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Of Winding Ways and Cunning Devices

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Arc 1 Post 2: Well Lost
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    • Well Lost ​

    15 April 867 A.D.

    Dreadful was the night which shall live in the memory of every man present until their dying breath, no torment of the mind or the spirit can stave off exhaustion forever. A watch is set with bloody eyes to look upon a bloody sunrise as you ponder what to do. All of you know without question or comforting delusion that Numenor is gone, such that Abrazân fears he will have to keep some of the crew, perhaps even the officers from doing themselves harm. Vorindo claimed that it was the greatest failing of Men and to elves the most bemusing that you could not accept the 'Gift' of the one, but he has never seem men so engulfed in black sorrow that they hurled itself upon it still in the fullness of their years.

    You shake off the thought and consider the heavens and the implications writ upon their face. The stars do not change, oh one might be added to their number as was Vingilot, the the Foam Flower in days of old, but all the stars made strange at once? Even if the Valar have that power, of which you are far more certain now than you were a few days past to your sorrow, why? What purpose would it serve? To scatter whatever ships of Numenor might have survived that none may find the Aman ever again? No that is absurd and a conceit of power now lost. Whatever fate the Great Armament had you are certain that it was a dark one for all the cunning of Sauron the Abhorred, well did the elves name him.

    Perhaps, you reason, you find yourself south of the Girdle of Arda carried tither by the song of ruin more dreadful than any wind that can be felt. Reaching out just a touch, not enough to move the world, but enough to hear it with more than your ears you find the familiar chords of song both deeper and more distant, as though you are hearing them through ears full of water. Perhaps that too is a symptom of being this far south, both the Aman and the dwelling places of Melkor were in the north, in the lands of Ennor, of Middle Earth. Who is to say what might be found in Hither far south of Umbar or in the Dark Lands or farther still in Kolorme where the Sun Rising Hill is said to stand.

    The idea of having been cast so far is almost a relief. Better than having to meet the eyes of the Eldar whose every proclamation of doom has proven true... and better by far than having to look into the eyes of those who stood like whipped dogs before the feet of Sauron begging for a few scraps of bloodied meat.

    I can just see myself now presenting myself before the colonies of the Faithful north of Umbar and offering services as a soldier and a magician.

    More immediate thoughts quickly crowd out such philosophical musings, there is only so much water and so much food on board and you know not which direction land is to be found. After staring at the map long enough you reason that most lands run north to south so all other things being equal you would have more of a chance of hitting land traveling east or west.

    The west seems ill fated and so you sail into the face of the rising sun.

    After three days' uncertain travels you come in sight of land....

    [] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome

    [] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    [] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    [] Near the town of Portus Cale where an Asturian Noble newly come from the north newly come to these lands to wed the daughter of local notables runs a delicate balancing act between his in the north and the far mightier Caliphate to his south.

    [] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it

    [] The port of Acre in the Military District of Jordan, one of the most important military ports in the Abbasid Caliphate, though waning in importance in the mind of the present caliph

    [] Write in (Any region of Europe; the Middle east, West and North Africa and India that can be approached by sailing eastwards)

    OOC: I went with modern names so as to avoid confusion as to where you are and because being more specific on names would not really do that much for what is still an out of character vote.
     
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    • [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin


     
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    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome
     
    [X] The island of Crete, newly recaptured by the victorious imperator Nikephoros Phokas, returned to the empire of the Romans at long last.
     
    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome


    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it
     
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it
     
    I do not think that variant with Neva River will win, but still, a bit of advertising.

    Taking part in the forming of new nation!
    Viking path is hindered but not totaly closed!
    Explorations and mysteries! What lies in the endless forests so far from more civilised lands? Silvans and kikimoras? Baba Yaga? Koschei the Deathless? Well, I am sure we will not face with three-headed dragon Snake Gorynych... probably.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Believe it or not Quenya word for Middle Earth. Star Wars may or may not have been inspired by it. :V
    Click to expand...
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    Kay, that's slightly weird to hear, but I take it as it is.

    Though, wouldn't a learned Numenorean rather use Sindarin words than Quenya?

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    Since the local knight Roland de Verley just dissapeared to unknown worlds the people here could use our help.
    Just kidding, I know Roland was born much later.
     
    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin
     
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    These sound really interesting. To be honest, all of them do... But these the most, especially since I'm unsure how our numenorean group will approach religion. I mean, they just saw Eru destroying Numenor, so they will probably react like "yeah, you're all wrong".
     
    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    [X] The port of Acre in the Military District of Jordan, one of the most important military ports in the Abbasid Caliphate, though waning in importance in the mind of the present caliph

    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome

    It's Rurik time, baby!

    [X] Off the coast of Jutland, near where hundreds of the pagan Nordic tribes, chiefdoms, and kingdoms squabble over meager land

    Or Odin time, baby!

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    We might not plunder ya, but we'll tax ya.
     
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    XML4ever said:
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    These sound really interesting. To be honest, all of them do... But these the most, especially since I'm unsure how our numenorean group will approach religion. I mean, they just saw Eru destroying Numenor, so they will probably react like "yeah, you're all wrong".
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    It's worth considering that Eriol may now believe that the Valar are extremely powerful but that doesn't equate to believing they are omnipotent or worthy of worship.
     
    XML4ever said:
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them

    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    These sound really interesting. To be honest, all of them do... But these the most, especially since I'm unsure how our numenorean group will approach religion. I mean, they just saw Eru destroying Numenor, so they will probably react like "yeah, you're all wrong".
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It should be noted that the most religious Numanorean in the world is about as invested in the ritual of religion as a Neoplatonist philosopher. They would not really try to persuade anyone
     
    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin

    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome

    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome
     
    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome
     
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it

    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome

    [X] Off the coast of the Island of Man, a Christian land uneasy under the recent dominion of the yet pagan Viking Kings of Dublin
     
    [X] Off the coast of what would one day be called Normandy, strange travelers in a land all too weary of well armed seafarers. They will likely be just glad you do not mean to plunder them
     
    [X] On the eastern Coast of the Theme of Sicily as it falls piecemeal to invaders from North Africa, a land oft ignored in Constantinople, but rich in history and in wealth if you can hold and guard it
    [X] The port of Acre in the Military District of Jordan, one of the most important military ports in the Abbasid Caliphate, though waning in importance in the mind of the present caliph
    [X] Near the Mouth of the Neva River, a path oft traveled on the way to the Black sea and the cities of Eastern Rome
     
    Last edited:
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