11-25-2009, 04:12 PM
http://mmrpg.zeitgeistgames.com/index.p ... opic&t=403
Falconer:
The way it all began is one time I was designing a Middle-earth Fourth Age campaign. I didn't want to use the same lands as had been visited in The Lord of the Rings books, because those lands are at their peak excitement in the Third Age and best played then. So I looked to the inland Sea of Rhûn and the land about it. Tolkien wrote very little about it, but the following quotes shaped my vision of the campaign:
Quote:
The Lord of the Rings, "The House of Eorl"
In Gondor the King Elessar now ruled, and in Arnor also. In all the lands of those realms of old he was king, save in Rohan only; for he renewed to Eomer the gift of Cirion, and Eomer took again the Oath of Eorl. Often he fulfilled it. For though Sauron had passed, the hatreds and evils that he bred had not died, and the King of the West had many enemies to subdue before the White Tree could grow in peace. And wherever King Elessar went with war King Eomer went with him; and beyond the Sea of Rhûn and on the far fields of the South the thunder of the cavalry of the Mark was heard, and the White Horse upon Green flew in many winds until Eomer grew old.
This shows that Rhûn is one of the main areas of contention in the early Fourth Age; that Sauronic foes thrives there still; and that Elessar is a force involved there.
Quote:
The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Last Writings"
But the other two Istari were sent for a different purpose. Morinehtar and Romestamo. Darkness-slayer and East-helper. Their task was to circumvent Sauron: to bring help to the few tribes of Men that had rebelled from Melkor-worship, to stir up rebellion ... and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause dissension and disarray among the dark East.
The most exciting thing about Rhûn is, of course, the Blue Wizards! I decided to go with these names rather than Alatar and Pallando, which are strictly their names "in the West."
Quote:
Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"
I think they went as emissaries to distant regions, East and South, far out of Numenorean range: missionaries to enemy-occupied lands, as it were. What success they had I do not know; but I fear that they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.
Secret cults and magic? Starting to sound like D&D! I definitely think the Blue Wizards should both be "fallen". Of Neutral alignment, perhaps. Fallen from their high and angelic purpose, and desirous of being lords over men, but not full-blown Sauron wannabes.
As for the peoples (the "Easterlings", to westerners) that would be the native inhabitants of Rhûn, Tolkien identifies at least two distinct peoples: the Balchoth and the Wainriders.
Quote:
The Lord of the Rings, "The Numenorean Kings"
The Wainriders were a people, or a confederacy of peoples, that came from the East; but they were stronger and better armed than any that had appeard before. They journeyed in great wains, and their chieftains fought in chariots.
That paints right away a very vivid picture of this nation. As for the Balchoth, we know that at one point they "built many great boats and rafts", which leads my to believe that they were used to plying the waters of the inland Sea of Rhûn itself. I put Morinehtar as ruler over the Balchoth and controlling the shores of the Sea, and I had the Wainriders paying homage to Romestamo in lands out east of Rhûn proper.
Quote:
Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"
It is said that in later days (when again a shadow of evil arose in the Kingdom) it was believed by many of the "Faithful" of that time that "Gandalf" was the last appearance of Manwë himself, before his final withdrawal to the watchtower of Taniquetil.
This "shadow of evil" intrigued me. This is where Tolkien's scarcely-begun Fourth Age sequel to The Lord of the Rings, entitled The New Shadow, comes in. I can't quote the entire thing, but at least I can share the name of this "new shadow:"
Quote:
The Peoples of Middle Earth, "The New Shadow"
His voice sank low and could scarcely be heard above the murmur of a sudden chill wind in the leaves, as the sun sank behind Mindolluin. 'You have heard then the name?' With hardly more than breath he formed it. 'Of Herumor?'
Borlas looked at him with amazement and fear. His mouth made tremulous motions of speech, but no sound came from it.
The story does not last enough to expound on Herumor, but he is mentioned earlier in Tolkien's writings:
Quote:
The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
And Sauron gathered to him great strength of his servants out of the east and the south; and among them were not a few of the high race of Numenor. For in the days of the sojourn of Sauron in that land the hearts of well nigh all its people had been turned towards darkness ... But because of the power of Gil-galad these renegades, lords both mighty and evil, for the most part took up their abodes in the southlands far away; yet two there were, Herumor and Fuinur, who rose to power among the Haradrim, a great and cruel people that dwelt in the wide lands south of Mordor.
For Herumor to be a Black Numenorean sorceror from the Second Age makes him a fearsome fellow indeed. I figured that Haradrim and Orcs would flock to his banners if he arose to take Sauron's place in the Fourth Age. This would be a threat to Rhûn from the south.
The last evidence we have is various maps of Rhûn. They show a mountain range alongside the western and southwestern shores of the Sea of Rhûn; a large forest covering its northeastern corner; an island amidmost the Sea, and the vineyard-land of Dorwinion on its northwestern shores. The Dorwinions I made out to be a "free people" of farmers and merchants of a good sort.
More in the next post...
_________________
Michael Falconer - http://ulmo.mux.net
"Because by fate even the gods are cast down, weep ye all with me."
********************************
Falconer:
I ran a one-shot adventure in Rhûn as my first attempt at DMing, many years ago. The players enjoyed themselves well enough. It wasn't several years later that I began my full-blown campaign, and of course this time I was using my Blackmoor/Greyhawk/original campaign. It eventually occured to me that Rhûn existed in Blackmoor, so why not in my campaign?
Indeed, I think the approach of fully realizing a Fourth Age Rhûn within the context of Tolkien's world and then transposing it to another world was wholly rewarding. Of course Elessar and his lands to the West must be replaced with Blackmoor and the Great Kingdom and all that; but why shouldn't the PCs, if they traveled far to the east, find strange lands with Blue Wizards and Wainriders?
I have many notes in my development of this campaign. Morinehtar ruled a large walled city called Morinburg on the island in the Sea of Rhûn. This city is dominated by a grand arena for Morinehtar's constant sports. The "Forest of Twilight" and the "Crimson Mountains" are some prime adventuring locales. Etc. Anyway, those are some of my ideas. Regards.
**************************
Havard:
Thanks for posting this Falconer! Truly a fascinating read!
So if we are porting this over to Blackmoor, what would be the origin of the Blue Wizards here then? I'm getting a celt-like imagery of the Wainriders and Balcoths. Is that appropriate you think? Obviously also allied with Orcs and Beastmen of the North.
I noticed that the section on Marfeldt in the FCC actually has quite alot on Rhun aswell, it could be interesting to try and reconcile some of these things....
***************************
Falconer:
Some descriptors Tolkien used to describe the Easterlings included "wild men out of the East", "hordes of Easterlings", "a fierce people...wholly under the shadow of Dol Guldur" (Balchoth), "Not tall, but broad and grim, bearded like dwarves, wielding great
axes". Tolkien describes many, many races under the general descriptor of Easterling, but in general they seem to me to reflect a European's view of what invaders from the east would be. Visigoths and Lombards, Mongols and Aryans, that sort of thing.
As far as "porting this over to Blackmoor" and "the origin of the Blue Wizards" and all that, well, I think it would be a coupout to treat this as anything other than a totally Tolkienesque corner of the world. It doesn't need to be integrated with the core Blackmoor/Vestfold lands. Though, even there, you will meet Orcs and Balrogs but not their creator, Melkor, right? Just so. If one travels far, far to the east he will arrive at the great inland Sea of Rhûn with its Blue Wizards and its hordes of chariot-fighters. It doesn't matter which immortal powers sent Morinehtar and Romestamo as emissaries to the fierce and grim peoples here, for they have forsaken their quest anyway to live as wizard-kings in this new and exciting land. (Although, if the Blue Wizards DO preach Oromë and Mandos, and Herumor preaches Melkor, is that really campaign-breaking in a n already polytheistic world?)
I read the Marfeldt the Barbarian story just a few weeks ago, but I'll read it again and extract what I can from it. Should be interesting. Regards.
**************
Havard
Falconer:
The way it all began is one time I was designing a Middle-earth Fourth Age campaign. I didn't want to use the same lands as had been visited in The Lord of the Rings books, because those lands are at their peak excitement in the Third Age and best played then. So I looked to the inland Sea of Rhûn and the land about it. Tolkien wrote very little about it, but the following quotes shaped my vision of the campaign:
Quote:
The Lord of the Rings, "The House of Eorl"
In Gondor the King Elessar now ruled, and in Arnor also. In all the lands of those realms of old he was king, save in Rohan only; for he renewed to Eomer the gift of Cirion, and Eomer took again the Oath of Eorl. Often he fulfilled it. For though Sauron had passed, the hatreds and evils that he bred had not died, and the King of the West had many enemies to subdue before the White Tree could grow in peace. And wherever King Elessar went with war King Eomer went with him; and beyond the Sea of Rhûn and on the far fields of the South the thunder of the cavalry of the Mark was heard, and the White Horse upon Green flew in many winds until Eomer grew old.
This shows that Rhûn is one of the main areas of contention in the early Fourth Age; that Sauronic foes thrives there still; and that Elessar is a force involved there.
Quote:
The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Last Writings"
But the other two Istari were sent for a different purpose. Morinehtar and Romestamo. Darkness-slayer and East-helper. Their task was to circumvent Sauron: to bring help to the few tribes of Men that had rebelled from Melkor-worship, to stir up rebellion ... and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause dissension and disarray among the dark East.
The most exciting thing about Rhûn is, of course, the Blue Wizards! I decided to go with these names rather than Alatar and Pallando, which are strictly their names "in the West."
Quote:
Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"
I think they went as emissaries to distant regions, East and South, far out of Numenorean range: missionaries to enemy-occupied lands, as it were. What success they had I do not know; but I fear that they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.
Secret cults and magic? Starting to sound like D&D! I definitely think the Blue Wizards should both be "fallen". Of Neutral alignment, perhaps. Fallen from their high and angelic purpose, and desirous of being lords over men, but not full-blown Sauron wannabes.
As for the peoples (the "Easterlings", to westerners) that would be the native inhabitants of Rhûn, Tolkien identifies at least two distinct peoples: the Balchoth and the Wainriders.
Quote:
The Lord of the Rings, "The Numenorean Kings"
The Wainriders were a people, or a confederacy of peoples, that came from the East; but they were stronger and better armed than any that had appeard before. They journeyed in great wains, and their chieftains fought in chariots.
That paints right away a very vivid picture of this nation. As for the Balchoth, we know that at one point they "built many great boats and rafts", which leads my to believe that they were used to plying the waters of the inland Sea of Rhûn itself. I put Morinehtar as ruler over the Balchoth and controlling the shores of the Sea, and I had the Wainriders paying homage to Romestamo in lands out east of Rhûn proper.
Quote:
Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"
It is said that in later days (when again a shadow of evil arose in the Kingdom) it was believed by many of the "Faithful" of that time that "Gandalf" was the last appearance of Manwë himself, before his final withdrawal to the watchtower of Taniquetil.
This "shadow of evil" intrigued me. This is where Tolkien's scarcely-begun Fourth Age sequel to The Lord of the Rings, entitled The New Shadow, comes in. I can't quote the entire thing, but at least I can share the name of this "new shadow:"
Quote:
The Peoples of Middle Earth, "The New Shadow"
His voice sank low and could scarcely be heard above the murmur of a sudden chill wind in the leaves, as the sun sank behind Mindolluin. 'You have heard then the name?' With hardly more than breath he formed it. 'Of Herumor?'
Borlas looked at him with amazement and fear. His mouth made tremulous motions of speech, but no sound came from it.
The story does not last enough to expound on Herumor, but he is mentioned earlier in Tolkien's writings:
Quote:
The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
And Sauron gathered to him great strength of his servants out of the east and the south; and among them were not a few of the high race of Numenor. For in the days of the sojourn of Sauron in that land the hearts of well nigh all its people had been turned towards darkness ... But because of the power of Gil-galad these renegades, lords both mighty and evil, for the most part took up their abodes in the southlands far away; yet two there were, Herumor and Fuinur, who rose to power among the Haradrim, a great and cruel people that dwelt in the wide lands south of Mordor.
For Herumor to be a Black Numenorean sorceror from the Second Age makes him a fearsome fellow indeed. I figured that Haradrim and Orcs would flock to his banners if he arose to take Sauron's place in the Fourth Age. This would be a threat to Rhûn from the south.
The last evidence we have is various maps of Rhûn. They show a mountain range alongside the western and southwestern shores of the Sea of Rhûn; a large forest covering its northeastern corner; an island amidmost the Sea, and the vineyard-land of Dorwinion on its northwestern shores. The Dorwinions I made out to be a "free people" of farmers and merchants of a good sort.
More in the next post...
_________________
Michael Falconer - http://ulmo.mux.net
"Because by fate even the gods are cast down, weep ye all with me."
********************************
Falconer:
I ran a one-shot adventure in Rhûn as my first attempt at DMing, many years ago. The players enjoyed themselves well enough. It wasn't several years later that I began my full-blown campaign, and of course this time I was using my Blackmoor/Greyhawk/original campaign. It eventually occured to me that Rhûn existed in Blackmoor, so why not in my campaign?
Indeed, I think the approach of fully realizing a Fourth Age Rhûn within the context of Tolkien's world and then transposing it to another world was wholly rewarding. Of course Elessar and his lands to the West must be replaced with Blackmoor and the Great Kingdom and all that; but why shouldn't the PCs, if they traveled far to the east, find strange lands with Blue Wizards and Wainriders?
I have many notes in my development of this campaign. Morinehtar ruled a large walled city called Morinburg on the island in the Sea of Rhûn. This city is dominated by a grand arena for Morinehtar's constant sports. The "Forest of Twilight" and the "Crimson Mountains" are some prime adventuring locales. Etc. Anyway, those are some of my ideas. Regards.
**************************
Havard:
Thanks for posting this Falconer! Truly a fascinating read!
So if we are porting this over to Blackmoor, what would be the origin of the Blue Wizards here then? I'm getting a celt-like imagery of the Wainriders and Balcoths. Is that appropriate you think? Obviously also allied with Orcs and Beastmen of the North.
I noticed that the section on Marfeldt in the FCC actually has quite alot on Rhun aswell, it could be interesting to try and reconcile some of these things....
***************************
Falconer:
Some descriptors Tolkien used to describe the Easterlings included "wild men out of the East", "hordes of Easterlings", "a fierce people...wholly under the shadow of Dol Guldur" (Balchoth), "Not tall, but broad and grim, bearded like dwarves, wielding great
axes". Tolkien describes many, many races under the general descriptor of Easterling, but in general they seem to me to reflect a European's view of what invaders from the east would be. Visigoths and Lombards, Mongols and Aryans, that sort of thing.
As far as "porting this over to Blackmoor" and "the origin of the Blue Wizards" and all that, well, I think it would be a coupout to treat this as anything other than a totally Tolkienesque corner of the world. It doesn't need to be integrated with the core Blackmoor/Vestfold lands. Though, even there, you will meet Orcs and Balrogs but not their creator, Melkor, right? Just so. If one travels far, far to the east he will arrive at the great inland Sea of Rhûn with its Blue Wizards and its hordes of chariot-fighters. It doesn't matter which immortal powers sent Morinehtar and Romestamo as emissaries to the fierce and grim peoples here, for they have forsaken their quest anyway to live as wizard-kings in this new and exciting land. (Although, if the Blue Wizards DO preach Oromë and Mandos, and Herumor preaches Melkor, is that really campaign-breaking in a n already polytheistic world?)
I read the Marfeldt the Barbarian story just a few weeks ago, but I'll read it again and extract what I can from it. Should be interesting. Regards.
**************
Havard
Currently Running: The Blackmoor Vales Saga
Currently Playing: Daniel S. Debelfry in the Throne of Star's Campaign
Currently Playing: Daniel S. Debelfry in the Throne of Star's Campaign