Hi guys. Just a quick question:
I'm working on background for the Men of Dol Amroth, and I'm struggling to think of a decent name for the background which is based around the idea of a character who spent a while in the navy/at sea as a captain/first mate/cook/whatever. Any of you bright people have any ideas?

Thanks
Beleg

Mariner?

I like Mariner as well.

I own a couple of thesaurii, but I wasn't able to find too much. Despite the number of entries listed, I am sure other possibilities exist that are not listed here.

Not all of the following are going to be appropriate, but sometimes a word or phrase elicits further thought - leading ultimately to a better result. So I left them in anyway.


mariner: sailor, seaman, seafarer, navyman, salt (slang), gob (slang), tar (slang), seadog, Jack, mate, deck, hand, navigator, helmsman, skipper, boatman, yachtman, master mariner, Argonaut (myth), bilge rat (slang), buccaneer, pirate, privateer, purser, repparee, shipmate, Viking, whaler.

sailor: shipmate, voyager, sea dog (slang), sailor man, seafaring man, cruiser, circumnavigator, windjammert, limey (British), able seaman, A.B. [no idea, maybe a military abbreviation?], midshipman, crew, crew man, crew member, warrant officer, bluejacket, coastguardsman, submariner, Seabee (alt spelling CB), swabby (slang), ship's steward, boatswain, bosun, bosun's mate, cox (slang), hand, leadsman, lookout, foretopman, reefer, cabin boy, ship's complement, watch, sea scout, sea cadet (British), sea rover, hearty, jack-tar, waterman, galley slave, bargeman, dockhand, gunner, longshoreman, stevedore, merchant seaman.

Marine: leatherneck, devil dog, gyrene, jarhead.

boatman: boater, yachtsman, gondolier, ferryman, charon (jocose); rower, oar, oarsman, padler, sculler, stroke, canoeist, punter, windsurfer, sailboarder, grinder, fisherman.

steersman: helmsman, pilot, coxswain, man at the wheel.

commanding officier: captain, master, skipper, old man (slang), ship's master, sailing master, quartermaster, first mate, yeoman.

naval officer (U.S.): petty officer, ensign, lieutenant j.g. [again, no idea], lieutenant, lieutenant commander, commander, captain, commodore, rear admiral, vice-admiral, admiral, admiral of the fleet, chief petty officer, ensign.

Staying in-world so to speak, I would suggest Venturer as a clear reference to Aldarion's Guild of Venturer's. With this name and its associated mythical tie to the past, the background can pre-date the founding of the Realms in Exile should you desire to develop something along those lines.

Regards,
E

Note: The Guild of Venturer's was a brotherhood of mariners founded by Tar-Aldarion in the Second Age before Numenor's darkening. Some Noldorin Loremasters, though, might say that was the beginning of Numernor's darkening. But, that is another Tale for the years...

Another, even rarer background might be Scion of Earendil. In Tolkien's legendarium any child born with the light of the Evening Star falling on them was destined or so the myths of the Edain told to wander the seas as the Mariner himself once did. As the "Tale of Earendil" would only be remembered among the Faithful of Numenor, it provides a wonderful background for Dunedain hailing from Pelagir or Belfalas.

Regards,
E

As an endnote to the Scion of Earendil, there is no blood relationship inferred by this background. As Tolkien describes the myth, it is simply the light from the Star falling on the child newborn ("born under the beam of Earendil...").

Wow. That's a lot of ideas. It never even crossed my mind to consider Aldarion, or Earendil for that matter. Uh, forgive my ignorance, but what exactly does 'scion' mean?

Tolkien actually uses the word "Son," but because of the strictly masculine gender of the word I changed it to "Scion." That's my upfront disclaimer. That aside, scion refers to a descendent of a notable family or lineage.

Regards,
E

Just a thought, Beleg, would it be better to make the culture "The Men of Belfalas" with backgrounds that included "Knight of Dol Amroth" as well as seafaring backgrounds? The culture of the Belfalas and Pelagir happens to be one of the oldest Dunedain cultures in the North-west. This would be a subset and a pre-cursor to an Exilic culture brought out of the Downfall by Isildur and Anarion.

The reason for my question is this. I can imagine a really cool character concept for someone not born in the Prince's City, but amidst the rugged coasts of the Belfalas. Seemingly a nobody, he or she might be born under the "beam of Earendi" or possessed of the "blood of a Venturer" and destined for more than a life of fishing.

As an aside, I would suggest that you make (if space allows in your supplement) both backgrounds: Venturer and Scion of Earendil. A Venturer would be a background by blood descent. A Scion of Earendil would be a background by Fate or ill-luck depending upon the family's interpretation.

Also, within a Venturer's blood there exists a common bond with the Corsairs of Umbar. Both would trace similar ancestries if they ever got together and had a genealogy part!

Regards,
E

I cannot recall exactly, but when the original Dol Amroth discussion came up, I think I suggested that he handle Dol Amroth as a separate culture from the rest of Gondor.

Basically the idea was to allow more character choice by creating separate backgrounds more specific to individual towns/regions. Otherwise the official Gondor supplement might, for instance, have Backgrounds of: Knight of Dol Amroth, Sailor of Pelargir, Bowman of Ithilean, Guard of the Citadel, and two others from different regions spread through out the empire.

While I expect a Gondor overview sourcebook, I don't think an attempt to create character backgrounds covering such a wide area is a good idea. It ruins the opportunity to create individual regional sourcebooks that deal in depth with local information and adventures.

I'm not sure if that is what he ended up doing though.

Odd you should say that Garn, as I have in fact chosen to focus on Dol Amroth for the reason you stated, as well as the fact I intend to run a quest focused around the city with a few of my friends. However, I do see the appeal of an underdog type background, but I have (I hope) worked that into the backgrounds I've come up with, despite them all being based around Dol Amroth

Must admit that Elaudin's suggestions sound really good though. I honestly was not aware that there was that much outstanding potential already built in.

Nor was I. I think I may need to do a bit more thinking about this than I originally thought

I don't think that either people from the Belfalas or Corsairs from Umbar would consider that they shared a common bond, unless you consider raiding each other's territory over centuries a common bond! Please consider the weight of history when developing these backgrounds!

Happy to provide criticism or more inspiration if you guys need ideas - just remember that the Belfalas peninsula is home to:

(a) Sindar/Silvan elves originally (Edhellond); ( ancestors of the Dunlendings, being the indigenous human race, by Third Age mostly only in the highland areas © Faithful Dunedain settlers, who began settlement of the area from Numenor by about 2000 SA (d) other races such as some orcs in the mountains.

But by late Third Age human bloodlines are so mixed it is more correct to talk of a general 'Gondorian race' (with a lot of mixed blood), and then distinguish either by rural or urban culture. Decipher explained this when it mentions 'Gondorians' and 'Eriadorians' as terms for majority of humans in the area, and correctly notes that the real difference is between the 'man of the country' and the 'man of the town/city'. There are still some 'pure blood' Dunedain but they are in the minority, and I would want a really good background story from a player to justify it...

Robin S.

The following is a correctly formated quote of Robin Smallburrow's original comment. Otherwise completely unchanged:

1. Sindar/Silvan elves originally (Edhellond);
2. ancestors of the Dunlendings, being the indigenous human race, by Third Age mostly only in the highland areas
3. Faithful Dunedain settlers, who began settlement of the area from Numenor by about 2000 SA
4. other races such as some orcs in the mountains.

(Sorry Robin, but without using the LIST command, the board here makes a hash out of the layout and certain character combinations.)

BTW, do you mean Dunlendings or the Druedain/Drughu/Woses for the second point? I thought the Dunlendings were more West of the White Mountains, in an area technically outside of Gondor. Then they moved clockwise around the Mountains.

Or did they fill the area and go around both ends of the White Mountains?

Robin, just to be clear, do you mean you would want a very good background in order for a player to play a 'pureblood' dunedain?

To Garn, yes I meant the ancestors of the Dunlendings (and of many other mannish races around that area) - I seem to recall there was an article on the 'Daen' peoples in Other Hands or Other Minds, I forget which issue.

To Beleg, yes I would expect a player to come up with a very good background to explain why they should come from a tiny minority of the population, the same as I would expect a player to give me a really good reason to want to play a Noldor elf etc.etc. The key issue is one of population and where is the campaign to be set, then the Loremaster needs to determine what are the main races etc. For example, in Lake-town at this time the majority would be 'Urban Rhovanion folk' (represented as the Bardings), but their actual bloodlines would be a mixture from different ancestors (Northmen, Easterlings, Dorwinrim etc.), only a rare few would actually be able to trace a relationship to King Bard.

Robin S.

Just a question for Robin:

Why differentiate between "urban" and "rural culture"?
Are city people somehow segregated from country folk?

I'm asking because it looks like a leftover from MERP. Historically, city and country folk in most pre-modern european cultures lived different lifestyles, yet were continuously mingling.

Given the wide confines of the area, isn't preferable to differentiate say, coastal people vs plain farmers vs nomadic shepherds (or whatever better apply to the area)?

Beware, I'm not a Tolkien scholar, so maybe I'm missing something

Thanks for clearing things up for me Robin.

To Corvo, with regards to the difference between an 'urban' person and a 'rural' person, it is a question of skills (and also backgrounds):

An 'urban' person would in my view more likely have skill ranks in skills such as Courtesy etc. (social) and less likely to have skill ranks in 'outdoor' type skills such as Explore, whereas the reverse is true of a 'rural' person. I always check this with my players because certain backgrounds are only possible if brought up in a rural environment, and certain other backgrounds only possible in an urban one.

Robin S.

I understand your point of view, Robin.
Just wondering if such differences (rural vs urban), are in TOR not different cultures, but different backgrounds. In other words, same skills and different traits.

An example.
Bardings are pretty urban, among the human cultures (hunting 0, stealth 0, courtesy 2).
The same urban feeling is conveyed by backgrounds like "Wordweaver" or "Gifted Senses" ("you grew up in Lake-town, the son of a merchant..."). Yet there is "a patient hunter" too, a rural background ("... Your family never embraced the ways of the Lake-men...").