Discuss Lord of the Rings: The Retelling [Underground]

[Jokopoko]

[COLOR=TEAL][SIZE=1]You may have seen the Sillmarillon/Akallabeth idea I posted up recently for a LotR RPG but I've decided to scrap that and go with a different kind of approach, but it's still LotR.

The RPG will be running along the same lines as the ?Fellowship of the Ring? RPG Vicky made some time back but I?ve tweaked it just a little, but the idea of the players taking the place of the Fellowship is still the same. The nine original places of the Fellowship are there and they have to be filled with characters equivalent to that character, for example Boromir cannot be replaced by and Elf or a Dwarf because he has to be a Man of Gondor and son of the ruling Steward. The four places that cannot be changed are [B]ARAGORN, GANDALF, SAMWISE and FRODO[/B], this is because these four are integral to the plot of the story and cannot be replaced. The other five are open to changing but they still have to be two hobbits, one man, an elf and a dwarf.

I?m going to allow four more places bringing to total to thirteen but for these places I?d rather have characters from the books as opposed to originals, this is because I want to make it seem that the historical records aren?t that well kept and it can also have an effect on the storyline, for example Elladan or Elrohir could have chosen to accompany the Fellowship, the same can be said for Beregond for he may have travelled with Boromir to Rivendell.

Thats the basic idea behind this but I've also written up a rough back story:

[CENTER]-=======================-

As time goes by and History becomes legend, legend becomes myth and myth becomes forgotten the records of historical events can go astray so when one wishes to recount these tales and tell them once more their meaning, along with the facts, have become so wrapped up within the legends and myths that now surround it. Such a thing has happened to King Elendil II, ruler of the twin realms of Arnor and Gondor and descendent of King Aragorn Elessar, for he desires to learn of the Third Age of the Sun and the War of the Ring but none now live who remember it.

Long has it been since Mordor was a threat, long has it been since Middle-Earth knew conflict and long has it been since the Fellowship of the Ring departed the land of Middle-Earth for now many of them have departed this world for the world beyond.

So it came to pass that Elendil II sought the records of the Third Age of the Sun for he wished to study in depth this dark time and make certain that the inhabitants of Middle-Earth know why they are now kept safe from the enemy. Thus Elendil II has called together a council comprising of the direct decedents, or their relatives, of those who were know to have taken a great part in the War of the Ring. From the Hobbits of the Gardener Kin founded by Samwise Gamgee to the ruling family of Rohan who trace themselves back to Éomer Éadig, Third Marshall of the Riddermark and first King of the third line.

Though many details regarding the War of the Ring remained hidden from this council they were able to discover much concerning the nine companions known collectively as the Fellowship of the Ring. Of men there were two, Aragorn son of Arathron and another from Gondor who was son of the ruling steward but his name has been obscured through time. Of the Elven-Kin there was one, the prince of Greenwood and son of Thranduil but his name was also lost.

The Dwarves sent one of Durins Line, he was of Erebor though his name has also been lost in time. Of the Istari, or wizards, one was present and by the Elves he was known as Mithrandir but more commonly he was Gandalf the Grey who later became the White Wizard. The Hobbit-Folk sent to Rivendell four of their kin and they were Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins, the remaining two were of Brandybuck and Took decent yet their fore-names remain hidden.

Frodo Baggins was the most important member for it was he who bore the Ruling Ring along the Quest of Mount Doom. Though only a few of the Fellowship have been named it is entirely possible that the group had more than nine among it?s number was greater than nine and the Free-People of Middle-Earth sent more of their Kin on the Quest of Mount Doom but none of this can be sure as it has been a terrible long count of years since the events of the Third Age though it will not prevent the telling of the Fellowship of the Ring and their exploits, though it may not be entirely accurate.

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Any and all comments welcome :D[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Boo]

[color=gray][size=1]I would join the RPG, even when I'm against the fact to replay the whole story... Retelling could cause a lot of stress when someone doesn't follow the storyline line well. But yet, I would be eagerly waiting for some parts of the real story to replay them, in an other way.. ^_^;;
So I have mixed thoughts about the idea...

when you put it up I want to be the dwarf.. (Im just reading The Hobbit -.-;; )[/size][/color]

[DeadSeraphim]

[quote name='Jokopoko][COLOR=TEAL][SIZE=1]The three places that cannot be changed are [B]ARAGORN, GANDALF, SAMWISE and FRODO[/B][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]
[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]Err... that's four places, dude.

Question: If Lord of the Rings (the books) was, apparently, a retelling by Frodo himself, and the Gamgee family looked after the book [spoiler]after he went to the grey havens[/spoiler], does that mean through some obscure chance that the Gamgee family no longer poses the book, or they don't associate it with fact?

Apart from that very minor nag, I like the concept. Would I be right in assuming that, because the facts are blurred, one could have some fun with this situations? Like... say... having the plot go off on tangent because of a battle wound or something (that, of course, wasn't sustained in the actual story either ;))?

Oh, and one last question. What of Gollum?[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Jokopoko]

[COLOR=TEAL][SIZE=1]Alan, it is true that Frodo wrote a book titled 'The Red Book of Westmarch' and this is where Tolkien 'translated' all of his published works but for the sake of the plot I think we should assume it has been lost or forgotten because otherwise there wouldn't be a plot so to speak and all the recruitment thread would be was telling people this is simply a re-write of the books with no plot other than that. Gollum will be the same as well though we wouldn't need anyone to sign-up as him right at the start because we'd begin in Rivendell or after the founding of the Fellowship, something like that.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Well as I said to you before Bill I?ve been looking forward to this with a great sense of excitement since you told me about the idea a week or so ago. I had planned to do something of this nature before Vicky beat me to it in her RPG, though I guess I still had my Star Wars one, which got a few votes in RPG of the Year. Since there are 13 characters available to play as, 9 of which can be customised to a degree, I would assume we could have more than one of each race (excluding the Hobbits since there are 4 of them to begin with). Other than that I?m wondering where we start off, Rivendell or The Shire ?[/SIZE]

[Jokopoko]

[COLOR=TEAL][SIZE=1]I think we would start in Rivendell from the council because everyone will be together, that way we can introduce the new characters and that way it works well into the plot. The fellowship, character wise will look like this:

[list]
[*]Frodo Baggins
[*]Samwise Gamgee
[*]Unknown Bradybuck
[*]Unknown Took
[*]Aragorn
[*]Unknown Man of Gondor [Son of the Steward]
[*]Gandalf
[*]Unknown Elf [Prince of Mirkwood]
[*]Unknown Dwarf [Son of Gloin]
[*]Maximum of 4 more characters
[/list]

As for the four extras I'm probs going to be one of them but I'm unsure whether I want to play Elladan/Elrohir or Glorfindel, any help would be welcome ;-).[/SIZE][/COLOR]