I should kick off with an apology - I thought I'd posted this days ago but clearly haven't.  I don't see cinnamon in Wilderland as any kind of problem - unexpected, off the cuff references like this are opportunities for world-building! 

Quote from: Telcontar on Jul 21, 2017, 08:45 AMThere are two non-mutually exclusive options...

... both of which I like, and are now my personal headcanon.  To build on the Umbar-to-points-north-via-the-River idea, this kind of trade certainly wasn't unknown in early medieval Europe.  Post-Roman Britain was buying wine and spices from the Mediterranean, for example.  What drives it, without exception, is the presence of some kind of trade good that makes the long trip worthwhile.  In Britain, up until the sixteenth or seventeenth century, it was tin.  In Scandinavia, it was walrus ivory.  Medieval Iceland had a nice line in hunting falcons. 

I submit that Mirkwood has furs.  Sure, you can get fur most places, but it's almost all common-as-muck brown or grey stuff.  Mirkwood is the best source in the West of pure black (lots of Mirkish animals are described as black-furred) and white (because albinism isn't such a disadvantage when there's almost no light anyway) fur - the expensive stuff that kings and potentates like to trim their robes with.  The Woodmen don't produce a lot of it, or they'd be much richer.  As it is, just getting enough to eat every year takes up most of their time.  The Beornings probably produce some as well, but I always pictured them as more cattle people - an entirely sensible way to produce wealth when you live in a low-population-density river valley. 

Anyway, if there's any good economic reason to go talk to the Woodmen, I reckon fur is probably it. 

Paul,
 I had a response to your post , but I accidently swiped the wrong way on my phone and it now belongs to the ages. So here is the second attempt.

My explanation was a bit stretched I admit. I too was curious as to what the Woodmen would have that would be of value for a trade route. The Riverman reason for a caravan I think is tenuous and thin at best. I think that geography and economics play a part here. If not for the Falls of Rauros I would say that the trade was an accidental by product of a migratory people along the river. However, with the falls this would make this over burdensome as a natural rhythm of the people. Let us not also forget that such a route would take one close to Dol Guldur, Lorien, and through great miles of unoccupied space.

I also thought of the example of Britain in the Roman period, or even the trade patterns and goods that are found along the Rhine. These cultures while vastly different from one another were still connected by the proximity of Roman urban centers. The Franks and other tribes had been in direct contact with Rome for such commodities to be valued, prized, and available.  The goods that the Woodmen could provide to anyone else, while unique, I don't believe are sufficient to justify any kind of reliable trade network. Looking at the map they are isolated in every cardinal direction.

The only quasi reliable trade route that I could see would be that which the Dwarves could provide. I could see them trading good and items to preserve stocks for either their trek through the forest, or over the mountain, depending on the direction of travel. This would make the Old Ford extremely valuable to the Beornings and explains Bofri's quest, but again this leaves the Woodmen high and dry. Even the Mirkwood River that connects the primary Woodmen settlements is of little value to anything but internal movement of goods, subsequently perpetuating their insular nature. (Upon further reflection I almost see the Woodmen now like the Folk of Haleth, bound to the woods and insular to all and sundry. Their Mountain Hall being incongruous with this concept of the people, but its game cannon.) The Woodmen are probably the most isolated of all folks within Wilderland.

Leaving the peculiarity of Radagast as the most probable reason for its existence.

With a fairly comprehensive turnover in our PC lineup, it'd be good to have new journey roles established.  Grimbeorn's Travel is good and high, so he'd be a good choice for a Guide, and Moriruse's' Alertness pwns everyone else in the group, so he's probably our new Look-out.  Arbogast seems to have the highest Explore, so he can continue as Scout, which leaves either Esgalwen or Udo as a Huntsperson. 

Comments?

I don't see a problem with that... most likely it'd be Udo instead of Esgalwen since he's a PC

Yeah, I'm cool with the Paul plan and Matt addendum.

  change your PC sheets with the new setup.

Hey all, unfortunately things are still hectic with me, and look to be getting worse with my wife starting a great but demanding new job this week.  As I'm a stay-at-home dad to a 2 year old, much of my free time has now disappeared.

As much as I'd love to get stuck in with you all, I honestly can't commit to a reasonable posting frequency.  Reading new posts and spending the time putting together a decent contribution takes a surprising amount of time.

I am also the regular GM (one session per month) in a "live" / "meatspace" roleplay group, so I am finding my precious little RPG free-time is eaten up in prepping for my next session.  It looks like I may even need to back out of this responsibility, too.

Anyway, I'm really sorry - it looks like Udo will be retired shortly after being introduced!

Doug,
 I cant get my avatar to load. I tried changing the size and the format. Anyway, I found another picture. Can you get on of these to uplaod as my avatar?

Never mind, i got it to work. It was coming in as Xed out but when I posted it was there.

Quote from: BristolMatt on Aug 02, 2017, 12:02 AMHey all, unfortunately things are still hectic with me ...

Anyway, I'm really sorry - it looks like Udo will be retired shortly after being introduced!

I think I speak for all of us when I say that we understand!  Sorry to see you go.  Keep us in mind if you find yourself looking for a game in the future - I suspect we'll still be here. 

In the meantime, enjoy your time with your little one.  It's nerve-wracking, but precious in hindsight. 

Sorry to see you go. Hope it all works out for you.

Sorry for holding things up, everyone.  I've been helping my wife with her coursework over the weekend.  I've also been dealing with a fucking great abcess on my leg which is painful as hell.  For an appropriate fee, I won't post pictures.

Anyway, I should have a post up later today.

Quote from: Eclecticon on Aug 06, 2017, 01:26 PMFor an appropriate fee, I won't post pictures.

 


It's no problem, Paul. I actually have been working on the current scene and encounters, so that is why the party was just kind of left standing in the dark woods with no direction from me.

I, too, will have another post up tonight.

Take care of your leg and help your wife - you'll find some stuff to work with here tonight or tomorrow.

Paul,
Are you going all Henry Vee Three on us? I'm just hanging in the background waiting to be the party pain in the ass. 

I would love to get sick being a warrior-monarch.  As it is, I suspect I picked up something nasty while retrieving a chicken from a compost bin.  A more peasantly wound I don't think I could imagine.