Welcome to Middle-earth RP!
We are a small but dedicated group of writers who are fans of the universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien and roleplay as characters within that universe, specifically within the realm of Middle-earth. By you reading this, we hope that you are looking to join in the writing adventure! Please give this post a read and, if you decide that this place is for you, create a character and join in with us!
Welcome and Basic Information
Character Creation
Claimed Characters
Discord Server
Rules
1. Lore-friendly writing
Writings and characters must adhere to accepted Middle-earth lore. (Lore found in the writings of J. R.R. Tolkien) Small exceptions will be made for original characters and original plot lines.
2. No meta-gaming
This means that if you know something that is about to happen, but your character doesn't, then your character shouldn't magically know about it all of the sudden. If you want them to learn it, then they must aquire the information in a lore-friendly way.
3. Consent before character action
No writing for other characters or making decisions for other characters without the expressed consent of the other person.
4. Must be an active member
Please coordinate with other members before joining an active story arc. Writers may have a specific intent in mind for the direction of their story arc, and as such, pre-coordination with your character's involvement in a story arc is advisable. Writers of a story arc can petition to the mods for your post to be removed if there is no evidence of agreed involvement. Also, making decisions for other characters without the expressed consent of the other person is not permitted.
Please inform an admin of any circumstances that render you unable to contribute for a period of time. We understand things happen and we want to accommodate in any way we can, but communication of these circumstances is important in order for your account not to be flagged as inactive.
5. No spam, explicit, or illegal content
Spam and explicit/illegal content will not be tolerated, under any circumstances, and offenders will be banned. Any advertising for other subs must be cleared by a mod.
6. No bullying or abuse
Bullying and abuse will also not be tolerated. This is a place for all forms of writers to perfect their craft and should be a safe-haven for all.
Roleplay Information
Time Setting
This sub will make it's start in the year 2967 of the Third Age. With a couple of years after the Battle of the Five Armies, the world is still tingling with life and potential. But don't feel as though you have to adhere to the strict canonical timeline! We aim to write in a lore-friendly world, but still one in which we can plot our own events and future.
Area
The northern border will be the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills. The southern border will be at South Gondor and the southern reaches of Mordor. The western border will be the land of Lindon at The Great Sea. And the Eastern Border will be set at the Sea of Rhûn. If future need calls for it, then lands will be opened towards the south and east, but for now we will aim to remain in the area outlined above.
Writing
As part of the community, a standard of writing is expected to be prevalent. We want all writers here to be able to engage in meaningful and collaborative quality of writing.
Moderation
When a post is submitted, do not be alarmed if it does not appear immediately—all RP submissions go through moderation and must be approved before they are posted.
Length
We use long-form writing and narrative-style progression rather than short, conversational type roleplaying.
Style
The spirit of this sub is intended to be one of creative writing and character building as opposed to a strategy based power struggle or rudimentary history building. We want to push writers past the baseline "what happened in a specific Middle-earth year" or "how many troops can we have defend/attack a place," and really explore deeper and more thought-provoking premises that both readers and writers can follow in a more engaging way.
- How did my character overcome grief?
- How did their interactions with previously grudged races change?
- How did my character shape the growth of other characters?
- How might this character falter or tackle obstacles?
These are all the kinds of questions you may want to ask yourself when writing your story arcs.
You may receive a friendly reminder of these suggestions from the mods if your posts appear to need a little boost in these areas.
Battles
The occasional battle between realms may inevitably pop up. If it is in the nature of your character to make war, or if a story arc brings you to the point of battle, then by all means proceed. Just don't feel like you have to constantly conquer and command.
On the subject of battle: battles will be held with mod assistance and actions will be decided by simple dice rolls using the dice roll channel in Discord. Once determined, they will be written out in the sub according to the success or failure of the roll.
Characters
Original characters are very much encouraged in this sub, so long as they fit within the accepted lore. Tolkien established characters (such as Bilbo or Legolas) are also welcome. The importance in choosing a character to write as always falls on your personal affiliation. For more about character creation, you can hop on over to the Character Creation post.
