Scarburg Meadhall Discussion Thread

[Gwathagor]

Posted. Crabannan broke up the fight.

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Folwren

You? I don't believe it.

Rats, I thought I had everyone fooled.

Originally Posted by shaggydog

Apologies to Firefoot and Eonwe for not being more in touch. It will probably be the weekend before I can get back to Scyld and Dan. Sorry!!!!

Oooh! I'll be looking forward muchly to this post.

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

I've been thinking about a trick for writing that some comments here and there have brought to my mind. Our posts have a combination of actions, speech, and thoughts. What's interesting is how a character's thoughts are used by other posters.

For example, Lhuna commented that Harreld is not going to make this any easier for Ginna. Part of this is that Harreld has guessed wrong as to what's on Ginna's mind. Lhuna has been writing for Ginna such that she too is guessing wrong about what's on Harreld's mind. What's the upshot? A very interesting character interplay with lots of potential for conflict and misunderstanding, which is what drives interesting story.

And here I was thinking when I saw my name highlighted: "Oh no, Elempi's going to scold me for making too many assumptions about his character!" I'm excited to learn what Harreld really (and wrongly) guesses of Ginna's mind.

Originally Posted by Kath

Truth be told, I intended to write Kara or Ginna, so actually I got Kara confused with myself!

Oh, dear Kath, that's an awful case of identity crisis!

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Posted. Crabannan broke up the fight.

Thanks, Gwath! I really couldn't come up with an interesting way for Léoðern to barge in on the boys.

[littlemanpoet]

With AEdhel in the tent as healer, either Modtryth or Rowenna could be excused as there's no need for two errand runners. Which one shall stay and which one shall go? Any thoughts, Lommy? It doesn't matter to me.

Name the men-at-arms Game

From now until the end of May, lets everybody offer names for the three unnamed men-at-arms. I'll keep a tally, and in the first week of June, we'll vote. Each player/writer gets three votes (in June). Start: NOW!

[Gwathagor]

Aethelward!

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Aethelward!

Great start, Gwath! As Gwath intuited (or perhaps deduced), these three are Eorlings and ought to have Eorling names.

I've finally had a chance to read some recent posts, such as yours, Groin. I see that you have taken it upon yourself to give one of the guards a name, which is appropriate. "Lithor". Seems like a reasonable name to me. Shall we make it two guards that we need names for, and accept "Lithor"? Groin, what do you think? Otherwise, we could add it to the list. I'll do that for now until we decide.

1. Æthelward
2. Lithor
3.

One other thing, Groin, the White Mountains are 50 miles away from Scarburg. It would take more than a day to get there, and then the hunt could begin, and then more than a day to get back. I think you don't want that. The hunting is pretty much going to have to happen on the open plains within perhaps ten miles (or twenty?) from Scarburg, where presumably some sort of herd animal, deer-like, or whatnot, could be found roaming. The Scar of rocky hills runs westward from the River Entwash for perhaps thirty miles, and Scarburg is about 20 miles west of the Entwash. South of the Scar there are inhabited lands for farming; north of the Scar has not been determined, but it could very well be empty except for game.

Incidentally, it was a nice stroke to have Balvir name Matrim as his Lieutenant, a word which is of French derivation. As Eorlings are based on Anglo-Saxon, the Gondorians are based on French or Roman, so that works quite well, and you could have Erbrand notice the foreign word too, as another indication of their "Gondorian-ness".

One last thing: Gwath, is Crabannan familiar with Gondorian? "Recompense" is a Latinate word and not something the boys would even recognize, being boys as well as Eorling.

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Seems like a reasonable name to me. Shall we make it two guards that we need names for, and accept "Lithor"? Groin, what do you think?

We can keep Lithor on the list for now, but if anyone comes up with a better name I'll willingly change it (my post was rash and hurried). However, Æthelward is wonderful name! Great going, Gwathagor!

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

One other thing, Groin, the White Mountains are 50 miles away from Scarburg.

Dang it, it all looks so small on the map. I'll change it right away.

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

you could have Erbrand notice the foreign word too, as another indication of their "Gondorian-ness".

I'll change that too. Thanks for your help, LMP.

It was sheer brilliance with your characters entry, Gwathagor! It's like your character can't escape his fate of causing (intentionally or unintentionally) brawls!

[Thinlómien]

Gwathagor, you're making me laugh, almost hysterically! That post!

Originally Posted by LMP

With AEdhel in the tent as healer, either Modtryth or Rowenna could be excused as there's no need for two errand runners. Which one shall stay and which one shall go? Any thoughts, Lommy? It doesn't matter to me.

I think it might be dramatics-wise be more interesting if Rowenna stayed, but it would make more sense if Modtryth stayed, as she knows Saeryn, unlike Rowenna (do Aedhel and Saeryn know each other?) and it might be nicer for Saeryn to have Modtryth around around. Would either of Modtryth and Rowenna be especially needed somewhere else?

Names? Hmm... What about Wilcred? Or Osmund? Or Alfhere? Or Elfric (or Ælfric, is that sounds better)?

Personally, I think we should avoid having too many æ's and ð's - as interesting as they are - as Tolkien was kind enough to translitter the names in a more "reader-friendly" way... I mean, sometimes the names we use here in the Meadhall sound so authentically Anglo-Saxon that they don't actually fit nicely with the names of the Rohirrim in LotR.

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

One last thing: Gwath, is Crabannan familiar with Gondorian? "Recompense" is a Latinate word and not something the boys would even recognize, being boys as well as Eorling.

Nah, I just wasn't thinking carefully about his language, so he's speaking like I would, living in the linguistic aftermath of 1066. Blasted Norman thugs. I'll find a substitute directly.


EDIT: Well, I mean, sure, he would be familiar with Gondorian language, but he's smart enough and well-travelled enough to speak the native language of whatever country he happens to be passing through, and not speak in a kind of polyglot mish-mash. Like I wrote him doing. I'll watch out for that in the future.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

speak in a kind of polyglot mish-mash. Like I wrote him doing.

Well, thats English for you