A speculative article about Tom Bombadil

[venger]

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I thought I would share this with you. It is an interesting read.
Mind you that it is pure speculation, so take it or leave it.

I received this from the tolksoc (Tolkien Society) group.

http://km-515.livejournal.com/1042.html

[Rich H]

There was a discussion about it over on the old forums:

http://cubicle7.clicdev.com/f/index.php ... topic=4060

May be useful to read through...

[Yusei]

[SPOILER ALERT for french players happen to be lost in the Old Forest right now: please don't read]

Nice article. And it's interesting to me because I'm running an adventure where the Old Forest and Bombadil take a big part.
I'm wondering about a point in the article: is it said anywhere that Tom has been in that specific forest forever? I'm planning on having my adventurers convince him to settle there (in order to keep the forest in check), so it would be best if cannon allowed me to have him live somewhere else.

While we're in the Old Forest: do you have ideas regarding what hazards could happen there while Tom isn't around? I've had moving trees, disappearing trails and stuff, but I'm looking for more. It seems to me the dangers are not from beasts, at least when the Hobbits are there in LotR.

[Yusei]

Searching for stuff about Tom, I discovered lintips: http://forums.theonering.com/viewtopic.php?t=87502

What they are is open to interpretation, but they are the only things that don't talk to Tom. Maybe they know something about Evil Tom

[venger]

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While we're in the Old Forest: do you have ideas regarding what hazards could happen there while Tom isn't around?

Thats a tough one because the info is sketchy and hazards would seem to need to be really out there.

How about an enchanted stream that if followed by someone lost in the old forest would lead always lead back to the heart of the forest

Or wicked old sentient trees that have a charming personality but offer sweet smelling and tasty fruit that make someone sick or lose their memories or cause any number of sly LM tricks

Or sentient fruit! That objects to being eaten lol, or that will suffer horribly or die if take outside the Old Forest for too long that might shadow a good character's heart if they don't ease the suffering by returning them.

Or A backpack full of angry apples might be unsettling lol

Or a flock of strange unsettling birds that follow the company in silence as if waiting for something (that might never come)

[Mim]

You have some great ideas here Venger, & I'm going ot mine these.

If you haven't alrady done so, see if you can find a copy of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

When he (spoiler alert) ventures down the Withywindle & back, it offers a novel approach to lead heroes into the forest without the usual themes of motivating them by entering from the High Hay or the Barrow-downs.

[venger]

Thanks lol

I was wondering if they were a bit crazy. Hope you find a good use for them

[Mim]

Nah, a bit of humor adds color to the game. The professor had a great (& often undervalued) sense of humor.

I especially like the stream that leads them toward the heart of the forest theme. It fits well with the Withywindle/Old Man Willow combo.

[Yusei]

I love those angry fruits ideas. If only I'd thought of them while my group was in the forest... Now I have to wait for another opportunity.