Creating campaign: Legacy of the old masters. (Questions)

[Hilly]

Hullo there, everyone!

Currently I am working on the chain of quests for my new adventure dedicated to the toys of The Dale. It is very hard to create interesting quests and advetures in the Middle-Earth, if You don't want to ruin its spirit and lore. That is why I would like to hear Your oppinions and maybe some ideas, how to shape my view of the development of toys crafting in the Dale and to impliment this ideas into a good adventure. Below I'll try to briefly describe some of my ideas. If there already was something similar, please give me a link. When I will be done with this adventure, I will try to share it with community. Ok, lets start.

As we know, the old Dale's toy market was the wonder of the North and the town was renowned for its bells. We don't have even a bit of information about this toys. Only few general mantions in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of The Rings" books.

From the Thorins words in "The Hobbit" book:

…Altogether those were good days for us, and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to make beautiful things just for the. fun of it, not to speak of the most marvellous and magical toys, the like of which is not to be found in the world now-a-days. So my grandfather’s halls became full of armour and jewels and carvings and cups, and the toy-market of Dale was the wonder of the North. "The Hobbit"

The first reference in The Lord of the Rings occurs just before Gandalf begins his fireworks display:

On this occasion the presents were unusually good. The hobbit-children were so excited that for a while they almost forgot about eating. There were toys the like of which they had never seen before, all beautiful and some obviously magical. Many of them had indeed been ordered a year before, and had come all the way from the Mountain and from Dale, and were of real dwarf-make. "The Lord of The Rings"

The second reference occurs in the midst of Bilbo’s farewell speech. And here are described the toys from the New Dale:

…Noises of trumpets and horns, pipes and flutes, and other musical instruments. There were, as has been said, many young hobbits present. Hundreds of musical crackers had been pulled. Most of them bore the mark DALE on them; which did not convey much to most of the hobbits, but they all agreed they were marvellous crackers. They contained instruments, small, but of perfect make and enchanting tones. Indeed, in one corner some of the young Tooks and Brandybucks, supposing Uncle Bilbo to have finished (since he had plainly said all that was necessary), now got up an impromptu orchestra, and began a merry dance-tune. Master Everard Took and Miss Melilot Brandybuck got on a table and with bells in their hands began to dance the Springle-ring: a pretty dance, but rather vigorous. "The Lord of The Rings"

And that is all.

I think that the history of the toy crafting in the old Dale could be more fascinating. In my point of view, the some of the greatest craftsmens of the people of the Dale could be working more closely with the mechanisms. I really see them working with automatons creating marvelous toys like THIS. Maybe not so developed toys, but in this direction.

In my point of view it doesn't break the lore. There was already such a mechanisms in Middle-Earth like water and wind mills, dwarfs was a great engineers (just think about all the secret doors they made). As we know the Saruman was also working closely with mechanisms in Isengard. So why people of the Dale couldn't been working in such a direction while living so closely to the Dwarfs? I am talking not only about men, but also the dwarfs. In the Dale there could been their own Pierre Jaquet-Droz.

I think that if the old Dale wouldn't been destroyed by a Smaug, and they didn't lost their secrets so suddenly, the people of the Dale in the future could delovelope their skills and create timepieces like mechanical clock.

So first of all, what do You think about this idea?

The adventure I would like to build around the lost toys, books and manuscriptes written by the old toy craftmasters of The Dale. As Bard was the heir of Girion, the last lord of Dale, there could be also heirs of such an old toy craftmasters. Such a heirs could be very skillful toy masters, but they could search for old manuscripts and toys to develope their skills revealing the secrets of the old day masters. They can have some hints, evidences or may know someone who have...

I have more hints and ideas, that I don't want to reveal now, but I hope You get the whole thing.
So, what do You think? How hard does it breaks lore?

[Heilemann]

I love it. One of the things I've come to appreciate about the published adventures, is when they're slightly 'off', compared to what one might expect form more traditional fantasy gaming, and this is definitely that. I'd love to hear more about your ideas.

[Glorelendil]

+1

I think this idea is fantastic.

[Arthadan]

I like your idea!

As Tolkien stated, the toys were Dwarf-made and magical. I think there was more to them than clever mechanisms, seems to me the same kind of magic that can forge Narsil or make the runes on Moria's door... Dwarven magic.

So, let's assume king Dain wants re-open the toy-market. He was some toy-makers who were apprentices back in the day and they need to improve their craft. Possible sources of such knowledge:

- The lost caravan: before the coming of Smaug, a Dorwinion lord ordered he most magnificent toys gold could by for his firstborn son. The toys are treasures themselves and much can be learnt from the study, but the realm was overun and the toys lost. A Dorwinion wine merchant claims to know where they are or have some clue about it.

- The last Master: There is only one Master toy-maker alive and he lives now in the Blue Mountains. He's too old to travel all the way back to erebor, but he could explain and reveal many serets if the right questions are asked. But he suffered much in the ruin of Erebor because all his family perished that day and he has never spoken a single word since. The challenge here besides the travel is bringing him joy again.

- Tools of the trade: Many of the highly specialised tools were lost and they must be replaced. One of the master toy-makers who fled erebor take his with him. He died and they were buried with him in a small temporary settlement the Dwarf had in Rhudaur in the first hard years after the coming of the dragon. Of course now some evil lurks there.

- The Dwarf-friend: After a deep research in the Chamber of Records of Erebor, it has been discovered that the greatest toy-maker ever spent sometime in Eregion and shared part of his knowledge with an Elven-smith. The last Elven-smiths of Eregion dwelt in the hidden valley of Rivendell and maybe there is some old lore waiting to be rediscovered there.

My two cents, hope it helps!

[mogul76]

Wow! Excellent stuff

[Hilly]

Heilemann, Elfcrusher, Arthadan and mogul76 thank you for replies.

Arthadan, thank You for ideas. You have so many hints for quests.

Only couple of notes: You mentioned writing on the west-gates of Moria as a creation of dwarfs. It isn't. Doors was crated by dwarfs (Narvi), but design of engraving was created and engraved by elves (Celebrimbor using ithildin. It is even written on the doors:

"Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin: "I, Narvi, made them [the Doors]. Celebrimbor of Eregion drew these signs."

Dwarfs have their own moon-letters, maybe even using the ithildin. Even if it was based on ithildin, the system of writing was invented by dwarfs, because it have its own features. For example, more sophisticated moon-letters could only be read by the same shape of moon, or at the same time of year, as when they were written.

The so-called "dwarven magic" used in items created by dwaves is an unusual force that can not be seen and sometimes even felt. Like their hidden gates in Moria and Erebor, or weapon like Narsil. In my point of view it is all about the speculations and secrets around the dwarfs, like that they don't have a womens and born of stone.

Maybe even Narsil don't have any "magic" and "power" except the willpower and the strength of the spirit of the one who wears it? Of course the items like weapon and armor created by the greatest craftsman of dwarfs are powerful by themselves. Swords are hardened that never break and will be sharp even after hundreds of battles and thousands of years. Nor rust, nor steel won't bite through armors created by the greatest dwarven masters. It's not "magic", it's a skill of great craft. When people don't know how it is made, and they can't belive that such a thing could be made - people call it magic.

The beauty of jewelry made by dwarves (or other mortal races), using natural abilities can fascinate, ensorcell, made people greedy... In such a way it is playing on the strings of people's souls. Sometimes to influence people in different ways, you need only right words, knowledge and art. In some way it is also magic.

Speaking about engineering structures and items created by dwarves, I decided for myself, that first of all it is created using greatest skills, not magic. In my point of view the so called obvious "magic" is more likely are in Valars, Maiar, other mightiest spirits, elves, and in a less degree - in descendents of half-elves (numenorians, dunedains and so on).

Dwarfs, men and hobbits can achive something similar to "magic" using their natural abilities, knowledge and skills. For example, hobbits skill to move quietly and disappear (we are not talking about Bilbo and his ring).

Creating quests about toys made in Dale, doesn't matter are they made by dwarves or men, is very hard, because we need to keep this feeling of "magic", when it is hard to belive that this toys are created using just secret skills of the masters of the old days. That is why I am using some features from our world history about automatons. The whole story of and adventure that I am trying to create are more closer to the fairy tale than a fantasy. Creating prehistory. History of each character. Creating a magical atmosphere of this adventure, where "magic" and mechanisms are close to each other with riddles around and inside the toys. And even in the end of the story there should be the feeling that despite the secrets that You now know, you can't belive and decide - are this magic or not.

I hope, I could make this achievement =)

[Otaku-sempai]

I think that if the old Dale wouldn't been destroyed by a Smaug, and they didn't lost their secrets so suddenly, the people of the Dale in the future could delovelope their skills and create timepieces like mechanical clock.

What makes you think that they didn't? Bilbo's mantleclock had to come from somewhere!

[Hilly]

What makes you think that they didn't? Bilbo's mantleclock had to come from somewhere!

Ha, ha, ha! How could I forget about that? Idea about mechanical toys, music boxes etc now don't sound so crazy =)

[Otaku-sempai]

Personally, I've thought that the mantle clock was probably Dwarvish, but that it might have come from Erebor. It was likely a present purchased by Bungo Baggins for his bride Belladonna.

[Arthadan]

What makes you think that they didn't? Bilbo's mantleclock had to come from somewhere!

Ha, ha, ha! How could I forget about that? Idea about mechanical toys, music boxes etc now don't sound so crazy =)

Good find, but Bilbo's clock is never mentioned as "magic". In fact magic items were rare and renowed in The Shire:

"Gandalf, Gandalf! Good gracious me! Not the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered?

So Bilbo's clock seems something only a wealthy Hobbit may buy, but nothing truly amazing and extraordinary.

As for Dwarf magic, Thorin's company put spells on the Troll-hoard:

Then they I brought up their ponies, and carried away the pots of gold, and buried them very secretly not far from the track by the river, putting a great many spells over them, just in case they ever had the chance to come back and recover them.

Since the subjects is "they", is not a single spell and Gandalf does not care about gold I think everything point to the Dwarves.

Also from The Hobbit:

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells

And one more from The Lord of the Rings:

Yes, said Gandalf, these doors are probably governed by words. Some dwarf-gates will open only at special times, or for particular persons; and some have locks and keys that are still needed when all necessary times and words are known. These doors have no key. In the days of Durin they were not secret. They usually stood open and doorwards sat here. But if they were shut, any who knew the opening word could speak it and pass in. At least so it is recorded, is it not, Gimli?

So there were Dwarf-gates governed by words. In fact the inscription in Moria's door was:

And underneath small and faint is written: I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.

But the magic is not in the signs, it only virtue is shining in the moon-light. As stated above, Dwarves made magical doors... unless you can explain how to make a door opened with a single word with, say, Renaissance technology.

However I do agree the Dwarven toys after the refunding of erebor would be mostly mechanical rather than magical:

Altogether those were good days for us, and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to make beautiful things just for the fun of it, not to speak of the most marvellous and magical toys, the like of
which is not to be found in the world now-a-days.

Here Thorin says nobody can match the old ones, even if there is some Dwarf out there making them. This may imply the only ones dwarf can make now are mechanical which are worse than the magical ones.

Enchanting something is transfering part of the maker's own spirit to his craft. Feänor could not make more Silmarills, nor Sauron more like The One Ring. It appears to be a link between the happy days and the best toy-making, as if the maker needs to be in a special mood to create such works (Dwarves are grim by definition, so this lasting happiness state was indeed something rare). Maybe the art was lost not only because the lack of tools and knowledge...