Beren IV

Greetings! (I'm actually moving to Chicago... )

Welcome, your Majesty!

Well, hello! In order to mod Wildfire games, you first have to wait for them to be released! Anyhow, hello.

*Puts down his thesis papers* Hi!

Well, it's been interesting. I am not here every day, since activity seems fairly slow, but then, I don't have a problem with that. I originally came here hoping to join the TLA team as an essayist, but I have noticed the extreme literallism applied to a significant amount of the thinking, and am not sure how well my vision fits with that (I am more on the other extreme), so we will see. I certainly am looking forward to the game, though - IMO a liberal view entertaining multiple interpretations is better than being dogmatic any day!

Hadn't checked this in a while (thought only two responses would come). The biggest problem I have with Beren as mortal is because it generates what is from my prospective a potentially fatal flaw in the motivations of the Powers that Be (Eru, the Valar, whoever makes the decision of what to do with B&L). It also bends the species concept around quite a bit (a little bit of my paleontological background seeping in there...). No, I have never been to Pensic (I have always lived too far away). I will before too long, though!

Well, I finally have time to come! My (real) name is Andy and in the real world I am a paleontologist (currently working on a Master's, but will be going for a doctorate shortly). I am, like all of you, a dedicated Tolkien buff, am working on my own p&p Arda role-playing system and am GMing a forum-based Tolkien roleplay right now over on the Heavengames forum (Hall of Woders section of the Age of Wonders forum - I am known as Beren V over there, not IV). I also created a not-yet-complete but at present fully functional mod for Age of Woders Shadow Magic, am working on a Battle of the Five Armies scenario for that mod and will subsequently embark on a massive project making a campaign encompassing the full breadth of the War of the Jewels. I was attracted to The Last Alliance because of the development teams' remarks about how visions of Arda can vary and there are many different ways of interpreting Tolkien's wonderful works, particularly the "unfinished" works published posthumously by his son. I have discovered that my preferred vision of Arda is a little unusual in that I prefer Arda as a very fantastical place and that I like the Edain and their descendents as being in many ways more Elf-like than Human. I have questioned the project leader about my possible role as an essayist in the past (about two months ago), but at the time I was too busy to contribute (I was trying to publish a paper). I see that an essayist has joined since then, so we shall see. I bring an open mind to Tolkien - the most important reason why I wish to contribute is so that we accomodate different ways of envisioning Tolkien's wonderful world in our game. My favorite of Tolkien's stories is, as is obvious by my forum name, is the tale of Beren and Lúthien. Lúthien in particular is my most favorite character in the entire legendarium (I'm not Lúthien IV because I'm male). I prefer to envision Beren as an Elf, not a mortal (as he is in The Tale of Tinúviel in the Book of Lost Tales II), and I prefer to think of Melian's concieving Lúthien as consisting of creating a body capable of it rather than some divine mingling of Maia with Elf in spirit (thus Lúthien is also an Elf, not a half-Maia). I also like Lúthien's power as being based off her dance (again as in the Tale) more than song (as in the Silmarillion version). Aside from that, I think I like the complexity of the Silmarillion story. I cannot decide whether I like Lúthien raven-haired (as in the Sil) or golden-haired (as she is in an early draft of the Lay of Leithien); ideally, I like the idea that she can switch back and forth with the power of her dance. I have just presented an example of the vast richness of possible visions in Tolkien's world that I am so fond of! In addition to paleontology science in general and Tolkien, I am also interested in and reasonably familiar with history and am an active member in the Society for Creative Anachronism (in which I am known as Alfgeir the bard).