Hard Winters Planning/Discussion Thread

[Galadriel55]

Speaking about character lists, I updated Theolain's bio to reflect the fact that he is now officially dead.

Speaking about other things, I will try to get a post in for Ledwyn in the next few days, but no promises. Nogrod mentioned sawdust in his post; I was gonna suggest another "last resort" - bleeding horses slightly to thicken broth/soup/whatever's for lunch. As far as I am aware, cows were bled a little bit each day during famines for this purpose, so why not horses?
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Noted and changed Theolain on Player/Character List ~*~ Pio

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Speaking about other things, I will try to get a post in for Ledwyn in the next few days, but no promises. Nogrod mentioned sawdust in his post; I was gonna suggest another "last resort" - bleeding horses slightly to thicken broth/soup/whatever's for lunch. As far as I am aware, cows were bled a little bit each day during famines for this purpose, so why not horses?

If the Rohirrim would do such a thing... I mean, it crossed my mind whether they would eat horses and the answer was cathegorically no, "they treat them like their own children". Obviously if they did do the bleeding, they'd know how to do it painlessly, but still, it's more the question of principle?

Anyway, now I am really off for a while, but things look good here

[Firefoot]

I'm with Legate, bleeding the horses seems like it would be uncharacteristic of the Rohirrim.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

If the Rohirrim would do such a thing... I mean, it crossed my mind whether they would eat horses and the answer was cathegorically no, "they treat them like their own children". Obviously if they did do the bleeding, they'd know how to do it painlessly, but still, it's more the question of principle?

True. Ah well.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Nogrod mentioned sawdust in his post; I was gonna suggest another "last resort" - bleeding horses slightly to thicken broth/soup/whatever's for lunch. As far as I am aware, cows were bled a little bit each day during famines for this purpose, so why not horses?

I think even the Mongols would have bled their horses - or at least eaten those who fell - if there was a major famine. Some Hindu-communities might have died rather than touched their cows though... So I think it is a question of their "practicality". As I think the "Rohanites" were not revering their horses in a deeply religious manner thinking they were the embodiment of the divine and possibly the vessels of their fellow-humans' upgraded souls, they should have at least eaten those horses who didn't survive the cold.


Thanks Pio for correcting that with Stigend. I might have just been unclear about my ideas about what I'm willing to do...

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

I think even the Mongols would have bled their horses - or at least eaten those who fell - if there was a major famine. Some Hindu-communities might have died rather than touched their cows though... So I think it is a question of their "practicality". As I think the "Rohanites" were not revering their horses in a deeply religious manner thinking they were the embodiment of the divine and possibly the vessels of their fellow-humans' upgraded souls, they should have at least eaten those horses who didn't survive the cold.

I don't know. It seems more likely to me that they would bleed them a bit in the worst of times than eat the fallen. Their relationship was not religious, true, the Rohirrim didn't worship horses or anything but I imagine they did treat them like friends. People don't eat fallen friends. That's just wrong. But sometimes you have to exploit friends to the last bit, and I think they would have understood it that way. But we could leave the horses out of it altogether and avoid this problem. It was just a suggestion.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

But we could leave the horses out of it altogether and avoid this problem. It was just a suggestion.

If it turns out a problem, then we should just let the question pass...

I might think that kind of thing would add to the "realism" of the story, but if we're writing fantasy, then why try to be "realistic" in the first place?

[Mithalwen]

Eating horses is a cultural taboo in England (though it has happened). I have heard the fear of unwittingly eating horse being cited as a reason not to travel and proof of the barbarity of foreigners. I have known others whose Tolkien reading ended with the dwarves ponies being eaten by goblins.

Very much food of last resort but the scarburgians may have got there. Maye they would have got like the Andean plane crash survivors who regarded it as sacramental.

[Galadriel55]

Ok, finally got something up for Ledwyn. Feel free to interact with her, be you someone from the carts or whoever she bumped into from behind.

[Envinyatar]

Originally Posted by Undómë

Fana and Haesel

Fana hurried to a low bench near the fireplace and slipping her feet from the slippers wriggled her toes toward the flames. “Much better!” she thought to herself, feeling the chill dissipate. Leaning over toward the fire she reached out her hand to stir the small iron pot set near the heat. Old, hardened beeswax mixed with lanolin and a bit of bear’s fat from the bear haunch one of the huntsmen from the other side of the woods had shared with Gran. Well, not really shared… Gran had worked something special for the man and he had expressed his gratefulness. She had wanted to know what Gran had done, but the look in Gran’s eyes had told her this would be a lesson learned at a later time. Things ripen in their own time, she reminded herself.

Undómë (and Arry, too, of course!), do you mind if I flesh out that character and come with your group to the Hall?

And all you other Gamers, do you mind if I come on board?