Treachery of Men Discussion/Planning Thread

[piosenniel]

Starting Location: The settlement of the Ulfings.

Likely destination: Caranthir’s camp in East Beleriand.

[piosenniel]

Timeframes:

This game begins in the Spring (@ April), 471 FA.

The Dagor Bragollach (Battle of Sudden Flame) was fought in Winter of 455 FA to Spring 456 FA.


The Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears) began on Midsummer’s Day (@ June 22), 471 FA.

[piosenniel]

MAPS

The Coming of Men Into the West (from The Atlas of Middle-earth; "The First Age" - Karen Wynn Fonstad)

~*~

Beleriand - North/South view (from The Atlas of Middle-earth; "The First Age" - Karen Wynn Fonstad)

~*~

Beleriand - East/West view (from The Atlas of Middle-earth; "The First Age" - Karen Wynn Fonstad)

~*~

Map of Beleriand (From the Silmarillion; HarperCollins 1992 edition)

[piosenniel]

Vision for the Game

Most of the game will be within the Ulfing settlement, looking at Ulfing life, through the sceptical and opposing eyes of my Elf and Durelin's spy. I was almost going for a "War and Peace" feel here; I wanted a long section of peace where readers developed sympathy for even the unlikeliest characters followed by a quick march to war.

The fates of all the characters at the Nirnaeth, from Uldor and my Elf down to the last Ulfing or Borrim, will be covered in an epilogue compiled by everyone...if you think that's a good idea.

Uldor is a Player Character, and indeed a more important one than Ulfang. We're never told Ulfang the Black's fate; it's not even obvious that he and his contemporary Bor were at the Nirnaeth. So I decided to make him old and doddering. Uldor is the real "leader".

The characters it's hard to decide about are Ulwarth and Ulfast. They'd make interesting, but really unpleasant, characters for players. They're older than Uldor and I doubt they like him lording it over them, but they're too craven to resist.

As for the split...I originally did envisage a split between the Ulfings, but now wonder whether that would be uncanonical as there's no mention of Ulfings fighting on the Elven side after Uldor's treachery. I think, by and large, Uldor has to "persuade" most of the Ulfings. He may even dispose of some especially brave rebels.

The Borrim are there to discover, or get some inkling of, the plot, and report it back to my Elf, who will consider it and eventually, due to the esteem he's developed for the Ulfings, not believe them.

[piosenniel]

ABOUT ULFINGS & BORRIM


The vexing question of the cultural "feel" of the Ulfings and Borrim

Although these two peoples have Teutonic type names, (Ulfang, etc). they have been described by Tolkien as bow-legged, short and swart, almost Mongolian-like if I recall.

I suppose a compromise would land us somewhere in the region of Lapland...and the Borrim and Ulfings are indeed the ancestors of the Snowmen of Forechel...an easier parallel would probably be with Dunlendings. A bit swarthy and shifty but Men through and through.

-----

EDIT by Anguirel 9/30/06

More on Ulfing/Borrim names. The best example of a relatively usual Easterling name we have is Brodda. "Barbaric", resonant, uncomplex.

I would avoid the prefixes Ul- and Bor- since they seem to denote a close relationship to the Chieftain (eg Ulfang, Uldor, Bor, Borlach)- and three sons of Ulfang are quite enough in anyone's book! But perhaps sons and fathers in general can share a prefix in the same way.

Finally, a careful re-reading of "Of the Fifth Battle" reveals that the Ulfings who did not change sides in the Nirnaeth generally fled as best they could, discomfited by the lies and deceit filling their lives (paraphrase.) So this is another possible fate for those of you Ulfings who have good, but not especially brave, hearts.

[piosenniel]

CHARACTER/PLAYER LIST


*Caranthir*, Prince of the Dispossessed Noldor (*CAMEO*, end of game) – Player Needed

Lachrandir, Caranthir’s Envoy - Anguirel - NO LONGER PLAYING - a proud but essentially good-hearted Noldorin Elf, impressed despite himself by what he has seen of Easterling prowess. Can’t help being condescending.

Tathren, Lachrandir's Page - Mithalwen

~*~

Ulfang - (born 400 FA – 71y/o) aging Ulfing chieftain (*CAMEO*) – CaptainofDespair

Ulfang's Sons:

Uldor - (born 425 FA – 46y/o ), the new power in the land – Folwren

Ulfast - (born 428 FA – 43y/o) – Celuien - NO LONGER PLAYING

Ulwarth - (born 430 FA – 41y/o) – Folwren (Carry-along character)

~*~

*Brodda* - Easterling chieftain under Morgoth's rule after the war (*CAMEO*) - CaptainofDespair

~*~

Ulfings

(Should be equal numbers of men and women. Ordinary Easterlings trying to survive in a hard world. Might be established families or recent immigrants.)

1.) Grímr & family - piosenniel (Father, Mother, 2 sons old enough to soldier, 2 younger children.)

-o-

2.) Anydor, male - Volo - NO LONGER PLAYING
3.) Adbrandr, male - Garen LiLorian - NO LONGER PLAYING
4.) Erling, male - Rune Son of Bjarne - NO LONGER PLAYING
5.) Dag, male - bill_n_sam - NO LONGER PLAYING

-o-

6.) Tora, female - Dimturiel
7.) Dulaan, female - Noinkling
8.) Gausen/Drenda, female w/son - Anguirel - NO LONGER PLAYING

~*~

Borrim Hunters

(A party from the north, these Easterlings are not made to feel entirely welcome among the others. They would never consider a pact with Morgoth.)

1.) Khandr, male - Child of the 7th Age
2.) Embla, female - Lalaith
3.) Hunta, male with a dog - Fordim Hedgethistle - NO LONGER PLAYING
4.) Bergr, male - Kath
5.) Fastarr, male - Nogrod

~*~

Jord (Thuringwethil), Morgoth’s Spy - 01/06 Now being played by Gwathagor (previously by Durelin) - Has the ear of Uldor

~*~

Thorn, old soothsayer - littlemanpoet

[piosenniel]

Character Description Form:


Have you posted in The Golden Perch Inn, The Green Dragon Inn, The White Horse Inn, or The Eorling Mead Hall in Rohan? – YES/NO

This is a requirement for playing in an RPG in the Shire or Rohan.
_______________________________________


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 Posts for the characters are requested for this game.

Originally Posted by Anguirel, post #17

First posts would be brilliant, yes.