The Journals of Willow Brandybuck

[Phantom]

I don't really agree with the idea myself, though I do see your line of thought. As I say everytime with this type of question...It maybe JRRs Middle-Earth, but it is your game and your story. All in all you have done a good jod keeping it "Tolkien", I just hope that I can as good with my online game, and the good Prof. s work will stand a little re-writting here and there. It is pretty much a given as, though his descriptions do put forth detail, they do so in a very minimal way. It is one of the things I have found interesting about his work...He puts forth volumes, in paragraphs.

Long story short;

Your game+your story=your world.

[Lord Kjeran]

Chello!

As to the use of Eorlingas:

"Cirion Steward of Gondor in reward gave Calenardon to Eorl and his people, and they sent north for their wives and their children and their goods, and they settled in that land. They named it anew the Mark of the Riders, and themselves they called the Eorlingas; but in Gondor the land was called Rohan, and the people the Rohirrim (that is the Horse-Lords)."
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle Earth, Christopher Tolkien (editor)


Love the Journal, Aslan. Teller her she's keeping a greta record for us stuck here in Cyberspace!

Tony

[Calcoran]

About the horse eating, I like Kaiddin's idea a lot:

Originally posted by Kaiddin
Is it possible that they are having a little joke with the foreigner? Playing on what they assume their stereotype is?

After all, Willow may be a good cook, but there are probably a few meats she hasn't encountered before and could be led to believe it to be horse meat. As an aside, I heard horse meat was a very healthy one ... as long as you don't eat race horses .
Still, this rings a bell somehow ... doesn't Gimli say something about that? Or Pippin?

[AslanC]

Apparently the good Professor was a bit of a tree-hugging-dirt-munching-druid (one of my all time fav Fraiser lines from Cheers) and that is why the orcs eat foul meats and everyone else seems to eat baked goods. I have no confirmation of this, just someone's theory.

That said it seems to me to be a very minor quibble and I am going to have Eyrnae set Willow straight that what she ate was some kind of Ox and not horse at all. Basically following the idea that the Riders were taking the piss with the little Hobbit.

Lord Kjeran I will pass on your kind words to Tieu Thuy, I am sure it will make her much happy.

[toadkiller]

I have less problem with the horse eating (the books seldom dwell on such practical matters) however, most Hobbits don't/won't/can't/whatever actually RIDE horses. Being somewhere between 3 and 4 feet in height they are roughly the size of my three year old (per the first pages of The Hobbit). I put Nikolas (my son) on the back of an Icelandic horse (which are small) a while back and his legs barely reached the edge of the horse's back - let alone anything like stirrup level.

Of course Frodo rides a horse (for a short time) on the way to the ford (unlike in the movie he's alone in the book) and as a Hero-Hobbit Willow might come in at over 4 feet....

I wouldn't have it be impossible for her to ride a "horse" but her newly won mount might be easier for her to handle if it was (at least to non-Hobbit eyes) a pony. Perhaps being larger than Shire-land ponies (not real-life Shire horses!!) she calls it a "horse" but everyone else would still consider it a pony?

[toadkiller]

Oh - another (unrelated?) point. You'd talked in an earlier post about sacking Rivendell. It is obviously not my game, but I'd not actually destroy Rivendell. Besiege, damage, raid, etc... but if the game goes on you may very well want it to be intact in some form.

Also - I admit as a big LOTR's fan the magic would leave the "world" if Rivendell was gone - for me anyhow, perhaps for your players too??

[Calcoran]

toadkiller: As far as I can recall, Alslanc described Willow as pretty tall for a hobbit. Probably 5 feet or something. Maybe as tall as Bullroarer Took, who was so tall he could actually ride a horse? Mind you, I don't quite see where the problem is. I mean, as you said, Frodo rides Glorfindel's horse, and I guess Elven steeds must be rather tall. But he did not have to climb up there. Indeed, the main problem I guess would be that Willow'd have to <I>actually get on</I> the horse. If the stirrups are short enough for Willow to ride, they'll probably be something like 1 m or 1m30 from the ground. It might be a bit difficult for her to put her foot in there when she wants to get on the horse. Mind you, there's nothing a bit of ingeniosity can't solve. She could use a short rope with one end tied at the saddle and a loop at the other end that'd enable her to get her first foot up, the next foot in the stirrup, then up and over the saddle. All right, the horse had better be cooperative. And she'd better avoid falling, for she'd fall from a comparatively higher position than a human would, I guess.
Anyhow, just some thoughts about the problem ...

[toadkiller]

Yes -

The getting on and off part would be the rub.

And possibly control which usually involves a great deal of "leg" control.

I'd just more go for the narrative aspect of having her's be a smaller horse/pony which is still a large powerful animal from her perspective. Hobbits are supposed to be faced with such challenges - and rise above them as it were....

[AslanC]

Yes indeed Willow is quite tall for a Hobbit coming directly down the line from an Ent-Draught drinking relative.

I would say she is at least 5 feet tall.

On a side note my sister breeds Quarter Horses and have children, my nieces and nephew were all riding horses when they were less than 10 years old and only near the 5 foot range.

Your right about a little help needed getting into a the saddle, but it isn't a great event or trial. A little dexterity and pulling strength is all that is needed.

I see no need to retconning her back to a Pony, since I can accept her riding a horse quiet readily

[Calcoran]

I can't help but seeing the scene where the party has to take off in a hurry and there's the small hobbit (sorry, make that a tall hobbit) jumping up and down, trying to catch her mare's saddle, getting pissed off, and shouting "WON'T SOMEBODY GIVE ME A HAND HERE!" ...

[Calcoran]

Errr ... what's a quarter horse by the way?

[Kaiddin]

Originally posted by Calcoran
Errr ... what's a quarter horse by the way?

One not worth a dollar!

My grandfather raise some Canada Champion Percherons but for the life of me, I can't keep all the types of horses straight.

Well except Belgians. After all everyone knows what a Belgian looks like. They pull those damn beer wagons.


Ooops forgot the link.

http://www.q-horse.com/

[AslanC]

Here is a link for the history of quarter horses...

http://meme.essortment.com/quarterhorsesh_raga.htm

Also, you would be surprised how low the stirrups hang and how high someone can lift their leg

[AslanC]

And one last bit...

American Quarter Horse

Based on the English Thoroughbred, the American Quarter Horse was first brought to America almost 400 years ago, in 1611.

Originally used in Virginia for farm work and even herding cattle (they are known by some as the finest cow pony in the world), it was found that this breed excelled at racing short distances such as a quarter mile. Quarter mile racing in Virginia was officially established in 1656.

Although it probably got its name from the quarter-mile races, some say that its name came from the massive quarters that the early horse had. This physical design allowed it to sprint from a standing start to full speed in just seconds, ideal for the shorter race.

The modern Quarter Horse has seen the introduction of much Thoroughbred blood, which has produced smaller horses and even faster racing speed.

One of the most popular Americn breeds and with the world's largest registries (more than 3 million), it is also popular with Western and trail riding, since the breed has speed, agility, and balance.

The American Quarter Horse has a quiet temperment and good disposition, and stands anywhere from 14.5 to 16 hands tall. You will find the American Quarter Horse in every solid color.

[Julian]

LOL This horse thing has really go some of us in a bit of a harumph....I feel like I have to say that I am still a NEIH...I don't agree with it. However Aslan did make a good point it is his game and therefore open to his interpritations and rulings...I look forward to reading more posts about it...