[OOC] Chaos is a Ladder (A Lord of the Rings/Shadow of Mordor RP)

[Bright_Ops]

"Seems like only yesterday we were pulling Rukdug out of the vats like another other Uruk... and now look at him! Fought his way all the way to Overlord. Hope he lasts longer then the last piece of shrak." ~ Golm the Vat Keeper.

The armies of Morder are ever changing as armies uruks, orcs goblins and trolls are born and die almost on a daily basis with their numbers only really being kept in check by the harsh nature of Mordor itself and the constant battle for dominance and power among each other. Captains, Warchiefs and Overlords rise and fall in an ever changing political landscape where might makes right and law and order is enforced by the whims of those with the strength to make their will reality.

Despite all their differences, all of them start off the same way: Just one of many who are spawned to feed the meat grinder that is life in Mordor. Just another nobody foot solder on the dark lord's armies who is either going to have to prove themselves and make their way in the world or die trying.

Well what are you waiting for ya Shrak?! Get moving!

.................................................

This roleplay is inspired by the system of orcish 'politics' developed by the Shadow of Morder. The idea is that players will be starting with freshly created orcish/uruk solders with no renown or greatest to their names. The equipment you are given is general solid but kind of crappy, the armor you've been given is of a poor 'all sizes fits no one' quality and your superiors not only give no shits about your lives but actively kind of hope you die in an amusing way.

All players will be starting off as fresh uruks who have just completed the basic requirements to considered solders in the army: You've gone to the armory and grabbed one of the many poor quality weapons trusted to fresh, unproven scum like yourselves and you've managed to avoid killing yourselves or being killed by one of your fellow solders off the bat. Well done. Now comes the hard part.

Life in Mordor is brutal and harsh with death and combat being near constants. If it's not the wildlife, slave uprisings or the occasional task forces of tarks coming in to purge some of the orcish population and stir up a fresh wave of infighting, it is the brutal and unforgiving nature of orcish politics. The chaos provides opportunity however and there are many paths to power in Mordor. The decisions that players make towards how they go about earning their place in Mordor will drastically change how their uruks develop.

To start with, all new characters will have is their name, a basic solder class (will be listed below), some basic equipment for that class, some personality traits and a single trait you consider a personal strength. After that, the players are free to decide what they are going to do with themselves to develop new skills, earn better equipment, become more renowned or infamous in society or even make plans to fight their way up the ranks... but always remember that you are in Mordor and life here is cheap. Poor decisions can often prove fatal and even the most experienced of uruks can make a miss step that can prove disastrous, but those who survive such things will often do so with scars to body and possibly mind: Strengths and Weaknesses are both born in adversity after all.

How I plan for characters to be developed

Players will decide what their characters get up to and how they intend to do such things. Depending on how they go about it, I'll judge the likely hood of success or failure to be rolled against a d100 dice roller. The result is lower then I deem the chance of success, the act will be successful with degrees of success being related to how much lower belong the threshold the result is. Counter to this, if someone rolls -above- the threshold the action will fail with the resulting failure being relative to how much above the threshold it is. How a player sets up the situation will play a big part in judging where the bar is.

For example, let's say that Rukdug decided he wanted to go hunting for caragors. He could decide to just walk out of the stronghold he's stationed at by himself to go and hunt the predatory cats, but while such a feat would reward him with a great deal of renown among his peers and likely earn himself a title for his bold and impressive success, the fact that Rukdug has never gone hunting before and he doesn't know the land very well yet would make the challenges going forward incredibly difficult and more then likely to lead to almost certain death or failure.

Alternatively, he could ask around the stronghold to see if he can find someone a bit more experienced at hunting in the local regions for advice. If he makes a bad first impression the hunter might tell him to shrak off... and if he really messes things up there could be a duel breaking out, but if he is successful at getting some much needed advice if Rukdug decided to wonder off by himself to go hunting his odds of survival would be improved then if he had wondered off blind. Death would still be a very real possibility because caragors are no joke, but the odds would still be better then going in like an idiot.

Basic Classes

As Uruks develop and grow, more advanced classes and combat styles will be made possible for them to learn and develop... but everyone starts with the basics.

Warrior - Most frequently encountered type of Uruk. They vary from scrawny sized to large, and everything in between. They carry a one-handed weapon, typically a sword or club of some kind. They also possess handheld throwing weapons that they can use against targets from a fair distance.

Archer (crossbow or bow) - The most common ranged Uruk type. Generally more scrawny then other uruks, but some uruks who dedicate themselves to the bow can be rather brawny and large. Usually found on higher ground, to be safe from attackers as well as having a better vantage point to shoot from, otherwise they are found usually alone on higher ground or behind melee focused Uruks. As they tend to have lower toughness than other melee-oriented Uruks, if they get caught in melee they will be at a disadvantage.

Savage - Similar to Warriors, but wield two weapons instead of one. Always the larger of the Uruks with faces smeared in warpaint, Savages tend to live up to their namesake by being somewhat more bloodthirsty their their peers when it comes to battle. While they can dish out a great deal of damage in a short amount of time, their rage -can- get the better of them as it can leave openings that can be exploited.

Defender - Easily identified by their massive shields, huge spears, and tall stature, their attacks are slow, but have good reach. Their shields tend to be made of wood and thus can be broken with enough damage being done, since only defenders who have earned themselves a spot at the higher ranks tend to have fully metal shielding. Aware that their shields can be shattered, most defenders will keep a secondary melee weapon like a sword or club in the event they need it.

Hunter - The Uruk masters of the hunt, wielding sharp, jagged spears. These Uruks are smaller compared to the other classes, but can look threatening with all the spears and javelins they carry on their back. They tend to stand at range, behind other melee Uruks, strafing to get a better shot at their target, easily capable of bringing down the beasts of Mordor. Like Archers, they can't take near as much punishment as melee-oriented fighters.

Character Template

Name- What your uruk is called. You will not have a title or nickname because you're just another nobody at the moment and that kind of stuff is earned.

Class- The basic combat style and kind of weapons your character starts off with. This is the foundation from what greatness is built.

Personality - Try to stop yourself from going to in-depth here. All new uruks are relatively young and only recently left the vats, meaning they haven't had much of a chance to see the world and develop who they are yet in greatest detail.

Strength(s) - All uruk start with only one strength, but with experience and training more can be developed in time.

[Zeroth]

Potentially interested, though I'll say ahead of time I may have to bow out due to other concerns. A few questions though that might help other players too:

Does this take place during the same time as the games, or during any of the movies? Will the players be expected to fight Talion himself or some other prominent characters? Is extensive knowledge of these characters, Tolkien lore, or the specific games required, since LotR related stuff tends to lean so heavily on that?

Is there an end-goal for the RP, a particular plot thread (such as a quest for Sauron) that would solidify the RP as an "evil campaign," or is it just a "see how long you last" kind of thing?

And are the characters limited in their strengths, weaknesses, other qualities, etc to the corresponding abilities and descriptions from the games? For instance, does a strength have to be something like "Fast Runner" or "Immune to Ranged," or is it more free form? Basically, are players picking from the game's wiki for their skills and development, or can we create freely with more customization?

[Bright_Ops]

@Zeroth

Good questions all. I'll make a list as I answer them just to keep track and make sure I cover them all.

1: Does this take place during the same time as the games, or during any of the movies?

Truth be told I wasn't completely sure when to set the game in the timeline... but my thought process was a bit before the start of Shadow of Mordor kicks off. The black gate is still in the hands of the Gondorian Rangers and occasionally a task force of rangers and solders might get sent into Mordor proper to deal threats they've detected (Ie, an orcish warchief is getting a bit to big and powerful and they want to deal with it sooner rather then later) to add another danger players have to be aware of in an already dangerous land.

2: Will the players be expected to fight Talion himself or some other prominent characters?

The answer here is... maybe. Some characters like Hirgon of the outcasts and Lithariel of the Tribesmen of Nurn are present in Mordor already and are doing their own things, leading their own factions and actively trying to hinder the schemes and plans of the orcs (and Sauron as well to a lesser extent). Mordor is a big place so unless you're actively looking for them, they're actively looking for you or one of you is just plain and simply unlucky you're not likely just to run into them. That said, it can happen... and if players dedicate themselves to trying to deal with either of these factions, they'll logically try to deal with you in return to rid themselves of a thorn in their side.

As for Talion... from the start of the game he's just a mortal ranger captain. He might be apart of a Gondorian task force heading into Mordor to deal with a threat to the Black Gate, but they're kind of short staffed so that will only happen if they seriously have to. Depending on how the game goes, I -might- kick off the fall of the Black Gate, removing the risk of ranger task forces at the cost of a threat that is in many ways much, much worse. Granted Talion is more of a threat to captains and higher as the Gravewalker since they're the ones he is actually after instead of the rank and file solders, but if you're both moving around Mordor the wrong place at the wrong time can happen... you can even try your hand at actively hunting him down for the glory, but that path to power and prestige comes with its own risks and trials.

3: Is extensive knowledge of these characters, Tolkien lore, or the specific games required, since LotR related stuff tends to lean so heavily on that?

Not really. You're playing as Uruks. Sure they're not stupid by any means (well... most of them) but the very nature of orcish society does mean that your average uruk doesn't really have an in depth knowledge of history. They are taught from a very young age that elves are sneaky, back stabbing pricks who want you all dead, humans are generally untrustworthy because they hate orcish kind but the ones to the west cannot be reasoned with at all and must die... Dwarves are generally an enemy as well, but hatred for them is more a personal matter while hating the elves is almost genetic.

Sauron is the Dark Lord and while he is a complete and utter monstrous asshole who doesn't give the slightest shit about uruks or anyone under his command, he is still ridiculously powerful, has spies and agents everywhere alongside fanatics who worship him as a god and despite his detain for uruk kind he is one of the few leaders in Middle Earth who doesn't want to just purge all Uruks for the principle of the thing. You don't have to like him, but the only real alternative that uruk's know of to being under Sauron's rule is to strike out on your own... and if you do that you need to have a decently sized group of orcs ready to follow you out of Mordor to make a proper warband because everyone outside of Mordor wants you dead and staying in Mordor after going awol is a hazardous state of being.

4: Is there an end-goal for the RP, a particular plot thread (such as a quest for Sauron) that would solidify the RP as an "evil campaign," or is it just a "see how long you last" kind of thing?

It's more of a see how long you last kind of deal... but depending on how things go we might develop an end goal. We'll see.

5: And are the characters limited in their strengths, weaknesses, other qualities, etc to the corresponding abilities and descriptions from the games? For instance, does a strength have to be something like "Fast Runner" or "Immune to Ranged," or is it more free form? Basically, are players picking from the game's wiki for their skills and development, or can we create freely with more customization?

No. You can freely customize abilities and developments, but keep in mind that I will impose weaknesses that make sense when the situation arises. For example if you get mauled by a Caragor and survive, depending on how some dice roll behind the scenes your Uruk might develop a phobia for the things. As for strengths... When a strength is earned, I'll have a brief chat with the player in question so that what they develop is related to the situation and makes sense for the circumstances. Slaying half a dozen caragors by yourself isn't going to make you arrow proof after all.

[Zeroth]

@Bright_Ops

Granted Talion is more of a threat to captains and higher as the Gravewalker since they're the ones he is actually after instead of the rank and file solders...

I always loved waltzing into forts and slaughtering 300+ regular orcs just for funsies, so my own interpretation of Talion's threat level would be quite different! XD

Also, this below is kind of a question about Orcish society but it got to be a pretty good chunk of text:

My Hider

They are taught from a very young age that elves are sneaky, back stabbing pricks who want you all dead, humans are generally untrustworthy because they hate orcish kind but the ones to the west cannot be reasoned with at all and must die... Dwarves are generally an enemy as well, but hatred for them is more a personal matter while hating the elves is almost genetic.

Sauron is the Dark Lord and while he is a complete and utter monstrous asshole who doesn't give the slightest shit about uruks or anyone under his command, he is still ridiculously powerful, has spies and agents everywhere alongside fanatics who worship him as a god and despite his detain for uruk kind he is one of the few leaders in Middle Earth who doesn't want to just purge all Uruks for the principle of the thing.

Just for the sake of understanding Uruk society when playing such a character: I was under the impression that Uruks weren't so much "misled" or "misunderstood," as they are a more realistic Always Chaotic Evil trope. The way you've phrased it here makes me think that uruks could almost get along with the other races if other races didn't hate them, when I'm not sure that's the case. I heard it phrased once something like this: "Uruks are twisted, corrupted versions of elves and men. They are the inversion--the thoughts we have, those intrusive and often evil temptations that we would never act on, those are the normal thoughts of an Orc. We see a knife in the kitchen, and a tiny voice in the back of our mind says "It'd be so easy to slit someone's throat with that" or "What would happen if I stabbed the person standing next to me?" and of course we don't do that because we know it's wrong. An Uruk thinks that way all the time, and acts on it. Whereas our normal inclinations imbued in us by our upbringing--to help when we see others in pain, to feel guilty when we are caught doing wrong--those are instead the "cowardly lies" in the back of an Orc's mind, the things he would never do because it's weak and pathetic."

I think an interview with the game devs pointed out that they wanted to push Uruk personalities to the extreme, so in relation to the above paraphrasing, every little fault or vice that a normal human/elf would have would thus be magnified to its greatest extent in Orcs. So while no human being is ever perfect, because we all have our little flaws, no Uruk would ever be redeemable, because they're all flaws and that one little "fault" is replaced with one little "virtue"--they might be sort-of brave, or sort of loyal.

And in addition to that I always thought they had the same problems many criminals share when analyzed by psychiatric experts--low impulse control, tendency to act without thinking or act based solely on emotions in the heat of the moment, lack of empathy or ability to "step outside" their own viewpoint, sadism and enjoyment of power, always shifting blame to others or trying to make themselves the victim, etc.

Those are just my opinions though, is there anything in your version of Orcish society for this game that players should try to stick to, or else to avoid? Is the stuff I mentioned above not really what you had in mind, are there pieces of it you'd rather pick out, or pieces you'd rather leave, etc.?

[Bright_Ops]

@Zeroth

Honestly, so did I. I did it because I wanted to create captains worth the title and all that... I feel like actual sane Talion might not do that sort of thing through...

As for the Uruk's themselves and your statement on them... I do know what you mean and the points you made, but one does have to ask if why the Uruk's are the way they are is because of how they were created... or because of the environment they live in. Orcish society was... well, more or less engineered by Sauron so that his slave army would be purging itself of weakness while encouraging the strong, brutal and cunning to thrive. They also can't leave or go anywhere else because all the 'good' factions in Middle Earth have a kill on sight deal with all orcish kind.

Under such circumstances, what are they meant to do?

[Zeroth]

As for the Uruk's themselves and your statement on them... I do know what you mean and the points you made, but one does have to ask if why the Uruk's are the way they are is because of how they were created... or because of the environment they live in. Orcish society was... well, more or less engineered by Sauron so that his slave army would be purging itself of weakness while encouraging the strong, brutal and cunning to thrive. They also can't leave or go anywhere else because all the 'good' factions in Middle Earth have a kill on sight deal with all orcish kind.

Under such circumstances, what are they meant to do?

@Bright_Ops

To me it seemed they were created to fit the needs of Morgoth, Sauron, and Saruman. Each time, those needs necessitated a creature that by all other definitions would be "evil," to the extent that no matter what environment, they would somehow ruin it. If Orcs were born in a land of plenty, with lush trees, fruit, clean water, and plentiful game...they'd act on greed and gluttony, consuming and multiplying until those resources were used up, then fight each other for scraps. They'd rather burn and salt the earth than let someone else, even another Orc, get what they can't have. If a good race said "let's just give them a chance" and stopped the kill on sight mentality, or even if a race at the dawn of the world didn't have that mentality from the get go...the Orcs would see them as weak, and kill them and take all their stuff just because they felt like they could, or because they wanted it, or because they felt like they deserved it more for being strong.

But in some ways that makes them interesting. They have small bits of logic and qualities that aren't entirely negative--not in the sense that any orc could truly be a good guy, but in the sense that it still takes courage for an Uruk to charge at Legolas after seeing all the other Uruks get sliced up. The best example of this to me in the games was the Grog Bowl artifact--You would think the Uruks are so dumb and brutish that they would be filthy eaters. Yet, they're soldiers in an army. Soldiers have to be effective in battle. That means they have to stay healthy, and they have to be disciplined. Thus, Grog bowls are actually meticulously cleaned to avoid "the old soldier's disease." That one throwaway collectible made me actually put down my controller and think about all the implications and depth there could be to the Orcs and their behaviors!

And after all, it's your RP. That's why I asked, is there anything in your version of Orcish society for this game that players should try to stick to, or else to avoid? Are there pieces of it you'd rather pick out, or pieces you'd rather leave, etc.?

[Bright_Ops]

It's fine either way honestly. You make valid points and maybe I'm just a bit to naive about the idea that an orc could be more then just a tool of destruction to be used and thrown away.

[Stekkmen]

GRAVEWALKER!

Count me in. Yes, please.

[Guy0fV4lor]

Ohohohoho....

This seems pretty damn cool.

Definitely want throw something together for this.

[Zeroth]

It's fine either way honestly. You make valid points and maybe I'm just a bit to naive about the idea that an orc could be more then just a tool of destruction to be used and thrown away.

@Bright_Ops

Some sources say that Tolkien himself wasn't satisfied with them and toyed with the idea that, by sheer law of statistics, not all Orcs ever born could possibly all be evil. But if there was ever anything meant to come of that, he passed before it could be put to paper.

Personally, I'm of the belief that because Orcs are specifically "corrupted" beings and given Tolkien's themes of how no evil ever truly prospers--even evil used "for the sake of good," like Boromir's temptation towards the ring, and even Talion's own quest for revenge--I think that if there ever WAS such a thing as a "good orc," it would involve a lengthy quest of development and redemption, and would end with the Orc being "untwisted" and ceasing to actually BE an Orc.

Anyway, this is my character submission. Let me know if anything needs to be changed. I tried to make the format look nice, and added a section for Description as well as what he's currently equipped with under his Class. I kept it basic, but if you think it's too RPGish let me know.

AUGAZ

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Description

Augaz is a large Uruk, taller and more musclebound than most scrawny Archers or Hunters, but not as thick-bellied or solid as many Defenders. Indeed, his veiny arms and toned abs give him the image of a well-disciplined warrior...but really, it's just because he was born that way. And maybe he doesn't get enough to eat--a six pack is more about your body fat percentage than your muscle, after all (not that he knows that). His skin is a dull orange in color, and his hair is greasy black. It's been shaved down to a smooth shine everywhere save the center of his cranium, and what's left has been combed back with dirty fingers into a mohawk. His eyes are a piercing red, and he speaks in a growling voice, though not quite so brokenly as many Uruk.

Currently, he has only the weapons and armor he was able to grab in the initial rush from the spawning pits. Of all the "newborn" orcs shuffled into the training arena, he was one of the slowest because he spent too much time looking around to figure out what was going on. Thus, he ended up with old, rusted blades and a few scraps of leather he quickly strapped onto his frame.

Class

Warrior
Dull Rusty Sword
Dull Rusty Throwing Daggers
Ragged Pants
Beaten Leather Chestpiece
Beaten Leather Bracers
Beaten Leather Boots

Personality

Augaz came into this world knowing two things: One, he didn't know nothin'. Two--and that's it! But he's going to change all that. Augaz doesn't like not knowing things, he doesn't like being at the bottom of the totem pole, and he doesn't like the shraks at the top of the pole either. What Augaz does like, is living, and winning. Sometimes he can do without the last one if it means he gets to do the first one. And if he can get that last one, sometimes he doesn't mind letting other Uruk do the first one.

But aside from what he likes and dislikes, Augaz is a quiet, creepy Uruk...at least for now. Not like those ones that have gone so mad they can't make any sound but screams and giggles. No, Augaz just sits there...staring at you. When he does speak, it's because he's got something to say. And if he's gonna say something, all the other shraks damn well better listen! As time goes on, though, maybe he'll find more reason to speak up...or maybe he'll find better ways to make other Uruk listen.

Strength(s)

Observant
Augaz is quick to notice things, and when he really focuses on what he's watching, it's like his brain gets filled up full of Morgai Flies. That is to say, he really starts to think about what he's seeing, and what it might mean. It might not make him any tougher, or stronger right this moment...but an Uruk who can think is an Uruk who can learn.

[Bright_Ops]

Augaz is accepted. @Zeroth Feel free to stick him in the Character tab.

[Zeroth]

By the way if anyone has trouble coming up with cool Orc names, I don't remember where I found a few rules on Black Speech (Tolkien's languages are meticulously constructed, the man himself was a linguistics professor) but I did find this site with a long list of words and their Uruk equivalents. I don't know how legit it is, but most things seem to match up with what you can already find on the Shadow of War and LotR wikis.

angelfire.com/ia/orcishnations/englis…

@Bright_Ops Also, did you want me to wait until you had a zeroth post or another post in the Character tab? Depending on what your plans are, maybe having a first CS post with the names of prominent NPCs--like those captains we're trying to usurp--would be convenient?

[Bright_Ops]

Hmm... A good suggestion. I will work on it.

[Zeroth]

@Bright_Ops Sorry, don't want to make ya feel like you have to do a ton of extra work. Even just a placeholder with like, the tutorial guy or something would be more than fine. I just didn't know if that's what your plan was or not.

[Guy0fV4lor]

@Bright_Ops I wrote this on my phone while I was half awake.

Let me know if anything needs changing, or if it needs to be expanded upon.

SUNDOK

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Description

Sundok is a large Uruk, taller and more muscular than most other orcs but not as large as some of the other savages, nor the thick and tank-like defenders. His jet black hair; shaved down to stubble, along with his dark gray skin tone are heavily contrasted by his glittering gold eyes.

Sundok's gear is just as shoddy as any other Uruk grunt's save for his pair of rather shiny battleaxes. How he obtained these so early in his career is known to few, but was in actuality quite easy. He saw two separate uruks that had a nice axe, and with enough poking and prodding and stirring the pot, a fight broke out between the two. Sundok beat the shrak out of the already exhausted victor, and the rest was history.

Class

Savage
Pair of Worn Battleaxes
Dull Throwing Knives
Ragged Pants
Beaten Leather Chestpiece
Beaten Leather Bracers
Beaten Leather Boots

Personality

From the moment he was pulled from the vats, Sundok knew he was different than the others. They were dumb! They were reckless! They were never prepared for nothing! But Sundok, he was an urul that had plans, ambitions, and so much more going on inside that head of his. He doesn't want to work under the idiots hes surrounded with... Sundok wants to be the TOP! Where he damn well belongs! And though he knows he isn't strong enough yet, Sundok knows that someday, he will be.

Strength(s)

Cunning
He's far from the smartest, strongest, or fastest... But you bet your ass Sundok is one crafty bastard. If he's not acting on a plan, he's making one, and if he isn't making one, hes sizin' something up! To Sundok, a fight is won before you even step foot in the ring!

[Bright_Ops]

Sorry for the delay in my response... I hadn't been well the last few days. I'm going to be putting a... pause?... to this RP for the time being, simply because I need to sort out a few things and play catch up.

[Stekkmen]

Alrighty...I'll be here when you get back.

[Zeroth]

Thanks for letting us know, hope you feel better soon! I'll be looking forward to this.