Ranger Headquarters (OOC)

[Burnt Toast]

It will be decided in the thread when you report to the commanding officers-- likely to Lieutenant Macardil-- @Arnyn is on of our GM's and will place you IC. If you read her last post in here, you can see how she just caught up a couple of other latecomers!

You'll probably be asked IC again to list what you have here, so it can be worked into the RP.

So for your first post in the thread, you can RP yourself arriving at the campaign HQ-- and reporting to Lieutenant Macardil for your group assignment.

[Arnyn]

@Lantaelen - what he said!

I would advise you to read the opening post + the following posts for the story setup/background:

this one:
viewtopic.php?p=4863#p4863
the BLUE part of this one:
viewtopic.php?p=4917#p4917
this one:
viewtopic.php?p=5064#p5064

After meeting at HQ in the morning, everyone gets a horse at the stables, they ride to Harlond, board a ship to Pelargir and arrive that late evening and spend the night. From Pelargir they've ridden their horses to the fort at the crossing of the Poros (took a day and a half-ish).

We have just arrived at the fort. Read this post:
viewtopic.php?p=9356#p9356
and the blue part in this one:
viewtopic.php?p=9986#p9986

And you should have sufficient info to post your arrival. I suggest maybe you arrive at the fort on horseback shortly after the others had gotten there. You can say one of the fort's stewards sent you to find Lieutenant Macardil, and report to him.

[Lantaelen]

@Lucifer @Arnyn

Thank you for all the relevant information! I'll give the threads all a thorough read and get my character posted to the fort.

[Arnyn]

Don't worry, you just need to read posts, not whole threads :D
Looking forward to it!

[Ercassie]

@Lantaelen ! Hoaray ! So glad to see you/Abrazi joining this.

[Burnt Toast]

@Arnyn Thanks for laying that all out-- hopefully I didn't make this all more confusing. Yay, @Lantaelen! See you IC soon!

[Lantaelen]

Alrighty, I am in. Thank you all for your very helpful advice. Looking forward to meeting/re-meeting everyone!

[Arnyn]

@Lantaelen - I held off roleplaying the Lieutenant in my most recent post because I am hoping the other newcomers will still post something, too. Definitely not ignoring you, wanted to let you know that!

[Ercassie]

@Arnyn I almost had a latecomer's response up last night, but ebil technology lost the post and I went to my bed in despair. Efforts to recreate that writing have commenced.

[Lantaelen]

@Arnyn That makes sense to me. Thanks for letting me know!

[Arnyn]

Oof, Ercassie, I hate it when tech lets us down! You probably had quite a bit written too... maybe version 2 will be even better!

[Nen]

Hi! Is it too late to join the Ranger RPG? I had thought to stick to one Gondorian character, but she isn't a fighter. So I'm writing up another for such an RPG as this.

[Arnyn]

@Nen - no, it isn't too late! More characters are welcome. This is Hirluin? Does he have a military past or as a ranger that the command would know of? For this to work we do need characters who are already adept at one or 2 kinds of weapons, who know how to fight and have at least basic schooling in first aid and some scouting or tracking, making camp and riding.

[Nen]

@Arnyn Oh! That's great! Yes, Arnyn. Hirluin is the one. And he is a Ranger - military past and all. He is a swordsman. He is good at scouting and tracking. First aid - yes.

[Arnyn]

Good, good! Then feel free to have him arrive at the fort and find Lieutenant Macardil. :) I'd read the posts I outlined for Lantaelen and then the blue ones after!

[Arnyn]

@Nen could you make me a nifty little list for Hirluin like everyone has below? :smiley8:
I'll add Hirluin to this update then.

While we're at it, let's add Abrazi:

SQUAD UPDATE

Squad 1: 6 Rangers
Durien, Kamion, Thûllir, Zev, Arnyn, Jaena

Ranged possibilities:
Bow primary weapon: Durien, Thûllir
Bow secondary weapon: Jaena, Arnyn

Skilled healers:
Durien, Thûllir

Kamion
Longsword
Dagger
Healing: Elementary-Intermediate
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Jaena
Longsword
Bow
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Arnyn
Longsword
Shortbow
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Zevarion
Sword
Throwing knives
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Intermediate

Thullir
Longbow
Shortsword
Healing: Advanced
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Durien
Longbow
Long Knives
Healing: Advanced
Scouting/tracking: Intermediate-Advanced

***

Squad 2: 7 Rangers
Ilisys, Mourgan, Morwen, Pele, Red, Unalmis, Abrazimir

Ranged possibilities:
Bow primary weapon: /
Bow secondary weapon: Pele, Morwen, Mourgan, Unalmis

Skilled healers:
Pele, Morwen

Ilisys
Spear
Long knives
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Intermediate

Pele
Longsword
Recurve bow
Healing: Advanced
Scouting/tracking: Intermediate

Red
Longsword
Knives
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Morwen
Longsword
Bow
Healing: Intermediate
Scouting/tracking: Elementary

Mourgan
Longsword
Bow
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Elementary

Abrazimir
Sword and shield
Armoured fists
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/Tracking: Elementary

Unalmis
Shortsword
Crossbow
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Elementary

***

Squad 3: 7 Rangers
Arinelle, Arothir, Karis, Turin, Kaylin, Beren, Hirluin

Ranged possibilities:
Bow primary weapon: Karis
Bow secondary weapon: Arinelle, Turin

Skilled healers:
Beren, Karis

Arothir
Spear
Sword
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Elementary-Intermediate

Arinelle
Longsword
Longbow
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Elementary-Intermediate

Turin
Longsword
Shortbow
Healing: Elementary
Tracking/Scouting: None-Elementary

Beren
Longsword
Sling
Healing: Intermediate
Scouting/tracking: Advanced

Kaylin
Shortsword and shield
Knives
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/tracking: Elementary

Hirluin
Shortsword
Dagger
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/Tracking: Advanced

Karis
Longbow
Shortsword
Healing: Intermediate
Scouting/tracking: Intermediate-advanced

[Nen]

@Arnyn Sure! I'll write up a post in a bit. But I can submit the list now.

Hirluin
Sword
Dagger
Healing: Elementary
Scouting/Tracking: Advanced

[Arnyn]

@Nen - I added Hirluin to the third squad already, so squad 2 and 3 are evenly numbered. Does he have a longsword or a shortsword with him at the moment? Long, probably?
I'll have a post up for him probably later today in the rpg.

[Nen]

@Arnyn Hirluin has a single-handed sword, Arnyn. So, I guess that would make it a short sword...? And sure. Looking forward to the post! I'm still building him up and my RP skills are a bit rusty, so please bear with me.

[Arnyn]

@Nen , no worries. A longsword can be one-handed or two-handed, it all depends on the actual length and weight of the sword combined with your character's strength etc. The way I think about long vs short sword is: imagine your character standing up with his arms relaxed (just "hanging down") by his sides. Put his sword in his hand. Does the sword clear the ground?
Yes --> shortsword
No --> longsword

[Nen]

@Arnyn Shortsword then! :D

[Nen]

@Pele Alarion Quick question: why would you be labeled a traitor? I hope it's okay to ask. I figured if Hirluin is supposed to have fought with all the Rangers in that thread he should be aware of something to react to.

Also, is it okay to be caught up a wee bit on persons? I'm wondering how to play my newly created character, who is supposed to have been around for awhile, among characters that have already been playing together for some time...

[Lantaelen]

@Nen I'm rather new as well and joined at the tail-end of the old Plaza's run. Most folks here are more than happy to whip up some previous character interaction in my experience. I'm also happy to have Abrazimir, my character, having met Hirluin perhaps during the Battle of the Pelennor or the aftermath? If you are willing as well. At least they know one another by name and face.

[Arnyn]

Nen, to cover part of your question before Pele herself gets here: Pele's story isn't something characters who remained in Gondor would be aware of (yet, who knows), so Hirluin wouldn't know anything other than that Pele has been absent for a good long while. That she disappeared very suddenly, and now she's back, is the extent of what people know here!

As far as I'm concerned our characters can "know" one another. It would depend on Hirluin's circles, I guess?
Arnyn was a Ranger based in Minas Tirith (who held some lofty ranks, so odds are if you're playing Hirluin as a Ranger he would know at least of her?) who's just returned to the city after being gone for about two years. So she would have been around for the War of the Ring but then was away for a while.
And Kaylin has been a soldier with the MT army who has stayed in MT throughout. Kaylin's very sociable too so it could be quite possible. She's a frequent pub visitor, barracks visitor, etc.

Take your pick of what would be most logical to you. :D

Edit: or both!

[Nen]

@Lantaelen Sure! I'm guessing, currently, most of the rangers have turned in for the night. Hirluin has been assigned to the third squad, so we could likely drum up some interaction between him and Abrazimir the following morning. It would be nice if they know each other from the last battle. They might not be great buddies, but they could have been fighting in the same ranks for a while, and got to know each other as soldiers do in the midst of a battle. Are you okay with that?

I read your Abrazimir's biography, by the way. You've put in so much thought! It made for some intriguing reading.

On the side, my female character, Lalaith, belongs to a noble family from Dor-En-Ernil that was massacred, likely in a fued. She knows nothing of the past and her foster parents can't or won't tell her anything. So, I'm hoping to come up with an intrigue at some future date regarding her past. But, that's still a long way off. I want to build up her character first (and do some much needed re-reading/reading-up!!).

@Arnyn Regarding Pele - cool! I did think it was a private matter until she mentioned being considered a traitor. That made me wonder if her disappearance and whatever it was, was supposed to be public knowledge. I just needed to know that so that I could play Hirluin right.

I think it possible Hirluin might have had a run in with Kaylin a couple of times when he was too depressed he needed to hit the bar. And sure, he could know of Arnyn! What was the last rank Arnyn had? Because I assume Hirluin would be able to better recognise her rank than her name.

[Moriel]

@Nen @Lantaelen If either of you wants your characters to know Kamion, that's fine with me! He's been around a long time, and has spent some time in Dol Amroth/has connections there. Happy to plot any time

[Nen]

@Moriel Wonderful! I'd really like that. I just noticed your character's profile in the character list thread. Will read up. As I said, my character has only just entered the city. She hasn't a clue about MT. We can settle into it for when this Ranger RPG gets over, perhaps?

Later edit:
@Arnyn Whoa!! Your lieutenant sounds uncannily like a mirror image of Hirluin!!! :shock: I only just read the descriptive post of Macardil...!!!

[Moriel]

Sounds great! Will look forward to it, and whatever interactions come up in the RPG itself :smiley8:

[Ercassie]

@Nen, likewise, Ilisys is from Dol Amroth and mostly only (sort of) known to Abrazimir and Kamion. She’s not very good at the social side of things, to be fair, and may forget if she has met you. So please don’t take offense if she is useless in that regard.

My younger recruit, Unalmis, is from Minas Tirith and keen to know anyone/everyone, but since he is relatively new to the military, he is unlikely to know Hirluin already, unless your soldier helped to train him ? Regardless, he would be glad to meet your Ranger/Nen. :smiley10:

[Arnyn]

@Nen - hehe, I did notice some similarities after reading his character description in the submission thread. :D Funny!

A few bar meetings then! Then Kaylin and Hirluin would know each other by name because she's rather straightforward and unafraid to approach the brooding types as well. She also likes to turn people's mood around if she can, and will do her very best to do so if she deems it necessary (and she would have, I'm sure, deemed it necessary in Hirluin's case then).
As for Arnyn, her highest rank was Commander. LOL. She was also second in command for a good while, and the sword division captain for a long time. So there's some rank history there for her, but she's enjoying just being a Ranger like everyone else at the moment. :D

Also I love how nice everyone is being! Kudos all around!

[Nen]

@Ercassie You know, I have an uncanny suspicion I know your character from before. Did you create her back in the Dol Amroth threads of the old plaza? I think she interacted with one of my NPCs. To be honest, I can't remember what my character's name was, but he was happily flirting with her, and he was the Prince's intelligence gatherer for Umbar. I think Aig was playing the prince at the time.

Also, my Ranger, Hirluin, is from MT - born and bred. It's my female character, Lalaith, who is from Dol Amroth. :smiley8:

@Arnyn Yikes! Just see if you're okay with Hirluin's memory of Kaylin...

[Ercassie]

@Nen, Ilisys was competing in the Jousting tournament, yes, when Umbarians descended on Dol Amroth, back in the day. Aig was Imrahil, I do believe @Moriel’s Corsair Jhalabar Xho was leading the assault, and @Arnyn’s brave sailors were some of the first casualties ! Sadly I do not remember your character’s name either, but if it is the one I am thinking of, he definitely had an alias of ‘The Eel’ Such fun !

[Arnyn]

Sounds about right!

[Pele Alarion]

@Nen, I see Arnyn already explained stuff well. :D Pele's reasons for being away would not be public knowledge, not yet anyway. However, she would have changed, become more quiet and somber, lost weight, etc. If you want your character to know her more or less, that would be fine with me. Before disappearance Pele was a sergeant and was in charge of training new recruits and such.

[Nen]

@Ercassie That sounds about right! I remember "The Eel". But I think it was his code name. I'm not sure he used it more than once or twice. However, I really can't remember much.

@Arnyn That's great! :D

@Pele Alarion Thank you, Pele!

All of your are incredibly lovely! Thanks for helping me get Hirluin's act together with all the info.

Also, Pele, if you're okay with it, my other NPC, Lalaith is headed towards Haldecar's kitchen in response to the Queen's Quest task. I'm sure she wouldn't mind having a taste of the honeyed bacon!!! :mrgreen:

[Pele Alarion]

Nen, I'll have Cadil offer you food. :D

[Lantaelen]

@Lantaelen Sure! I'm guessing, currently, most of the rangers have turned in for the night. Hirluin has been assigned to the third squad, so we could likely drum up some interaction between him and Abrazimir the following morning. It would be nice if they know each other from the last battle. They might not be great buddies, but they could have been fighting in the same ranks for a while, and got to know each other as soldiers do in the midst of a battle. Are you okay with that?

I read your Abrazimir's biography, by the way. You've put in so much thought! It made for some intriguing reading.

On the side, my female character, Lalaith, belongs to a noble family from Dor-En-Ernil that was massacred, likely in a fued. She knows nothing of the past and her foster parents can't or won't tell her anything. So, I'm hoping to come up with an intrigue at some future date regarding her past. But, that's still a long way off. I want to build up her character first (and do some much needed re-reading/reading-up!!).

Between Abrazimir and Hirluin, that sounds like a great place to start, during the siege of Minas Tirith and the Pelennor? Abrazimir would have been assigned to the gates during the siege, as that's where the swan knights of Dol Amroth are said to be garrisoned, and afterwards during the Pelennor they could have been fighting side by side in the ranks. Before and during they could have been introduced and all. It won't be their first meeting during this Rangers RP, that's for sure.

Thank you! I feared most of the biography may have been lost in the transition here but I was able to recreate most of it. Glad it still has its creative appeal

As for your character Lalaith, Abrazimir may not know her, but perhaps he heard the tale of her family's massacre? Abrazimir's family being a staple of Dol Amroth and Belfalas doings, if you like, I'd be happy to be involved in some way in this intrigue. Something to discuss later. And perhaps, hint hint, help drive the creation of the Southern Fiefs of Gondor as being its own little thing.

@Lantaelen If either of you wants your characters to know Kamion, that's fine with me! He's been around a long time, and has spent some time in Dol Amroth/has connections there. Happy to plot any time

More friends the merrier. If Kamion has been down south, perhaps he had dealings with the Dimaethor family. And as with Hirluin, the War of the Ring could have been the more proper introduction and meeting between the two characters. How does that suffice?

As for meetings and introductions/reintroductions in the current RP, I'll leave it to the next day/first day for Abrazimir to reconnect with some old faces and friends. Sure was a lot going on!

[Moriel]

@Lantaelen Works for me! Kamion's father Darellon has a long standing friendship with the Azrubêl and Montagna families of Dol Amroth, could also be a connection with the Dimaethor as well. I'm happy to pick up as acquaintances/casual friends and see how things develop from there if that sounds like what you're thinking :smiley8:

[Lantaelen]

@Lantaelen Works for me! Kamion's father Darellon has a long standing friendship with the Azrubêl and Montagna families of Dol Amroth, could also be a connection with the Dimaethor as well. I'm happy to pick up as acquaintances/casual friends and see how things develop from there if that sounds like what you're thinking :smiley8:

Sounds exact to my line of thinking. We can fine tune some details when it's required!

[Azdiur]

Hrm, definitely interested in getting back in to this sort of RP. Trying to catch up on the discussion, I think I see how things are being set up. Could probably dust off the old character and rework him to fit with this new timeline. Need to ponder a bit. If there's another logical point that newcomers could slip in a few days from now, I'd be game, I think. Can probably figure stuff out by then.

[Nen]

@Lantaelen I've mentioned a brief meeting with Hirluin and Abrazimir where they fought back to back. Just enough to be merely acquainted and space to grow the RPing bit. Also, no one would know Lalaith right now. But yes, there should be something good to build on. I just have no clue what right now. ...

@Azdiur - Hi! And welcome!! :)

[Arnyn]

@Azdiur - sounds great! Give me a holler in here when you think you're ready. Then we come up with an integration plan! It's hard to say where we'll be at in a few days, I'm taking it from day to day to decide on prompts and such...

[Azdiur]

@Arnyn Works for me. Just a few things to make sure I've read all the right updates:

Timeline is the first few years Fourth Age, with this group of Rangers being effectively the "right sized" standing army that was dismissed mostly to local militias post War of the Ring. Characters are assumed to have baseline competence from whatever their history in the War was, and are all expected to display the 4 "core" skills, but can specialize in one of the few disciplines listed. I see the rules for weapons, but don't see rules for deciding specific "skill levels;" is that just something that's being handled by you?

OldAz left home as a young kid to join the army, since I was RPing him as being a few years older than I was then. If I stick with that model, he's mid 30s now, and I'm thinking of going the alternate universe route where he stayed home and took up the family trade as a smith in a small village. Probably joined the militia and a rough quartermaster of sorts for the WoR,and afterward decided to pass his position along and do a bit of the traveling he never got to. Something like that. So primary focus would be logistics for gear creation/maintenance. Secondary skills would be my trusty spear :)

I'll work to fill in some details and post a character profile to the other MT thread later? Just wanted to make sure I was on the right track from what was developing here.

[Lantaelen]

@Lantaelen I've mentioned a brief meeting with Hirluin and Abrazimir where they fought back to back. Just enough to be merely acquainted and space to grow the RPing bit. Also, no one would know Lalaith right now. But yes, there should be something good to build on. I just have no clue what right now. ...

I actually got no clue either, but it's a start! And we can build on experiences onwards from there, until ongoing and present RPs create plenty of shared background material to go on :)

[Nen]

I actually got no clue either, but it's a start! And we can build on experiences onwards from there, until ongoing and present RPs create plenty of shared background material to go on :)

:smiley8:

[Arnyn]

@Azdiur :

- timeline, yes, FA2-5ish and you pick what fits your character best and we all accept and gloss over stuff if for ex you base your cajaracter timeline on FA 5 and I base mine on FA 2. (There is no pie.)

- disbanding etc and smaller needed force + militia: yes

- since at the conception this smaller force is made up of the chosen few, these chosen few would have the four core skills at an elementary level at least: yes. Everyone needs to be able to fight with a primary and secondary weapon, needs to have some survival skills like making camp and elementary healing (aka first aid), needs to be able to ride, etc.

- you decide what level your character is on per skill actually ^^. Just use common sense and make it realistic for your character's background. Since this is the start of a new unit, we put everyone at Ranger rank to start fresh, but rhis doesn't mean your character can't already have a specialization (or 2). Official specialization as linked to rank, however, can be assigned after decent participation in this rpg. Everyone will then be able to apply for 1 specialization (even if your character may have more; in that case you will have a choice to make at the time).

What you're thinking sounds good to me!

[Azdiur]

@Arnyn

OK, threw a first draft of a character bio into the Character Repo thread, won't repeat all of it but short version:

Azdiur is mid-30s, spent the years before the War as a smith in a village on the banks of the Anduin and dreaming of one day helping retake Ithilien. When the war came, he joined the regional militia and helped outfit them. Post-war, he passed his shop down to his apprentice and packed up to find new places that would benefit from his skills. I'm thinking his crafting skills would be on the line between intermediate and advanced: he's spent decades and is an accomplished smith, with some expertise working in wartime, but he's more of a generalist than a specialist in those regards. Also a decent cook: nothing fancy, but good at making something filling in large quantities from whatever's on hand. Definitely looking to go for a sort of Quartermaster vibe: high standards for keeping things in good order, considers proper planning and outfitting to be the first stage of a fight.

So:

Ranger Azdiur
Equipment:
Primary: Quarterstaff, steel-tipped
Secondary: Dirk
Armor: Well-fitted suit of mail, leather gauntlets, steel greaves

Skills:
Weapon/Armor Crafting: Intermediate-Advanced
Spear/Polearms: Elementary

[Arnyn]

@Azdiur ,I read the character submissuon and your post here. And I do believe you've thought up an interesting and original character! I suggest he arrives at the fort now, as the Rangers have been given the command to gather at the stables. Azdiur will be just in time to join them before they set out!

[Azdiur]

@Arnyn

Putting a post together right now, if there's no objection I'm having Azdiur arrive with a load of weapons/armor he'd been working on that needed resources not available at the fort? That would give a reason for showing up a tad late, and is better than starting off on the wrong foot by arriving at the last possible minute...

[Arnyn]

@Azdiur I almost never judge a bit of reasonable improv. I won't start now :smiley8: Welcome! So your character's scouting and his healing would be elementary, yes?