Ooh! Enedwaith! Is that where Grace Redfern went?

So, reading the new Dev Diary on Enedwaith, and this remark:

On the eastern side of the valley rise the foothills of the Misty Mountains, and on the western side, bluffs leading towards the distant lands of Minhiriath. The North-South Road, which becomes the Greenway in Bree-land, passes through this land, leading north and west into the bluffs.

Bold for emphasis. Does this mean I’ll finally be able to figure out what happened to Linett’s mother when she disappeared down the Greenway through Andrath? Or, at least, finally be able to take screenshots in the region where Linett should logically be looking for her. It’s got me somewhat stumped how to continue that storyline when Grace seemed certainly to have disappeared through a gate that a player couldn’t actually pass. Linett can wander and fight her way east as far as Mirkwood yet still can’t get those mean ol’ Andrath brigands to open that gate?

All that Glitters

Previous chapters in Linett’s backstory, the search for Grace Redfern:

• Have you seen Grace Redfern?
• Grace’s Raven
• Well-met in Bree
• Shieldmaiden of Rohan

This story falls immediately after “Grace’s Raven,” before the introduction of Pellandir and Arethryth in the subsequent stories.

Vanita says:

I’m Vanita, or you can call me Nita. Some folk call me Van, too, but it doesn’t matter much because I don’t generally answer no matter what folks try to call me. The reason is, I’m just so very easily distracted. You can be telling me the most fabulous, interesting story and let a sparrow fly overhead or a fish jump in the creek and that’ll have my full attention for a moment – until the next interesting thing happens. Oh, I don’t mean to be rude. My da taught me not to be rude, and I sure do try. I’m just curious! And I love shiny things. Comes from having a jeweller for a da, I guess. Growing up surrounded by shiny things. Da’s teaching me the trade, now, and I help him at market too. That’s what this story’s about, in fact.

Grace’s Raven

Previous chapters in Linett’s backstory, the search for Grace Redfern:

• Have you seen Grace Redfern?
• Well-met in Bree
• Shieldmaiden of Rohan

This story (along with the one I’ll post next…) falls immediately after “Have You Seen Grace Redfern”, before the introduction of Pellandir and Arethryth in the subsequent stories.

Linett says:

In a book. I found it in a book. My father always told me you could find anything you needed in a book, but I don’t think this is what he had in mind.

The book was my mother’s. Is my mother’s; someday she’ll be back in Bree to read it again, I must believe that. Mum had few books of her own; in our house, the bookshelves (and there are many) are mostly cluttered quite delightfully with all Dad’s books, his schoolbooks and his journals and his tales of far-away. My own room followed a similar pattern as I began to acquire a library of my own, until I ran away to Duillond and eventually relocated my little library to my quarters there. Anyway, Mum was no great reader; the few books she owned tended toward almanacks and atlases, useful things for her scouting. This book was different.

Shieldmaiden of Rohan

Across the crackling campfire, Linett watched as Arethryth silently polished the smooth wooden handle of her spear to a fine sheen. It had been another fruitless day in her ongoing search for Grace Redfern, scouring the wilds around Bree for such clues as might have drawn her mother south.

Well-met in Bree

A while ago (longer ago than I meant it to be, sorry…I’ve not forgot this series, just been so busy with school this time of year), Linett shared the story of the disappearance of Grace Redfern, the event that started her on her own adventures. It’s time now to hear from some of the other characters in this story and see how they fit into events. Without further ado, here’s Pellandir!

Have You Seen Grace Redfern?

I don’t role-play much in game, but on occasion I do like to play in-character a little. That requires giving some thought to my characters’ backstories, and lately that’s what I’ve been thinking about as I’ve spent more time playing old alts and getting to know them better. For one thing, I have this notion that the backstories of all my alts…or at least all those on a server …ought to intersect somehow. There must be some explanation for why they’re so willing to send each other crafting materials in the mail, after all! And it makes the storying more interesting, I think, if I set myself a limit like that and try to make their stories each fit into that overall framework.

After giving so much thought to their stories, I think it’s time to share them with you. So let’s begin with Linett Redfern, my first and still main character. I’ll let her fill you in, in her own words. As the story progresses perhaps some of the other characters will chime in with their parts of the tale…or perhaps you’ll see them from Linett’s eyes. Alas, I’m doomed never to see my different characters interact with each other in game…but I’m sure they do when I’m not looking.