[Keir Maxwell]

Originally posted by Pocus:

*According to many sources, authoritative, and from ICE modules too, the sea of Nurn is somehow fertile, and populated either by Humans or Orcs. To see Mordor as a complete wasteland is a false view, IMHO.

No question - Nurn is farmed by the "Slaves of Mordor" - can't remember the source. The way I intend to make that possible is through alternate sources of dominion which prevent the spread of the worst of Saurons dominion beyond the core area of Mordor. This is also why I don't want to have a full Ermor dominion for Sauron as the effect on population would be far too drastic for areas like Nurn and Khand.

The ICE modules are an interesting source of information and I have access to the bulk - if not all of them. They have, by necessity, made up a great deal. Some of which I intend to use as it will add flavour while other parts I will ommit as they don't fit the time of the War of the Ring so well - most ICE modules are based earlier. For example the terms for Gondorian military inspired by earlier Numenorean and Arnorian practice (Roquen etc) are all very cute but it is better to use the exact terms from the book even if they are less fanciful. On the other hand some of their names for Easterling tribes will be great to use as there is no other source of information.

I am somewhat cautious of using secondary material as some of it is very questionable. The key is the three books, with appendices, and using the same langauge as used there and working to create something of the feel.

Cheers

Keir

[ December 20, 2003, 09:13: Message edited by: Keir Maxwell ]