Hezār Afsān – a repository of NuPlaza RP posts

[Nessa Saelind]

Ashig Alesker – You must have
(Ethical code of behaviour and attitude for ashiks)

(translated by Eugene Felgenhauer)

Aşıq olub diyar-diyar gəzənin
Əzəl başdan pürkəmalı gərəkdi
Oturub durmaqda ədəbin bilə
Mə'rifət elmində dolu gərəkti

(…)

Danışdığı sözün qiymətin bilə
Kəlməsindən ləl'i-gövhər tokülə

(…)

Doğru qəlbi, doğru yolu gərəkdi

To be a bard and wander far from home
You knowledge and thinking head must have.
How you are to behave, you too must know,
Politeness, erudition you must have.

(…)

He should know the weight of his words.
He should be brilliant in speech,
(…)

True heart and word of honour you must have.

Hezār Afsān (Persian, lit. A Thousand Tales) got a very poetic name and introduction. Many times life, work and general adulting have limited the time I have to spend on the NuPlaza, and I noticed that I missed out on some brilliant storytelling. That is a shame because so many people here are so talented and creative and their hard work deserves to be appreciated, read and praised. Sometimes I stumble onto those stories myself (the creation of character archives in the CoLP was a tremendous help in that mission), other times people poke me and ask if I’d read something… Additionally, the tribute thread is also a wonderful source for this…

Hezār Afsān is a thread that can be used in a myriad of ways: a repository of links to various RP stories and plots that the brilliant creators of NuPlaza wrote and planted throughout the site itself. They worked so hard on those posts, they simply deserve to be appreciated. Anyone can link to anyone’s work (including your own). See a good story you think more people should read? Link it here! You think this is one of the best things you wrote at the present time and you want people to read it? Link it here! Want to use this thread as a personal archive for your characters, but you kind of don’t feel the need or simply don’t wish to open one? Put the list here. Why not, be creative! After all, it is a thread about a thousand tales…

Let us all enjoy exquisitely told tales, even if we didn’t have the time to read the post when it was published. Feel free to comment on anything and everything, just be nice and follow the NuPlaza guidelines. I’ll leave you with a somewhat free translation of āyat an-nūr Q24:35 taken from the Khorasan Archives series by Ausma Zehanat Khan that served as an inspiration for the purpose of this thread.

“Like a niche that holds a lamp, the lamp within glass, the glass as if it were a pearlescent star lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light!”

[Nessa Saelind]

*a placeholder post for future links and things*

[Baphởmet]

For sheer hilarious typos, I humbly submit this encounter with an oliphaunt. Can you find the typo?

[Raisins]

For sheer hilarious typos, I humbly submit this encounter with an oliphaunt. Can you find the typo?

Uhhhh that it's a link to your profile and not a post about olipha(u)nts?

[Baphởmet]

pretty sure there's some available meta commentary on that, typo of a typo (typoception?)
let's try and yank this one free shall we?

[Nessa Saelind]

I'm catching up on a lot of posts these days but I wanted to shine a spotlight on one collaboration that recently finished (I still have a post or two to catch up with). It grew very organically in the Cavalry Courtyard II thread and both @Lailyn & @Amadhrill handled the sensitive matter of PTSD with so thought and care taking into account the historical period that this is happening! I am truly amazed by both of their skills as writers and RPers and would encourage you to read this.

I'd like to highlight these two posts, that start this, but in all honesty, all of the posts are excellent! Lail's post & Ama's post

In addition, another organic colab that I need to catch up, this time in the Houses of Healing II between @Amadhrill & @Pele Alarion! It starts with Ama at the Reception and continues after Pele's response in the same thread, and from what I've managed to skim through it looks like another amazing thing to read!

That's all for tonight from me

[Amadhrill]

Thank you, @Nessa Saelind! It gives me so much joy to see that what I write mainly for my own entertainment while trying to do my co-writers justise also give other people enjoyment.

One writer I would like to highlight here is @Aodh Hammerhelm, pretty much everything he writes is a joy to read! Especially the stories he write with @Eléowyn! I started to search for some of their work, then I got lost in Rohans Life in the Mark thread which also contains stories by such talents as @Eldrith and @Allacan and many others so since I can't remember how to put in links: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=617

Also, seeing Ayāt an-Nur in English translation reminds me of when I studied Arabic and we had to memorize poems and parts of the Qurān. I hadn't thought about that passage for 15 years Still, a wonderful piece of poetry!

[Aodh Hammerhelm]

@Amadhrill

Your praise is always highly valued, freond. And in truth, as you've mentioned, I need others to nudge Aodh and his NPC companions on. @Eléowyn is my muse, but you too have helped develop characters like Ælfred, Ringbold and Sheemie. Thankee-sai, Sai

[Lailyn]

Thank you, Nessa. Like Ama, I write primarily for myself and whoever I am writing with, and if others enjoy it, then all the better. And of course, it would not be what it is without the writer on the other side who always have my appreciation.

When I first saw this thread, one particular post stood out to me so I would like to share it. It is @Androthelm's post here viewtopic.php?p=40844#p40844. Androthem's posts always feel so deeply enmeshed in Middle-earth to me, I really enjoy them, and this one is no exception. This also serves as a little exposure because I hope someone will approach Ausr the Grim and start a little story at the High Pass. I'd love to read it unfold.

[Androthelm]

Aw @Lailyn thank you so much! "Enmeshed" is the highest complement I can imagine for an RP post. And thanks for the love for lonely old Ausr as well

[Nessa Saelind]

Take two, because I'm an idiot sandwich.

This post is going to be a bit of a hodgepodge, however, there is a method to my madness. Its aim is threefold? Firstly, to highlight some new(ish) and interesting threads that I would like to RP in, or that I just enjoy reading. Second, some collaborations of member's posts that I need to catch up with and thirdly, possible ARPY 2021 nomination posts/threads/whatnots.

New(ish) threads that you should definitely check out (in alphabetical order):

• Arda: A World of Dreams - Free RP (Imladris) - I particularly like the option of writing believable AUs and crossovers here. AUs and crossovers are interesting concepts and you need some skill to make them ME believable and maybe one day I might do that.

• Children of the Stones [an Anthropology RPG] (Rohan) - Frost's brainchild, much love, highly enjoyable, go forth and read etc.

• Dol Guldur: The Forest Under Nightshade (Mordor) - So much potential in here! I need to find some time to carefully read the descriptions in the OP, but even if I don't post anything here I'll keep my eye on this thread.

• The Ered Luin - Dwarven Free RP (Khazad Dum) - I see a lot of potential here for RP-ing, perhaps even exploring how the 3 races mine together or are rivals for mines... That could be interesting too!

• The Farthings and Beyond - Free RP (Shire) - The childhood (mis)adventures of young Pippin coming soonish (a relative term), working title A Curious Hobbit. Also the curious case of Lalia Took's, née Clayhanger's fatal accident!

• The Lands of Harad (WIP) (Mordor) - Another thread with great potential for RP-ing and exploring different cultures that were not so prominent in canon. What will your Harad be? Idea and OP A+ IMO.

Collaboration posts and solo posts I need to catch up on (and maybe you should too):

• @Ercassie's elves, a selection (need to catch up with the pirate story)

• A collaboration between @Ercassie and @Rillewen - starts here, also forgot which was the last post I've read, so let's start again from the start

• Liver and Onions - starts here, a story brought to you by the power combo of @Prometherion and @Tarawen

• Rembina, a tale of Davos Seaworth and his ward Finnbarr Galedeep. YT 1495 - an ongoing collaboration between @Moriel and @Prometherion that starts with this post. I forgot which was the last post I've read, so I'll just read from the start shall I

Possible ARPY 2021 nominations (utterly random selection of whatever):

• Wild Mountain Thyme - @Moriel as Caranthir, for Best Canon Character. Utter perfection of a post!

• Don't Look Back @Moriel as Capalimo et alii, for Best Drama?

• Lindon Masquerade | Spring Ball run by @Annúnfalas, Best RPG

• Harlan (Halifirien, Anorien, TA March 3019) by @Lailyn, Best character or drama?

• @Aduchil and @Tarawen the shroom go on a date in Mordor, Best Comedy & Best Small Collaboration

• The Last Ringbearer @Saranna as Sam Gamgee, Best Canon Character

I'm using Hezār Afsān as a personal repository of things, so I know where to look for something when I need it. I hope it will be interesting for you too. There are some great things here.

[Nessa Saelind]

Some more New(ish) threads that you should definitely check out (in alphabetical order):

• Anadûnê - Númenor Free RP (Gondor) - So many options, so many population/resources related questions here! This clown will find her way there someday.

• Beneath the Boughs: Forest Free RP (Fangorn) - a walk through the ages and forests of Middle-earth

• Minas Morgul – The "Dead" City (Mordor) - The quotation marks on the dead part are my addition, because that city doesn't look dead to me brah Also love how the library is in a spiral tower and not in the basement.

• The Far Reaches - Free RP (Imladris) - The Old Pukeland looks like a really interesting place for some archaeological investigative RP. Now there's an idea... *add to list*

• The Lands of Arnor: Free RP (Gondor) - I don't want to hear about it how Arnor is always the forgotten realm, or why don't we have a dedicated Arnor thread... You have it, the TRs are awesome! Go play in the sandbox children, Mother needs to write.

Nessa edit (22.06.2021.): added Lail's new Fangorn thread to the list

[Raisins]

Old Pukeland can be were the Sequel to Children of Stones takes place for Yoshiyo if Frost wants to keep up the archeology line if he doesn't want to make a completely new thread for it

Honestly I feel like there are a few posts from The Upset Hammer that could get best comedy as well.

[Nessa Saelind]

I'm really looking forward to seeing where @Sorceress takes Children of Stone and what the team actually finds! That RPG is one of the most unique and innovative things re Middle-Earth RPs I've seen so far. Whenever it finishes it's got my vote for best RPG! Come to think of it the OP deserves a nomination for Best OP of 2021 and there are some great posts and characters there worth checking out.

Now that I'm in the thinking mode The Upset Hammer reminded me that it's sort of like an RPG for itself, just in a Free RP thread instead of a thread of its own. It's not a small collaboration as per the ARPY category we have now and it's not in its own thread... Might be worth having a look at how we can recognise that sort of collaboration and award it.

[Raisins]

Yeah that's what the loose RPG category use to be for more open end RPGs that didn't really have a set plot but had a bunch of rping and had a beginning and and end as it were.

[Nessa Saelind]

I wanted to highlight 2 amazing posts from 2 very creative members who responded to @Winddancer And then... (Short Story Competition)

@cHa0s BrO (Frost) entry and @ChAoS bRO (Tara) entry

Both posts have horror elements in them, but Frost and Tara have unique styles of writing and they weaved the horror and the creepy in their story entries differently and told fascinating stories. I won't comment much, because it is an ongoing competition, but I hope more people will write something for Windy's thread because the prompt really is interesting and you can do a lot of things there, not just horror.

[Marceline]

Thanks, Nessa! I hope the contest gets some more submissions, too - @Winddancer’s prompt was a wonderful challenge to write for.

[Raisins]

I've only just seen the short story comp the other day and started writing a story for it.... Hopefully it will be up to the current submissions by @Marceline and @Enchantress because I love the prompt.

[Nessa Saelind]

I'd like to put a spotlight on part 2 of Frost's new dwarven series Maker's Mark. It's a beautiful and wonderful slice of (dwarven) life and manages to introduce unique ideas about dwarves, family units, procreation and children. I've taken the liberty to quote a part of the linked post.

Dwarven procreation, such as it was, was highly personal and highly secretive. Instead of giving birth like humans or elves, dwarves carved their offspring. In the same way that Mahal had carved out the original seven dwarves (two male, two female, and three enby), parents carved their children. Dwarven family units, too, were highly unique and different from many of the other races within Middle-earth. It was just as common to have a family unit consist of a mother and child as it was to have two fathers, another parent and three children. Individual expression was paramount. The dwarves were a people that prided themselves on their craftsmanship as well as their diversity. Since their inception, dwarves had sought out new ways and new avenues of self-exploration and self-expression it only seemed natural for them to explore those avenues socially as well as creatively. Their societies had been blessed with great amounts of love and tolerance as a result. They reached the conclusion that nonbinary was a valid feeling much earlier than the elves or humans (though those were both coming around to it these days). They still used terms like “king” and “queen” despite the utter lack of needed gender qualifications for the roles, mostly so as not to confuse their poor, taller allies too much (Maedhros was one of the few elven leaders to ever learn and accept that the greatest leader of the First Age, Azaghâl, was in fact a woman despite the title of king). As it turned out, dwarves had more than metallurgy, stonework, and construction secrets to share with humans and elves.

I really loved this part

the greatest leader of the First Age, Azaghâl, was in fact a woman despite the title of king

it reminded me of Irene Sarantapechaina (Irene of Athens) who's title was during her reign was basileus (emperor) not basilissa (empress).

[Nessa Saelind]

Since I've started highlighting Windy's And Then... Short Story Competition here, I think I'll continue for consistency sake although there is a thread in OOME this specific comment would fit better.

@Lailyn entry reminded me a bit of Alix E. Harrow's short story The Sycamore and the Sybil (CW for sexual coercion/assault and suicidal ideation) from Uncanny magazine, so I thought I'd share it here.

And by the by loved your entry Lail And good luck to @Winddancer when she needs to pick the best entry, all of them are amazing!

[Winddancer]

Only 2 more weeks until the deadline! :D Frost just about killed me with his, he unknowlingly called the girl Trina. My name is Trine or Trina in english

[Lailyn]

I have not seen that story before and I just loved it! It nearly had me in tears...Thanks for sharing, as usual Alix E Harrow's writing is just so eloquent and lovely and inspires me to try to be a better writer.

I hope others enter the story challenge! I'd love to read them all and see a variety of ideas that sprout (haha get it) from a single image/prompt!

[Marceline]

Ohhh The Sycamore and the Sybil was incredible. Thank you for sharing it, Nessa! I don't know that I would've stumbled across it otherwise.

[Nessa Saelind]

It's the last day of @Winddancer And then.. Short Story Competition! so if you wanted to post your entry run do not walk people!

There are some amazing and unique stories there, including the latest entry by @Fuin Elda that shows Fangorn in a modern setting. I've read this days ago and planned to post about it here, but alas I forgot. However, please go read it and the other short stories!