Things to Consider About Mordor

Greetings from the Forbidden Zone!

Well, the Mordor RPG game has been going on for about 9 weeks now, and the death toll has been quite high!  We did manage to make it through a whole session without anyone getting killed, so I thought today was a good time to reflect on a few things that make adventuring in the Dark Lands a little bit - trickier, say, than the idyllic forests of the Elf Lands.

As our player characters come and go quickly here, it can be tough to get a bead on how things go.  I've noticed a few things that everyone should remember whilst delving dark secrets in the land of Mordor.

1. Everything is black, even the air.
The land of Mordor is black.  All the rocks are black.  Everyone's clothes are black.  The shadows are blacker than black, but remember - there's a lot of ash and smoke in the air at all times.  Orcs must not live very long, because if violence doesn't take them, the poisonous air of their territory would eventually cause serious problems.

2.  The Food is Scarce
There's only one place in the whole dark land where anything grows - around the Lake Nernen and it's tributaries in the far south.  Amazingly, enough is made there to feed all of Sauron's legions.  However, that doesn't mean they are well supplied.  It's insane how often these resources get misappropriated, though the threat of Sauron's wrath helps make sure everything gets done in a surprisingly orderly fashion.

Out in the field, it can be tough.  Outside of rations appropriated at the Forges, there isn't much out there.  Hunting is not really an option, because nobody wants to eat a giant spider.  Those things are rancid.  In fact, it's much easier to eat a fallen enemy - or in a pinch, a comrade or two.

3. The Water is Poisonous
Like food, water is quite scarce in the dark land.  Any free standing pools of water are probably so acidic the water would likely kill anything foolish enough to consume it.  Most drinkable water comes from underground grottos watched over by jealous taskmasters.  Also, dark terrors sometimes rise from the depths and claim a few lives before being driven off, making those very underground water holes as terrifying as they are treasured.

Lake Nernen provides fresh, drinkable water as well as it's other bounties.  Aside from carrying water from Nernen, it's advisable to make sure there are at least a few days worth of water rations for each orc, though orcs tend to drink noticeably less than men or elves.

4.  Everything and everyone hates you.
Life is rough in the Dark Land.  It's also cheap.  Swords and food are not cheap.  Therefore, you might at any given point be killed for your gear, flaps or maybe just to be eaten by starving orcs.

Everyone is a hater in Mordor.  Orcs kill each other in petty squabbles over trinkets or rights to booty all the time.  In fact, the Uruk-hai at the Forge area must patrol in full battle gear just to make sure the rabble doesn't get out of control, and they'll haul offenders off to toil away at the Forges beneath Mt. Doom.

Great care must be taken by war leaders not to ever show weakness - i.e. getting knocked unconcious, or maimed and nearly killed.  Orcs aren't known for their loyalty, and just a few flaps or the promise of a good chunk of leg can change the course of a promising warlord in a flash.  Look out for yourself, and for your gear.  Coins have a mysterious way of disappearing, along with anything else valuable, in the company of raiders from the east.

5.  The Great Eye is Upon You
There is one thing, and one thing only, that compels orcs to be as orcs.  The Great Eye, Sauron, is alive and well in Mordor.  His spirit is the will that drives the actions of the Nazgul, his undead lieutenants, and marshals the armies of evil against the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.  His eye is real, and it's looking at you.

Shamans of Sauron's power exist in the orc clans, nearly religious demagogues who give the orcs something to look forward to.  It's sort of like church (of Doom) where Salvation is reached through domination of others.  One thing is driven into the masses - Sauron will not be denied.

Some orcs can feel the Eye more than others, in the way some Men are more spiritual than others.  Most just accept that if they step out of line, someone with a red eye design on their armor will beat them into submission.  No matter how close to their dark deity they feel, one thing is for certain - the light of they Eye can be seen and felt.  For his slaves in Mordor, there is no denying the Dark Lord's presence.  There is no escape from the pressure of his will.

That's enough out of me for today.  The playing the morally bankrupt servants of Mordor in Ruthless Raiders of the East has been an absolute blast!  Middle-Earth is one of our favorite settings, and we have tons left in store for this hapless universe!  Have fun this holiday season, and we'll try to keep the posting regular!