The Wizard of Os

[Ithrynluin]

I have had a rough outline of an idea for this RPG for quite some time. Obviously, the title mirrors L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, and the story would contain a few similarities as well, but only so far as it would seem plausible to fit them within Middle-earth.

Plot: A tribe of Men from the vales of Anduin is stricken by a black plague that slowly, but surely, causes them to plunge into a coma and eventually kills them (similar to the black breath of the Nazgul that affected Eowyn). Rumours abound about a "wizard" (who in fact is not one, but is actually one of the elves of Ossiriand, albeit skilled in healing and mighty in lore) in the far land of Ossiriand (hence "Os" aka Oz), who may be able to help. Thus, one of the men from this tribe ventures out to reach the wizard and obtain a cure before it is too late.

Along the way, this man could meet companions, each of whom are looking for something, much like Dorothy and her companions in Baum's tale, that the wizard may or may not have an answer for. The companions may belong to any race, be it man, elf, dwarf, even hobbit. The more diverse, the better.

The atmosphere of the RPG would be lighthearted but in tune with Middle-earth, so no flashy displays of magic or anything of the sort.

The timeline - obviously it has to be 1st Age, as Ossiriand was no more afterwards. We can work out the particulars of when exactly later on.

So, what do you think? Interested? Have any comments to make? Go ahead!

[Wraithguard]

I'm in. Been a while since I stretched my fingers on a project like this. Do you want me as an antagonist, support character, or what?

[Ithrynluin]

Whatever suits you. Perhaps it would be best to assemble the main crew first, though. Got any ideas for a character, when he would enter the story, and what his wish for the wizard would be?

[Wraithguard]

I have some ideas floating around in the fishbowl that I think I'll work with. As for a crew there are bound to be plenty of people that will want to contribute.

[AraCelebEarwen]

Not much of one for knowing the history that could be involved... But it doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll give it some thought before saying wether or not I'm in though... :) Might have to try out something other then an elf... maybe...


I'll shut up and go think now.

[Ithrynluin]

Like I said, I aim for this RPG to be lighthearted. The historical aspects will be kept mostly under the surface, unless they need to be made apparent for the sake of the storyline. What I am opposed to is changing major events or concepts that Tolkien put down.

I need to do some thinking as well. I think I'll be playing the man that starts off the whole adventure. I think I might take a canine along with me for some protection and to ward off loneliness. On different stages along the route, we will meet our future companions.

I said it would be good to have one of each race in the adventure for the sake of diversity. I didn't mean to limit that to only one of each race. If anyone would like to play a Man, they are welcome to do so. The more the merrier! :)

[Wraithguard]

Depending on whether or not we get enough people to participate dictates my choice of which side to be on. I'll gladly be a companion or the loathed antagonist but we'll see as it comes into play. Now to come up with some facades...

[Ithrynluin]

Okay, YayGollum PM-ed me with some ideas and comments and I thought it would be best if I share some of them in this thread so that we can all consider them together and bounce ideas off one another. Let me just say that most of my ideas for this RPG are still quite vague, apart from the initial concept, so there's still a lot of room for changes.

The main character and dog will be played by you. What type of human is this? As in, which of the tribes of humans. But then, I guess that the information isn't necessary. Is this dude dying of the thing, too, and he debilitates as he progresses? Probably not.

I just considered my character to belong to the general group of Men of the North, perhaps very distant relatives/ancestors of the Rohirric people. About him being diseased as well, I thought he wouldn't be, but I guess either way could prove to be interesting and a challenge.

I am guessing that you know what happens to be up with the plague thing, and the antagonist is tied up with it. If not, then, Whoops! Forgive me for coming up with too many ideas. If you need a good antagonist, though... <--- Oo! Dot, dot, dot! I read all of the Wizard Of Oz stuff that the L. Frank Baum dude wrote. I heard that other people wrote some stuff with his ideas, though, so if you are drawing ideas from them, too, I shall have to do a bit more research.


I intended the plague to originate from the most obvious source of evil in Middle-earth: Melkor, or one of his agents. As a prelude to the story, we can have one of you guys (whoever has a desire to play a villain) tell how the plague came about, who caused it and for what reason...It's just an idea.

I have never come across any Wizard of Oz RPG ideas, but then again I was never much involved in role playing.

Stuff that I wish to know more about is this Wizard Of Os character, exactly what these humans have heard of him, and why you chose to start the story so differently. Firstly, the Wizard dude has to be a fake, yes? A superly cool con artist type? Sounds like a fun role... <--- Terrifying! Again? Who does he rule over? What sorts of people even lived in that area, anyways? I guess that he doesn't need to be ruling over anyone. Am merely edging too close to those other bookses.

Well, initially I designated him to be an elf of Ossiriand, so I'm not sure how well having an elf trickster would work or how believable it would be. I guess I envisioned him as a healer and loremaster, so he could grant some of our wishes, and those who couldn't perhaps he could point to elsewhere, so the quest needn't be over with the arrival in Ossiriand. Perhaps the elf could even possess a 'magical' artifact given to him by one of the Noldor or even a Maia.

Would you prefer we have an actual con-type person dwelling somewhere in Ossiriand, deceiving people?

I think either way could prove to be heaps of fun, and I'd like you guys to be just as involved in the shaping of this story as I am.

Secondly, I gots to know exactly what the humans have heard. Where they got the information could be useful. But then, you could just tweak things so that the dude finds himself in an unfamiliar area where he is surrounded by plenty who have heard of the guy. If he's just some random healer type (allegedly, at least ), how different can the other characters' requests be? Well, I guess that plenty of other crazy rumors could have gotten started besides him being good at healing.

And that last thing was probably me just edging too closely to the other books again. Part of the story was that the lady was crazily whisked to an especially different area and mostly wished to get back home. It is similar to your story, in that her family is also very sick (financially, at least), and because of her crazy travels, she fixes things for them.


All of this ties in with, and is dependent on, the previous points. I'll leave these queries open for discussion.

I see you have a great variety of characters available in your profile thread. I think a lot of them could fit nicely into the story, both as part of the 'crew' and as an adversary of some kind and at one point or another.

[Daranavo]

Well, how is the plague started? Is it man made or does it result from germs and such? If its manmade, it could be made by an evil necromanceror.

[YayGollum]

Garn! Humans always taking my Private Message thing into the view of the public! I tossed that in a Private Message thing at you, ithrynluin person, because I wished to clear up all sorts of things so that you wouldn't look as if you hadn't done much planning. Hm. Maybe also so that I wouldn't get my own ideas corrupted by others, though. :rolleyes:

Got it. What sort of human it is doesn't really matter, and the idea of the main character ambling about with a plague on him is up to you.

What I meant by ---> "I heard that other people wrote some stuff with his ideas" was that there were other stories written while using the original author's ideas. Not R. P. G. things. But then, if you didn't know that, I guess that it doesn't really matter. I am thinking too much about all sorts of ways to incorporate all sorts of ideas for all of the Oz series. sorry about that. Mayhaps I should just think of this as a The Wizard Of Oz inspired R. P. G. thing. :rolleyes:

Also, how cool would it be to have someone playing the Wicked Witch Of The West sort of character (the one who has been spreading this plague and should be ruling over some unfortunate slaves) show up at the beginning to explain a few things about the evil plot? Not very, in my opinion. It would be much cooler for the character to just pop up randomly to freak the good sorts outwards.

Yes, I would prefer for the Wizard Of Os character to be a con artist or achingly lucky and intelligent sort who has lots of willing servants because he is apparently achingly cool. It doesn't have to be an evil con artist sort. It could just be some random as well as opportunistic Dwarf who found some superly cool as well as sickeningly magical item with which he performs apparent miracles. Part of the humor of the original story was that the dude wasn't what he was supposed to be.

Anyways, I asked about exactly what the tribe of humans heard and where they got there information because I wished to know what the main character would be expecting. The idea of having different viewpoints on what the Wizard is and what he is capable of was brought up to give more options for what characters could be expecting. For example, your character has heard that he is an elf with exceptional healing abilities. If I wished to use my Dwarf character (who is an Outcast for having pretty much zero popularly thought of as Dwarvish talents), I would suggest that he have heard a rumor of a great Dwarf teacher who has worked miracles on previously inept students. Something like that.

Also, also, I am not attempting to induce you to change your character, ithrynluin person. Am merely sharing what my original thoughts were ---> You wrote that hobbits would be welcome, even though I have never heard of them existing at the time. That gave me the superly obvious idea of ---> Why isn't the main character a hobbit? A large deal about those Oz books was that the main character was so achingly surprising, since she was able to deal with pretty much every strange situation that she was tossed at. :rolleyes:

[Celebthôl]

Isn't the Wizard of Os Aule? Or is it Oz? Or maybe Auz? ;)

[Wraithguard]

*Squirms in seat* Ever since I lost all my work (2 novels, 7 short stories, 18 poems, and countless rantings and ramblings) I went cold turkey on writing. Now I'm dying to get back in the groove! Just tell me what you need me to do Ithy and I'll knock your pants off!

Socks... whatever...

[Ithrynluin]

Yay, I hadn't done that much planning, I thought I made that obvious in the first post. I would prefer to have a story woven by several people, not a linear quest slash adventure of purely my own making where others simply fill in what the thread starter has devised.


Also, how cool would it be to have someone playing the Wicked Witch Of The West sort of character (the one who has been spreading this plague and should be ruling over some unfortunate slaves) show up at the beginning to explain a few things about the evil plot? Not very, in my opinion. It would be much cooler for the character to just pop up randomly to freak the good sorts outwards.

I actually do like the first option, so that we have some background info as to how the plague came about and for what reason, but I think it's entirely up to the person who plays the Witch to decide.

Now, who is she? Since she will probably prove to be a major and powerful villain, one with the ability to cause a plague, I see her as nothing less (but nothing more, either) than a Maia, one of those corrupted by Melko in the beginning of days, perhaps one tinkering with necromancy, sorcery and the like. She could have been sent by Melkor who ordered her to do hurt to those tribes of Men unwilling to join him in the wars of Beleriand, so he would at least cut off any potential aid these men could offer the Noldor and Sindar. Of course, she should not be overpowered - the company ought to have at least some means of countering her devices. How does everyone feel about that?

I hope this provides a rough answer to your question as well, Daranavo.

Yes, I would prefer for the Wizard Of Os character to be a con artist or achingly lucky and intelligent sort who has lots of willing servants because he is apparently achingly cool. It doesn't have to be an evil con artist sort. It could just be some random as well as opportunistic Dwarf who found some superly cool as well as sickeningly magical item with which he performs apparent miracles. Part of the humor of the original story was that the dude wasn't what he was supposed to be.

Sounds good to me. The Wizard of Os being a fake doesn't need to hinder our characters from getting what they set out to obtain. For example, after the initial disappointment and disillusionment, my character could learn of a great green-elf healer and sort of "re-direct" there.

As to what every character heard about this "Wizard" - I guess it can be pretty much anything.

Re: Hobbits in the First Age. No, there certainly is no mention of them then, but that does not have to mean they did not exist. The Great and the Wise took no notice of them for a very long time, until hobbits themselves were enmeshed in their affairs. I don't plan for my characters to have any outstanding abilities, he will be more or less a regular Joe in that respect.

P.S.: Yay, sorry about posting your PM here without getting your permission first. I think my excitement over the game just overrode my tactfulness at the time. :p

[YayGollum]

Okay, okay, okay. Let me see here. Something about the Wicked Witch Of The West idea ---> Doesn't have to be a she, of course. It could just be some rogue as well as overeager Balrog of either gender with a passion for plague production. Or I guess that it could be an actual Ainur of disease, since there are so many other forces of nature types. I just thought of the Balrog thing because we could toss some water at him. :rolleyes: I have a superly pathetic Balrog character already set up, but it looks like people who enjoy the evil type of character more than I do might wish to come up with something doable. Anyways, it looks like most of my questions have been answered. I shall now leave to edit some profiles for consideration.

[YayGollum]

A couple of companions, then a candidate for the Wizard Of Os. --->

Name: Knockondor

Race/Sex: one of those giant eagle thingys/Male

Appearance: picture a really really big one of those African fish eagles, sometimes his feathers look a little out of order, but that's just because he's trying to hide little trinkets he steals, he's short for a giant eagle (around ten or eleven feet tall). I found a place with a picture of an African fish eagle, but it's only for the people who can't picture him already. Why not? I had
only seen the adult before, but now I picture Knockondor as one of the younger ones. Crazy looking.
http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/f_eagle_flying.htm

Weapons: Well, since it'd be pretty impractical to be a giant eagle hopping around on one foot and holding a sword or something in the other, I'll just write ---> his talons and beak.

History: born in those big mountains in Valinor, left when some giant eagle types from Middle Earth came in for a visit and were able to guide him to a new mountain range, he ended up getting adopted by a family of scout type giant eagles in the Misty Mountains, he was a huge Outcast there, but most accepted him anyways, while curiously exploring his new territory, he was shot down by Orcs and barely flopped into hiding, knew nothing of proper precautions for broken wings, was about to accept death when a conveniently passing elf patched him up sufficiently enough that he wouldn't die from it, but since he was grounded until his wings could heal, he has been floundering about on the ground for a while with no sense of direction and a very large wish just to get back home, :rolleyes: for this story, I would suspect that he could be found by the main character in the Misty Mountains, or at least to the east or south of them, who would tell him about the great healer.

Personality: a compulsive and not very successful liar, superly low self esteem, annoying most of the time, but impressive to people who actually believe him, he's a coward, but loves to attack and eat Orcs, very forgetful and not able to tell most races apart, but then, lots of his eccentricities are there just to get attention, he may seem unintelligent and full of unnecessary quirks most of the time, but I found out that he actually knows what he's doing.

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Name: Boffin

Race/Sex: Dwarf/Male

Appearance: defitely more fat than muscle on him, too sickeningly innocent looking to look very smart, blue eyes most often looking off into space, golden hair, long and not very neat beard, colorful clothes that might look good at a formal dinner under a not very well made coat of mail (the clothes are under that, not the dinner), has an outrageous looking helm that was only used by his ancestors in ceremonies

Personality: absent-minded, loyal, friendly to pretty much anyone, sickeningly innocent, admires elves, is embarrassed and self-conscious in front of most Dwarves. He makes me sick most of the time.

Weapons: just a mace and dagger, sorry

History: born to a rich family in Nogrod, he was given some expensive tutors, but he wasn't a very fast learner and was just embarassing the other Dwarves by being around, so he was eventually cast out of the mountain to learn some common sense, clung to whatever elf traders that would stand him for a while, learned to appreciate elf type stuffs, found out that he had a talent for understanding what they had to teach, learned a few of their languages, hung out with them for a while, for this story, I would think that he could be found in Nogrod or some elf settlement nearby, maybe he could be found with some travelling elves farther east, if you wish to meet him sooner, he'd be ashamed of himself for being such a bad Dwarf, would tag along with the hope that the Wizard Of Os can help him out with growing a good Dwarvish brain. :rolleyes:

Other: gots a white and gold pony named Pooftop that he got from some elves

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Name: Bugburz, but I'd probably have to come up with some good names for him when he's looking like other races, though

Race/Sex: an Ainur of adaptability/Male

Appearance: short, hunched over, and weaselly looking dude, black skin, big nostrils, nasty teeth, sharp eyes, wears brown rags and black Orc-mail, has a small round shield, but for this story, he'd have sets of appropriate clothes when he'd look like other races, he'd always look similar to any examples of other races that happen to be around him, so, if he was surrounded by many elves, he could blend in very well and not many would suspect him of being something different, but if there happened to be only one or two of them around, they might notice that he looks eerily similar, but then, maybe not, since they might not be the suspicious types.

Weapons: bow and poisoned arrows, scimitar

History: showed up in that Void type place, hadn't allied with anyone, while exploring Middle Earth, he showed up just in time to see some elves showing up, while curious, he became one of the Teleri types of them and integrated himself easily, had fun with watching them discover and learn and invent things, hung out with them for so long that he got really used to his body and never used any evil and unfair powerses that a normal Teleri wouldn't have, he was captured along with plenty of others and turned into a large Orc, since he was so used to the body, it was just as easy to corrupt him as it was to corrupt the others, he had never consciously tried to use any of his powers or talked with any other Ainur, so he didn't know any better and ended up in some big group of Orcs that eventually had to fight elves, the corruption wasn't very fun for him, but he grew to enjoy being evil, never used any powers that a normal Orc wouldn't have, got seriously injured in one of his first fights with Noldor types and reflexively turned back into his spirit form, he then decided that working for Mel was too dangerous, so he went exploring again, since he had gotten so used to being an Orc, he thought he was being original when he turned himself into his current form of a much smaller Orc made for tracking, he hiked east until he ran into the aftermath of a battle, naturally curious, he found himself shifting into the form of an elf, since so many were around, he naturally adapted to pick up the language of a healer and start acting like him, he followed the guy around and, after a while, he had gained a passable amount of the knowledge of a great healer, since he just happened to be one of the best, many were impressed, the actual healer was very surprised and, after looking him over again, asked if they were related, the perfect answers came naturally, but with all of this good luck, the quickly adapting mind figured out a bit about his powers, ever since, he has been visiting different locales, collecting knowledge and faces, making many names for himself, since he had gotten to meet at least a few at least halfway magically superior individuals over the years and got a large following, he finally set up shop in Ossiriand and gave himself the title of the Wizard Of Os, rumors flared, but the guy loses his stolen knowledge after being away from the actual talent for so long, the form that he had been in the longest (his small Orcish one) is the one that he feels the most natural in, so he keeps himself hidden and doesn't even allow his most loyal fans to see him.

Personality: very fun, mostly ranting and grumbling to himself, resents authority but isn't stupid enough to rebel, likes to flee instead of fight, he hates all animals, is very disappointed with the fact that Orcs seem to be killed way too easily and has decided to distance himself from all of them when he has the chance, he likes to think that he's in a clan of his own and has no problem with killing anyone who messes with him, but then, when he stays in the form of some other race, of course, he starts sinking into the different mindsets for them, too, which is why he tries to preserve his Orcish ideals by staying in that form most often, he figures that the setup that he has in Os is very safe, but since he probably can't keep it up for forever, he would be glad to get back to some Orcish tunnels

[YayGollum]

One companion, a Wicked Witch Of The West candidate, a minion, and another companion --->

Name: Slatybattfast

Race/Sex: Ainur, Dwarf, Vampire/Male

Appearance: looks like your average Dwarf, maybe a little taller and stronger, though, long and black and neat beard that has grown almost to the ground, wears a simple robe and headband for his beautiful and long and black hair, sandals, black eyes, fangs, pale skin

Weapons: A pair of hook swords

Personality: full of despair and reminiscence and regret and self-loathing, very sad but determined, a vigilante type, not senselessly sacrificing but organized and cold and grand, always thinking and very focused, annoyed when distracted, but when he gets distracted well enough, he gets better, his large amount of willpower easily keeps the vampire side of him in check, since he was originally a very Dwarflike Ainur thing

History: born after the beginning of time but early enough to help out with world construction, Mel sent vampires to recruit more evil type help, but this guy went crazy and couldn't be controlled, they lost track of him when he did calm down and hid among other Dwarves, for this story, they could find him hiding from the sun pretty much anywhere along the way, he would be full of despair at having relatively recently lost most of his superly cool and Earth-shaping powers, thinking that he couldn't go back to his fellow Ainur and isn't worthy to live among normal Dwarves, since his brain is so Dwarflike, but it has been tainted by the spirit of some especially evil vampire, he's kind of stuck on how he should morally react to most situations, as in, he'd be looking for a heart. :rolleyes:

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Name: Mothbol

Race/Sex: Balrog/Male

Appearance: taller than the average human but pathetic next to another balrog, no power of fire, so he's just very black and smoky, has hard to make out facial features, dagger-like steel claws, but that's a lot smaller than a normal balrog

Weapons: just his claws and a minor fear ability that just might make some weak-willed types a little nervous, but that's about it, he could spread smoke to blind people or run away in, or he could find some water to turn himself into slime and make people sticky (gasp!) :rolleyes:

Personality: very weaselly and treacherous and cowardly, loves bullying and torturing those that he can, leeches off powerful types, and is very fun for me to play, in this story, though, he'd be much younger, not as good at intimidating, easily distracted and awed, loves bossing his assigned minions around, probably so much that they hate him more than they fear him

History: showed up in that Void place, quickly allied with Mel, who later assigned him to a position under an intelligent werewolf commander with plenty of minions and slaves to ostensibly guard whatever area you people wish to eventually have to travel to, bored with little activity, the werewolf took a bit of poison from a dragon to satisfy his curiosity for plague production, after infecting the main character's settlement and coming to gloat, he'll get accidentally killed by the main character in some way, who will find the guy's notes or a sample of the dragon's poison or something valuable like that on him, Mothbol will then have to recover the information, meanwhile, since he gained control of the troops, he has started to harass random travellers, he has no agenda, he is merely elated to have a bit more power and is having fun with wielding it

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Name: Khungil

Race/Sex: Easterling type human/Male

Appearance: One who's less than average (not too much less, but he'd be noticeably short) height is only noticed by the achingly dense or the achingly fearless, since he is one creepy, hardened, and seriously seasoned fighterish looking dude. He'd be wearing the same descriptive words attached to a full suit of armour, Easterling style (whatever that looks like), lots of scars, a cool as well as useful helm, brown eyes and hair, which would be kept short and cut badly, stockiness, strength

Personality: Exactly the way that you would expect one with an appearance like the one that I just described? Superly serious and loyal to his boss (who he sees as Mel, since he hates whoever will actually be the Wicked Witch Of The West type character). He is a hardened warrior who is just out to protect his family and way of life and things like that, quiet, except for when he's yelling at his subordinates, who all know that he means the best for them, stuff like that. Scary, but pure.

Weapons: a poleaxe and a small as well as hidden knife

History: Born in the East. Well, someone give me some good information on where Easterlings come from, and I shall give you more information on where this particular one comes from. oh well. Grew up on a farm until he was old enough to start getting trained for the Easterling army, which was what he ended up doing. He has worked his way up the ranks (mostly by way of conservative tactics and extreme loyalty) until he got assigned to the cushy gig of commanding the garrison at wherever we decide to put the place, which he, of course, still takes very seriously.

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Name: Parvus

Race/Sex: Dragon/Male

Appearance: long and thin and snake-like, longer than your average horse but shorter, has small black scales, yellow eyes, pathetic looking nubs where wings should be, long and thin and clever fingers with small claws.

Weapons: just his teeth and claws and tail. I guess you could count his poisonous breath, but that would only kill someone if they hung around him in an enclosed area for a while, it could just make people woozy or nauseous, usually.

Personality: cautious and nervous and weaselly. Very fun. Always thinking that people are out to get him just because he's a dragon. Nervous around anyone who might look anywhere near threatening. Around people who aren't, he'd just be nice and playful.

History: a very young dragon born in the Withered Heath, his parents were the big and scary and fire-breathing and winged types, since they were disappointed in him and his siblings felt like eating him, he crawled away and was discovered by a wandering peddler who is just here to move things along and raised him on the outskirts of some city, that guy conveniently died for the sake of this history because of the poisonous breath, and Parvus had to leave before anyone found him. He wanders around Middle Earth with nothing better to do but steal whatever food he can find since there aren't many safe places for him. The group could meet him pretty much anywhere, and I guess that he would have been heading for the Wizard Of Os guy anyways, because he would have heard that he figures that he'd be a safe guy to hide behind. :rolleyes:

[Wraithguard]

I shall start scribbling a few companions myself. I like Yay's candidates for the Wicked Witch however I must say that that Slatybattfast person has my utmost approval for the position. With a name change and a Dwarfless facade of course. :rolleyes: I shall begin my wondirjar for thoughts and ideas and return in a few to continue a needless accolade for the role of antagonist or executive antagonist and bring full circle my humble creations.

[Ithrynluin]

A couple of questions.

Is Knockondor's name partly supposed to be a spoof or pun of Thorondor's name? Is he large enough to be able to fly a person on his back when in full health (thinking of potential means of return already ;))? Him being crippled is an interesting take on things, but I'm having difficulty imagining an eagle, or any flying bird for that matter, walking -- instead of flying -- as a primary means of long distance transportation. Is a bird's anatomy built to handle that? I don't know. But it doesn't have to be a big deal, I'm just commenting. I like the idea of meeting Knockondor in the Misty Mountains and his desire being to have his flight capabilities repaired.

Boffin sounds great, and his "desire for a brain" is a nice nod to the original story. I also like the name Pooftop.

Bugburz - If I understand correctly, he is able to blend in well if surrounded by many individuals of a certain race, but his facade is not as flawless when surrounded by only a few? I didn't quite catch in what shape he is while in Ossiriand? Looks like a great candidate for the Wizard of Os character.

How did Slatybattfast lose his powers?

I guess my character obtaining a sample of the poison which affected his people is reason enough for Mothbol to be constantly on our company's tail. I don't feel quite comfortable or able killing the werewolf commander, though. Perhaps my character can just find a bottle with a little remainder of the poison still inside it. Also, if we're going to refer to this character as a witch, the character ought to be a female.

I suppose the most obvious location Khungil, being an easterling, hails from would have to be Rhun.

I never dreamed of having a dragon in the company, but why not? Sounds very unconventional and could be amusing.

Wraithguard, I think right now we could use a companion more than an antagonist. I would love for Yay to play the Wizard of Os with his Bugburz character. As for the Wicked Witch and other possible villains, you guys will have to come to a decision as to who plays whom.

I'll come up with a profile for my character shortly, and also type up a short opening so we can get this thing started.

[YayGollum]

Yes, Knockondor is making fun of Thorondor. I am horrible at coming up with names, so I can often be caught reusing old names in new ways or just making fun of other people's inventions. Slatybattfast is making fun of a character from the The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy books. :rolleyes:

I am also a large fan of making characters less useful than they could be, to balance out some of the crazily unrealistic characters that I run into a lot. Which is why I don't think that the Knockondor character could fly someone around for very long. Sure, maybe he could take a fully grown human a short distance or a smaller type of being much farther, but I wouldn't expect him to be able to take you from one important location to very many others. I wanted him to be a small and pathetic giant eagle. But who knows? Maybe when he gets healed with some sort of crazy magic, he could become uncharacteristically useful.

To explain away the strangeness of an eagle always walking around, how's about I just write that he is still healing, can stay up for short distances and muchly prefers to, but the pains in his wings don't let him stay up for long? Also, I gots the fact that he's some creepy spirit thing and must have amazing endurance for hopping for a long time. :rolleyes: I don't know. As you wrote, no large deal.

You are correct about the Bugburz character. Not as great of a disguise when he isn't surrounded by many representatives of the race. He would mostly be hiding from everyone in his small and Orcish form, which is the one that he has had the most practice in and can use even when not around Orcs. I'll probably use some especially gullible person to be the guard with the green whiskers. :rolleyes:

Slatybattfast lost his creepy and titanic and godlike powers when he was turned into a vampire thing. Ick. The vampires were attempting to gain more powers in future generations by way of turning other types of Ainur into vampires, too. Unfortunately, it didn't work out the way that they had hoped, and he just became like any of them. No need to worry about any godlike powers from him. No need to worry about any evil vampiric tendencies, since his Dwarven resistance against evil keeps them away.

Wraithguard person, I only made one candidate for the Wicked Witch Of The West character. Mothbol. Slatybattfast was supposed to be one of the companions. And what is wrong with his name? :( :rolleyes: And you got something against Dwarves? :eek: :rolleyes:

Anyways, I wrote that your character accidentally killed the werewolf, to stick to the Wizard Of Oz story, but I guess that you could change it so that he ran into an accident of his own, and you just happened to be nearby.

I was merely refering to the main antagonist as the Wicked Witch Of The West because that's what it was called in the Wizard Of Oz story. It doesn't have to be a lady and would definitely need a different title.

Also, I wasn't suggesting that the base for the evil types would have to be that Rhun place. I was just showing where the Khungil character was from. Plenty of Easterling types were hanging out all over Middle Earth, at this time. The base can be anywhere. Probably on the bit of Middle Earth that got chopped off. Probably not too far from Os, though, so that Bugburz will have a reason to want it gotten rid of.

Did I address everything? To other people ---> Don't even worry about all of the characters that I came up with for this. They are the backing-up sorts and will only be used if I have to fill a spot. I see no rules against having more companions for the main character than what that Wizard Of Oz story had.

[Wraithguard]

Wraithguard person, I only made one candidate for the Wicked Witch Of The West character. Mothbol. Slatybattfast was supposed to be one of the companions. And what is wrong with his name? :( :rolleyes: And you got something against Dwarves? :eek: :rolleyes:

I got carried away reading and missed the ordering. I find your names amusing and--dare I say--cool, however, unfitting. Finally, no. I hold no negative feelings for the Dwarven race. I just have an odd image of a "vampire dwarf" stuck in my head from my skim-reading.

[YayGollum]

Ah. Got it. But then, how many examples of names do you know of the Ainur types giving each other? Weren't most names that were used for them in some kind of elf language? oh well. Yes, Slatybattfast is a strange name to see in Middle Earth. :rolleyes:

Anyways, Yay for me putting odd images in people's brains! I made up my Dwarf/vampire/Ainur thing when I was in a bad mood resulting from the sickening popularity of vampires. I despise the things. Werewolves are much cooler, far more honest. Evil vampires, always so tricksy and perfect! Since most are depicted as whatever is the most popular standard of beauty at the moment, I decided to make a Dwarf vampire, merely to display alternatives. :D

Also, where are any other profiles, you other interested writers? :confused:

[Wraithguard]

Name: Baligor
Race: Man of unknown origin
Sex: Male

Appearance: A medium height madman who beleives himself to be something other than he is. His tattered brown clothing looks as if it has never seen a wash in a hundred years. He is also quite bald. His bearing changes when he believes he is someone else and is usually one of three persona. The crazy human, the noble Maiar, and the unruly Dwarf.

Personality: While he isn't in a hallucinogenic stage, he is a human that is difficult to understand. His speech is an annoying and confusing mix of random syllables thrown into a pile and regurgitated to form a word that rarely means anything. During this state he calls himself a "tree wizard" but it seems very unlikely. Under his Maiar facade, he is rational and literate and is able to make moderate decisions without too much difficulty. His Dwarf personality brings out his brutality. He is uncontrollable and infuriating and does not care what happens as long as there is blood-shed. This poor man is a hodgepodge of insanity, but a loyal friend and steadfast warrior.

Weapons: A rusty broadsword and a strange, well oiled dagger with several notches, seemingly intentionally placed.

History: A wandering loon who has been expelled from more villages than he can count (partially because of his foul odor) he continues on a neverending quest to recover his sanity. Not much else is known about his past as no one has ever desired to ask him about it.


No longer very much in need of development.

[Wraithguard]

Here's one I'm more inclined to use.


Name: Bulgir

Race: A Giant Spider Thingy/Male

Appearance: Grey; eight legs, two pedipalps, and a set of small fangs. He is about 5' foot long, being rather a midget of spiders. Just your average giant friendly talking spider. Looks very much like this: http://www.desertusa.com/july96/du_taran.html

Weapons: While it would be "cool" to have a spider with six scimitars standing on it's hind legs, that would be very implausible. Thus I am forced to say small fangs, and perhaps it could step on them or something.

Personality: Very shy and slow to warm up to people (or whatever). He is somewhat panicky and is known to be frightened by just about anything, but also cares deeply about his friends. (Did I just write that!?)

History: Birthed from the loins of a much larger spider, he was often picked on and bullied by the other spiders. As he grew older, he fled the woodlands of his birth and moved north east and hid near the Amon Ereb. It wasn't until he was attacked and wounded by some Elf with a spear that he was forced to flee once more to the south east, bringing him into the Land of Seven Rivers.

Other stuff: He once had a cat named Brilig till he ate it in desperation.

[Ithrynluin]

Name: Brook

Race: Man

Age: mid-twenties

Weapons & Inventory: A dagger; a walking cane used not for support but for warding off snakes as he has had a disturbing encounter with one when he was a boy.

Personality & History: Quite outgoing and cheery, at times impatient and complacent. He does not enjoy the burden of responsibility, and when the village elders elect him for the quest, he is loath to go. It is his eagerness to get to know new things that eventually propels him to depart in search of the fabled Wizard and a cure for his people.

Miscellaneous: Has a large dog named Breeze whom he considers his best friend. Breeze is a skilled tracker and distrustful of strangers, especially those of other races.

[Ithrynluin]

Alright, the story is underway in the Strolls through the Green Hill Country forum. Anyone who would like to join in at one point or another, please post your thoughts and ideas for a character here.

Yay - like I mentioned, you needn't wait for me to reach your (first) character for you to start writing. You can have him mucking about somewhere around the High Pass or thereabouts, and we can meet in my next post.

Wraithguard - the same goes. Perhaps we can meet your human farther south, somewhere around Dunland, if you'd like.

[Wraithguard]

I think I'll use the human as sort of a side-roll and stick with the spider. I planned the human with a role not very suited of a companion for such a story and thus created Bulgir the Spider. If you're wondering, all my names are knockoffs of Melkor. Baligor is Belegur (Sindarin) and Bulgir is Bauglir (Eldar).

However unless you wish to think of a better meeting place for a spider then Dunland will be fine.

[Ithrynluin]

I said Dunland because I was thinking your main character would be a man. I guess we can meet your spider wherever you wish, though in your profile it says he came to Ossiriand from the northwest, so you may need to adjust that. Probably a dark crevice of one sort or another, rather than the open vastness of Eriador.

[Wraithguard]

A very good point. I was a bit vague in order to open oppurtunities but it was too vague to pinpoint location. How about either near Methedras or perhaps a cave in the Ered Luin or so? I'm open for suggestions.

[YayGollum]

Well, I would think that if you wished to start writing sooner, you'd pick a suitable place that isn't very far away. You may not mind waiting for other characters to show up, though. I don't know. I would suggest the Misty Mountains, of course, since it's a nice haven for the more popularly seen as evil types. Maybe any dark part of any forested area that we happen to be passing through, though.

[Wraithguard]

I think I'll have my character hiding amongst the hills in the Coldfells, south of the Ettenmoors and in eastern Rhudaur. This way you wont have to travel out of the way to reach me.

[Ithrynluin]

Well, my character will be going over the High Pass and pass by the valley where Rivendell would eventually be built, so you'll need to be quite far south of the Ettenmoors. Earlier I forgot that since we're adventuring in the First Age, the Numenoreans had not yet hewn down large patches of woodland, and Eriador at this time would have been one large uninterrupted forest, much as Treebeard suggests, so your spider could well find refuge there.

[Wraithguard]

I had the intention of placing myself in southeast Rhudaur which places me just along your route, hiding in a hole or cave or crevice of some kind, but your idea seems more logical and plausible. I think I'll roam around a small area in Eriador along your route and await your arrival.

[AraCelebEarwen]

haha! Hi again (I've posted here before, right..? :o). I was just sticking my nose in things when an idea hit me over the head. (yes, thank you, it did hurt but not so much as this headache already does XP)

I'll have to go back and see what all you're up to, but what if I jumped in every now-and-then with someone a little different? I was trying to think what sort of character I might like to play if I was to do something like this and working to remember as much about Oz as I could when what do you think came out of the blue?

Anyone have an objection to a intermittent (maybe. we'll see) sort of character that wants to help but... Well... "Never ask an elf for help, for they will answer both 'yes' and 'no'."

I'll have to toss it around and all, but how bad an idea might that be?... *starts backing away just to be safe* :D

[Wraithguard]

You can be a lolly-pop kid. :p

[AraCelebEarwen]

*nearly falls over laughing*

gee. Thanks for help Rai.

:rolleyes: :p :D

[Wraithguard]

But no seriously, it would be nice to have you along, even as a companion.

[Ithrynluin]

ACE, you provide us only with a rough outline, but it sounds good to me. Welcome aboard!

Also, you needn't go to great lengths to make your character that similar to one from the actual story.

[YayGollum]

There you go. An appearance by Mothbol. I was going to bring Knockondor in to help out, but I figured that if one of the other writers wished to use that as an entrance, I would hand it over.

[Wraithguard]

Tis a pity that it's too bold an action for a timid giant spider.

[Wraithguard]

I think I owe you all an apology. I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to log on. I'm going to get my intro post up as soon as I can. Sorry! :(

[YayGollum]

I see no large deal. This is one of those superly as well as easily proceeding sorts of stories. Plenty of time. Doobedoobedoo... :rolleyes: Well, I was going to wait and see if I could run into the ithrynluin person, at some point, to ask if he meant to write that he controlled my Mothbol character long enough to make him go away, for some reason, but oh well. I can always change things if they turn out to be pure evil.

[Ithrynluin]

I'm not sure I follow you. Mothbol was sneaking through Brook's encampment, my character was woken up by Breeze's barking, but Mothbol apparently did not find what he was looking for, or he did not have enough time to look for it uninterrupted. Did you envision it otherwise?

Wraithguard, that's no biggie. I haven't exactly been on a posting spree either.

[YayGollum]

No, all of that sounds correct to me. I just wasn't sure if you made the guy leave, for some unknown reason. I wrote that the dude crept in and was sneakily searching around, the dog started making noises, he tried avoiding it while continuing to search, since he didn't consider the dog or the human to be much of a threat. The last action that I remember writing about was that he was standing with his back turned to the human, grabbed a pack with his claws and was thinking about getting out of there, since the dog was annoying him. Your post mentioned that the guy was no longer holding the pack, for some reason. It didn't actually say, but it seemed like Mothbol was running away, since you wrote that he was moving really fast. I was just a bit confused. Maybe you meant that Mothbol just happened to be moving around the camp quickly, trying to avoid the dog? No large deal. I have the ability to work around things.

[AraCelebEarwen]

*looks around almost bashfuly* erm... I know I must be blind, but... where is the IC thread? Was just going to look at it as I'm still trying to put a few things together... Don't count on me to be posting much if at all though. (should put a 'yet' in there somewhere...) Got a bit going on and have a hard time thinking well enough by the time I crash here. Would like to read it as it goes though, if I could. Might be worth a look at the very least.

=x.X=

[YayGollum]

Here the thing is. ---> http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?t=18493 It was tossed into that Strolls Through The Green Hill Country section, since it's supposed to be lighthearted.

[AraCelebEarwen]

Ah yes. I knew I had seen it somewhere. Thanks Yay. Will read and see if anything comes up. Still thinking of a random sort that can come and go at its own little wish and whim. Will have to see what could fit once I'm a bit more familiar with a few things. Happy writings.

[Ithrynluin]

I like your latest post Yay, but it seems the coherence of the story has been somewhat disturbed, because in my last post I said how the shape was running away, and in the very next post of yours the Balrog is back to blackmail Breeze for the vial. A few short sentences explaining why the Balrog ran away and then came back, or even perhaps that Breeze's eyes were deceived, should do.

On a side note, Chrysophalax will also be joining us somewhere along the route. :)

[YayGollum]

Well, that is why I attempted to figure out if you meant that you had forced my Balrog character to flee. I wasn't sure, and you never answered my question. No large deal, though. I made up a characteristic reason for why he would have left a situation that he wasn't threatened by. Also, I see no blackmailing taking place. just a bit of intimidation.

[chrysophalax]

Greetings, all! Ithryluin has given me leave to play the Evil Werewolf of the West(ernmost edge of the Calacirya, as far from that upstart, Carcaroth as possible *humph, snarl*). HA! My profile shall appear anon...:cool:

[Ithrynluin]

Chrys, I hadn't had the time earlier, so I'll comment now. A werewolf was slain at the beginning of the story, so I see two options for your character:

a) This was the werewolf, but since Morgoth is immensely powerful, and since it is also possible that the werewolf was at least part-Maia, we could arrange for its resurrection.

b) This was only a werewolf, sent by the Evil Werewolf of the West, to do his dirty work.

Which one do you prefer?

[chrysophalax]

Actually, I have a third alternative, which I'll pm you with to see what you think. I was going to post his profile tonight, but after reading your comment, I think I'd better hold off until I see what you think. If I have to choose between your 2 options though, I would choose the first, but frankly, I'm hoping you'll like what I have in mind since you want this to be light-hearted and I really enjoy writing in parody form.:D

[Ithrynluin]

I'm sure the third alternative you have in store will be a great one, I just posted the above for the sake of consistency. You needn't PM me, just go ahead and post, it'll be a nifty surprise. :D

[chrysophalax]

*reads OOC entry and chortles Ah, such a trusting soul! What willing clay in my hands...* Uh, *ahem* yes! Thank you Ithrynluin, I'd be happy to! *toothy Dragon grin*


Name: Trofast

Race: Werewolf

Age: He's far too vain to ever reveal that!

Appearance: In his inferior human form, he's not much to look at. Brown hair, tallish, slim, with an irritating habit of talking to himself. As a werewolf however, he has a full, thick coat of brown fur with a black ruff at the neck.

Personality: He has more than a bit of a martyr's complex and always feels as though [I]his[I] work in Morgoth's service has never been fully appreciated. He's a liar, a cheat and has a very malicious spirit. In short, he's a nasty piece of work.

Weapons: Fangs, claws and (at least in his own mind) a rapier wit.

*I know this is a bit sketchy, but I've always hated writing these things!*

[YayGollum]

Hm. Sounds as if this chrysophalax person is changing what has already been decided, but since a post has already been made and changes have already been agreed to, I guess that I shall have to edit my own ideas to conform. oh well. So, what, has this Mothbol character been demoted to flying monkey sort of thing? Also, should I edit the guy's profile and posts so that they make sense with this changed information, or should we all just assume that he is stupid and uninformed? *hides*

[chrysophalax]

ACK!! Didn't mean to throw a spanner in the works, guys! I've deleted my post, though I've saved it for editting purposes once I get some clarification on what I should have done...sorry!:(

[YayGollum]

Oh, okay. I see no large deal. Changes can be made to accomodate certain crazy people's visions for light-hearted werewolf characters. I was ready to conform for other people's enjoyments. *long sort of suffering sigh, coupled with a wistful look to the heavens* :rolleyes:

[chrysophalax]

Alrighty then, my revised post is in place. Hopefully that's more what's needed.

[chrysophalax]

*snuffles around in the underbrush worriedly* Where is everyone?

[AraCelebEarwen]

Some of us just flit in and out. Chin up my fire-breathing friend, all will be well given time.

Speaking of flitting in and out... *vanishes again to see if she can really get anywhere with that profile this time* *starts to wonder once more if she should just remain a bystander*

[Ithrynluin]

I haven't been able to post lately, as I've been terribly busy. Hopefully I'll be able to scrape up some time soon, so we can move the story forward.

[Wraithguard]

Erm... hi. If this splendid idea of an RP isn't completely dead and turned to dust, then I wouldn't mind giving it another whirl. My absence was unavoidable and I was forced to prioritize my life to the point where I went into a depression, but now that I'm back on track I'm free to make a second attempt.:(

Don't tear out my eyes for asking... or leaving!

[chrysophalax]

You'll have to get in touch with Ithrynluin, I imagine. He was the driving force behind this one and for awhile it showed quite a bit of promise.