Welcome to the World of Chicken!
Whether you're a Green Egg or a Crosser of Roads, it's time for Chicken Camp once again!
Below you'll find: the schedule; two links about Chickens in LOTRO; notes on chicken and free folk communication; and a mini chicken RP glossary, which is words that have developed over time into lingo, or conventions to work around game dynamics in a way that sounds like it fits in naturally to Middle-Earth.
Schedule (anything in italics is still tentative):
Sunday, the 3rd at 2pm- Green Eggs Camp: basic starter quests (Which Laid First, The Early Bird, and The Sky is Falling), which will open all Flying the Coop quests.
Wednesday the 6th at 3pm and 8:30pm- Flying the Coop: Shire & Lone Lands (both runs during both time periods)
Thursday the 7th at 3pm and 8:30p- Flying the Coop: Ered Luin & North Downs (both runs during both time periods)
Fryday the 8th at 9pm- May Day Story Night at Musterin' Hill (The hill between the Stables and the Crafting Area in Michel Delving.), Official Kick-Off for Week 3
Sunday, the 10th at 9am and 2pm- Green Eggs Camp
Wednesday the 13th at 3pm--Rivendell Run [possible Tinnundir/Bree alt]
Wednesday the 13th at 9pm--Flying the Coop: Tinnundir
Thursday the 14th at 3pm--Flying the Coop: Bree
Thursday the 14th at 8:30pm--Rivendell Run [possible Tinnundir/Bree alt]
Fryday the 15th at ?--Rivendell Run
Saturday the 16th at 3pm--Rivendell Run
Sunday the 17th at 3pm – Rivendell Run
Links:
Briallan's Chicken Run Basics
Mama Hen's Chicken Guide
Communication:
The most important thing to know is that chickens and Free Folk cannot understand each other's spoken language. This means even if you have chat bubbles on, you cannot see anything the other says in bubble,/say,/emote,/tell,/regional,/world, et al because chickens are treated like Creeps (Monster Players--though if you go to the Moors, Creeps will gleefully kill you.) We work around this in three possible ways:
1) Use a non LOTRO voice program like Team Speak or Vent;
2) Have either a Free Folk double boxing (playing two accounts at the same time) with a chicken, or have folks in the same household on as Free Folk/chicken during a run who can act as intermediaries;
3) Use the play dead chicken skill, jumping chickens, and certain Free Folk emotes to say things like "stop", "ok", "start" that will always be made clear before folk "get (your) their chicken" (see below.)
The second most important thing is when you get to Sandson's Farm, find out who the Chief Tender is and who the Fowl Marshall is if there is one. The Chief Tender will explain what is going on and when to get your chicken. The Fowl Marshall (when one is present) will communicate with the Chief Tender, as well as lead your run if you are a chicken. (On any run where Rozalinde is present, she is Mama Hen--both Chiefs and Marshalls will defer to her even though she may not be the Chief/Marshall of that run.)
The third most important thing is to know is that F2P account chickens will have trouble using the /world and /regional and any userchat channels. If this is you, learn to use the ~ when trying to /tell your Fowl Marshall something really important like /tell ~Egglantine I'm Dinner or /tell ~Scrambled My house is on fire and I have to go. Remember that /say range is quite limited and /e or /shout range is not much farther (/e=emote)
The fourth most important thing is although it's fun to run like the wind, do not use your run skill just because. Even wardens have a tough time keeping up with fleet footed fowls, and in the time it takes for Tenders to get on their horse, catch up and dismount, you might be Dinner. Save that for when a bear is running towards you and the Tenders are busy finding hidden lynxes.
The last, but not least most important thing to know is do your best to stay alive, which often means do not hide under the skirts of someone fighting a creature with AOE skills.
Glossary:
Broodie (also Broody): a chicken in your run that has failed the run in the past
Carrier Pidgeon: an RP convention- whether referring to IMs/whispers or regional, these tireless birds take messages everywhere
Carrier Pidgeon Unions: an RP convention- Sandson's Farm is considered a "Festival" chat zone, which is not the same as the "Shire" chat zones. This makes it difficult to keep communication going on the /regional channel because someone on the farm cannot hear the regional messages if the messenger is on the other side of the Carrier Pidgeon Union Tree. It's also very important to know this when the farm becomes layered due to a large turn out for a run--you can't see anyone, but you know folk are there. So the joke is the Festival Union and the Shire Union birds can't cross the line.
The Carrier Pidgeon Union Tree: an RP convention-If you take the path from the East Road by turning at the signpost towards Sandson's Farm, there is a tree on your right just outside the farm where you will see your chat channels switch over from Shire to Festival as you pass it. Depending on which side you need to be on, then be on that side of the tree.
Chicken Tender (also Tender): a Free Folk who is helping escort the chickens do what they need to do, usually by swatting away other creatures who want you to be Dinner.
Chicken Trainer (also Trainer): Whatever Free Folk you are on when you do the chicken quests. Your chicken has your name on it, because you are the trainer.
Chief Tender: The Chicken Trainer in charge of the run.
Cloak of the Cluck: A beloved cloak, similar to one offered at Hobnanigans, yet very different! Earned once you complete all the quests leading up to and including the Flying the Coop line.
Crosser of Roads: A title that has brought many seeking it to tears. This is earned once you complete the Free Range questline. Not something a Spring Chicken can pull off.
Crowded Coop: During long runs or races, sometimes a lot of folk show up, and only so many chicken session slots are available per quest. The Chief/Marshall will call "Crowded Coop", and anyone who doesn't need that run but wants to be a chicken would then take an alternate quest destination (like Everswim instead of Rivendell).
Dinner (also Supper or Soup): a chicken that is/was killed during a run
Fleet Footed Fowl: a convention used to describe racing chickens. Chicken races are a non-quest RP game where folks get their chickens and then race to whatever course/destination without Tenders, with prizes awarded accordingly.
Fool: a very rare title from a long obsolete April Fool's quest where chickens could go to the Moors via a special nest
Fowl Marshall: Typically a goldie, the head chicken in a run. They are always a leader in a more formal parade (not the typical one in Bree), sometimes a second Marshall will rear guard in runs as well to keep an eye out for laggers.
Flying the Coop: The second series of quests that must be done to obtain your cloak after you finish the 3 Green Egg quests.
Free Range: The third series of quests and deeds that must be done to obtain the title "Crosser of Roads".
Free Wing: An attempt to complete any quest/deed without the help of Tenders. Fowl Marshalls and Wing Chicks can be at such attempts.
Free Wingers: (see above) Chickens who have attempted/succeeded to complete/completed any or many of their quests without the help of Tenders.
Get Your/Their Chicken(s): This happens after you are given the go ahead by the Chief Tender, and you go talk to Billena or George, depending on the quest.
Goldies: Chickens who have completed the Flying the Coop questline. When you talk to George, a golden feathered fowl will be offered for Free Range quests. (Free Range is repeatable, so you can always be a goldie after this point.)
Green Egg: A trainer/chicken who is on the first 3 quests that Wald Sandson offers at the farm.
Hacklers: Starking mad chickens that actually go out and fight other creatures, usually in large flocks. (You can level if you survive long enough.)
Mama Hen: Rozalinde. There is no other.
Parade: Exactly what it sounds like, often done while traveling through Bree Town, with chickens almost always in single file.
Pipping: The first time one needs to speak to Billena.
Primaries: Chickens who have completed the Free Range quests and deeds, and have obtained their Crosser of Roads title.
Racemaster: The equivalent to a Chief Tender for races. This post is most often held by young Meadowlark, the founder of Landy chicken races.
Racing Chickens: see Fleet Footed Fowls
Regional Inn: an RP convention- where there is an Inn with Carrier Pidgeons that travel all about the Shire, sharing gossip, announcements, et al
Spent Hen: A Broodie that has tried but not yet completed the Free Range questline.
Spring Chicken: One step away from Free Range.
Wingchicks: experienced chickens, goldies or otherwise who assist as they can during runs. Wingchicks have been known to sacrifice themselves in harder runs in order to help Broodies and Spent Hens succeed.
Yard: RP slang for the /world channel.
If you have any questions that haven't been answered by the above, please feel free to ask.
~~~~~~~~~Let yer feathers fly!~~~~~~~~~