Couldn't get any traction in Casual, so I'll try here. So I wanna do an RP that stays true to Tolkien's works, but explores what happens after Aragorn's eventual passing on. A knowledge of the lore will be required. If you've only seen the movies, you can probably play, but you may need to do some research. Here's a breakdown of the world we'll be playing in, [u][b]The Free Peoples in the Fifth Age[/b][/u] [list] A bit has changed since the Third Age of the world, most notably perhaps, is the migration of a large portion of Elvenkind to the Far West, and the diminishing of Orcs and Goblinkind as well. [*][b]Men Of The West[/b] After the Return of The King Aragorn Elf-Stone to the throne of Gondor and Arnor at the end of the Third Age of Middle-Earth, the Fourth Age was a peaceful and prosperous one. King Aragorn and the Elvenqueen Arwen Evenstar ruled from the White City of Minas Tirith, and bounty flowed from the lands of men. In Rohan, the Horselords of the Rohirim led by Eomer renewed the Oath of Eorl, binding the two kingdoms of Western Men together in friendship. After Aragorn's passing, his son Eldarion took the throne, and continues to rule to this day. King Eomer, lacking in the graceful long-life of the line of Numenor, passed his throne to his son Elfwine in his old age, and he to his son Theoden II, who rules Rohan now in the Fifth age. [*][b]The Eldar[/b] Most elves departed Middle-Earth, though King Thranduil remained, and so too did many of the elves of Mirkwood, which the Elvenking renamed Eryn Lasgalen and reclaimed fully as his kingdom, ousting the remnants of the shadow of Dol Guldur. For a time, the elves of Lothlorien remained in their beautiful forest home, ruled by Celeborn alone, as Galadriel had passed into the west after Suaron's defeat in the War of the Ring. The elves of Lorien felt the longing for Valinor to a greater extent, without their beautiful beacon Galadriel, and, unlike Thranduil, Celeborn too felt the pull of the White Shores, and so by the time Aragorn II Elessar had passed, Lothlorien was fully abandoned by the fair folk of Celeborn. In the absence of Celeborn's people, Thranduil and his Sylvan elves expanded into Lothlorien, swearing to keep the goblins and orcs of the Misty mountains from perverting the beautiful and holy works of their kin. Lothlorien now remains an extension of Thranduil's kingdom, and is one of two remaining bastions of Elvendom in Middle-Earth. Thranduil and his people, though ever cautious, have good relations with the thriving kingdoms of men, and their forest is home to the Beornings. [*][b]Durin's Folk[/b] With Durin's Bane slain by Gandalf The Grey during the journey of the Fellowship Of The Ring in the Third Age, the Bearded Folk eventually reclaimed Khazad-Dum under the rule of king Durin VII and it became their main Kingdom. The Dwarves became rich and powerful, delving ever-deeper into Middle-Earth, and providing their Mithril armaments to the Men and Elves of The West, though it is rumored that a separatist sect of Dwarves has begun supplying with no regard for their clientele. [*][b]Shire Folk[/b] The Hobbits, after reclaiming the Shire from the weakened and bitter Saruman, began their peaceful life anew, though never again would they let their borders be so weakened. Now, with the elves of Rivendell having all but left Middle-Earth, the buffer between The Shire and the threats in the mountains had disappeared. As such, the Halflings were forced to reinforce their settlements, though they have lost none of their simple beauty. There are now groups of Hobbit scouts, rangers, and sheriffs who tirelessly patrol the lands between The Shire and The Mountains to the east, often quarreling briefly with the Goblin tribes who make those mountains their home. [/list] [b][u]The remaining threat[/u][/b] [list] [*][b]Orcs and Goblins[/b] It has been said that Orcs will always be a problem which plagues Middle-Earth. They roam the south-eastern parts of the world in wild Warbands lead by the strongest among them. In the north, they remain in the mountains, though they are a constant menace to the Dwarves, who relish in the slaying of the foul folk. Despite Sauron's defeat, Orcs remain in vast numbers, though without strong-willed leadership, they are more of a nuisance than a real threat, and nobody has risen to rally them together and dominate the warbands and tribes. [i]Yet.[/i] [*][b]Fire Drakes[/b] Though Smaug was the last great dragon to make himself known, there are many lesser dragons who still slumber in the northern mountains of Middle-Earth, though several have been woken by the Dwarve's recent delving and expansion of their mountain-kingdoms. [*][b]Men of The East[/b] Embittered by the defeat of their God-King Sauron, and the flourishing of their rivals in The West, the Empires of The East have become a greater and more independant threat than before, and are the greatest open threat to the free peoples of Middle-Earth. They are at near-constant war with Gondor and Arnor, and often take in orc warbands to bolster their forces. [*][b]The Whispered Flame[/b] There is rumor of a new evil on the rise. Orcs gather in greater numbers, Easterlings and Haradrim push for control of Mordor ever harder, and beasts that haven't been seen for an age reemerge. Some foul presence is apparently guiding these events, but none can say what, or from where it comes. [/list] I would love it if people wanted to expand upon the world, without taking too many liberties. So, anyone interested?