I won't start serious conflict until either Mellondu lets Amroth surface, or, Mellonin and Mellondu argue over whether Mellonin should go home. Mellondu will be tempted to go home himself-- unless Amroth surfaces before then; Mellonin will insist on going after Raefindan; Mellondu will come along to look after her despite her insistance that he should go home and not her.

That conflict will come up when they draw near Minas Tirith.

I want to make ***serious*** tracks southward. Conflict is fine, but we need to get through Pelennor, past Minas Tirith, and down to South Gondor. Somebody needs to get to the Paths of the Dead and find Nimrodel, whether in dreams or in real life, and the troop needs to get to either Erech or the elf-havens, to finish off the game.

IMO we are back in travelling mode, and this is a race southward to get to Nimrodel before Tharonwe does. However, Amroth can't drive that race while Amroth is submerged! The motivation will either have to be up to the elves (carrying out their king's last orders) or the friends of Raefindan will have to chase hard after Raefindan who is dragged along by Tharonwe.

If need be, I can do this with Mellonin. This soon after losing Gwyllion it's not really in character for her; she's still in shock and it would take more strength than I designed into her for her to lead the quest at this point.

However, if I have to to get the game moving, that's what I'll do.

Thanks for the responses. I thought I'd stir up the pot a bit. Glad I did.

Nuru, since Leafa is designed as tentative and passive, it's up to Ædegard to initiate. I've been holding off on him, waiting to see someone take initiative.

Tharonwe is readying himself to be captured. The group will catch up to him and Raefindan halfway through the new day. Raefindan's state of hypnotism is not a catatonic state; rather, he will appear to be himself, except modified according to the express wishes of Tharonwe.

I have been wondering what's up with Mellondu. What makes him tick?

Sounds like we need Alak to write her Elves pushing the group.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...
 

I have meetings and class most of the day tomorrow, but I may be able to get them going by tomorrow night, if not, then it will be Sat. morning for sure. If no one posts before...I'll use my save to add what I have planned for Taitheneb..do you want me to take it to morning, or to the road, or do you want time for dream sequences...?

And I, too, apologize for my lack of posting. I will do my best to do better.

~Alak

I hope the plot twist I have introduced is not a devastating thing from the point of view of playing the game... I'm quite sure it will be rather devastating to at least a few of the characters.

Mellondu-- tick? Not very loudly.

He is very passive and pacifistic; he is a dreamer. This is what made him such an easy choice for Amroth; he enjoyed the romance of Amroth's quest for Nimrodel, and eagerly agreed to help Amroth search for his long-lost sweetheart. As long as it was about love and romance and travelling, it was fine.

Swamp-elves, toothy cannibals attacking his sister-- and Amroth's bizarre reaction to Tharonwe's threat-- came crashing into his sweet dream, and he has turned from that dream in horror. If love for Nimrodel could have made Amroth callous toward Mellonin, what good was it? He has dismissed the quest in his mind. He wants to return to the safe, peaceful, comfortable reality that he knew-- the smithy, the manor, the other servants, his sister at hand, his parents nearby. It seems less monotonous now. He will pressure Mellonin to return home.

But the impact on Mellondu's heart of sharing Amroth's memories of Nimrodel was deeper than he knew. She will not be dismissed so easily.

Mellonin is still somewhat in shock, and will be for another several days of travel. When they draw near to Minas Tirith, the nightmare of the swamp will recede. If Raefindan seems well, she will be sorely tempted to return home.

My lads and lassies....

I had originally intended Leafa to slip away unnoticed and, bluntly, become lost in the darkness and in her feelings at this time when the company has their mind on something else. I see that both Aeron and Bella have already seen her and pursued her... and caught her. Is it all right to ask you to let her go unnoticed?

Unless, Aylwen, you'd like to go through with that which I mentioned to you over PM... but that would mean Bella wouldn't catch her just yet.

Nuru -

That sounds fine to me! :smokin:

I can edit right away.

-Aylwen

Per Nuru's requst, I have deleted my post as...that was the main point of it...having Aeron notice her leave taking...

Immy, think about how the ghost of Gwyllion might come to Aeron's aid. She's still Gwyllion, and she still has that connection (of sorts) with Mithrellas, with the sympathetic "art" of the lock of Gwyllion's hair. What would Gwyllion see, do, freed now of the constraints of a mortal life?

Nuru, I like what you're doing with Leafa. Thanks for taking initiative. :)

Question for everybody: am I being too pushy? a busy body? should I be more patient and leave your characters to you, minding my own business? Please tell me what you really think. Thanks!:) - LMP

Thank you, Lmp, for the hint for a post. As you knew, I had no idea what to do so that helped immenselfy.

My save is filled in (as you could probably guess) and, what's more, it's longer than three paragraphs! Hopefully I got the ghostliness of Gwyllion right...if not I'll edit...

Lmp, you are not being in the least pushy! For me you have been a great encouragement to move on, and you're always full of wonderful ideas. The only thing I find lacking is in myself, and I'm certainly going to try to make a move to assist you in encouraging and coming up with new ideas.

Aylwen, would you like Bella to stumble upon Leafa now? I intended for those footsteps Leafa hears to be, in fact, Bella. After the two of them realise who the other is, they can begin to wonder where they are and how to get back, and whether they should sit and wait for help or if they should strike out on their own.

Message from Littlemanpoet
 

Due to a computer problem, and the fact that his password is stored on the site and not in his head, LMP has been unable to get on the Downs for a few days. He's hoping to clear it up by the end of next week, but until then he'll be in touch by YIM.

I put up the post he wrote for Raefindan on the game thread.

Sorry to jump in. :p

Sophia

more from lmp:
 

Hullo, tapesters.

lmp im'ed me with the following:

Big Question...
 

Wow, so the news is out about Roy. :eek: I've tried to stay away from this with my Elves, but now they will have to deal with it. How much exactly should they see of the future through Roy, if any at all? Will Maegeleb cover his mind so Erebemlin and Taitheneb cannot see it? Any help at all on how to handle this? Or do you have something planned?

Thanks.

~Alak

re: alak's question
 

From LMP:

Tharonwe has made a tactical blunder by revealing Roy's secret, too gleeful with Roy's discomfiture. Now he faces the dilemma of having to either hide Roy's mind from the Elves, or hide what he's been doing while leaving Roy open to the Elves; he chooses the latter - it gives him greater flexibility to use hypnotism elsewhere..... I wonder if Tolkien is rolling over in his grave at my use of the time travel idea?

:D The messenger, Sophia

Nethwador and Taitheneb
 

All, I tagged a Mellonin post on the end of lmp's post (that he had me put up.)

Hey, lmp, get a password, willya? PM Mithadan, or something! ;)

alak,

I had no clear plans for nethwador's racing off-- just that he would never sit still if Bella was in danger. (However did she run off without him noticiing?? I'll have to backfit that, or it's just not plausible...)

anyway, I guess we can use Nethwador's near-panic and his relief at finding Bella again for a foil to Leafa's and Ædegard's chilly un-relationship...

Orual, Mellonin would like nothing better than for Ravion to invite himself into the threesome-- only he's out in the snow isn't he? Dratted nuisance. Maybe when he gets back with Bella and Leafa, she'll try to get him together with Mellondu.

Southward, march!

Thank the gods for good friends who know computers well!

I still have to read the latest on the Tapestry thread, but it's verrrrry good to be back!

I'll take a peek, and thanks to Sophia for helping out so much! Did you know that she's been reading our little rp? Says it's one of the best written! :D :)

Glad to see you. lmp. How did the last ad-aware scan go?

Orual, if you'd like your rangers to find the girls, that would be good. Taitheneb wound have found them by now if they were nearby, so it makes more sense for him to have gone the wrong way to begin with.

It's night-time? Ædegard and Aeron, and Liornung are asleep but Mellonin, Mellondu, and Raefindan are awake? Hmmm, doesn't make sense; the elf would order the mortals to sleep. Guess I'll put my little circle to sleep, then. **off to edit**

Clean as a whistle. Nice post for Amroth! Feeling back in the groove, eh? :)

Raefindan will want to talk to Ædegard at some point. But I'll wait until morning, unless the arrival of Leafa and Bellyn and their searchers wakes everybody up. Actually, come to think of it, I can't see anybody asleep, Elf orders or not, while some of the party are missing. That includes missing Nethwador.

Gah! I'm so sorry for my absence, everyone. Things have been crazy in real life lately, but hopefully they'll start to slow down soon as I'll either have made decisions or they will be made for me. Le sigh...

Anyway, I'm going post right now. Thanks for the heads-up, Helen! And welcome back, lmp.

Hey everyone!

The ladies have been found! :eek: :D

Where to next?

-Aylwen

Delightful!

Argeleafa & Bella-- back to camp; some angst between Ædegard and Argeleafa, I assume; Nethwador greets Bella happily; then-- southward ho! Mellonin and Mellondu think it's time to go home to Minas Tirith, except that Mellondu has an uneasy feeling he can't quite shake.

Ædegard's young and rash enough to want to act immediately upon the return of Leafa to the party. Who's going to get the ladies and the rangers back to the camp? Waiting somewhat patiently.... :D

Helen, I was assuming that it was the wee hours of the night when the rangers and young ladies returned to camp; thus, Ædegard and Leafa reunite around 2 a.m., and then it's a few hours of sleep for everyone. Mellonin's conversation with Ravion regarding parents' blessing could still be in the morning, but we need a clear cut break between the previous night and the new morning.

Whups, I thought ... er... nevermind. I'll just change it to dark. It'll be better for the flow if Erebemlin can rally thr troops and get us all going just as the sun is rising anyway.

Guess I should bring Nethwador (and Taitheneb) straggling back to camp... whicvh means editing a few posts back. Off I go.

I've just posted, and, Helen, let me know if there's something you'd like me to change. It's kind of different from what we had discussed concerning Ravion and Mellonin, but given the shape that the story has taken, I found this turn of events more in line with Ravion's character. However, if you'd prefer something different, just tell me.

Orual, I like it, and it works so far.

I've given Minas Tirith some thought lately. ONe option for the future is that Mellonin and Mellondu will actually return to Minas Tirith-- perhaps with stubborn Erebemlin attending Mellondu's every move? Mellondu will discuss it with his father, who will ask him:

We can re-address the number of horses at that point, and decide who is going on the remainder of the quest. I'm thinking of writing this up rather hastily, and getting on with it all.

Some characters we may have to carry as best we can, if folk get busy. We obviously won't finish the game by Spring... but I hope it doesn't drag ion indeterminably.


Thoughts? Reactions? Opinions?


Horses:

Erebemlin & Taitheneb have their own
Nethwador has Celegoer
Mellondu has Echo
Liornung, Ædegard, & Argeleafa & Bella each have their own
Ravion has Gond.

That leaves, on foot or riding behind:
Aeron
Erundil
Raefindan

Edit: pray that I have time to fuss at the timeline & the map shortly... I think (with weary horses, especially some folk riding double) we should probably "slow down" to 30 miles a day... right now we are just south of the Entwash, true? I think we are maybe 100 miles from Minas Tirith. Let's call it three long or four short days travel.

I should think everyone would go to Minas Tirith, or at least near; some need medicine, some need R&R. We can all be suitably annoyed when Mellondu sets out at dawn the day after he comes home.....

Maybe we catch up with Ravion as he wanders morosely southwards?

roll call
 

Er, anybody here?

Anyone who wants to can write up the departure from camp. Erebemlin & Taitheneb are leading the group sort of by default; but Erebemlin, I think, will be glued to Mellondu's side, and who knows what the group will do when we get to Minas Tirith.

But that's three or four days' travel hence. Let's get there.

Sorry for dropping the ball. I'll try and put up a post this afternoon (Tuesday); can't promise though.

If I don't totally collapse of exhaustion after my homework tonight, I'll get a post up tonight. If not tonight, definitely tomorrow afternoon. :D

-Aylwen

Oh, Aaaaaaalak.....?

If you can move the camp out, that would be good. If not-- If you need me to carry Erebemlin and Taitheneb for a bit, let me know...

Helen, I've had one paper after another for weeks...I'm sorry. I can move the camp along if you can wait until the weekend. After tomorrow, I'm on spring break and everything at school will be caught up, turned in, and dealt with. But it will not be possible for me to post before that...again, I'm sorry...

Alak, sweetie, don't fret. As a team, we can certainly carry your characters til your papers are done & your schedule relaxes. I just didn't want to hijack them without your permission.

Step in anytime, okay?

Love ya!

Alak, that was GORGEOUS.

If Nethwador will let Bella share a horse with him, one of these folks can use Bella's horse.

-Aylwen

Alak, let me second Helen's comments! Unfortunately I have to spread some more rep around, otherwise...

Taking cue from Aylwen, Leafa could easily double with Ædegard or Liornung, and one of the horseless could take her steed. Or Liornung could take Aeron.

Thank you for the kind words. :)

As to the horse situation, we also have Maegeleb to consider...I suppose one of the elves should take him. Maybe Erebemlin is annoyed enough to put him with Taitheneb, but if someone else would like him (poor unwanted elf), that would be fine also.

I wonder if they'd make Maegeleb run...

Alak, why (thru Erebemlin and Taitheneb) don't you organize the horses? I'm sure Nethwador would be delighted to share Celegoer with Bella.

Post is up.

I vote that from now on we let anyone but me handle the songs/singing. :D

-Aylwen

On the contrary, Aylwen!
 

Your song reminds me of Pippin's song before the violent slob that Denethor is portrayed to be in the movie. Such a moving, sad song. I liked it. Pippin's song redeemed that miserable tomato gouting scene (yick), and your song lends weight and depth to the general sense of foreboding and doubt that hinders the company. At least, that's how it seems to me.

But deuced if I know what to do with Ædegard and Raefindan right now. Helen, you handled Rae wonderfully. I could have Tharonwe suggest something to some member of the party, but why bother when things are already going his way?