Hard Winters Planning/Discussion Thread

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Comments would be very welcome since I've been mia from Scarburg for pretty long (oops). Especially Folwren and Gal, please check what I wrote about your characters and comment. Anyone else want to correct me, be my guest.

Yup, Ledwyn's description is good. I imagine that she has some skill with string-related crafts (probably some rudimentary weaving), like I briefly mentioned in her filler post, but that would be on-the-side. She would maybe occasionally make something, but do that in her "free time" as opposed to a main job.

Originally Posted by Lommy

I assume the total amount of people in Scarburg must be higher than this. So making up NPCs is welcome.

And the total number of dead people probably exceeds one boy. But we could leave the dead people unnamed, possibly referring to them as "the three men who dies last night" or somesuch.

Originally Posted by Lommy

3) Speaking of which, I think we may have some rather important positions even unfilled. (Especially, for example, if we don't have Frodides/Kara as the cooks anymore.) Thoughts? What positions are there in the Mead Hall that should be filled by an NPC, an old character getting a promotion or that should be acknowledged to be open? (For example again, if the Mead Hall doesn't have a cook. I'm sure the household women would manage, but they do have a lot to do already with the child-rearing - if there are children, though, and not just a bunch of teenagers - and cleaning and assisting Saeryn and serving and generally seeing the domestic affairs in Scarburg run smoothly.)

That's another thing I was also wondering about. Surely, with all the people in the Hall, the twins wouldn't be the only children born in 4 years? But that requires a lot of major changes in the lives of characters whose writers are either not active or don't want these changes to happen [so quickly]. Maybe we should invent some NPC children, or even a whole young family unit?


And since I'm posting here anyways, I thought that maybe it's fitting that Ledwyn should get mild frostbite sometime in the winter. It's such a delightful possibility that's been discussed but not really applied. I don't want the idea to go to waste, and I think it would benefit her in the sense that it would make her even more unbalanced. However, I'm debating which body part I should ruin. Not anything major, but perhaps a finger or toe, maybe an ear. You frostbite experts - which would you say is the most realistically probable case considering she wouldn't have spent that much time outside the Hall? I suppose the ear is the least realistic, fingers and toes are more likely. But even so, what could she be doing outside for so long when there's nothing to do due to the snow? Inside the Hall, it wouldn't be warm, exactly, but there is at least one fire, so it doesn't make sense for someone who spends the whole winter within a two-minute walk from it to get serious frostbite. Any suggestions?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

That's another thing I was also wondering about. Surely, with all the people in the Hall, the twins wouldn't be the only children born in 4 years? But that requires a lot of major changes in the lives of characters whose writers are either not active or don't want these changes to happen [so quickly]. Maybe we should invent some NPC children, or even a whole young family unit?

Unless most of the children born in the last 4 years also for example died during the winter. They are a bit of a risk group, to be sure (although again it would be the families' priority to protect them).

Originally Posted by G55

And since I'm posting here anyways, I thought that maybe it's fitting that Ledwyn should get mild frostbite sometime in the winter. It's such a delightful possibility that's been discussed but not really applied. I don't want the idea to go to waste, and I think it would benefit her in the sense that it would make her even more unbalanced. However, I'm debating which body part I should ruin. Not anything major, but perhaps a finger or toe, maybe an ear. You frostbite experts - which would you say is the most realistically probable case considering she wouldn't have spent that much time outside the Hall? I suppose the ear is the least realistic, fingers and toes are more likely. But even so, what could she be doing outside for so long when there's nothing to do due to the snow? Inside the Hall, it wouldn't be warm, exactly, but there is at least one fire, so it doesn't make sense for someone who spends the whole winter within a two-minute walk from it to get serious frostbite. Any suggestions?

Fingers and toes. You could make it an ear if you wanted to exploit the trouble you hinted at in your fill-in post in which she seems having to keep scarves on. As for a reason to go outside: just like everyone, to gather firewood. One badly timed part of afternoon outside is enough, having some head-cover, losing it thanks to wind as foreshadowed, and then farewell to arms. I mean, ears.

[Firefoot]

Fingers would probably be the most interesting (fun fact: forget about waistlines - hands are the second most important body part for self -body image, after the face).

Similar to what Legate said, you could have her out for firewood and take her glove off for some reason (too bulky/clumsy).

As for which finger(s), the thumb would obviously be bad news. But if I had to choose a finger to lose, it would be my index finger. Your middle and ring fingers can compensate pretty well. Losing the middle finger would be more awkward but still okay. Your ring and pinky fingers are really important for grip strength and stability (imagine carrying a heavy plate or tray with just your thumb and first two fingers). Missing either of these fingers, especially the little one, I would expect to see increased clumsiness, possibly dropping things.

The other thing to keep in mind is often with frostbite you only lose part of the finger, but the remainder/tip is often uncomfortably sensitive to touch, making it less useful than one might expect.

Hope this helps!

[Thinlómien]

Edited Ledwyn's details, added Stefnu and Scyld, whom I had forgotten because I didn't know where to put him. Btw Firefoot does he have any job or anything? What do you fathom he's doing in the Meadhall? Like, how is he useful?

LMP, I take it that you'll be writing Harreld then? Should Garreth also be listed as your character or as an NPC?

I'll message Kath on facebook and ask if we should keep Kara and Frodides as NPCs or if they should leave the hall, or if she wants to make a comeback and write them.

Currently sketching Wiheard's first post (yay!) and entertaining the idea of bringing my first ever 'downs RPG character for a visit to the Meadhall (no, Lommy, no!)

[Firefoot]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Btw Firefoot does he have any job or anything? What do you fathom he's doing in the Meadhall? Like, how is he useful?

lol, he previously was not useful I'm terms of skilled labor, but I wrote into his first post for the new thread that he's been working with his brother learning leather-working, since the hall lost its last one.