Newcomers
Contents
Names
Bree human names are generally old-English sounding. Hobbit names for women are flower-based. As a general rule, try to stay away from names that would be picked out as more fitting for, say, an elf or orc culture. There is an object in the Bree OOC Room (+booc) called the Naming Oracle that will suggest names based on your sex and species if you need help. If you have questions about your name, please +mail BAD and we'll help you out. If we find a name which we feel is not thematic, we will likely let you know.
Name List
Surname
Your surname is your last name. To see examples of thematic last names for Bree, please type +breeinfo families, which will give you a list of all 'official' Breefolk families. Each family is from a certain area of the Breelands: type +breeinfo towns to read about them. This does not mean that if you join an already existing family, you must live in that town; it simply means that is where you likely were raised, and where most of your relatives would live.
Choosing a surname can be fun. Many people try to choose a last name which is clever or indicates their IC occupation or general mood.
It is great to join a family which already exists, though you may invent your own surname as well. If you need further help with your name, please speak with a +breehelper. BAD is always happy to help you figure out a good name.
To set this attribute in-game type: &surname me=MYNAME
Alignment
Alignment simply means whether you are going to be a good guy or a bad guy. This is something which can develop as you play your character, but it might be something to think about ahead of time. For instance, if you are going to play a definite bad-guy, you may want to describe him differently than if you were playing a goody-two-shoes. Of course, you might not, but whether you do or not, it is something to consider before you go too much further. However, there is nothing wrong with not deciding on this part yet and letting this be determined by your character's RP. See NEWS ARCH for more information.
Description
To describe yourself, type @describe me=<yourdescription> or take a look at the +wardrobe system by typing CD3
You've gotten to one of the most important parts of character development: what does your character look like? A good description is something like a revolving 3-D full-color, full-detail photograph of your character. It should describe your character's general build (approximate height, weight, hair color, eye color, etc). It also might include the shape of your character's head and body, clothing styles and colors, and any accessories the character might always carry or have, such as a cane or bag.
The hardest part, though, is deciding what NOT to include. Some things which are not appropriate for a description are accents your character speaks with, descriptions of your character's mannerisms or favorite sayings, or indications of your character's mood or attitude. Another big no-no for descriptions is to include anything about the reader in your description. Your description should not say anything like, "You cower in fear as he returns your gaze with one of his own." If we were standing at opposite ends of a huge ball room, it isn't likely I would even notice you, much less be afraid of you. And, if Gandalf or a troll (for example) were to look at you, they would in no way be scared of your appearance.
Basically, your description is just that: a description of your appearance. Not your actions, words, or the reactions others have when they look at you. We should not find out anything about you that we couldn't by looking at a photograph.
To set this attribute in-game type: @describe me=<yourdescription>
Description Tips
Humans: According to Tolkien, the humans of Bree were "brown-haired, broad, and rather short." Keep this in mind when you write your human's description-you don't have to fit it perfectly, and there's plenty of room for variation within those bounds. You should stay away from a) Being tall, dark-haired, and grey-eyed, as those are Dunadan characteristics or b) Having blonde hair and blue eyes. As far as heritage goes, Bree humans are distantly related to the Dunlendings, noted for their dark hair.
Hobbits: Most people have a better idea of what a typical hobbit looks like, but if you don't, here's what Tolkien says, in brief: Hobbits stand between 2 and 4 feet tall, usually toward the lower end of that range, but are not as broad as dwarves. They have curly, usually brown hair on their heads, wear no shoes. "Their faces were as a rule good-natured rather than beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, red-cheeked, with mouths apt to laughter and eating and drinking."
Keep in mind that although these are only guidelines, if your appearance is too unusual, you'll get some strange looks from people ICly.
Clothing
When creating a wardrobe for your Bree character, think 'simple.' We're not too sophisticated, and don't have sewing machines, so avoid tight clothing and daring styles. Skirts and dresses are long; think ankle-length. No zippers; most things will be fastened with buttons or laces.
For fabrics, 'homespun and practical' would be the bulk of what was worn by Breefolk: cottons, wool, linen and leather, with those of greater means procuring velvet, silk or brocade from merchants trading in Bree. We do have dyeing capabilities, so don't feel like you have to stick to brown or black; but do remember that dyes cost money - with blues and scarlets being the most expensive and rare - and be reasonable in what you think your character could or would wear. The average Breelander is not given to frippery or flashy dressing; there aren't many occasions to show off!
Components of the average Breelander's wardrobe include:
Men: Most wear waistcoats/jerkins or vests, jackets or cloaks, shirts with buttons and loose pants/breeches with belts, and/or suspenders/braces, caps.
Women: Almost all wear dresses or skirts and blouses, laced bodices, aprons (sometimes several of them, layered over each other), petticoats, and shawls or cloaks. Older women are more likely to wear more clothes layered; young girls might just have a simple dress or pinafore over it.
@desc vs +Wardrobe
The +wardrobe system replaces @desc. It allows you to make numerous short descriptions, then mix and match them to fit the day and the scene you are RPing. So, if in one scene you are having a nice dinner with your friend, and in another, you are digging up the potatoes in your garden; you can be wearing different clothes in your description without having to retype the entire thing each time.
The commands you will need to use +wardrobe effectively are: +WSTORE +WWEAR +WERASE +WWHICH +WEVAL
The important thing to keep in mind while creating your +wardrobe, is to keep each item separate. It doesn't matter how short each one is; but don't mix two things together, or you will never be able to use them separately. The simplest way to make use of this coding is to have one description that tells only what your character looks like; and then as many others as you wish for different articles of clothing.
What the commands do and how to use them. +wstore stores each segment of description you wish to create. Syntax: +wstore <descname>=<description> +wwear lets you put up which descriptions you want, in the order you want them. Syntax: +wwear <descname1> <descname2> +werase erases a description you no longer want. Syntax: +werase <descname>. +wwhich shows you which descriptions you are currently wearing. Syntax: +wwhich +weval shows you what is stored under each description name. Syntax: +weval <descname>
For example: I want to create a wardrobe for Toby. I start with a basic desc of what he looks like (nothing else), then add a few items of clothing.
+wstore basic=Toby is short and skinny for his age. Curly brown hair flops into his eyes, which are also brown.
+wstore blueshirt=His shirt is faded and blue, with a patch on one sleeve.
+wstore brownpants=Old threadbare pants hang from his hips, kept up by a rope belt.
+wstore boots=He is wearing a pair of ill-fitting and worn boots.
Typing +wwear basic blueshirt brownpants will make my description, for anyone who looks, be the following:
Toby is short and skinny for his age. Curly brown hair flops into his eyes, which are also brown. His shirt is faded and blue, with a patch on one sleeve. Old threadbare pants hang from his hips, kept up by a rope belt.
As you can see, the different description segments show in the order I have typed them. Using this system, you can change what your character is wearing just by changing the descnames after +wwear. Typing +wardrobe at any time will show all the description segments that you have available.
