MME Featured Website: The Landroval Times

Written by My Middle-earth (MME) member theViking.

Welcome back to the featured website…feature.  This week we have not one, but two blogs for you, both run by Network member Leslie!  Leslie runs The Landroval Times which is a site featuring player submitted events on the Landroval server and Whispers in the Dark which focuses on her own little tribe of LOTRO character.  But, enough from me!

Viking: When someone goes to your website, they’ll notice that the banner changes, showing different character profiles. The next thing that might be noticed is the number of character names listed just below that. Are these all characters that you play in LOTRO? And do you have back stories planned for each of them?

Leslie: Yes! I am a bit of an alt-oholic and am currently up to 13 characters, though I was only able to fit in 12 on the site. Each of them do have their own backstories and personalities which is mainly why I have so many. I like to have characters available for whatever event or situation needed, as well as for whatever mood I happen to be in. So I’ll have some that are heroic, some that might be balanced on the edge between good and bad, and others that are just regular folk.

V: Cynewn is the character that you have the most back story posted for right now. What was the inspiration for telling this story?

L: Though Mhoriel was the character I first created and came up with a backstory for, I found Cynewn’s to be the most compelling for me. She isn’t someone that wants to be out of her comfort zone and yet she finds herself forced out of Rohan and into the wilds of Middle Earth. I thought it would be interesting to have someone taken completely out of her element and yet remain true to herself. When out doing battle, you can often find Cynewn with bright colourful armour or even in dresses and she refuses to travel anywhere unless her hair has been completely made up. She is someone that could be viewed as completely ridiculous given her circumstances and she does not want to be a hero, yet continues forward until she finds what she is looking for.

V: Was there any particular reason it is set after the fall of Sauron?

L: I actually have her story set right at the start of the war of the ring. To Cynewn, the Dunlendings are nothing but a bogeyman of sorts as she has never had to see one in person. She holds Theoden King, as well as Éomer, responsible for having kept them away and held their land in peace. So right here at the start of her story, we can see that she is living in a bit of a bubble, completely cut off from what is happening outside of her family’s small piece of property. It’s also why she believed that Eádmær must have killed his horse instead of realising it was killed in the line of duty. To her, there is no fighting going on in Rohan any more.

V: Are the stories for your other characters set in the same time period or are they scattered around the timeline?

L: Most take place around the same time, though a few might have a few tales start a bit further back (such as the elves and dwarves). A few of the characters will also have their paths cross, namely Mhoriel with both Cynewn and Eádmær. Mhoriel is the daughter of a ranger and a female descendent of the Númenóreans, hailing from Dol Amroth. Her father has taken to being away from home for longer stretches of time and she is discontent with merely staying home. Told she cannot go to war, or fight because the Númenórean blood is in such decline that they cannot risk her dying in battle, she sets out to prove herself, and in the process, crosses paths with many others.

V: Obviously you love LOTRO.  What kinships are you a member of and how might people best find you in game?

L: I LOVE LotRO. I have been a fan of Tolkien’s works since high school and when I discovered there was an mmo based on his works, I knew I needed to give it a try. It’s been roughly a year and a half now and I have to say it has been the best decision I’ve made. Since I have 13 alts, I’ve always felt it would be a bit unfair to ask a kin to take me in. I feel kins deserve players/characters that are fully committed and can participate on a regular basis. With all of my alts, I’m constantly switching between them in an effort to level them up at relatively the same pace. Every 10 levels, I switch to another character so that I never get too bored with one class or with one region. The best way to find me in game would be through my little hobbit Sparkleigh Larkspur that is the social butterfly of the group, always attending events. Though, I do try to check mail on all of my characters on a weekly basis.

V: Your other site, The Landroval Times is full of all kinds of interesting events for the budding gamer and the veteran alike. What inspired you to create this site?

L: The Landroval Times is something I’d been really keen on starting up for quite some time but was finally spurred into action this past July when a few people on the Landroval forums began posting about how they wished our server had an easier way to keep track of RP events, characters, etc. As I had a little bit of experience setting simple websites up, I thought I would give it a try. Thankfully, it has been fairly well received and so many people have helped contribute to it. We have over 50 Character Profiles set up with background information, name pronunciations, etc that players can look up if they are interested in starting up RP with someone, or if they have run across someone in game and wanted to learn more of them and how best to approach them. People are regularly encouraged to submit ”news articles” that can contain gossip about a few of the server’s more well known characters, and we also have articles reviewing many of the events that are always taking place. My hope was to make it easier for players, both new and old, to find an easier way to get into roleplay, as I know it can be a bit intimidating just jumping in without a clue as to any of the characters or personalities, let alone know where to find it.

V: Is there any particular event you would recommend especially for those who are new to LOTRO?

L: For players that are starting out on Landroval, I would definitely recommend checking out the weekly Ales and Tales event. There are so many people at each event that it is a good place to sit back and observe what rp might be like and how people interact with each other. Perfect place to test out your dance moves as well!
I would also recommend checking out a smaller, non recurring event because it is at these smaller events that you actually get to put your skills into play and form connections with others players and characters. The Shadow Company put on a wonderful Lovers Day Ball for Valentine’s Day which was just the right size for meeting new people. The Bounders of the Shire also hold fantastic hobbit based events and are so welcoming that it’s great for new players that are anxious about delving into RP at ease.

And that wraps up another featured website!  If you haven’t been to Whispers in the Dark yet, go there and read the Cynewn back story.  It isn’t the typical Disney tale of the ever right princess stifled by her overbearing/buffoonish family.  You will be well rewarded!