Assigned to Mordor Planning/Discussion Thread - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:09 PM

The purpose of the story is: for the group of characters to successfully pass the Anakronism tests/challenges and so escape from Mordor.

This means we will know the story is over when: all the characters in the group make it out of Mordor with the blessing of the Grand Anakronist.

Starting Location: The sea of Nurn, in the Mordorian province of Nurnia.

Likely destination: Ithilien.

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:10 PM

Timeframes:

This game takes place in the Fourth Age at around year 650.

The storyline itself or plot covers three days (although I'm willing to consider five, seven, or ten days).

This game requires a time commitment of three weeks from me, the game owner and from the major players (consideration for 5, 7, or 10 weeks is optional).

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:11 PM

Characters needed:

Four to seven characters from any race among the free peoples of the Fourth Age, either gender -- ALL ROLES FILLED

~*~

Character types which would not belong: high elves; dunedain.

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Player/Character List

littlemanpoet -- Anakron Istkon Vayor (The Grand Anakronist)
Feanor of the Peredhil -- Alumìne Umfuìl (aka: Alli)
Celuien -- Panakeia
Encaitare -- Wilhelmina Brochenbach
the guy who be short -- Fléin son of Fréin
Kath -- Sai Onara
Durelin -- Valde Delego --- 1st post needed
the phantom -- Mardil II --- 1st post needed

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:11 PM

Dedicated Characters:

In general - any that have been "Assigned to Mordor" on the What do you Assign to Mordor thread found in the Novices and Newcomers forum (subject to approval by the Game Owner).

Barrowdowns members should submit their "proofs", listing all the ways they have been assigned to Mordor, as well as things they have assigned to Mordor.

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:16 PM

First posts for the submitted character descriptions:

Must include an account of where the character comes from, and how they were assigned to Mordor, and should end with their inclusion in the crowd gathered as mentioned in the Owner's first post.

The first four to seven characters approved will play; others will have to wait for a later chance, if it develops.

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:17 PM

The game owner will play The Grand Anakronist character.

littlemanpoet’s character

NAME: Anakron Istkon Vayor

AGE: 50

RACE: Umbarian

GENDER: male

WEAPONS : none other than the Anakron Staff

APPEARANCE: Tall, black robed, austere, high forehead, a black wide-brimmed hat, long white hair, narrow, beardless face. Holds the Anakron Staff, which is made of black metal, and bears the insignia of the Grand Anakronist, a stylized representation of a Siamese Cat.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Austere, authoritative, rhetorical expert, formal. Given the right circumstances, will break out into a doggerel chattering, dancing buffoon in vaudeville style (part of the Anakronism Dweomer).

HISTORY: Elempi of Umbar grew up as a model child in a wealthy (but not ruling) family, was trained from early as a scholar in history, language, and philosophy. He taught in the Academy of Umbar for twenty years until he was handpicked by the retiring Grand Anakronist to replace him. He was given the Anakron Staff, which creates nothing, but directs the latent effects of the Anakronism Dweomer, setting up the tests, tasks, and challenges the characters must pass, complete, and achieve in order to escape from Mordor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRST POST FOR THE GAME

A crowd had gathered in the early overcast morning in the courtyard of Caer Pairadocks, the major port on the Nurnien Sea, from which two great docks stretched into the waters of the sea. The people stood in eager anticipation, for from their number would be chosen that day a small group of people who would be given the chance to escape from Mordor ... on condition that they could pass the tests set by the Grand Anakronist .

The land of Mordor held only the memory of the Dark Lord who had once ruled there with a cruel, iron will. The cataclysm that had come hard upon the heels of the Ring's destruction had changed Udûn and the Plateau of Gorgoroth into a string of deep chasms. Roads snaked from chasm to chasm for the sake of the king, who's Assigned Prisoners worked the gravel pits of old Udûn and Gorgoroth, from which stone was quarried for the buildings and roads of the empire. Luckier ones worked in the grain fields and cattle farms of the Nurnien plains, or the fisheries of the sea. The least fortunate worked the mines of the mountains, where it was said nameless evil things still crawled.

At long last, flugel horns flaired, and out from Caer Pairadocks strode the personage they had all been waiting for. Every last member of the crowd strained their necks to catch a glimpse of the august figure in whose staff was held the mystery of the Anakronism Dweomer. His black, wide brimmed hat hid his features, and his black robe shrouded his lanky frame. He came to a stop at the centermost point of the platform. Behind him rose the pinnacles of the Caer; to one side spread the sea, to the other, the town and fields beyond. The man's name was Anakron Istkon Vayor. All knew him by sight. He surveyed the crowd, and addressed them in his austere manner.

"On this auspicious day, a lucky few of you shall be given the chance to overcome the Anakronism Dweomer, to escape from Mordor, and to receive the clemency of the king, may he live forever. As you know, the Anakronism Dweomer has rendered the empire, but especially Mordor, a land cursed with all manner of evils from a terrible future time. It is most distressing to know that a future age of Middle Earth will have fallen to such depths as to be filled with so many degradations as we have seen in this land; but such is the fate of Middle Earth.

"The lucky few shall be known as the Offending Party. Their task, should they choose to accept it, is to confront three/five/seven/ten anakronisms as tests to be passed, trials to endure, or challenges to be overcome ... or all three at once, depending upon the nature of the anakronism. Should the Offending Party succeed, they shall be free to go wherever they will in Middle Earth, perhaps even to Rohan, with the king's and moderators' blessings.

"And now to choose the Offending Party."

At this, Anakron raised the Anakronist Staff, which issued what sounded like a shrill meow followed by a feline hiss, and before the eyes of all gathered, a shiny, many-coloured box rose from the ground, accompanied by oohs and aahs from the crowd. When it had stopped rising, it stood as tall as Anakron himself, and seemed to look out at the crowd with its single, dark, square eye. It was an Anakronism Transaction Mechanism, otherwise known as ATM. Anakron spoke.

"I shall now insert the king's writ, which I hold in my hand, into the slot on the right, and out of the other to the left, will come the names of the Offending Party."

Anakron inserted the card. Runes appeared in white on the dark screen, in a language and lettering formerly unknown, and by some held to be worse than the Black Speech of the Orcs, but which had now become all too familiar in Mordor: Modern English. The screen said: Deposit, Withdrawal, or Transfer? Anakron pressed the button to the right of transfer. The screen produced new runes: Please wait while your transaction is processed. The crowd groaned as one with impatience; they had become familiar with ATMs during their tenure in Mordor. An "aah" went up from the crowd as a card came out of the left hand slot, accompanied by a new message on the screen: Please take the record of your transfer. Anakron took the slip from the slot, after which the screen's message changed to Thank you. Please come again. Anakron read off the names of the soon to be Offending Party: "Alumìn-E Umfuìl." The following transactions in turn produced the following names: "Panakeia of Harad; Fléin son of Fréin of the Ironfists; Wilhelmina Brochenbach; Mardil II; Sai Onara; Valde Delego".

piosenniel · 10-27-2005, 03:18 PM

Other information of special interest that the game owner includes for prospective players:

Inexhaustive List of Things Assigned to Mordor (to be augmented by the inclusions of the players)

Other information of special interest that you would like to include:
Inexhaustive List of Things Assigned to Mordor, to be augmented by the inclusions of the players.

ATMs
Bad Lawyers
Bureaucratic Orcs who Think They're Using Correct Grammar
Cat Litter
Cigarette Smokers (and their Litter)
Comic Sans Font
Dangling Prepositions
Dentists
Double Negatives
Early Classes
Easily Offended People
Final Exams
Food Poisoning
Fume and Stench
Ground Spitters
Guys Who Thing Pretty Girls are Always Stupid
Heavy Traffic
Inconsiderate Drivers
Loud cellphone (aka mobilephone) users
Mary-Sues
Mosquitoes
"My Bad"
Nightmares
Oversalted Popc orn
People Always in a Rush
People Who Say "It's Not Rocket Science"
Professorial Trolls who speak overwrought Jamesian English
Queue Cutters
Road Rage
Siamese Cats
Shrieking Early Birds
Snotty "Better Than Thous"
Small yapping dogs
Spat Out Chewing Gum Covering Pavement
Spreaders of Bad News
Stupid People
Ticks
Unfriendly Computers
Yankees Announcers

Bêthberry · 10-28-2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piosenniel

Dedicated Characters:

In general - any that have been "Assigned to Mordor" on the What do you Assign to Mordor thread found in the Novices and Newcomers forum (subject to approval by the Game Owner).

Barrowdowns members should submit their "proofs", listing all the ways they have been assigned to Mordor, as well as things they have assigned to Mordor.

Just to clarify this point: if a Barrow Downer has not himself or herself already been 'assigned' to Mordor by a fellow Downer, does that mean he or she cannot apply?

I love the the courtyard of Caer Pairadocks. Nurnia?

littlemanpoet · 10-28-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Just to clarify this point: if a Barrow Downer has not himself or herself already been 'assigned' to Mordor by a fellow Downer, does that mean he or she cannot apply?

I love the the courtyard of Caer Pairadocks. Nurnia?

That is correct. You need to assign something to Mordor, and find something that has already been assigned to Mordor. That, of course, forces you to read at least some of my thread (very selfish of me, I know

). But do not let that intimidate you! So much has been assigned to Mordor over the last few months that something is bound to apply to you. And all you have to do is rant about something that you don't like on What Do You Assign to Mordor, using the proper form: "I assign to Mordor:_______" and there you go.

Edit: Just to clarify: you don't have to be assigned by name to Mordor on the What Do You Assign to Mordor; rather, if some attribute of which you are - ahem - "guilty" gets assigned, then you may consider yourself assigned. Hence, if you speak modern English, you have been assigned to Mordor, by default of being a member at BD.

10-27-2005, 03:09 PM	#1
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	The purpose of the story is: for the group of characters to successfully pass the Anakronism tests/challenges and so escape from Mordor. This means we will know the story is over when: all the characters in the group make it out of Mordor with the blessing of the Grand Anakronist. Starting Location: The sea of Nurn, in the Mordorian province of Nurnia. Likely destination: Ithilien. Last edited by piosenniel; 10-30-2005 at 03:11 PM.

10-27-2005, 03:11 PM	#3
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Characters needed: Four to seven characters from any race among the free peoples of the Fourth Age, either gender -- ALL ROLES FILLED ~~ Character types which would not belong: high elves; dunedain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player/Character List* littlemanpoet -- Anakron Istkon Vayor (The Grand Anakronist) Feanor of the Peredhil -- Alumìne Umfuìl (aka: Alli) Celuien -- Panakeia Encaitare -- Wilhelmina Brochenbach the guy who be short -- Fléin son of Fréin Kath -- Sai Onara Durelin -- Valde Delego --- 1st post needed the phantom -- Mardil II --- 1st post needed Last edited by piosenniel; 11-13-2005 at 06:30 PM.

10-27-2005, 03:17 PM	#6
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	The game owner will play The Grand Anakronist character. littlemanpoet’s character NAME: Anakron Istkon Vayor AGE: 50 RACE: Umbarian GENDER: male WEAPONS : none other than the Anakron Staff APPEARANCE: Tall, black robed, austere, high forehead, a black wide-brimmed hat, long white hair, narrow, beardless face. Holds the Anakron Staff, which is made of black metal, and bears the insignia of the Grand Anakronist, a stylized representation of a Siamese Cat. PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Austere, authoritative, rhetorical expert, formal. Given the right circumstances, will break out into a doggerel chattering, dancing buffoon in vaudeville style (part of the Anakronism Dweomer). HISTORY: Elempi of Umbar grew up as a model child in a wealthy (but not ruling) family, was trained from early as a scholar in history, language, and philosophy. He taught in the Academy of Umbar for twenty years until he was handpicked by the retiring Grand Anakronist to replace him. He was given the Anakron Staff, which creates nothing, but directs the latent effects of the Anakronism Dweomer, setting up the tests, tasks, and challenges the characters must pass, complete, and achieve in order to escape from Mordor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST POST FOR THE GAME A crowd had gathered in the early overcast morning in the courtyard of Caer Pairadocks, the major port on the Nurnien Sea, from which two great docks stretched into the waters of the sea. The people stood in eager anticipation, for from their number would be chosen that day a small group of people who would be given the chance to escape from Mordor ... on condition that they could pass the tests set by the Grand Anakronist . The land of Mordor held only the memory of the Dark Lord who had once ruled there with a cruel, iron will. The cataclysm that had come hard upon the heels of the Ring's destruction had changed Udûn and the Plateau of Gorgoroth into a string of deep chasms. Roads snaked from chasm to chasm for the sake of the king, who's Assigned Prisoners worked the gravel pits of old Udûn and Gorgoroth, from which stone was quarried for the buildings and roads of the empire. Luckier ones worked in the grain fields and cattle farms of the Nurnien plains, or the fisheries of the sea. The least fortunate worked the mines of the mountains, where it was said nameless evil things still crawled. At long last, flugel horns flaired, and out from Caer Pairadocks strode the personage they had all been waiting for. Every last member of the crowd strained their necks to catch a glimpse of the august figure in whose staff was held the mystery of the Anakronism Dweomer. His black, wide brimmed hat hid his features, and his black robe shrouded his lanky frame. He came to a stop at the centermost point of the platform. Behind him rose the pinnacles of the Caer; to one side spread the sea, to the other, the town and fields beyond. The man's name was Anakron Istkon Vayor. All knew him by sight. He surveyed the crowd, and addressed them in his austere manner. "On this auspicious day, a lucky few of you shall be given the chance to overcome the Anakronism Dweomer, to escape from Mordor, and to receive the clemency of the king, may he live forever. As you know, the Anakronism Dweomer has rendered the empire, but especially Mordor, a land cursed with all manner of evils from a terrible future time. It is most distressing to know that a future age of Middle Earth will have fallen to such depths as to be filled with so many degradations as we have seen in this land; but such is the fate of Middle Earth. "The lucky few shall be known as the Offending Party. Their task, should they choose to accept it, is to confront three/five/seven/ten anakronisms as tests to be passed, trials to endure, or challenges to be overcome ... or all three at once, depending upon the nature of the anakronism. Should the Offending Party succeed, they shall be free to go wherever they will in Middle Earth, perhaps even to Rohan, with the king's and moderators' blessings. "And now to choose the Offending Party." At this, Anakron raised the Anakronist Staff, which issued what sounded like a shrill meow followed by a feline hiss, and before the eyes of all gathered, a shiny, many-coloured box rose from the ground, accompanied by oohs and aahs from the crowd. When it had stopped rising, it stood as tall as Anakron himself, and seemed to look out at the crowd with its single, dark, square eye. It was an Anakronism Transaction Mechanism, otherwise known as ATM. Anakron spoke. "I shall now insert the king's writ, which I hold in my hand, into the slot on the right, and out of the other to the left, will come the names of the Offending Party." Anakron inserted the card. Runes appeared in white on the dark screen, in a language and lettering formerly unknown, and by some held to be worse than the Black Speech of the Orcs, but which had now become all too familiar in Mordor: Modern English. The screen said: Deposit, Withdrawal, or Transfer? Anakron pressed the button to the right of transfer. The screen produced new runes: Please wait while your transaction is processed. The crowd groaned as one with impatience; they had become familiar with ATMs during their tenure in Mordor. An "aah" went up from the crowd as a card came out of the left hand slot, accompanied by a new message on the screen: Please take the record of your transfer. Anakron took the slip from the slot, after which the screen's message changed to Thank you. Please come again. Anakron read off the names of the soon to be Offending Party: "Alumìn-E Umfuìl." The following transactions in turn produced the following names: "Panakeia of Harad; Fléin son of Fréin of the Ironfists; Wilhelmina Brochenbach; Mardil II; Sai Onara; Valde Delego". Last edited by piosenniel; 11-28-2005 at 01:52 PM.

10-27-2005, 03:18 PM	#7
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Other information of special interest that the game owner includes for prospective players: Inexhaustive List of Things Assigned to Mordor (to be augmented by the inclusions of the players) Other information of special interest that you would like to include: Inexhaustive List of Things Assigned to Mordor, to be augmented by the inclusions of the players. ATMs Bad Lawyers Bureaucratic Orcs who Think They're Using Correct Grammar Cat Litter Cigarette Smokers (and their Litter) Comic Sans Font Dangling Prepositions Dentists Double Negatives Early Classes Easily Offended People Final Exams Food Poisoning Fume and Stench Ground Spitters Guys Who Thing Pretty Girls are Always Stupid Heavy Traffic Inconsiderate Drivers Loud cellphone (aka mobilephone) users Mary-Sues Mosquitoes "My Bad" Nightmares Oversalted Popc orn People Always in a Rush People Who Say "It's Not Rocket Science" Professorial Trolls who speak overwrought Jamesian English Queue Cutters Road Rage Siamese Cats Shrieking Early Birds Snotty "Better Than Thous" Small yapping dogs Spat Out Chewing Gum Covering Pavement Spreaders of Bad News Stupid People Ticks Unfriendly Computers Yankees Announcers Last edited by piosenniel; 10-30-2005 at 03:21 PM.

10-27-2005, 03:10 PM	#2
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Timeframes: This game takes place in the Fourth Age at around year 650. The storyline itself or plot covers three days (although I'm willing to consider five, seven, or ten days). This game requires a time commitment of three weeks from me, the game owner and from the major players (consideration for 5, 7, or 10 weeks is optional).

10-27-2005, 03:16 PM	#5
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	First posts for the submitted character descriptions: Must include an account of where the character comes from, and how they were assigned to Mordor, and should end with their inclusion in the crowd gathered as mentioned in the Owner's first post. The first four to seven characters approved will play; others will have to wait for a later chance, if it develops.