The Easterly Inn as a Holding

[SpottedBill]

Hello all! Long time lurker, first time poster here.

I recently started a new campaign with The Marsh-Bell. The plan is to play out parts of Tales from Wilderland and The Darkening of Mirkwood intertwined.

One of the Player Heroes is a Hobbit of the Shire. His background story had him arrive to Wilderland with Dodinas Brandybuck, the to-be owner of the Easterly Inn.

The party is currently in Lake-town for a Fellowship Phase after the events of The Marsh-Bell. The player of Hobbit is interested in gaining a part of the Inn or a shop located at the Inn as a Holding. While I like the idea, I’m somewhat unsure how to implement it into the game.

While the Inn clearly is not in the Shire, my first instinct was to require the character to raise his Standing to 1 to be respectable enough for Dodinas to accept him setting up shop in his quarters. This would of course implicate the Easterly Inn being considered a part of the Hobbit’s own culture, a “home away from home”, a part of the Shire in Wilderland.

In addition, I ruled it could only become a Holding once he has visited the Easterly Inn in an Adventure Phase and it being appropriate in that sense.

Should the Holding rather be considered to be not related to his culture and based off of Valour? Is there possible issues that could arise from accepting the Easterly Inn to be part of the character’s “homeland”?

[zedturtle]

I believe Dody does joke around at one point and call the Inn the easternmost part of the Shire. I think that there might be some interesting interplay in how Dody and other Shire-Hobbits think of the hero (i.e. Standing) versus what the local Beornings think the halflings are up to (i.e. Valour).

[atgxtg]

I think what sort of requirements the character needs and how the holding will be received should depend in no small part on just what sort of holding it is, and what the character actually does with it. A pastry shop, for example, would be quite different from, say, a swordsmith's, and would place different expectations and demands on the character, cater to different customers and so on. Likewise a performing minstrel would have a different set of requirements. Ditto a tobacconist selling Longbottom Leaf.

If I were you, I'd put your player on the hotseat and have him tell you what kind of thing he'd like to do at the inn, and use that information to help flesh out the requirements. The character might require certain skills to make a decent stab at some things , not to mention access to certain items. He probably also needs some sort of connection (and/or Hobbit Standing) for anything that gives him greater access, space or influence over the operations of the inn than normal.

I'd also suggest that you could tie a lot of this stuff into the required visit during an adventure. Basically, it would be some sort of subplot where the hero works out the details of the arrange with Dody, and works out whatever arrangements he needs to to make it work. You might even break this up over a couple of sessions.

If you ask a few questions of the player, and get HIM thinking about what he wants to do, and what he needs to do it, you can get him to do most of your dirty work for you, leaving you free to work out how this could spawn a future adventure or two.

[SpottedBill]

Sounds like using Standing for the Holding should work then!

Both the aspect of the Beornings in relation to the Hobbit-establishment and the potential for some adventuring to meet the requirements sound like things I'll definitely use when our Company gets to that part of Wilderland. Both the player and I very much enjoyed incorporating Dody and his venture into the character's background and we'll definitely be fleshing out the possible Holding further. It will also add a nice layer of personal investment into Of Leaves & Stewed Hobbit when we get to that.

Thank you both for your replies!

[Majestic]

Welcome, SpottedBill!

I think you're on the right track here, and the Easterly Inn is a wonderful location to weave into one's campaign. In my game, my players quickly made it a Sanctuary, and they've returned there many times over the years.

I think by getting this player to become involved at the Inn (in whatever way) will help give the PCs some buy-in and an investment in your world. Perhaps start him off with simple tasks and projects, such that he proves himself to the others there. Once he's got some Standing and is fully invested, you'll have a wonderful mechanism in your game any time you need something or someone (that truly matters to them) to threaten or jeopardize or put in danger as LM.

[Otaku-sempai]

A farmhold near the Easterly Inn could provide meat, produce and winter provisions for the inn, though for that you might need the support of Beorn.

[SpottedBill]

Welcome, SpottedBill!

Thank you!

I think you're on the right track here, and the Easterly Inn is a wonderful location to weave into one's campaign. In my game, my players quickly made it a Sanctuary, and they've returned there many times over the years.

I think by getting this player to become involved at the Inn (in whatever way) will help give the PCs some buy-in and an investment in your world. Perhaps start him off with simple tasks and projects, such that he proves himself to the others there. Once he's got some Standing and is fully invested, you'll have a wonderful mechanism in your game any time you need something or someone (that truly matters to them) to threaten or jeopardize or put in danger as LM.

I very much agree. I think Middle-Earth as a setting definitely helps with player buy-in, but it's these character specific details that lead to players starting to get into the game at the same level as the GM/LM. I'll definitely be doing something along those lines!

A farmhold near the Easterly Inn could provide meat, produce and winter provisions for the inn, though for that you might need the support of Beorn.

That would bring the Beornings into it nicely! My player seems to enjoy the thought of starting a Longbottom Leaf importing venture. Perhaps he'll end up farming tobacco next to the Inn.

[Winterwolf]

The players in my campaign have met Dody and his family and brother at the House of Beorn at the end of 2946 when Dody has permission from Beorn to build his Inn but has yet to locate the site. He plans to do this before winter sets in.
The dwarven smith in the group has negotiated to build a smithy alongside Dody's inn whilst a Hobbit of the Shire is intending to grow food to supply the Inn.
The Company retrieved the Sickle in Theft of the Moon in the past year so Beorn is sufficiently grateful to allow them to settle in his lands.

[SpottedBill]

The players in my campaign have met Dody and his family and brother at the House of Beorn at the end of 2946 when Dody has permission from Beorn to build his Inn but has yet to locate the site. He plans to do this before winter sets in.

I started my campaign with the Marsh-Bell, and had the Company gathered in Lake-town in Spring 2946 before the adventure at a meeting. Part of the Company had traveled to Lake-town with Dody, who came there to spread the word of the Easterly Inn (probably carrying the letters for the Master of Lake-town, King Dáin and Kind Bard mentioned in Tales from Wilderland). It's always good to introduce characters that will be involved in the campaign in advance. Next I'll incorporate Irimë into the visit at Thranduil's Halls.

The dwarven smith in the group has negotiated to build a smithy alongside Dody's inn whilst a Hobbit of the Shire is intending to grow food to supply the Inn.

Sounds like your version of the Easterly Inn has potential for prosperity!

The Company retrieved the Sickle in Theft of the Moon in the past year so Beorn is sufficiently grateful to allow them to settle in his lands.

Makes sense! I've also played Theft of the Moon before and loved it!