Dear Chris,
Thanks for the issues of Other Hands (brilliant title, the significance of which wasn't lost on me). Before I go any further, let me congratulate you on your magazine. On presentation and content it knocks Mallorn for six—and you manage to produce it quarterly! I'm not a gamer (although I irregularly purchase mags such as Dragon for the artwork and reviews), so I can't comment on the specifically RPG sections, but your more general articles, editorials &c are of immense interest to me.
Martin Baker
37 Marlborough Court
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear NE3 2YY
England
Dear Chris,
With reference to The Kin-strife module, I was very impressed. I consider it an interesting break from the usual time setting (c. 1640), which I have always considered rather restrictive. I accept that in order to build up a series of modules it must be easier to choose one time period and stick to it, but I believe that a great many opportunities to develop interesting scenarios are being missed.
I personally am eager to see the areas of Middle-earth south and east of the "traditional" settings developed, and also more modules set at other crucial or interesting points in history. I perhaps underestimate the difficulty and problems in developing a series of modules that are generally so consistent and high in the quality of detail. However considering that MERP has been going on for over 10 years I find it hard to believe that so few forays have been made outside of NW Middle-earth.
Brian Carlton
John Forty's Court
34 Forthvale Court
Cornton
Stirling FK9 5AL
Scotland
Dear Chris,
The matters with which your magazine deals are of great interest to me and other Tolkienists here in the Far East (or Far-earth, as we call it).
Actually, the way you treat Middle-earth gaming is almost unknown here. Our Tolkien groups organize outdoor games based on various periods of the history of Middle-earth. In most cases, it is impossible to follow the events described in J.R.R.T.'s books exactly, and usually we have no definite scenarios, so our games tend to run amok. Nevertheless, people seem to like it, but sometimes decide not to offend Tolkien's memory with different distortions of his ideas in historical games. (Once, the Ring was destroyed by Elrond, while the Fellowship was utterly destroyed by the Enemy.) Last year, Robin Hood games took place (not quite successfully) in Vladivostok. So we are in great need of people experienced in gaming matters and, frankly speaking, I couldn't even have imagined the existence of organizations like ICE. (No offense is meant. Here I must admit my ignorance.) The fact is that I have had no way of finding out any traces of such an organization.
I would have remained in this ignorance had it not been for a friend of mine, who asked me awhile ago if I could get any kind of Middle-earth boardgame or something like that through my American friend, Gary Hunnewell. So it was a real surprise to discover a whole world of Middle-earth gaming.
Our fans have never tried to write those episodes of Middle-earth history which were not written by Tolkien himself. That is why the materials sent by you and those produced by ICE are of great interest to our fans here, who are (for the most part) quite ignorant in these matters.
I will study the magazines you sent with great care one more time, and will tell about all this to others interested. We will appreciate any explanations or examples. I am looking forward to receiving your Kin-strife module. I think it will explain a lot and will show exactly what your job is like. Who knows? Maybe after that there will be people here who will decide to continue this work or to join an organization like yours. I myself am very much interested in everything concerned with Middle-earth and will be happy to give you any information of our activities. You may ask any questions, and we will try to find answers to them. Any of your advice and explanations will be appreciated. I hope for a continual correspondence.
Vyacheslav Kozlov
p. Pervostroiteley, 19-85
Komsomolsk-on-Amur G81024
Russia
Dear Chris,
Thanks for sending me the three issues of Other Hands. It's great! I've read them and found them to be informative and useful. People who're fond of the games like Dungeons & Dragons will enjoy OH, but the magazine'll be welcome also in another branch of role-playing to which my friends and I belong. I think I must say a few words about it. Let it be my little contribution to the Other Hands.
The specific kind of RPG we're going in for can be called "Field Games." I've already written about them to Gary Hunnewell, and he published my brief account in Ravenhill; but, you being a specialist in RPG, I feel I must explain the situation in more detail. As far as I can judge from Hunnewell's Tolkien Review, our role-playing experience is almost unique in the world.
There are Tolkien fans here who are, so to say, purely theoretical and even somewhat religious in their attitude to Tolkien's works. They usually don't approve of our activities, and we have very little in common with them. We are "the playing Tolkienists." Within this circle there are theoretically-minded people too, who differ to some extent from those who prefer practice, but the Games unite all of us.
For you better to understand what we're doing, you should have some idea of our geography. Have a look at the map, and keep in mind that it takes a traveler about 10 days to cross this country (we still consider it to be one country, though it was divided politically) from extreme West to extreme East. And throughout these vast spaces there are Tolkien groups and clubs which at the same time participate in the role-playing movement. By moderate estimates, there are about 2,000 active players, and almost all these people are acquainted with each other (personally or by correspondence). There are very renowned clubs in the Far East, in Siberia, in the Ural Mountains region, on the Volga river and in the European part of the country, including Ukraine and Belorus (now independent republics). They organize series of games during the year, and everybody from other clubs can come and take part (if they have enough time and money, of course). Additionally, there's a number of so-called "convents," which are traditionally gathered each year in different places: "Nordcon" in Kotlas (North), "Sibcon" in Tomsk (Siberia, East), "Glipcon" in Ivanovo (Central Russia), and "Zilantcon" in Kazan on the Volga. At these convents, former games are discussed, new games planned, papers are read, competitions of singers and fighters are held. We also have masquerades, friendly talks, etc. This allows us to get all necessary information and to coordinate our plans for the next year.
The local clubs usually make 2 games a year, in May and in September, for 2 or 3 days. The number of players varies from 40 to 200, and they come for the most part from one club, although guests are always invited too. Such games are called "small" or "regional." They are considered as training before the main event of the year: the "Big" summer game. People wishing to organize such games usually make a claim for it in November at "Zilantcon." They must work out the initial layout, the rules, distribute them among the players and rent a convenient patch of land (the "polygon"). The preparations begin immediately after the claim has been made, and in July or August, all teams meet in the chosen place. Here the number of players is from 200 to 500, and the Game lasts for 4 or 5 days.
Oh, I wanted to give you only an outline of what is going on here but, after having written such a lot, I see that essential things remain unexplained. So, if you're still not bored, I'll try to describe what our games are like.
They have no scenarios, only certain initial conditions. Besides Tolkien, the themes of the regional games can be historical events, folklore or fantasy books. The Big Game is always dedicated to Tolkien. The first was held in 1990 near Krasnoyarsk (Siberia), the 2nd in 1991 near Moscow (both based on Third Age events), the 3rd (1992, Ufa) was based on The Silmarillion, the 4th and 5th (l993 and 1994), in Ural Mountains and again near Moscow were based on the Second Age.
The only likeness between the indoor RPG and our field ones is that we also have written rules, GMs, and some typical characters (fighter, healer, wizard, minstrel, etc.). Game time is not real time (e.g., one real hour equal one game month), and such things as death and birth are, of course, only imagined, but everything else is quite real.
The polygon is about 2 to 4 km long and wide. There are woods, a river or lake, hills, etc. You walk and work, prepare food and sleep (very little indeed!), and the fights and flights, rituals and treaties are real! In fact, each game is a serious psychological experiment with unpredictable results. One must often have strong nerves to endure it, but it has been already proven that these impressions generally are beneficial for body and soul. People return home very tired, but happy, and begin to wait impatiently for the next summer.
The participants range from 12 to 60 years of age (mainly 17-28), among whom are school and university students, computer specialists, engineers, teachers, mathematicians, biologists, historians, economists, and so on. Because of hard economic conditions, all these highly qualified people are paid rather scarcely for their work, and to attend a Big Game (in our measure) costs a considerable sum of money. The games are nonprofit events and we have almost no sponsors. But people do everything they can to arrive at the polygon and to live another life in Middle-earth. The pleasure is great and worth any effort!
Alina Nemirova
Pobedy Avenue, 66A-110
Kharkov 310204
Ukraine
Dear Chris,
I will be doing the "Small Press" review section for Amon Hen and will be sure to start reviewing EVERYTHING that I get for the column. AH has been looking scanty lately, so hopefully I'll be able to provide a consistent 2-4 pages per issue. So, perhaps you'll get a little more publicity for OH. Speaking of which, I am (finally) getting around to reading OH.
I find some of it really annoying—not anything you've done in particular, but just the ideas behind some of the articles. I know that some of you folks want to fill in the empty blanks, but Sauron's daughter (!?!). There seems to be an overdependence on magic as well, which looks like it is being countered by Tolkien fans who realize that "magic" played a small part in the grand scheme of things. I enjoy the critical reviews—I like when you are on top of the ball, and I particularly liked your article on religion in Middle-earth.
I think that someone else did a survey of Middle-earth population in a TS publication. Also, did you catch Jason Finch's article about the condition of Gondor during the Third Age. It originally appeared in Gondtengwen and then Amon Hen (123: 6-7).
On Queen Berúthiel (OH 3: 13-18), I think that you overlook the most obvious reason why she could have been feared/why she found out things about other people. It is a good way to keep certain people under your thumb (whether it is the butcher who cheats on the meat scales, or the treasurer who has a loose purse). Such knowledge is power. And, being the queen, one would have to have great proof against her to confront her without pain of death. Could her marriage have been one of reconciliation or reunification between the King's Men and the Faithful? One last thing: her communication with cats is very possible. (After all, the men of Dale could understand the language of birds.)
Gary Hunnewell
2030 San Pedro
Arnold, MO 63010
USA