Ray the Wanderer Ray the Wanderer

Fellowship of the Ring Empire Thread

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Fellowship of the Ring Empire Thread

from Stardock Forums
The Prancing Pony

The welcome sight of a tavern greeted the weary traveler as he moved within distance of the town. Having traveled for many days, he longed for a cool mug of ale to slake his road-thirst.

As he approached the inn, he could see a sign of a fat pony rearing up on its hindlegs. The letters, THE PRANCING PONY, was painted in white.

The common room was large and rowdy. A bald and overweight innkeeper stood bent over the counter, whispering the latest gossip into the ears of a patron. On the benches were various folks, the local drunks for most part, but in corners of the taverns, he noticed there were groups drinking by themselves.

Setting himself down, the traveler handed a couple of coppers over to one of the bar wrenches for ale.

“Welcome to the Pony.” The traveler was mildly surprised to find a sprightly old man next to him, holding his gaze with keen eyes that belittled his obvious antiquity.

“Thank you, and whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”

“Folks around here call me Ray and I do enjoy meeting up with newcomers to see if there is any assistance I could render.”

“That would be great, Ray. I would love to learn about the people who reside in these parts.”

“Ah, that’s a frequently asked question and one I’m well qualified to answer. There are a couple of factions here in Meta that you will want to watch out for.

The Pirates are currently dominant. Not the most refined of speakers but they are a jovial bunch, with a particular weakness for good drinks.

The Diplomats hold power in the Courts. Their courtiers are many but they don’t really mix with us common folks.

The Farmers are our working class. Hardworking and honest, they are however on occasion given over to overly elaborate festivals and celebrations.

The Galahs are a group of seafarers. They are also good trainers of livestock.

The Warlords are our warrior class. Their love for long campaigns leaves them frequently out of town.

The Spiders monopolise our merchant guilds. They are by far the most invertebrate bunch of traders you will ever see.

Far to the north, the Undead holds a death grip over the wastelands. I would caution you against traveling down that road.

There are many other smaller factions around, but I leave the details of those to Barley our bartender.

One of our tavern regulars, Gerakken the Spymaster, is also in the know with regards to many of the factions. So do buy him a drink if you want to find out more.”

“Thanks for the insights, Ray. But how about yourself, which faction do you belong to?”

Smiling to himself, the old man stood.

“Come round the Fellowship Halls tomorrow morning and I’ll show you around.”
475,680 views 2,185 replies
Reply #726 from Stardock Forums Top
Hey, gang.

Sorry about being gone for a few days. Wife and baby are sick and I'm as busy as a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest.

I did manage to submit a couple of games over the weekend, but we'll see what happens this week.

BTW, when I left Friday, we were 70K behind GROSS...how did we make such an astounding comeback?? :) :CONGRAT:

Reply #727 from Stardock Forums Top
Hope everyone's well now, Barry. Else what you will get from me is a kick in the butt back to your family. :D

We had a couple of new members who really helped our score. And I believe Nastavnik would also be joining us shortly. He said he would join after he had lunch and that was about 2 hrs ago. Hmm, maybe I should go work in France.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #728 from Stardock Forums Top
Wife's feeling a little better...she went back to work today. Baby still has a little fever, but she is smiling, so what else can I ask for?? :)

Thanks for asking, by the way!

:HOT:

Welcome to all new members of Fellowship (and those who are joining soon!)
Reply #729 from Stardock Forums Top
Hello Ray,
It ain't that easy LOL

Work was waiting for me on my desk, and I had to wait till the lobby is clear to come here: they don't like their analists to spend time on the internet instead of ... analizing. But it is a nice job, with 6 weeks vacation plus 20 days of compensation for working 39-45h a week instead of 35 (as stated in the law).

On my way to join you :)
Reply #730 from Stardock Forums Top
I have a 7 month old daughter too. Really cute and chubby.

Have fun catching up on the posts you missed in the forum. We have all our usual spills and thrills. And BTW, J4's back so you may want to recruit him as our website reporter. :)
Reply #731 from Stardock Forums Top
That's it Ray: I'm one of yours.
The forth rank, counting from down below...
But all the 5 games I submetid where my first 5 games, and before the scoring system changes. The two last I could not submit (1.09 version) an 4k and something scores. That will help my average :) .

I think I've only talked to Ray till now, so hello to everyone else. Glad to join you: it was about time I stopped being a Ronin (rogue samurai, without a clan).

For those who don't know, as Ray pointed out I live in France, Paris actually. Brazilian, married to a cute Russian, but unfortunatelly she doesn't like this game (she only plays the totalwar series --- very good too).

What else can I say? Eager to go home and start playing!
:CONGRAT:
Reply #732 from Stardock Forums Top
Welcome to the fold, Nastavnik! You are really the definition of multi-cultural! Brazilian married to a Russian and live in France! :D

I understand the problem of getting on the net at work. I'm a designer, but I spend waaaayy to much time here instead of designing! LOL
Reply #733 from Stardock Forums Top
Gengsta, here's a song from Metallica, one of my favorite bands. I think you could use it; just give credit to Metallica for the Lyrics. ;)

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on the run through the endless grey
On they fight, for they are right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know
Suffered wounds test their pride
Men of Five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Take a look at the sky just before you die
It is the last time he will
Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls


Edit: got names mixed up

[Message Edited]
Reply #734 from Stardock Forums Top
You are really the definition of multi-cultural! Brazilian married to a Russian and live in France!
End of quote


Yeah, and now a "fellow of the ring" too! :D

I understand the problem of getting on the net at work. I'm a designer, but I spend waaaayy to much time here instead of designing!
End of quote


Yes, know what you exactly what you mean. (oops, here am I again posting and not working, making my own point! LOL )
Reply #735 from Stardock Forums Top
Welcome Nastavnik!

Talk about coincidences in life. The Fellowship was 30 points short of 900,000 pts and your pre-1.05 scores of 62 just tipped us over. You made a valuable contribution. :D

Seriously, we value your contribution in the forum and empire. Feel free to join in our discussions and pose questions. Most importantly, have fun with the game.
Reply #736 from Stardock Forums Top
Gengsta,

The WOTW is awesome! I hope nobody minds me not contributing to that story, but I think my efforts would not be worthy...
Reply #737 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi Miles Naismit, your mettalica song just remembered me of another "for whom the bell tolls". I've discovered this one in the movie, from Hemingway's book.

It does not rock and roll like yours, but when you see all what is happening out there, it's good to remember it:

For Whom the Bell Tolls
by John Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Usually I don't go around quoting John Donne, but this one is special. :)
Reply #738 from Stardock Forums Top
Welcome Nastavnik! Talk about coincidences in life. The Fellowship was 30 points short of 900,000 pts and your pre-1.05 scores of 62 just tipped us over. You made a valuable contribution.
End of quote


Thks Ray.
Who said with small steps you get nowhere, hein? LOL
Reply #739 from Stardock Forums Top
And a big welcome to Freya as well.

Freya started playing Galciv even before myself. Hey and you too Nastavnik, your player id is 581. Wow, you are the earliest among us to buy the game I believe.

Freya apparently fancies himself as another Gandalf so another wizard joins the Fellowship. :)
Reply #740 from Stardock Forums Top
Nastavnik,

We role-play as fantasy characters in the Fellowship. Do you have a favourite RPG class? Miles is obviously a bard. :)
Reply #741 from Stardock Forums Top
Excellent association, I bet you know your poetry well. I on the other hand am a neophyte, but I keep working at it: music being closely related to poetry. :D
[Message Edited]
Reply #742 from Stardock Forums Top
Excellent association, I bet you know your poetry well. I on the other hand am a neophyte, but I keep working at it.
End of quote


Only bits and pieces. This was a lucky association. :) I'm trying to work at it, but galciv, my work, etc, seems to get in the way. ;)

We role-play as fantasy characters in the Fellowship. Do you have a favourite RPG class? Miles is obviously a bard.
End of quote


Well, I'm not very up to date on rpg. Maybe you can help me: Nastavnik in russian means something like Professor or Mentor (iwould have to ask her, she pichek it for me --- her contribution...).
But when we saw the movie, my wife said I was a Hobbit (I'm not sure that was a good thing...) because of my hairy feet LOL .
Reply #744 from Stardock Forums Top
music being closely related to poetry.
End of quote


I completelly agree. That's how I came to it. Many of the brazilian music of the 60-70, which we call bossa-nova, were actually poems put into music: Vinicius de Moraes wrote the lyrics (and he was a poet -- and brazilian ambassador to the USA for a time)and Tom Jobim wrote the music.
They had their own fellowship of the Drink: they re always together and in every picture I saw of them, they're are holding a glass of whiskey (even in live shows!) :D
Reply #745 from Stardock Forums Top
Shouting gun, on the run through the endless grey
End of quote


Quoting the Metallica Lyrics but I messed up, the line should read:

Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey.

oops... :)
Reply #747 from Stardock Forums Top
Hey and you too Nastavnik, your player id is 581. Wow, you are the earliest among us to buy the game I believe.
End of quote


Yop. I missed the beta thing for about a week, and then waited till the middle of the night (on my time zone) to start downloading it from stardock on the very first day it was out (at 12:01 am of that day actually, US time).

Very few games due to too much work and also because of some infidelities: the medieval total war expansion was released so I spent 2-3 months playing it. And after I came back, with all the updates the AI outsmarted me everygame :sniff!: , until I go back to normal level and crush it :HOT: . Revenge can be sweet ;) .
Reply #748 from Stardock Forums Top
I've been with you guys only for one hour, but that was a completely work free hour. People around my desk will wonder what I've been typing all this time LOL .
[Message Edited]
Reply #749 from Stardock Forums Top
Hehehe...I've been at work for 2 1/2 hours and haven't done the first thing! LOL
Reply #750 from Stardock Forums Top
Hehehe...I've been at work for 2 1/2 hours and haven't done the first thing!
End of quote


LOL

Yes there is a growing force/passion consumming all my working energy, and it will be unstopable if i don't deal with it soon: everytime someone asks I say I'm working on this or on that, thus taking a random penalty on my time left to work on it every turn (I meant reply) ;p
[Message Edited]