Lore Post Office

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Lore Post Office

Lambengolmor or'Loremasters of Tongues' Collection

Welcome to the Lore Post Office. Here you can send a letter or postcard to a fellow-lorist. We hope soon to deliver mail also to the various Kingdom Post Offices.

The Lore Post Office houses the plaza Masterstone, which may be used by special arrangement and a small donation to the Fangorn butter farm. With the Masterstone you may look far - over all the kingdoms of the plaza even into the threads of Administration and Out of Middle-earth. You may also communicate with someone in another post office in which is housed a palantír.

The Palantir by Inger Edelfeldt

Lore and Kingdom Post Offices:
Lore Post Office (You are here!)
Eriador Mail Service RP (Imladris)
The Dwarven Express (Khazad-dûm)
Minas Tirith's Mail ~ The Roquen Express Revived (Gondor)
Post Office of the Four Farthings (The Shire)
The Hornburg Post Office (Rohan)
The Old Mailing Tree (Fangorn)
The Mordor Post Office (Mordor)

The new post office of the Hornburg replaces the old Riddermark Ærendgewrit—Rohirric Mail, which was burned to the ground on orders from Orthanc.

Lore post-mistress (LPM), Chrysophylax Dives.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@Drifa, would you by any chance be up for designing some Lore stamps?

[The Good Hunter]

I'm intrigued, if a little confused, by the notion of a Lore Post Office, as the kingdom post offices are more designed for 'in-character' communications, how do you see a Lore version working?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Possibly the problem is that I have yet to get my head around in-character. On the threads I post in outside of Lore I still play myself (only a more kindly version). But the other side of the coin is that I have enjoyed the plaza much more since I started posting in those other threads and am eager to bring into Lore whatever good stuff I find below.

Ideally, I would like to formulate a no god-moding principle for Lore! But I have trouble articulating it without hitting Lore-fascism.

I also think this other-colour-italics OP thing is pretty good, and want to try that too.

Both you and @Rivvy Elf gave the same response about 'in-character' but I think this is a blinkered perspective on Lore. Who said that when you post in Lore you have to post as 'out-of-character'? What does that even mean? Why cannot I post in Lore as any character that I feel to be at that moment? Why do I have to post as my own character when I don't even know what that is?

Possibly you are both correct that Lore cannot be deemed yet another RP forum. But the fact of the plaza as I have discovered it over the last year is that the RP rules are worked out really well while nobody ever thought about Lore at all, except for ensuring there were no Lore admins so the old lorists could not regroup. But I think that the plaza needs Lore to flourish if the plaza is to flourish, and I think that requires people putting a little thought (for perhaps the first time) into what Lore is about.

If we had a post office we could have a post-mistress or master. I'm not calling for the return of Lore admins. I did some months ago but I don't think it is a solution. But a post-mistress with ceremonial powers might be nice.

[The Good Hunter]

I think, dear dragon, I begin to see your point, at least in terms of 'in-character' versus 'out-of-character'. In that regard, I don't see any issues arising from writing in Lore 'in-character' especially if it's done in a sort of meta-, fourth-wall leaning style you've adopted.

Sadly, I am one of those folks that didn't give much thought to Lore in the grand scheme of the Plaza's reach. I'm quite a poor lorist and many times I find myself completely out of my depths. Insofar as the Plaza 'needing' Lore, I am willing to at least try and visit more often and attempt this 'in-character' experiment.

Typically, the foolish mortal that opens the Post Office thread is tasked with being the master and, in the spirit of a Grimm's fairy tale, that task has attached itself to you. Congratulations on your unofficial, powerless power!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @The Good Hunter,
I hope you are well. The weather here is nice. I have edited the OP. On the spur of the moment I went for post-mistress, I hope this does not offend anyone. Henceforth, please format any posts in this thread in the form of a letter or postcard.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Chrys. Dives, LPM (Lore Post-mistress)

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @The Good Hunter,
I write in reply to a letter of 10.04 pm, from which I take the liberty of quoting.

I'm quite a poor lorist and many times I find myself completely out of my depths. Insofar as the Plaza 'needing' Lore, I am willing to at least try and visit more often and attempt this 'in-character' experiment.

I say, no giving it a go without actually wanting to. Otherwise, no point. It is true, I think, that Lore needs something of the Old Lore way where some people know all the books and can outquote anyone. Such people tend to be insufferable but without that solid ground what happens is people with opinions are not checked and we get the kind of free-for-all on angels that the plaza witnessed in recent months (which had its moments). However, Rivvy and Priya and myself and others can do that if required. If it is not required it is a bit tedious, at least without some new idea to kick around.

It is the ideas that should be the supply for Lore discussions. Do Orcs cry? That seemed to me a model Lore discussion. I think the way it should work is something like in Lore you get - or should get - the interpretations closest to those of Tolkien, and a space to criticize or unpack those readings, and then someone like yourself can choose what to do with that. Does that sound of use or interest to you?

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Dives. LPM

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @The Good Hunter,
Further to my letter of 10.38 pm may I, in my new position of post-mistress (power ceremonial) continue the discussion of Lore?

I don't care if we have loads of Lore posts or only a trickle. What I would like is that some of the few of us who are here have conversations about the stuff that interests us. And Lore seems a good place for some of that.

Over the last years, I have cared. I guess I bought into the deep plaza nostalgia vibe that cuts the heart by always dreaming of the return of a golden age when lots of people posted lots and lots. The days of halfir! When Lorists where real Lorists. So a couple of years ago I would indeed have been minioning for Lore.

But this last year I came round to this amazing insight that the plaza is, like, much better when it is so small! I guess this is a Lorists perspective, who never talked to non-Lorists but when I did discoverd they are much more fun to talk to than the Lorists, who in any case have all vanished.

So all I am saying about Lore is that it is here to be used, if people wish. As with this Post Office. And I must say I am enjoying the new authority that I feel bestowed upon me by my ceremonial power.



Yours with postal authority,
Chrys. Dives LPM

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @Arnyn,

How are you my dear Ranger? I do hope this letter finds you well and trust that all the masked balls, Prancing Pony breakfasts, and card games have not blunted your razor sharp instincts with a knife.

In my non-official and purely ceremonial capacity as Lore Post-mistress of the plaza, I am writing today with a question for you, a member of the plaza and occasional poster in Lore. (Please note that I am not asking you this question in your capacity as admin - that would require a letter sent to the admin thread, and at present the inter-Lore-and-kingdom postal service is not working.)

My question is this: Would it not be better if we had one of those stuck to the top posts in Lore so that events and happenings can be advertised?

If we had a sticky thread then plaza members would learn of the new Lore Post Office (and its post-mistress). Without a sticky thread how can plaza members know about the Lore Post Office?

Your humble and obedient servant,
Chrys. Dives LPM

[Drífa]

Drifa walks into the Lore Post Office and looks around. The place is half decent but needs some signage and stamps for sure.

'@Chrysophylax Dives, is there anything in particular you would like to see on the Lore postal stamps or should I surprize you?'

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Chrysophylax Dives, plaza post-mistress, looks around and sees that the place does need some decoration and other post-officy things. (What things do they have in a post office? Stamps!)

@Drifa, a surprise would be the most welcome thing since I last had a good cup of tea. As a matter of fact, I do have a few images in my head that I would very much like to see on a set of Lore stamps, but they are unspeakable and possibly best left for a new Mordor stamp release. So yes please on the surprise!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@Everyone!

Because this post office is the Lore post office it is better and more important than all the other post offices of the plaza. For this reason, on occasion we are able to deliver inter-kingdom mail!

Here is our first inter-kingdom delivery, handed to the Lore post-mistress by a brave postie of the Dwarven Express, who apparently employed a system of pulleys and ladders to reach our post-office from Khazad-dûm.

Here are a few rare stamps found in one of the many manuscripts in the Great Smials in Tuckborough in the Westfarthing of the Shire. Most say that Gondor scribes collected them and then later by Peregrin Took. This sudden stamp discovery falls nicely into the Lore Post Office's recent request. The Dwarven Express presents...

Lambengolmor or'Loremasters of Tongues' Collection

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @Drifa, thank you so much for the exquisite stamps! They are perfect. And the express delivery was much appreciated - please thank your Dwarvish postie, whose efforts to climb all the way up to Lore we appreciate. We are attempting to reciprocate and are handing this letter to a trusted Lore minion, who will climb down to the gates of Moria and find the Dwarven Express. Should the minion complete this mission, maybe we might consider setting up a permanent long-distance letter exchange between Khazad-dûm and Lore? That would make us the only two post offices in the plaza to offer long-distance delivery! Yours most respectfully, your fellow post-office boss, Chrys. Dives LPM.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

The Plaza Masterstone was flickering - Chrys. Dives PLM was on duty in the Post Office, saw it was a call from Undertowers, and answered. Strange images of white towers and scary librarians and talking cats flickered in the mind of the post-mistress and sounded as words from the other side.

Hello?

Hi, dragon! It's me - dragon!

Wtf? You cannot be me because I am me and I am here.

You are OOC me. I am in-character you.

Oh.

So now the real you can communicate with the fantasy me and the fantasy you can talk with the real me.

Why would we wish to do that?

The Stone suddenly went dark, its inner fire extinguished. The dragon sighed. More shoddy plaza technical fixes. He would have to call in the admin team to fix the connection with Undertowers.

[The Good Hunter]

To the Post-Mistress—


I love the title, I’m a proponent of gender fluidity after all. Reminds me of when I went by ‘Sorceress’ for a decent amount time. I pray to the nyxian and chthonic forces that it suits you well in the future.

I’ll make a deal with you, when the ‘Do Orcs Cry?’ genre of questions makes the rounds, I shall be there to offer my personal and uninformed theoretical analyses and hopefully spur some good debate. You are quite right, I should not go to Lore just for the sake of going to Lore, it does no one good in the end. Give me intriguing questions and I shall be anglered sufficiently. I am glad you are finding us ‘Non-Lorists’ somewhat palatable. I know I can be rather sour at times, but that’s part of my charm. While some are too insular, you are making a good effort to break into the forbidding regions of RP. I commend you for that.

May your reign as Post-Mistress be long and bountiful, may you enemies genuflect and your companions huzzah

The Balrog

--------------------
@Chrysophylax Dives

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear Balrog,

Done.

Dragon

@The Good Hunter

PS. I only read the small print carefully after posting this letter. I was so relieved to see a deal was on the table. But you appear to be offering a deal that specifies no payment in return. That is a wise move, in my opinion. I and the hatchlings of my eggs are at the service of you and your family.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @Priya,
I am sending you this postcard as a head's up, by which to ask you please not to read anything into my not commenting on your recent Lore posts. Basically, it is that time of the month - when I have to pen my post for my 'Seeing Stones' series. The onslaught on Fisher's source-hunting book was me warming up, and now all my Lore-brain is in 'Beowulf' (and my plaza posts are escape from Lore, if that makes sense). This post should be done by the end of the weekend.
With all best wishes,
Chrys. Dives LPM

The image on this Lore postcard is the 'House of Tom Bombadil' by Joe Gilronan

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Dear @Drifa,
The stamps are amazing. Thank you! What do you say to some postcards? We need some standard postcard images that we could barter for eggs and buttons in the various post offices. As I still do not know my way around the plaza very well I am not sure who to ask. Could you possibly point me in the direction of someone who would make amazing plaza post-office postcards?
At your service and that of your family, may your beards never tangle.
Chrys. Dives LPM

[Drífa]

Dear Dragon,
Thank you. I will send my two helpers, Alf and Duff, to discuss postcards shortly. Right now, I must rush to the mines. Gaseous fumes were detected, and some young fool practiced with his flint and tinder!!!

Drifa

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Posted as a public information service by the Lore Post Office.
Chrys Dives, LPM (IC)

______________________________________

An open letter penned by Chrysophlax Dives OOC, nuplaza Lorist, to the Dwarves in their visible kingdom of Khazad-dûm.

Greetings, @Drifa!

I hope all is well with you down in the mines. Traditionally, OOC Lorists, such as myself, did not communicate much with the IC Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, nor anyone else for that matter. Now that a palantír has been set up in our Lore post office the situation has changed. We who dwell in the invisible realm of Lore now see from afar what you visible IC folks of the kingdoms are up to.

So Lore has become a controlling Ogre? Wasn't that Saruman's aim? To take over? And look what happened to him! He blew away, and all his layers shrivelled till there only remained bones. Good luck with that. The dwarves have taken on wicked dragons before.

My good Dwarf, Lore is no monster! You confuse apples and oranges. Lore is Lore, the road to power. Those who take this road may use their power well, or fall. But the use and abuse, the enchantment and the magic, the crown and the fall - all of that is purely IC business. Lore is OOC. Lore does not fall. It may be twisted into lies by necromancers and mortal wormtongues, but those who wish to do so must do so IC.

Possibly you are confusing Lore (OOC) and Undertowers (IC)?

Think well on this communication, Dwarves of Moria. Lore would have your friendship, as in the days of old. It would be wise, Dwarf, to ally with Orthanc.

Yours, a better friend than you know,

Chrys Dives, nuplaza Lorist (OOC)

[Priya]

Hi Chrysophylax Dives

Thx for the postcard! And enjoy the little exploratory break.

Happy sight-seeing (stones).

Best Regards, Priya

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Hello Priya,

Thanks for the reply! The plan was to return to Lore this week with the Stone post finished. But these posts go through an editor and atm she is proving tougher than a plaza goblin concerning a claim that I make that Tolkien held that the Anglo-Saxon author of Beowulf had borrowed from British stories of Arthur. She demands evidence! This might take a few more days...

Best wishes,
Chrysophylax Dives

[Arnyn]

Dear @Arnyn,

How are you my dear Ranger? I do hope this letter finds you well and trust that all the masked balls, Prancing Pony breakfasts, and card games have not blunted your razor sharp instincts with a knife.

In my non-official and purely ceremonial capacity as Lore Post-mistress of the plaza, I am writing today with a question for you, a member of the plaza and occasional poster in Lore. (Please note that I am not asking you this question in your capacity as admin - that would require a letter sent to the admin thread, and at present the inter-Lore-and-kingdom postal service is not working.)

My question is this: Would it not be better if we had one of those stuck to the top posts in Lore so that events and happenings can be advertised?

If we had a sticky thread then plaza members would learn of the new Lore Post Office (and its post-mistress). Without a sticky thread how can plaza members know about the Lore Post Office?

Your humble and obedient servant,
Chrys. Dives LPM

Dear @Chrysophylax Dives, Lore Post MIstress,

Your letter has found me well, indeed. If anything, the card games have honed the agility of my fingers and the masquerade was good practice for subterfuge - though I am not usually a fan of such things, I sure realized it can be entertaining.

In response to your question, I think plaza members as a whole would be best aware of the new Lore Post Office, and of you as its mistress, if you made the news known through the Global Member Announcements thread, rather than a sticky thread in Lore. The Global Member Announcements thread is visible on every subforum, after all. If you were to post it in a sticky thread in Lore, only those members visiting Lore would see the announcement. Which is perhaps slightly pointless, since they are already in the required subforum to spot the thread itself.

I hope the weather in Lore-land is better than it is here, at present.

Yours sincerely,
Arnyn

[Chrysophylax Dives]

In response to your question, I think plaza members as a whole would be best aware of the new Lore Post Office, and of you as its mistress, if you made the news known through the Global Member Announcements thread, rather than a sticky thread in Lore.

Dear Arnyn,
Thank you for your kind reply. The weather here is a bit hot. Your suggestion is right-headed and admirable, but prompts a request. At present the GMA thread is headed by a Dwarf post, which I copy and paste below.

I want to announce to those who could not find the threads in the kingdoms the post offices.

Kingdom Post Offices:
Eriador Mail Service RP (Imladris)
The Dwarven Express (Khazad-dûm)
Minas Tirith's Mail ~ The Roquen Express Revived (Gondor)
Riddermark Ærendgewrit—Rohirric Mail (Rohan)
Post Office of the Four Farthings (The Shire)
The Old Mailing Tree (Fangorn)
The Mordor Post Office (Mordor)

Would you please observe that the Dwarves have not listed nor linked the Lore Post Office!

As none of us are fans of duplicate threads and posts, would it not be possible for the admins to politely ask the Dwarves to correct their GMA? Or at least establish if the omission is a deliberate statement that those who dwell in Khazad-dûm do not recognize the good authority of the Lore postal stamp? At the very least, could you please explain to the Dwarves that we are not trying to colonize their post office?

We at the Lore Post Office are much obliged for your good offices in ensuring that Lore is Included and not Excluded from the plaza postal system. You know what these Dwarves are like.

Thank you so much,
Chrys. Dives LPM

PS. You appear to have left my IC self pinkie-hanging.

[Arnyn]

Dear @Chrysophylax Dives

It seems this is a classic case of miscommunication between the Lore Post Office and the Dwarves? After all, the Dwarves refer to the kingdom post offices, and Lore cannot be exactly called a kingdom in plaza terms. Not to mention the fact that you, Lore Post Mistress, actually began the Lore Post office after the Dwarves made this particular announcement concerning the kingdom post offices in the first place?

In my experience, Dwarves are a sturdy and agreeable folk! I doubt that they are so negatively predisposed to your post office as you seem to believe. If you were to post in the GMA and request your Lore Post Office to be included in the opening post and in the recent overview of post-offices, perhaps asking that they widen the scope to plaza-wide post offices (instead of kingdom post offices), I cannot imagine that the Dwarves would deny such a request? Provided the request is made respectfully, of course. They can be rather sensitive about that.

Yours sincerely,
Arnyn

[Chrysophylax Dives]

My dear @Arnyn,

What you say about the Dwarves is very charitable, and I commend your broadminded spirit of tolerance. From the perspective of Lore (OOC), Undertowers (IC), and Orthanc (IC), I am afraid the bearded folk do not appear quite so cuddly.

Still, I hardly think that the the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm are a threat to the combined powers of Elostirion, Orthanc, and the Lore Post Office. So please do not trouble yourself about this matter. We in the Lore Post Office will discuss our Dwarvish feud with Elostirion by palantír, and act as the Librarian instructs.

Yours faithfully, in perpetual peace,

Chrys. Dives LPM

[Drífa]

Would you please observe that the Dwarves have not listed nor linked the Lore Post Office!

As none of us are fans of duplicate threads and posts, would it not be possible for the admins to politely ask the Dwarves to correct their GMA? Or at least establish if the omission is a deliberate statement that those who dwell in Khazad-dûm do not recognize the good authority of the Lore postal stamp? At the very least, could you please explain to the Dwarves that we are not trying to colonize their post office?

We at the Lore Post Office are much obliged for your good offices in ensuring that Lore is Included and not Excluded from the plaza postal system. You know what these Dwarves are like.

To Whom It May Concern,

The Dwarves created the list of Kingdom POs on June 7th. The LPO was created on June 8th. How does this appear to be a dwarven error? An inside snafu in the LPO led to the error. If the LPO can not open an OP without assistance, perhaps they should hire better staff. The Dwarves have impeccable OP standards; their talents do not come cheap.

It is an LPO FU. You know what these Lore folk are like.

Thank you,
The Dwarven Express

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Lore Post Office Internal Minion-Memo
Chrys. Dives, LPM (IC)

______________________________________

Greetings LPO minions!
A reminder that those visible post offices of the kingdoms that have not set up a palantír remain imprisoned within Time. Please try to remember that a post-mistress who cannot see all of Time and Space in one glance may find it challenging to be reminded that they may edit a post. So do please keep an eye on your phrasing and avoid any inadvertent pulling of the beards of our fellow postal workers in the visible realms beyond Lore. It would be sad to see anyone cast out of the invisible realms and into working the Rohan post office.
Chrys. Dives, LPM

[Chrysophylax Dives]

beanstalk power

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Posted as a public information service by the Lore Post Office.
Chrys Dives, LPM (IC)

______________________________________

Coming soon:

The Great Lore Golden Egg Hunt!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Posted as a public information service by the Lore Post Office.
Chrys Dives, LPM (IC)

______________________________________

Dear minions of the Shire Post Office, the Lore Post Office is a serious concern and does not do juke box requests.

But for the sake of peace and goodwill, we made an exception this one time. @Periantar, this song is dedicated to your good Hobbit self on behalf of @Rivvy Elf, chief postal worker at the Four Farthings Post Office, who is presently on holiday.

And if we may say, a most wonderful choice!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Fairbairn the Fat, Hobbit

Fairbairn was working with great toil in the Gardens of Gorgoroth. After much prior preparation, he had just dropped a seed into a hole along with some magic dust...

KABOOM!

(image credit: IrenHorrors; note that Fairbairn's stomach is not drawn according to scale and the boots are pure invention.)

Fairbairn kept going up and up, as the seedling grew and grew. His tough Hobbit head smashed through the crystal ceiling of Mordor and, to his astonishment, Fairbairn crawled off the leaf he had been hanging onto for dear life, through a large pile of parcels, to find himself in the Lore Post Office.

Chrysophylax Dives, the Lore Postmistress, did not look pleased.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Fairbairn the Fat, Hobbit (IC)

Look Chrysophylax Dives, before you start complaining. First of all, the hole in the floor is back there behind the parcels. Nobody can see it. Second, maybe a beanstalk connection with Mordor is a good thing. Have you thought about that? Maybe you should be thanking me, not telling me off. Huh?

Why not ask the Lorists and the admins if they are OK with the beanstalk to Mordor? You could organize a poll. Just think about it before you blow your top about the hole in the floor. Some people might pay for a beanstalk like that rising out of the parcel section of their post office!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Chrysophylax Dives, LPM (IC)

Fairbairn, I am not complaining. I have even set up a poll as you suggested. But I am holding my breath. By the time that I exhale I want this mess sorted out, without any blow-up with the administration - especially, and absolutely not the Ranger. Understand?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

This is a test post by the minions of the Lore Post Office.

______________________________________

If you can see these three icons that means that the beanstalk power connection with Mordor is working.



Do not panic. There is nothing to worry about.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Concerning the imprisonment and recent escape of the NPF

______________________________________

Greetings fellow members of the plaza!

The Lore Post Office wishes it to be known that we are entirely innocent in the matter of the abduction of the NPF. This dark deed was enacted by a gang of delinquent Hobbits engaged in gardening in Gorgoroth. Unbeknown to us, these dastardly Hobbits used the beanstalk to carry the Fairy from Mordor up to our Post Office, where she has been helping to sort the mail since May 2024.

As soon as we discovered the identity of our new minion we provided her with a spare palantír and helped her to escape. We are currently conducting an internal review as to how we failed to notice the Fairy amongst us and have severed all relations with the gardeners of Gorgoroth.

We very much hope that now that the Fairy is free lavish points distribution will be resumed, especially for those contributing to Lore posts!

Chrys Dives, LPM (IC)

Posted as a public information service by the Lore Post Office.

[Saranna]

Well done in the fight for Freedom!