Introduction & Welcome Thread

[Rian]

Welcome, Duilin! We look forward to writing with you

[Duilin]

Valandil - does POME say the name of Castamir's father? It might make sense for it to be Castamir's father, rather than Castamir himself, that my characters have gotten on the bad side of.

[Valandil]

duilin said:

Valandil - does POME say the name of Castamir's father? It might make sense for it to be Castamir's father, rather than Castamir himself, that my characters have gotten on the bad side of.

Better yet - Calimehtar, since he should still be living, and is brother to the King!

[Duilin]

The problem with Calimehtar, as I see it, is that he is bound to be quite old - he is perhaps not politically active any longer. Look at how lazy and unambitious his father and uncle were. My conception of him, also, is that he is loyal to his brother, and not scheming for his descendants to inherit - this is all his son and grandson's doing. But a relatively young Castamir might work as a better foil for my heroes, anyway, since he's less imposing, and probably more rash.

[Valandil]

duilin said:

The problem with Calimehtar, as I see it, is that he is bound to be quite old - he is perhaps not politically active any longer. Look at how lazy and unambitious his father and uncle were. My conception of him, also, is that he is loyal to his brother, and not scheming for his descendants to inherit - this is all his son and grandson's doing. But a relatively young Castamir might work as a better foil for my heroes, anyway, since he's less imposing, and probably more rash.

I don't think the Dunedain really get "old" until their final few years. Romendacil has 20 years left, and Calimehtar would be younger.

Crossing Calimehtar might make all of Gondor a hostile place - if he and his brother DO have mutual devotion. And - if his brother centers himself at Osgiliath, Calimehtar may take a lot of pride in Pelargir - setting the stage for successive generations to swing further from Osgiliath in their hearts.

Just some thoughts... not meant to dictate. But Calimehtar's son and grandson may still have a lot of power - and the grandson may already be thinking naughty thoughts. He might even misrepresent your characters to his grandfather - who might get the word to his brother the King... if your characters are (royally) significant enough for that kind of notice.

[Duilin]

Hmm....I like the idea that my guys have personally offended Castamir, but that gets them on Calimehtar's bad side. It's not terribly important, though - it's just a maguffin to get them out of Gondor, really (although I could develop it at some later point).

In terms of Calimehtar, my thought was that the Gondorian royal family, broadly speaking, has become pretty, er, unenergetic. Narmacil II gave up real authority fifty years before his death. and his brother never held real royal authority at all. I guess I kind of imagined Calimehtar taking after his father - not interested in matters of state, content to devote himself to pleasures, or astrology, or whatever it is people in Osgiliath at that time did. I kind of imagine that most members of the Gondorian royal family at this time are pleasure-seeking layabouts with little interest in statecraft - after all, Gondor is so mighty none would dare challenge it. Where's the interest in that? And of course Calimehtar knows that, whatever happens when Valacar dies, he is never going to be king, as Valacar will long outlive him, so he'd have little personal interest in the succession (although I'd imagine he disapproved of Valacar's by now late wife - although presumably Rómendacil disapproved of her as well).

I don't know that my characters are all that significant. Thurisind's great-great grandmother was a first cousin of Valacar's late wife - her father was Vidugavia's wife's brother, and himself head of some sort of medium-sized principality of Northmen. But his daughter married someone of lower status, so that Thurisind himself is merely of the (very numerous) petty nobility of the Northmen, while Duilin is a commoner. So Thurisind is Eldacar's second cousin thrice removed, I believe (I think the dates more or less work for that), but not of much personal note beyond that. My kind of vaguely imagined personal history of them is that they became friends when they served together on campain in Gondor's army. Then they returned to Osgiliath and, thanks to Thurisind's family connection to Eldacar, gained position as relatively low-ranking guards in Eldacar's personal retinue. Then they got into some kind of dispute with Castamir or his people, and had to leave Gondor - Eldacar isn't terribly interested in reminding people he's related to barbarous northmen by intervening on their behalf against his own Gondorian cousin. I imagine that the dispute was probably something that was Duilin and Thurisind's fault, anyway - one of them probably seduced Castamir's wife, or something. So off they go to Arnor.

[Valandil]

duilin said:

Hmm....I like the idea that my guys have personally offended Castamir, but that gets them on Calimehtar's bad side. It's not terribly important, though - it's just a maguffin to get them out of Gondor, really (although I could develop it at some later point).

In terms of Calimehtar, my thought was that the Gondorian royal family, broadly speaking, has become pretty, er, unenergetic...
:
:

Very probably a trend for awhile after the Ship Kings - but Romendacil, probably his son (unless Valacar married Vidumavi out of sheer boredom) and Eldacar were certainly exceptions, as well as Romendacil's great-nephew, Castamir.

I suppose that even if Calimehtar were so inclined, he might still like the position of "Captain of Ships" - even if he only liked to admire them as they sailed in and out of the harbor or rocked at their moorings. Maybe he even gets seasick boarding a ship at anchor! ;D But, just as Romendacil's uncle and father had done, he might put his son - or grandson - to work, while he kept hold of the position.

Even mine is purely speculative though - but it's starting with what we know, I suppose. Just trying to keep the thoughts flying.

I DID read a very interesting fanfic a few years back over at SF Fandom. It was a letter written from Minalcar - well two letters actually, one official and one personal - to Valacar upon hearing news of Valacar's wedding to Vidumavi. Events at Gondor's court are outlined somewhat, and hints of the future civil strife with Calimehtar's branch. I can make you a link later, if you're interested.

Meanwhile, I suppose we're going well above and beyond the purposes of a "welcome" thread.

[Duilin]

Yeah, perhaps we should move it elsewhere. If you read my newest post, I incorporated some of the ideas expressed above into it - Duilin unknowingly starts sleeping with Castamir's wife. Exactly how powerful Castamir is in the kingdom is unclear. Powerful enough to take revenge on the man who cuckolded him and his accomplice, certainly, though. I guess we should move the discussion to the roleplay discussion?

[Elfhild]

Welcome to the board, Duilin!

[Serenoli]

Oh, hurrah, our ad campaign worked! Welcome, Duilin, its great to have you here...