Lord without Rings - a middleearth faction game

[Afaslizo]

The Great Plague has brought devastation and despair to the realms of middleearth. The Kingdom of Gondor, long undisputed suzerain of Rhovanion and the south, suffered a great blow. Threatened by invasions from Harad and Rhûn and weekened by the sucession crisis with the rebels of Umbar their allies are in no shape to help them held all fronts. Yet for the North the plague might yet be a blessing. Though Cardolan is broken, Arthedain got the chance to regain its breath for the evil Kingdoms of Angmar and Rhudaur suffered the most under the plaque. For better or for worse now that the plaque is in retreat and both Gondor and Angmar are weakened for a moment the chance for new powers to arise has come.

But beware because in the forgotten wilderness a long forgotten foe regains his lost strength. . .

What is the subject of the game?

The middleearth faction game is a mix of RP and nation gaming. It features 20 playable factions, the chance to restore once great kingdoms or form new realms based on the lore of middleearth and a unique event system with tree different kinds of stories. It is your choice if you expand your borders (which might come with big risks and even higher costs) or try a different system. At the start the game will be operated by myself alone but once the game is established I will be searching for game masters to help me.

We will start roughly a thousand years before the war of the rings in 1640 TA (Third Age) five years after the plaque and while Gondor changes its capital from Osgiliath to Minas Anor (the later Minas Tirith).

Rules

The map is divided into provinces and each province either belongs to a faction or is unsettled wildernis. You may use your orders to claim them though that is risky because neither the natives nor your own people may like it. Enemy provinces may also be conquered but it will take ten turns to pacify them. Certain provinces are not secureable until certain conditions are met. A somewhat extreme example: You may not fully control Fangorn until all Ents and Huorns are wipeds out. Some provinces are wasteland or wildland and can't be controlled by everyone but a few factions.

A turn lasts five years because of the scope of the map and the distances involved. Every faction got three orders in this time which include war orders and claims. The orders are to be send to me via pm or irc. The Witch King - played by me - will announce new turns by flying over the North Downs. From this moment on you will have a five days deadline to send your orders.

Please refrain from going out of character in the thread but if you must put OOC in front so other players and me do not take that as in character descriptions.

* If you run out of gold either half your armies will disband or a province will revolt.
* Trade income is more important than taxes or personal leadership for your ressource pool; Tax income is directly one hundreth your total population which is why that stat is not there anymore;
* Trade strength is higher the closer the trading partner is and the more provinces he controls
* You need gold to expand your hold but you will not get anything from new provinces for 20 years(4 turns) but you will have to pay the upkeep nontheless
* Infantry costs half upkeep of cavalry, 1 gold for 10 cavalry, siege and special units cost double the upkeep of cavalry, ships cost 10 gold
* A province costs 30 gold per turn in administrative needs, if you are at open war and a province is under attack the cost is doubled, trade income for other factions from that province is halfed

IRC Channel:
Link: Coldfront
IRC: #RA
Instructions: Here

Clarifications for special rules might be added later. The main rule is to have fun while exploring the lore of middleearth.

Stats​

1640
1655

Updates​

1640/Part2
Wights, Spiders and a crazy old woman 1640 to 1650
The High King and the Fat Chieftain 1650 to 1655

Event arcs

Barrow Wights​

Introduction
Rise of the Wightlord
Event path 3 - The roots of the world
Wrath of Nature

The other possible paths were: 1) Classic Lore Path with Barrow Wights rising; 2) Second Great Plague with Dying turning into wights for a short time before final decay; 4) The Fog getting sentinent and vile

The White Wizard​

Introduction
A Wizard in the Desert Event path 2

The other possible paths were: 1) "Classic" solution with Saruman going to Gondor and ending in Orthanc; 3) Saruman visiting Lothlórien or Rivendell which would have made him more resistent to dark lures; 4) Saruman being captured by an evil faction like the blue wizards

Wasteland War​

Introduction

War of the Wargs​

Prelude

Aborted Arcs​

Shadow over the Greenwood: Intro/Curse of the Necromancer

Events​

Shadow of the East
The Fall of Umbar
Visit by the Nine
War in the East
The end of Krach
Dividing line

 

[Afaslizo]

Map for 1640 TA

Playable factions and statistics

1. Arthedain: The last remnant of Arnor, the great Númenórian kingdom of the North, Arthedain may yet survive against the terrible onslaught of the Witchking and his vassals.
Population: 9 000 (sustainable cap 135 000)
Allied with: Lindon, Imladris, the Shire
Provinces: North Downs, Weather Hills, Breeland, Evendim, Forochel
Armies: 1 300 infantery, 600 cavalry
Player: Muskeato

2. Dale:
Population: 1 000 (sustainable cap 15 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Dale
Armies: 100 infantry
Player: Bthunder

3. Dunland: The last descendants of the House of Haled Dunlandings never abandones their tribal roots.
Population: 15 000 (sustainable cap 100 000)
Allied with: no one (protectorate of Gondor)
Provinces: Dunland, Calenardhon
Armies: 400 infantery

4. Eothed: These people only recently left the dying Kingdom of Rhovanion to find their own place in the world. They are famous for their horses.
Population: 4 000 (sustainable cap 25 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Gladden Fields, Carrock
Armies: 500 cavalry, 100 infantry
Player: Morrell

5. Gondor: The greatest kingdom of middleearth though they have suffered much from wars and the plaque.
Population: 65 000 (sustainable cap 1 500 000)
Allied with: Rhovanion
Provinces: Ithilien, Anórien, (Calenardhon), Enedwaith, Anfalas, Belfalas, Dor-en-Ernil, Morthond Vale, Lebennin, Lamedon, Lossanarch, Ringló Vale, South Gondor
Armies: 5 500 infantry, 1 500 cavalry, 23 ships
Player: Spectre

6. Greenwood: The elves of Greenwood never saw the light of Valinor.
Population: 1 000 (sustainable cap 5 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Green Glades
Armies: 500 infantry

7. Gundabad: Orcs under the control of Angmar.
Population: 15 000 (sustainable cap 25 000)
Allied with: Angmar
Provinces: Gundabad, Source of Anduin
Armies: 5 000 infantry

8. Haradwaith: Men from the wastes and savannas of the south.
Population: 10 000 (sustainable cap 430 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Near-Harad, Far-Harad
Armies: 500 infantry
Player: dyranum

9. Imladris: The great refuge set up by Elrond for the survivors of Eregion.
Population: 6 000 (sustainable cap 10 000)
Allied with: Lindon, Arthedain, Lothlórien
Provinces: Imladris, Bruínen
Armies: 400 infantry
Player: Doombunny

10. Iron Hills: A newly found kingdom of dwarves from the east in the north of Rhûn whom they are allied to.
Population: 1500 (sustainable cap 80 000)
Allied with: Rhûn
Provinces: Emyn Engrin, Logathavuld
Armies: 500 infantry

11. Khazad Dûm: The high kingdom of the dwarves is famed throughout the world.
Population: 30 000 (sustainable cap 35 000)
Allied with: Lothlórien
Provinces: Nanduhirion, Durin's Hall, Upper Depths
Armies: 2 000 infantry
Player: bakerydog

12. Khand: A realm of evil tribes under the control of a ringwraith.
Population: 20 000 (sustainable cap 80 000)
Allied with: Nûrn
Provinces: North Khand, South Khand
Armies: 500 cavalry

13. Lindon: The last remnant of the last High Kingdom of Elves.
Population: 30 000 (sustainable cap 400 000)
Allied with: Arthedain, Imladris, Lothlórien
Provinces: Harlindon, Forlindon, Mithlond, Far Downs
Armies: 600 infantry, 25 ships
Player: Rednomnom

14. Lothlórien: An enchanted realm of elves.
Population: 3 000 (sustainable cap 10 000)
Allied with: Imladris, Lindon, Khazad Dûm
Provinces: Golden Wood
Armies: 300 infantry
Player: Hashoosh

15. Misty Mountains: The goblin plague.
Population: 30 000 (sustainable cap 50 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: High Pass, Haunted Peaks
Armies: 10 000 infantry
Player: Maxwell

16. Rhovanion: A once great kingdom devastated by the plaque.
Population: 2 000 (sustainable cap 100 000)
Allied with: Gondor
Provinces: Eastern Shores of Anduin, Ewathrumavuld, Dor Rhûnen
Armies: 100 cavalry, 100 infantry
Player: Soulstrider

17. Rhudaur: Once the weakest of the sucessor realms to Arnor it has long been conquered by hill men loyal to the iron crown of Angmar.
Population: 3 000 (sustainable cap 90 000)
Allied with: Angmar
Provinces: Lonelands, The Shaws, The Angle
Armies: 300 infantry
Player: Seek75

18. Rhûn: The great eastern empire.
Population: 50 000 (sustainable cap 1 100 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Dorwinion, Agasha Dag, Sagathavuld, Gathog
Armies: 1 500 cavalry, 100 infantry
Player: Tyriet

19. The Shire: Recently settled by the hobbits.
Population: 1 000 (sustainable cap 30 000)
Allied with: Arthedain
Provinces: Northern and eastern quarters, White Downs, Tukland
Armies: 100 infantry
Player: watercress

20. Umbar: The pretenders to the Gondorian throne.
Population: 10 000 (sustainable cap 45 000)
Allied with: No one
Provinces: Umbar, Shore of Umbar
Armies: 300 infantry, 43 ships
Player: reserved

 

[Afaslizo]

Appendix:

 

[Hashoosh]

Deathline

I like it

 

[Deaghaidh]

Soooooo tempted.

 

[Afaslizo]

Barrow wights - event bush for Eriador

Introduction: Though Angmar suffered greatly from the plague with whole tribes of its hillmen tributaries being wiped out and all orcish support for their armies bled dry the evil sorcery of the black númernórians is as potent as ever. These days the broken skies of Angmar bleed darkness and despair as a great fog escapes the feared fortress of Carn Dûm. Slowly the evil mists fly south while in its steps dead fingers claw war torn earth. While these movings stop in the end it may not be the case whereever the evil sorcery is aimed at.

Event start: On some battlefields throughout Arthedain evil things are seen - which are soon named wights. These dead, accursed creatures hunger for living flesh.


Shadow over the Greenwood - event bush for Rhovanion (region not Kingdom alone - everything east of Misty Mountains and north of Gondor)

Introduction: The great Greenwood, properous nature in the heart of middleearth, is under attack. Dark shadow and evil spider poison the great forest and twist animal life. Should those evil spider reach the northern Greenwood despair may fall over all.

Event start: The first brood of spiders poison the southern woods and endanger Lothlóriens and Rhovanions borders. Elves and men gone missing while hunting and the woods grow darker with every passing month.

 

[Muskeato]

Dunedain of the North! A great evil stalks our lands and terrorises us from it's lair. We must call our allies, new and old, to aid us against this threat. All the North must know that we stand as their bulwark against the evil. If we fall then there will be no barrier between them and our enemies. Stand by me Dunedain, and we shall out last this dark night and see the bright day again!

~King Argeleb II of Arthedain

 

[Deaghaidh]

Shadow over the Greenwood - event bush for Rhovanion (region not Kingdom alone - everything west of Misty Mountains and north of Gondor)

You mean east.

Edit: Also, at this point Orthanc and Helms Deep (named Angrenost and Aglarond respectivelyl) should belong either to Dunland or Gondor. They were at this point outposts of Gondorian rule, though under-manned and their defenders not necessarily loyal. Arguably Dunland itself should be renamed Calenardhon, and expanded to include what would become Rohan, though with only slightly more people and troops than it currently has.

 

[Dyranum]

OOC: Here, I paintified that terrain map for you: Link
It was kinda hard to see the borders at points, so they are rather sloppy, though I did base them on yours.
You are free to use this map if you want to.

 

[Afaslizo]

You mean east.

Edit: Also, at this point Orthanc and Helms Deep (named Angrenost and Aglarond respectivelyl) should belong either to Dunland or Gondor. They were at this point outposts of Gondorian rule, though under-manned and their defenders not necessarily loyal. Arguably Dunland itself should be renamed Calenardhon, and expanded to include what would become Rohan, though with only slightly more people and troops than it currently has.

Ty, error corrected. Don't forget that the plague has recently struck.

OOC: Here, I paintified that terrain map for you: Link
It was kinda hard to see the borders at points, so they are rather sloppy, though I did base them on yours.
You are free to use this map if you want to.

TY I add it

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Faction No. 3 must have been eaten by Orcs.

 

[DoomBunny]

If anyone wants Rivendell, just shout. I'm perfectly willing to give it up to someone with more time on their hands.

 

[Spectre17]

His Royal Majesty, Tarondor, King of Gondor stood at the top of the Citadel of Minas Anor looking eastward across the plains of Pelennor to the city of Osgiliath. He remembered when he was a child, when Osgiliath had been the capital of the most powerful nation in Middle-Earth, now it was an abandoned ruin. Tarondor vowed the Kingdom he ruled would not follow its old capital into ruin; it would rise from the ashes like a Phoenix! Next to him stood Valendar, son of Hurin, Steward of Gondor.

“My Lord Steward, what reports have we from Harondor?” asked the King
“After the recent devastation of the population of our southern provinces by the Great Plague the Southrons look hungrily at it. The garrison was withdrawn by your uncle so they will not face any resistance.” answered the Steward
“What is the current condition of the military?”
“Our army has 6,000 well drilled and professional soldiers, 4,500 infantry and 1,500 cavalry while the navy has 200 ships that are undermanned.”
“Excellent, I want 500 Infantry and 500 cavalry deployed to Harondor immediately”
“Yes Your Highness. My Lord, we also have a message from Rhovaion, they say that there scouts have reported the Easterlings are moving west in force and request support as they lack the numbers to drive them off.”
“I see. It would seem that I may have to call a full blown war council”
“Indeed my lord”

The King shouted to a nearby servant: “Go and tell Marshal Earnil and his three senior generals to meet me here in 45 minutes”
“Yes Your Majesty” replied the servant

“Now, my Lord Steward, are there any other messages or reports that I should know about?”
“The Corsairs in Umbar are aggressive as ever and we have recently received a request for support from our brothers in the lands that were Arnor.”
“Is that all My Lord?”
“Yes your Highness.”
“Then you may go and prepare yourself for the council, I fear it will not be short”
“Thank you Your Highness”

The Steward walked away towards his quarters leaving the King on his own at the top of Minas Anor.

Tarondor sighed; with so many threats to Gondor he did not think his reign would be a peaceful one.

 

[Afaslizo]

Sucession crisis - Event modifier for the south (Gondor, Nûrn, Umbar and Haradwaith)

Description: For every battle Gondor looses the outer provinces(South Gondor, Dunland, Enedwaith) are more likely to secede or rebel while the inner provinces may join the pretenders at Umbar. This modifier ends if Umbar or Gondor are conquered or destroyed.

 

[Bthunder]

If possible i join as the city-state of Dale.

Question: the modifier for Southern Rhovanion applies to Dale too (which sits under the Lonely Mountain, fairly at the north)?

 

[Deaghaidh]

If possible i join as the city-state of Dale.

Question: the modifier for Southern Rhovanion applies to Dale too (which sits under the Lonely Mountain, fairly at the north)?

Would Dale even exist this early? With the dwarves still in Khazad-dum, and no King Under the Mountain Dale's kind of an outlier. Dale's strength seems to have been rooted in a symbiotic relationship with the Dwarves If it is in, I'd suggest Esgaroth (aka Lake Town) be in as well, with the two allied. Otherwise Dale is too far from anyone to impact anything.

There could possibly be dwarf colonies in the Grey mountains in the northwest. There's weak cannonical evidence either way (only that the Dwarves were driven out of that area by Cold Drakes, one of whom was slain by an ancestor of Eorl well after your start date). But it could fill in a blank space on the map.

 

[Afaslizo]

Dale is the only name that is connected to men settling this area. It is true that the Kingdom of Dale only flowered when Erebor did as well. Esgaroth was founded far later.

I think 20 is a good number of players and the present should be enough.

Also the event bush for Rhovanion region is for Dale too. Bthunder is in.

 

[tyriet]

​

People of the East, Proud Men, our lands have not been hit as hard by the plague as others, and we stand strong as we once again experience prosperity and freedom, as in these times of peace goods start flowing from the great cities on the orocarni to the cities on the sea of rhûn. With the plague, the lands that the men of rhovanion had stolen from our people have no become unruled again, and we need to move back into these, our righteous lands that were forced out of our grasp. We have the chance to reclaim what was rightfully ours, the great plains west of the Sea of Rhûn, the plains where the horses of our ancestors were breeding.
We need to move west and reopen the trade routes that flowed throughout the east when we weren't forced to close them. The men of Dale and the Haradrim have always been our trading partners, along with the various dwarven groups in the mountains. Dwarven Steel and Ores, strange fruit and beast from the south, Timber and Crafted Goods from the men of Dale, along with the finest crafts and machinery as well as armor from our smiths on the orocarni will make sure we stand free, strong and rich. We hope, that those men have not listened to the lies of the Gondor Kings, who claim that we just wish to burn the land. We wish to reclaim the lands we were driven off from, and reopen trade, as have always been the 2 strongest easterling desires.

We must also look to the south, where the Men of Khand, the various Balchoth Tribes have been brought under control by Khamûl, an ancient and fallen Lôk-Kân, who was driven off our lands when he betrayed our people for Sauron, and now once again dwells in the shadows of Mordor, waiting for the slightest weakness, so that he can expand his rule into Rhûn once again. But let him know, as long as we do not fear him, the light of the sun that is rhûn will keep him out, and the lack of fear in our hearts will shut him out, until we can gain the power to drive him off and liberate our balchoth brothers from the dark lich.


- Lôke-Kân Khorâgan

 

[Bthunder]

Thanks for laetting me in, but i do have to say that Dale's location is wrong. It's right under the Erebor mountain, just north of Esgaroth upon the long Lake.

 

[Soulstrider]

May I claim Rhovanion?