Discussion Thread for THE ANCILLARION: Of the Silmarkenstone Conspiracy, etc.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Where does the quest begin?

I guess we have a choice of three locations– Bree, Rivendell and Lórien.

Why not all three? Very clever Middle-earth roleplays have characters starting at separate points by way of prologue chapters, and they merge at the starting point for the quest. After all, the members of the Fellowship of the Ring came from dissparate regions, met in Rivendell, and then departed for their quest.

In this manner, backstories can be developed for each character prior to the quest without the requisite flashback scenes thrown annoyingly into the quest itself (ie., "Glorfinrondel fell in into a deep reverie as he gazed at the dying embers of the camp fire, his troubled mind harkening back to his carefree days as pool boy in Menegroth. Ah, the grotto of Menegroth! So many lithe figures splashing about, undulating provocatively beneath the dark waters," etc.).

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

That said, I might suggest that Bree is a logical starting point.

As I stated in the "thread that started this whole debacle", Bree is the quintessential starting point for all roleplay in Middle-earth, and it doesn't seem to matter what race one is, they all seem to be at ease in the Painted Pony (even though an Elf wouldn't be caught dead among that riff-raff). Some more canonically correct roleplayers do not have their Elf actually hanging out in the Inn, but atop a branch of a majestic tree just outside of Bree, where he/she greets the other characters with an appropriate "Mae govannen, mellon! Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo!" (or some such greeting culled from an online Sindarin dictionary).

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Some more canonically correct roleplayers do not have their Elf actually hanging out in the Inn, but atop a branch of a majestic tree just outside of Bree, where he/she greets the other characters with an appropriate "Mae govannen, mellon! Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo!" (or some such greeting culled from an online Sindarin dictionary).

Ah, but an Elf(ess) staying at the inn would be in disguise as a Mysterious Cloaked Figure™... giving him or her the opportunity to a.) upstage Strider and the Ringwraiths and b.) do a dramatic "reveal" to the other characters.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Ah, but an Elf(ess) staying at the inn would be in disguise as a Mysterious Cloaked Figure™... giving him or her the opportunity to a.) upstage Strider and the Ringwraiths and b.) do a dramatic "reveal" to the other characters.

*Chuckles*

Ah. but the Mysterious Cloaked Figure™ cannot escape the ethereal traits of his/her lineage, as those bar patrons who are not too sloshed to notice are unnerved by the Mysterious Cloaked Figure's™ cerulean orbs (or storm-tossed gray, forest green or ultra-violet, etc.), which gleam preternaturally from their foreboding cowled countenances in the shadowed recesses of the corner of the inn (as, of course, all Mysterious Cloaked Figures™ sit in shadowed corners of a pub, their backs to the wall).

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Ah. but the Mysterious Cloaked Figure™ cannot escape the ethereal traits of his/her lineage, as those bar patrons who are not too sloshed to notice are unnerved by the Mysterious Cloaked Figure's™ cerulean orbs (or storm-tossed gray, forest green or ultra-violet, etc.), which gleam preternaturally from their foreboding cowled countenances in the shadowed recesses of the corner of the inn (as, of course, all Mysterious Cloaked Figures™ sit in shadowed corners of a pub, their backs to the wall).

Which, I suspect, is why so many Sues who aspire to be a Mysterious Cloaked Figure™ also "suddenly" develop -- or realize they have always had and unconsciously used -- the Ability to Cloud Unfriendly Minds, Divert Suspicious Eyes, Shapeshift, or do anything that is necessary to short-circuit nuisancy intrusions of reality or pesky plot holes.

And the stomach turns...

[Kitanna]

I say Bree is a good starting point, though I do support the everyone can start elsewhere as well. But that could lead to issues getting everyone settled in one place. Another suggestion is to start in the Shire. Then our Fellowship could be watching Frodo from the very beginning.

[Lalaith]

Sharpairien and Daemion would like to set out from Rivendell if that's ok with everyone else. But we could meet up with the rest of the gang in the Painted Pony pretty quickly.

[Morthoron]

And forth comes the flood...

Alright, I began with a short prologue. I really like the idea that we, as a fellowship, are an annoyance to our leaders (ie., Elrond and Galadriel), and that our quest actually begins because there was no other way to get us out of their hair.

Thoughts?