Mid-Range Game 38: The Council of Elrond

[Elbereth]

MR38: The Council of Elrond

The light of the clear autumn morning was now glowing in the valley. The noise of bubbling waters came up from the foaming river-bed. Birds were singing, and a wholesome peace lay on the land. Elrond rang the warning bell, announcing that the Council would be starting soon. 

The faces around him were grave, and right to be so. The situation was far more dire than he wished it to be, but it seemed that such was ever the fate of Middle-Earth. 

At last, the ring bearer arrived, and Elrond bade them sit on his right in a place of honor. With every seat now filled, he rose to his feet, and the chamber fell silent. 

`You have all done well to come,' said Elrond. `You will hear today all that you need in order to understand the purposes of the Enemy, and how he has brought about the troubles which called you here. There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it. But you do not stand alone. You will learn that your trouble is but part of the trouble of all the western world. The Ring! What shall we do with the Ring, the least of rings, the trifle that Sauron fancies? That is the doom that we must deem.

`That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say. though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world.

`Now, therefore, things shall be openly spoken that have been hidden from all but a few until this day. And first, so that all may understand what is the peril, the Tale of the Ring shall be told from the beginning even to this present. And I will begin that tale, though others shall end it.'

Then all listened while Elrond in his clear voice spoke of Sauron and the Rings of Power, and their forging in the Second Age of the world long ago. A part of his tale was known to some there, but the full tale to none, and many eyes were turned Elrond in fear and wonder as he told of the Elven-smiths of Eregion and their friendship with Moria, and their eagerness for knowledge, by which Sauron ensnared them. For in that time he was not yet evil to behold, and they received his aid and grew mighty in craft, whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them, and forged secretly in the Mountain of Fire the One Ring to be their master. But Celebrimbor was aware of him, and hid the Three which he had made; and there was war, and the land was laid waste, and the gate of Moria was shut.

Then through all the years that followed he traced the Ring; but since that history is elsewhere recounted, even as Elrond himself set it down in his books of lore, it is not here recalled. For it is a long tale, full of deeds great and terrible, and briefly though Elrond spoke, the sun rode up the sky, and the morning was passing ere he ceased.

Of Númenor he spoke, its glory and its fall, and the return of the Kings of Men to Middle-earth out of the deeps of the Sea, borne upon the wings of storm. Then Elendil the Tall and his mighty sons, Isildur and Anárion, became great lords; and the North-realm they made in Arnor, and the South-realm in Gondor above the mouths of Anduin. But Sauron of Mordor assailed them, and they made the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and the hosts of Gil-galad and Elendil were mustered in Arnor.

'The Last Alliance was victorious, yet it did not achieve its end. Sauron was diminished, but not destroyed. His Ring was lost but not unmade. The Dark Tower was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure. Many Elves and many mighty Men, and many of their friends. had perished in the war. Anárion was slain, and Isildur was slain; and Gil-galad and Elendil were no more. Never again shall there be any such league of Elves and Men; for Men multiply and the Firstborn decrease, and the two kindreds are estranged. And ever since that day the race of Númenor has decayed, and the span of their years has lessened.

'In the North after the war and the slaughter of the Gladden Fields the Men of Westernesse were diminished, and their city of Annúminas beside Lake Evendim fell into ruin; and the heirs of Valandil removed and dwelt at Fornost on the high North Downs, and that now too is desolate. Men call it Deadmen's Dike, and they fear to tread there. For the folk of Arnor dwindled, and their foes devoured them, and their lordship passed, leaving only green mounds in the grassy hills.

'In the South the realm of Gondor long endured; and for a while its splendour grew, recalling somewhat of the might of Númenor, ere it fell. High towers that people built, and strong places. and havens of many ships; and the winged crown of the Kings of Men was held in awe by folk of many tongues. Their chief city was Osgiliath, Citadel of the Stars. through the midst of which the River flowed. And Minas Ithil they built, Tower of the Rising Moon, eastward upon a shoulder of the Mountains of Shadow; and westward at the feet of the White Mountains Minas Anor they made, Tower of the Setting Sun. There in the courts of the King grew a white tree, from the seed of that tree which Isildur brought over the deep waters, and the seed of that tree before came from Eressëa, and before that out of the Uttermost West in the Day before days when the world was young.

`But in the wearing of the swift years of Middle-earth the line of Meneldil son of Anárion failed, and the Tree withered, and the blood of the Númenoreans became mingled with that of lesser men. Then the watch upon the walls of Mordor slept, and dark things crept back to Gorgoroth. And on a time evil things came forth, and they took Minas Ithil and abode in it, and they made it into a place of dread; and it is called Minas Morgul, the Tower of Sorcery. Then Minas Anor was named anew Minas Tirith, the Tower of Guard; and these two cities were ever at war, but Osgiliath which lay between was deserted and in its ruins shadows walked.

'So it has been for many lives of men. But the Lords of Minas Tirith still fight on, defying our enemies, keeping the passage of the River from Argonath to the Sea. And now that part of the tale that I shall tell is drawn to its close. For in the days of Isildur the Ruling Ring passed out of all knowledge, and the Three were released from its dominion. But now in this latter day they are in peril once more, for to our sorrow the One has been found. Others shall speak of its finding, for in that I played small part.'

Then he fell silent, and the others began to tell their tales. 

 

---

Welcome to MR38! 

Housekeeping
The game will begin Friday, November 8, at 8:00am Eastern Time. Cycles will last 47 hours and end at 7am Eastern, with the new cycle posted at 8.
PMs: You may PM other players one-on-one so long as you include me. Group PMs are not permitted. 
Secrets: None
Impartial Moderator: Contact @little wilson if you have any issues with the game.  

Lynch
Rather than death, lynches (or 'elections') in this game result in the player elected being added to the Fellowship of the Ring. Upon election, their alignment will be revealed and they will be removed from the game. The game will end when seven members have been elected. 
Two votes on a player are required for an election to occur.
A tied vote will result in all tied candidates being elected. If there are more players tied than seats left, RNG will be used to determine who fills the last slot(s). 

Alignment

Free People of Middle-Earth: You have come to the Council of Elrond to ask counsel in these trying times, and have been asked to choose a Fellowship of the Ring to go east and destroy it forever. You win if the Corrupted have fewer than three members in the Fellowship at the end of the game.

Corrupted Servants of Sauron: Perhaps you came to this Council, but the sight of the ring made you lust for its power. Perhaps you were already Sauron's before you set foot in Rivendell. Either way, you want the Ring, and will not let it be destroyed. You win if there three or more of your members are elected to the Fellowship. You have a private doc in which to communicate, but no kill - instead, you may nullify one player's vote as a group action. (This will be revealed in the vote count, including their name missing.)

(Numbers are subject to change based on player count.)

 

---

Cosmetic Roles

This game is intended to be focused on RP, so below are listed some possible roles to get you started. Please let me know if you know you won't RP at all - you're perfectly welcome, and I'll have free reign over those characters in writeups. (You RPing would be better if you can, though!) There is no prize for using these roles, but you are encouraged to do so! We aren't using strict LotR canon (obviously), so feel free to make up your own story as to why you're here. (Eg, if someone wants the Ringbearer to be a dwarf, go for it! I don't care. ) 

Ringbearer: The One Ring hangs heavy around your neck. Through great peril, you've brought it here at last. Now you have been granted a respite from your travel, and are enjoying the peace and beauty of Rivendell. The Ring tires you to keep, but you will go on if you must. (Note: Only one person may claim this role, for obvious reasons. )

Ringbearer's Companion: You came here with the Ringbearer, defended them against danger beyond your dreams, and you're incredibly relieved to be safe at last. You worry for the health of the Ringbearer if they keep the Ring, but will follow them to the ends of the world if you can. 

Clandestine Attendee: You aren't supposed to be in this Council. You're currently hiding and watching, hoping no one spots you, but the stories being told are too fascinating to keep away! (Note: this role can stack with most others.)

Ranger: You protect the Northern lands from the evils that stir in the dark. You are here because wicked things have been growing more frequent and more deadly of late, and the Rangers may need help soon in stemming the tide. 

Heir Uncrowned: You are the descendant of Elendil, rightful heir to the throne of Gondor and Arnor. You bear Narsil which is broken, and fate has brought you here to play a role which you do not yet know. (Note: again, best that this is only one person.)

Dwarf of Moria: You, somehow, managed to escape the terror that is in Moria. You have come to tell of how that terror has been awoken again, and because you did not know where else to go. 

Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain: You come from Dain who leads the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. Life has become more troubled of late, with dark things happening - perhaps a messenger of Sauron appearing, even. 

Elrond's Council: You live here, in Imladris, and have proven your wisdom over the centuries to Elrond. You are here for your wisdom, for Elrond trusts you and values your counsel. 

Man of Gondor: Something compelled you to come here, perhaps a vision or a dream. All you know is that here your questions will be answered, and perhaps you can find help as well. Gondor has been attacked in greater numbers of late, and Mordor is active again. You hold for now, but you know you cannot last forever. 

First Finder: You don't hold the Ring at the moment, but you are the one who found it first, and held it for many years before passing it on and coming to live in Rivendell. You feel a bit of obligation, now - you started this, you ought to finish it. 

Elf of Lorien: You have come from Galadriel in Lothlorien, bearing a message from her of great import. In her wisdom, she sees many things, and her knowledge will be important to the Council. 

Elf of Mirkwood: You come from the Mirkwood, from Thranduil, with urgent tidings. Perhaps Gollum has escaped - perhaps something else! 

Elf from the Havens: You are from the far west, from Cirdan in the Grey Havens. You came to Imladris to talk with Elrond about sailing to the West, but are invited to this council for your wisdom. 

One of the Wise: You are a great being, long skilled in the arts of magic and power, and have fought Sauron since the dawn of time. You are the one who recognized the Ring for itself, and ensured it was brought here. 

 

---

Player List

 

1. Haelbarde - Beren Adaeldah (Ranger)
2. Straw - NPC
3. Fifth Scholar - Bombur (Dwarf from the Lonely Mountain)
4. Coda
5. Kasimir - Kavan (Messenger from Dale)
6. Elandera - Dronlir, Bombur’s attendant (Dwarf is the Lonely Mountain)
7. Amanuensis - Yuriel (First Finder)
8. Xinoehp512
9. Wonko the Sane
10. Pejidot
11. Burnt Spaghetti - Tinuial (Clandestine Attendee)
12. Aragorn
13. StrikerEZ - Striker, bootleg Strider
14. Madagascar - Scar, scary murder hobit (Ringbearer)
15. GoWibble - black hat from XKCD
16. Rathmaksal
17. The Young Bard - Phellom (Elf of Mirkwood)

Spectators:
1. Alvron - Tugog the Rhymer
2. Arraenae

 

Quicklinks

 

Take 1:
Cycle 1 - Who Will Take the Ring?
Aftermath 1 - Corruption, Spreading 

Take 2:
Cycle 1 - A New Council 
Cycle 2: A God’s Fall 
Cycle 3 - Of Dwarves and Gods 
Cycle 4 - A Jeweler’s Revenge
Cycle 5 - The Flame of the West
Aftermath - A Ring Unmade


 

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Elbereth

[Haelbarde]

Count me in!

Edit 1: I shall be Beren Adaeldah, the Shadow of the Stars in the common tongue . Named from the Lay of Leithian, he wanders the wild places of the north, one of the Rangers that shield the free peoples from the evils that stray from the wastes. Happenstance had him ranging eastward, tracking a band of interlopers, when crossing paths with a band of elves, he heard word of the council called by Elrond Half-elven, Lord of Rivendell, and so a week hence was seated in council with elves and dwarves, a sight rare to behold.

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Haelbarde

[Straw]

I'll sign up, but I won't be RPing.

[Fifth Scholar]

(El, I appreciated the quote from Tolkien. I appreciate the whole chapter of the Council, actually, but Elrond’s section is especially nice. Though I’d note that the speech in the beginning properly belongs after Gloin’s tale )

I am madly tempted to sign up as Shadowfacts the horse from XKCD, as a Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain.

...but I won’t.  Hopefully signing up will not make me die IRL, and RP will be either minimal or worked into what I want to say in-game. However...

---

Bombur cleared his throat, and the six young dwarves attending on him quickly arose, pushing his chair closer to the centre of the Council so he could be heard. When he spoke, his voice was a hollow, quiet echo, seeming to fight its way through the many layers of insulation the old Dwarf had accumulated. 

“Thank you for your tale, Master Elrond. But before the Ring-bearer begins his story, I have news from our king Dain of the Lonely Mountain. He is pleased to convey to those who dwell here that the hands of the Dwarves who dwell in Erebor have not been idle, and the Mountain again stands as a bulwark of strength in the North. Yet with this strength, its beauty is also undiminished, and Dain’s rule there is prosperous, and both his hands and the streets flow over with the gold and riches of the Dwarves. Long and peaceful have his years been as of yet, and before recently, nothing had troubled our lands, or those of the people of the Lake, led by the valiant king of those in Dale, Brand son of Bain son of Bard.”

Here Bombur paused, and beckoned with his arm to one of the Dwarves, who reached beside him for the plate of “refreshments” Bombur had made sure to bring with him. The helper handed Bombur half a loaf of buttered bread, which he shoved into his mouth quickly. Enduring the bemused and impatient glances of the assembled elves, Bombur chewed quickly, and resumed.

“Mmph grrmph—where was I? Oh yes. Dain, and peace in Erebor. Well, there was peace. Last summer, a rider, garbed all in black, came to our gates...”

Edited November 2, 2019 by Fifth Scholar

[Guest Coda]

I want to play.

[Elbereth]

Welcome to SE! You're on the list; keep your eyes out for a PM in a week for game start. 

@Fifth Scholar Hush.  Tolkien's winding way of telling stories is not conducive to a signup post. 

[Kasimir]

Shadowh@x, cousin of Shadowfax, Lord of Horses, whinnied and rolled over on the Council floor...

Just kidding  How about Trotter, hobbit with wooden shoes, Ranger, and Heir of Isildur?  

Kavan listened to Elrond's speech, though they did little to allay the misgivings in his heart.

"A messenger has come, to Erebor and to Dale," he said, concurring with the dwarf from the Lonely Mountain. "The Enemy offers us friendship, but at the same time, his forces array against us, gathering beyond the Carnen. King Brand of Dale distrusts the Enemy: he offers honeyed words and poisoned gifts beneath the chalice of embassy. I was sent first to the Elvenking in Mirkwood, for the elves have been friends to us in the past. But there was little aid forthcoming from the Elvenking - instead, he counseled that my road lay further, towards the Last Homely House. I understand a little more clearly, now, and the counsel of Elrond Half-elven is of no small renown, even in Dale.  Yet it is not talk of Rings and deceased Kings that Dale needs. My King sent me to seek aid, and I know not now if we will find it here."

He fell silent.

Sorry guys  RP is hard. I also got ninja-ed by Fifth on responding to Elrond, but was too lazy to rewrite. Anyway. I want to continue my new playstyle change from QF29. I want to use a minimum of OOC text to explain my positions, and to make my points as clearly as possible through RP. I probably won't keep up with Tolkien's particular style, though, that's a bit too hard  tldr; don't expect too much from me.

Kavan, messenger from King Brand in Dale, signing up. He's probably taken more detours than Odysseus at this point!

Edited November 2, 2019 by Kasimir

[Elandera]

I will sign up as well. I'll get an RP character soon.

[Amanuensis]

A game with no kills or lynches or actions? Sounds like my exact kind of thing. I'm so in.

I can't promise my usual levels of activity in this game since I am participating in NaNoWriMo. But I'm sure I'll post a few times every turn, and I will try to RP to get some writing done on the side.

First Finder sounds like a fun role for me. I'll sign up as the widowed Elf, Yuriel. Not long after the Anduin River claimed both the One Ring and her husband's life, Yuriel crossed the Misty Mountains and made a new home for herself as a jewler in Rivendell.

Edited November 2, 2019 by Amanuensis

[xinoehp512]

Signing up.

[Wonko the Sane]

I'll sign up to play, at the least. I might or might not be RPing.

@Elbereth, You know me. Do you think you could assign me a character you think I could write well, but who you could run as NPC if I don't?

[Elbereth]

I can certainly do my best.  I make no promises, but I’ll try to figure out something. 

[Alvron]

BUTTONS!

A Kettle.  In a Kettle.  Two mice.  Squeaky, squeaky.

Quiet Zunn, you're dead,
Head on back to bed.
Tugog the Rhymer is here to play,
Soon each of you he will slay.

Tugog the Rhymer (blood brother to Zunn) signing up.  Don't expect much discussion from me this game as I'm going to be trying to rhyme everything.  Zunn the Mad might also shown up from time to time.  He's having a little trouble accepting the whole being dead thing.

[Pejidot]

I'd like to play if you don't mind. Don't plan on doing much role-playing, though, unless I can get a feel for the game quickly. 

[Wonko the Sane]

Hey, question. One of us can be the Ringbearer. But we don't have to vote them onto the quest? What does that look like?

Edited November 3, 2019 by Wonko the Sane

[Burnt Spaghetti]

Hellooo I be joining! I'll be rping but still have to decide on a character so that'll come later

[Elbereth]

@Alvron can I have a race for your character so I can use him in writeups?  

@Pejidot welcome! 

@Wonko the Sane I don’t know.  Maybe the Fellowship takes turns bearing the Ring, and the Ringbearer just goes back home. There’s nothing that said Frodo had to be the one to do it, after all. 

[Wonko the Sane]

I mean... Wasn't there? I feel like it was strongly indicated that either he in particular, or hobbits in general, were uniquely resistant to the draw of the Ring, and that no one else would have been able to carry it that far without succumbing.

"Take turns bearing the Ring" is almost certainly easier to say than to do.  It would mean regularly giving up the Ring to someone else, something that even Frodo proves unable to do.

[Elbereth]

I’m not saying taking turns would be an effective idea.  Maybe they just put it in a locked box on a horse that Elrond keeps the key to, and throw the box into the Fire. Harder to use the Ring if you can’t actually get to it. 

Nor does the initial Ringbearer have to be a Hobbit, either.  For all you know, carrying as far as they have already, they have succumbed to it and become Corrupted. Or maybe not. 

Point is, play whoever you want and I’ll make it work somehow.  

Edited November 3, 2019 by Elbereth

[King Aragorn of Gondor]

Can I play?

[Elbereth]

Absolutely! Added you to the list. 

[StrikerEZ]

So, I’m gonna sign up as Striker, a bootleg version of Strider......whoever that is.

Everyone, be aware, I haven’t read or watched LotR, so this should be interesting for me.

[Kasimir]

47 minutes ago, Aragorn said:

Can I play?

 !!! Can it be-? The Heir of Isildur has appeared in Imladris?

So, OOC announcement thing, plus blah blah blah blue text is for RL realstuff and not sneaky lieses so:

I've been going through a hard rethink about lots of my playstyle and the way I think about SE, the type of community it is, and the type of space it occupies between RP and mafia games. As I mentioned, I want to respond to this game entirely in RP. I'll probably talk a bit less while I'm finding my feet, and also because I'm Talning for three collagues at the moment  But also, this will affect PMs. For those of you who have played with me in QF29 before (lol probably just Alv), I did not do any OOC posts. Everything was expressed through RP, including in PMs. 

I don't really expect to be Mr Popularity in PMs, but if you're PMing me, please be aware that if I'm taking forever to reply, it's probably because I'm hating myself for this extra RP requirement and dying while trying to finagle a RP response. Thanks for putting up with my personal midlife crisis in SE  

As always, I'm open to RP connections with people!

Edited November 3, 2019 by Kasimir

[StrikerEZ]

Oh I should probably mention that Striker has very severe amnesia. He has no idea how he got here, who he is, or what an elf is.

Edited November 3, 2019 by StrikerEZ

[Madagascar]

I am Scar, the scary murder hobbit. The Hobbiton village elders sent me here in the hope that I would fall into a volcano. The only thing more legendary than my violence is my body odor. Where's the elven mead?