OOC 2 thread
********** "REDEMPTION: THE RECKONING" **********
This Role Play will be the conclusion of a couple of previous threads:
Redemption: The Curse Breaker's Journey
and
Redemption: Lord Cemandorin's Court
Okay, tedious business first:
- I've had lots of experience with large writing casts, now I want to try an experiment and go with a very small, tight group this time out. Maximum: 4 regular authors at a time.
- Well, the experiment fared better in theory than practice and didn't turn out quite as I expected, but that's okay. After all, that's why they call it an "experiment".

- So, while I'm not looking to have a huge number of authors, looks like we'll have more than 4. If you have an idea that you think might fit with the story, please post your request here in the OOC or drop me an e-mail. Incidental characters have been known to become part of a regular cast before . . .

- We would like to keep the story tight and fast paced, another goal of this experiment is to see if we can take less than 2 or 3 years to complete a story that in Middle Earth time, will only span between 4 - 6 months or so. My ultimate goal is to have this tale completed in about the same "real time" timeframe, less if possible.
- Huh. Well, we all know how this bit of the experiment fared . . . LOL


- I would like to remain as faithful as possible to Tolkien's "Middle Earth". However, we all understand that the Professor didn't always elaborate on some things in the core Trilogy, like the East and Easterlings or the Haradrim, or the Corsairs. So a certain amount of creative license is to be expected.

- Of course, "life" happens and if any writer has to be temporarily absent (for a known or unknown period of time), no worries. But please try to let the rest of the crew know, either via a quick post in the OOC or an e-mail to me. If you know the absence will be considerable (more than a month or so) please, if it's possible, try to write your character onto the sidelines. If, for any reason, you can't do the sidelining post, no worries, just say so and the remaining writers will write it for you in such a way that makes it easy for you to re-enter the story when and if you can.
- Any writer who doesn't advise of an absence and doesn't post for over a month can expect to have their character written onto the sidelines for them. This is not to be mean or unfeeling, but to reduce confusion and help everybody out as much as possible. The benefits are many: the remaining writers are not left trying to "carry" a character and side story they don't know well enough; the absent writer doesn't have to feel stressed about being away for whatever reasons; and the story can retain its pace and momentum. Again, re-entry is as easy as beginning to post again, but please post the intent to re-join in the OOC first. (mostly so appropriate and obligatory WELCOME BACK!! parties can commence

Current writing cast consists of:
SilverScribe - The Scribe/Scribbles
elengil/Jiyadan - Khiran (on temporary hiatus)
Frelga - Radesh
The_Fool - Htiet (on temporary hiatus)
Rodia - Garia
Bardhwyn - Harah / Bardhwyn of Dale
Cock-Robin - Boartooth the Mace
The Character List: (this might be added to as we go)
SilverScribe - The one with the mission to kill a certain nassssssty dark Noldorian elf mage.
Bardhwyn of Dale - nicknamed "Trueheart"; also known as the Traitoress of Dale; recently found leading one of the notorious "Clans"
Khiran - a Corsair pirate
Radesh - a fierce hillman
Htiet - an exiled Easterling, former bodyguard to the son of a noble house.
Delkarnoth - the aforementioned nasssssty elf mage.
Luinil - one of the Blue Istari who didn't figure prominently in the War of the Ring, mentor and trainer of the Scribe.
Garia - a former brigand and past acquaintance of Radesh.
Harah - a Southron spy, former Clansman.
Boartooth The Mace - a Beorning mercenary.
Guilhendar - Elven Innkeeper of The Swan's Anchor in Ost-in-Edhil
Elmissir - his sister and an accomplished healer (and beekeeper

Taronwé - an elven student/intern healer whose hobby is languages
Taradeath - skilled healer of Imladris
Elladan and Elrohir - twin sons of Lord Elrond, and current lords of Imladris
Amras - Secretary to Elladan
Gwaryan - Master at Arms of Imladris
Celemtar - Master Archivist of Imladris
_________________________________
Some Small Details:
Horsey (and other) stuff
Scribe - tall grey warhorse - big stallion - as yet unamed
Htiet - dark bay mare - named Karma
Radesh - Rohan bay warhorse he bought from a man named Archer? - stallion - named Archer ? (no relation to our Bardy)
Khiran - roan gelding, going blind in one eye; traded up to a Gypsy horse - chestnut gelding with a deep chest and sturdy legs - no name given as yet
Garia - a bay mare bought from the Gypsies, so a good horse, average size - no name given
Boartooth - big black Friesian-type horse named Thunder and a peregrine falcon named Lightning (nicknamed merilin raug, "demon bird," by the Imladris Elves)
__________________________________
I think that's about all the business stuff. Now for the story stuff . . .
***************************
What has gone before . . .
This story has its beginnings in an older Role Play thread here in the Prancing Pony called Redemption: The Curse Breaker's Journey. Unfortunately, due to writer attrition, the story as a Role Play had to be . . . closed.
The end of that part of the Scribe's tale was concluded in the Scriptorium as Redemption: Lord Cemandorin's Court.
The next leg of the Scribe's journey (The Reckoning) will pick up some one to two years after the end of "Lord Cemandorin's Court".
And a little backstory on our "highwayman" and our Archer can be found Among Thieves in the Scriptorium.


SYNOPSIS
Redemption: The Curse Breaker's Journey
The Scribe is joined in her Quest by Bardhwyn of Dale, Thenie of Rohan, Wisteria of the Weaver's Guild, Leoba of Ithilien, SmaugsBane (Dirk) of Esgaroth, and the Easterling Matrim Calhoun, Commander of the Band of the Red Hand. They set out from the Lucky Fortune Inn, travelling south along the River Mitheithel (Hoarwell) through the Angle, where they are accosted by horse thieves and Matrim receives a blow to the head. They leave the surviving horse thieves tied up for the Ranger that they are certain is tracking them, and continue on their way. Later that night, their campsite is attacked by wolves. The next day, they cross the River Bruinen (Loudwater), push themselves hard and reach The Swan's Anchor in Ost-in-Edhil, a ruined elven settlement that is slowly being rebuilt. There, a close Eldar friend of the Scribe's named Guilhendar makes them welcome, and Elmissir, his sister and a skilled healer, looks after their various hurts. Their horses are stolen and all but one recovered, and they meet up with two Rangers, the very ones that were tracking the horse thieves. The company is also joined at this point by Juwel, a Hobbitess from Bree and neinor-niniel, a mortal woman and gifted Bard. Both ask to travel with the company when they depart and the Scribe, in spite of misgivings, consents.
After a few days rest they leave the Swans Anchor, striking south and slightly west to pick up the Old South Road, which they plan to follow through Dunland. The Rangers travel with them as far as the Old South Road, then they go their own way, only to find disturbing evidence of dark events moving in the ruins of Tharbad. Their superiors decide to send them to Imladris to take counsel with Elrond.
While camped just off the Old South Road, the Scribe's company is joined by another Eldar acquaintance of the Scribe's, the Lady Elenath. She offers to help the Scribe, especially when they get to Lord Cemandorin's court, where the Scribe will attempt to clear her name of the false murder charge.
At the end of the Old South Road, the company strikes south across country for the Gap of Rohan. Just beyond the Fords of Isen, they are stopped by Riders, and meet the Shieldmaiden Rholarowyn. Knowing of King Eomer's edict to close the Gap and that the Riders will not let them journey through Rohan, the Scribe pretends to betray the Archer, and poses as the company as the party who is bringing her back to Dale for judgement. Bardwhyn is nearly hung as a traitor but after a brief skirmish, goes free. Thenie of Rohan disappears with one of the Riders, Menon. The company learn of more dark events stirring in Rohan and the Rohirrim and the Scribe's group part company, the Hobittess Juwel leaving with the Riders to follow a possible lead to her missing father. The company then travels north to the edges of Fanghorn forest, where the shieldmaiden Rholarowyn also takes her leave.
The company meets a strange Avari, Dindraug, on the edges of Fanghorn, who turns out to be the Lady Elenath's brother-in-law. nienor-niniel is attacked by a Huorn and Matrim manages to save her. However, she suffers a more serious spiritual blow from the attack than anyone knows and slips away in the night. Bardhwyn and the Scribe settle the matter of the pretend betrayal to the Rohirrim and swear a blood oath to each other. Dindraug agrees to join them and guides them through Fanghorn on the old Lorien Road. At the nortern edges of Fanghorn, while crossing the River Limlight, the company is ambushed. Matrim and SB are separated from the rest of the group and the Scribe is knocked unconscious. Dindraug and the remaining company manage carry the Scribe to safety but are unable to help their separated comrades. Instead, they are forced to flee.
Redemption: Lord Cemandorin's Court
The Archer and the Scribe are finally brought to Oak Haven, the home of Lord Cemandorin. There, the Scribe is thrown in prison while the old lord deals with a trade mission from another elven settlement. Guilhendar, who is also an old friend of Cemandorin's, convinces him to let the Scribe stand trial a second time.
She does so and presents irrefutable evidence of both her innocence and the identity and guilt of the true traitor. She asks for and is granted justice by challenge, and kills the traitor. In doing this, she avenges both her husband's murder and the murder of his two elder brothers and clears her name of the false charge. However, during the challenge, she is seriously wounded. Both the Archer and Guilhendar are there to help, and she recovers enough to take her leave the next day.
She is reconciled with Lord Cemandorin and she and the Archer are sent on their way with generous provisions. They return west to Lothlorien, the Scribe meaning to continue on with the next leg of her quest, which is to hunt down the dark elf mage Delkarnoth and confront him.
However, Luinil, the Blue Istari that she trained under, intervenes. He reminds her that the time of her final reckoning with Delkarnoth is fixed and further informs her that it is too early. He sends Bardhwyn of Dale back to the village of Les, and the Scribe to Rhudaur to await the proper time.
The Intervening Years:
The Scribe spends most of the time travelling between Rhudaur, Imladris, Rohan and other points of the west, except Gondor. She earns her Bard of Renown title and attends a few Festivals where she makes the acquaintance of several new Bards, among them a man named Façade and an elf named Orion. She runs into them both several times in the following year and then, Orion asks her to serve in the wedding party for his upcoming marriage. That tale can be found here, with the concluding posts in The Splintered Chamberpot thread, beginning on the 19th of March, 2005. ( . . . ignore the shamefull OOC spam fest though

Redemption: The Reckoning, picks up the story where the conclusion of Orion and Elena's wedding (in the Splintered Chamberpot thread) left off.
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