My Games.

 I've played a lot of games, but usually forget them. Sometimes I play sporadically, such as smartphone's: "High School Story" (I didn't go to highschool); Monopoly Slots (since Las Vegas is the "Playground for Adults"); "Kimmy" (my nickname for "Kim Kardashian" game; since I like Rihanna's song "Hard": "...the money, the clothes, the fashion, the fame. I want it all....," since in Kimmy, I'm oh-so-famous, my nickname is Maurik, a shortened version of the Greek Maurikios, Roman Maurice, my middle name being "Morris."); I attempt to rule the Basileia ton Rhomaion, the Greek name for Roman Empire, if the Basileus (Emperor) is named "Maurikios," he is "Maurikios II." 

 I played the "Age of War: Fire Age" (or something like that), with model Kate Upton either getting out of a bathtub or else nearly falling out of her breastplate riding a horse. I had four cities: but only remember the last one, Hillariopolis, named for Hillary Rodham. Hillary Rodham never legally changed her name, she uses the nomme de guerre "Clinton" when her husband was running for Governor of Arkansas.

 I love Middle-Earth, and not long ago bought "War of the Rings" originally by Ares Games out of Italy, and later its first expansion "Lords of Middle-Earth." I can't wait for the anticipated next expansion, tentatively named "Warriors of Middle-Earth."I have a handful (OK, probably at least a hundred) miniatures ("minis") to paint someday. It goes without saying that Lord Saruman the White, Lord of Isengard, Protector of the West, and Defender of All Free Peoples West of the Misty Mountains is a favorite character. In the original take of the films, Gandalf claims that the Lord Saruman no longer had any power. (I'll get back to that later.) But probably my most favorite character is "the Lord Gollum," but my best friend tells me that he isn't actually a "lord" as he owns no land. I have two dolls of him, one is mean-looking, but the other is smiley. I keep the smiley "Baby Gollum" in a sock so he won't get cold.

 If you're familiar with the Saga, the name rabid fans use for all the Star Wars films, Darth Maul is not called "Lord Maul," as I mistakenly thought. However, Darth Vader is known as "Lord Vader" (also, the name I use for him). He was actually granted the Planet Byss by Emperor Palpatine, so he does own land.

 I saw a pattern the other day: all the "villians" that I like are actually "secondary villians." The Lord Saruman had much less power, especially in the films, than the Lord Sauron the Great (as he is called in the book, Fellowship of the Ring.) The "Lord" Gollum, has some sort of "split-personality" due to his nearly 500 years of owning the Ruling Ring. Only the Lord Sauron held it longer, a little less than 1,900 years. The longest time the Ruling Ring was "held" was by the River Anduin, for almost 2,500 years, much longer did than the Lord Sauron the Great himself. Lord Vader, for all his malice and whatnot, was subservient to Emperor Palpatine. An awesome explanation of Lord Vader's conditions are in the short novel, "Dark Lord." It demonstrates why he feels compelled to using the Dark Side of the Force.

>> Something that I would like to do is write a short story about the period after the reign of Aragorn II Elessar's son, King Aldarion. I wouldn't want it to be like the apocryphal The New Shadow. In one of the Appendices at the end of the book Return of the King, there is a short section concerning how King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom with his ally, King Eomer of Rohan, go on to defeat, paraphrasing here, "A lot of bad people north and south of Old Mordor." I was partially inspired by my minis in this, from Mithril, Games Workshop, and non-ME Reaper. In a nutshell, I look for larger groups of Elves and Men (including male and female) that are not "overly magic-using" (crystal balls, magic books) nor clerics (uncommon in ME). I look for only a small handful of Dwarves, as I figure after the War of the Ring, they return to their fortresses and care little for outside battle.

>>My short story would include King __________, Eldarion's son, and Eomer's grandson, as Rohirrim have shorter lifespans. Most Elven realms have reduced populations as they begin the journey to Valinor. However, Silvan/Sylvan/Wood Elves are not necessarily the exact race as other Elves, from Silmarillion; few take off for Valinor (excepting Prince Legolas Greenleaf and his Dwarf companion Gimli, son of Gloin).

>>I do not want minis with noticeable emblems such as the White Hand, the Lidless Eye, or some sort of skulls. Even on clerics and paladins, I avoid crosses and such, as they wouldn't fit in ME. All other emblems (Dol Amroth, for example) are cool.

>>"Northern Rohan" (or some other name), since the Rohirrim are Northmen, set up some sort of governor or viceroy approximately where the Sea of Rhun is on maps of ME. They also earnestly attempt reclamation projects, like the Dutch, in the Dead Marches, Dagorlad Plain, etc.

The Reunited Kingdom's "Greater Harondor" and an Elvish term meaning "Gondorian Umbar" is effectively ruled by a governor, but more likely a viceroy. Reclamation projects also begin there and in Old Mordor.

The Rohirric governor and the Reunited Kingdom viceroy eventually begin to be less and less dependable as time passes. They are by no means corrupt, merely incompetent. Sometimes they are the offspring of their predecessors.

Here is where Lord Saruman of Isengard (from the original take of the films, but not the books) comes back into play. As you might recall, he ventured with the two Blue Wizards to the Middle-Earth Far East. For unexplained reasons, they failed in their assignments. Did Saruman destroy them? Although that is unknown, it seems unlikely that such wise persons as the White Council wouldn't at least sense it, being around Saruman so frequently.

In my setting, Wargs are absent, having been wiped out by defeat at the Misty Mountains and Battle of Five Armies in Hobbit, and later the machinations of Isengard. That also helps me reduces "characters." Isengard Uruk-Hai are also destroyed for the same reason.

Elves, Men, and Hobbits defeat lingering goblin strongholds in the Misty Mountains, Angmar/Mount Gundabad. Hobbits become a staple of the Reunited Kingdom, mainly as spies. These guys become "leaner & meaner" such as halflings in other fantasy settings. It also keeps them useful in Arnor, but also out of harm's way elsewhere.

The only Orcish types would've been pushed further into ME Far East... where Saruman the White had spent (I think) centuries. Some stories recount that he had discovered one of the Seven Dwarvish Rings. Although that's plausible, it's also unlikely. "Lord Saruman," or some other title would rally "Wicked Men" and perhaps any Orcs to attack whichever area (Northern Rohan or Greater Harondor) that seems weakest. Although Northern Rohan might seem weakest, it also has support from other Northmen, including rebuilt and resettled Dale, Esgaroth, and Lake-town, and whichever populous cities sprung up in the area.

Greater Harondor would be a juicy target since Gondorians typically marry later in life or have few children. However, it is closer to Minas Anor (the original name of Minas Tirith), Pelargir, Gondorian Umbar, and the other fiefs (Dol Amroth, Principality of Itilien, Lamedom, etc.). But does Lord Saruman really care how many of his troops die? Unlikely. It's a show of power. Old Mordor is of no interest to Lord Saruman and of minor interest to Rohan or the Reunited Kingdom.

>>I haven't got it all worked out yet, as you can tell by some of the names. Would there by "trouble at home" as far as a demand for a "Principality of Cardolan"? Would the surrounding area of Bree desire mercantile "Cantons of Bree," such as Switzerland in the real-world Later Middle Ages? Would the capital of the Reunited Kingdom move further southeast to a rebuilt Osgiliath? Would dwarves use "hardline diplomacy" to regain Mount Gundabar? What race is Eldarion's wife, does he have sons and daughters? How does the Royal Family interact with Dowager Queen Arwen Undomiel, and does she receive some aspect of her father's gift of Foresight?

by Balasinde on 2015-06-13 10:38:40