Corsairs and Corsets Discussion Thread Part 1

[piosenniel]

Manardariel, Sophia the Thunder Mistress, and Nurumaiel invite you to play:

Corsairs and Corsets RPG

Historical Backround:

Ecthelion II was the son of Steward Turgon, and was a wise and foresightful Man. He put his efforts into strengthening his realm against the approaching danger of Sauron, who had openly revealed himself in the last years of Turgon's Stewardship. He was aided in this work by Gandalf, and by a mysterious stranger named 'Thorongil', who was later known to be none other than Aragorn. It was Throngil who constantly urged Ecthelion to take a stand against the rebels in Umbar. In 2980, just four years after this story takes place, Thorongil finally got permission from the Steward to go ahead and destroyed most of the Corsair ships with little loss of life. After this Aragorn disappeared, never having set foot in Minas Tirith.

Tolkien implies that Ecthelion's son Denethor viewed Thorongil as his rival and was pleased to see him leave. Moreover, Denethor had a much more negative attitude towards Gandalf. It is said that, even before becoming steward, Denethor learned of Gandalf's plans to restore the Heir of Isildur to the throne, and this accounts for his lifelong distrust of both the wizard and Aragorn.

In 2984, Ecthelion died and was succeeded as Steward by Denethor, who ruled Gondor at the time of the War of the Ring. Denethor's later history and eventual suicide is well known from the LotR.

Finduilas of Dol Amroth was born in 2950 TA, and married Denethor in 2976, the year this game takes place. She was a lady of great beauty and gentle heart who died when she will still young, just twelve years after her marriage. She was the mother of Boromir and Farimir, characters well known to us from LotR. Tolkien states the following:

Denethor loved her, in his fashion, more dearly than any other, unless it was the elder of the sons that she bore him. But it seemed to men that she withered in the guarded city, as a flower of the seaward vales set upon a barren rock. The shadow in the east filled her with horror, and she turned her eyes ever south to the seas that she missed.

With her passing in 2988, Denethor became increasingly depressed and withdrawn.

Basic Storyline:

Minas Tirith, May of TA 2976. Finduilas of Dol Amroth, bride to Steward Ecthelion´s son Denethor, has just arrived in the city with her Ladies and maids. Barely there, they are already wrapped up in the intrigue of the citadel court: for one thing, the local women are not at all pleased with Denethor´s choice, as they wanted him to marry a local girl. For another, a flashing, mysterious beauty is all around the court with her ladies - and she´s calling herself "A Friend of Dol Amroth". Finduilas´ ladies, suspicious because of this title start investigating, and the truth is a shock: the so-called “Lady” is really a spy of the Corsairs of Umbra, trying to stop the wedding. To uncover her, local and Dol Amroth Ladies have to work together...if they can!

[ October 10, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]