View Full Version : Dwarves, Dwarves, Dwarves!
This is going to be a popular one :)
The Dwarven kingdom is up next!
Use this thread to suggest/plan anything and everything for dwarves. Quest ideas, item blueprints, books, anything.
peterjer
25-11-2004, 21:43
books of grudges or tome of payment.......?
peterjer
26-11-2004, 00:40
?dont get it Fasin?
explain what you intended with the suggestion - what would those items/ideas be exactly. How do you propose they should work etc :)
peterjer
26-11-2004, 00:45
well i dont know but im only good in naming names.....and when i would say the abbilities then they would be too powerfull
peterjer
26-11-2004, 00:45
ghost81 how can you be fasin?
I'm not Fasin. He's Fasin, I'm ghost81.
peterjer
26-11-2004, 00:50
im totaly confused youre online ghost81 and fasin answers?????
i think my computer is pretty mixed up or i am?
well not much items are there.....
could someone explain me the mirc channel?
we're both online, in the mIRC channel, brainstorming stuf for erebor. Therefore you get answers from one of us which both of us have discussed.
i propose a poll on the subject heh heh - in the meantime ---- Erebor stuff needs lookin at. :)
peterjer
26-11-2004, 01:16
what are your names on mirc fasin ghost81?
Kev, this is from a Word doc i sent you a while back but now may be a better time for us to have another think about some of the ideas eh...
The Undermountain Kingdom of Erebor - The Lonely Mountain
~ The Great Hall ~
I’ve been giving some thought to the fact that the look of Erebor is a bit too ‘cavey’ and needed a grander ‘Dwarven Hall’ look and feel. The best I could come up with was to use the City Exterior tileset and be careful to avoid any vegetation, where possible - and where it isn’t possible its Cavemoss yeah - and also the buildings themselves which look very much ‘surface’ dwellings. Basically I’ve used the elevations - with their doors, towers and ramps - and the Good Castle exterior walls - for their height.
When I ran around the test area that I sent to you, with a character, it did feel pretty damn subterranean. I built it with three descending tiers to emphasize this effect, down to a plaza of sorts. The Great Hall of Erebor would serve as a town square for the dwarfhold. In available spaces stalls could be set up selling day to day supplies and merchandise. Doors – with some appropriate decoration around them to make them individual and to indicate their purpose – lead off from the Great Hall to other areas, such as the forges of the Armourers and Weaponsmiths, an Apothecary, a Temple of Mahal (Aulë’s name among the Dwarves), Dwarf Tavern(s), private dwellings, guard barracks, etc.
The start area for Erebor could be in the Great Hall or in a chamber adjacent to it. An infantry barracks or a miners bunk house.
~ The Chamber of Thror ~
A major door, high up on the top tier would lead north, deeper into the mountain, to ‘The Chamber(s) of Thror’ where other more prestigious halls would be located, a grand meeting hall called ‘The Hall of Thanes’, which would be the Undermountain King’s council chamber, the Throne Room itself and a number of personal royal apartments, laid out rather as the top half of the Erebor map is now, but using the castle interior tileset.
~ The Catacombs of the Mountain Kings ~
Somewhere in (or near) The Temple of Mahal is a great stone door. Beyond this grim portal is a complex of dark stone tunnels where the kings of old were entombed in great splendor. During the terrible years of the usurper, the Wyrm Smaug, the catacombs fell into neglect and became a haunted place where most would fear to tread.
I know we’ve heard this before on the Barrow Downs, the tombs near Rivendell, Lorien and Edoras, but they were always popular areas with players. Besides it could be something different. What if the restless spirits of the Dwarfthanes were not malevolent but required a service of the PCs. Or if their restlessness was symptomatic of the growing evil in the East, or of something stirring in the darkness below Erebor.
~ The Mines and Caves ~
Another major exit, dressed with a few mining props would lead off from the Great Hall or perhaps from some antechamber off to one side of it. Using the Mines and Caverns tileset a number of small cave systems and mining tunnels could provide a number of search and rescue missions for characters of low to moderate level.
~ The Deep Halls of Erebor & the Bottommost Cellar ~
Ultimately, Erebor was a vast series of halls and chambers. Before the coming of the dragon Smaug these were well used and numerous. However in the long years of his misrule, in the absence of the Dwarves much has fallen into disrepair and many areas are forgotten. A great chamber, referred to in the Hobbit as the ‘Bottommost Cellar’ should be located somewhere deep in Erebor. The entrance to this area could conceivably be located almost anywhere. Obviously the Dwarves of Erebor know of this place, for this was where the Dragon Smaug once had his lair, but perhaps in some forgotten secret chamber, leading off from here a cache of gold and jewels is still hidden, guarded by who knows what.
~ … in the Deep Places of the World ~
Deeper, even than the bottommost cellars of Erebor we could introduce an ‘Underdark’ style area of vast caverns. The Dwarves of Undermountain may or may not be aware of them. Perhaps they want to keep their existence secret on account of the great riches to be found there, or because of the ‘older, fouler things in the Deep Places of the World’ that dwell there from ancient times. Adventurers could be hired to explore them and return with evidence of some great evil. Could Erebor be about to suffer a similar doom as ill-fated Moria?
This would probably need to be an epic area, with some pretty dreadful creatures lurking about down here.
peterjer - the same as they are here, we're easy to spot us, however back on topic...
Kev as i mentioned before I think it would be great to have Thorin's tomb withthe Arkenstone in it. Having thought along these lines maybe it could be an area that conly only be accessed after respect has been gained through other quests. Then once the players enter the tomb the Arkenstone sends them a vision that sends them further into the tombs of the dwarven lords (haunted of course) to retrieve an important dwarven artefact - maybe the 'Crown of the Lord Under the Mountain'.
..."Most of these that escaped made their way into the North, and Thráin I, Náin's son, came to Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, near the eastern eaves of Mirkwood, and there he began new works, and became King under the Mountain. In Erebor he found the great jewel, the Arkenstone, Heart of the Mountain..."
a bit of related history :)
Shoulda guessed a dwarf thread would get all consused so fast. hehehe
How about a dwarf power, like a racial thing, similar to magic circle and goes like this - when theres another dwarf in the radius you get +2AC, two dwarves +4 to max 6 or 8. Its to represent the dwarven wall, and brotherhood, when theres a few dwarves together theres not a lot would want to fight them anyway.
IMO there are some classes a dwarf should not be able to take. Sorc, Wiz, Monk and possibly rouge - bilbo was hired by the dwarves because they were useless sneaks.
Dwarves could have a slight fire resistance, representing their lives in the forges and firey undermountains.
Dwarves should not be evil - they are tough of mind as well as body. Perhaps a disscusion with a DM before embarking with an Evil Dwarf, there should be good thought into how to play it.
Dwarves should be Dislike to orcs, they have a hatred deeply ingrained for each other, it is told that Melkor and Aule battled each other many times, always fighting. So it is with thier creations, the Orcs and Dwarves.
Some suggestions, get things rolling.
..ps. i see its rollin already, per usual fer a wall. :)
Bee - something like this do you mean?
"...Last of all the eastern force to stand firm were the Dwarves of Belegost, and thus they won renown. For the Naugrim withstood fire more hardily than either Elves or Men, and it was their custom moreover to wear great masks in battle hideous to look upon; and those stood them in good stead against the dragons. And but for them Glaurung and his brood would have withered all that was left of the Noldor. But the Naugrim made a circle about him when he assailed them, and even his mighty armour was not full proof against the blows of their great axes..."
Have to say from what I know of UTT2 I did understand that at one time it was planned that all Dwarves would have 5 (i think) fire DR as a racial feat/bonus.
~ The Delves ~
Through a large door on east side of the second tier of the Great Hall is a long rough hewn tunnel leading to an enormous cave ringing with the sounds of Dwarven hammers and picks. Many miners are at work here and the area is cluttered with carts, crates and mining paraphernalia.
yup, like that:)
They could get a bonus with a pick fer mining with, arent all dwarves born with a pickaxe?
My understanding is that all Dwarves are born with a pickaxe, thirst for ale and a hatred for orcs. ;) Sounds good to me, what else could you need in life.
Originally posted by ghost81
My understanding is that all Dwarves are born with a pickaxe, thirst for ale and a hatred for orcs. ;) Sounds good to me, what else could you need in life.
Well based on my limited gynaecological knowledge, I for one think that would be very painful for the mother...
How about a hangover system, you get twochoices, go hair o the hound, or try to make it through a hangover. Hangover gives you -15AB, -30% move speed and 50% chance every turn you go confused for 5 rounds. It lasts 1 turn*number of bottles you drank in the session. If you go hair o the dog it takes more an more to stay drunk, so... hehe.... first hour your drinkin you need to hit the floor once at least, the second hour you gotta drink yourself out twice, the third hour three times, and so on, or you get hungover. :)
Im not serious, but id play a server with just a tavern, dwarves only and that system, hehe.
Something derived from the Appendices. See if this offers up any ideas...
...The Dwarves are a race apart. Of our strange beginning, and why we are both like and unlike Elves and Men, the Silmarillion tells; but of this tale the lesser Elves of Middle-earth had no knowledge, while the tales of later Men are confused with memories of other races.
We are a tough, thrawn race for the most part, secretive, laborious, retentive of the memory of injuries (and of benefits), lovers of stone, of gems, of things that take shape under the hands of the craftsmen rather than things that live by their own life. But we are not evil by nature, and few ever served the Enemy of free will, whatever the tales of Men may have alleged. For Men of old lusted after our wealth and the work of our hands, and there has been enmity between the races.
But in the Third Age close friendship still was found in many places between Men and Dwarves; and it was according to the nature of the Dwarves that, travelling and labouring and trading about the lands, as we did after the destruction of our ancient mansions, we should use the languages of men among whom we dwelt. Yet in secret (a secret which unlike the Elves, we do not willingly unlock, even to their friends) we use our own tongue, changed little by the years; for it had become a tongue of lore rather than a cradle-speech, and we tended it and guarded it as a treasure of the past. Few of other race have succeeded in learning it. In tales it appears only in such place-names as are revealed; and in the battle-cry of the Dwarves. That at least is not secret, and has been heard on many a field since the world was young.
"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-menu!" - meaning -
"Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!"
Our names, however, and the names of all our kin, are of Northern (Mannish) origin. Our own secret and 'inner' names, our true names, we Dwarves never reveal to any one of alien race. Not even on our tombs do we inscribe them...
Originally posted by Beeline
Im not serious, but id play a server with just a tavern, dwarves only and that system, hehe.
Not serious? Bloody liar. Ive seen ya :P
Gabilgunud – [Dwarvish: “great tunneler”]
When Dwarven children are disobedient, or won’t go to bed, or do their chores, they are told that the Gabilgunud will come and take them away to its dark pits, and feed them to its hatchlings. The creature is considered as little more than a myth by those who go no deeper into the earth than they have to. But those unfortunate enough to encounter the creature, discover that the legend is all too real, and far more dreadful than any childhood tale…
The Great Tunneler hatches from a silken egg-case into a fat white grub, some three to four feet in length. Even in this form they are voracious and aggressive, often feeding on their own brood-mates in their hunger, but relatively vulnerable to harm and staying close to the nest. After an unknown period of time the larvae cocoon themselves in silk and mucus secretions and enter a period of hibernation and metamorphosis. When the Gabilgunud hatches into its adult form, they are far from vulnerable. These armoured giants are as big as Mountain Trolls, covered in hard chitinous plates, armed with iron-hard claws capable of burrowing through solid stone, and an insectile head with huge bone-crushing mandibles.
____________________________________________________
Notes: What the hell, the Gabilgunud is an Umber Hulk (I always liked those) and the Hatchlings can be the Giant Ant Larvae. Naturally it is the excavations of the Great Tunneler over the centuries, that have made the Delves so prone to collapse. There could be organs or other bits of the Gabilgunud that would be useful or valuable. Remember the Ankheg Platemail that you could have made in Baldur’s Gate? Bringing back proof that the PCs have killed such a monster would certainly earn them kudos in Erebor, and possibly a special reward (Gabilgunud Armour perhaps(well maybe not)) and access to higher level quests.
Im starting work on the Dwarves now. Im going to be using a lot of your ideas.
Ive already recieved an e-mail off ghost81 with a stack of excellent quest ideas in it.
Great Hall and Chammber of Thror - Very nice, i'll use these ideas.
All the other areas of the kingdom you suggested, I hope to use in line with some of the quests planned for Erebor.
The Gabilgunud - great stuff, he's in!
Kev, I've been thinkin about the Chamber of Thrór. Thrór refounded the Undermountain Kingdom and ruled there until the coming of Smaug. He perished at the gates of Moria in an ill fated attempt to recover the dwarrowdelf. Thrór is held in high esteem and his name fits well with the Kings hall of Erebor being that he was the last king before Thorin II Oakenshield his grandson returned.
However, it was Thráin I who founded Erebor, the King who was driven from Khazad-dûm a descendant of Durin the Deathless and King of Durin's Folk, the son of Náin I and father of Thorin I (distant ancestor of Thorin II).
Maybe I was a bit hasty in calling it the Chamber of Thrór, maybe the Chamber of Thráin might work better, but its up to you really, maybe it was the Chamber of Thráin originally but is now the Chamber of Thrór.
Why am I posting this drivvel, why am I contradicting myself, how long is a piece of string?
from one end to the other mate, anything else you dont understand? :D
Mard: Aye, plenty.... :P
A thought for certain prestigious chambers within Erebor, where torchlight (which is great for most of the place) isnt grand enough, how about the 'shining lamps of crystal hewn' to light the place, as mentioned in Durin's song of awakening. Something like the crystals in the halls of awaiting might do the trick.
I was very impressed with your collective efforts on writing a quest plan for the Dwarves in Erebor. I have just about finished creating all the content to do with that quest.
You guys did play down your abilities to write quest plans, but it was perfect. Exactly what I was looking for in a plan. All I need is a clear picture of what it is your are looking for and i'll go ahead and create it.
Im keen to see the PCT have even greater involvement in the planning of more quests for the Dwarves, or even for other regions/races/factions too. Obviously I put in plenty of my own quest ideas, but its good to be able to see what other players can think up too.
I know you have mentioned the great depths of Erebor for an epic quest with a good gripping storyline - perhaps this would be a good place to start.
Perhaps an early quest, but of epic proportion, could be for the dwarves to go deep into the depths to find their first anvil, the one they all use to craft on, theres also the attention it draws from the greens and the white:) Obviously this would be times with the insertion of the crafting system, if there is to be one. It would get all the beards together, and give em something to plan. They could get hired help too:)
Quests could also revolve around locating the materials.
ps. can anyone tell me which time period this is based around, ive read more and more about the history of Arda since lookin at these forums, and need to know. I would be interested in looking at a very few epic quests based around the major events/characters of the time.
3rd age after Bilbo leaves shire, before Frodo does. And oh will you like the epic quest we've come up with.
'Bugger! Ya kept a secret from Dargo! Right, no more free Dunsdooms when Duns not around, ya gonna pay like all the rest!' ;)
Kev - Erebor's King needsa home and i think that this is accurate stuff... Maybe it will help.
Great Hall of Thráin
The seat of the Kings under the Mountain
A vast rocky chamber beneath the deepest part of the Lonely Mountain of Erebor, named for the founder of the Kingdom, Thráin I. It held the Arkenstone, which Thráin himself had found beneath the Mountain, and the stone spilled light into the Hall (at least, if the songs of the Dwarves are to be believed).
After a time, the Kings of Durin's line abandoned Erebor, and for a time the Great Hall was without the light of the Arkenstone. After nearly four centuries, Thráin's descendant Thrór returned there, and replaced the brilliant stone in the Hall. For nearly two hundred years more the Dwarves dwelt undisturbed beneath Erebor, until the coming of the dragon Smaug. Thrór and his family were able to escape through a secret passage that led from the Great Hall, but Smaug plundered their treasures and gathered them together, lying on a bed of gold in the Great Hall of the Kings under the Mountain.
Many years later, Bilbo Baggins crept back down the same passage to find Smaug sleeping on his golden hoard. Bilbo failed to recognise the chamber as a Hall of Kings: he described it as no more than 'the great bottommost cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves'1. Through a series of extraordinary events, Smaug was eventually defeated and the line of the Kings under the Mountain was restored. Dáin Ironfoot took up the Kingship of Erebor, but he did not return the Arkenstone to its place in the Great Hall. Instead, it was buried on the breast of his cousin Thorin Oakenshield, who had died in the battle to regain the Kingdom.
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.