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

[Morthoron]

Welcome to the Discussion Thread for --

The Ancillarion: Of the Silmarkenstone Conspiracy and the Incidental Fellowship -- Their Trials, Tribulations, Loves Lost and Found, and Their Salvation of Middle-earth (as utterly unlikely as that may seem)

The actual story is found here: http://forum.barrowdowns.com//showthread.php?t=15053

A long and pompous title, surely, but given the material we shall be exploring, quite appropriate; as a matter of fact, it is perhaps not long enough, and certainly every bit as meaningless and overwrought as this complex sentence I am weaving at the moment, full of colons and semi-colons and maybe even dashes -- as if such separations inhibit rambling -- that occur when one is being garrulous and verbose with nothing of actual import to impart, and...hmmm...I've even added ellipses, as if I've hesitated, realizing subconsciously that the gag has somehow spread itself to thin; however, you'll notice that really doesn't stop me (like the tale you'll soon be reading, I don't know when to quit).

*sighs*

Okay, obviously you are wondering about Morth's frame of mind, and are saying to yourself, 'Morth, what the 'ell are you on about, and why are you referring to yourself in first person?' Well, we often have these moods, particularly when we are gearing up for a fan-fiction on such an epic and importunate level. Literally speaking, it will be a roleplaying fan-fiction of roleplays and fan-fictions that vaguely resembles Middle-earth, but has become so convoluted in being the mirror of a mirror of the original, it may well be that we shall be offering more cannon than canon (if you follow me) -- more Muddled-earth than Middle-earth (you're intelligent, I think you get my drift).

And so, without further ado, the players in this Passion Play:

Nerwen
Mithalwen
Kitanna
Lalaith
Morthoron

We do have room for 2-3 more players (after all, what good is a fan-fiction when you can't muddy it up with too many characters). So, if you'd like to join, please add your post here (don't just barge into the story). Also, we'll be having a couple guest stars popping in to add to the mayhem.

Some rules:

1) Although this will be a parody bordering on farce, it will be literate; therefore, if you have difficulty with spelling or punctuation, use a word processor.

2) Paragraphs are your friends, use them. There is nothing worse than trying to struggle through a solid block of text that runs longer than Achilles did after Hector around the walls of Ilium.

3) That's it for now (see? that wasn't so bad).

Now, I'd like to firm up a skeletal outline of at least the first few chapters, so comments from the other contributors would be appreciated.

P.S. Thanks to Lush for starting the "thread that started this whole debacle", found here -- http://forum.barrowdowns.com//showthread.php?t=14933
-- and to Thenamir for making the offhand (and obviously daft) suggestion that a story might contain all the stereotypes ever written in Tolkien fan-fic.

[Nerwen]

Where does the quest begin?

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

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I would volunteer to participate, but alas, I think it wiser for me to remain an observer. Although I have role-played quite extensively, I've never done so online, and I am not familiar with the protocols (and such). Perhaps if I observe long enough, I will get the hang of it, and can join the merry band at some later point. There are always new characters popping into bad fanfic at much too convenient moments.

That said, I might suggest that Bree is a logical starting point. I think the more relaxed atmosphere of Bree would be an easier spot for the intrepid Sues to surreptitiously get wind of the Real Quest, so that they can get their own misguided notions, let them grow into certainty en route to Rivendell, and then present them to someone like Elrond ("But the Company has already left, my daught-- wait a second, you're not my daughter! Who the...???")

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

I would volunteer to participate, but alas, I think it wiser for me to remain an observer. Although I have role-played quite extensively, I've never done so online, and I am not familiar with the protocols (and such). Perhaps if I observe long enough, I will get the hang of it, and can join the merry band at some later point. There are always new characters popping into bad fanfic at much too convenient moments.

I say the same. Basically my RP experience is limited to moderating little kids' pseudo-historical-Japanese play in Gaia online, where my role is to correct any political inaccuracy. And I've only just begun reading fan-fic.

But I look forward to this thread all the more!!

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Where does the quest begin?

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

Well I had envisaged my character as a Rivendell resident but would it be over egging the pudding to have my librarian type moonlighting as a Ranger She-Elf?

I have been considering Lalwende's request for a Pwinceth as a second character in which case the lisping silly creature might have some how made it to Rivendell by following literally in the footsteps of her increasingly exasperated cousin Boromir.

I shoul dbe able to do the bio over the weekend.

And I doubt that lack of experience is really going to be a handicap.... listen to the voices... you know you want to....

[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...