Author Topic: Ruuriik  (Read 1798 times)

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Offline Xenon

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Ruuriik
« on: July 27, 2018, 08:37:43 PM »
Not sure if I can post a link to an eBay sale, but there is on there right now a listing for the 'original' Fenlon world map of Middle Earth (for an outrageous price imho).  What caught my eye, however, were two early single-sheet catalogs that must have come in the original packaging.  The one picture says, under the blurb for Umbar, that

"Upcoming Middle Earth modules will include:

The Court of ARDOR
NORTHERN MIRKWOOD
SOUTHERN MIRKWOOD
MORIA I
DOL AMROTH; and the region of BELFALAS
CARDOLAN; southern ARNOR
RUURIIK; an eastern DWARVISH KINGDOM"

The all-caps are exactly as the catalog.  Obviously, Ardor was relased (to much controversy at the time, evidently), as did the Mirkwoods.  I'm assuming Dol Amroth was released as Havens of Gondor, and Cardolan as the Lost Realm of Cardolan. Moria obviously came out as Moria the Dwarven City, although the "I" is a puzzler - what was Moria II supposed to entail?

But, my oh my, this is the first evidence I've ever seen that an Eastern ME module was ever planned!  Does anyone know anything more about it?   MERP went South several times, but the farthest East I can recall a MERP module going was Perils on the Sea of Rhun.  I seem to recall reading stuff online about Ruuriik, but does anyone know if that is just fanfic or based on something I.C.E. once worked on?  I really wish they had come out with Ruuriik - imagine a Peter Fenlon map of the lands of sunrise!  What could have been...

Offline terefang

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Re: Ruuriik
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2018, 01:06:43 AM »
there is a fan created module available here
https://nanopdf.com/download/the-iron-hills-fan-modules_pdf
I'd swallow cthulhu whole, with sushi and soy-sauce.

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Offline Hurin

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Re: Ruuriik
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2018, 09:53:51 AM »
Nice find Terefang! The module unfortunately looks unfinished (no map of the places of note, no stat for characters, etc.), but it looks like it would have been very good; the background and introductory material is close to the standards of other ICE releases. I like the fact that they are putting Utumno in the Iron Hills-- there's a high level dungeon for Middle Earth characters!
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Offline Tolwen

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Re: Ruuriik
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2019, 03:35:47 PM »
It looks like this unfinished fan-made module is set in the Iron Hills, well within Tolkien's original map.

Ruurik was something that never came round. AFAIK, many of the odd-seeming references in various MERP publications about unknown eastern or southern characters, realms and events had their base in the campaigns of the ICE founders (Pete, Terry etc.). It seems that many of these campaigns were set in Middle-earth, but far beyond the area covered by the Professor. Some of these characters (Chinta Kari and Agonar) even made it to the introductory description in the rulesbook.
As far as Ruurik is concerned, the majority of the info that was published is found in Lords of Middle-earth III - in the section on the Dwarves. The realm itself is located in the farthest East on the shore of the eastern ocean and therefore very far away (again) from the Northwest we all know relatively well.

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Tolwen
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