Minas Tirith City Hall (OOC)

[Baphởmet]

Thank you so much for a fun game @Afird Splitax! That damn Q haunted us half the game!

@Pele Alarion I am sorry you got stuck with such a rube for a partner. Thank you for tolerating me!

[Pele Alarion]

@Sorceress What? You were doing quite all right with it!

@Afird Splitax This was quite great and enjoyable, thanks!

[Rillewen]

@Winddancer

I was told I should ask you about this question I had, so here I go.
I just made a new character, a guard with the city watch of minas tirith. He's been a guard for like 4-5 years, and I was wondering what sort of ranks there are, and what would be reasonable for him? Thanks :)

[Winddancer]

@Rillewen Hadnt really made any ranks as such. He can be anything you like except Captain or above. The point of the thread is more for free rp, so feel free to give him whatever suits the rp. Of course cant boss anyone around, unless you have asked those involved :) Hope that makes sense??

[Rillewen]

It does..i just don't know what ranks there are, exactly, nor what exactly is below captain sergeant? Lieutenant?
@Winddancer

[Winddancer]

Heck if I know Feel free to use either or make one up!

[Rillewen]

Lol alright. Well, I found this, I'll probably go by it, but maybe group all the multiple sergeant ranks into one lump rank of "sergeant"? Does that sound okay?

[Winddancer]

No probs!

[Nessa Saelind]

Lol alright. Well, I found this, I'll probably go by it, but maybe group all the multiple sergeant ranks into one lump rank of "sergeant"? Does that sound okay?

This can help too Police ranks US. I'd use UK usually, but too much gaffers and chief supers in the modern ranks

[Lailyn]

Yay Tower Guards for our crime-laden city! Haven't thought about this either, I just assume Hathaldir is the lowest of low ranks (where he deserves to be!). I have no opinion on this but there are also some ranks in an archived Tower Guard thread if that helps.

[Nessa Saelind]

When in doubt borrow from Naith

[Rillewen]

So, I'm trying to decide where Ric would be, having been in the Watch for about 5 years. He's young but very dedicated to the job. When he's not on his day off, visiting the girl he likes lol

[Winddancer]

Prolly not a lot of ranks in Gondor, maybe Sergeant? Or if he is really ambitious or got a bit of "help" a lieutenant?

[Rillewen]

@Winddancer
I did think of that possibility, cause he does have a rather corrupt, identical twin brother who could have done him a favor without Ric even knowing, to get him a promotion Ric didn't expect. Lol maybe he bribed someone, posing as Ric, and poor Ric doesn't even know that he supposedly bribed someone!

But i hesitated to suggest it cause i wasn't sure if that would be alright

[Winddancer]

Of course it is alright, if that's something you want to do, go for it! :D

[Rillewen]

awesome, thanks @Winddancer
:D

[Winddancer]

No worries! Sounds like great rp fun :D

[Lailyn]

Hey @Rillewen, I didn't notice until I sat down to write my post that Aderic was in the Third Circle but the corpse in Frost's original post was in the Second so I stuck with 2nd on my Falaneth post. It doesn't really matter to me since we all know we're in the same place, but I just thought I'd let you know! I also approached @Winddancer's 'Dina' character at the scene because my gosh that girl is breaking my heart and someone needs to help her

the corrupt identical twin sounds fun. Love the bribing!

[Rillewen]

@Lailyn
oh, oops! I thought i was in the right place lol. Anyway, I'll change it.
And yes, omg, i thought originally that she was elsewhere, that frost did the same thing somewhere like, outside of town, but after your post i went back and read it. so sad, especially cause i have a (sort of adopted) niece that same age (who, incidentally, would also get left home alone for hours and probably days at a time while her mother was off getting high, before my Bro and Sil took custody of her

[Winddancer]

Sorry @Rillewen! Didnt mean to trigger you <3

[Lailyn]

@Rillewen no worries! <3 I'm so glad you jumped into the story regardless of little details and I can't wait to see more of Aderic (and twin!).

and I'm so sorry to hear that! *offers a hug* that's awful and heart-breaking. I'm glad it sounds like she's in a better place now. If you need anything, please let me know and if you are ever uncomfortable with something, just say the word.

[Rillewen]

Thanks @Lailyn
Little Gracie (my new niece) is so adorable and she's so much happier now. She had a little setback when her mother dropped by unexpectedly one day, (she's NOT supposed to without clearing it with child services and bro/sil first) and my SIL was very upset because after her visit Gracie's behavior was just awful. That woman is such a terrible influence on the poor child :(
Gracie just turned 5 a couple weeks ago and they had her a birthday party. It was the first she's ever had in her life, and she had such a great time :) I can't wait to see how she improves after she's been with them for a year, if she's come this far in only a few months :D

[Lailyn]

Ohh no! :( but it's so good to hear that she is with your family now <3

[Rillewen]

Yeah, I don't see her much, cause my brother lives about 45 minutes away, but every time I see her, she's improved a tiny bit more :) When I first met her, she could barely talk legibly. The second time I saw her, she was a lot more understandable. Now she's working on learning her ABCs and how to count and she's so adorable. lol. I just hope her mother will stay away as much as possible. She'll be starting school in a couple of months and I'm sure she'll improve a lot then, too. :)

@Lailyn


Also;
"the corrupt identical twin sounds fun. Love the bribing!"

I can just imagine, if Ric ever finds out.. he'll be pretty crushed.. he's super proud of the fact he achieved such a rank in such a short time, and so young! (he's only 23 lol) but to find out it wasn't for real...
I think he would end up going to his superior and informing him of the facts, telling him that he didn't want the position unless it was earned properly. It might break his heart to do it though, poor guy.

[Lailyn]

I'm glad, I hope school helps! <3 and Ric + twin brother will all make for interesting dramatic reading for sure! maybe Hathaldir should bribe someone to promote him...that's right up his alley.

fyi to anyone RPing in Tower Guard or in need of a guard for random idle/background-ish sort of tasks - I said it on discord, but I'll share here, too officially, if you ever want to use Garthain the guard I made up for such purposes, feel free to go ahead! I'm fine with him being an all around/catch-all NPC to suit your story needs and don't claim ownership of him.

[Pele Alarion]

Right. Apparently a short vacation means that I'm also spending less time on plaza, so might just peek in and not write that much until 28th or so. Just in case you really need me to write something, do prod!

[Nessa Saelind]

Have fun on your vacation Pele Enjoy the great outdoors, have fun, take lots of photos and recharge your batteries.

[Nessa Saelind]

Re summer pub, @Pele Alarion you have any preferences for the drinks/food menu? I have a few medieval cookbooks around I can pull something from them if you want something fancy (there's an awesome medieval recipe for drowned fish in wine) or if you want something more low key and summery? I can type up something by Sunday and you can open the summer pub season.

Clearly, this didn't go according to plan. Apologies @Pele Alarion, I thought I was going to find the time to do the pub menu, but unfortunately RL work has been crazy and I have little free time this summer. :-( I can only write for a few hours on the weekends and while I was trying to catch up with all the Plaza reading and writing my long-awaited responses for people this totally slipped my mind. I'm so sorry! I know I must have held up you and the folks who were looking forward to a summer pub in Gondor... Please go ahead with opening a pub thread by yourself, or you can ask @Ercassie to do it with you, since the two of you did an awesome job on the Winter Has Come Inn thread. Maybe you could even revamp the Old Guesthouse or another pub of old, instead of doing a summer theme pub? *thinking face* Just throwing ideas out there.

Well, that's me done with OOC today (I hope), need to catch up on my writing.

[Pele Alarion]

@Nessa Saelind Well, no worries! I'm still enjoying my vacation and will probably put something up once I get my mind away from adventuring on nature trails and doing some writing.

[Ercassie]

I see you posting when you're meant to still be relaxing @Pele Alarion ! Welcome back !

[Pele Alarion]

Hehe, I am relaxing! Have done little else but watch Olympics and nap all day long today since the car is being looked at and no other activities at hand. And so a wee post.

[Winddancer]

@Lailyn @Enchantress @Rillewen and anyone else, feel free to try and stop the little girl if it fits your narrative and also feel free to let her run, I can work with either :) <3

[Lailyn]

Windy. I'll keep that in mind! I worried she might be a flight risk. :(

Fellow Tower Guards, @Winddancer, @Tharmáras, @Rillewen and myself have an idea to do a little shady file-theft from the Tower Guard involving Hathaldir and Rill's thief. Before we do anything I wanted to check if that's ok by you? I'm happy to give more details if you want.

[Winddancer]

Go for it! :D If you need me to do anything with the Captain, lemme know :D

[Tharmáras]

Oh, wow!! That's okay with me. If you want Beren involved in some way, let me know what's up, if there's anything I need to read before I write yet or how to start, El ! By the way, if I am needed, permission to use police dog Hattie? I know you're a fan of hers, so checking @Lailyn lol .

[Pele Alarion]

@Dirion Telpelen You have been seen! Lovely to see your familiar name and signature!

[Rillewen]

Oooh there's a police dog!? @Tharmáras Awww, I love doggies :D Not sure my thief would have the same feeling though!

[Tharmáras]

Welcome back home, @Dirion Telpelen ! I was Aigronding/ Edan Amrun/ Beren Camlost (I still use all of them and Beren is both a Ranger and Tower Guard here) when you were on the old Plaza. Nice to see a familiar face!

@Rillewen , yes! Beren has a cute black dog named Hattie who he owns with Nal, @Ercassie's NPC! Hattie is playful and rambunctious Patterdale.

[Rillewen]

@Tharmáras
Ah yes, I think I remember Ercassie mentioniong something about that. I'm familiar with Nal, as he and some of my characters were very good friends growing up :)
If Beren is a guard in MT, and he's been there a while, he might've had to scold those kids a few times btw :P

[Nessa Saelind]

little shady file-theft from the Tower Guard involving Hathaldir and Rill's thief.

Just out of archival curiosity, you were just planning on liberating the Tower Guard archive? Or just starting with that and then moving on to other places? I know we had a discussion here about which archives does Minas Tirith have and which documents are where; so as a natural Nosy Parkins I'm nosing in

[Lailyn]

Thanks, both of you! Will let either of you know if we need the Captain or Hattie! I'm not sure Hathaldir would be happy about a dog either and I'd hate to expose her to his general mean-ness.. However, I am wondering @Tharmáras since you have the Secretary, would she be very annoyed if her files got messed up if either of us decide to leave things not quite where they were?

Nose away, Nessa! He's just "liberating" the case files from Tandarion's death.

[Tharmáras]

@Lailyn , I am sure Gelrhevia would be quite flustered which means you have my permission ! I have set a precedent of my secretary being upset when documents she's ordered are out of place in my first Beren post in The Tower Guard. I like to think Gelrhevia has OCD (not sure what it would be called hundreds of years ago or it can simply be inferred through her actions) and has an anxiety condition like I do. I think it's the kind of occurrence that will be entertaining to write when I use her. Anyways, rambling, yes, you and @Rillewen may have Gelrhevia's files messed up and leave things out of place . Thanks for asking! I'll enjoy reading y'all's shenanigans!

[Lailyn]

Yes. I thought I remembered something like that! Thanks! Not sure we will end up rifling through anything but good to know just in case!!

[Rillewen]

Lol that's very nice to hear, @Tharmáras , because I believe strawberry is going to be sent to liberate those files and she may have to just grab a ton of things that looks like it might be the right thing, because she doesn't know how to read she certainly won't be putting things back how they were! Edit: yes, @Lailyn , we will definitely be rifling

[Lailyn]

I stand corrected!

[Rillewen]

I like to think Gelrhevia has OCD (not sure what it would be called hundreds of years ago or it can simply be inferred through her actions) and has an anxiety condition like I do. I think it's the kind of occurrence that will be entertaining to write when I use her.

I'm sure it was a thing that existed, but they probably didn't have a name for it. Just like dyslexia, which strawberry has(hence why she can't read) and asthma, which my character brooke has. Those things existed I'm sure, they just didn't really know about them to give them a name

[Baphởmet]

Anxiety disorders absolutely existed! They were likely called other things, like you suggested. I'm sure the genius behind the HoH's newest initiative *cough*@Nessa Saelind*cough* would know what they were called if they indeed had names at all.

[Tharmáras]

Thanks for affirming those conditions existed and may have had other names, @Enchantress and @Rillewen ! Yes, @Nessa Saelind may know. I think she to me months ago PTSD was called "soldier's heart" when warriors suffered it. @Rillewen , I'm glad to know another writer here who has disorders for their characters !

@Lailyn and @Rillewen , Gelrhevia is a secretary for any Tower Guard member so let me know if you ever need her to file anything. Lol I can imagine Beren though seeing the place in disarray after y'all mess with stuff and him saying "I didn't do it" defensively

[Lailyn]

Also echoing the others, I am also sure the many such conditions existed!

[Moriel]

The history of mental illness and developmental conditions IRL is both fascinating and often brutal- much like the history of LGBTQ+ folks, such conditions have always been around, just not necessarily recognized, named, or treated for what they are! There have been many names for such things (such as soldier's heart, shell shock, and war neurosis for PTSD), and references to them not only in history but also literature and popular entertainment going back centuries (see Mercutio's Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet, for example), and medical philosophy of the ancient Greeks.

I've been working elements of Tavari's c-PTSD into her writing for a long time, and it's great to see others exploring these types of themes