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Child of the 7th Age · 09-14-2003, 03:03 PM

All planners,

The revisions are done! Yeah!

Please look at the proposal at the beginning of the thread and make sure everything for your character is correct. If any changes are needed, let me know on this thread by Wednesday morning at 9 am.

Also, look at the outline below. If there is anything that needs to be changed or added, let me know. This is obviously rough, but will flesh out as we play the story.

Make a copy of the outline to keep near your computer or on it. It won't be available on the public thread.

One minor addition. I will do a cameo for Greta, one of the women encamped in the Weather Hills at the beginning and end of the game to give us a flavor of conditions in that group. I will post a cameo profile -- a few lines only -- once posters start to sign up.

Keep your fingers crossed. The boards have been slow.

Pio -

Unless we uncover some unknown difficulty, feel free to put up the discussion thread anytime after noon on Wednesday.

Cami

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

Revised Outline

Act I. Initial period of distrust and suspicion. (3 weeks real time; 2 weeks game time)

Rangers bring news to the Big and Little Folk about a band of refugees who have turned to crime and pillage
Fears of an attack on Bree
Meeting held by Mayor and Rangers with everyone present: confusion, acrimony. etc.
Andreth attempts to start an afternoon school for the children to bridge the two worlds, but this attempt backfires: general pranks, perhaps some mischief of Will's that is blamed on the little folk.
Background post from the large group of refugees (ca. 200) encamped in the Weather Hills showing their miserable plight (Child)
Background posts from the advance party of 8-10 scouts send out to pillage surrounding villages and ascertain the lay of the land: disagrement within their ranks as to the advisability of 'loot and burn' versus 'occupation'

Act II. A Crisis and a Turning of the Tide (3 weeks real time, 2 weeks game time)

forest fire
Joint missions to prepare for the onslaught
possible subplots --repairs to hedge and dyke (use boards, piles of trash, interlaced tree branches, etc.); mixed group of Big and Little Folk spying on bandits; gathering up suitable arms for all (e.g., hobbit smithies making arrowheads and spearheads; Mannish smithy working on swords and fitting blades on cudgels); rounding up hobbits from outlying communities and persuading them to come to town behind the fence

Act III. The Successful Defense (3 weeks real time, one week game time)

possibly an intial scene where bandits launch siege attack and Breelanders defend their city walls
counter-offense on top of Bree-hill to make sure no one sneaks in
possible expedition sent out to encircle remaining attackers (including women and children).
Party
Rangers offer refugees a chance to start over again in Arthedain far to the north where they can join in the assault against the Witch King's agents.

What order should we do these last two things in?

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

General notes that are critical to the plot:

Pio on the forest fire:

It needs to be in a place not too far from the town - something easily accessible by the children.

The Old North Road comes down from Fornost (the southern tip of the North Downs). It is the road used by the Dunedain in the early Third Age on their travels from Fornost, the chief city of Arthedain down to Tharbad and then to Gondor.

The north Road passes through the North Gate of Bree. The children could pass out there and up to a moderately large sized copse of trees and underbrush along the western edge of Bree Hill (where there could be some small old shallow caves or burrows).

The 'desperados', the displaced men from the far north and east of Bree can be situated in the Weather Hills and possibly have sent out a small group to see how the pickings were in Bree-land and how easy it might be to get into the town of Bree itself. They can have a small camp in the wooded area that the children go to, from which they are trying to determine how easy it would be to get in the North Gate.

Their carelessness can start the fire (a hasty retreat - not wanting to be seen or caught . . . the cause of the fire might rouse some suspicions as to who might have actually set it).

One or two of the children can have lagged behind and when they go to join their comrades (either as Hobbits to have fun, or as bullies to make trouble)they can spot the fire and run for help.

It would probably be easiest to rescue the children from the hill above the cave (bringing them up by rope sling) - though it might be interesting to have one or two that are not in the cave and have to be found and brought to the rescue site.

It would probably be good to dig a fireline between the southern edge of the fire and the northern edge of the dike and hedge that are the defense of the town.

_____________________________________________

Child's reflections on the bandits:

It would seem to me that a lot of people in Rhudaur would have been displaced by the Nazgul's movement in the mountains, not just hobbits, as everything pushed westward. By 1350 that entire kingdom of Rhudaur would fall under the Hillman who were in league with Angmar. Is it possible that some hints of this started as early as 1305, with individual villages in the eastern parts of Rhudaur being wiped out by the Orcs or hillmen or such? That would explain why large groups of people were turned out onto the road and became "outlaws" as they headed west. They'd be pretty desperate by the time they reached Bree, especially in a time of dearth.

And more....

After the villages were wiped out by the Hillmen and Orcs (with many residents slaughtered), the remaining population began to migrate westward. So there would have been some women and children in this larger group as well as men and skilled fighters. This large group would be camped out in the Weather Hills. Gradually, more and more refugees who'd been driven will join up with them, filtering in with small bands. They will have a maximum of maybe 200 people.

This development will not figure directly in our story. It will simply be established as fact in the first post by Tara and the other bbandits.

These displaced villagers in the Weather Hills have sent out an advance posse to scout the land and see what might be feasible. This would be the group of men we are dealing with through most of the story: the advance posse. They are the better fighters and leaders, but definitely not "professional" warriors. Some have families that have been murdered, while others do have women and children back in the main encampment near Weathertop waiting for them. Tara's character is the leader of this band.

The advance posse of men is at first split on the advisability of attacking Bree, and whether the main goal of their attack is to loot and gather wealth, or to take over the town physically. Perhaps, they make those decisions in the course of the story.

They will definitely decide to attack and must then call back and tell the large group to come forward on the road. This is why there is a delay since a small party of 7-8 men could obviously not launch an attack.

It will take several weeks for the scouts to make their recommendation. Then it would take at least a week for 200 people to get ready to leave. Another week on the road to get close to Bree (Many are on foot.) Finally, some time to train and organize their attack. This would easily accomodate 5 weeks of game time.

[ September 15, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

09-14-2003, 03:03 PM	#74
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	All planners, The revisions are done! Yeah! Please look at the proposal at the beginning of the thread and make sure everything for your character is correct. If any changes are needed, let me know on this thread by Wednesday morning at 9 am. Also, look at the outline below. If there is anything that needs to be changed or added, let me know. This is obviously rough, but will flesh out as we play the story. Make a copy of the outline to keep near your computer or on it. It won't be available on the public thread. One minor addition. I will do a cameo for Greta, one of the women encamped in the Weather Hills at the beginning and end of the game to give us a flavor of conditions in that group. I will post a cameo profile -- a few lines only -- once posters start to sign up. Keep your fingers crossed. The boards have been slow. Pio - Unless we uncover some unknown difficulty, feel free to put up the discussion thread anytime after noon on Wednesday. Cami ****************************************** Revised Outline Act I. Initial period of distrust and suspicion. (3 weeks real time; 2 weeks game time) Rangers bring news to the Big and Little Folk about a band of refugees who have turned to crime and pillage Fears of an attack on Bree Meeting held by Mayor and Rangers with everyone present: confusion, acrimony. etc. Andreth attempts to start an afternoon school for the children to bridge the two worlds, but this attempt backfires: general pranks, perhaps some mischief of Will's that is blamed on the little folk. Background post from the large group of refugees (ca. 200) encamped in the Weather Hills showing their miserable plight (Child) Background posts from the advance party of 8-10 scouts send out to pillage surrounding villages and ascertain the lay of the land: disagrement within their ranks as to the advisability of 'loot and burn' versus 'occupation' Act II. A Crisis and a Turning of the Tide (3 weeks real time, 2 weeks game time) forest fire Joint missions to prepare for the onslaught possible subplots --repairs to hedge and dyke (use boards, piles of trash, interlaced tree branches, etc.); mixed group of Big and Little Folk spying on bandits; gathering up suitable arms for all (e.g., hobbit smithies making arrowheads and spearheads; Mannish smithy working on swords and fitting blades on cudgels); rounding up hobbits from outlying communities and persuading them to come to town behind the fence Act III. The Successful Defense (3 weeks real time, one week game time) possibly an intial scene where bandits launch siege attack and Breelanders defend their city walls counter-offense on top of Bree-hill to make sure no one sneaks in possible expedition sent out to encircle remaining attackers (including women and children). Party Rangers offer refugees a chance to start over again in Arthedain far to the north where they can join in the assault against the Witch King's agents. What order should we do these last two things in? ***************************************** General notes that are critical to the plot: Pio on the forest fire: It needs to be in a place not too far from the town - something easily accessible by the children. The Old North Road comes down from Fornost (the southern tip of the North Downs). It is the road used by the Dunedain in the early Third Age on their travels from Fornost, the chief city of Arthedain down to Tharbad and then to Gondor. The north Road passes through the North Gate of Bree. The children could pass out there and up to a moderately large sized copse of trees and underbrush along the western edge of Bree Hill (where there could be some small old shallow caves or burrows). The 'desperados', the displaced men from the far north and east of Bree can be situated in the Weather Hills and possibly have sent out a small group to see how the pickings were in Bree-land and how easy it might be to get into the town of Bree itself. They can have a small camp in the wooded area that the children go to, from which they are trying to determine how easy it would be to get in the North Gate. Their carelessness can start the fire (a hasty retreat - not wanting to be seen or caught . . . the cause of the fire might rouse some suspicions as to who might have actually set it). One or two of the children can have lagged behind and when they go to join their comrades (either as Hobbits to have fun, or as bullies to make trouble)they can spot the fire and run for help. It would probably be easiest to rescue the children from the hill above the cave (bringing them up by rope sling) - though it might be interesting to have one or two that are not in the cave and have to be found and brought to the rescue site. It would probably be good to dig a fireline between the southern edge of the fire and the northern edge of the dike and hedge that are the defense of the town. _____________________________________________ Child's reflections on the bandits: It would seem to me that a lot of people in Rhudaur would have been displaced by the Nazgul's movement in the mountains, not just hobbits, as everything pushed westward. By 1350 that entire kingdom of Rhudaur would fall under the Hillman who were in league with Angmar. Is it possible that some hints of this started as early as 1305, with individual villages in the eastern parts of Rhudaur being wiped out by the Orcs or hillmen or such? That would explain why large groups of people were turned out onto the road and became "outlaws" as they headed west. They'd be pretty desperate by the time they reached Bree, especially in a time of dearth. And more.... After the villages were wiped out by the Hillmen and Orcs (with many residents slaughtered), the remaining population began to migrate westward. So there would have been some women and children in this larger group as well as men and skilled fighters. This large group would be camped out in the Weather Hills. Gradually, more and more refugees who'd been driven will join up with them, filtering in with small bands. They will have a maximum of maybe 200 people. This development will not figure directly in our story. It will simply be established as fact in the first post by Tara and the other bbandits. These displaced villagers in the Weather Hills have sent out an advance posse to scout the land and see what might be feasible. This would be the group of men we are dealing with through most of the story: the advance posse. They are the better fighters and leaders, but definitely not "professional" warriors. Some have families that have been murdered, while others do have women and children back in the main encampment near Weathertop waiting for them. Tara's character is the leader of this band. The advance posse of men is at first split on the advisability of attacking Bree, and whether the main goal of their attack is to loot and gather wealth, or to take over the town physically. Perhaps, they make those decisions in the course of the story. They will definitely decide to attack and must then call back and tell the large group to come forward on the road. This is why there is a delay since a small party of 7-8 men could obviously not launch an attack. It will take several weeks for the scouts to make their recommendation. Then it would take at least a week for 200 people to get ready to leave. Another week on the road to get close to Bree (Many are on foot.) Finally, some time to train and organize their attack. This would easily accomodate 5 weeks of game time. [ September 15, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ] __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.