change my bio and her birthdate as I do want Cami just a little older than Sam.

Just wanted to check with you about the dating.

Sorry I haven't gotten further with editing my posts. Real life and duties in the Shire keep interfering.

sharon

[ January 26, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[piosenniel]

I can change the dating - I only did the posted dating based on Bird's date on her letter.


I'll make the earlier dates year 11 if that's ok with you and the later dates year 12 - Will that work out ok?

It realy doesn't matter how long we were gone - having the time crystal allows us to come back just after or even before we left.

but, if 11 and then 12 is all right with you - I'll change all the dates accordingly.

[mark12_30]

Pio, Cami, Life is a bit full these days-- flag me on anything I need to pay special attention to please? I'm kind of checking in periodically and wondering when I'll be required; I'm guessing not-yet, is that correct?

I can do some lunchtime posting if needed; if you'd like to, you can send a brief email to my work address to flag me to check PMs or threads as necessary.

--Lindo (...and sometime Frodo)

[piosenniel]

Helen - have put it in the address book. I think it will be some time until we get all these posts ironed out that we've pulled from the Green Dragon thread, and all the additional back story in.

Never fear! We will fire off a missive ASAP when one of your numerous personalities is needed! DID, indeed! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Birdland]

Pio - Go ahead and change the date on the letter if you like. I just pulled it out of thin air, anyway.

Bird may make a cameo appearance somewhere in the tale, but she is still stuck in Remodelien, and can't think of much that she could contribute, anyway - except to cry at the wedding and coo at the babies. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I will, however; be your favorite reader.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Bird,

One way or another, I will drag you down here for the wedding!

I have just been reading the Hobbit again with my daughter, and was struck by how impressive the figure of Beorn is. Yes, I know your kin don't get along, but still! I am sure Bilbo would also have been struck by that, and would definitely have a memory or two. Pio and I were discussing that.

Just for clarity's sake, at the time of this particular pull-out Inn game, Cami will not yet know about Radagast's shapechanger ties. I don't want to negate the book Cami will leave behind in Rivendell for Pio and Bird.

Mith and Helen,

Pio and I were making a brief list of characters we might need for the story. These are the roles that would be offered to Shire posters. Do you have any character or characters whom you would want to place on that list?

Helen--Do Gamba and the boys "come" through dream time for the game or the actual wedding? What do you think? Could Gamba deal with this emotionally in view of his own relationship with the deceased Este?

sharon

[Birdland]

Bird,
One way or another, I will drag you down here for the wedding!

OK, OK, you twisted my arm. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

But I'll only join in if you all come to the East Coast B-D gathering!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Sure I'll come! (Small hobbit crosses her fingers behind her back.) Now, where is this gathering exactly. Hey, are you talking about "East Coast" as in the United States, or "East Coast" as in the Sea of Nurnen, or something like that?

But I am sure Bilbo must know something about shapechangers from Beorn, maybe even the strange kind Beorn didn't like.

Cami

[ January 28, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Birdland]

East Coast BD
Oh, sure, she'll time travel there and back again, but she won't leave Texas. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Bilbo and Birdie - I never thought I'd live to see the day!

[piosenniel]

List of characters needed:

Sam Gamgee

his wife, Rose

Rose (Rose Goodchild)

Innkeeper

server

Midwife

2 attendants for Midwife

flower girl

a few guests at the Inn

[mark12_30]

we also need Ponies (Shouldn't be difficult)

....oooh.... Bird, if you come, then Lindo and Bird get to have a REUNION!!!!


....and if Gamba comes, then Lindo and Gamba could commiserate over losing finacees, and maybe go off and sing together for a while. Could be a good thing; let me think it over.

[ January 28, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Mithadan]

OK. I've finished that damnable brief. Now I can try and catch up a bit here. I wandered about the Dragon a bit and found it very difficult to follow the threads of the interactions.

Bird, Mith isn't on a trading mission on the Star. By now he's on horseback heading north. Has anyone mentioned to you that we have a Beorning in the Dragon (that sounds very strange).

[piosenniel]

Mith - it is very hard to follow the lines of interaction in the Inn. That's the reason we pulled out here.

I did, however, just post something in the Green Dragon to which Mithadan could reply.

[ January 29, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Birdland]

Mith, that letter was three months old. I was at The Water Lily before you left for the Shire, so I had to make up something to get you out of town.

Otherwise, the entire letter is based on events that actually happened. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[piosenniel]

Yes, Mith - according to the timeline I have worked out (Great Eru! she's mapped out a timeline again!): Bird's letter was written within a few days of Pio receiving your letter. (& probably just after Pio had left for the Shire).

Pio does receive Bird's letter in the Shire, about the same time you receive Pio's letter and set out for the Green Dragon.

[mark12_30]

Gah!!! I haven't done s single post, and I'm crosseyed already. Mith, wherever you are/ whatever you are riding or driving or sailing, (did 'we' settle on a horse, heading Shireward???) welcome back and I'm glad your flaming brief is now a pile of embers.

[piosenniel]

Sharon -

I edited those posts.

[piosenniel]

Sharon, et al -

Time line for story events

Subject to revision as needed.

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

EACH MONTH IS 30 DAYS IN LENGTH.

YEAR 11 – Fourth Age/1432 SR (Shire Reckoning)

---------------Yestarë (First Day)

Narvinyë

Nénimë

Súlimë

---------------Tuilérë (Spring equinox)

Viressë

Lótessë

Nárië

---------------Loendë (Midyear Day)

Cermië – The Lonely Star delivers the Hobbits to the Anduin

Urimë – mid-month, Pio leaves for the Shire

Yavannië

---------------Yaviérë (Autumn equinox)

Narquelië

Hísimë – Pio arrives in the Shire

Ringarë – Bird writes letter to Pio

---------------Mettarë (Last Day) Pio receives Mithadan’s letter

YEAR 12 – Fourth Age/1433 SR

---------------Yestarë (First Day)

Narvinyë

Nénimë – mid-month, Mithadan receives Pio’s letter, rides to the Shire

Súlimë

---------------Tuilérë (Spring equinox) – Pio receives Bird’s letter

Viressë

Lótessë – 20 Lotessë (21 Thrimidge SR): Frodo, Bilbo, Lórien arrive; dinner party.

20 Lotessë: Mithadan detained by Shiriff, Bird arrives at party.

Around 21 Lotessë:

Mithadan bailed out.

Tol Fuin Contingent (Maura, Zara, Big Ban, Abar, Lindo, 3 Snowhobbits – Retya, Tem, Tocca)

Greenwood Contingent (Rose, Gamba, plus four brothers – Gamba, Roka, Asta, Ban, Little Maura)

Nárië

---------------Loendë (Midyear Day) – Birth of twins

Cermië

Urimë

Yavannië

---------------Yaviérë (Autumn equinox)

Narquelië

Hísimë

Ringarë

---------------Mettarë (Last Day)

[ March 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Do you have a preference whether the wedding is before or after the twins' birth?

[piosenniel]

It would be easier if we had it after the birth, wouldn't it? Or what were you thinking?

[Child of the 7th Age]

After sounds good.

[piosenniel]

LOL! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] So Cami is knitting booties?!

At least you did not attempt to have the Elf learn that skill!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Yes, Cami is enjoying this because hobbit babies certainly don't wear booties! So this is a rare opportunity for her. Cami knitted two pink booties, and two blue ones.

Just wait till the babies are born. It'll only get worse!

[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Welcome to our new RPG "In the Shadow of the Lonely Star". Admission to this game will be 'by invitation only' and will recognize and reward those posters who have made exceptional contributions to the Shire in the quality of their writing, or in the services they have rendered as game founders.

We are planning to offer a short invitational game once every few months. So if you were not asked to help with this story, you may be included in a similar game later down the road. Unfortunately, Piosenniel and I had too many good posters to include everyone who deserved to be included.

Background:

This is a short sequel that stems from an earlier RPG entitled "The Voyage of the Lonely Star." This lengthy tale, currently docked in Elvenhome, describes the adventures of a sailing ship, outfitted with a special time travel device, and its search for the 'secret' history of the hobbits in the First and Second Age. We will include a brief summary of that game later in this thread, as it will make the action and characters in this RPG easier to understand.

Basic Storyline:

This story will trace the continuing adventures of several characters involved in the original time travel series on the Star. It will also include a number of new characters who are current or former residents of Hobbiton, or who have been involved with the history of the Shire during the War of the Ring in some significant way.

The story will focus on the following events:

1. The impending birth of the twins, the first born children of the Elf Piosenniel and the Man Mithadan, who pledged their troth as husband and wife in the course of their adventures.

2. Cami Goodchild's continuing effort to reunite with her lost love Maura Took, who has been left behind on the isle of Tol Fuin, along with the other First-age hobbits, after the drowning of Beleriand.

3. The rise of a new threat in the Shire from Bill Ferny, resident of Bree and former agent of Saruman, who was expelled by Frodo after the Scouring. He is now actively seeking revenge against the hobbits, and is particularly angry at any who had close connections with the Baggins family.

Other secondary themes will include Bird's continuing search for clues to her shapechanger past, the problems children have with their families, and the extraordinary lengths to which parents and relatives will go when one of their little ones is threatened.

Setting and time:

This tale will be set in the eleventh and twelfth year of the Fourth Age. However, it will use Tolkien's device of time travel though dream to draw on other characters from earlier ages. Tolkien's stories about dream travel, which were never completed, can be found in the History of Middle-earth.

The bulk of the story will be set in the Green Dragon Inn and nearby areas in the Shire.

Ending of the story:

The story will end when Bill Ferny's plot is defeated, Mithadan and Piosenniel's twins are safe and sound, and Cami and Maura manage to get married.

Above all else, we want to spin a good yarn and have some fun! Additionally, posters from the Shire will have a chance to game in a format which is more commonly used in Gondor, where there is a great deal of collaborative planning to hammer out a story plot.

This means you will probably spend almost as much time reading background material, posting notes on the discussion thread, and contacting other characters by private message in order to come to a collective agreement on where the plot is heading. This can be tremendously fun. It can also be a challenge, and is a great way to learn the give and take which is at the heart of a more advanced RPG.

Duration of Game: This game is likly to take four to six weeks of the poster's time.

Characters:

As posters agree to play particular characters, we will insert their names in parentheses after the name of the character.

Piosenniel the Elf (Pio)

Mithadan the Man (Mith)

Cami Goodchild, hobbit (Child)

Cami's hobbit boys: Gamba, Ban, Maura, Asta, Roka (Mark 12_30)

Rose Goodchild, Cami's daughter

Maura Took, hobbit and Loremaster (Child)

Bird, shapechanger (Birdland)

Lindo, hobbit, singer and Loremaster (Mark12_30)

The Snowhobbits (Mark12_30)

Lorien, the Vala who is master of dreams ad visions (Mith)

Frodo Baggins (Mark12_30)

Bilbo Baggins (Child)

Bill Ferny, Man

Sam Gamgee

Rose Cotton Gamgee and her younger children, (midwife)

Elanor Gamgee, 12-year old daughter of Sam

Frodo Gardner Gamgee, 10-year old son of Sam

Merry, Frodo's old friend

Pippin, Frodo's old friend

Faramir I, hobbit, Pippin's three-year old son

Angelica Baggins, childhood friend of Cami, Bilbo's niece, assistant midwife

Green Dragon Innkeeper

Green Dragon Servers (2)

We will be posting biographical notes later in the thread on those characters who had their origin on the Star.

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

OK, Star crew, I need your comments, changes etc. to the proposal above. Pio and I will be getting to you via pm concerning the Bill Ferny subplot.

BTW, several of you can "get into" my box. Feel free to go in and do your own revisions on your characters, or any plot issues relating to them.

Later tonight I will post a three paragraph summary of the Star game, plus Cami and Rose's bios.

Helen--I wasn't sure which of the Snowhobbits would be coming.

Bird -- We are really going to need you for the Bill Ferny subplot which comes later on in the game. Think in terms of spying, and what form would be best for that.

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Nonesuch]

Great job, Child, Pio, et al.! This will be a lot of fun. I don't have any changes to your outline.

Hmmm. "Nonesuch". Errr, yeah...

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: Nonesuch ]

[mark12_30]

**sniff sniff**

You don't smell so freshly dead.

**pokes corpse suspiciously**

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[piosenniel]

Nonsensical masquerade! Nonesuch is quite ripe by now and carries and exceedingly noxious scent!

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[mark12_30]

Not-fer-nuthin, as they say up heyah in Maine; when I was a young gal, I recall in the boathouse or perhaps the back shed, there was an old dusty wooden box. I suspect, thinkin' back on it now, that it had nails or screws or loose nuts and bolts in it. But let me get back to my story. On that old wooden box was a black outline of a beauteous and bodacious advertisin' gal, and she was hawking a certain foodstuff used for filling in pies.

It was called "Nonesuch Mincemeat."

I 'spose they sell it in Gondor? Do they know it comes from a certain new-but-very-old grave in the Barrow Downs?

EEEEYAAAAGH ... can't... erase... mental... image.... (retch):

"Nonesuch Mithmeat Pie"

GAAAAAAHHHHH

[ February 05, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[piosenniel]

Now you have ruined Nonesuch mincemeat for me (though I must admit I have grown quite fond of Crosse and Blackwell with genrous portions of rum in it)

Nonesuch Mithmeat, eh . . . oh my . . .

[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Birdland]

OK! OK! Birdie's on her way! (flapflapflapflapflap...)

BTW - How did we get on the subject of Nonesuch pie filling? Not that it isn't good. Rather unappetizing name, though. But then again; so is Smuckers...

OK, time to go to bed.

[Child of the 7th Age]

YEAH, Bird.

Pio -- You still have a save on the game thread. Did you want to keep this for something?

[piosenniel]

Yes, I need to write something where I choose who will be the new Innkeeper and who will be the midwife.

I'm going to introduce Amaranthas here - if I can't have the rasty dragon, Angara, then I want Amaranthas.

[ February 06, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[mark12_30]

Bird??? BIRD!!!!!

Lindo whoops in gleeful anticipation...

[Child of the 7th Age]

Brief Plot Synopsis: Voyage of the Lonely Star

This post provides a general outline of the Lonely Star RPG, but omits many of the plot twists and additional characters. It will hopefully supply enough detail that Shire posters can get a sense of how the present sequel grew out of the earlier adventure.

Our story began in Minas Anor when Cami Goodchild sought to hire a ship to go search for lost "sea-hobbits". Cami had discovered a reference to these mysterious hobbit cousins in a scribbled marginal note of a book given to her by Bilbo.

Rebuffed by many shipowners, Cami finally found a sympathetic ear from Mithadan, the owner of a sailing vessel. The shapechanger Bird and the half Elven Piosenniel, two friends who had shared many earlier adventures, agreed to help lead and finance the group. Among the other members of the crew was Rose Goodchild, a young cousin who had come to live with Cami.

The Star's initial voyage led them to a ruined colony of sea-hobbits, also called hobbrim, whose only survivor was a lad named Kali. Kali informed the Star that he was the guardian of a mysterious time travel device bequeathed to the colony by Ulmo, the Vala who rules the Seas. The lad asked the Star to help him fulfill Ulmo's decree that the hidden hobbrim and hobbits, lost in past ages, should be found and rescued.

The Star's activation of the time travel device brought the arrival of Idil and Tuor, two legendary Elves from Valinor who were to aid them in this quest. After much searching and deliberation, the crew came to realize that, like the Edain, the hobbits had journeyed west in the First Age to settle in Beleriand. Morgoth, the Dark Enemy, had ordered them to be imprisoned, as it was clear to him from the music of creation that this little people had an important part to play in the continuing battle against the darkness.

The Star sailed to Beleriand, but was unable to prevent the fall of Gondolin, watching in despair as Piosenniel was killed and the hobbits dragged off to an Orc prison camp. Rose and Cami volunteered to remain behind with their people. They were aided in their endeavors by Bird and a mysterious Maia named "Ancalimon".

It was here that Cami met and fell in love with Maura Took. The couple asked to remain together, but were advised by Ancalimon that this must not be, since the fabric of time could not be ripped further apart. Maura and Cami were told that, only after life had ended, in the circles that lie beyond the world, could they safely find reunion. Maura and Cami sadly accepted this decree as the will of the Valar, with Maura remaining behind on Tol Fuin drawing on the support of his young friend Lindo, and his other family members.

The Star succeeded in rescuing the hobbits at the collapse of Beleriand, placing them on the isle of Tol Fuin. Rose and a grieving Cami were returned safely to the ship. The crew, however, was in a state of disarray, mourning for Piosenniel. It was only with Pio's miraculous return from the West some time later that they again took heart.

The hobbits had lived peacefully on Tol Fuin for thosands of years, but had finally been captured by Ar-pharazon, who had discovered their secret doom. He had imprisoned them in the Tombs at the base of Eru's mount. Mithadan and Piosenniel began to plan a daring campaign to free the hobbits from the Tombs and use the time travel device to rescue them from the isle just before it sank.

In the course of this campaign, the Elf and Man came to love each other and pledged their troth as man and wife. The Star succeeded in locating the hidden community of hobbrim and also organized the hobbits in the Tombs to revolt. The assault on the Tombs succeeded, and the hobbits were taken back to the hidden isle of Meneltarma.

Here, they are asked to fulfill the doom that Ulmo had laid out for their people. Each hobbit must decide whether to remain on the land, or to be transformed into a sea-hobbit under the scepter of Ulmo. The hobbrim would remain hidden on Meneltarma until the end of time when it is said they will play an important role in the final battle for Arda. The land hobbits would be taken back to the Anduin in the year 1000 of the Third Age. From there they would later make their way to the Shire and eventually play their part in the destruction of the Ring.

At the end of the Star RPG, Piosenniel and Mithadan return to the Fourth Age, awaiting the birth of their twins. Bird begins searching for clues that will reveal more of her shapechanger past. Cami, still in love with Maura, resigns herself to duty as the leader of the hobbit community in Greenwood in the mid-Third Age, and also adopts a burrowful of orphaned boys, including the highly tempermental Gamba.

It is at this point that our sequel begins.

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]