(OOC Information and guidelines - forgive me this will be incomplete for a while)
The Expedition to Tharbad is a travelling roleplaying event. Even though our travelling group is more or less full we will be welcoming any random roleplay along our way.
A. Our roleplaying guidelines
Mobs and npcs
Even if we aggro and kill mobs on our way, because of game mechanics, rping the presence of all the mobs and the npcs of the game outside major settlements (like Ost Guruth or Rivendel) is not suggested unless we are not following a main road/path.
If we stray from the road we can rp the presence of mobs, if we want. Feel free to start an encounter (like seeing a wolf lurking, tracks of a troll or whatever else you want). It is helpful when the person starting such an encounter (like rping seeing a creature, being attacked by a creature and so on) gives enough information (oocly) about it in order for the rest of the group to be able to react to what is happening.
Killing creatures that are beyond our strength (like nazgul and dragons, taking trolls in a one to one fight for example) is out of the question. Please note that the number of creatures fought should be reasonable too regardless of how many mobs we actually have around in game.
Time and distance
According to Tolkien's maps the distance
from Bree to the Last Bridge should be something like 220 miles
from the Last Bridge to Tharbad should be something like 250 miles
A light horse carrying no load but its rider covers 50 miles per day, if the terrain is normal and there is a road.
This means that it should take at least 20 days to go and return to Tharbad following the route the game allows. This is extremely demanding to roleplay, not to mention the distance seems so much less when using game mechanics.
For that reason we will make four stops until we reach Tharbad and if all goes well we will reach the ruins the fifth evening of our rp.
Our route and arranged stops
Our route and stops would be posted on the forum but should also be known in character.
Since it will be hard for everyone to show up on every night we are roleplaying traveling, you are free to use this information to keep up with a group and make up story regarding your absence.
Encounters
To add randomness in our trip it is suggested that we use /roll to settle out our encounters rp wise.
If we all agree to use this method:
The winner of a player versus player encounter is the one who has the highest /roll
Each player can /roll to determine if an attempt (to kill a wolf, to find tracks, to find water for example) will be successful according to how difficult our player thinks this is to his/her character (over 20 for something easy, over 50 for something difficult, over 80 for something very difficult).
Attending
It is understandable that the members of the party might not be able to show up on every single night we are roleplaying traveling. The route and our arranged stops would be known both oocly and icly. It is suggested that you prepare a story/excuse for your absence beforehand and inform the rest you are not going to make it. In any case you can make up a story to help you keep up with the group next time you show up.
To help everyone keep up I will be updating our chronicle so the members of our group can know what went on during their absence.
Lore
These are some links about Tharbad.
Our characters are not expected to know all or any information contained in those links but it might be interesting to read.
http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Tharbad
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tharbad
You can also use MERP “Thieves of Tharbad” accessory if you need some ideas about our roleplay. I will be using the map of this accessory as a guide for the ruins I will find there.
Keep in mind that Tharbad was abandoned more or less 100 years ago and also that MERP accessories contain a lot of things (stories, names, places etc) that are not mentioned in Tolkien' s work so they should be used with some caution.
B. Route and Schedule
Day 1 (Tuesday 27/12/2011)
Stop: The Forsaken Inn (for a breather)
Camp at night: 'Eriador: The Weather Hills: 32.0S, 37.3W' (Weathertop sloap)
Day 2 (Wensday 28/12/2011 possibly)
Stop: Ost Guruth (to trade pipeweed)
scouting and hunting
rabbit hole:
Eriador: Harloeg: 35.8S, 28.0W
Tracks leading to a broken wagon:
Eriador: Harloeg: 35.6S, 26.3W
A view from Dol Vaeg
Camp at night: Eriador: Talath Gaun: 33.0S, 23.6W or Eriador: South Trollshaws: 32.4S, 22.3W
Day 3 (29-12-2011)
Scouting and hunting
Boar lair:
Eriador: South Trollshaws: 34.4S, 20.7W
Eriador: Ost Dúrgonn: 32.1S, 21.0W
troll tracks Eriador: South Trollshaws: 33.3S, 18.7W
Camp: Echad Chandelleth
Day 4 (30-12-2011)
Stop: Gwingris
Camp: Echad Mirobel
Scouting and Hunting
River Crossing :Eriador: Garbert's Cottage: 38.2S, 14.5W
Eriador: Tâl Bruinen: 37.9S, 13.8W, tracks leading to Eriador: Delossad: 37.9S, 13.2W
Eriador: Tâl Bruinen: 38.7S, 14.1W, abandoned cart
Eriador: Torech Ladnel: 47.3S, 15.2W, dead bodies, boar den
Eriador: Low Hollin: 49.7S, 16.2W, ruins of a bridge
Day 5 Tharbad ( 4 and 5 -1-2012)
A group of 6+ people
We will be using the area around Annuminas starting from Eriador: Men Erain: 14.1S, 65.4W and moving along the river to Eriador: Men Erain: 17.5S, 66.8W. We can climb the hillside and map the city from above. We are supposed to be on the South Side of the city/river bank. We can also use the small islands that are nearby.
Mobs: we can rp animals and monsters but not human npcs and mobs.
Landscape: Tharbad belonged to both Cardolan and Gondor, so there should be other symbols along the star of arnor that can normally be seen in Annuminas. Of course there should be no high mountains around and what we see as a lake, should be a river. The buildings we will find could be ofc shouldnt be tombs at least not exlusively. In the area we will be using to rp there are buildings we can enter, that should be alright too, we might want to ignore the tombrobbers inside there though.
Because of the possibility of other rpiers being at the same place that creating a lot of confusion I suggest we use a /afk Rping being in Tharbad warning so people won't be getting confused.
(alternatively if we are 6 or less we can use an annuminas quest instance)
Scouting
Tracks could be found in the area
'Eriador: Men Erain: 15.0S, 65.9W: abandoned camp
Eriador: Men Erain: 15.4S, 66.3W: abandoned boats
Eriador: 16.0S, 66.4W: building
Eriador: 16.4S, 66.5W building, mob lair
Eriador: 17.2S, 66.3W buiding
Eriador 17.2S, 66.8W building
We will be roleplaying in this area mostly, we might move to one of the islands as well if we want to and have time.
