Remove ads

The Silmarillion Quest

Reader mode
EVA-Saiyajin said:
Hopefully, yeah. Ideally in some place in the east, where man can become a power equal to the grandest of the firstborn rather than a mere subordinate vassal clutching at their sleeves.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Um. It was the other way around after the first age? Reminder that Numenor defeated Onering!Sauron in just 2 battles, when he'd beaten everything the elves had to offer. There's a reason that a dozen boats numenorian refugees were equal partners to the high king of the Noldor in the last alliance of elves and men. It's not just the edain, either; even aside from its showing in the two towers and return of the king, they've killed dragons, and laketown was able to take on the might of smaug. Sauron needed the help of humans to take down Arnor, etc.
 
QTesseract said:
Um. It was the other way around after the first age? Reminder that Numenor defeated Onering!Sauron in just 2 battles, when he'd beaten everything the elves had to offer. There's a reason that a dozen boats numenorian refugees were equal partners to the high king of the Noldor in the last alliance of elves and men. It's not just the edain, either; even aside from its showing in the two towers and return of the king, they've killed dragons, and laketown was able to take on the might of smaug. Sauron needed the help of humans to take down Arnor, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I realize that, I meant in the First Age, as a civilization, without relying on the path of heroism and fate defiance.

Speaking of which, how did the Numenoreans get their exceptionally long lives?
 
EVA-Saiyajin said:
I realize that, I meant in the First Age, as a civilization, without relying on the path of heroism and fate defiance.

Speaking of which, how did the Numenoreans get their exceptionally long lives?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Partly from simply being more than other Men due to their tutelage under the Noldor, and partly from the Valar blessing them as thanks for their faithfulness to the Elves and the Light and constant defiance against Morgoth.

Even then it mostly came down to aging slower and having the ability to choose when to die.
 
QTesseract said:
Um. It was the other way around after the first age? Reminder that Numenor defeated Onering!Sauron in just 2 battles, when he'd beaten everything the elves had to offer. There's a reason that a dozen boats numenorian refugees were equal partners to the high king of the Noldor in the last alliance of elves and men. It's not just the edain, either; even aside from its showing in the two towers and return of the king, they've killed dragons, and laketown was able to take on the might of smaug. Sauron needed the help of humans to take down Arnor, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Actually Sauron never took down Arnor, it was the vastly weakened remnants of the Arnor successor states that ultimately fell to the forces of Angmar, and only after centuries of drawn out conflict. As long as they they were united Sauron never had the strength to challenge the either of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain, and it was only after the partition of Arnor by Eärendur and the Kin-strife of Gondor his chief servants began move against them openly.

It's a thematic concept we see repeated over and over again in Tolkien's work. The forces of evil are only able to triumph when those who should be united in opposing them have weakened themselves with civil conflict and strife. If the Dwarves of Nogrod had never slain Thingol and the Battle of a Thousand Caves averted, Morgoth would not have been able to so easily overcome the Free People of Beleriand. The Second Kinslaying and the betrayal of Ulfang the Black are further testaments to this.

EVA-Saiyajin said:
Speaking of which, how did the Numenoreans get their exceptionally long lives?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Couple of different factors in play, but it primarily comes down to two different events. The first one being the Elros, the first King of Númenór, was half-elven and thus had exceptionally long life even after he chose to embrace the fate of Man. His descendants would go on to spread and share in this diluted elven ancestry amongst the people of Númenór, even after the Fall. The second major reason is that Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, blessed the Houses of the Edain with greater wisdom, power, and longer life in the aftermath of the War of Wrath and the Sinking of Beleriand.
 
Last edited:
Let's not forget that there was some maia ancestry in there too, courtesy of Melian.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the longevity and power of the numenoreans.
 
Remove ads
Turn 2: The Song Of The Firstborn
  • Threadmarks
    • Turn Two:
    The Song of the Firstborn
    [X] Plan We Are Here to Stay
    [X] Try to make them get along, for the good of the folk (DC 100, ??? if you fail, gain both the positive modifiers above if you succeed)
    -[X] Leader Beor
    -[X] Leader Belen
    [X] The Wise have stories to tell of times much like this, and troubles much like these. (Chance to gain a +20 to all rolls for a turn)
    -[X] Leader Belen
    [X] The hunters say that in their rangings high in the mountains, they bespied Oroch from afar. Though they were many leagues away, some among them think it might be wise for a party of them to go up into the mountains and erase your tracks, that the foul beasts might not find you.
    -[X] Leader Baran
    [X] You organize a scouting party to search for the lost Men in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. (Hunters will gather one less month of food this turn)
    -[X] Leader Baran
    -[X] You personally speak to them, attempting to allay their fears and calm them. (Requires Beor) (Chance of gaining a positive modifier next turn)
    --[X] Leader Beor
    [X] You send the Wise among them to heal their wounds and mend the physical scars of their terrible journey through the passes.
    [X] You throw a celebration to feast emerging from the mountain passes alive and mostly whole. (Will take up two months worth of food)(Morale greatly improved)
    [X] You give extra rations to the women and children, that they might quicker recover from the harshness of the mountains (Requires an extra month of food)


    [X] The Wise have stories to tell of times much like this, and troubles much like these: DC 90
    Belen: (1d100 +60 (Lore) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) -10 (The Dwindling of Memory) = 63 (Failure)
    Belen (Gift Of Men reroll) : (1d100 +60 (Lore) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) -10 (The Dwindling of Memory) = 117 (Moderate Success)
    Result: Moderate Success

    [X] Try to make them get along, for the good of the folk: DC 100

    Beor: (1d100 +40 (Diplomacy) -20 (Ancient Feuds) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise)= 114 (Success)
    Belen: (1d100+20 (Diplomacy) -20 (Ancient Feuds) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise)= 84 (Failure)
    Belen (Sight reroll): (1d100+20 (Diplomacy) -20 (Ancient Feuds) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise)= 96 (Failure)
    Belen (Gift of Men reroll): (1d100+20 (Diplomacy) -20 (Ancient Feuds) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise)= 59 (Failure)
    Result: Success

    [X] The hunters say that in their rangings high in the mountains, they bespied Oroch from afar. Though they were many leagues away, some among them think it might be wise for a party of them to go up into the mountains and erase your tracks, that the foul beasts might not find you. (DC 80)
    Baran: (1d100 +90 (Woodsmanship) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise) -20 (The Wolves of Angband) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin) = 83 (Close Success)
    Baran (Gift of Men reroll): (1d100 +90 (Woodsmanship) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise) -20 (The Wolves of Angband) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin) = 143 (Critical Success)
    Result: Critical Success

    Critical Success Result    :     Oroch Outrunners Found

    Track The Oroch Outrunners: DC 60
    Baran: (1d100 +40 (Tracking) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise)- 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin)) = 82 (Major Success)
    Major Success

    The Battle In The High Pass:
    Baran son of Beor: (1d100 +0 (Warfare) +40 (Combat) +60 (Ambush) -40 (The Great Flight) +0 (Equal numbers) -10 (Disheartened Forces) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin)) = 108 (Best roll of 2)
    vs
    Uldfang the Outrunner: (1d100 +20 (Warfare) +20 (Combat) -60 (Ambushed) +20 (The Wolves of Angband) +0 (Equal numbers) +10 (The Will of Melkor) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin))= 77 (Best roll of 1)
    Result: Crushing Victory

    [X] You organize a scouting party to search for the lost Men in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. (Hunters will gather one less month of food this turn) DC 65
     Baran: (1d100 +40 (Tracking) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin)) = 50
    Baran (Gift Of Men Reroll): (1d100 +40 (Tracking) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise) - 40 (The Cruel Ered Luin)) = 118
    Result: Critical Success

    Critical Success Result:     Gain one extra month of food.

    [X] You personally speak to them, attempting to allay their fears and calm them. (Requires Beor) (Chance of gaining a positive modifier next turn) DC 80
    Beor: (1d100 +40 (Diplomacy) -60 (The Great Flight) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise))= 52 (Failure)
    Beor: (1d100 +40 (Diplomacy) -60 (The Great Flight) +5 (The House of Beor) +2 (The Gift of Men) +20 (Words of the Wise))= 82 (Close Success)
    Result: Close Success

    [X]     You send the Wise among them to heal their wounds and mend the physical scars of their terrible journey through the passes. DC 60
    The Wise: (1d100 +20 (Seers Supported)) = 101 (Major Success)
    Major Success


    F.A 311

    The year begins well enough.

    Your people lay under a dark cloud in the weeks after their emergence from the mountains, and so your son, Belen, lead the Wise among their tents, speaking to them of ancient struggles and crises that your people have endured in days darker yet than these. He tells of the crossing of the Great River in your great-great grandfather's time, of how your forefather Belech lost three sons and a father to the rushing waters, yet persevered to lead your people to new lands. He tells of the first time the Oroch came in the night, and of how Boromir son of Harel drove them off with only a flaming stick pulled from the flame.

    He speaks the legends of the heroes who have shepherded your House during their generational flight from the Shadow, and they fill your people's hearts with a hope you thought left beyond the mountains. That hope springs with you into the new year, and fills their every word and deed.

    It is under the graces of this auspicious feeling that you and Belen attempt to mend the centuries-old rift between the Seers and the Spears. The hunters and the Wise have ever and always quibbled over resources, respect, and power. It is that oldest and most enduring of conflicts -- the word against the sword, the old against the young, the brave against the wise. You and Belen attempt to mend this latest iteration of the age-old conflict in order to allow your people to better succeed in this land. In this, Belen has little success -- his connection to the Wise makes him too sympathetic to their cause, and the hunters simply laugh off his wordy arguments.

    You, however, fare far better. You are the chief of all your kindred, and your words carry a heavy weight. The feuding factions heed your words, and you are able to bring them to an uneasy peace. Both throw their full efforts into exploring these lands and settling your people. Though you are wise enough to know that their conflict will only flare back up with time, for now the Spears and the Seers work hand-in-hand.

    Perhaps the most successful of your kindred, however, is your son and heir, Baran. As spring rolls across the land, bringing green grass in it's wake and melting the winter snows, he leads a band of some twenty-odd men into the mountains to search for your lost people and cover the tracks you left behind. The greatest woodsman in your tribe, he is easily able to find where your people crossed, and begin the tiresome task of erasing all the tracks of your passing.

    In the high snows of the Blue Mountains, Baran not only finds and erases your own tracks, but comes across the tracks of the very Oroch searching after you -- a pack of Oroch outriders, brutish trackers riding fell fire-eyed wolves. In an act of daring, he lures the Oroch away from your people, laying a false trail that leads them up into the frigid passes of the mountains. There, he and his hunters launch a bold ambush, wiping out the monsters' entire company in a single night. They say the leader of the pack was a great beast twice the size of a man, with wicked eyes and sharp teeth. Baran brought you the creature's severed head, his arrow still buried deep into it's skull.


    After the battle, Baran and his trackers follow what is left of your tracks back down the mountains, and against all hope, manage to find the lost group that had split off from the caravans. They had become waylaid in the storm along with many of the supplies, and sought shelter in a warren of caves in the mountains. There, by some miracle, they had survived the past weeks, losing only a few of their oldest to the bitter snows. Baran returns at the close of Spring with people and food at his back, a conquering hero who dared and bested all the mountains could throw at him.

    Legend Begun: Hunter Legend (3/10) (Baran, son of Beor)

    In the First Age, characters who commit deeds of renown and skill may forge for themselves legends associated with this particular skill. A leader may forge only two Legends in his lifetime (barring special exceptions), but Legends may be improved and leveled up as time passes, providing greater and greater modifiers. To begin a Legend, a character must simply be successful at the same thing multiple times, with critical successes counting more. For example, a warrior who wins a mighty battle may begin a Sword Legend, like so:

    Legend Begun: Sword Legend (3/10) (Bob)

    If he wins several more battles, he will gain the Sword Legend, like so:

    Legend Gained: Sword Legend: Bob the Fell-Handed: You are a warrior of some great renown among mankind. (Rank I, +10 to all Combat rolls) (Bob)

    And if he wins very many battles, he may level up the Legend, like so:

    Legend Gained: Sword Legend: Bob the Fell-Handed: You are mighty among the warriors of men, famed across Beleriand for your skill with the blade. Few living, if any, are your equal. (Rank V, +50 to all Combat rolls) (Bob the Fell-Handed)

    Characters may also instantly gain unique Legends from completing certain questlines or finishing certain actions. For example, the Man who completes the Lay of Leithan storyline, irrespective of any other legends he may have, will automatically gain this Unique Legend:

    Unique Legend: Erchamion, the One-Handed (Rank V, +5 Grace, +20 to all combat rolls against servants of Morgoth, +20 to all diplomatic rolls with Elves, live an extra ten turns)

    For those curious, in the actual Silmarillion, the character with the most Legends was none other than Turin Turambar, who possessed one Sword Legend, one War Legend and three Unique Legends.

    To celebrate your son's success in the mountains and the survival of your missing people, you throw a great feast using the bountiful supplies you have gathered from this new land. Your people dance and frolic among the trees and grasses, and for the briefest of moments, the shadow lifts from the shoulders of the House of Beor. The women dance with bare feet while the Wise sing the revels of their ancestors, and the children roll and play in the spring flowers. Gladness wakes beneath the stars, and the sound of music rolls out of the forest and across the plains.

    And the music is answered.

    It is faint, at first, a song ringing through the eaves of the forest, dismissed perhaps as an echo of an echo. But as it grows louder and louder, the revels stop. The songs fall quiet and the dancers stand enthralled. The children cease their play and look up with eyes wide. This music is like no music your people have ever heard, like no song Men have ever sung. It is old and sad, but it is not the sadness of those who die young. It is a sadness older than flesh and bone and time and stone, and your hearts shake to hear it.

    You are the first to shake from the trance and gaze into the woods, and so you are the first among Men to lay eyes on him. He is tall and fair, with skin like marble carved. His eyes are old -- older than yours, and you are old among Men. His hair falls shimmering about his shoulders, like waves of amber grain woven finer than gold. He moves as if the Earth were not beneath him, flowing like water with every step. His long and lithe fingers pluck softly at the strange instrument in his hands, filling the woods with an ethereal music. And from his lips comes the song, that beautiful song, that beats in time with your soul and echoes the tunes of the World.

    You gaze for the first time upon one of the Firstborn, and know, in your heart of hearts, that the Flight is at an end.

    Questline Begun: The Coming Of Men

    The tall singer with golden hair and sharp ears cannot speak your tongue at first, nor you his, but his musical words are similar to those the Quendi taught you long ago. But if this singer is indeed of the Quendi, the elves, then he is nothing like the wandering hunters your people met all those lifetimes ago. His clothing is finer than anything you or yours have ever set eyes upon, and his very voice is filled with a wisdom and strength of spirit that you could only hope to match in a dozen lifetimes. He is to those wandering elves of your ancestor's times as the sun must be to a flickering torch.

    And he is kind. In the days and weeks to come, he returns and walks among your tents, greeting the people. He sings to the children and the sick and the old, and to any who will listen. He teaches the Wise new tunes, and braids crowns of lily-flowers for the women. He joins in your revels, and they are all the greater for it. In time, he can piece together enough of your tongue to speak to you, and seems to delight in your stories and songs all the more.

    His name, he tells you one day, is Finrod Felagund. He is an Elf indeed, a distant cousin of those your forefathers knew. This land to which you are newly come is called by his kindred Beleriand, and he and his people are called the Noldor, a mighty tribe among the Elves. Finrod himself is a great lord of a portion of this tribe, and descended from a high lineage among their people. He devours all that you can tell him and more -- stories of the lands beyond the mountains, of your people's wandering and roaming, and of your history. When you speak of the Great Flight, of the Shadow and the Oroch, the old eyes grow impossibly sad, and stormclouds pass over the thin fair face.

    When next he returns, he brings others, like him but not. These are clad in simpler clothes, and there is...something missing in their eyes that burns in his. These, he tells you, are the Green Elves, another clan of his kindred, and the lands you and your people now roam upon are theirs. They have seen your people from afar, but avoided them out of fear. They have no quarrel with your people, but they are a solitary and lonely sort, and your hunters stray ever closer to their woodland havens.

    In short, Finrod explains in halting tones, they would like you to leave.







    Turn Two
    ​
    You and your folk are not alone in these lands -- far from it. The elves were here before you, and have spilled across the breadth of this continent, forming great realms with mighty kings. These elves are fairer and greater by far than those your grandfathers' grandfathers once knew, and the wisdom they could teach your people is almost unfathomable. The Great Flight, you dare to hope, may yet be at an end. But the Elves rule these lands, and so must be heeded -- your people may not have found a home just yet. Yet the meeting of your people and Finrod has given to your House something Mankind lost centuries ago -- hope.

    The folk of the House of Bëor currently number at some two thousand one hundred and twenty, with the majority of these being women and children. There are some six hundred-odd men and women capable of fighting and hunting among your people, and of these, most all are hunters and trappers, not true warriors of any sort. The overall mood of your people is hopeful.

    Your people have 13 months worth of food -- just enough to get through the next year, barring any unfortunate accidents. Food is plentiful, and your hunters will gather roughly 15 months worth of food from various sources if all goes well.

    Belen, your son, dreams of two realms -- a land of wood and lore and song to the north, and a kingdom of swords and pride in the east. Both great and mighty, yet as different from the other as the dawn from the dusk.

    Beor has three actions this turn. Baran has three, and Belen has two. You have one free action which can be assigned to any leader, for a total of nine.

    Voting works a bit differently here from my other quests. Each leader has a certain number of actions available based on their rank and yearly modifiers. Leaders can be assigned to as many actions as they are capable of, and depending on the action, leaders can even double up on the same action to increase the chances of success. The actions will be listed below, and players must construct a Plan that not only decides which actions will be taken, but which leaders will be assigned to which actions. Watching stats and modifiers thus becomes very important, as a mismatch between a leader and an action could lead to disaster.

    Not all votes have to be taken, and most can be ignored unless they're labeled Vital. You cannot do everything, nor should you try. Some actions must be foregone for others, some disadvantages must be taken. Questlines, in particular, are leader-specific story chains which force the leader in question to spend a vote on them per turn, and may even require them to spend more than one vote. However, the in-universe and story effects of questlines may have game-changing effects, and the rewards at the end may be great. The leader who starts a Questline by taking the action that begins it must see it out to it's end.

    If you feel constrained and trapped, or as if there is no clear way forward -- well, that was the lot of the race of Men in the Elder Days.

    VOTES:
    (Vital) Questline: The Coming of Men:
    Finrod Felagund has returned from the west with an offer. The overking of this land, Elu Thingol of Doriath, has seen fit to grant you and your people reprieve. You, and all Men who follow after, may settle in Beleriand, as long as they swear to aid the Elves in their wars. The Elves fight a great war against a mighty and dreadful Enemy to the north, an Enemy they say is the selfsame Shadow who has haunted you these millennia. Many and mighty are their clans and tribes, and to swear yourself into their service is to, in Finrod's words, avenge your ancestors against the ancient Shadow on the hearts of Man. There is a land far to the northwest where your people may dwell in peace and plenty -- Estolad, the Elves call it, the Encampment. (Will cost Beor an action)

    []     You accept the offer of Finrod, and begin preparing your people for the final leg of their Great Journey, which is at long last at an end. (Gain Trait: Elf-Friends, remove Great Flight modifier)
    []     You accept the offer of Finrod, and take a final, greater step. You swear yourself into the service of Finrod Felagund, as his vassal and leal servant, for all the days of your mortal life. You will dwell with him in his realm of Nargothrond, and your son Baran will lead your people ever after. So will begin a friendship between the House of Finwe and the House of Beor that will last all the days of the World. (Gain Trait: Elf-Friends, remove Great Flight modifier, lose Beor as a leader, Faction Leader becomes Baran, Gain Modifier: Beor the Old for as long as Beor lives, granting +5 to all Wisdom and Lore rolls, Gain Permanent Ally: The Kingdom of Nargothrond, can begin the Ring of Finrod questline later on)
    []     You reject the offer of Finrod. These lands are yours. You have led your people to safety at long last, and you will not follow strangers into unknown lands when there is food and plenty here. If these Green Elves so want you gone, they can come and make you leave. The Elves may be the Firstborn, but this gives them no power or right to rule you. Men will make their own path. (Gain Trait: Pride of the Secondborn, remove Great Flight modifier, become Lord of Ossiriand. Gain Modifier: Defiance of Beor for as long as Beor lives, granting +10 to all Independence-related rolls until Beor's death.)
    []     You reject the offer of Finrod. Men have survived free from any yoke these long millennia, and will be servants to none. Seeking no strife with the elves, you and your people will migrate from these lands further west, in search of a new home. (Hunters will gather three less months of food this turn. Significant morale loss. Gain Trait: The Pride of the Secondborn, Gain Modifier: Defiance of Beor for as long as Beor lives, granting +10 to all Independence-related rolls until Beor's death.)

    The Teachings of the Eldar:
    The Elf-Lord Finrod Felagund has spent many weeks and months among your people, learning their tongue, their ways, and their history. He has his own land, his own people, and his own responsibilities, but he has taken the time to share with your people a small portion of his ancient knowledge. The memories of men are finite and fading, and the wisdom of the Eldar cannot stay with them forever, but his words will remain with your people for a generation at least. (The leader(s) you choose for this event will gain permanent life-long modifiers and bonuses to the selected area(s)) (Pick up to two)

    [] The Eyes of the Eldar:     Finrod teaches your hunters to see the world with new eyes, to read the sky and the water and the trees, to speak the language of the birds and see the patterns of the wind. From him, they learn to hear the Music that beats in the wild places of the earth. (Hunters gather increased food for ten turns, increased chance to generate Hunter leaders for ten turns)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The History of the Children: The Elf-Lord teaches your people of the ancient lore of the Eldar. He speaks of Elder Days before Men awoke, when the stars where young and the seas were new. He tells of ancient wars and triumphs, of all that was lost and all that was gained. The Wise treasure his words as if they are gold. (+10 to all Lore rolls for ten turns, increased chance to generate Seer leaders for ten turns)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Strength of the Noldor: Finrod Felagund is and was one of the Noldor, the finest warriors among the Elven race. Though he himself is no great swordsman, his skill with the blade is enough to make your best men look like babes at play. He moves like water, flowing from one stance to the next, and his blade of silver steel is as an extension of his lithe body. Those who watch him dance the sword will never forget -- and their foes will fall all the easier. (+10 to all combat rolls for ten turns, Warrior leaders are generated with minimum 10 combat, increased chance to generate Warrior leaders for ten turns)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Grace of the Undying: The Elves are fair and graceful beyond measure. Their words carry the weight of centuries, and they move with the self-assured grace of the undying. Learning from Finrod has passed some small part of this on to your people. (+10 to all Diplomacy rolls for ten turns, leaders are generated with minimum 7 Grace)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Wrath of the Elven: When Finrod speaks of the Oroch, there is a flame of hate that burns in his eyes, a hate older and greater than Mankind itself. He tells your people what he has learned of the Shadow over the long millennia -- how to know it, how to fight it, and how to kill it. There is an Enemy in the North, and the Elves have spat in his face for lifetimes. (+10 to all Warfare rolls, and a further +10 to all Warfare, Tracking, and Combat rolls against servants of the Shadow for ten turns. Increased chance to generate Champion leaders for ten turns)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Song of the Firstborn: Finrod's song still echoes in your hearts, and the tunes that he taught the Wise are but pale echoes of the beautiful sounds that fell from his lips. His song, he says, is itself a pale echo of another song and an older Music, a greater tune that woke before the World. There is a power to the Music, he says, a strength to the song. Those who can master it's tunes may master the world -- for the world is the song, and the song is the world. (+10 to all Magic rolls, increased chance to generate Bard leaders, Bard leaders generate with minimum 8 Magic.)
    --[] Leader (write-in)

    The Way of the Wise:
    Since time immemorial, the Wise have ever been the shepherds of the flock, the keepers of history and lore, memorizing every agonizing step of the long journey. Their words are a balm in dark times, and their ancient knowledge is ever of a use to the people.

    [] The Wise have stories to tell of times much like this, and troubles much like these. (Chance to gain a +20 to all rolls for a turn)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Wise seek to practice the songs and arts of Finrod, in an attempt to reproduce his haunting music.
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] Some among the Wise know something of the old magic of tree and wood and fen, the arts which bend earth and shape stone. You wish to know more of these things. (Begin Questline: The Old Ways. The Wise begin to investigate magic. -1 action to the Wise for ??? turns. The leader selected may have his magic increased by ???)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Wise know much of the woods and the wild, of the earth that is wide and holds many secrets. You ask them to led their wisdom. (Increased chance of finding food this turn, chance of finding ??? in the wild)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] Some among the Wise wish to visit the lands of Finrod Felagund in far-away Nargothrond, and look upon the Elven-lands. This journey will take additional resources, of course. (Requires four months worth of food)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] There are some among the Wise strong of mind and respected among the people. They may yet hold positions of leadership. (Chance of recruiting a seer leader)
    --[] Leader (write-in)

    The Hunters:
    The masters of wood and hill and beast and bow, the hunters feed, clothe, and protect your tribe.

    [] The hunters say that in their rangings they have stumbled upon a great glade, in which lies a lake filled with shimmering stones. You could send some hunters to investigate.
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The hunters have found a mighty boar that rampages through the forests, and has already slain two men. You declare a Great Hunt to find and kill the boar, promising that the man who slays it will be rewarded with extra food and a celebration in his honor. (Requires two months of food)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The hunters say they have roamed far in their rangings and hunts, and request permission to venture into the lands of the Green Elves, that they might find more food for the coming months. (Chance of getting ??? Months of food if successful)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The skilled hunters among your tribe are few. You send the most skilled to train the rest in tracking and stalking their prey. (Chance of increased hunter effectiveness)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] There are hunters of great skill and fame among their number, and a select few of these may grow greater still. (Chance of recruiting a Ranger or Warrior leader)
    --[] Leader (write-in)


    General Leadership:
    As the leader of your people and a bastion of their strength even unto the darkest of days, you must see to their needs and wants, and tend to their spirits. Here are all decisions relating directly to your clan as a whole. (You can take any of these you like without spending action points, and though they do not require a leader, one may help the roll go smoother. Taking more than three of these votes will take an action point from your faction leader, however -- three further votes for every AP spent.)

    []     You implore your people to find the strength to carry on. (Requires Beor)(Increases morale)
    []     You send the Wise among them to collect their stories and tales of the past year, adding them to the collected stories of the House.
    [] You give extra rations to the women and children, increasing the growth of the clan. (Requires an extra month of food)
    []     You give extra rations to the elderly and the Wise, that the memory of where we have been does not fade before it can be passed on. (Requires an extra month of food)(Increase the influence of the Wise)
    []     You give extra rations to the hunters and the scouts, that the people may be better defended and protected in the days to come. (Requires an extra month of food)(Hunters are more effective)(Increase the influence of the Hunters)
    []     You have the youngest and most able men of the tribe gathered and armed. These will not hunt, but rather protect the people of your tribe when the men are away. (Hunters may be displeased)
    []     You increase the number of hunters out on the plains, that you might gather more food this year. (Hunters gather more food)(Increased Hunter influence)(The tribe is less defended)
    []     You order the Wise and the women to pick berries and gather plants to eat. (The Wise may be displeased. More food gathered this turn)
    []     Some among your people do not trust the elves. You speak to them, calming their fears and reassuring them.
    [] A new generation of children has begun to come up, the first in many lifetimes who have known green grasses and lived more than a few months without the Great Flight. You order the Wise to pay special attention to their tutelage. (???)
    [] Finrod has not been alone. Elves have followed him from their Western kingdoms, and some among your people have begun to barter with the strange travelers, trading their hand-made arts and embroideries for elvish fineries and even small silver trinkets. You encourage this burgeoning trade.
    [] You order the fastest among your people to scout into the surrounding lands and return with news.
    [] You send scouts to search the low passes of the mountains for signs of the other clans of Men you know attempted the crossing.

    ​
    There is now a ONE DAY MORATORIUM on all votes.

    Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.

    As always, discussion is rewarded with Echoes. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)    ​
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Anyways I think we all agree that there is a strong argument to simply stay the course here. Swear to Finrod and get that permanent ally going, because in these realms having one of the Kingdoms solidly behind you is honestly pretty good.

    Granted, the issue with that right now is that later on if Finrod is too friendly with us in a few dozen of lifetimes his people will start whispering that he loves Men more than he loves them. But that's so far off.

    Granted staying here might allow us to gather more of the House of Men under us, but I am not too sure about having to war with the Green Elves.
     
    [] You accept the offer of Finrod, and begin preparing your people for the final leg of their Great Journey, which is at long last at an end. (Gain Trait: Elf-Friends, remove Great Flight modifier)
    []     You accept the offer of Finrod, and take a final, greater step. You swear yourself into the service of Finrod Felagund, as his vassal and leal servant, for all the days of your mortal life. You will dwell with him in his realm of Nargothrond, and your son Baran will lead your people ever after. So will begin a friendship between the House of Finwe and the House of Beor that will last all the days of the World. (Gain Trait: Elf-Friends, remove Great Flight modifier, lose Beor as a leader, Faction Leader becomes Baran, Gain Modifier: Beor the Old for as long as Beor lives, granting +5 to all Wisdom and Lore rolls, Gain Permanent Ally: The Kingdom of Nargothrond, can begin the Ring of Finrod questline later on)
    Which one should we pick?
     
    Deadly Snark said:
    Anyways I think we all agree that there is a strong argument to simply stay the course here. Swear to Finrod and get that permanent ally going, because in these realms having one of the Kingdoms solidly behind you is honestly pretty good.

    Granted, the issue with that right now is that later on if Finrod is too friendly with us in a few dozen of lifetimes his people will start whispering that he loves Men more than he loves them. But that's so far off.

    Granted staying here might allow us to gather more of the House of Men under us, but I am not too sure about having to war with the Green Elves.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Maybe, but losing Beor's action points and personal modifiers could hurt...
     
    [] You accept the offer of Finrod, and take a final, greater step. You swear yourself into the service of Finrod Felagund, as his vassal and leal servant, for all the days of your mortal life. You will dwell with him in his realm of Nargothrond, and your son Baran will lead your people ever after. So will begin a friendship between the House of Finwe and the House of Beor that will last all the days of the World. (Gain Trait: Elf-Friends, remove Great Flight modifier, lose Beor as a leader, Faction Leader becomes Baran, Gain Modifier: Beor the Old for as long as Beor lives, granting +5 to all Wisdom and Lore rolls, Gain Permanent Ally: The Kingdom of Nargothrond, can begin the Ring of Finrod questline later on)

    This is my choice. Finrod is great, having a permanant ally in nargothrond is great because he gives inroads to both thingol and fingolfin (although not maedhros, alas), and I'm a sucker for Beor and Finrod's friendship. I could also accept taking the offer only, but I don't think I want to. Moving isn't a bad thing, either; estolad isn't as good as the mouth of the sirion, but it is a great place to stay.

    [] The Wise seek to practice the songs and arts of Finrod, in an attempt to reproduce his haunting music.
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Song of the Firstborn: Finrod's song still echoes in your hearts, and the tunes that he taught the Wise are but pale echoes of the beautiful sounds that fell from his lips. His song, he says, is itself a pale echo of another song and an older Music, a greater tune that woke before the World. There is a power to the Music, he says, a strength to the song. Those who can master it's tunes may master the world -- for the world is the song, and the song is the world. (+10 to all Magic rolls, increased chance to generate Bard leaders, Bard leaders generate with minimum 8 Magic.)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    I definitely want these. Song magic is amazing; see Luthien vs. Sauron, Luthien vs. Morgoth, Finrod vs. Sauron, Yavanna and the Trees, etc.
    We'll probably never be as good as the noldor are (or at least, not until the lay of leithan) but still, want.

    Given that we're losing beor, we probably want one of:
    [] There are some among the Wise strong of mind and respected among the people. They may yet hold positions of leadership. (Chance of recruiting a seer leader)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] There are hunters of great skill and fame among their number, and a select few of these may grow greater still. (Chance of recruiting a Ranger or Warrior leader)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    We're losing Beor, so we probably want one of these. Undecided which.


    [] Some among the Wise wish to visit the lands of Finrod Felagund in far-away Nargothrond, and look upon the Elven-lands. This journey will take additional resources, of course. (Requires four months worth of food)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The History of the Children: The Elf-Lord teaches your people of the ancient lore of the Eldar. He speaks of Elder Days before Men awoke, when the stars where young and the seas were new. He tells of ancient wars and triumphs, of all that was lost and all that was gained. The Wise treasure his words as if they are gold. (+10 to all Lore rolls for ten turns, increased chance to generate Seer leaders for ten turns)
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The hunters say that in their rangings they have stumbled upon a great glade, in which lies a lake filled with shimmering stones. You could send some hunters to investigate.
    --[] Leader (write-in)
    [] The Wise know much of the woods and the wild, of the earth that is wide and holds many secrets. You ask them to led their wisdom.(Increased chance of finding food this turn, chance of finding ??? in the wild)
    --[] Leader (write-in)

    These are less important, but I think these are probably some of the best / the best of the remainign actions.


    [] You give extra rations to the elderly and the Wise, that the memory of where we have been does not fade before it can be passed on. (Requires an extra month of food)(Increase the influence of the Wise)
    [] Some among your people do not trust the elves. You speak to them, calming their fears and reassuring them.
    [] A new generation of children has begun to come up, the first in many lifetimes who have known green grasses and lived more than a few months without the Great Flight. You order the Wise to pay special attention to their tutelage. (???)
    [] You send the Wise among them to collect their stories and tales of the past year, adding them to the collected stories of the House.
    [] You give extra rations to the women and children, increasing the growth of the clan. (Requires an extra month of food)
    I think 3 of these 5 are best (not worth another action for more than 3) but I'm undecided which.
     
    EVA-Saiyajin said:
    @Telamon
    Do we still get both of Beor's actions this turn if we choose to throw him away for permanent friendship?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    You get his single action after the one he automatically spends on the questline, yes.

    And he's not exactly thrown away — the friendship between Finrod and Beor's houses will pave the way for greater deeds and legends later on. In the Silmarillion, Finrod eventually gave his kingdom, his freedom, and his very life to aid the race of Men and the House of Bëor.

    In-Game, this means you can call on Finrod and his people for aid once per generation, and should you open and complete the Ring of Finrod questline, you will be able to get Finrod himself (A Rank 8 Bard) as a temporary leader for any Quest.

    Other unique RP options and story choices open up from this friendship, but suffice to say, the Ring of Barahir is a heirloom of the Race of Men for a reason, being an older and more legendary artifact than Narsil or Glamdring, with a history to rival the other Ring.
     
    Last edited:
    Telamon said:
    You get his single action after the one he automatically spends on the questline, yes.

    And he's not exactly thrown away — the friendship between Finrod and Beor's houses will pave the way for greater deeds and legends later on. In the Silmarillion, Finrod eventually gave his kingdom, his freedom, and his very life to aid the race of Men and the House of Bëor.

    In-Game, this means you can call on Finrod and his people for aid once per generation, and should you open and complete the Ring of Finrod questline, you will be able to get Finrod himself (A Rank 8 Bard) as a temporary leader for any Quest.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Thanks. And I wasn't really being serious when I said thrown away.
     
    @Telamon We passed [] Try to make them get along, for the good of the folk (DC 100, ??? if you fail, gain both the positive modifiers above if you succeed)
    which gives an extra action for Rangers and Seers next turn (among other nice things). Shouldn't all three leaders get an additional action?
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top