gyrovague
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Tue 27 Jul 2021, 02:13

I would totally allow an elf player pass himself off as mannish in Bree. Whether it’s “magic” or long practice or just the willful ignorance of Bree-folk, most people wouldn’t notice. Nor would I require a roll (unless, say, some Servant of the Shadow also happened to be there).

A Ranger or a wandering Wizard probably wouldn’t be fooled, but neither would they feel the need to show off their cleverness by saying anything.
 
Mythicos
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Tue 27 Jul 2021, 03:10

And I think Bree was accustomed enough with "strange" folks.

Right from the start, there's an important Hobbit community, so they're used to seeing non Humans.

And I think that Dwarves traveling to and from the Blue Mountains going through Bree is a safe bet, considering it's the only important locale on that road with comfortable accomodations.

If I remember correctly, that's where Gandalf met Thorin Oakenshield for the first time, before the Quest for Erebor.

So with Hobbits and Dwarves, I think that Elves would have little to no trouble in Bree, unless they were flaunting their Elvish nature,
 
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William
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Tue 27 Jul 2021, 08:53

The Men of Bree were brown-haired, broad, and rather short, cheerful and independent: they belonged to nobody but themselves; but they were more friendly and familiar with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People.
- At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

We could probably assume that the frequency of elves visiting Bree had lessened considerably during the twilight years of the Third Age. However, a few of the Fair Folk were probably still passing through Bree in their journeys, don't you think? ;)
 
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Aiden Harrison
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Tue 27 Jul 2021, 12:56

Nice spot William.

Okay that settles that.
 
coniunctio
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Fri 30 Jul 2021, 22:32

Hood up or not my impression from Tolkien law is that they are notably taller than the usual human and so would stand out in Bree. At a point in time when many more are leaving ME (an exodus) I think it likely there will be some known stopping off points of the like that Frodo and the Hobbits were led to around the Shire. Resting or taking comfort in some 'Elvish Dell or magical restorative connection with the earth would be preferable to an Inn. And it may well be that some of these were ancient paths or sacred/hallowed places when the Elves first travelled West to go over to the Undying Lands.
 
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aramis
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Wed 18 Aug 2021, 08:27



I had the same doubt. From one side the defaault safe haven for a company is Bree. On the other side if you read the supplement from Bree in 1E people living there never saw an Elf in their life
Do remember that the new edition is also several years later, and Gandalf is starting to rabble-rouse....
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Smith & Wesson: the original point and click interface...
 
Otaku-sempai
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Wed 18 Aug 2021, 16:56

I had the same doubt. From one side the defaault safe haven for a company is Bree. On the other side if you read the supplement from Bree in 1E people living there never saw an Elf in their life
.
Is the Bree supplement, though, consistent with Tolkien's legendarium? The quote from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring suggests otherwise.
.
The Men of Bree were brown-haired, broad, and rather short, cheerful and independent: they belonged to nobody but themselves; but they were more friendly and familiar with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People.
.
Elves may have seldom (or never) been seen within the town, but I would guess that they were at least seen (or heard) passing by, mostly at night or twilight. From the Bree supplement:
.
What the Innkeeper says:

- Elves: "I've never seen one myself, but the stableboy swears he heard them singing out in the woods near Archet. He's half cracked, though. They were going west, he said, west to the Sea. I've never seen the Sea myself, neither, so what does it matter if a folk I'll never meet seek a place I'll never go? Nothing. Not a farthing."
.
Perhaps we should not take the opinion of a Butterbur as the final word on the attitudes of all Bree-landers (though it may well be fairly typical).
#FideltyToTolkien
 
coniunctio
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Wed 18 Aug 2021, 21:09

I suppose the LM should also take into account that the players company is the only fellowship with an elf that is visiting Bree - ie quite rare. It's not as if every game involving players are all descending on Bree at the same time!
 
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eternalsage
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Thu 02 Sep 2021, 19:17

Also, simply by existing and doing stuff, most Fellowships are going to be breaking the lore somewhere... especially if they have a hobbit. Bilbo and Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry are all considered very strange by most people and it explicitly states in the Hobbit that Bilbo was the first Hobbit to be seen in the Wilderlands in hundreds of years. But, I mean, many people love Hobbits and playing them is the whole point of the game for those people, so you gotta let the canon go.

I really wish that TOR was set in a different time period so we could avoid a lot of that, either earlier (like MERP, although that is the only good thing about MERP) or in the 4th Age. But whatever. I can do that stuff on my own
“It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing.” - Frodo Baggins, Return of the King
 
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William
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Re: Keeping Elves out of Bree

Fri 03 Sep 2021, 10:01

Also, simply by existing and doing stuff, most Fellowships are going to be breaking the lore somewhere... especially if they have a hobbit. Bilbo and Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry are all considered very strange by most people and it explicitly states in the Hobbit that Bilbo was the first Hobbit to be seen in the Wilderlands in hundreds of years. But, I mean, many people love Hobbits and playing them is the whole point of the game for those people, so you gotta let the canon go.

I really wish that TOR was set in a different time period so we could avoid a lot of that, either earlier (like MERP, although that is the only good thing about MERP) or in the 4th Age. But whatever. I can do that stuff on my own
In my (wierd) opinion, Hobbits travelling the globe breaks some of the magic about them. The happy hobbits, oblivious to the world around them, the asynchronicity of the Shire - that's more important to me than the ability to play them. Hobbit characters are fine as long as the adventures are centering around the Shire and the surrounding landscapes.

I find elves in Bree acceptable, but didn't allow my players to play hobbits east of Bree. Then again, I'm a hopeless purist... ;)

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