chronicle help

[jmashore]

I have started an adventure. An aspiring wizard travels Middle-Earth, finding diverse company along the way, searching for lore and wisdom. As he gets wiser and more powerful he discovers a rising evil.

Thats the quick overview.

I am having trouble deciding who the rising evil is going to be. It is set in the fourth age, so I could go with the commonly used Blue Wizard gone bad approach, but I wanted to work into my chronicle that the reason he is trying to become a great wizard is beacause the 5 have left. Any ideas on what I can do?

[ben hur]

Just a few questions first:

1) this is a one-player chronicle, with the player acting the part of the Wizard? Sweet.

2) it's in the Fourth Age?

3) how hard are you trying to stay to Tolkien's works? For example: strictly; rather closely, but changing what needs to be changed; pretty much 'Going My Way'.

Sounds like an interesting chronicle!

I'd say the reason the Wizard should be sent there is to keep an eye on something; in the case of Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and the Blue Wizards it was Sauron they were keeping an eye open for.

In your case it could be something like:

1) rumors have been heard of a evil rising; you must keep watch and identify the threat (it would turn out to be the Mouth of Sauron, the Blue Wizard[s], or the like).

2) cults are springing up, honoring Sauron's memory, and these must be stopped.

3) a Balrog has been disturbed somewhere (Aglarond perhaps? Revolutionary, rather) and is now collecting forces, which must be stopped.

Tell me what you think... I've got to go watch my little sister, so can't go on.

[Alathriel]

This might not be the most "Tolkienesque" of plots, but it could still be very fun. I'm not sure what happened to Orthanc in the 4th age, but perhaps the wizard could go there in search of knowledge left over by Saruman. (Or this could be manipulated somehow, such as the people of Rohan have seen strange beings walking in the ruins of Isengard, and the wizard goes to investigate)
The strange folk could be simply orcs who are looking for lost treasures, or something more sinister, like a group of sorcerers who seek to learn about ring-making.
Nevertheless, the wizard could stumble onto some long buried and hidden works of Saruman the White. The wizard could learn much from these writings, and be tempted to try some of the things Saruman tried-simple ring crafting and enchantment, or even some spells that seem "benign" on the surface.
In reality, the wizard's search for knowledge to help him defend the Free Peoples becomes twisted because he might stumble upon some corrupting things, such as creating rings that allow him to control orcs better or some such. He could destroy the books, or read them.. but nevertheless, those who catch wind of his new find will be eager to get their hands on it. I think a "new evil rising" is more fun if it starts out very small, such as a leak of information which he has to protect or use to his advantage, but perhaps some evil sorcerers or simply greedy men could try to wrest this knowledge from him, and they might be able to piece together some things to create an even greater ring or spell that could endanger Middle-earth. I personally like the idea of Men being the new darkness in the 4th age =)

[jmashore]

1) this is a one-player chronicle, with the player acting the part of the Wizard? Sweet.

Yes. He will encounter NPC's along the way who may or may not join him depending on his choices.

2) it's in the Fourth Age?

Yes, fourth age, after King Ellesars death.

3) how hard are you trying to stay to Tolkien's works? For example: strictly; ; pretty much 'Going My Way'.

rather closely, but changing what needs to be changed

[Meneltin]

Ok, I'm going to make a bold suggestion here
What if Ulmo decided to help mankind once more?
Ulmo always was one of the Valar who helped those in Middle-earth (didn't he provide the weapons and armour for Turin/Tuor?).
In the fourth age every big guy has left and Men must take care of their own things, however they are making a mess of it; perhaps Ulmo, pitying those in Middle-earth, left a 'complete wizard's outfit' somewhere just for this occasion and the player was 'fated' to find it.
That would make the player the Gandalf of the Fourth Age, rallying the lands of the West against a new, Mannish danger.

[jmashore]

thats kind of what I had in mind. A man finds an ancient scroll stating that the 5 wizards each left a jewel hidden on Middle-Earth. By using the powers of the 5 jewels together, the man will aqcuire the power of a wizard. The first part of the chronicle is about him finding the jewels. He must venture into Treegarth (Sarumans Jewel) , The Shire (which is very difficult because at this time men are not alound in.) (Gandalf), the Wilderlands (Radagast), and the east and south, (2 blue wizards).

Many of the ancient scrolls he finds are in elvish, so one of the things he must do is convince one of the last elves on Middle-Earth to stay and help him along his journey. She has already decided to go over Sea so this will also be quite difficult.

He also must convince a hobbit from Bree to escort him into the Shire. Gandalfs jewel is not hidden in the shire, but the key to a chest containing the jewel is held by a desendent of Sam. Gandalf gave him this key before he went over Sea and told him to guard it with his life. Sam, being the good guy he is, kept it and past it down to his kin. The reason Gandalf did this is because he trusts hobbits more than men. Also, only a hobbit can get into the cave where the chest is located. The entrance is very small. It has Elvish enchantments in it so that the entrance cannot be dug bigger. The only way the man can get the hobbit to do his deed is if he is trusted. So he must be a good man and not trying to gain the powers for evil. Hobbits can sense these things.

This is some of what I have so far. Sound good?

[ben hur]

Originally posted by jmashore
Also, only a hobbit can get into the cave where the chest is located. The entrance is very small. It has Elvish enchantments in it so that the entrance cannot be dug bigger.

The story sounds very interesting! But maybe here an Exclusion spell on the door, preventing non-Hobbits from entering, would be most suitable? That way, even if the wizard failed in getting a Hobbit to help him he could still enter himself, but he'd be cursed by the spell.

The only way the man can get the hobbit to do his deed is if he is trusted. So he must be a good man and not trying to gain the powers for evil. Hobbits can sense these things.

They can sense it? Is that something you made up, something that has been said, or something that has been hinted at? Sounds interesting, to be sure.

Have a nice game!

[jmashore]

From what I picked up on is that Hobbits are very untrusting of anything non-hobbit related. I guess thats not really sensing anything but it takes a lot to gain a Hobbits trust.

[ben hur]

Yes, I get what you're trying to say. I'd say not so much sensing, just the natural Halfling aversion to foreigners (much like the British distrust of foreigners in Tolkien's day... maybe this day too, haha).

[Meneltin]

You might always fall back on 'an adventurous Took'
Besides I thought though the Shire is closed for Men, some Hobbits do venture out, especially in the early years of the 4t Age (for example Sam's daughter becomes a lady of Arwen's court, so she would have to be in Fornost or Annúminas right? Perhaps the brave son of one of her brothers (grandson of the bold farmer Cotton?) visits/encompanies her?

[simon_hibbs]

Originally posted by jmashore
I am having trouble deciding who the rising evil is going to be. It is set in the fourth age, so I could go with the commonly used Blue Wizard gone bad approach, but I wanted to work into my chronicle that the reason he is trying to become a great wizard is beacause the 5 have left. Any ideas on what I can do?

This is tricky because pretty much all of the evils left over by Morgoth have already been beaten up - Dragons, a Balrog and Sauron himself. You need something seriously dangerous though, for dramatic purposes.

Suppose one of Sauron's servants - gothmog or the Mouth of Sauron - survived their master's end? They might want to bring their master back, but how? They would need something powerfull, something embodying the Will of the Valar, like a fallen star perhaps? Suppose they started a ritual to draw a star out of the heavens? The 5 jewels of the Istari, (quite a nice idea, by the way) might be needed to oppose such a threat.


Simon Hibbs