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trystero wrote:Otaku-sempai, I think a lot of the groups you mention might be better covered as backgrounds. I do like the idea of having some regional distinction between, say, the folk of Minas Tirith, Dol Amroth, and Lebennin, as cad1132 mentions, but don't want to see a whole culture for each one: perhaps there will be some "cultural variation" rules that allow a single Men of Gondor culture to cover all these groups?

I pretty much intended those as backgrounds, not as separate cultures. I've edited my previous post to reflect that. I do agree that Man of Gondor might be a bit too broad. Maybe Man of Minas Tirith should be one culture and Man of Southern Gondor another?

So does anyone else check this thread 6-10 times per day looking for some hint on the rivendell book to be released so we have an idea if the magic weapons we have introduced are underpowered/overpowered?

Valdur wrote:So does anyone else check this thread 6-10 times per day looking for some hint on the rivendell book to be released so we have an idea if the magic weapons we have introduced are underpowered/overpowered?

... no.

Could we come up with some names that don't start with "Man of..."? There's the gender issue, sure, but it also just lacks color.

By the way, how early was Gondor posting ranger-like soldiers in Ithilien?

Easily

Rohirrim
Gondorian

Etc.

Elfcrusher wrote:By the way, how early was Gondor posting ranger-like soldiers in Ithilien?

According to Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth, the Rangers date back to approximately T.A. 2901, the year when Orcs out of Mordor began ravaging Ithilien. So they've probably been in existence for ~45 years at the time of TOR.

Elfcrusher wrote:Could we come up with some names that don't start with "Man of..."? There's the gender issue, sure, but it also just lacks color.

By the way, how early was Gondor posting ranger-like soldiers in Ithilien?

To be fair, it was Tolkien, himself, who created that issue by making Men the standard term for referring to mortal humans. However, several alternatives do present themselves for individual cultures:
- Rohirrim
- Dunlendings
- Easterlings
- Dorwinions (Dorwinrim?)
- Lossoth
- Gondoreans
- Southern Gondoreans(?)
- Umbarites
- Corsairs
- Black Numenoreans
- Haradrim/Haradwaith/Southrons
- Variags
- Far Haradrim/Black Haradrim/Black Southrons

The earliest reference I have for Ithilien Rangers is the Foster citation going back to TA 2901 and the establishment of Henneth Annun.

Speaking of the North, per the game's timeline, it's only been about 50 years since Tharbad was abandoned. I'm curious to see how the writers present the mystery of its decay and abandonment. The last large city to remain populated in the North doesn't just disappear for no reason, right?

Does Tharbad really present much of a mystery? It was abandoned in TA 2912 after being devastated by floods. The kingdom of Arnor fell more than a century earlier, so it was probably deemed easier to relocate than to attempt to rebuild.

Otaku-sempai wrote:Does Tharbad really present much of a mystery? It was abandoned in TA 2912 after being devastated by floods. The kingdom of Arnor fell more than a century earlier, so it was probably deemed easier to relocate than to attempt to rebuild.

I'll bet all sorts of unsavory characters are living there....