The Fall of the North Planning/Discussion Thread

[alaklondewen]

Kransha, will anyone be carrying Arvedui? I'm sure the Emissary will have taken council with him? Also, how long have the Lindon elves been at Fornost? Do you have specific details here in mind, or may we have a bit of freedom with them (to a small extent)?

Okay, so this wasn't one inquiry, but several. Thanks in advance for you reply.

~Alak

[Kransha]

Hello all, and welcome to this new game. After a long while, I finally concocted it, by it is by no means mine. I enlisted the aid of as many of the Downs' finest writers that I could in a limited amount of time, and I consider this our game. I am merely a founder (concurrent with Bethberry's opinion of a proper title for Game Founders). Welcome all. I am happy to see that good things are already happening.

CaptainofDespair: Fantastic bio and post, really, and with so little to work from. Same to you, Arry, magnificent bio for the two Elves. I do not doubt that your post will be great as well. I will speak more of these at a later date. Gaeredhel, Rôsgollo, and Mitharan are all sure to be great contributions to this game, and I cannot wait to see them developed by such apt owners.

alak, Saurreg, I will feel your questions here, on the PT, considering that the answers might, and probably will benefit from them.

How many exits are there from the secondary battlements into the first sector of the city taken by the enemy? I know only of the main gate that is currently held by another elite regiment of the king.
Three, from the innermost sanctum. The main gate is the one most used, but there are two that are directed towards the east and west. The main gate faces south, towards the main entrance to the city, and there is a smaller entrance, accessed via passageway, that leads north, an escape route to the strongholds of the North Downs in the event of required evacuation. See my ~Note~ below for further information on this.

Are the main forces of the besiegers concentrated at this main gate to the secondary walls?
Yes, in short. The orcs of Angmar have just crowded into the second level of Fornost at the time of first posts, and are surging towards thr main gate to the inner sanctum, hindered by barricades and makeshift fences built in their way throughout the city by the fleeing defenders.

What is the strength of the rearguard?
If by strength you mean 'strength' in the military sense, then the rearguard is anywhere from 300-800 Dúnedain strong. It is less populated than a conventional unit because it is composed of more talented individuals, who are responsible for acting as the final defense of the city, covering retreats, and protecting the King himself. The Dúnedain in the rearguard are multi-skilled, some bowmen, swordsmen, spearmen, all expert riders, the elite of Fornost and of Arthedain.

Will anyone be carrying Arvedui? I'm sure the Emissary will have taken council with him?
Well, I'll be 'using' him, when appropriate, but he is a carry-along, really. He will not be present during much of the game, in the sense that he will not be involved with the cast of characters in it directly. He may be addressed at certain times. If you are referring to first posts, it would be more appropriate for your Elven Emissary not to be with the king. As addressed in my post, all the Elves are on the second level of Fornost, which has been breached. That is why the Dúnedain rearguard was dispatched into the city, to find them and keep them safe (bit of a slip-up on the part of Arvedui, not having the Elves take up residence in his court).

Also, how long have the Lindon elves been at Fornost? Do you have specific details here in mind, or may we have a bit of freedom with them (to a small extent)?
You have complete freedom on this. The Elves of Lindon have been conducting talks with Arvedui since his reign began and even before that, with his father Araphant. Your character can have newly come to Fornost, perhaps as a replacement for the last Emissary, or may have been there years, even decades, as an Elven couselor of the Arthedain King. Your choice.

~Note~ Of Fornost:

Fornost is a city highly reminiscent of Minas Tirith in Gondor. It is built on tiers, or levels, but three instead of seven. My post describes the three sanctums of Fornost. Each level is set above the next, the apex and highest point being the three towers of the King that spring from his halls. The key number of Fornost is 3, everything is in 3's: 3 gates to the inner sanctum, 3 walls, 3 towers, 3 tiers, etc. Use that fact to embelish. The city faces south, technically, and, the road leading into is straight, going right through each level as a ramp, unlike the winding road of Minas Tirith.

The architecture is Neo-Númenórean, built in the style of old Númenór, like the former capital of Arnor, Annúminas. It has been greatly damaged and parts of the city are derilict after battles and neglect, because of the War with Angmar. I want to leave as much as I can about Fornost up to you folks, though. Whatever area you're in, feel free to describe in detail. I don't want to seem stifling.

[Saurreg]

PLACEd ON PROPOSAL ~*~ PIO

__________________________________________________ _______________

Here is my character post. Do tell me if any changes are needed. Cheers.

=====================

Character Description Form:

1.) Have you ever played in an RPG at the Barrow Downs? – YES/NO - Which one?

Roll Out the Barrows, Wilderness Weathertop & Wild Things

2.) How many RPG’s on the Barrow Downs are you currently involved in?

None

3.) Have you posted in The Green Dragon Inn – YES/NO
_______________________________________

For your character please include:

NAME: Belegorn

AGE: 54

RACE: Dúnedain

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.):

A 48in long sword, standard issue of the elite rearguard of fornost. The bright shiny steel blade measures 38in long and tapers narrowly towards the end. Blade is made of high quality tempered steel and is well polished and sharpened. Essentially a cut and thrust weapon. Intricate curvings can be found on the ricasso and along the length of the ridge, and the silver quillons of the crossguard are shaped like the outstretched wings of an eagle – the symbolic animal of the regiment. The brass pommel of the sword is curved in the shape of a jewel – the Elessar. The cast iron grip is well banded with black leather strips. Black leather scabbard with a polished steel collar, brass buckles and fittings.

A 17in dagger, also of standard military issue. Steel blade measures 11in long with a crossguard with hooked quillons. Wire wrapped grip and an acorn pommel. Sheath for dagger resembles a miniature version of the guard sword scabbard.

APPEARANCE:

6’2” tall. Broad shouldered with the built, strength and stamina of middle-aged Dúnedain who engages in frequent exercises. Shoulder length black hair with white tuffs showing at the sideburns. No facial hair except for black and grey stubble around the mouth and all the way to the neck. Grey sharp eyes, bushy black eyebrows and a thin tapering jawline that gives him the appearance of a raptor. Thin lips and a mouth not used to smiling (nature scowl).

ATTIRE:

Wears a linen shirt under a green quilted doublet, chain hauberk that extends to half the length of the tights, green woolen trews, and chainmail trousers (don’t laugh).

ACCESSORIES:

Chainmail coif, steel bascinet with a red plume, mail gauntlets with steel vambraces. A forest green surcoat depicting the heraldry of the regiment. Steel greaves and knee-high leather boots with metal soles and toes.

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):

Beregorn is courageous and devoted to duty and the law. He is extremely proud of his profession and tries his best to be well-mannered and carry himself in a dignified bearing befitting of his military station. He is a strict disciplinarian who has hung many a wrong-doers in his previous units for all sorts of offenses. While those that served under him can attest to his ability to command and grudgingly respect him, they can never love him because of his harshness. Belegorn devotes his entire life to soldiering and thus can be perceived as being aloof and unapproachable socially. His only weakness other than his rigidity is that he feels insecure and irritated in the company of those whom he perceive as being arrogant and haughty due to their higher social status and better education.

Inwardly, Belegorn is worried about the state of the remnants of the Royal Arthedain Army. Although proud to be a commissioned officer in one of the king’s own household regiments, he knows truthfully that whatever potency the army had had vanished and all the regiments with proud histories and traditions are but a shell of their former selves. Nevertheless he continues to serve to the best of his ability and hopes that he can only live up to the illustrious accomplishments and deeds of his predecessors.

Belegorn cares not who the King of Gondor is. He is a professional soldier of Arthedain and will not question orders from superiors.

HISTORY:

The youngest son of an improvished tanner, Belegorn was a product from the dredges of Dúnedain society where class and status dictated the fate of one’s life. Proverty and pressing events denied him the opportunity of a formal education and thus what Belegorn learned in his limited ability to read and write, he learned from a kindly old cleric who also dwelled in the lower part of Fornost. Belegorn is ashamed of this handicap of his and thus becomes insecure and uneasy around other much younger commissioned officers of the same rank who are better educated and of higher social status than him. It is a feeling of inferiority and regret that will never be cast aside easily.

In the year 1938 TA Belegorn joined one of the many yeoman militia regiments as a skirmisher. His courage and skill was soon noticed by his superiors and the teenager was drafted to one of the regular line regiments of the army as a man-at-arms as the war continued and manpower became scarce. For the next four decades Belegorn continued to hone his skills in feats of arms as well as in administration and battle tactics. He acquired a reputation for himself within the regiments which he was shuffled to and fro and his deeds were also noted by superior headquarters. But in the face of Arthedain meritocracy, his lowly background and lack of education denied him due recognition and above all a promotion through the ranks. Belegorn took all in stride however, and continued to serve. It was the state before one’s self.

In the year 1970 TA, Belegron participated in one of the many vain attempts by the Arthedain Army to turn the tide against Angmar by mounting her own offense campaign. The campaign was a disaster but for Belegorn, it was a bittersweet blessing in disguise. King Arvedui was there in person on the battlefield and chanced upon the veteran soldier. Highly impressed by the exploits of Belegorn, the King remarked aloud nonchalantly that Belegorn was the type of man Arthedain needed in such desperate times. Eager to please the king’s every single whim; his glittering entourage broke into action. Inquiries were made, messengers sent and notes scribbled. Before the King and his staff had even left the battlefield, Belegorn was notified that he was given a field promotion to the rank of first lieutenant and made the deputy commander of a regiment.

The captain of the regiment was killed during the chaotic retreat back to Fornost and Belegorn became the regiment’s acting commander for the rest of the withdrawal to the Arthedain capital. There he put all his years of learning and experiences to good use and conducted his regiment very well. In 1972 TA Captain Hírvegil of the King’s Rearguard heard of the Belegorn’s achievements and when the old soldier’s regiment was disbanded, he was invited to join the ranks of the elite.


__________________________________


First post:

The hellish tongues of flames licked the smog-filled sky lustily and illuminated the remaining buildings and standing walls of the lower city with an eerie glow. At the base of the south gate, thousands of Arthedain soldiers charged into glorious combat like an unstoppable torrent bursting from a dam. Their shiny helms shone fiery bright with the reflected light from the fires as did their ready weapons. Onwards they charged, and a host of war cries greeted the darkened sky air, joining in the distinct blare of countless brass, the powerful treble of war drums and the earthshaking reverberation of metallic soled feet thundering across the city ground. Arthedain was on the attack again and the Rearguard was leading.

Belegorn let out a roar and lowered his sword onto the head of a hapless orc sprawled at the base of his feet. The sharp blade cleaved through the black iron helm effortlessly and split the vile creature’s head in two. Just as the first lieutenant delivered the coup de grâce to his latest victim, a huge man – an easterling mercenary of Angmar no doubt, charged towards him with both hands grasping a huge bloodstained battleaxe. Bellowing like a feral beast, the fearsome warrior attempted to smite Belegorn with a single blow from his dreadful weapon but the Dúnedain leapt agility aside in the nick of time. The great axe missed and its bit met and penetrated the ground instead, throwing its wielder off balance. Grabbing the greasy locks of his assailant with his powerful left hand, Belegorn yanked forcefully and tilted the man’s head back, exposing his neck. He then pressed the cold blade of his sword on the laryngeal prominence and pulled back swiftly along the blade’s length. A crimson spray emitted almost immediately much to Belegorn’s satisfaction.

All around him other soldiers were also in the midst of mortal combat. Archers delivered their steel tipped arrows in volleys with deadly accuracy while halberdiers and pikemen charged shoulder to shoulder and literally overran anything in their way. Tough man-at-arms of the line and skillful skirmishers finished off any enemy that escaped the said unstoppable human fence, just as what Belegorn was doing. The impetus of the sortie had thrown the enemy off balance and Belegorn was eager to exploit the opening created.

He lifted the horn of a mountain onyx and blew with his might so that all around him could hear,

“ONWARDS CHILDREN! PUSH ON! PUSH ON!”

Belegorn saw his regimental flag bearer huddled to the rear and called to him in his mighty voice,

“TO ME! AVANT BANNER!”

Belegorn and the flag bearer carrying his fluttering green pennon dashed towards the frontlines. Those who saw the advance of the banner let out a cry of triumph and followed suite. The sortie led by the rearguard continued to surge forwards irresistibly overwhelming everything in its path.

[Saurreg]

There is a discontinuality between my post and Kransha's

Mine was written with the following in mind;

“Command the entire rearguard to enter the city by any means they can find,” he said, directing the sentence at Belegorn, “including the main gate. Do not fight the foes in Fornost, if possible, and tell them to search the ruins for survivors. When all have been brought together, we shall rally at the gates. The city is to be evacuated.”

I need to know whether:

a)After Hírvegil gave his instructions to Belegorn, the latter goes on to make the arrangements as ordered and also analyse the situation to give his input. Everybody meets at the gates (west or not) and charges.

or

b)After Hírvegil gave his instructions to Belegorn, everybody immediately heads down to the gate and charges into the foray. Arrangments and no plans seem to be made.

kransha's post does appear to indcate b). If we are going along with B, then I will be making an alternative first post. However there are some issues that needs to be addressed:

1. Did everybody in the regiment hear Hírvegil's loud orders and subsequently joined in the immediate sortie? A line of over 800 men can stretch on for quite a distant.

2. Is every guardsman equiped with their field marching equipment and rations?

3. Does individual company COs and NCOs privy to Hírvegil's plans and understands what needs to be done?

4. What are the exact plans? Whom to be evacuated? How to comb the lower city with the overwhelming enemy presence?

5. How would Gaeredhel, Mitharan and Rôsgollo fit into the sortie if it was directed to the guardsmen around Hírvegil and Belegorn only?

[Kransha[/b] - I am now writing my alternative first post that correlates well with yours. Can you tell me what are my parameters or till which extent will my post cover? Thanks!

I love planning threads. it's good to sort things out before hand, no?

[Kransha]

Saurreg, that's quite a bio, and quite a post. I'm saure Belegorn will be a great addition to this game (as will Gaeradhel, Rosgollo, and Mitharan)! But, even though I did enjoy, and relish reading your post, I must be honest, and say I'm a bit glad that you have an alternate one. You've lost me a bit in the one you have, as it does not seem to correlate. I don't want to seem controlling, but I would like to clarify a few things, and answer your questions:

-The Dunedain of Fornost are not really strategizing at this time. I was thinking that all posts would contain, more or less, anarchy. The rearguard is battling orcs in the city, not really devising tactics. They have all spurted from the South gate of the secondary wall, and diffused through the immediate streets. The orcs are very disorganized (not even divided into Corps, really, just a big locust-reminiscent clump) and the fight is really chaotic. All Dunedain of the rearguard are presently searching for Elves and survivors. That is their only purpose at this time. After all First Posts have been submitted, in January, when the DT opens, I'll have devised a post explaining how the rearguard reorganizes at the North Gate passage to evacuate, with the Host of Angmar hot on their heels.

In short, the tactical situation is more in accord with the 'Plan B' you mentioned.

-The Elves are all in the city, and the Dunedain are searching for them, as I said. Mitharan is hanging about in the inner sanctum, and you may read of his other action in CoD's post. There is some semblance of planning, and possible get-togethers between commanders in the city, in the chaos of battle, but no running off to tents and surveying of the field. That time has past. When the Dunedain reach the North Downs, there will be strategizing again, in light of the new assault from the gaining hordes.

I hope that clears some things up.

Yes, Saurreg, it is good to get these things sorted out beforehand.

P.S. As pio aptly put it, no need to rush, my friends, we still have a month...But that doesn't mean you should slow your pace, if you get my drift.

P.P.S. To those of you that have cameo roles, I will shortly be PMing you with the necessary info for your individual characters, but, in any event, no need to rush those, especially. Most of them do not feature immediately.

[Kransha]

Arry, CaptainofDespair, Novnarwen, please check your PMs.

pio, here is the brief description of Mellonar, the King's minister.

Mellonar is a counselor of Arvedui, the King, and a provincial lord in his own right as well as the administrator of the wardens of Arthedain. He is a sickly, suspicious-looking man, with a weak body and very pale, smooth skin. He has a beardless face and long, greasy black hair, all dank of color but well-groomed. He clothes himself finely, in furs and thick, earth toned robes and cloaks, an assortment of various garments heaped one over the other to make him appear a little more stately and substantial than he is. He has the gait of a vulture, always hunched over and conspiratorial as he flits from place to place rather than walks. He is malicious, but not evil, simply malign because of his political circles, clandestine as they are. He is also suspicious of those around him, just as they are of his, but, surprisingly, he does not abuse his power. He is fiercely loyal to the king, though more in the way that a minion is to a master than a loyal hound to a man.


P.S. Welcome, Osse, to this game. I hope you enjoy it. You've selected a pivotal role, and might want to consult with Novnarwen, Nuranar, or Aman, but that's up to you.

[Osse]

Hail Krashna.

Thank you for your welcome. My initial post is in the intricate smeltering works that are the runways of my brain this very moment! Look for the finish copy in the next few weeks.

I look forward to writing with you all!

Regards,

Ossë