Sanctuaries and Patrons in Eriador

[jp1971]

I'm honestly kind of unsure what Cirdan has to offer as a Patron.

I'm not sure myself, but, given that he built Vingilot with Eärendil, lived at Harlindon with Celeborn and Galadriel, fought with Gil-galad at the Last Alliance (and survived), gave the ring Narya to Gandalf (the list goes on...), he's got to have something to offer .

[Otaku-sempai]

I'm honestly kind of unsure what Cirdan has to offer as a Patron. I mean, I suppose he might give the party a free boating specialty, but...

Well, he IS a member of the White Council and a good friend to the Rangers of the North. Those alone must be worth something. Cirdan also has deep knowledge of the past Ages. The Grey Havens and nearby White Towers likely contain archives that would be invaluable to a Scholar. I've already imagined CIrdan as possessing a manuscript that sheds light on the last days of King Arvedui of Arthedain. I also imagine that there is traffic by sea between the Grey Havens and Gondor. Ships also provide potential access to ports such as Umbar.

[Elmoth]

A naval city controlled by elves is certainly a sanctuary in my reading.

As mentioned, if you befriend the dwarves, they can also be.

Fleeing a little it from canon, Tharbad might still have some population in the cental city. Been there, done that. It is a small town, but a well protected one with fair connections by river and land, so it can be important if you want it to be. Such a great defensive location is not given up by mankind easily. Maybe it is a village instead of a city, but one that has even its grazing lands in the island itself, so it is a great place to live secure from a lot of local dangers. A far larger place than the mountain hold for example. In fact, any viollage can do when yo consider the size of most sanctuaries in the Mirkwood area. As long as it is a more or less secure place where to relax, it is OK.

And then there is Moria if Balin is around at the time and they have not dug too deep yet. No timeline here to check.

As someone pointed out, the eagles might be friends as well, since their interests are far and wide.

Cheers,
Xavi

[Otaku-sempai]

Tharbad: Even an alternate version of Tharbad that is still populated is probably too isolated and vulnerable to serve as much of a Sanctuary and doesn't seem to have much to offer for Fellowship Undertakings. In canon, Adventurers are likely to find no one in the region beyond a few trappers, fishers, birders and the occasional monster.

[Rich H]

Seems to me like there's also an opportunity for player-heroes, perhaps even working with the Rangers of the North or Elves of Rivendell, to undertake a task to establish a place of rest and (eventually) a possible Sanctuary for them to use. I think enterprising LMs and players alike could develop a series of missions and tasks to do such a thing. It could even be the core motivation and goal for a gaming group adventuring in a more sandbox style campaign set within Eriador.

[aramis]

Tharbad: Even an alternate version of Tharbad that is still populated is probably too isolated and vulnerable to serve as much of a Sanctuary and doesn't seem to have much to offer for Fellowship Undertakings. In canon, Adventurers are likely to find no one in the region beyond a few trappers, fishers, birders and the occasional monster.

Almost any populated place can become a sanctuary, if the company can make themselves welcomed there and can travel to/from there without intervention. There is no requirement for it to be defended nor even defensible. The requirement for willing host requires a resident population... but that population has a minimum of 1 and no maximum. At least RAW.

Now, it does require everyone spending a fellowship phase there and using their fellowship phase action to establish it.

the scattered few homesteads in eastern Eriador probably amount to under 200 people total, in groups of 3-10 people each. Rivendell, page 32, mentions the existence of a few scattered in the Lone Lands. Eregion is abandoned by all...
And the Dunedain are in the Trollshaws. The Hill-men are in Rhudaur...

[Otaku-sempai]

Almost any populated place can become a sanctuary, if the company can make themselves welcomed there and can travel to/from there without intervention. There is no requirement for it to be defended nor even defensible. The requirement for willing host requires a resident population... but that population has a minimum of 1 and no maximum. At least RAW.

Now, it does require everyone spending a fellowship phase there and using their fellowship phase action to establish it.

the scattered few homesteads in eastern Eriador probably amount to under 200 people total, in groups of 3-10 people each. Rivendell, page 32, mentions the existence of a few scattered in the Lone Lands. Eregion is abandoned by all...
And the Dunedain are in the Trollshaws. The Hill-men are in Rhudaur...

No, a Sanctuary does not need to be defensible, but it is one factor to consider when deciding to make a place a Sanctuary. And Tharbad, as written, does not have much (if anything) in the way of permanent inhabitants in the last years of the Third Age. If your campaign has an alternate version that would make a suitable Sanctuary, all for the good. And certainly a large homestead or farmhold (maybe even an inn) might be able to become a Sanctuary. Even so, available Undertakings might be severely limited.

[MattG]

Maybe Forsaken Inn could be a Sanctuary (like there is Easterly Inn and maybe Glevira's Hall)? Rangers and Dwarves, maybe Elves were probably common patrons of the place. Who (important enough to be Patron) run it (maybe Rangers behind the scenes?) would be up to LM do devise (an adventure?) as we obviously don't know much about the place, but I guess we could assume it was up and running in those years.

[Arthadan]

Also maybe the Noldor keep a small secrect place halfway between Rivendell and the Grey Havens for the Wandering Companies. That could be a Sanctuary as well.

[Otaku-sempai]

Also maybe the Noldor keep a small secrect place halfway between Rivendell and the Grey Havens for the Wandering Companies. That could be a Sanctuary as well.

Heck, maybe the Foresaken Inn is run by a former Ranger or an agent of the Rangers. At the least, it might be a place to secretly leave and relay messages. For a place that barely gets more than a mention, it has a number of possibilities.

But, of course, you were posting about the Noldor and nothing suggests itself to me here--largely because most of the land here was dominated by Men through much of the Third Age. There are close ties, though, between the Rangers of the North and Rivendell.