Other Worlds Than These (Discussion Thread)

[Aikanáro]

Hi!

So I've sort of always wanted to run an RP thread but never actually done it! I've had an idea and thought I'd see if there's any interest here, mostly because I love writing with you guys.

This story would be set either early in the Fourth Age or late in the Third (running concurrently to, but not directly affecting in any way the events of LOTR). Basically, a group of people come together to investigate after discovering a mysterious phenomenon - the appearance of strange rifts between Middle-Earth and other realities. There's a possibility for a gentle sort of crossover if anyone was interested in writing a character with a background in someone else's canon, subject to approval.

So, obviously it's AU, but other than the added dimensional rift stuff would stick pretty close to the feel of Tolkien's Arda - no superheroes, modern technology, people from real-world Earth or such. It's essentially a Tolkien RP with just a little extra. It'd also be pretty heavily focused on character interaction and development, driven primarily by the characters rather than the needs of the plot.

The idea is still in development, so your thoughts on how the concept could be made better are welcome, but otherwise - would anyone be interested in participating in this sort of story?

~-~-~

Current Characters

From Middle-Earth:

Rivailen, a woman of Dunland
Beryn, a Beorning woman
Barufiniel, an Elf from Rivendell
Indigo Bolger, a Hobbit
Tanwendë, an Elf
Aerin, an Elf of Lothlorien

From elsewhere (creator of world-of-origin and player, if different):

Anahera from the nomadic Nolow family (Feawen)
Lur and Lantura, twins from Perelandra (CS Lewis, played by Midge)
Fearghan, a Weaver of the Nurail (Susan R. Matthews, played by Curufin)
Ashkaio of House Kazhrun from Tathera (Aika)
Nightshade, a badger from Narnia (CS Lewis, played by Varnafinde)

[Earniel]

Are there going to be dinosaurs? (Sorry, have been watching some episodes of Primeval lately...)

I'm game, if only because I'm curious to see how you're going to handle the rifts. And it'd be fun to play in another RPG that I don't have to run myself.

[Aikanáro]

Awesome! Great to have you joining in.

There are probably not going to be any dinosaurs.

(I've never seen Primeval. I'm beginning to think I should, it sounds interesting!)

[Varnafindë]

Originally Posted by Aikanáro

Basically, a group of people come together to investigate after discovering a mysterious phenomenon - the appearance of strange rifts between Middle-Earth and other realities. There's a possibility for a gentle sort of crossover if anyone was interested in writing a character with a background in someone else's canon, subject to approval.

Do you mean like the portal where Baru's parents fell through and ended up in Narnia - and where she came back in TA 2758 (a few seconds after they had left)?
There were more of those portals?

[Aikanáro]

Originally Posted by Varnafindë

Do you mean like the portal where Baru's parents fell through and ended up in Narnia - and where she came back in TA 2758 (a few seconds after they had left)?
There were more of those portals?

You know, I didn't think of Baru when I came up with this (it was probably more the result of watching too much Stargate) but yes! Exactly like that one, except they don't all reach to places so nice as Narnia.

We could have one to Narnia, though, if you wanted to play a character with that background. Or you could play Baru as one of the investigators...want to join in?

*would really like to have a couple more interested people so we can start it up*

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Aikanáro

There are probably not going to be any dinosaurs.

I like those odds.

(I've never seen Primeval. I'm beginning to think I should, it sounds interesting!)

It's a very entertaining series!

[Varnafindë]

I'd definitely like to play Baru as one of the investigators. "Her" portal to Narnia is closed now, but there could be others - it might be fun to play someone from the period of Caspian 2nd who turns up in 4th Age Gondor (if that's the age we settle for).
I can see Baru as some sort of veteran, she knows personally about multi-verses - but until she meets one of the other investigators, she thought her family was the only one that such things had happened to.

[Aikanáro]

Originally Posted by Varnafindë

I'd definitely like to play Baru as one of the investigators. "Her" portal to Narnia is closed now, but there could be others - it might be fun to play someone from the period of Caspian 2nd who turns up in 4th Age Gondor (if that's the age we settle for).
I can see Baru as some sort of veteran, she knows personally about multi-verses - but until she meets one of the other investigators, she thought her family was the only one that such things had happened to.

Yay! And you're right, Baru's personal experience with this sort of thing may prove very useful!

Alright, so if it's okay with everyone I've decided on starting in Fourth Age rural Gondor, about twenty years after the end of the War of the Ring. If you'd like to think about character descriptions now, that'd be great. You can format it any way you like, but please make sure to include a short description of your character's appearance, personal history, and the reason they're currently in Gondor.

Like I said, this RP is going to be heavily character-focused, so if there's anything important you'd like to let me know about - an aspect of their past you'd like to explore, for example, or something you'd like them to learn during the course of the story, either include that here or PM it to me and I'll be sure to allow the opportunity to explore it. Likewise if you'd like to have a secondary character, good, evil or otherwise, who emerges from one of the rift portals.

So to start with, here's my primary character:

Rivailen is a woman in her late twenties. She has dark hair, olive skin, and tends to dress plainly and practically. She has a thin scar running diagonally along her left cheek. Rivailen was born in Dunland, just north of the river Isen. When she was a girl, her father was killed during a border skirmish with the Rohirrim, and so Rivailen grew up in her uncle's household. In her mid-teens she was betrothed to a local farmer, but shortly afterwards he fell ill and died. Her people being on the superstitious side, Rivailen was not offered another match, but was instead sent to apprentice as a healer. For several years she stayed with one of the region's elderly wise women, learning from her not only the skills of a healer, but the legends and lore of their people.

When it was judged that Rivailen was no longer an apprentice but a healer in her own right, she began to travel, visiting outlying farms and remote communities, as well as travelling further afield to gather supplies. It was for this reason that she eventually decided to make the long journey to Gondor, seeking out herbs that would not grow in the mountainous northern regions, and looking also to increase her own knowledge, being only too aware of Gondor's reputation as a place of culture and learning.

[Varnafindë]

I'll look for whatever bio I put up for 8arufiniel in LLL (and perhaps add features mentioned in other RPGs as well).
She is in Gondor to visit (again) the King and Queen, who are both family and old friends. (She has baby-sat both Aragorn and his father and grand-father ...)

[Earniel]

I'm thinking of going Hobbit. In the fourth age Gondor it should be possible to see travelling Hobbits of the Took or possibly Brandybuck variety, I imagine.

Perhaps I'll go with a pair of them, that generally works better for me in character-driven RPG's. Unless I can think of an interesting rift-traveller.

I take it the worlds on the other side of the rifts are meant to be sort of similar to Middle-earth, so medieval fantasy at least?

[Varnafindë]

I guess we are allowed to do cross-overs to other known literary universes as well, if we like?

But I would stick with Narnia anyway, which is medieval enough ...

[Aikanáro]

Varna - Sounds good! (I know who Baru is and that she'll be great for this RP, but it'll be nice to have a description anyway)

Earniel - Yes, please do play a Hobbit (or two!)

The other worlds will mainly be medieval fantasy. I'm hesitant to say only, just in case someone comes up with something different and manages to have it fit well, but as a general rule, no levels of technology or magic that would be jarringly out of place in Middle-Earth.

Other literary universes like Narnia are fine, as are other invented parallel universes. I do ask that nobody play any canon characters from elsewhere (to stick with the Narnian example, someone from the period of King Caspian is fine, Caspian himself isn't)

[Earniel]

Okay, Hobbit(s) it is. I'll think about characters descriptions. I don't like playing canons myself, so that won't be a problem. Unless it is a problem to take a canon figure that is only known by name or features rarely? Like say one of the kids of Pippin or Merry or young relatives mentioned only by name from the family tree who'd be prime material for Hobbits travelling to Gondor.

[Aikanáro]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Unless it is a problem to take a canon figure that is only known by name or features rarely?

Depends on the specifics.

Like say one of the kids of Pippin or Merry or young relatives mentioned only by name from the family tree who'd be prime material for Hobbits travelling to Gondor.

In that case, it'd be absolutely fine.

[Earniel]

Another question just occurred to me: do the characters have to have certain skills, like say, fighting skills or camping skills? In which case I might just drop one Hobbit and opt instead for my jovial Beorning character, Beryn, who would be able to defend herself better.

[Aikanáro]

There aren't any particular skills that all the characters need, although there are plenty that would be useful! It'd be nice to have a mix, so that they'll have to rely on each other for different things during the course of the story.

It'd probably be good to have at least a few characters around who can fight, though. Rivailen doesn't and I'm guessing your Hobbits don't either. You could always have both Beryn and a hobbit involved - as I'm going for the collaborative storytelling approach, everyone is welcome to have more than one character.

[Earniel]

Okay, I'll go for Beryn and a Hobbit. Here is Beryn's description, I still have to make up the Hobbit, that's going to be a new character.

Name: Beryn
Race:: Beorning
Age: 42

Physical Description: Beryn looks average, for a Beorning. She's over 6 feet tall and somewhat sturdy built. She has auburn hair, which she wears in a braid. Her eyes are brown. Her clothes are simple, but well made. She carries a walking stick of hardened black wood which she has often used it as a weapon when needed.

Personality: Beryn's a very practical woman. She can be blunt, but is never cruel. Nuances or subtleties are just not quite her thing. But she does possess an innate curiosity, she likes to know how things work. She also likes laughter, stories and jokes. And particularly when they come with a tankard of mead, which is a soft spot for her although she never allows herself to become drunk. (Well, not since that one time... but everybody agreed never to talk about that ever again.) She shares her kin's strong dislike for orcs and wargs and will not let opportunities to kill or thwart them pass easily. Her bear-side usually makes her good with other animals.

History: Beryn has lived her entire childhood in a little village near Greenwood. Her family tended woolsheep for a living. She developed a taste for roaming and wandering only after reaching maturity. Since then she has undertaken several long travels. She has learned not to mention being a Beorning at a first meeting. (People tend to get a bit nervous in the neighbourhood of a woman that can change in a bear and their panic can be so tiresome after a while.)

She has been as far as Bree in the west and the Iron Hills in the east, but she hasn't gone far south yet, which is why she's going to Gondor this time. Beryn does have another motive than just wanderlust, she's looking for a husband...

[Aikanáro]

Fantastic! Beryn's going to fit into our group very nicely.

I'll be looking to put up the first post of the story thread this weekend, just so that it's there. There's no rush to reply immediately though, if you'd like to spend more time developing your new Hobbit character first.

Varna, as I know who Barufiniel is, you're free to join in whenever you like.

Anyone lurking is still welcome to apply even after we've started. There's always room for new characters.

[Varnafindë]

I'm pressed for time, so I'll just put up a fairly short bio (which I've used in a different RP) for my character - I could expand it later.

Player: Varnafindë
Character name: Barufiniel (Quenya version: Varnafindë, both meaning Brown-haired Maiden)
Race: Elf (half Noldo and half Sinda)
Age: about 800
Gender: Female
Physical description: Brown hair (hence her name), brown eyes, not very tall (for an elf). Dazzlingly beautiful (as compared with a hobbit. But then all elves are dazzlingly beautiful compared with most hobbits. As an elf she is nothing out of the ordinary). Slender.
History: Born in Narnia and grew up there. Left Narnia forever at the age of about 500, in TA 2758, and went to Rivendell, where she has lived since then. She's a scholar and a singer.
Skills: Some ability as an archer.
Belongings: A bow and arrow (it was her father's, and is possibly a bit big for her. But when he went to Valinor, he didn't expect to need it, so he gave it to her).

[Aikanáro]

Fantastic, Varna!

First post is now up. Your characters should also be somewhere on the plain, so are likely to notice the portal, Rivailen and her horse, and/or the weird flying lizard.