It occured to me the other day that two events that a Lore Master can add to the official Tale of Years are the weddings of Beorn to a unnamed woman, and the wedding of Bard to an unnamed woman.*

* I suppose it is possible that both men might already be married before becoming Chief and King but I think having them marry after they become leaders is more interesting (especially Bard).


Although no date is given for Bard's birth I'm guessing he was about 30 ish when he slew Smaug. He ruled as King for 36 years at which point Bain his son took over.

We also don't have a birth date for Bain but he was most likely an adult when he became King. Let say at least 20 (for ease).

So he was born sometime between 2942 and 2957. Now 2942 would be fast work for Bard and his unnamed wife. Also assuming that a Lore Master would want to actually put the wedding (and birth) in the Tale of Years then the wedding should not be before 2946.

So going with sometime between 2946 and 2957 that would mean Bain was between 20 and 31 when he became king. (Sounds about right).

So the question is - Who did Bard marry?

A few ideas:

A woman from a wealthy family from Esgaroth.
A returning woman of noble lineage who has returned from exile.
A woodsmen woman who captures his heart.
A wandering adventure (yes a pc could be queen of dale, how cool would that be?)

A few adventures could be tied around any of those ideas.

Okay Beorn is a little harder to pin down.

We don't have his date of birth or death.

We also don't have the date of birth for Grimbeorn.

We do know that Grimbeorn was known as the 'Grimbeorn the Old' by the time of the War of the Ring. Does this indicate he was born fairly soon after the events in the Hobbit? Or even before.

Hmmm I need to think about Beorn more.


Anyway food for though for everyone.

Please point out if I've got anything wrong here or forgot a detail. I think I got all the dates right .

As I read your post I was thinking the same thing about a PC marrying Bard. As for Beorn, there's a podcast out there in which the LM and players use the pregens (What is the name for that group? I've seen Jon refer to them by a name but for the life of me can't remember.) from the back of the book. They took the name of "The Bride" to mean that she was Beorn's Bride and played her that way! I'll look for that podcast if you're interested.

As a side note, this game, Mouse Guard, and maybe Star Wars are, for some reason, the only settings I can think of in which it doesn't seem weird to have players with PCs of different gender. Maybe because they are settings with an absence of explicit content, as far as I know. I haven't read much in the way of Star Wars books since the Thrawn trilogy came out.

Thanks for the post.

Yours in fellowship,
Stephen "Trotter"

I always thought that 'the bride' was based on Uma Thurman's character from Kill Bill. Her background story certainly suggests it.

On the subject of Bard and his spouse. It appears that PJ has possibly included Bain as a character in the upcoming film. It seems there's a five year old boy that many had previously assumed to be a young Aragorn but is now thought to be Bard's son and heir.

I quite like the idea that the Queen of Dale was no more than a humble merchant's daughter, who just happened to marry a heroic archer and that his son and heir is already arrived.

Otherwise, I would go with a returning woman of one of the old noble lineages or perhaps a relative of the new Master of Laketown. Both these marriages might be purely political, or not.

I think that the Woodman woman is definitely the right call for Beorn though. I would see Grimbeorn as being in his late fifties by the time of the WotR and could even see Beorn as having married a Woodman woman player character. That would give a 14-15 year adventuring career for said character before retirement and birth of Grimbeorn.

Interesting to hear that Bain might be in the hobbit film, I didn't know that.


Adventure Idea
I had this idea of the wife of Bard being an exile coming back to Dale rebuilt, possibly with connections with the folk of Dorwinion as a kind of political alliance/arranged marriage type thing. The Pc's are part of the escort that travels to Dorwinion to bring her to Dale. Someone (maybe a noble of Dorwinion or a Easterling lord) wants to stop the marriage and attacks the escort on their way back to Dale. Or something along those lines.

I think Beorn's wife is likely a woodmen woman, although anyone of Northmen stock would be suitable I think.



@Trotter - Yes if you can point me to the podcast that would be good.

Whilst were thinking about marriages and offspring their is also the character of the Queen of the Woodland Realm to consider as well. Also something to think about - did Legolas have any siblings? Was he Thranduil's sole heir?

Virtual Play Podcast Ep. 48: The One Ring

Thanks Trotter.

Effectively this is all that is known. Barring a snippet tucked away in HoME, Letters, etc

Oropher: Silvan elf of Doriath. King of Greenwood. Capital: Amon Lanc (aka Dol Guldur). Dies at Battle of Dagorlad. Wife, Other Offspring, Parentage & Siblings: Unknown
Thranduil: Assumes monarchy on father's death. Capital migrates to current . Fate: Unknown - never mentioned again. Wife, Other Offspring: Unknown
Legolas: After Aragorn's death, sails with Gimli to Aman. This might have ended the monarchy. Wife, Offspring: Unknown.


In case you're looking to fill in some of the missing pieces, I went to a Sindarin site and randomly chose 4 words (only!) and got these names. They might not be 100% accurate grammatically speaking. Googled, no hits. So they're not already in use. If they don't work for your needs, feel free to toss them.

Tuilinbereth (S. Spring-singer (Swallow - the bird) Queen)
I would suggest this as the spouse for Oropher because of the imagery the name evokes. It kind of implies happier times in Greenwood the Great.
Known for her ability to whistle (or sing), this elven lady was capable of charming the birds out of the trees to accompany her. She is always in the middle of a small flock of assorted birds who tend to dart around the lady as she carries out her daily tasks. For the love of her, King Oropher built a bright, airy dwelling in his capital of Amon Lanc so that she need not give up her companions. Upon the death of her lord, the lady quickly tired and sailed west. She could be of any Elven culture or parentage.

Rhevialoth (S. Wandering Flower)
Unless named for her tendency to withdraw quietly from any company, this nearly phobicly shy lady was named very strangely. For on no occasion can any Elf remember her ever traveling away from her husband's court. Even by Elven standards she was preternaturally silent in all her movements. An were it not for the half dozen comments she made in a year, you might assume she was mute.

Thranduil has said that the lady has past from the living world, but none of the customs have been observed - whether for her death or her journey over the sea. So no one is sure what has happened to her.

(In another topic Tolwen mentions that some elves, more creatures of the mind than of the body, basically meditate themselves to death. Burning out the body's reserves and becoming disembodied spirits (Fëa) because, engrossed in their contemplation, they refuse to go to the Halls of Mandaros. I think Rhevialoth is this type of elf and the empty husk of her body is still present in Thranduil's Halls somewhere.)

Thranduil would probably remain as king in Mirkwood. Since Elves are immortal, there's no need for the monarchy to end. Alternatively, he could have passed on the throne to another kinsman if he decided to join Legolas across the sea.

I quite like the idea that you mentioned for the Elven Queen. Kind of sad really.

Legolas goes to set up an elven community in Ithilien after the war if I remember correctly (as well as wandering the land with Gimli). Could this not indicate that he was not Thranduil's only heir?

Would the sole heir of the Woodland realm just up sticks and start his own community?

A related question - Would Thranduil send his only heir to the Council of Elrond?

Did Legolas have an older brother maybe?

Of course there is no right or wrong answer here because Tolkien never said either way.

Thrangolas - Legolas's brother from another mother.

Young John Bell is at least 13 years old. His Bain has to be at least twice as old as your guess. I don't remember seeing much speculation about Bell playing a youg Aragorn. That's probably because in Jackson's film series, it seems that Aragorn should be much older at the time of The Hobbit than he would have been in Tolkien's timeline--roughly in his mid-twenties (instead of 10 year-old 'Estel').

The bit about Aragorn's age is based on the idea that much less time passes in Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring than in the book. Frodo leaves the Shire seemingly only about a year after Bilbo does (instead of waiting 17 years); this is supported by the fact that his Hobbit companions (Merry, Pippin and Samwise) are already adults during Bilbo's birthday party where Tolkien's timeline would have them as children.

. Made me smile.

Good idea. There is also Arhendhiril (S. “Lady of the Lofty Eye”), which is a Mithril invention IIRC. She is supposed to be Thranduil's wife and, consequently, Legolas' mother.

It is a bit more complicated. An elf's fëa leaves the body, when the latter no longer is able to survive (e.g. being killed by violence). Then the fëa is called to Mandos, but it may refuse the call. This results in an elvish "ghost" - a Houseless.

Extreme grief or weariness may cause the fëa to leave the body as well (as in the case of Míriel), but this seems to be quite rare. Th result is the same, Mandos calls it, but it has the power to decide against it.

Cheers
Tolwen

Also, Legolas did not join Aragorn, Eomer, and the other Lords of the West in the Council after the Battle of Minas Tirith. Elladan and Elrohir attended. It could be further proof he wasn't the heir to the throne. On the other hand, Thranduil's realm was pretty isolationist and not one of the major players in the world.

tkdco2,

He might have done any of that, we just don't know. Basically after the battles related to the War of the Ring in Rhovanion, nothing more is said. So he could have stayed and faded, abdicated and sailed over the sea, or any of several other options. We have no official info.

Legolas and the Lords of the West: If you're referring to the meeting where they decide to attack Mordor, then Legolas' exclusion makes perfect sense. Most of the attendees are Gondorian Lords because its Gondorian forces that will be fighting. The only exceptions are the elvish forces from Elrond - Aragorn's great uncle, foster-father(ish), and father-in-law(ish). Legolas and Gimli are acting as private citizens not fully authorized politicos; besides they have no troops. So the Fellowship (less Sam and Frodo) goes as private citizens in attendance to the King.


Poosticks7,
Yes, both of them struck me as rather poignant in their own ways. Working off of names sometimes elicits a personality or history sometimes.

It could mean there are other offspring. But if Thranduil was alive and well, Legolas might be kind of like Prince Charles of England right now. Heir-apparent and no place to go and nothing to do. The Queen of England does seem to be the next best thing to immortal so this really is a good analogy.

As for the Council of Elrond, yes he might. Keep in mind that whole council was a coincidence. Elrond specifically states that none of them were invited to council. They all just happened to arrive at the same time. Sounds like Eru might need to visit the Valar and shake a finger in a few faces for mucking around with things in Middle-earth.


SirKicley,
ROFL! I don't know why but that struck me as hilarious.


Tolwen
I never heard of Arhendhiril prior to this, but as I don't follow miniatures, it is a blind spot. Thanks for mentioning her.

Hmm... The second situation might apply by compounding her retiring nature as an outgrowth of ennui. Considering the up-thread commentary, the loss of a child during childbirth would be sufficient shock to "push her over the edge" I would think (if she was already shy/retiring). I'm not sure Elves go insane (per Tolkien, not TOR), otherwise it could be fun postulating a kind of Poe: House of Usher, they buried the baby alive kind of thing.

Can anybody else think of any events that might logically be added to the Tale of Years? I'm sure there are likely more things we could add.

I'm thinking events that should logically be happening yet weren't specifically written about by Tolkien. Like the two weddings I mentioned in the first post.

I believe the Sindar elves Oropher and his son Thranduil were both formerly of Doriath, then of Lindon by the end of the First Age. They later went East to join the Nando (Silvan) elves of Greenwood the Great, who made Oropher their king. Thranduil fought with his father's forces at The War of The Last Alliance, and following Oropher's fall at Dagorlad he returned to Greenwood to inherit the Woodland Realm.
It is most likely that Thranduil's queen (mother of Legolas) was a lady of the Silvan elves.
My understanding is that Thranduil continued to rule The Woodland Realm into the Fourth Age, whilst Legolas was titled Prince of Ithilien, after the region was bequeathed to him by King Elessar. (Gimli likewise gaining lordship of the Glittering Caves of Aglarond). In the event that Thranduil had fallen, then it is likely that Legolas would indeed inherit.... but that never eventuated of course.

There is no indication that Legolas had any siblings - but who's to say that there wasn't a brother Thrangolas .... and maybe his twin Legoduil

As for Legolas' arrival at Rivendell in time for The Council of Elrond - it was pure serendipity, as Garn pointed out. Legolas' original mission was to advise Elrond of Gollum's escape from Thranduil's halls.

I concur - the reason Legolas & Gimli did not participate in the council of the Lords of the West is because they did not formally represent any faction in the milieu.... they were effectively freelance adventurers (albeit both of noble blood).
BTW- I think Gimli was Legolas' 'brother from another mother' .... no need for candidly monikered siblings

I believe Oropher and his son did dwell in Lindon for awhile (after the first age) then went east. I'm sure I read that somewhere.

Hmmm... I know I'm not really giving you any events for The Tale of Years, but I've been cogitating over some things that may have a bearing.

What exactly did young Aragorn get up to for decades between The Hobbit and his appearance in Bree in TA3018 (besides his upbringing in Imladris)?
He pursued (& captured) Gollum late in this period, but what else did he get up to?
He spent many years roaming not just Eriador, but also undertook missions in Rhovanion and further east. What Wilderlands tales can be told of Strider?

It also occurs to me that if any dragon still lived in north-western Endor at the end of the Third Age, then Sauron surely would have conscripted its services .... and yet there is no mention of any wyrms after the death of Smaug (were the Nazgul's fell beasts remnants of dragonkind?).
So my question is - what happened to the remaining dragons? Are there some legendary tales in this period that play no part in Tolkien's canonical tales?

Also - what is known of the fate of the surviving dwarves of the Erebor Quest?
OK we know about Balin & Gloin, but what of the others? (Thus far Balin, Oin & Gloin have made official TOR cameos). Will the dwarves play further roles in TOR Wilderlands material? Methinks so.

Lastly - dare we even consider the exploits of the Blue Wizards Pallando and Alatar? They are said to have gone east, and as they're not mentioned in the canonical tales of this period then perhaps they were absent from the area completely.
Then again - maybe they were around but strictly incognito...

Dragons seem not to be extinct by the time of the Hobbit and LotR. Smaug is refered to as the greatest of his kind still living (iirc) but not as the last of his king. The Wilderland map indicates the Withered Heath were the "were worms" dwell. Also the dragons who consumed the Senen are refered to as extant entities, or at least it is so implied.

There do not seem to many and the do not seem to be much active in Middle Earth. There may also be further Balrog's surviving besides the one in Moria. That one is refered to by Legolas as "a" Balrog, is Legolas old enough to have seen them in person before? Gandalf seems unaware of the presence of a Balrog until he actually meets it face to face. He refers to a "power the like of which I have not felt before" clearly this is the first Balrog he has confronted or he should have recognized it sooner.

Tolkien refers to "darker things lurking in the dark places of the earth" and such to hint that there may be more nasties from previous ages slinking around the shadows.

As for the Tale of Years in addition to the births of Legolas, Gimli, and various other characters, Beorn's family, Bard, Brand et al. There are any events concerning Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, the Iron Hills etc that LMs wish to flesh out. the fates of the Seven in particular. When and how did Sauron recover them, when and where did the Dragons consume them? How did swords forged in Gondolin come to be in a troll cave?

CheeseWyrm,

Yes that is correct. I focused my answers to the genealogical aspects rather than post everything. But that is a good catch on the timing and therefore culture of Orpher's wife. Although, assuming she survived and came with them, she probably took a Sindarin name as well, as Tolkien states.

Aragorn: The timeline says something about him going off for his "errantries". Including a stint of military service in Gondor / Minas Tirith and Rohan. Although subtle, Aragorn is familiar with both countries when dealing with the terrain in general and certain strategic s. However he is ignorant of place-specific details such as the entrance to the Paths of the Dead.

One thing not to ignore is Aragorn's need to be "cross-trained" as both a Dunedain and a Ranger during this time. He has grown up in Rivendell and has little first-hand knowledge or experience of his own culture. A part of his training would be to learn by living among them (incognito) as he's taught various Ranger basics.

The Rangers and Dunedain are probably segregated; thus avoiding an overwhelming Sauronic attack destroying both. However, the initial training of Rangers probably starts with the Dunedain encampment to allow green recruits to safely learn and become blooded (at least against animal predators). At some point they are transferred to a Ranger training camp and proceed from there, with minimal contact so as not to reveal s or elicit attacks.

Dragons: Story-wise, the dragons might have been embodied Maiar, similar to balrogs, at their introduction to the mythos. Later it seems that they are more natural creatures, hybridized or the equivalent of genetically engineered, but a part of Arda. However, the initial number of dragons was small-ish, their Fellowship Phase seems to have spanned decades at the very least and more often centuries (ie, recovery), and they don't play well with others. I would think a dragon would, for instance, contest the right of Fell Beasts to fly in the same sky as themselves.

(BTW, this is one of those seriously disputed issues in Middle-earth as Tolkien implied lots of dragons - dozens at least - in an older story that was never updated. But in another he gives a specific and extremely limited number, like 6 (guessing). Time wise, this second story was the more recently written. But without more dragons could Gondolin have been taken? Or were the excess, dozens-6, killed in battle?)

Conscripting mature dragons is doubtful as Morgoth had trouble keeping control of the dragons. At any rate I'm not sure that Sauron could find the leverage to entice a mature, strong-willed dragon with a hoard of it's own. Younger dragons might be tempted by the offer of riches with which to establish a hoard.

The remaining dragons are getting old, are dead or dying; most settled within the Grey Mountains in general but more specifically the Withered Heath. After the Dwarves vs Dragons wars the dragons start to go into serious decline. Perhaps, due to how many start disappearing, this represents their max life expectancy?

None of which addresses the frequency of mating, clutch size, viability of offspring, etc. So for all we know a single female could lay a clutch of 1 - 50,000 eggs. (Keeping in mind that multiple-birth creatures have a correspondingly high infant mortality rate.) So maybe dragons clutch chicken sized eggs, hatch something like a newt in size, and they have to eat their way to the creatures we know (this would allow for the cockatrice and basilisk ). In the meantime they're susceptible to predation. Special abilities probably become available at the onset of maturity, but would require some additional triggering mechanism (eat some igniting substance?).

Thorin & Co... Visits from the dwarves sounds about right. Of course, there are fewer of them. Dead: Thorin, Fili and Kili at Bo5A; Balin, Óin and Ori in Moria (T.A. 2989-ish). Surviving: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Dwalin, Gloin, Nori. So just seven more to go - assuming the remaining dwarves are not introduced as a group.

Blue Wizards Pallando and Alatar... I kind of prefer to stay away from both of these characters. They are very frequently used, whether for good or evil, to such an extent that making use of them almost guarantees a timeline/storyline clash with personalized campaigns (ie, LM's who are creating their own material and not just running TOR products "as is").

Not to mention this brings up issues with regards to what lands lie outside of the maps Tolkien provided. I also suspect, although have no proof, that these lands are outside of the scope of TOR's license as these lands are not mentioned in the Hob/LotR.


Horsa,
If Legolas was born in Doriath, he would have at least second hand informational sources to draw upon about the Balrog.

Yes, the "dark places of the earth" has been taken to mean their are other Aberrations (to use a generic name inclusive of all such creatures) spread through Middle-earth in various secluded and noisome locals. I'm not sure I would limit them only to underground s; although I could have misunderstood, Treebeard implies there are more than just dark-hearted trees in the remote mountain valleys of Fangorn. Nor speaks to the ocean depths, desert sands, frozen wastes, etc.

I believe the Watcher in the Water is postulated to be an Aberration by LotRO (as opposed to being a demon / former servant of Morgoth). There are other Aberrations in the depths of Moria as well.

The subject of Arhendhiril came up a few days ago on the TORn boards. This take on Thranduil's queen seems to have originated with the 1988 MERP suppliment Halls of the Elven-king, part of the Fotresses of Middle-earth series. This is how she was described:

Since Tolkien never suggested that Legolas was half Silvan, I see no reason to suppose that his mother was anything other than a Sindar Elf. Of course, Tolkien also never provided a year-of-birth for Legolas, all we know is that he is much older than any other member of the Fellowship, excluding Gandalf.

Emphasis mine.

I'm a bit confused. What TORn Boards do you mean, cause this doesn't seem to be relevant: TORN. Other than references to C7 and Mithril Miniatures I am not finding a reference via Google.

Someday I'm going to have to read Halls.

TheOneRing.net?

Bingo! I didn't realize that I needed to be more precise. Yes, TheOneRing.net message boards. This was a side-discussion that followed a mention of a small Wood-elf community called Celebannon that also appears in some MERP materials relating to Northern Mirkwood.

Ah, thanks for the answer.

As much as I enjoy Tolkien and the Middle-earth setting, I think if I tried to keep up with several websites I would just get confused. After all, there is only so much creativity I can spread around.

I know what you mean Garn.

Though this thread is turning into exactly what I was hoping for, with folk share ideas and thoughts on subjects that could be added into the Tales of Years/Background of the setting.

Not only does it spark ideas but it's also an interesting read. Thanks guys, keep it coming.

Some years down the road, Aragorn's wanderings might impact the region. At the present time, though, he is still a boy being raised by Lord Elrond in Rivendell under the name Estel. He doesn't leave Rivendell until he turns 20 in TA 2951 (which, in itself, is worth noting in the Tale of Years).

Let me preface my forthcoming comments with notice that I have not read the game specific timeline. With that understood...

If TOR's game specific timeline only contains material relevant to events in the Wilderlands, it would make far more sense to abandon it in favor of a more complete timeline inclusive of all events in Arda (ie, the entire mythos; all Ages, all s). Doing so would, ultimately, reduce the number of entries that would have to be inserted whole, as well as reduce entries requiring editing / modification to include TOR specific events / motivation. Assuming that SG/C7 are still releasing the material equivalent of the original three core sets, eventually the TOR specific timeline is going to include all or most of these entries anyway.

Thus it would be a lot simpler to use a thorough timeline and adjust it as needed. Possible sources include various Middle-earth wiki sites or just adapting the timeline from Appendix A. I know the Tolkien Gateway: Timeline exists with extra entries. I'm not sure how much of this is original research or simply adds facts mentioned in the prose, back into the timeline. Such usage might constitute a copyright issue.

Keep in mind that all wiki data is suspect due to error and interpretation. So even if another site's timeline is used, it might still have errors. Not to mention that TOR's setting will require insertion and adaptation of material.

For instance, Balin's attempt to re-settle Moria occurs in a vacuum; there are just no details about this event. TOR might want to explore this event further, creating additional events, background material and motivation which ultimately results in Balin's entrance into Moria. Or even further, up to the last moments of the ill-fated expeditions lives. This topic, Looking For Help And Ideas For Campaign, Quest into the Grey Mountains, is the start of a possible story arc along these lines. Assuming some or all of the events in that Topic were official, new entries would be required as well as editing a few existing entries.

As a corollary benefit, with a more thorough timeline as the base and including TOR events therein, it allows Loremasters to establish campaigns in alternate time periods with minimal difficulty. The work has already been done.

In Other Minds Magazine, Issue 11 there is a contribution with an enlarged TOY, based on Tolkien's supplementary information provided in the HoMe 12. It does not get into the level of detail you're looking for, but it may prove useful nonetheless.

Best
Tolwen

2954 - Orodruin (Mount Doom), long dormant, bursts into smoke and flame again.

When would the folk of the North hear tidings of this do you think?

What would they make of it, if anything?

Impossible to answer specifically as different communities, that might be right next to each other, might hear this news at different times. Simply because no one was traveling in that direction.

With that said, I would imagine very quickly for a non-industrialized setting limited to scribes (ie, no movable type printing press so no mass publications such as newspapers, notices or books). So... within a year for the farthest corners of Middle-earth to learn of things. Probably less but I'm thinking of the Lossoth in Forochel, for instance.

It might not matter as local cultures would notice the Evil upswing in there neighborhood. After all, there is Mordor, Angmar, Dol Guldur, Isengard, Moria, and any bastions of evil in the Grey Mountains / Withered Heath. Not to mention the Easterlings' and the Southrons' lands, respectively. All of which are ultimately taking orders from Sauron.


Suggested Rules Addendum:
Gossip Route
If you need to know exactly when information should arrive between two points, just plot out a likely "gossip route", paying attention to allied s, and handle it as a Journey, modifying the timing due to terrain, etc. Vary the timing by adding +10% travel time per pip on a D6 rolled for each leg; halve this delay if the information being carried between two points is considered vital. Ignore Hazards completely as the D6 is meant to represent delays. Distances outside of Wilderland, can make use of Tolkien's (or MERP's) maps.

Most news is gossip so it will only move when someone has a good reason to travel in that direction - with merchants, soldiers (patrols), adventurers and bards being primary news/information sources.

Heh, nice idea for the gossip route, although you forgot ravens in your spreaders of news list.

Touche!

Although it seems unlikely we will meet very many Ravens capable of speach. Thinking about it, there are also the Elven Speakers to spread the word as well.

Ok, the idea works for a purely mortal, and therefore limited, form of communication. Which, as we head toward the Fourth Age, is going to be the most likely method information is spread across Middle-earth.

my main point about Mount Doom bursting into flames again was how exactly the folk of the north would react to the news.

Obviously the players will have an inkling about what that means but what would a typical Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain or Elf of Mirkwood (for example)think of such news.

Actually when I say news it would only be a ominous rumour really I suppose.


I suppose whilst I'm on the subject of rumours I guess tidings of stirrings in the east (ie the build up to an invasion) could be added to the Tale of Years.

Nervously or worse depending on the race and individual. Most Elves and about half the dwarves would recognize this for exactly what it is - the return of Sauron. (The ones who don't are either the young or mono-focused individuals.) Arnor and Gondor would view it as a sign of danger in the future - but unsure of the ETA. Hobbits would be oblivious about Sauron but would think the news in general a frightfully fun story.

Heh. I took a look at Other Minds #11 and decided to hold off on the ToY idea for now. Too many projects at the moment.