The Great Golden Hoard Game Thread - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Glirdan · 08-07-2006, 08:53 PM

The Elf walked silently towards his favorites spot in all of Lorien; the Silverlode. The peace and tranquility of the forest and teh mingled noise the rushing stream made him at ease. Glirdingo just sat down, to take an afternoon nap when something shiny in the stream caught his eye.

He got up and walked over to it, for it had got snagged in the root of tree which was protrudinng out of the bank. It as then that he noticed that it was bottle. "That's peculiar" he thought to himself. "What would a bottle be doing floating down the Silverlode?"

He bent down and grabbed the bottle without losing his balance once. He inspected the bottle carefully. "Nothing out of the ordinary." But there was something about the bottle that felt mysterious. He decided to pull off the label of the bottle and see if there was something on the back. And there was. This is what it said:

If you are a great adventurer in your heart, leave all that you have and come. Come to Dorwinion on the banks of the Sea of Rhun. You will there embark on your life's greatest adventure, with a prize to be won. Come alone and bring with you only these things.

He read and re-read the message three times before he was certain that this was no hoax. He rushed off back to the great city in the heart of Lothlorien to gather belongings and to set off to start this wonderful new adventure.

"Hmmm, it says to bring:

Quote:

2 sets of clothing
2 weapons of your choice
1 length of rope
Food and water rations
1 novelty item (must not be on the above list and must be carriable)

."

He scrambled around his room, trying to gather his belongings in a sack. He grabbed an extra set of clothing (deep green to blend in with the forest), along with his grey elven cloak which was fastened with the malorn leaf, like most cloaks were in Lorien. He grabbed all his rations of Lembas and a gray length of rope made only in Lorien For his weapons he grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows as well as a a short sword along with his walking stick.

He took one last look around his lovely little home and set off out the door for the sea of Rhun, not know what to expect, but excited for a grand adventure.

Sleepy Ranger · 08-08-2006, 06:00 AM

"Wake up you nitwit." The words cut through the brisk air in the wilderness of Arnor. Ransley the Ranger sat up taking in a deep breath. There was nobody around. Ransley sat there alone, the only human around but not the only living being. There were a variety of creatures (both friendly and unfriendly) around. He brushed his hair off his forehead and stood up taking a look at himself. Brown breeches, brown boots, a gray shirt with a leather tunic on top. He lift a gray cloak up from the ground and wore it. His other pair of clothes, long gray flowing robes used mainly for special ocassions, were packed in his bag.

It would be a long day he sensed looking up at the sun. There was an adventure to set off on, money to be won. A bottle of wine was a rare thing in these parts and one bearing a secret message was even rarer. What it said was clear enough and Ransley had grown weary of guarding the ungrateful souls here. It was time for bigger things. He didn't require taking anyone's leave he was free to do as he would now. Hadn't always been that way though but things had changed since the death of his elder brother. He walked up to the edge of the hill he was on and looked around, quiet and peaceful. Things would not stay that way though, he knew that well enough. A quest would not be without danger but he was prepared for it. He took in a deep breath and walked back to where he had set camp.

He knelt down and inspected the ground, last night his weapons had been stolen by a group of goblins. It would not have been wise to have attacked them then not that it was wise now considering he was unarmed but he would have to none the less. Weaponless was no way to set off on a quest. He opened his bag and pulled out a thick and large metal sheet (Novelty Item). "Weaponless? Not quite." Though Ransley with a smirk. He lifted himself up and slung his bag over his shoulder. There was rope in his bag as well as food and water aplenty. This adventure would begin with a side-quest, how lovely.

He jogged along the path, tracking the goblins wouldn't be hard. They had taken no pains to keep their presence a secret.He found their lair easy enough. It was a cave which cut deep into the side of a hill near by. It would dark inside and he reckoned they wouldn't have left his weapons out in the open. He raised the metal sheet and began to move inside slowly and carefully.

It grew darker the deeper he ventured but there were no goblins so far. The cave ran on in a straight narrowing path until it came to a fork. He dropped to his knees to get a better look at the tracks. It was hard to tell which belonged to the goblins he was after and even if he could figure it out there was no telling whether or not they had handed his equipment to someone else. He sighed and examined the ground more closely... no, nothing... but wait! What was this? A bit ahead of where he was he noticed the ground pressed in a bit, one of his weapons had been placed here and then hurriedly picked up. It was not a goblin's hand impression there nor were those goblin footprints. Ransley raised to his feet quickly.

He began to run down the path as fast as his feet would carry him, the metal sheet held tight in his hand. It was a young boy, around seventeen he would guess, that had taken his equipment from here. A boy with goblins, that made no sense. The ranger came to a quick halt, partially aided by the fact that he had run straight into a solid rock wall. He shook his head and groggily got back to his feet. There didn't seem to be any harm done but he scolded himself for being so careless. What seemed to be a deadend, on closer inspection was revealed to be a door. He slid away the rock slab revealing a hole behind it. "Great." he thought. "More tunnels."

The ranger crawled through the tunnel, it wasn't too long. At the other end he had dropped out into what seemed to be a sort of make shift home. There was a bed, a stove, a couple of chairs and some other things that seemed to serve no real purpose. He walked in carefully, gripping the sheet in his gloved hands. There was movement, something cut through the air behind him. Something had tried to jump onto Ransley and whatever it was, was quick but the ranger was quicker. He spun around swiftly and raised the sheet as a figure smashed head first into it and dropped to the ground, out cold.

A young boy... in a goblin abode. Probably living off whatever scraps he could pick out from here. "Must be a tricky lad." Ransley mused as he placed the sheet back into his bag. He searched around the room till he found what he was looking for. It was a long sword with a black streak running through the middle fixed upon a black hilt. He seathed his sword, it was good to have it back. He then raised up a silver plated silver plated short sword.Still in perfect condition, he seathed that as well. He looked over at the boy before leaving and that moment he realized that this boy was destined for greater things. He couldn't leave him in this rat hole, there was only death to be found here.

So Ransley began to head towards the exit, his weapons reposessed and a young boy over his shoulder. All in all it would have gone well had a band of goblins not suddenly come out from the other end. The goblins snarled at the ranger, there were too many to fight and time was of the essence. He smirked at them as his hand creeped towards his sword. The goblins watched on, waiting till he drew his weapon before they attacked. Ransley had never drawn his sword though he had instead spun around and run leaving the goblins startled for a moment before they too followed after. He put two fingers into his mouth as he neared the way outside and whistled loudly, the sound piercing through the air like an arrow.

A neigh in the distance and the sound of approaching hooves told Ransley that his call had been answered. Arrows whistled past him but none hit and none would hit for it is fate. It has been written in the books of life that when faced with a main character the foe's accuracy drops to such a low number that they wouldn't be able to even shoot their own foot. However, a yelp from a goblin as his shot somehow dropped into his own foot broke that law.

Ransley tossed the boy onto the brown horse that waited outside before swiftly mounting it himself. He rode hard and fast to the first sanctuary on his way to begin his quest. He dropped the boy off there at the edge, he knew well enough that the boy would be found by those who would take care of him. As for himself though, it would be best to carry on. He had somewhere to be.

***

A horse trotted along to the destination designated in the note he had recieved. Ransley patted it on the neck and stopped it just before the meeting point, easing himself off. It would be best to go in alone as was mentioned in the note he reckoned. If he needed his horse later he could on him but for now he figured it would be best to go in alone. He rested a hand on his hilt as he walked towards where he was headed. He could sense he wasn't alone and he could also sense he would be in some strange company. It would be best to remain on guard.

Thinlómien · 08-08-2006, 06:03 AM

Thin-Gloomy sat on a huge rock, hugging himself and singing to himself on a low voice, and shuddered. He was still gripping his crossbow tightly, though the fight had ended nearly an hour ago.

They hadn't killed him because he had climbed to the rock and threatened to shoot them with his bow. They had agreed to take his things and leave him be. They hadn't wanted to risk even one of them to die for such a poor price as Thin-Gloomy's cheap gear. So Thin-Gloomy still had his life. But that was not much.

He kept his eyes closed. He didn't need to look to know that they had taken everything. Probably every single thing he had had. He wailed. Property was everything for a dwarf, even for a poor one.

Now get up, you miserable creature, he told himself. Get up, you disgusting little crooked monster. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked around.

It was not as bad as he would have expected. His little camp was destroyed. They had taken his tent, his utensils, his cooking gear, his recommendation papers (though with the recommendations he had that was not a great loss), his little wooden flute... Everything. He wailed again.

I don't have anything, I'm lost, I'll die, everything is worse than it ever has been, I knew it'd come to this... He lifted his hand to tear his beard in anguish and dropped the crossbow. I still have the crossbow, he realised. It's better to die, even by starving, with a weapon than without one. At the same moment he understood that he was not totally robbed.

He still had his quiver and ten bolts. His hand found his big knife on his belt. He had a belt! And, logically, if he had a belt he had still his purse! He was not that poor after all!

Thin-Gloomy hopped off the stone, a bit less gloomy than a while ago.

He should have learned never to hop so carelessly. He landed badly. His back was on fire. He swore.

After a few minutes he got up. His happiness was gone even more swiftly than it had come. He searched his camp through to see if they had left him anything. This is in vain. They left nothing, he kept telling himself.

He was wrong. He found his tinderbox lying in a bush. Thin-Gloomy was glad he had left it to such a stupid place.

After a little search he found his spare clothes too. He grinned darkly. Of course they hadn't taken them. The clothes that fit Thin-Gloomy probably fit no other creature on earth.

Thin-Gloomy was an ugly creature, even for a dwarf. He was slightly malformed, short and thin. His back was a little crooked and his black beard and hair were sparse. He had small, dark and beady eyes and an unfriendly gaze.

It was no wonder he never got proper work. With his appearance, badly made and resized brown traveling clothes and his lack of training he was never the first one to be picked for an appointment. And now he didn't even have his utensils. No work for poor Thin-Gloomy, he thought and almost started to cry.

Dwarves don't cry, he heard his mother's sharp voice in his head. The same, merciless voice he had heard so many times as a child when he had come home crying and looking for comfort after being teased by the other children.

Thin-Gloomy did not cry. He walked to the little brook, which probably originated form the river Carnen. He was bowing down to fill his flask with water, when he noticed a little bottle floating on the brook. He picked it up, and he didn't know why. There was a piece of paper inside. It said:

Quote:

If you are a great adventurer in your heart, leave all that you have and come. Come to Dorwinion on the banks of the Sea of Rhun. You will there embark on your life's greatest adventure, with a prize to be won. Come alone and bring with you only these things.

2 sets of clothing
2 weapons of your choice
1 length of rope
Food and water rations
1 novelty item (must not be on the above list and must be carriable)

Good Luck

With a price to be won..., Thin-Gloomy thought. His eyes were lit in delight. Never to be poor and despised again! Quickly, he packed his things up and left the place.

In the next village he used his coins to buy him food for the journey and a good rope. Then he headed for the Sea of Rhûn and the great treasure that would change his life.

Naria · 08-08-2006, 11:52 AM

Narleah had crept out of her village in the Misty Mountains with not one of her kin the wiser. She was not very keen on the idea of sharing the hidden loot with anyone else. So Narleah plodded on with her floppy leather hat pulled down over her forehead and a heavy knapsack lugged over her shoulder.

The sun was beating waves of heat down on her small Dwarven body, making her sweat profusely. It was at that time that she decided to take a seat under a tree that provided a small amount of reprieve. Narleah had kept a close eye on her beloved bottle and checked her pack once again, reassuring herself of its whereabouts. First she removed her extra set of clothing and food:One woolen tunic for those chilly evenings and some dried meat and flat bread for when she could not find sustenance elsewhere. "There you are," she said plucking the bottle from the bottom of her pack. She read the label, yet again, and found renewed confidence in herself. Narleah took a huge breath in and gave herself a whack on the chest with her fist. She gave a heave and a grunt and pulled herself up off the ground. She had put all of her belongings back in their respective places in her knapsack. Narleah then scooped up her weapons and looped her hatchet in its belt and with the use of her rope crosswise over her chest and back; attached the mace to it for easier transport.

Once again Narleah found herself out in the heat and wondered while puffing a piece of beard hair from her chin, what each turn would hold for her in the days to come.

Valier · 08-08-2006, 01:00 PM

A tall cloaked figure stood silently, hidden from the group of waiting adventurers. Stepping out of the foliage the figure approached the waiting group. Not one of the group noticed his approach, they were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and busying themselves with their tasks. He stopped and stood not ten feet from them with not a word. Suddenly one of the group, an Elf, spied the cloaked figure and before the Elf could cry a warning, the cloaked figure raised his hand palm out in a quieting gesture. The large group was instantly silent as they became aware of his presence.

Reaching up the figure uncloaked his face. There stood a majestic regal Elf.
" I am Eoln" again he raised his hand, before a protest could be sounded. "I am sent here by Berrick, he gave to me instructions that I have been paid grandly to deliver here, today, to you." He pulled from beneath his cloak a scroll of paper, tied neatly with a Golden bow. The now gathered group looked around at each other and back to the Elf.

Eoln gracefully undid the ribbon in one quick motion and unrolled the parchment and began to read.

You have come from far and wide to this spot on this day, it is not coincidence that each of you here has chosen to make this journey. You are all great adventurers. I myself could not be there, I am an old man. I have sent Eoln in my stead, he will be watching, always watching. I have given you all a list of items, I dare anyone to bring more than I asked....Eoln has a temper and I would hate to see someone robbed of all their things before the end. Now there are paths that you must follow, it is up to you which way you will go, but do not stray off the paths, for danger lurks everywhere and only on the paths can Eoln provide you all with at least some protection from the evils around you. You shall all travel alone and that is how it shall stay until the end. Beware of the race boundaries....do not travel beyond the Gray mountains or the horrid Ash mountains. You will meet and see many strange or unusual things ion your way, but be strong ands good luck, may you all travel safely and may the Best Adventurer win.

All mouths stood agape. Eoln stood silently before replacing the scroll inside his cloak. Then as suddenly as he arrived , Eoln turned on his heels and about to vanish from whence he came, when a high pitched voice shouted, "Now what?"
Eoln sighed and turned to face the group again, they all stood staring in his direction. " Now you go." he said simply. "Go? what do you mean go?" shouted a large man from the rear. " Eoln smiled, a queer sorta smile that looked as if he would erupt with laughter. "You have all now been racing for about five full minutes and since that there Dwarf is the farthest west then most of you, he is now in the lead." With that Eoln turned and was gone. Each individual looked at the nearby Dwarf who stood slightly apart, as he turned around and took off into a sprint. Every person in turn began to quickly depart. The race had begun.

Valier · 08-08-2006, 01:25 PM

Player List

Eomeleo

Race-Human
Location-Gondor
Weapons- Sword/Crossbow
Novelty- Golden Ocarina on chain
Clothes- Shirt, jacket, waistcoat, ruffled shirt, a splendid feathered hat.(all royal blue)

Valesseka

Race-Human
Location-Arnor
Weapons-Throwing axe/ Stave
Novelty-Brooch
Clothes-wool and leather travelling clothes

Galadster

Race-Human
Location-Rhun
Weapons- Scimitar/Short bow and quiver
Novelty-Rat tail
Clothes-Tunic and Robe

Kafkalina

Race-Ent
Location-North edge of the Old forest, East side of the Brandywine river
Weapons-Strength and height (body)
Novelty-Mallorn seeds
Clothing-Green leaves/ Autumn leaves

Glirdingo

Race-Elf
Location-Lorien
Weapons-Bow and quiver/Short sword
Novelty-Walking stick
Clothes- Deep green camouflaged clothes and a grey Elven cloak held on by a mallorn leaf pin.

Narleah

Race- SheDwarf
Location-Misty Mountains
Weapons- Mace/ Hatchet
Novelty-Over sized floppy leather hat
Clothes-Long leather jerkin, Wool coat

Novgorod

Race-human
Location-Dale
Weapons-13 Darts/beautiful Easterling Sword
Novelty-Tinderbox
Clothes-Cotton pants, red and yellow silk shirts, scarf embroidered with silver thread

Thin-Gloomy

Race-Dwarf
Location-Iron Hills
Weapons-Crossbow 10 arrows/Big knife
Novelty-Tinderbox
Clothes-Badly made brown traveling clothes

Ransley

Race-Human
Location-Arnor
Weapons-Long sword with a black streak down the middle/Silver plated short sword.
Novelty-Thick metal sheet 15x17 inchs
Clothes-Brown pants, brown boots,grey shirt, leather tunic, grey cloak,long grey robes

Day 1 has now begun. All players please pm your direction choice to me. Left, right or Straight .....You have 36hrs to complete your post.

Nogrod · 08-08-2006, 06:56 PM

Novgorod was used to the elves from his childhood. They had been arrogant wise-guys to him ever since. But they were beautiful, he couldn’t help his inward feelings. But this elf who declared himself to be Eoln was majestic and more shining than many of his fellows Novgorod had met during his life. Novgorod was taken aback by him.

As Eoln disappeared, Novgorod got the hint fast enough and took his sack. “We’ll see the outcome, although I can’t see the reason why these dwarves would be on the lead here”. He nodded towards the dwarves and then smiled to the others. “We may almost walk across the river, but these guys must swim. Nice to see you little folk to do your best!” With a big grin he walked into the River and started crossing it. At halfway he had to swim for some yards but then he took back to walking in the waist-deep water.

He had taken his path to the left from where they started. He wandered the miles singing the songs his mother had taught him when he was young. He was in a good mood. After the thickets that surrounded the river he started crossing the more open land with small hills decorating his way.

At noon he decided to stop for a lunch and he sat down by the hill that had a rocky outcrop. He took the biggest stone and sat on it, picking some dried meat from his sack to eat. Soon enough he noted a huge rat that was trying to hide behind a rock some two feet away from him. He reached for a small pebble to throw at the rat but managed to scare it by leaning leftwards.

The rat took a flight but happened to jar loose the rocks on the slope to slide down. In an instant there was a landslide of rocks coming over Novgorod. He had no chance of getting out of the way of the stones. His left foot was jammed under the rocks.

For a while he just cursed, trying to free his leg with no avail. Calm down, calm down... you need to use your mind here, he thought to himself and laid down with his foot stuck under the rocks. He remebered Quan-Li, the Easterling captain who had taught him so much about the ways of the world years ago. Use the power of the enemy against him – make his power work for you, he had said. How could one use a rat to turn the tables here?

Then it flashed on him. He took a piece of dried meat he was still holding on his right hand and stuffed it under the biggest boulder that was jamming his left foot. Then he ripped another piece of it, throwing it to the hole between the stones that had covered his leg. The piece of meat felt cold against his ankle he could not reach. Then he fell backwards and started playing dead. He did not move and breathed only slowly and carefully.

It took some fifteen minutes when the rat came back. It had its friends with it. Slowly they started approaching his leg, having the scent of the meat on their noses. Novgorod felt the rats running over him, some of them snapping him from the ears or nose or gnawing his thigh, but amidst all the pain, he remained silent. In the end they found the pieces of meat at his feet and started to go after them, concentrating their biting to his leg.

The host of rats tried to get to the piece of meat that he had stucked under the stone that was jamming his leg. Together the rats hoisted the boulder and as the others were turning the rocks that tied his ankle, Novgorod realised that it was his time to act. Suddenly he jumped up, just when the load of the stones had eased enough. With a quick grasp he managed to catch two rats with his hands. He turned their heads around and threw them to the ground. The others had disappeared. Only two, he thought to himself, not much, but better than nothing. He kneaded his left foot and found it being quite allright.

He skinned the two rats and made a fire. Novgorod thought he had earned that dinner.

Thinlómien · 08-09-2006, 04:37 AM

Thin-Gloomy swore. He shouldn't have walked straight to the field. He should have guessed that no field is as innocent as it looks like.

There were thistles. Thistles that tore clothes, scraped skin and made the passage almost impossible. They are like elves, Thin-Gloomy thought. The more he thought about his comparison the more he liked it. Elves and thistles. They both were sneaky. They both hid below grass. They both were nasty. They both tended to made a dwarf tingle. And they both had prickles.

But like elves, thistles never beat a dwarf! Thin-Gloomy decided. He looked around. The thistle bush was twenty feet all around him. Once again he hoped he was a normal, big, healthy dwarf, who could wield an axe and cut down the thistles with a few great swings. But he wasn't. He was only a skinny and malformed dwarf whose back was crooked and who would never have the strength to wield a battle axe properly.

A dwarf does not give in, Thin-Gloomy decided. Bitterness was no reason to let the thistles torture him for ever. He drew his big knife from its sheath. He gave it a glance. Heroes in tales name their weapons when they fight their first fight with the weapon. What should I name you, sir Knife? Thistle-cleaver, maybe? A poor name for the blade of a poor dwarf, he thought wryly. But he had already begun to like the name.

Thin-Gloomy lifted the Thistle-Cleaver and started to cut the thistles. It was not as easy as one could imagine. The thistles were thumb-thick and strong. A well-aimed blow might cut one, but could fail to cut one as well. Hacking at the thistles was a more certain way to destroy them, but it took time.

Slowly and firmly Thin-Gloomy hacked his way out of the bush. He had come out of there, but not as triumphantly as he had hoped. He was thirsty and tired, his clothes looked even worse than before, his skin was covered in itching scratches and his blade was blunt. He was shuddering again.

He sat down to have a pause and a well-earned rest. He took a mouthful of water. He hoped he could find water somewhere, but there was no water nearby, not even a little brook. He wished there was. Though he hated water as an element, he hated being thirsty too. And he hated the itch. He craved to pour all the water in the waterskin on himself to stop it.

Thin-Gloomy was just about to bow down and press his ear against the ground to listen if there was water beneath the ground, when a sweet scent caught his nose. He turned to see the origin of the faint smell. He did know many plants, but this one he knew. Both scent and the looks. Green, tapering leaves that sprung from the ground. He remembered the summer when huge horseflies had infested the outer Iron Hills. And he remembered aloe vera, brought by the merchants.

He picked all the leaves he found. He crushed a few of them between two small stones and put the rest of them to his bag. He spread the salve from the crushed leaves on his skin. After a while it didn't itch so much any more. He was feeling better now.

He looked down at himself. He was aware that he looked even more horrible than before. There is no one to look down at me here in the wilderness, Thin-Gloomy told himself, but couldn't help hoping that the robbers hadn't taken his sewing kit.

08-08-2006, 11:52 AM	#4
Naria Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 500	Narleah had crept out of her village in the Misty Mountains with not one of her kin the wiser. She was not very keen on the idea of sharing the hidden loot with anyone else. So Narleah plodded on with her floppy leather hat pulled down over her forehead and a heavy knapsack lugged over her shoulder. The sun was beating waves of heat down on her small Dwarven body, making her sweat profusely. It was at that time that she decided to take a seat under a tree that provided a small amount of reprieve. Narleah had kept a close eye on her beloved bottle and checked her pack once again, reassuring herself of its whereabouts. First she removed her extra set of clothing and food:One woolen tunic for those chilly evenings and some dried meat and flat bread for when she could not find sustenance elsewhere. "There you are," she said plucking the bottle from the bottom of her pack. She read the label, yet again, and found renewed confidence in herself. Narleah took a huge breath in and gave herself a whack on the chest with her fist. She gave a heave and a grunt and pulled herself up off the ground. She had put all of her belongings back in their respective places in her knapsack. Narleah then scooped up her weapons and looped her hatchet in its belt and with the use of her rope crosswise over her chest and back; attached the mace to it for easier transport. Once again Narleah found herself out in the heat and wondered while puffing a piece of beard hair from her chin, what each turn would hold for her in the days to come. __________________ MONEY Anyone who says it doesn't buy happiness.....is probably broke.

08-08-2006, 01:00 PM	#5
Valier Twisted Taleswapper Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: somewhere between sanity and insanity Posts: 1,706	A tall cloaked figure stood silently, hidden from the group of waiting adventurers. Stepping out of the foliage the figure approached the waiting group. Not one of the group noticed his approach, they were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and busying themselves with their tasks. He stopped and stood not ten feet from them with not a word. Suddenly one of the group, an Elf, spied the cloaked figure and before the Elf could cry a warning, the cloaked figure raised his hand palm out in a quieting gesture. The large group was instantly silent as they became aware of his presence. Reaching up the figure uncloaked his face. There stood a majestic regal Elf. " I am Eoln" again he raised his hand, before a protest could be sounded. "I am sent here by Berrick, he gave to me instructions that I have been paid grandly to deliver here, today, to you." He pulled from beneath his cloak a scroll of paper, tied neatly with a Golden bow. The now gathered group looked around at each other and back to the Elf. Eoln gracefully undid the ribbon in one quick motion and unrolled the parchment and began to read. You have come from far and wide to this spot on this day, it is not coincidence that each of you here has chosen to make this journey. You are all great adventurers. I myself could not be there, I am an old man. I have sent Eoln in my stead, he will be watching, always watching. I have given you all a list of items, I dare anyone to bring more than I asked....Eoln has a temper and I would hate to see someone robbed of all their things before the end. Now there are paths that you must follow, it is up to you which way you will go, but do not stray off the paths, for danger lurks everywhere and only on the paths can Eoln provide you all with at least some protection from the evils around you. You shall all travel alone and that is how it shall stay until the end. Beware of the race boundaries....do not travel beyond the Gray mountains or the horrid Ash mountains. You will meet and see many strange or unusual things ion your way, but be strong ands good luck, may you all travel safely and may the Best Adventurer win. All mouths stood agape. Eoln stood silently before replacing the scroll inside his cloak. Then as suddenly as he arrived , Eoln turned on his heels and about to vanish from whence he came, when a high pitched voice shouted, "Now what?" Eoln sighed and turned to face the group again, they all stood staring in his direction. " Now you go." he said simply. "Go? what do you mean go?" shouted a large man from the rear. " Eoln smiled, a queer sorta smile that looked as if he would erupt with laughter. "You have all now been racing for about five full minutes and since that there Dwarf is the farthest west then most of you, he is now in the lead." With that Eoln turned and was gone. Each individual looked at the nearby Dwarf who stood slightly apart, as he turned around and took off into a sprint. Every person in turn began to quickly depart. The race had begun. __________________ grand return?........

08-08-2006, 01:25 PM	#6
Valier Twisted Taleswapper Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: somewhere between sanity and insanity Posts: 1,706	Player List Eomeleo Race-Human Location-Gondor Weapons- Sword/Crossbow Novelty- Golden Ocarina on chain Clothes- Shirt, jacket, waistcoat, ruffled shirt, a splendid feathered hat.(all royal blue) Valesseka Race-Human Location-Arnor Weapons-Throwing axe/ Stave Novelty-Brooch Clothes-wool and leather travelling clothes Galadster Race-Human Location-Rhun Weapons- Scimitar/Short bow and quiver Novelty-Rat tail Clothes-Tunic and Robe Kafkalina Race-Ent Location-North edge of the Old forest, East side of the Brandywine river Weapons-Strength and height (body) Novelty-Mallorn seeds Clothing-Green leaves/ Autumn leaves Glirdingo Race-Elf Location-Lorien Weapons-Bow and quiver/Short sword Novelty-Walking stick Clothes- Deep green camouflaged clothes and a grey Elven cloak held on by a mallorn leaf pin. Narleah Race- SheDwarf Location-Misty Mountains Weapons- Mace/ Hatchet Novelty-Over sized floppy leather hat Clothes-Long leather jerkin, Wool coat Novgorod Race-human Location-Dale Weapons-13 Darts/beautiful Easterling Sword Novelty-Tinderbox Clothes-Cotton pants, red and yellow silk shirts, scarf embroidered with silver thread Thin-Gloomy Race-Dwarf Location-Iron Hills Weapons-Crossbow 10 arrows/Big knife Novelty-Tinderbox Clothes-Badly made brown traveling clothes Ransley Race-Human Location-Arnor Weapons-Long sword with a black streak down the middle/Silver plated short sword. Novelty-Thick metal sheet 15x17 inchs Clothes-Brown pants, brown boots,grey shirt, leather tunic, grey cloak,long grey robes Day 1 has now begun. All players please pm your direction choice to me. Left, right or Straight .....You have 36hrs to complete your post. __________________ grand return?........ Last edited by Valier; 08-08-2006 at 04:16 PM.

08-08-2006, 06:56 PM	#7
Nogrod Flame of the Ainulindalë Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves Posts: 9,308	Novgorod was used to the elves from his childhood. They had been arrogant wise-guys to him ever since. But they were beautiful, he couldn’t help his inward feelings. But this elf who declared himself to be Eoln was majestic and more shining than many of his fellows Novgorod had met during his life. Novgorod was taken aback by him. As Eoln disappeared, Novgorod got the hint fast enough and took his sack. “We’ll see the outcome, although I can’t see the reason why these dwarves would be on the lead here”. He nodded towards the dwarves and then smiled to the others. “We may almost walk across the river, but these guys must swim. Nice to see you little folk to do your best!” With a big grin he walked into the River and started crossing it. At halfway he had to swim for some yards but then he took back to walking in the waist-deep water. He had taken his path to the left from where they started. He wandered the miles singing the songs his mother had taught him when he was young. He was in a good mood. After the thickets that surrounded the river he started crossing the more open land with small hills decorating his way. At noon he decided to stop for a lunch and he sat down by the hill that had a rocky outcrop. He took the biggest stone and sat on it, picking some dried meat from his sack to eat. Soon enough he noted a huge rat that was trying to hide behind a rock some two feet away from him. He reached for a small pebble to throw at the rat but managed to scare it by leaning leftwards. The rat took a flight but happened to jar loose the rocks on the slope to slide down. In an instant there was a landslide of rocks coming over Novgorod. He had no chance of getting out of the way of the stones. His left foot was jammed under the rocks. For a while he just cursed, trying to free his leg with no avail. Calm down, calm down... you need to use your mind here, he thought to himself and laid down with his foot stuck under the rocks. He remebered Quan-Li, the Easterling captain who had taught him so much about the ways of the world years ago. Use the power of the enemy against him – make his power work for you, he had said. How could one use a rat to turn the tables here? Then it flashed on him. He took a piece of dried meat he was still holding on his right hand and stuffed it under the biggest boulder that was jamming his left foot. Then he ripped another piece of it, throwing it to the hole between the stones that had covered his leg. The piece of meat felt cold against his ankle he could not reach. Then he fell backwards and started playing dead. He did not move and breathed only slowly and carefully. It took some fifteen minutes when the rat came back. It had its friends with it. Slowly they started approaching his leg, having the scent of the meat on their noses. Novgorod felt the rats running over him, some of them snapping him from the ears or nose or gnawing his thigh, but amidst all the pain, he remained silent. In the end they found the pieces of meat at his feet and started to go after them, concentrating their biting to his leg. The host of rats tried to get to the piece of meat that he had stucked under the stone that was jamming his leg. Together the rats hoisted the boulder and as the others were turning the rocks that tied his ankle, Novgorod realised that it was his time to act. Suddenly he jumped up, just when the load of the stones had eased enough. With a quick grasp he managed to catch two rats with his hands. He turned their heads around and threw them to the ground. The others had disappeared. Only two, he thought to himself, not much, but better than nothing. He kneaded his left foot and found it being quite allright. He skinned the two rats and made a fire. Novgorod thought he had earned that dinner. Last edited by Nogrod; 08-08-2006 at 07:11 PM.

08-09-2006, 04:37 AM	#8
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Thin-Gloomy swore. He shouldn't have walked straight to the field. He should have guessed that no field is as innocent as it looks like. There were thistles. Thistles that tore clothes, scraped skin and made the passage almost impossible. They are like elves, Thin-Gloomy thought. The more he thought about his comparison the more he liked it. Elves and thistles. They both were sneaky. They both hid below grass. They both were nasty. They both tended to made a dwarf tingle. And they both had prickles. But like elves, thistles never beat a dwarf! Thin-Gloomy decided. He looked around. The thistle bush was twenty feet all around him. Once again he hoped he was a normal, big, healthy dwarf, who could wield an axe and cut down the thistles with a few great swings. But he wasn't. He was only a skinny and malformed dwarf whose back was crooked and who would never have the strength to wield a battle axe properly. A dwarf does not give in, Thin-Gloomy decided. Bitterness was no reason to let the thistles torture him for ever. He drew his big knife from its sheath. He gave it a glance. Heroes in tales name their weapons when they fight their first fight with the weapon. What should I name you, sir Knife? Thistle-cleaver, maybe? A poor name for the blade of a poor dwarf, he thought wryly. But he had already begun to like the name. Thin-Gloomy lifted the Thistle-Cleaver and started to cut the thistles. It was not as easy as one could imagine. The thistles were thumb-thick and strong. A well-aimed blow might cut one, but could fail to cut one as well. Hacking at the thistles was a more certain way to destroy them, but it took time. Slowly and firmly Thin-Gloomy hacked his way out of the bush. He had come out of there, but not as triumphantly as he had hoped. He was thirsty and tired, his clothes looked even worse than before, his skin was covered in itching scratches and his blade was blunt. He was shuddering again. He sat down to have a pause and a well-earned rest. He took a mouthful of water. He hoped he could find water somewhere, but there was no water nearby, not even a little brook. He wished there was. Though he hated water as an element, he hated being thirsty too. And he hated the itch. He craved to pour all the water in the waterskin on himself to stop it. Thin-Gloomy was just about to bow down and press his ear against the ground to listen if there was water beneath the ground, when a sweet scent caught his nose. He turned to see the origin of the faint smell. He did know many plants, but this one he knew. Both scent and the looks. Green, tapering leaves that sprung from the ground. He remembered the summer when huge horseflies had infested the outer Iron Hills. And he remembered aloe vera, brought by the merchants. He picked all the leaves he found. He crushed a few of them between two small stones and put the rest of them to his bag. He spread the salve from the crushed leaves on his skin. After a while it didn't itch so much any more. He was feeling better now. He looked down at himself. He was aware that he looked even more horrible than before. There is no one to look down at me here in the wilderness, Thin-Gloomy told himself, but couldn't help hoping that the robbers hadn't taken his sewing kit. Last edited by Thinlómien; 08-09-2006 at 07:38 AM.

08-08-2006, 06:00 AM	#2
Sleepy Ranger Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: On the field, kissing the 'Downs crest Posts: 1,654	"Wake up you nitwit." The words cut through the brisk air in the wilderness of Arnor. Ransley the Ranger sat up taking in a deep breath. There was nobody around. Ransley sat there alone, the only human around but not the only living being. There were a variety of creatures (both friendly and unfriendly) around. He brushed his hair off his forehead and stood up taking a look at himself. Brown breeches, brown boots, a gray shirt with a leather tunic on top. He lift a gray cloak up from the ground and wore it. His other pair of clothes, long gray flowing robes used mainly for special ocassions, were packed in his bag. It would be a long day he sensed looking up at the sun. There was an adventure to set off on, money to be won. A bottle of wine was a rare thing in these parts and one bearing a secret message was even rarer. What it said was clear enough and Ransley had grown weary of guarding the ungrateful souls here. It was time for bigger things. He didn't require taking anyone's leave he was free to do as he would now. Hadn't always been that way though but things had changed since the death of his elder brother. He walked up to the edge of the hill he was on and looked around, quiet and peaceful. Things would not stay that way though, he knew that well enough. A quest would not be without danger but he was prepared for it. He took in a deep breath and walked back to where he had set camp. He knelt down and inspected the ground, last night his weapons had been stolen by a group of goblins. It would not have been wise to have attacked them then not that it was wise now considering he was unarmed but he would have to none the less. Weaponless was no way to set off on a quest. He opened his bag and pulled out a thick and large metal sheet (Novelty Item). "Weaponless? Not quite." Though Ransley with a smirk. He lifted himself up and slung his bag over his shoulder. There was rope in his bag as well as food and water aplenty. This adventure would begin with a side-quest, how lovely. He jogged along the path, tracking the goblins wouldn't be hard. They had taken no pains to keep their presence a secret.He found their lair easy enough. It was a cave which cut deep into the side of a hill near by. It would dark inside and he reckoned they wouldn't have left his weapons out in the open. He raised the metal sheet and began to move inside slowly and carefully. It grew darker the deeper he ventured but there were no goblins so far. The cave ran on in a straight narrowing path until it came to a fork. He dropped to his knees to get a better look at the tracks. It was hard to tell which belonged to the goblins he was after and even if he could figure it out there was no telling whether or not they had handed his equipment to someone else. He sighed and examined the ground more closely... no, nothing... but wait! What was this? A bit ahead of where he was he noticed the ground pressed in a bit, one of his weapons had been placed here and then hurriedly picked up. It was not a goblin's hand impression there nor were those goblin footprints. Ransley raised to his feet quickly. He began to run down the path as fast as his feet would carry him, the metal sheet held tight in his hand. It was a young boy, around seventeen he would guess, that had taken his equipment from here. A boy with goblins, that made no sense. The ranger came to a quick halt, partially aided by the fact that he had run straight into a solid rock wall. He shook his head and groggily got back to his feet. There didn't seem to be any harm done but he scolded himself for being so careless. What seemed to be a deadend, on closer inspection was revealed to be a door. He slid away the rock slab revealing a hole behind it. "Great." he thought. "More tunnels." The ranger crawled through the tunnel, it wasn't too long. At the other end he had dropped out into what seemed to be a sort of make shift home. There was a bed, a stove, a couple of chairs and some other things that seemed to serve no real purpose. He walked in carefully, gripping the sheet in his gloved hands. There was movement, something cut through the air behind him. Something had tried to jump onto Ransley and whatever it was, was quick but the ranger was quicker. He spun around swiftly and raised the sheet as a figure smashed head first into it and dropped to the ground, out cold. A young boy... in a goblin abode. Probably living off whatever scraps he could pick out from here. "Must be a tricky lad." Ransley mused as he placed the sheet back into his bag. He searched around the room till he found what he was looking for. It was a long sword with a black streak running through the middle fixed upon a black hilt. He seathed his sword, it was good to have it back. He then raised up a silver plated silver plated short sword.Still in perfect condition, he seathed that as well. He looked over at the boy before leaving and that moment he realized that this boy was destined for greater things. He couldn't leave him in this rat hole, there was only death to be found here. So Ransley began to head towards the exit, his weapons reposessed and a young boy over his shoulder. All in all it would have gone well had a band of goblins not suddenly come out from the other end. The goblins snarled at the ranger, there were too many to fight and time was of the essence. He smirked at them as his hand creeped towards his sword. The goblins watched on, waiting till he drew his weapon before they attacked. Ransley had never drawn his sword though he had instead spun around and run leaving the goblins startled for a moment before they too followed after. He put two fingers into his mouth as he neared the way outside and whistled loudly, the sound piercing through the air like an arrow. A neigh in the distance and the sound of approaching hooves told Ransley that his call had been answered. Arrows whistled past him but none hit and none would hit for it is fate. It has been written in the books of life that when faced with a main character the foe's accuracy drops to such a low number that they wouldn't be able to even shoot their own foot. However, a yelp from a goblin as his shot somehow dropped into his own foot broke that law. Ransley tossed the boy onto the brown horse that waited outside before swiftly mounting it himself. He rode hard and fast to the first sanctuary on his way to begin his quest. He dropped the boy off there at the edge, he knew well enough that the boy would be found by those who would take care of him. As for himself though, it would be best to carry on. He had somewhere to be. *** A horse trotted along to the destination designated in the note he had recieved. Ransley patted it on the neck and stopped it just before the meeting point, easing himself off. It would be best to go in alone as was mentioned in the note he reckoned. If he needed his horse later he could on him but for now he figured it would be best to go in alone. He rested a hand on his hilt as he walked towards where he was headed. He could sense he wasn't alone and he could also sense he would be in some strange company. It would be best to remain on guard.