Theme
First of all, the
theme of this MUSH is that of Middle Earth, as outlined in the trilogy
The
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you are unfamiliar with these
books, it's okay. You can still RP here. However, you are strongly
encouraged to read the chapters in Book I of The Fellowship of
the Ring that concern Bree, specifically: Chapter 9 "At the Sign of
the Prancing Pony", Chapter 10 "Strider", and Chapter 11 "A Knife in the
Dark". Also, if you are planning on being a Hobbit, it is recommended that
you read The Hobbit in order to understand their nature. Finally,
speaking with an Admin can also help you get a better grasp on theme.
Bree is a peaceful community, by the standards of current Middle-Earth.
Our timeframe is set before the events recorded in the Lord of the Rings,
and after those recorded in The Hobbit. However, the future is a clean
slate... the ring has been passed to Frodo, and the events of the future
are still unknown to any. So we must pave our own way.
Bree is a town of men and hobbits, a multi-racial community like no other
on Middle-Earth. Relations between the men, who are the majority of our
people, and the hobbits are as good as they could be. Generations of man
and hobbit families have lived together, and no tension exists.
No other races live here. Dwarves are fairly common, often travelling through
via the Great East Road. Men from the south and other areas pass through
often, usually being treated well, yet with reservation. Hobbits occasionally
come over from the Shire to enjoy talk and drink at the Prancing Pony,
but this is not a daily occurance.
The men known
in Bree as the 'Rangers' can often be seen in town or at the Pony. They
defend Bree (and the Shire) from dangers the townspeople never suspect
exist, yet are not looked upon as local heroes. In general, most Bree-folk
regard these shifty-looking warriors as scoundrels, and do not place trust
in them.
Trade is important to this town, sitting at the crossroads of two important
roads, the North Road, known locally as The Greenway, and the East-West
Road, known as the Great East Road. Charges for services tend to follow
a barter-system when done between two Bree-landers, while those from away
will find themselves charged in silver coins, with a hefty additional charge
for being from out-of-town. Under no circumstances will services be granted
to those such as Orcs or Trolls. Outsiders trying to buy weapons will generally
be turned down, or charged outrageous prices.
Bree is not land of warrior-folk and is not a land used to war or
invasion. Peaceful skills are much more prolific than those that lend themselves
to bloodshed.
In general, you
should be playing someone with a rural-outlook, maybe even bumpkinish,
and certainly naive about the outside world. Most Bree-landers doubt the
existence of Elves, having never seen one, and think of Orcs as 'the goblins
in children stories'. As far as events in far-off lands, or strange creatures,
or Nazgul, or wizards, the Breefolk will likely have heard of them from
Rangers and other travelers, but it is also likely that we would be doubtful
about their existence. When Aragorn comes to visit, he is known as Strider.
When Gandalf passes through, he is just Gandalf, that old and eccentric
man who brings the fireworks. Please keep the spirit of Tolkien's descriptions
of Bree in your mind while you play, and enhance the experience for everyone.
Combat
First of all, this
is almost an oxymoron. Combat does not even HAPPEN that much in Bree, and
that which does happen is unlike combat RP elsewhere on the MUSH. When
there is combat, it is usually brief, more like a cowardly attack on someone
than an ongoing fight. Also, Breefolk occasionally have the need for a
fight with a beast. Combat in Bree is mild compared to other places. Breefolk
don't cut off people's heads and show them to their mothers. Breefolk don't
drink blood, nor do they fry intestines (well, you'll have to talk
to Barliman about that). Even the baddies of Bree probably aren't too eager
to fight - they are likely much more in favor of robbing someone's house
while they are away at work, picking their pocket, or simply bullying their
way into money. Blows -are- exchanged, but they aren't long-lived very
often, and they also almost never reach the point of someone dying. I have
only witnessed one character death in Bree, and that was when a troll (you
know, the big 14 foot guy whose weapon was a TREE?) attacked Bree's gate.
Now, the weapons
which can be used by Breefolk are: bare hands, club, dagger, shortsword,
staff, bow, and axe. Using Barehands is the most often-used choice here.
Few people need a sword, and precious few would use an axe for anything
other than chopping wood. Bows are used mostly for hunting. Bandits and
constables, as well as the few hobbits who would carry a weapon, are the
only people who generally have daggers. Staffs are popular among old men
and those who need physical support. Clubs are possibly the most thematic
(non-barehands) weapons for Breefolk, as many people, upon being forced
to draw a weapon, would completely fail to find one on their person and
would likely pick up the nearest medium-sized stick. The point is that
fighting is likely something you won't do very often, and when you do it
will be raw and kinda clumsy, not like the smooth, sleek sword-swinging
you have probably pictured when you read the battle on the Fields of Pelennor.
Travel
The travel policy
of Bree is restrictive. It is the Admins belief that Tolkien created the
Breefolk to be a community largely concerned with itself - not really worried
about seeing or participating in events in the outside world. Some amount
of travel is necessary to maintain relations with 'neighbors' of course,
but 99% of all Breefolk would never leave their home. There are exceptions,
however, now and again, and these include:
1) All traveling
must be approved by the Admins of Bree as well as the culture you are traveling
to. Though you may love the thought of going to the Shire in May, the Shire
may have a good reason not to have many visitors around just then.
2) The only cultures
which are available for Breefolk to travel to are The Shire, Dunland, and
Ered Luin. The latter two will only happen under very special circumstances.
3) All IC travel
must fall in line with IC travel time restraints.
4) Travel will
only be permitted for characters for whom it is IC for them to travel.
5) Admins can,
once a player has proven they are responsible enough to handle it, give
them an 'open' pass to travel, which will only require the other culture's
permission and notification to the Admins. (This is assuming the travel
is considered thematic by the Admins)
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