The Quest for Middle Earth (LotR Quest)
- Thread starter yinko
- Start date
- Location
- the Netherworld Dood
Bad rolls for us
@yinko
shouldent we have a roll for defending ourselves?
[X] The Variag
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Make your own life
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
Just think, we could have been a rich little dwarf, but no, we just had to be noble. A pity.
- Location
- US
It all started when you guys got a terrible social roll with your mother. I couldn't think of a reason for a mother to spontaneously hate her son, so I had us become suspicious of her. Then I merged that will the critical success roll for finding out secrets. You guys decided that we should turn her in, I have no idea why, and then the clan head got a -10 racial debuff due to greed, and our mother had a +20 skill buff for lying. Plus the rolls were just really harsh. I like the result though, it gets us out of those irritating training years. We were close to being as good as our trainers, which would have made them useless.
- Location
- Australia
Yeah at the least we should have had a chance, i mean why would we have told on her if we were the one that did it.
- Location
- USA
[X] The Avari
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Make your own life
Exile.... well for the two places to go, the Avari are neutral with, while the Variag are under Sauron's influence.
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Make your own life
Exile.... well for the two places to go, the Avari are neutral with, while the Variag are under Sauron's influence.
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
Hmm. I don't know, maybe to divert attention away from ourself, perhaps.
- Location
- US
To get rid of the competition. Duh. Not that it matters, the clanhead got a 5 with a +10 racial bonus, he bought up her story whole.
- Location
- Australia
Huh...
well you have a good point but i still think it was way to early, especially with the 'no defence rolls'.
Its your quest but i really think its to soon for this sort of change, so i don't think i will be coming back since i'm just not attached enough to the quest to take such a massive negative blow that came out of no where.
If it was smaller, or we had gained SOMEthing or even it it had happened later then it would be unpleasant but ok, as it is though
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
Is it odd that I now respect mother more than before?
- Location
- US
That's the whole point of rolls, otherwise everything is lovely the whole time and there's no conflict, no bad ends.
I was originally going to have her executed in front of us, but her defense roll was effective, and we were the only target around she could offload the blame onto. Before hand she was barely a character, now she has enough definition that we know she's incredibly selfish and greedy.
Halcyon Days
Velothi
- Location
- US
Somewhat.
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
I just think that you have to admire the cunning and audacity it takes, to shift the blame elsewhere so quickly and have the fools believing your every word. And all on the spot, with no warning and no forethought. Clever girl.
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I have no idea why either.
- Location
- US
There was literally no way that anything good would ever come from that option. In fact, this was possibly one of the best possibilities, since no one died. If our mother had been executed and us exiled then there was a decent possibility that our father would have committed suicide. Plus the fact that we rolled just good enough that the clan head didn't have us executed despite our age, and our father didn't decided to kill us himself to cleans his reputation. So yeah.
- Location
- the Netherworld Dood
why would we be exiled if our mom was the one that did that and we reported her?
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
Because she's a sneaky bitch who'll shift the blame to anyone but herself and the clan head is a gullible fool?
Aren't we only fifteen years old? How would we have acquired such a large amount of wealth in such a short time without anyone noticing, especially some of the unique and recognizable pieces. Then there is the fact we choose to tell the clan head of our own volition, without him even being aware of it so that wasn't a motive for us there either. It just seems there should have been a large negative for her trying to weave a tale given the evidence both circumstantial and otherwise rather than just her getting a flat +20 bonus.
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Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] The Variag
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Get bloody revenge
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Get bloody revenge
- Location
- the netherlands
I think you should stop being a bad sport and stop moaning to the GM.
- Location
- Pilipinas
why you guys not want to start a dwarf mafia!?
[X] The Variag
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Make your own life
-new plan! create the largest crime syndicate in Middle Earth then hire a mercenary army and crush our original clan! or become a quest-giver whichever comes first!
[X] The Variag
[X] Remain unseen so as to avoid detection by possible enemies
[X] Learning survival skills, in case you run out of rations before you run into any other people
[X] Make your own life
-new plan! create the largest crime syndicate in Middle Earth then hire a mercenary army and crush our original clan! or become a quest-giver whichever comes first!
6 - Kand
- Location
- US
You decide to make for the Variags on the river Harnen. From having listed to the traders you know that they control that trade route, forcing any other groups to pay tribute or toll to travel and trade upon it, as well as bringing new goods to it themselves by raiding and serving as mercenaries. A harsh people who care little for the affairs of others, but long for wealth and bloodshed.
Most Dwarven trade caravans just went to the closest Variag settlement, Laorki, if we wanted to hide our tracks we'd need to bypass it and head for Sturlursta Khand, the capital. If caught, then the most likely consequence would be enslavement, or to be robbed and beaten, left to die without any resources in the plains of Khand.
Going unseen=75+10+15=100
On the third day you were almost seen by a group of ten Variag scouts. You hid and covered your cloak with grass and various detritus to break up your shape. The scouts seem to have seen a few of your tracks some ways back, but lost you since then.
XP+500
You don't actually know how long it will take you to reach Sturlursta Khand, so in order to stretch your rations as much as possible you attempt to scavenge any edible plants and insects you can.
Survivalism = 54
But you aren't used to living outside of the mountain halls, if you had been asked to look for edible fungi then sure, but wild plants are another matter altogether. Fortunately you are moving along the tributary streams that feed into the lower Harnen, so water itself isn't much of an issue.
Looking back on the events that led up to your exile, you can't say that you really want to make the Blacklocks the permanent focus of your life, you don't want them to drive your existence. You always intended to go out, see the world and take from it what you wished, so in a way they did you a favor. While lacking a beard might make you a pariah amongst the Dwarves, it will allow you to blend in among the races of Men, who are the majority of Arda's population. You shall put your past behind you, learn the ways of the people you encounter and carve a path for yourself through the world.
After weeks of travel in which you almost exhaust your supplies you reach the city of Sturlursta Khand, largest city on the Harnen. Before entering you need a plan, do you…
[ ] Petition the Khan for aid (low chance of success, just saying)
[ ] Try to find a specialist to apprentice you (only areas good enough to entice a master to let you apprentice)
-[ ] Lore
-[ ] Runes
-[ ] Smithing
-[ ] Disguise and deception
Bear in mind that some of these skills might not have a master here that is good enough to be worth it.
[ ] Stay out of the way, on the streets, and make your own way (mafia, adventure option)
[ ] Write in
Using your knowledge of runes you figure you have two options on what you could do. Right now you just look like a human child, beardless, but as you grow older your short stocky form might give you away. You can either find a way to increase how tall you'll grow, or try to break the curse that prevents your beard from growing in. Being taller might have the secondary advantage of making you better at certain physical activities, and making Men like you more, while being a bearded Dwarf will make Dwarves be neutral to you, but be less likely for Men to warm to you.
[ ] Work on runic bands to increase growth rate through puberty. Increased height, +5 speed, +social with Men, almost eliminates the chance that anyone will find out you are an outcast dwarf.
[ ] Work on runic comb to erode curse. Starting neutrality from dwarves, have the same social rolls as a dwarf would with other races, +beard.
Doing both gets rid of the reason for doing either, so it's an either-or situation.
With a significant amount of your time allotted already, you still need to figure out how to improve your skills. You have three training slots
[ ] Easterling language (tongue of the Variags)
[ ] Deception and disguise on the streets
[ ] Survivalism outside the walls
[ ] Find a smithy to specialize your skills to
- [ ] Locksmithing (locks and lockpicks)
- [ ] Specialized tools (varies from runic inscribers to assassination tools and traps, anything that is small and precise)
- [ ] Weapons
- [ ] Armor
[ ] Try to find someone willing to teach you to ride a horse
[ ] Try to find someone willing to teach you to sail
AN: I've been slightly sick for a bit, plus I had to read about the Kievan-Rus to figure out what Tolkien was basing the Variags on (they're river Vikings), and find some not-really-canonical maps that would at least show one interpretation of Kand that makes some sense. I was also reading some of the Conan books where he's a light-cavalry raider, but the style of Conan is all present–tense (I do this now, and don't think of the consequences), and that doesn't mesh well with the quest format (I chose this then and these are the consequences). So unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to use that for better story writing. If you have suggestions of how to make the story aspect better, then please don't hesitate to type them.
Most Dwarven trade caravans just went to the closest Variag settlement, Laorki, if we wanted to hide our tracks we'd need to bypass it and head for Sturlursta Khand, the capital. If caught, then the most likely consequence would be enslavement, or to be robbed and beaten, left to die without any resources in the plains of Khand.
Going unseen=75+10+15=100
On the third day you were almost seen by a group of ten Variag scouts. You hid and covered your cloak with grass and various detritus to break up your shape. The scouts seem to have seen a few of your tracks some ways back, but lost you since then.
XP+500
You don't actually know how long it will take you to reach Sturlursta Khand, so in order to stretch your rations as much as possible you attempt to scavenge any edible plants and insects you can.
Survivalism = 54
But you aren't used to living outside of the mountain halls, if you had been asked to look for edible fungi then sure, but wild plants are another matter altogether. Fortunately you are moving along the tributary streams that feed into the lower Harnen, so water itself isn't much of an issue.
Looking back on the events that led up to your exile, you can't say that you really want to make the Blacklocks the permanent focus of your life, you don't want them to drive your existence. You always intended to go out, see the world and take from it what you wished, so in a way they did you a favor. While lacking a beard might make you a pariah amongst the Dwarves, it will allow you to blend in among the races of Men, who are the majority of Arda's population. You shall put your past behind you, learn the ways of the people you encounter and carve a path for yourself through the world.
After weeks of travel in which you almost exhaust your supplies you reach the city of Sturlursta Khand, largest city on the Harnen. Before entering you need a plan, do you…
[ ] Petition the Khan for aid (low chance of success, just saying)
[ ] Try to find a specialist to apprentice you (only areas good enough to entice a master to let you apprentice)
-[ ] Lore
-[ ] Runes
-[ ] Smithing
-[ ] Disguise and deception
Bear in mind that some of these skills might not have a master here that is good enough to be worth it.
[ ] Stay out of the way, on the streets, and make your own way (mafia, adventure option)
[ ] Write in
Using your knowledge of runes you figure you have two options on what you could do. Right now you just look like a human child, beardless, but as you grow older your short stocky form might give you away. You can either find a way to increase how tall you'll grow, or try to break the curse that prevents your beard from growing in. Being taller might have the secondary advantage of making you better at certain physical activities, and making Men like you more, while being a bearded Dwarf will make Dwarves be neutral to you, but be less likely for Men to warm to you.
[ ] Work on runic bands to increase growth rate through puberty. Increased height, +5 speed, +social with Men, almost eliminates the chance that anyone will find out you are an outcast dwarf.
[ ] Work on runic comb to erode curse. Starting neutrality from dwarves, have the same social rolls as a dwarf would with other races, +beard.
Doing both gets rid of the reason for doing either, so it's an either-or situation.
With a significant amount of your time allotted already, you still need to figure out how to improve your skills. You have three training slots
[ ] Easterling language (tongue of the Variags)
[ ] Deception and disguise on the streets
[ ] Survivalism outside the walls
[ ] Find a smithy to specialize your skills to
- [ ] Locksmithing (locks and lockpicks)
- [ ] Specialized tools (varies from runic inscribers to assassination tools and traps, anything that is small and precise)
- [ ] Weapons
- [ ] Armor
[ ] Try to find someone willing to teach you to ride a horse
[ ] Try to find someone willing to teach you to sail
AN: I've been slightly sick for a bit, plus I had to read about the Kievan-Rus to figure out what Tolkien was basing the Variags on (they're river Vikings), and find some not-really-canonical maps that would at least show one interpretation of Kand that makes some sense. I was also reading some of the Conan books where he's a light-cavalry raider, but the style of Conan is all present–tense (I do this now, and don't think of the consequences), and that doesn't mesh well with the quest format (I chose this then and these are the consequences). So unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to use that for better story writing. If you have suggestions of how to make the story aspect better, then please don't hesitate to type them.
Last edited:
Corvus Black
The Inestimable
- Location
- England
- Location
- US
I do roll results and XP like that so that people who aren't interested can pass right over it. Because I have no idea how to do invsi-text.