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Any thoughts on who she might be and why she wanders the Barrow Downs?

I do wish you would cite your sources. Anyway, Bree, page 19 & 20:

Anna Wintermoss, Schoolmistress
Anna runs the school in Bree, teaching the youths of Bree their letters and numbers. She’s not a native of the North – she came up the Greenway five years ago, pursued by strange men who chased her right to the end of Bree-land. Anna never talks about her past, but from her accent and speech, she must come from the distant South. When not teaching, she sometimes wanders the Barrow-downs, as if looking for a particular tomb.

Attribute Level: 1
Specialities: Rhymes of Lore, Shadow-lore
Distinctive Features: Clever, Secretive
Relevant Skills: Lore ♦♦♦, Song ♦♦, Explore ♦

Anna might be from as far south as Umbar; that might explain her accent and speech. She has learning and might be from the upper class. The Great Barrows of the Barrow Downs represent the graves of ancient chieftains of the Edain and the Dúnedain of Cardolan. There must be some connection between Anna and the Barrows; perhaps she is a daughter of the Edain and is searching for the grave of a distant kinsman.

Another good question might be: Who were the Men who chased Anna to the borders of Bree-land and why were they pursuing her? Might she be the apostate child of a Black Númenórean lord and the men were his agents sent to retrieve her? Might Anna have run away from an arranged marriage? Maybe 'Anna Wintermoss' is an assumed name, at least in part. Anna possesses the Speciality of Shadow-lore; however, if she was a spy for, say, Saruman then why would she arrive at Bree under such strange and suspicious circumstances? It seems to me that her story is more complicated than that.

I'm fairly certain that the name is 'assumed'. Anna Wintermoss seems to be very much a Bree styled name and the only other people I can think of that have similar surnames are Hobbits of the Shire. Unless, of course, it's a nickname such as those used by the Beornings (in game).

I had thought myself of her being a daughter of the Edain and searching for evidence of her ancestry. Her Skills and traits lead me to believe that she might be more likely to be a spy for Saruman. This would be based, thematically, on her representing an opposite to Strider (looking fairer, feeling fouler for those with the wit to dig deeper and look harder).

She was pursued to the very end of Breeland by strange men. Is that just her version of events? Could it be that the strange men actually escorted her here but made the last few miles appear as a pursuit? Her skill set certainly does not suggest the sort of person who is suitable for long journeys, unaccompanied.

Give Saruman's obsession with rings, might it be possible that she seeks the tomb of a King of Cardolan who is noted in some ancient annals as having possession of an Elvish Ring that granted him dominion over lesser men. Saruman doubts that the reference is to the One Ring, but he desires the ring for his studies into Ring making.

He cannot send warriors onto the Barrow Downs to locate the tomb as that might draw the ire of the Rangers. A scholarly school ma'am might manage to convince a few locals to aid her until the Barrow is discovered. Then she can send a letter down the Greenway to Orthanc to inform her Master.

Mad Ostley (from the Rivendell book) might also become involved.

Halbarad wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:41 am

I had thought myself of her being a daughter of the Edain and searching for evidence of her ancestry. Her Skills and traits lead me to believe that she might be more likely to be a spy for Saruman. This would be based, thematically, on her representing an opposite to Strider (looking fairer, feeling fouler for those with the wit to dig deeper and look harder).

She was pursued to the very end of Breeland by strange men. Is that just her version of events? Could it be that the strange men actually escorted her here but made the last few miles appear as a pursuit? Her skill set certainly does not suggest the sort of person who is suitable for long journeys, unaccompanied.

From the description I guessed that there was likely one or more witnesses to the pursuit of Anna, though the 'strange men' might have been Dúnedain Rangers wanting to check out the suspicious newcomer before she reached Bree-land. She might well be an agent of Saruman on a mission such as you describe, but that seemed a bit too obvious and easy an answer so I was looking for alternatives. Her knowledge of Shadow-lore might have come through association with Black Númenóreans--possibly close family members.

Give Saruman's obsession with rings, might it be possible that she seeks the tomb of a King of Cardolan who is noted in some ancient annals as having possession of an Elvish Ring that granted him dominion over lesser men. Saruman doubts that the reference is to the One Ring, but he desires the ring for his studies into Ring making.

Anna might indeed be searching for a Lesser Ring or other Dúnedain artifact for Saruman. On the other hand, she might be after some nearly-forgotten relic of her own House. Or possibly both! Even if Anna is not working for the White Hand, her motives might be far from pure. I like your possible characterization of her as 'looking fair but feeling foul'. That is certainly one way to go.

Otaku-sempai wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:37 am

Attribute Level: 1
Specialities: Rhymes of Lore, Shadow-lore

She's certainly a strange one. I mean, Rhymes of Lore is the trait of the Scholar Calling and Shadow-lore is the trait of the Warden one; although a LMC and not subject to PC rules that already has a lot of ideas forming for me. Also, Attribute Level 1 and wandering around the Barrow Downs when she's not teaching. Nah, definitely something more to this lady - for good or ill.

Indeed Rich, it was her Attribute Level and Explore Skill of 1 that led me to the notion that she was not actually pursued up the Greenway, but escorted and that the escorts may have made a grand pretence of pursuit upon reaching the borders of Breeland.

It is highly likely that it was local Rangers who witnessed her arrival and also her pursuers. The arrival of a different Ranger from Sarn Ford might throw a spanner in the works of whatever Mistress Whitemoss' plans are in Bree. That particular Ranger might have observed the travellers further down the Greenway, before their pretence.

Of course, she has the Clever trait and would be prepared for such an eventuality with a suitable cover story.

It would however open up the school ma'am to the scrutiny of those who might question her story.

- What AL did Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have when they were pursued by Nazgul?
- Maybe she was just the only survivor to reach Bree.
- Maybe the pursuit began just before she reached Bree.

There's so many ways this could go...I can't wait to find out what her author has in mind.

Halbarad wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 30, 2017 5:27 pm

Indeed Rich, it was her Attribute Level and Explore Skill of 1 that led me to the notion that she was not actually pursued up the Greenway, but escorted and that the escorts may have made a grand pretence of pursuit upon reaching the borders of Breeland.

It is highly likely that it was local Rangers who witnessed her arrival and also her pursuers. The arrival of a different Ranger from Sarn Ford might throw a spanner in the works of whatever Mistress Whitemoss' plans are in Bree. That particular Ranger might have observed the travellers further down the Greenway, before their pretence.

Of course, she has the Clever trait and would be prepared for such an eventuality with a suitable cover story.

It would however open up the school ma'am to the scrutiny of those who might question her story.

I think that the colloquialism that you are looking for is schoolmarm. But, the pursuit could have certainly been a deception to make 'Anna' seem more sympathetic. I think that her write-up was left deliberately vague to give Loremasters as many options as possible for how to use her.

Recruiting children to be agents of Sauron. How much lower can you get?