Roleplay

Roleplay is a key component of the server. There are three main cathegories of roleplay:

* Written roleplay - A.k.a. roleplay on discord.
* In game actions and quests
* Items
* Roles

## Written roleplay

The roleplay on discord has a dedicated cathegory, there you can find:

* a channel to **discuss the lore**
* a channel to **create your character**
* a channel to post your **roleplay stories**
* a channel to **interact with players**

### Discussing the lore

I've no clear answer on the legendarium; nobody has, except tolkien and his heirs, I think. Everybody is encouraged to discuss the lore in every way, I only ask you to be polite and bring proofs that support your thesis. It's ok to have wild theories, wacky ideas about Middle Earth and its inhabitants, but ultimately, more for the need of clarity and server mechanics, ***loremasters*** establish what is - at least for us - right. This doesn't mean you can't propose your wild idea to the chat, just that it won't be considered for the practical stuff in the server.

### Creating your character

The creation of your character should follow some rules, but these are more guidelines than not. I will mark here the character's card (which has to be followed to the letter):

#### \*\*\_\_Character Card\_\_\*\*

Name: (Try make it sounding like an actual name of that race/culture)

Titles: (Your in game titles. Do not try to go full Daenerys Stormborn of my ass if you are a newbie full of hope and nothing else)

Lineage: (Noble house)

Family: (In game players only or, in case of actual lore characters, it can be even of non-players. I mean, it would be hard to have a player being your dead uncle. His time on the server would be really dull...)

Artifacts: (Only stuff that is tagged as an artifact in the server. I do not care for your favourite toothpick)

Race: (Elf, Man, Dwarf, Orc, Troll, Hobbit, etc. - Remember, only races!)

Culture: (Sub races, like Noldor, Sindar, Dunedain, Middleman, Goblin, Uruk, Stoors, etc...)

#### Other optional things

-Stuff regarding your character's look

-Personality traits

-Brief history

### Roleplay stories

The stories you write can be of three main cathegories:

* Actual in game events translated into roleplay
* Fictional stories concerning your and possibly more willing characters
* Funny stories

#### Actual in game events

My advice is to think like your character and try to depict the world as they would see it. It is fair to reduce other player's actions and favour our own, if our character is full of himself. Adapting wacky things or hard-to-explain minecraft things is key to this kind of roleplay. You defeated an invasion that randomly spawned upon you? It was an ambush. You helped a new guy killing enemy npcs? It was a small battle. Just give your best and it will be appreciated. Note that the best pieces of roleplay regarding wars, battles, or generally speaking "official" events will be included in the history of the server.

#### Fictional stories

There's no wrong in establishing your character's background in a serie of small stories, or write some fanfiction involving your character. I personally don't love them, because they could be too much detached from the actual game, but feel free to write whatever you want. I'd like to give you just 2 advices:

1. Keep them short. For important in-game actions I feel like people are more keen on reading them, maybe to go back and read on how they were awesome, but fictional events are usually of small concern to others. A story too long could bore the other players.
2. Write them only if you really like to write. Don't feel obligated to write roleplay just because the last time was too much time ago.

#### Funny stories

This stories can be both in game events or fictional. Here you can diverge more from the lore and the tone of lotr. I do not think I've the answer to "what is actually fun", so feel free to try if you like doing it. It could be even something that isn't about your main character, like if I'm an elf I could still write small stories called: "*The adventures of Shitbag, a very unlucky orc*". Keep in mind that short = better usually.

### Interacting with players

I honestly didn't do it too much and I don't really know how to, but I'm setting up few rules regarding the format of messages:

* *Italic means you're writing within your character prospective, or you're adding a piece of roleplay*
* ((Double parenthesis includes a comment out of character. This is usually a small phrase or smt that you or people external to the conversation can add. E.g.: ((Make it quick that I've to leave soon, can we continue it tomorrow?

Usually here the messages are much shorter than the roleplay stories, more like a line of dialog with little description to have a context.

## Quests

This is a fairly undeveloped thing, but I'll write everything we've laid down:

* A quest is a repeatable (or not) event that can involve only the player and npcs, or more players.
* A quest usually has a story, some way to convey that story and one or more places where it takes place
* The quest will reward the player with knowledge, items, artifacts, roles or events.

Here you can find a list of the quests we're going to add to the server, a page will be created for every quest we've added:

* Siege of Minas Ithil
* Battle of The Five Armies
* The fellowship of the Ring
* Balin's expedition
* Fangorn's awakening

## Artifacts

There are some items that have a special spot in the history of middle earth. Some have magic properties, others are only a symbol. All of them will have some properties that differenciate them from normal stuff.

There are two cathegories of artifacts: lore artifacts and player artifacts.

### Lore Artifacts

Items that posses some kind of magic property or are included in the lore. Espect a list to pop out once they're all done, with effects and properties. They range from bard's bow to the one ring. They can simply have some lore attached to them or have enchants/effects.

### Player Artifacts

Once a player with a roleplay character does special deeds, he can be asked to the staff to choose a piece of weapon or armor to mark as his household artifact. The item recieves a personal lore and can be repaired from free (ask to the staff for a new copy, giving them the old one). All these artifacts can be looted, lost and recovered. In time, some of the most iconic weapons and armors could have the status of lore artifacts.

## Roles

A role is defined as a canon character being played by someone. The requirements for each role are still not met, but generally is good to be in the same position as that character. (E.g.: If I'm king of Woodland I can be Thranduil). There are multiple roles, some with only a name and an history attached, some others with artifacts and effects. Down below you can find the complete list of roles that have special traits:

* Sauron
* Saruman
* Gandalf
* The blue wizards
* Nazguls
* Glorfindel
* Galadriel
* Elrond

### What's the deal with roles without powers?

These are more "status" characters. They don't bring advantages by themselves (although some have weapons, but not stronger that standard ones). They allow you to immerse yourself in Middle Earth even more. A good general rule is that, besides occupying their position in the world, you've to do some kind of special deed. For some is to reach a really good alignment with the faction and be the king (Like for Thranduil), some others require to demonstrate your might in battle (Beregond), your cunning and knowledge (Denethor). A full list is not possible, you can understand it, but it's easy for the most to know what you've to do. To be sure, ask to a staff member with the loremaster tag.

Small note, really minor characters can be taken without really anything being done. Names of orcs that appears in the books are an example of them (Not Gothmog)

List of currently taken characters:

* Maglor Feanoreon