ATM II Planning/Discussion Thread

[piosenniel]

JennyHallu's character:


Name: Lola Martinet, aka 'Ms. Martinet'

Age: 27

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Weapons: Wit and an acerbic tongue, also, and subject to approval, a set of weaponized ballpoint pens in blue and black ink.

Personality/Appearance/All that Jazz: Lola Martinet is perverse, contrary, sly, and gets intense satisfaction out of irritating people. This, combined with a delightfully unorthodox profession, has given her the perfect excuse to create two separate personas, so incredibly different that only a few people have ever managed to connect the two (even as fraternal twins, separated at birth and raised by wild animals and orcs, respectively). Only Alli is aware that her second-in-command is, in fact, perfectly sane.

By day, Ms. Martinet rules the roost at Alli's office. To anyone but her employer she is the secretary from hell. She has perfected bureaucracy into a fine art, developing multiple forms (each to be filed in triplicate) for simple tasks, and delights in filling each out with slightly different information in order to crow over the chaos further down the line. She works on her manicure on busy days, intentionally misdirects callers and visitors, chews bubble gum loudly during conversations, and, when asked to take minutes of sensitive meetings, stares fixedly at a spot in the center of the speaker's forehead, never glancing down at her notebook. For Alli, however, she is quick and efficient, with no delays or complaints. She looks mousy, dresses in dull browns and tans, and glares at people over the rims of half-moon glasses. Her hair is always a tight damp knot of indeterminate color, and her nails the only part of her body to be perpetually perfectly groomed. She plays progressive jazz in the office (you know, the sort with a three-drink minimum) and is always the only person to understand it, much less enjoy it.

By night, sexy, voluptuous Lola is every man's dream. Her blond hair is always perfectly crimped and coiffed, and she dresses in clothes and styles designed to accentuate her curvaceous body (her favorite is a red sequined minidress). She sings her beloved jazz in a nightclub in Mordor--that is, when she isn't completing daring and dangerous missions with Alli in the dead of night. Her starry, near violet eyes make men believe she is promising the moon. She isn't. (Even when she glances up at them coyly through her thick dark lashes.) She is a flirt, a maneater, and a heartbreaker, and delights in it.

History: Lola grew up a prim, proper, and inhibited young lady in Gondor, but was assigned to Mordor when her classical harp music suddenly gained some rather odd chords. She only half-heartedly worked to be able to leave, as she found she loved the chaos and confusion of life in Mordor...it played right into her perfectly manicured hands.

[piosenniel]

GONDOR

the phantom's character


NAME: Mardil II

AGE: 24

RACE: Human

GENDER: Male

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.): Mardil loves weapons. Now that he is King and no longer resides in Mordor, he doesn't go everywhere heavily armed. He does, however, have a few throwing knives on him at all times (and a few poisons), and is girt with Anduril, which his wife stole from Minas Tirith before she ran away to join Mardil in Ithilien.

APPEARANCE: Mardil has a lean athletic build with a height slightly less than the average Gondorian. He has blue eyes, and long, dirty-blonde hair.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: (No half-Elven characters. No mixed-type characters. No super-heroes. No assasins. No one all powerful, martial arts proficient, or having any magical traits. Just regular characters with normal abilities for their races only.): Mardil II bears himself in a very kingly fashion. Some think of him as arrogant, while others think of him as dignified and regal. He tries not to be condescending, but despite his efforts he comes across as such at times because he believes that his judgment is usually the best and his thoughts the most accurate. In his defense, he is indeed very intelligent and more wise than you would expect from a man of his age.

Mardil used to be scared to do things because he was afraid to fail, but he has overcome this problem for the most part, thanks to his sense of duty. He takes the responsibility of being King seriously, and does what he can for the good of Gondor.

When forced into a fight, Mardil II will not hesitate to cheat to win. Mardil II not only has every reason to live, but also dislikes being injured in any way, and so likes to end fights quickly and unfairly so as to avoid death or discomfort. In his defense, Mardil doesn't walk around picking fights, and so when a fight happens it is nearly always the other who caused it. Since being out of Mordor, though, fights are very rare. His guards take care of any who wish to harm Mardil.

Also, Mardil is no longer a womanizer the way he was in Mordor. He's married now, but you'll find out more about that later.

Mardil has a very persuasive tongue and can be very charming, and people who spend much time in his company find it hard to disagree with or dislike him. He can also be very straight forward and candid, especially behind closed doors. He doesn't try to compromise with people. Instead, he speaks his mind and attempts to show precisely why people should agree with his position.

HISTORY: Mardil II was born to Denethor IV, the Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor. He has a younger brother and sister, and a wife, Morwen, daughter of the former King of Gondor who still sits in Minas Tirith, Aranar.

The kingdom of Gondor had been in decline for some time when Mardil II's grandfather, Ecthelion IV was born. Ecthelion was a great orator, and very ambitious. During his years as Steward and Prince he did all he could to gain political power in the Kingdom.

Though he never did it publicly, he spread rumors about the King, about how all of the problems throughout Gondor were his fault. After a while, there began to be a small faction called "The Steward's Men" who were more loyal to the Steward than to the King.

The King was not blind to any of these developments, but he could not do much about it, because the people of Gondor, even those who were not Steward's Men, loved Ecthelion greatly. He had a way with people, as do all great politicians.

His son, Denethor IV, was also greatly beloved. In his early years he served in the army and navy, and won many glorious victories. When he returned from the field to take his position as the Steward, he soon proved that he had inherited his father's ability to speak and win people over to his side. He was also a brilliant economist, and invested his wealth in strategic places- places that would earn him power. By the time his son, Mardil II, was born, the Steward wielded King-like authority over his own province, Ithilien, and had influence nearly equal to that of the King over the lands to the East and South.

Not surprisingly, the sitting King, Aranar, was rather disturbed when his rival, the Steward, named his son Mardil II, after Mardil, the first steward to rule Gondor. And so, the King began plotting how to rid himself of the whole Steward problem.

First, he began a campaign of rumors against the Steward, attempting to lay most of the blame for various misfortunes at his feet. This never worked too well, but it did win some of the masses to his side. He also started a secret army that disguised itself as raiders from the East and attacked shipments and stole cargo headed to and from Denethor and his friends in Ithilien, thus loosening some of the economic hold he had on several organizations. After the winds of power and opinion began to blow against the Steward, the King decided he had enough control over his Kingdom to get rid of the Steward's lone heir and not cause a civil war. At this time, Mardil was eighteen and in Minas Tirith studying at the royal university.

The night after the King had finished making plans to banish young Mardil II to Mordor, he went walking in the palace garden and caught his daughter, Morwen, and Mardil making out in one of the fountains. The enraged King called for the guards and accused Mardil of doing this simply to spite him, but in fact Mardil and the King's daughter had long been in love, but could not be so publicly because of the hatred King Aranar bore Mardil and his family.

After his daughter begged and pleaded, the King agreed not to have the guards kill Mardil on the spot, but nothing she could say could stop the King from exiling Mardil to Mordor, which was as good as a death sentence, because no one ever returned from Mordor unless the King wanted.

Two years after arriving in Mordor, Mardil received news that Morwen had been married to a Prince from Dol Amroth. The report was not true, but Mardil believed it (Mardil was prone to pessimism), and his behavior and character took a rather large turn for the worst. But after five years of exile, Anakron, who had long believed that Mardil II was destined to become King, took it into his own hands to rig the machine that produced candidates for the Escape From Mordor. During the escape, Mardil was forced to complete challenges and work with others, and many of his better traits began to emerge once again.

In the end, the two Blue Istari demanded that Mardil II subject himself to their authority and rule Gondor under them, but Mardil refused. Mardil saw their desire to rule a realm that was not theirs (and the threatening way that they went about it) as a sign that they were very much like their fellow Wizard Saruman.

The Blue Istari attempted to foil Mardil's return to Gondor, but Mardil was transported to the far away Shire by some unknown means. Upon his return to Gondor, he found that the hearts of the population of Gondor were largely turned to him. They had all heard about his words and deeds during the entire Escape From Mordor, and were won over by his charming personality, brave deeds, and especially his loyalty to his kingdom in the face of the Blue Istari.

When the people of Gondor then found out that Mardil II had been wrongfully sent to Mordor by King Aranar, their loyalty went completely over to Mardil, especially when he was joined in Ithilien by Morwen, who escaped from Minas Tirith bearing Anduril, which she stole from her father. Morwen and Mardil were wed a few short months later.

[piosenniel]

GONDOR

Formendacil's character

NAME: Hyarmenwë son of Hyarmendil

AGE: 71

RACE: Dúnedain of Gondor

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Sword

APPEARANCE: Typically Dúnedainic in appearance: tall, silver-haired, with a regal, thin face, a slightly hooked nose, and rather bushy eyebrows. Cleanshaven, with a proud, straight, almost military, bearing. Generally serious in mien.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Hyarmenwë can be summed up in the word "haughty". He may think of himself as a good man, and can be fairly kind towards youth or fools, he, nonetheless, sees the world through the very tinted glasses of noble birth. A nationalist in his world view, he sees Gondor as the greatest nation in the world, an almost "Chosen People". He is absolutely loyal to the House of Telcontar, and can be very narrowminded towards all else.

HISTORY: As pureblooded a Dúnedan as one can be in the mid-Fourth Age, Hyarmenwë comes of a very noble family of Minas Tirith, claiming direct descent from Húrin, Warden of the Keys, whose title he holds himself, as well as kinship with the Line of the Stewards and the Kings of Gondor. As a young man, he served in campaigns in Far Harad, and became Keeper of the Keys after the death of his father Hyarmendil. Although advancing a great deal in age, he remains hale thus far. He has not used a blade in years, but could probably be expected to wield it respectably, were he to need to.

[piosenniel]

GONDOR

the guy who be short's character

NAME: Angawen Tupsë

AGE: 31

RACE: Men (Numenorean / Gondorian)

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: A sharp brain and a honeyed tongue. A small vial of poison carried at all times in her cloak. And her bodyguards, of course.

APPEARANCE: To say she is striking would probably not convey her true nature, as striking seems to have an element of soft perfection in it. She is attractive, but with a hard quality about her, possibly due to her high cheek bones and pale skin. Her hair is blonde, her eyes brown, her mouth downturned in a not unpleasant way. She is tall and commanding, and dresses well, in colours that complement her.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: She is a shrewd and selfish person - above all else, she cares for her own self-promotion. This is both the great strength and weakness of her character. She does not jest, but is rather an austere figure of authority who takes her work and herself very seriously. Though in the frail body of a woman, she has the stomach of a man - two men, in fact, and the rest of their bodies as well, for her protection.

HISTORY: It is uncommon to find a woman of high rank in Gondor. Angawen can thus be typified; she is incredibly uncommon.

Wed at a young age to a man of importance in the law business, an advisor/judge of sorts, in the Kingdom, she lived with him for many of her years, cared for him, but bore him no children. Every great man has a woman to drive him forward, they say, and certainly this was the case with Angawen's husband. She was privy to all the secrets of his profession and his life, for he loved and trusted her. Furthermore, he knew her intellect to be formidable, and would consult her often for her thoughts.

He had died in mysterious circumstances (of which she played a significant part). And, as his wife, she knew all that he had known when he was an honourable citizen of Gondor, so she was accepted and inaugarated as an advisor for the king in his stead for the case they had been settling at the time - a disputed assignation, almost ironically. Her ability to discern fact from fiction had so impressed the King that she had been allowed to stay on, against protocol, as one of his advisors.

With the coming on Mardil, she had shown her ruthless ambition in her willingness to desert the former monarch and embrace the newcomer. He had allowed her to keep her rôle, and indeed, been impressed by her in his turn, to the point of sending her to Mordor to represent his will.

[piosenniel]

GONDOR

Anguirel's character

NAME: The Lord Dracomir Malfoidacil of Gondor, son of the Lord Luciamir Malfoidacil. Also known in the anakronistic tongue as one Master Tom Felton.

AGE: 18, or 15, or 16 (Real Life, Film, or Book)

RACE: Human and secretly Pureblood Wizard

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: The Lord Dracomir has been known to wield a strange and deadly device known as a Diabolo. He also possesses a wand and a Nimbus Two Thousand And One racing broom. As for what happens at night...well...

APPEARANCE: Pale but rather embarrassingly adorable features. Slicked back white-blond hair. Tall enough for his age. Looks as though he’s making an effort to appear rather more pallid and patrician than he actually is.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: The Lord Dracomir is a cunning schemer and duellist, an excellent flyer, has few equals in Potions (except that Potter boy), and has a grounding in the Dark Arts.

However, Tom Felton is crippled by the inner realisation that he is in fact a gorgeous, pleasant, hair-rufflable cherub with nice manners, not a bigoted murderer. He tries to hide this by over-compensating arrogance and political incorrectness. It rarely works.

HISTORY: Tom Felton used to be a normal, happy, prancing Kensington child. But then he was whisked away by the forces of Hollywood, where he took on the persona of Draco Malfoy and became beloved of millions of raving fangirls. He forgot his old life and became stuck in a rut, and could be found conspiring with Jason Isaacs to destroy Mudbloods.

But the situation got still worse when Harry Potter purists, frustrated by a covetous glance he directed at Emma Watson in a moment of non-focalisation, consigned him to Mordor. Here he encountered none other than Fenrir Greyback, assigned by a Lupin-lover. After a desperate confrontation he managed to escape and stumbled upon his parents, Lucius and Narcissa. An independent lad, though, with a keen interest in night-life, he was wandering in the street when a large and luminous llama appeared, shouted Petrificus Totallus! and stuffed him in a bin-bag.

He was discovered by Alli and Sai, two members of the Offending Party, and took part in their subsequent machinations, including the Dol-in-Gaurgauroth affair. Impressed by his clear ability, when Mardil of Ithilien became King of Gondor he summoned Tom, granting him and his family the title of Lords of Malfoidacil for as long as they served as counsellors. Tom did not wish to refuse, and took the name Dracomir; for after all, the King had been told the plot of Book Seven...

[piosenniel]

GONDOR


Boromir88's character

Name: Bearugard II

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Race: Gondorian

Weapons: A small piercing dagger

Appearance: 6'3", slim build, jet black hair of shoulder length, and hazel eyes. He always wears the best attire, flaunting his fur cloak, and his radiant robs of green and white.

Personality/Strengths/Weaknesses:
Bearugard is very gifted at persuasion and getting what he wants, no matter how it is done. He's always been the type who doesn't care what "means" you have to do, as long as it fulfills the "end" purpose. He will cast around a lot of threats (though many of them are meaningless) and when that doesn't work everyone has a price.

Despite the rich robes and stout look, he really is a daddy's boy and is used to getting what he wants. In all actuality the robes and wealth make him look more powerful than he actually is. For beneath it all he's really just a pathetic, spineless worm.

History:
Bearugard II is the son of Bearugard I and Losandra of Dol Amroth. He is an only child, and because of that, his parents spoiled him and rewarded him with anything that he asked. Losandra had died from an unfortunate accident when Bearugard was just turning 8. One day the family was having chicken for dinner. Losandra had bit into her chicken breast and a tiny bone broke off. It got lodged into her throat and she choked to death.

Bearugard's father (who was a counselor to the Lord of Dol Amroth) grieved deeply for his wife's loss, he would never wed again nor would he eat chicken. Because of his wife's death Bearugard felt like he must protect the only memory of his wife he had left, their son. Bearugard II became more and more spoiled, and because of his father's influence, was appointed as an honorary diplomat of Gondor.

[piosenniel]

MORDOR

Kath's character

NAME: Igör

AGE: With accumulated ages of all the body parts, somewhere in the thousands.

RACE: Human, Orc, Elf, Dwarf, whatever was lying around.

GENDER: Mostly male.

WEAPONS: Carries small knives in little pockets created by sewing extra flaps of skin onto his own body. Can also drown people in spit if he gives into his natural lisping impulse.

APPEARANCE: Around 5’11”, but slouches to create the illusion that he has a hump and so appears a good 5 inches shorter a lot of the time. He moves with a limp, but this is an affectation, and when he needs to move fast he certainly can. His hair is long and dark, he knows it looks a little odd but it was a gift. One eye is bright blue and piercing, the other is red and moves independently, sometimes even turning itself round entirely. He wears a shirt and trousers for modesty, but no shoes as he has a hobbit’s feet.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Igör is very friendly and good-natured and would love it if everyone could just get on. He is unfailingly honest, incapable of lying. This might seem to make him an odd choice for a diplomat, but his truth is absolute, which means he isn’t always saying what people think he is. He has an incredible gift for healing and has been well suited to life in Mordor, what with the strange accidents that happen, or the people that turn up in pieces. He can also move silently and swiftly.

HISTORY: His ‘parents’ were assigned to Mordor long before the records began to be kept properly, so he has no idea why. He was created many years later and has worked in a number of jobs including being a healer in one of the hospitals, assistant to a mad doctor and an Elvis Presley impersonator. He found it hard to keep a job for long though, until he became a diplomat and found that the skills that had frequently got him fired seemed to be a requirement for this job.

[Formendacil]

As promised, the new character's biography:

NAME: Elrogorn son of Elrohir

AGE: Same as the entire Fourth Age, minus about ten years.

RACE: Dúnedain of Arnor/Noldorin Elf.

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Silver-hilted sword, longbow, quiver of arrows, dagger.

APPEARANCE: Unfairly handsome, Elrogorn is tall, with long, dark hair, brilliant blue eyes, strong and muscular- and tanned. Moves gracefully.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Elrogorn is a polite, charming, and dashing, with a streak of heroic recklessness at times- which can get him into trouble.

HISTORY: The son of Elrohir, son of Elrond (and thus nephew to Aragorn and Arwen), Elrogorn is also the son of a totally non-canonical blonde half-Elf/half-Arnorian Ranger Princess. As soon as Mordor began to receive assignees, Elrogorn was among the first assigned. Half-Elven Shield-surfers (a trait learned from his "uncle" Legolas) are, quite simply, NOT canonical. His mother was assigned too, but she died in a tragic attack by Wereducks (also being assigned) on their way into Mordor. His father, Elrohir, is believed to have long disappeared into the West, never to mention his wife or son again. Elrogorn, resigned to a life in Mordor, has made it his life's passion to hunt down and destroy all Wereducks he can.

There he is, people... my very non-Canonical new character. He will be in Mordor until the day he dies.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

I hope the conclusion to the cliffhanger was satisfactory.

Should I get my characters back to the mountain soon, or at least until the next day when the delegates have finished their 'day off'?

[Boromir88]

Save has been filled, Bearugard's got catching a bit of a gollum today...enjoy.

[littlemanpoet]

Formy, normally we co-creators of ATM frown on Elves being anywhere in Middle Earth during the Fourth Age, but this looks inspired. Carry on.