Discussion Thread Number 4 Of Wraiths-Kings-Friends-Rings Campaign

[Gordis]

Serenoli, I agree with Lotesse above. Wonderful post!
So Jas feels young again!
The only thing that worried me a little was that the other student also felt the spell. They shouldn't have, I believe.

But your post is so good, that I don't want it edited. Just please, let the other students' reaction be so brief, that it passed unnoticed, or almost unnoticed. Don't develop it further, please!

And Serenoli, I am having short vacations, so, I will not be able to post for three-four days.
Please, make the Chancellor call two assistants - Gawain? and xxx and order them to carry poor "indisposed" ( and, as evident to all - completely drunk ) Jas home and put him to bed. The Chancellor will not comment on the other Professor's behaviour in front of the students.

Merry Christmas to all!

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Great story, Val. I have just read your two chapters. So it begins somewhat West of the later Shire, if I recon right.
Celepharn didn't strike me as too bright, though. Must be very young?
The old man is Gandalf, isn't he?

That was a nice Cristmas present for us, mooters!
Please, continue!

Thank you! I guess I made it too obvious though...

I didn't intend Celepharn to come off as dumb, so maybe I overdid what I did. Hopefully, you'll see more reason for the way he comes off at the first meeting as we go along - particularly in chapter 3. He IS young though - 25. His grandfather the King pushes him pretty hard.

I actually intended for this to pretty much start in the middle of the Shire - practically on the doorstep of Bag End - at least the nearest point to it on the Great Road. So... early Gandalf has some sense or glimpse that this place will become important to him.

Let me know where you think I might be off, distance-wise. I'm allowing for rather slow travel - these people aren't pushing themselves - and are probably content to rdie 25-30 miles per day - and that's before the snow hits.

(and I REALLY shouldn't use this thread just to discuss my story! )

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

[Serenoli]

Originally Posted by Gordis

The only thing that worried me a little was that the other student also felt the spell. They shouldn't have, I believe.

But your post is so good, that I don't want it edited. Just please, let the other students' reaction be so brief, that it passed unnoticed, or almost unnoticed. Don't develop it further, please!

I knew you would have something to say about that, Gordis, you evil nit-picker! And there will be no need for any edits, because I included the words, 'for a moment they all forgot what they were doing there'... which means they remembered almost at once. So, you can have your vacation in peace.

I'm so very glad that you liked it, Lotesse and Gordis. I had a lot of fun writing it, too. I couldn't think of a better revenge to take on the nasty ML than to have quiet little Jas actually call him nasty to his face!!

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Let me know where you think I might be off, distance-wise. I'm allowing for rather slow travel - these people aren't pushing themselves - and are probably content to rdie 25-30 miles per day - and that's before the snow hits.

Sorry, Val, I am the wrong person to ask about distances and horses. I am a city-dweller, and I know nothing about horses or how long they can travel in one day. Ask LSP, or Rian, or Udu, or Lotesse.

Originally Posted by Serenoli

I knew you would have something to say about that, Gordis, you evil nit-picker! And there will be no need for any edits, because I included the words, 'for a moment they all forgot what they were doing there'... which means they remembered almost at once. So, you can have your vacation in peace.

I know you did include "for a moment" . It was just meant for others, to prevent them having any ideas to develop it further.

Originally Posted by Serenoli

I couldn't think of a better revenge to take on the nasty ML than to have quiet little Jas actually call him nasty to his face!!

Nasty ? My ML is nasty? He is the nicest of the nazgul! A darling! He only does what is strictly necessary.
Isn't it very Tolkienesque? nazul are having some fun with each other - Lilly with Udu. But nazgul fun is perilous for mortals... Like those elvish rings...

[The last sane person]

25-30 miles per day? Well, its feasable, if they were on horses trained for marathon. Its a bit of a stretch. 10-15 even 20 is more pausible, though I dont know about tolkiens SuperStallions, i'm just talking about what my arabians and other horses can do. But 25-30 is what my horses and I used to do in these serious endurance games in good weather.

[Udukhaturz]

Originally Posted by The last sane person

25-30 miles per day? Well, its feasable, if they were on horses trained for marathon. Its a bit of a stretch. 10-15 even 20 is more pausible, though I dont know about tolkiens SuperStallions, i'm just talking about what my arabians and other horses can do. But 25-30 is what my horses and I used to do in these serious endurance games in good weather.

First we will get to the impossible "super stallions" of Tolkien's world.

"The Rohirrim set forth from Edoras just after noon and camped that night some twelve leagues (36 miles) east. Three nights later, March 13, they were bivouacked near Eilenach in Druadan Forest, having ridden about eighty miles each day. Seeking secrecy, the army followed the Wild Men through the Stonewain Valley and camped in the Gray wood. Before dawn, March 15, they traveled the last seven leagues (21 miles) to the Rammas Echor and began the battle of the Pelennor Fields." - Dunharrow to the Morannon, The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad, p. 168

For real horses - depending on the terrain, weather conditions and other physical and weather variations, a conditioned horse in good health can travel 50 miles a day. I have checked this out with reenactors and trail riders and this figure is correct. They can do this for maybe ONE day, but the pace cannot be maintained over a period of days. Maybe the next day they can make 20 miles. In any event, before long, they have to be halted and allowed to recover or they will be laid out.

The 50 mile for one day figure corresponds with historic data as given on this website:

"Messenger on horseback 40 to 50 miles per day. Only travelling by day."

http://www.geocities.com/davidbofinger/travel.htm

The above site is a good reference site for actual medieval travel times.

[The last sane person]

Yes, but those are special horses and well trained and very fit riders. And that pace cannot be continued for very long. And its not the wisest idea to push your mount, even in prime condition for 50 miles in one go. It'll wear the horse down mighty fast. But hell, its tolkiens world, a horse is as good as the writer wants it to be.

[Valandil]

I saw a special about the real life Hidalgo-guy - he made a name for himself with very long endurance horse races in the late 1800's. I think one was from someplace in Texas to New York City - and he averaged about 40 miles per day. So I figured I was safe to say anywhere from 20-30. As a Boy Scout, I did a 20-mile hike once (no horse! ). I would think a well-trained horse & rider might go 40 miles per day for a long while, 50 miles per day for a few days, and maybe more than that for one shot - so again, it seems reasonable to go with 20-30, I'd think.

[The last sane person]

Originally Posted by Valandil

I saw a special about the real life Hidalgo-guy - he made a name for himself with very long endurance horse races in the late 1800's. I think one was from someplace in Texas to New York City - and he averaged about 40 miles per day. So I figured I was safe to say anywhere from 20-30. As a Boy Scout, I did a 20-mile hike once (no horse! ). I would think a well-trained horse & rider might go 40 miles per day for a long while, 50 miles per day for a few days, and maybe more than that for one shot - so again, it seems reasonable to go with 20-30, I'd think.

Hey, I saw that too! I was amazed, it was pretty cool. But then again, perhaps thats why he has become a legend.

[Udukhaturz]

Originally Posted by The last sane person

Yes, but those are special horses and well trained and very fit riders. And that pace cannot be continued for very long. And its not the wisest idea to push your mount, even in prime condition for 50 miles in one go. It'll wear the horse down mighty fast. But hell, its tolkiens world, a horse is as good as the writer wants it to be.

The 50 mile a day rate cannot be sustained, or the horse soon will be dead. Tolkien's 80 mile a day thing was sheer fantasy.

[The last sane person]

Yep, but never the less, I want me a horse of Rohan, just think of all the race prizes we could breeze through. 80 miles a day and then charge with a fully armed knight off into a pitched battle. Oh yeah, SuperStallions to the rescue!

[Rían]

Hi all! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and wonderful holidays!
I'm in me jammies, and it's after 12 noon! Time to catch up here now...

[Rían]

*3 hours later*

*puff puff*

OK, done with the Alagos/Ray/Marty update - I put in a fun reference to "Wheel of Fortune" as well as some hopefully interesting archery stuff!

I'll try an update to the library scene a bit later, or someone else go ahead. But one thing - they were NOT shouting *stern look* - I specifically noted that Rian was speaking angrily but quietly. Maybe the men were shouting (altho it doesn't look like it), but Rian wasn't - although she MIGHT, in order to make a scene, if Khamul doesn't give her preciousssss book back...

Very nice posts, Val, Serenoli, Gordis and Grey Wolf - I loved the bunny slippers!

[Lotesse]

That was a really cool post, Rian! That was fun to read, and easy to follow. I liked the archery, and the little boys, and - well, all of it. It's one of my favourites of yours that you've written in a while!

[Rían]

thanks!

I hoped you liked how I worked in the "V" letter thing An old Gondolin trick to find out what women the men are thinking about ... and Viv is definitely on Ray's mind!

[Lotesse]

Yes, of course I liked that! I always like seeing Viv pop up in here & there in others posts, you know it! As long as the other characters aren't like talking crap about her behind her back, obviously. But Viv would love it if she knew how much Ray thinks on her! 'Cause that street definitely goes both ways.

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Gordis

And Rian, I liked your Tyaron story!

thanks He's kind of a combination of me and my daughter and my husband. And I love etched swords and daggers - they look so cool!

Your library stuff seems fine; my post is vague enough (as always with geographical stuff with me) that it should be fine.

[Rían]

OK, I moved the library scene along a bit, ready for anyone else to pick up and keep it going

Edit - and here's a decorated dagger: here. Not quite to my taste, but it shows how intricate the engraving can get.

and here's an interesting site for knife embellishment: here

[The last sane person]

Great post! And I like how Marty picked up on Ray.

EDIT!!

LMM is at my house! And my post is kind of a co op with her, though its more the first part that she wrote. So I hope Master Buttocks (aka Galadanunn, aka Khamul) wont mind that added bit of character.

[Rían]

Elvish nancy-pants indeed! and those poor petunias!

Great post, Shah!