2016 Yuletide Gift Exchange

[Greg]

It's that time of year again, folks! I daresay last year's yuletide gift exchange, hosted graciously by Elleth, was among the biggest highlights of the year. 'Twould be a shame to miss out on all of the shenanigans again, yes?

I'll be facilitating this year as Elleth is elbows deep in a few other projects. As such...here we go!

You have until:

Noon EST, October 13th, to chime in as a participant, listing your Name, impression/persona information, and a short list of ideas to help the person assigned to you get a head start on what sort of items might fit your impression or your needs, etc. When you make your participatory post, please PM me reasonably soon with your shipping information so I can begin to organize things.

By Noon EST, October 15th, each participant will be anonymously assigned a forum member for whom to craft an item, generally in the ballpark of $30-50 value in materials/time, as a baseline. It is unlikely you will be making something for the person who is also assigned you. You will be provided their mailing address, and will have their information from the forum.

You then have until sometime early to mid-December to craft an appropriate item, and ship it. We'll take a little time between now and then to pick out a date that will coincide nicely with a Middle-Earth appropriate date or Yule for everyone to try to open their gifts and post about them on. Obviously, schedules happen, but we'll aim for that general date range.

Questions, comments, concerns, snide remarks? Feel free.

Otherwise, get to it!


--------------------------------

I'll start us off:

Greg
Impression: Dunedain Ranger in Arnor/North of Bree along the Greenway; the 3rd Age of Middle Earth.

Suggestions: My kit is undergoing some major changes in structure at the moment, but I am always looking for small-detail items to add a personal touch. I've developed a love affair with copper and tin, as well as stitched linen. I could use a small salt container. Sometime here in the near future, I'll be needing a new 58" bowstring. I'd be stoked with a pile of fabric/materials scraps. Love surprises.

[Farodel]

I've been waiting for this all year, because I love the idea of bringing the community together in a tangible way. I'm very ready to give back. So excited!


Mat
Impression: An Ithilien Ranger toward the end of the War of the Ring, with some real-world pagan influences. An archer above all else.

Suggestions: My kit is also undergoing a dramatic overhaul (upgrade), and I have room for literally any accessory or utility-type item. Anything made of natural elements (leather, fur, bone, antler), any basic survival kit pieces (knife, fishing, fire starting, etc.). Or anything bearing the symbol of the wolf, stag, or the white tree. Very open-ended. I'm impossible to disappoint.

[Elleth]

So in! Thank you so much for taking this up this year Greg!

Elleth
Impression: Dunedain lady of a smallholding in the remains of old Arthedain; late Third Age. Deeply attached to the old lore of past days, and as the Shadow grows longer, torn between keeping the people of holding fed and armed against the coming storm - and preserving some remnant of that legacy should the worst come to pass.

Suggestions: My kit proper is largely either done, in process, or designed and in the pipeline so I'm mostly covered there. What I'd love though is relics or trinkets of other peoples or especially the glory days of old Arnor - perhaps something that might have been pulled from a ruin. An elven jewel? A carved stone? A set of rubbings from a memorial? A weathered cloak clasp in the fashion of sea-loving Numenoreans? Or perhaps simply scribe's tools to make a record.

What I can do: sewing and leatherwork in period fashion. Just a touch of woodwork, and we're trying to get off the ground with small metal casting.

This is going to be so fun.

[Udwin]

Ohh yeahh! Let's see...
I have two personas (both late Third Age), but I use pretty much the same gear for each, and there's a lot of overlap in lifestyles.
#1: Aistan (Man): common member of the Beorning chiefdom. Homesteads on the banks of the Anduin, between the Gladden and the Dwarf Road through Mirkwood.
#2: Tungo Boffin (Hobbit): Bounder of Stoorish stock, based in southern Buckland on the banks of rivers Brandywine and Withywindle.

Common to each:
When not exploring their respective rivers in his hide canoe, both of these fellows will forage, gather (for food and materials), garden, braintan, trade surplus for goods from other lands, and teach their skills at gatherings.
Skills: handsewing, leatherwork, vegetable dyes, woodcarving, felting, simple red- and black-smithing, pewter casting, basketry, birch-oiling, cartography...

Most of my gear is pretty plain, so decorative motifs to add a fancy touch are always nice--geometric for Aistan, and vegetative for Tungo.
Ideas:
An iron blanket/cloak pin from distant parts. A small (semi rigid or weatherproof?) container for herbs or pocketsoup. A bone case for needles or water puri. tabs.

Very much looking forward to this year's exchange!

[caedmon]

ok, here goes.. **ducking**

Caedmon: Living historian/experimental archaeologist in the early 7th Age. I live in north western parts of Nova-Valinor and specialize in Dunedain culture & art in the late third age, especially around the northern dunedain heartlands around the Angle.

My kit is a hodge podge of reconstructed gear from a variety of Northern cultures and late sixth age artifacts. It's not particularly faithful to 3rd age originals but most decent museums are back in Middle Earth.

As for ideas, I'm a sucker for most third age gear. I especially like small things that have been decorated with northern, but not necessarily dunedain, motifs.

[Feredir (hunter)]

Oh boy!! This sounds fun!!!!
Hope im doing this right....
Feredir: 4th age northern dunadain living and wandering in the highlands of the misty mountains who has grown to like blanket wrapped around me for warmth instead of trousers (aka scottish great kilt) and injoy learning the middle eastern combatives. I heavily rely on camo and remaining unseen to take out my enemy if necessary.
Im also a 16th century scottish reenactor Who after his clan been savagely attacked has been wandering the highlands as a personal protector or vip for higher.

Some ideas:
My kit is almost done but always have needs for leather anything (even scraps) and wool anything (even scraps) and any small usefull things (like metal worked objects) or really anything handmade for i injoy what people can come up with. really really hard to disappoint and will put anything to use.

[Farodel]

Living historian/experimental archaeologist in the early 7th Age.

Ah, I see what you did there!

[Greg]

Caedmon: Living historian/experimental archaeologist in the early 7th Age. I live in north western parts of Nova-Valinor and specialize in Dunedain culture & art in the late third age, especially around the northern dunedain heartlands around the Angle.

My kit is a hodge podge of reconstructed gear from a variety of Northern cultures and late sixth age artifacts. It's not particularly faithful to 3rd age originals but most decent museums are back in Middle Earth.

Someday, a new member is going to come across your post, and we're going to wind up having to explain that nearly half of Middle Earth was lost in the sea, Valinor has been removed from the circles of this world, and that glacial change has rendered the remainder indistinguishable from its original form... "So sorry, but the museums have closed."

[Yavion]

....

[caedmon]

Yavion, chiming in.

Ranger/Woodsman. Norse/Saxon inspired ranger with a touch of Ruse/Mongol.
I have no kit. I'm armed to the teeth with everything except a spear head but beyond that I've got nothing. I'm amazingly easy to please, so most anything would be fine. If the person who gets stuck with me decides on clothing, I can only wear natural fibers. Anything synthetic does evil things to me. I love snow leopards and cats....
Honestly, no idea what else to say.

Shirt size sound like a reasonable addition...

[Yavion]

....

[Straelbora]

Straelbora is a semi-retired Ranger living in the years after the retaking of Erebor, on the eve of the War of the Ring. He keeps the Dragons Wood Inn, which doubles as a secret Ranger waystation at the northernmost point of the Weather Hills, where the old Royal Road to Fornost crosses by the Norbury Cut off of the Dwarrowweg, the Dwarf Road following the western foothills of the Misty Mountains.

Guests to the Inn include Men picking the ancient ruins and those cutting and trading in rare Weather Hills ironwood. Dwarves, trading coal, ironwork, and metal crafts also visit regularly, as well as the rare Hobbit up from Bree or the Shire. Elves pass by on business with Rangers, but almost never in the open.

The Inn is old and a bit run down, but home to a collection of trinkets and relics plundered from the ruins of Fornost and even Annuminas, including Numenorean artworks and cast-offs the army of Angmar left in its defeat. Any item to add to that collection would be well received as a Yule gift, as would anything distinctively Elvish or Dwarvish.

[Ringulf]

I will re-post last year's entry with some minor updates.
Count me in too!
I love this kind of thing!

PERSONA:
My name is Ringulf called Naugathrain and I am of the Khazad of Erebor originally. My Father Haakon Hammerhand is of the house of Uri and was a "Free Axe" and shield bearer to King Dain. My Two Elder step brothers: Aribjorn and Heathbjorn are warriors as well. My mother is of the house of Sindri and belonged to a family of merchant artisans residing in Dale. I was a Ravenhill Scout until pressure from the royal court over my maternal lineage forced me to seek my fate elsewhere. After a short stint in the Upper vales of the Anduin with a Beorning family, I was encouraged to find the men over the mountains who were called Rangers. It took a while, but upon finding them and showing them what I was capable of, they gave me an interesting assignment. I now roam the Shire as an itinerant craftsman and peddler, pulling my wagon up to the craft centers of each village by day and staying with a select few Hobbits or Dwarves who know me, or the local Inn in the evenings. I carry mail when needed, know all the Bounders and Sheriffs by name and barter a bit of handiwork for my food and lodging from time to time. I am always willing to help and as such have earned the trust and confidence of my Halfling neighbors, in fact they are some of my dearest friends.
I keep my ears and eyes open and keep my finger on the pulse of the Shire. At appointed times I meet with my Ranger Brethren at my hunting lodge on Girdley Island or in Rushock bog to share any news or information.

SKILLS:
I am best known for my skill at leather working, and carving wood, horn, bone and antler, but I work a bit of metal and clay as well. I make leather goods and armor, simple knives and axes, as well as pipes and some toys.
My Hobbies are hunting, fishing and oddly enough, messing about in boats. I love to sing, cook, enjoy archery and most of all thrown weapons.

Suggestions:
I have few needs I can not supply myself, but a gift from a friend is always cherished, I need to learn more about arrow making and need to get some properly made arrows for my longbow. I am also rather hard on my garments and need to update my wardrobe with practical garb for my current mission here in Southern Ithilian where the heat is rather oppressive.

[Brandwyn]

MERF name: Brandwyn
Persona name - I think Brandwyn Rosamund Brandybuck - "Brandy Rose" for short. (still working that out)
Probably early 4th age

Ringulf had such a great time with this last year that I want to get in on the fun too!

Just one problem, I haven't really nailed down my persona just yet. After being on the boards for a few years and not being very active (though I lived vicariously through Ringulf and have have kept up with most of the news...) This past SE Ranger Gathering has kindled my fire to get my persona and then my kit done. It also presented me with a persona dilemma. I love horses and have done quite a bit with equestrian activities in the Society for Creative Anachronism so a Rohirrim Shield Maiden was a natural choice for a character here. However I have also frequently played a Hobbit or Halfling in LARP and D&D. I went to the Gathering as Brandwyn from Rohan as a mounted shield maiden scout. However during the course of the gathering I kept letting my inner Hobbit slip out. Thus my dilemma.

I am contemplating a hobbit that is now in Rohan and being trained as a shield maiden / lady-in-waiting and is perhaps a cousin or neice of Merridoc Brandybuck. I am working on a history, but still ironing all that out. Perhaps I was one of the hobbits that helped rebuild the Shire after the Scourge and given my love of horses, already had a pony and was an accomplished rider. And perhaps Merry noticed me upon his return and sent me off to Rohan to be a lady-in-waiting for a shield maiden (which I hear is all the rage now a-days - to have a hobbit as lady-in-waiting)

It also would have been during the rebuilding of the Shire that I ran into the dwarf, Ringulf and struck up a relationship with him. The fact that he was traveling around the Shire in a wagon pulled by a pony only added to my attraction, since I like my comforts and I don't travel light. And that brings me to my kit which I haven't really started much of yet.

I would appreciate anything and will be happy with whatever my secret Santa-ranger comes up with, but to make your job a bit easier here are some ideas:

Anything with horses on it. I also love maps and making maps. Besides equestrian games, I also recreate manuscripts from the Middle Ages, cook, do archery and throw axes, knives and spears. I like blue and yellow and Ringulf has gotten me to like the woodsy browns and greens too. I also make jewelry, do leatherwork and many needle arts like embroidery and kumihimo. I have recently been doing a lot of jewelry with Viking wire weaving and other wire wrapped stones.

As for item ideas, something a hobbit would be likely to take on an adventure, like a journal, a handkercheif, a small box, etc. I suspect I would be dressed in a mix of hobbit men's breeches with a female hobbit's blouse and vest. Any kind of camping item would be appreciated as well, chair, table, tripod or pot for cooking, etc. (Like I said, I don't travel light!)

Sorry for the lengthy post. Let me know what you think about my persona idea. I am open to suggestions.

Brandwyn

[Ringulf]

Ladies and gentlemen, my lovely Hobbit wife! MUSHROOMS!