For the attention of Made of Lions: The Unfinished Story of Rohan

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

*Spoilers in this post*

Today I completed Hytbold for the second time, and I went through that excellent pair of instances centring around the Witan and the Attack on Hytbold. Yet as I finished the instance, and scurried off to Cliving to free Wigfogul from his wrongful imprisonment, it got me to thinking about the consequences of the Battle of Hytbold upon the Eastemnet, and the way in which this played into the later Battle of Helm's Deep, and the Muster of the Rohirrim at Dunharrow.

The casualties at the Battle of Hytbold were very significant - Reeve Athelward primarily, but also Thanes Gisil, Beortnoth and Radwig, all of whom were killed during the fighting. Gisil had Gisling to succeed him, and Beortnoth's town was in ruins, and as such the consequences of their deaths are relatively minor, but Radwig's loss means that Floodwend is left unprotected, and the succession of Athelward is left in doubt as he left no male heir, and the only known adult daughter, Ides, seems to have taken up residence in Hytbold.

Aside from the fact that all the NPCs are still very much alive if you go and visit them in their respective locations (I'd still really like to see some phasing which removed them after the Battle of Hytbold - considering that an entire city has been phased, I can't see phasing 4 characters would be particularly difficult - and Beortnoth's repeatable quest could be given to the other NPC that stands by him, though if you've completed Hytbold, you wouldn't have any reason to do that quest again, as rep would be maxed), the Battle of Hytbold seems to have had absolutely no actual consequences, and I would like to see this change.

The way that I could see this working the best is in an idea that I suggested a while ago, with Update 14, to have an epilogue to Volume 3, in a similar fashion to Volume 2's epilogue, which sees our character ride around the Eastemnet, mustering the Rohirrim and summoning them to Dunharrow for the ride to Minas Tirith. In addition to the Lords of the Eastemnet, including Garwig, Reeve of Wildermore, we should also visit the Lords of the Westemnet, some of which fought at the Battle of Helm's Deep, such as those of the Stonedeans, while others held up in their towns.

At the Battle of Pelennor Fields, many of the lords we encountered were killed in battle (taken from the lay of the Mounds of Munburg):
- Harding, Aldor of the Eastemnet
- Fastred, Reeve of the Sutcrofts,
- Herubrand, Reeve of the Stonedeans, and his son, Herefara
- Grimbold, Thane of Grimslade
- Dunhere, Thane of Harrowdale
- Deorwine, son of Gisil, betrothed to Thane Winsig
- Guthlaf, son of the Thane of Fenmarch
- Not to forget Horn, son of Reeve Ingbert of the Entwash Vale

Taking account of the fact that it has been said that we will be present in some part of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, I wonder if it would make sense for our characters to be responsible for mustering these men to come to Dunharrow, or at the very least meeting them in Dunharrow before they ride for Minas Tirith. While I'm aware that in terms of the timeline, we are currently past that point (as Aragorn is soon to set sail upon the Corsair ships), I think it could still make sense for us to return to the Mark, perhaps as an additional summons alongside the Beacons and the Red Arrow - or even as a retrospective addition as an epilogue for Volume 3 - to ensure that the story of Rohan is brought to a satisfying point before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

It may be that something involving these characters is already in the works, or at least in the planning stages - the last that we saw of our little fellowship, that of Horn, Nona and Corudan, they were still in Western Rohan, with Corudan having disappeared, and Horn and Nona hunting down the Falcon Clan, and it would be rather unsatisfactory if the next time we saw them was Horn's death at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields - therefore I'm hoping that we may return to Rohan to summon them, and the Rohirrim lords, to war. If so, I will be extremely happy - but at the moment, it feels like the story of the Eastemnet, and to a lesser extent, of the Westemnet, is unfinished, and is not yet ready for the carnage of the Pelennor Fields.

[OldMadeOfLions]

I wonder if it would make sense for our characters to be responsible for mustering these men to come to Dunharrow, or at the very least meeting them in Dunharrow before they ride for Minas Tirith.

In a way I think you've already been partially responsible for this, when you participate in sending forth the riders from Helm's Deep -- it's their mission to ride throughout Rohan and muster the remaining lords, as your attention at that point is on Isengard. It's true that there are some hanging threads from the Battle of Hytbold and the political situation in Rohan, but resolving those is likely a tale for a later day.

MoL

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

In a way I think you've already been partially responsible for this, when you participate in sending forth the riders from Helm's Deep -- it's their mission to ride throughout Rohan and muster the remaining lords, as your attention at that point is on Isengard. It's true that there are some hanging threads from the Battle of Hytbold and the political situation in Rohan, but resolving those is likely a tale for a later day.

MoL

Sending off those riders felt a tad impersonal (considering our direct involvement in the affairs of the Eastement, and the Westemnet), but I did appreciate that each of the riders mentioned which part of Rohan they were headed to, and it makes sense in a story context that we should seek to deal with Saruman before contemplating the war in the East.

I thought it was an issue worth bringing up, but thank you for replying, and I hope to see that these issues are resolved at some point in the future I suppose as Anorien doesn't seem to have been mentioned as a place to visit at any point in the near future (and thus before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields), and also considering the technical issues of Rohan and Gondor being on separate 'maps', I can see it might be difficult for us to be part of the ride of the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith, although I do hope that before their deaths, we encounter some of the main characters, particularly Harding and Fastred, again.

However, if this were not possible, would it be viable to add in these NPCs in the camp of the Rohirrim at Dunharrow? I was very glad to see the expansion of this encampment after feedback during the beta of Update 14, and adding the specific characters of the Eastement and the Westemnet (with the banners of their cities) would really bring this area to life

Many thanks!

[OldMadeOfLions]

However, if this were not possible, would it be viable to add in these NPCs in the camp of the Rohirrim at Dunharrow? I was very glad to see the expansion of this encampment after feedback during the beta of Update 14, and adding the specific characters of the Eastement and the Westemnet (with the banners of their cities) would really bring this area to life...

I could see this happening at some point, but there's still some research I need to do concerning the encampment and the people there.

MoL

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

I could see this happening at some point, but there's still some research I need to do concerning the encampment and the people there.

MoL

That is wonderful news, thank you very much

[djheydt]

MoL, have we told you recently that you rock?

[Rothmarte]

Hmm, I was thinking this was going to be about the unfinished plotline in West Rohan where the traitor of Edoras flees to the Stonedeans....and is never mentioned again.

[Brandon_Blackbird]

Hmm, I was thinking this was going to be about the unfinished plotline in West Rohan where the traitor of Edoras flees to the Stonedeans....and is never mentioned again.

He talks about that in another thread

[Xhiu]

MoL, have we told you recently that you rock?

I try to keep it down a bit so it doesn't seem like I'm stalking him. Someone get him on the Daily Show before Jon leaves.

[Banaticus]

Today I completed Hytbold for the second time, and I went through that excellent pair of instances centring around the Witan and the Attack on Hytbold. Yet as I finished the instance, and scurried off to Cliving to free Wigfogul from his wrongful imprisonment, it got me to thinking about the consequences of the Battle of Hytbold upon the Eastemnet...

Yeah, that's cool and all, but I will seriously never finish Hytbold with even one character. Ain't nobody got time for that random grind. :P

"It's not as bad as it used to be..." Ain't nobody got time for that random grind. :P

[Tirian-Hammerfist]

Yeah, that's cool and all, but I will seriously never finish Hytbold with even one character. Ain't nobody got time for that random grind. :P

"It's not as bad as it used to be..." Ain't nobody got time for that random grind. :P

Currently, you can rebuild Hytbold in 4 days, if you're maxed on rep with all the factions (I used rep accelerators throughout Eastern Rohan, and I imagine any capped character will have got rep a long time ago for the golden rings), as you get 10 tokens per quest, and thus 50 tokens per day. Therefore, as each Hytbold rebuild now only costs 1 token, the 200 you get from 4 days of dailies is more than enough - and 4 days is hardly a long time.