Post by Raven Archon on Sept 20, 2014 12:03:38 GMT -8
Okay! Time to get working on the TOR campaign too, since there seems to be some interest in it. We may not start playing right away, but since when has that stopped me from coming up with ideas.
Setting
Our campaign will be taking place starting sometime in the year 2945 of the Third age - right about 4 years after the battle of five armies at the end of The Hobbit, and still several decades before the War of the Ring. I'll have to go over the campaign and do some math with the traveling times to figure out exactly when in 2945 we're starting, but it's probably in late Summer or early Fall. Somewhere around there.
Our game will be taking place primarily in the region known as Rhovanion, which is more often called by it's nick-name or title of Wilderland. corecanvas.s3.amazonaws.com/theonering-0188db0e/gallery/original/wilderland_map.jpg Wilderland is the region in which much of the Hobbit story takes place. To the west is the Anduin - also known as The Great River - and around it are the Vales of Anduin. Beorn and his people the Beornings live around here. Farther south, against the west edge of Mirkwood, live the Woodmen. In Mirkwood itself live the Wood Elves led by their king Thranduil, and his son Legolas Greenleaf. Farther to the North East is the Lonely Moutain of Erebor, and its human sister city of Dale, which has been rebuilt in the last four years. Farther down to Long Lake are the ruins of Lake-Town, which no longer has people living in it, and a little farther south is Esgaroth, the new, rebuilt Lake-Town. At the very southern tip of Mirkwood are the ruins of Dol Guldor, which the Necromancer was chased out of by the White Council about 4 years ago.
Back-story
The TOR game actually begins similarly to the D&D 5e game, in that we start on the road traveling as part of a group. In the years after the Battle of Five Armies, with Dale, Erebor, and Esgaroth all reopening, this region is something of a hot spot for trade, and people with any amount of skill are in high demand. Caravans need guides, the Wilderland needs to be tamed, and the forces of shadow still living in the darker parts of Mirkwood need to be found and dealt with.
Our characters will be part of a company heading towards Dale, and at the beginning of the campaign we will have just come over the Mist Mountains and be on the path leading to the Old Ford. Our destination is eventually Dale, but for this leg of the trip we're trying to get to Woodland Hall, the newest and largest of the Woodmen settlements, where we will be wintering, and then setting back out early next year. Several of our group are Woodmen who make a living as guides taking caravans from the Misty Mountains to the Old Forest Road in Mirkwood, and it's not uncommon for companies arriving later in the year to winter with them before setting back out. This isn't really hospitality, however, as Woodmen are not the most open and welcoming folk normally. The Woodmen realize their services as guides are in high demand at this point and are taking advantage of it while they can, knowing that eventually other people are likely to set up Inns, trading posts, way stations, and other such things within the next few years.
Where do I fit in?
Given the nature of how our campaign starts out, it's good that TOR places most of its character creation emphasis on picking your culture, as your back-story will likely change a great deal depending on what race you are.
If you are a Hobbit, a Dunedain, or a High Elf of Imladris (Rivendell), then you will be leaving your home behind to come on this journey and you'll want to think up answers to a few questions.
1. Why did you leave home?
2. Why did you become an adventurer at all? Even in Wilderland it's not exactly thought of as respectable work (though most adventurers are seen as honorable, since they're willing to risk their life for others, often with little pay), and outsiders aren't the most trusted in much of Wilderland. The whole area around Long Lake love outsiders, but most of the people in the Vales and Mirkwood are distrustful of them.
3. Why, specifically are you heading to Long Lake? Or are you intending to stop off somewhere along the way? (That last one may get complicated as the campaign heads to Long Lake, but your characters initial intent and where they get led by fate can be differant).
If you're hoping to play a race already native to Wilderland, such as a Barding, Beorning, Woodmen, Mirkwood Elf, etc, then you'll likewise need to consider a couple things.
1. Did you leave Wilderland and are now returning, or did you join with this group on this side of the Misty Moutains?
2. Why did you join with this group?
3. Why, if you left Wilderland, or are this far west in Wilderland, are you now heading back East?
Answering these questions will help when trying to figure out who your character is. During character creation you'll also select backgrounds, and knowing before hand what type of character you're playing will help you when choosing where you came from. If you're a Hobbit, perhaps you felt a Tookish wanderlust and decide to run from home into the wilds. Most unnatural for a Hobbit, but it's actually been happening more and more since Bilbo started telling his stories. If you're a Barding (from Dale), perhaps you left after Lake-Town was destroyed and headed west over the Misty Mountains, and now, four years later, you're retuning, perhaps for the Battle of Five Armies' Fifth anniversary, which is in November of next year. If you're a Dwarf, maybe you're one of the wayward Longbeards who's finally returning home to Erebor, or maybe you're meeting someone in this group, perhaps a family member who's crossed over the Misty Mountains, like your brother, or long lost cousin. If you're a Woodman, maybe you're part of the group of Woodmen playing guide for the company and leading them to Woodland Hall, the youngest and largest of the Woodmen settlements.
When I get back from work later today I'll run through the character creation process and make my character for the game.
Setting
Our campaign will be taking place starting sometime in the year 2945 of the Third age - right about 4 years after the battle of five armies at the end of The Hobbit, and still several decades before the War of the Ring. I'll have to go over the campaign and do some math with the traveling times to figure out exactly when in 2945 we're starting, but it's probably in late Summer or early Fall. Somewhere around there.
Our game will be taking place primarily in the region known as Rhovanion, which is more often called by it's nick-name or title of Wilderland. corecanvas.s3.amazonaws.com/theonering-0188db0e/gallery/original/wilderland_map.jpg Wilderland is the region in which much of the Hobbit story takes place. To the west is the Anduin - also known as The Great River - and around it are the Vales of Anduin. Beorn and his people the Beornings live around here. Farther south, against the west edge of Mirkwood, live the Woodmen. In Mirkwood itself live the Wood Elves led by their king Thranduil, and his son Legolas Greenleaf. Farther to the North East is the Lonely Moutain of Erebor, and its human sister city of Dale, which has been rebuilt in the last four years. Farther down to Long Lake are the ruins of Lake-Town, which no longer has people living in it, and a little farther south is Esgaroth, the new, rebuilt Lake-Town. At the very southern tip of Mirkwood are the ruins of Dol Guldor, which the Necromancer was chased out of by the White Council about 4 years ago.
Back-story
The TOR game actually begins similarly to the D&D 5e game, in that we start on the road traveling as part of a group. In the years after the Battle of Five Armies, with Dale, Erebor, and Esgaroth all reopening, this region is something of a hot spot for trade, and people with any amount of skill are in high demand. Caravans need guides, the Wilderland needs to be tamed, and the forces of shadow still living in the darker parts of Mirkwood need to be found and dealt with.
Our characters will be part of a company heading towards Dale, and at the beginning of the campaign we will have just come over the Mist Mountains and be on the path leading to the Old Ford. Our destination is eventually Dale, but for this leg of the trip we're trying to get to Woodland Hall, the newest and largest of the Woodmen settlements, where we will be wintering, and then setting back out early next year. Several of our group are Woodmen who make a living as guides taking caravans from the Misty Mountains to the Old Forest Road in Mirkwood, and it's not uncommon for companies arriving later in the year to winter with them before setting back out. This isn't really hospitality, however, as Woodmen are not the most open and welcoming folk normally. The Woodmen realize their services as guides are in high demand at this point and are taking advantage of it while they can, knowing that eventually other people are likely to set up Inns, trading posts, way stations, and other such things within the next few years.
Where do I fit in?
Given the nature of how our campaign starts out, it's good that TOR places most of its character creation emphasis on picking your culture, as your back-story will likely change a great deal depending on what race you are.
If you are a Hobbit, a Dunedain, or a High Elf of Imladris (Rivendell), then you will be leaving your home behind to come on this journey and you'll want to think up answers to a few questions.
1. Why did you leave home?
2. Why did you become an adventurer at all? Even in Wilderland it's not exactly thought of as respectable work (though most adventurers are seen as honorable, since they're willing to risk their life for others, often with little pay), and outsiders aren't the most trusted in much of Wilderland. The whole area around Long Lake love outsiders, but most of the people in the Vales and Mirkwood are distrustful of them.
3. Why, specifically are you heading to Long Lake? Or are you intending to stop off somewhere along the way? (That last one may get complicated as the campaign heads to Long Lake, but your characters initial intent and where they get led by fate can be differant).
If you're hoping to play a race already native to Wilderland, such as a Barding, Beorning, Woodmen, Mirkwood Elf, etc, then you'll likewise need to consider a couple things.
1. Did you leave Wilderland and are now returning, or did you join with this group on this side of the Misty Moutains?
2. Why did you join with this group?
3. Why, if you left Wilderland, or are this far west in Wilderland, are you now heading back East?
Answering these questions will help when trying to figure out who your character is. During character creation you'll also select backgrounds, and knowing before hand what type of character you're playing will help you when choosing where you came from. If you're a Hobbit, perhaps you felt a Tookish wanderlust and decide to run from home into the wilds. Most unnatural for a Hobbit, but it's actually been happening more and more since Bilbo started telling his stories. If you're a Barding (from Dale), perhaps you left after Lake-Town was destroyed and headed west over the Misty Mountains, and now, four years later, you're retuning, perhaps for the Battle of Five Armies' Fifth anniversary, which is in November of next year. If you're a Dwarf, maybe you're one of the wayward Longbeards who's finally returning home to Erebor, or maybe you're meeting someone in this group, perhaps a family member who's crossed over the Misty Mountains, like your brother, or long lost cousin. If you're a Woodman, maybe you're part of the group of Woodmen playing guide for the company and leading them to Woodland Hall, the youngest and largest of the Woodmen settlements.
When I get back from work later today I'll run through the character creation process and make my character for the game.
