Genesis of the Free

(( PLEASE NOTE : Kinship is currently "Dormant" and is NOT recruiting ))

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(( Quick OOC Overview : Please see full "In-Character" description below ))
( Mixed Kinship with all Races, Levels, Classes and Crafting Trades represented and welcome )
( Selective Max Rank Kin, established October 2009, with Kin-House and own self-hosted Forum )
( Friendly, helpful, lively, mature-minded Medium-RP & OOC chat, active RP & OOC Events, etc. )
( We are not a power-levelling or Raiding-only Kinship - our journey is an adventure, not a race )
( Our Allies, the True Taters, offer daily high-Level Instance Runs if Members wish to take part )

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Fellow-adventurers of all Middle-Earth's noble Races, I greet and salute you!
 

Please allow me to introduce our Kinship, Genesis of the Free. We are long-established within Middle-Earth, with a Kin-House located at No.5, Waterbank Road in the Naradris District of the Elven Falathlorn Homesteads in Ered Luin, where any traveller is welcome to visit. Our Kinship is currently "Dormant", due to our Leader's enforced absence on a long journey, but normally we are always glad to welcome suitable new Members, of any Race, who might share our values and wish to join us. We are reasonably selective in our recruitment criteria and process, in order to preserve our Kinship's aims, ideals and happy, close-knit atmosphere for the benefit of all our Members, but we are also very friendly and approachable, and we welcome contact from any of Middle-Earth's travellers who may read this summary and decide that they might care to walk at our side.
 

Our name originates from our desire to support the joint battle of all of Middle-Earth's Free Peoples against the Shadow which threatens to destroy all that we hold dear. "Genesis", meaning "Birth", signifies the fact that our Kinship was born of the ongoing struggle of "the Free", who are, to us, all members of Middle-Earth's Free Peoples, all of equal worth no matter their Race, which is why we welcome new Members of any Race, provided that they are of good heart and share our ideals.
 

We are a mid-sized semi-formal ((OOC: Medium-RP)) Kinship, co-Founded by myself and a friend over a year ago, both of us being already experienced ex-Officers (Cauns) from one of Middle-Earth's largest Kinships at that time. I am the Kin-Leader (although regarding myself always as an equal Sister to all my Kin-Friends, for in our eyes all Kin-Members share the same merit). I am a Lore-Master of long combat experience, now entering the advanced stages of my fighting career, and also a Historian (primarily a Westfold Master Scholar and Master of the Scholars' Guild, as well as a Westfold Master Farmer) who enjoys frequent Crafting as well as exploring Middle-Earth in all its beauty.
 

I am ably supported by a team of Officers, all of them well-experienced in the arts of war, who are also active Crafters of various Trades and advanced skill. However, we regard enthusiasm, goodwill, maturity, courtesy and a positive attitude, with the willingness to become involved in the Kinship's activities, and to help (and be helped by) fellow-Members, as being far more important than experience in warfare, length of time as an adventurer in Middle-Earth, Crafting ability/interest (or lack of it!) and so on. For us, it can be just as rewarding, in unique ways, to gain pleasure from the Crafting of beautiful and useful items, to become an expert "Trout-Master" in the hobby of Fishing, to develop one's personality in order to attain impressive levels of Virtue, or to spend one's time simply wandering the land sight-seeing and uncovering surprises along the way, discovering the many hidden delights and challenges that await the true Middle-Earth adventurer, as it is to achieve the equally (but not necessarily more) satisfying heights of fighting one's way courageously to the pinnacle of a warrior's success, or finally completing all the many tasks laid out before the dedicated Skirmisher or seeker of Epic knowledge.
 

We understand that opposing the Shadow and enjoying life within Middle-Earth means something different to each and every one of us, and that nobody's chosen lifestyle is more or less important or valuable than any other. Our Kinship is here to support all of our Members, however they choose to live and whatever their preferred activities may be - but please note that we are not primarily a "Raiding" Kinship and probably would not suit adventurers whose only aim is to achieve combat experience as fast as possible, while neglecting most or all else that life in Middle-Earth has to offer ((OOC: power-levelling)), and/or to concentrate mainly on taking part in nothing but the defeating of powerful creatures in return for highly valuable items of treasure ((OOC: constant Raiding and/or repeated Instance Runs)) - although naturally the defeating of the mightiest enemies, and the winning of truly wondrous treasures through courageous effort, can offer a truly exhilarating challenge and is something we are all able to appreciate and enjoy!

Indeed, should any of our Members wish occasionally, or even frequently, to engage in the kind of repeated combat which we ourselves do not generally offer, we are Allied with one of Middle-Earth's best-known, longest-established, largest and most well-respected Kinships, the True Taters, whose Membership includes many adventurers of very advanced experience and who offer, through our Alliance, the chance for our own Members to join with them in their daily, and usually highly exhilarating, combat ventures ((OOC: the True Taters offer daily Instance Runs in the usual high-level areas, and our Members are welcome to take part)). Naturally we will always be more than interested to hear of our Members' adventures with our Allies... and, of course, we also hold joint Social Events of a far more relaxed nature, where our two Kinships can enjoy each other's company and swap tales of our varying experiences in Middle-Earth, be they battle-epics or stories of the many other worthy challenges and achievements which can be attained... or simply relax and have fun!
 

Our membership includes all degrees of combat experience from the freshest of apprentice fighters to the most battle-hardened of veterans, presently concentrated around the upper-middle ranges of experience, although growing and changing all the time. Rather than just being a group to fight with, we are, and intend to remain, a lively, close-knit, courteous, friendly, supportive and active Kinship, seeking to gain, and keep, any suitable like-minded, committed, enthusiastic, goodwilled, mature-minded, sensible and active Members of all Races, warrior skills, degrees of combat experience and vocational Crafting Trades, rather than simply adding as many names as possible to our Membership Roster in an attempt to become huge for no reason but for the sake of it. Our Kinship is a genuinely supportive, welcoming band of friendly and enthusiastic adventurers, from those newly arrived in Middle-Earth to long-term wanderers who have travelled throughout all of its many Regions, and we offer far more than just a title to wear under your name, or a group to go fighting with occasionally.
 

Although we are a semi-formal Kinship, and ask that conversations in our Kin Chat room remain on a formal level, we realise that this may not suit everyone (at least not all the time!) and we naturally also know how to relax, so Members are just as welcome to chat informally in our non-Kin Chat room. We are not obsessive about formality, nor heavily inclined towards overly serious Lore-focused activities -- those who know nothing of Middle-Earth's extensive historical Lore are as welcome with us as those who are eminent experts! -- while of course appreciating and enjoying the immersive and exciting history, spirit and flavour of Middle-Earth adventuring in all its many forms, not only through our lively formal and equally lively informal chat, but also, whenever we can, by holding formal and informal combat and social events aimed at pleasing and engaging as many of our Kin-Members as possible.
 

Amongst our combat-based events we try to include both formal and informal expeditions and adventures, ranging from aid with challenging individual Instances of combat, joint or group Skirmishes, Quests for Epic knowledge and/or general purposes and notable Deeds, to entertaining "just for the fun of it" Fellowship excursions to rid Middle-Earth of as many Worms, Orcs, Trolls, Wargs, Undead and other foul creatures as possible (tailored as best we can to suit all levels of combat experience). Please note (again!) that we are NOT primarily a "Raiding" Kinship and would probably not provide a suitable environment for adventurers who seek only (or mainly) to achieve combat experience (or win large amounts of treasure) as fast as possible while neglecting Middle-Earth's many other interesting offerings. We offer, and hope in turn to receive from our Members, far more society and variety than that, although of course we recognise that gaining in fighting experience is one important aspect of all of our lives, and we are always very happy to help our Members to advance, and keen to offer congratulation and support... we simply do not regard "fighting for the sake of fighting" as the most or only significant aim of life.
 

As well as combat-based activity, we like to experience and enjoy Middle-Earth's myriad other activities and wonders, and so, for those who wish to enjoy the society of a friendly and varied group of travelling-companions, we offer formal and informal social gatherings, both quiet and exhilarating exploration of Middle-Earth's beautiful and dramatic landscapes, peaceful Fishing trips, Crafting evenings (together with a Library Room devoted to Crafting and an organised Register of Crafters, helping to ensure that Crafters find a market for their work, while those needing Crafted items know where to look) and our own dedicated Kinship Library ((OOC: self-hosted website/forum)), largely accessible only by registered Members, with a Kinship Noticeboard keeping our Members up-to-date on Kinship events, a Skirmish War-Room, several Discussion Rooms and Document Archives (both formal and informal in nature), the Crafting Room mentioned above, a very informal "Relaxation Room" and a Members' Artwork Gallery for sharing our pictures of scenes from Middle-Earth and other interesting imagery our Members may create or come across. If you are not already a Kin-Member, you will not be able to enter (or even see) the majority of the Rooms within our Library, since most of them are intended for Kin-Members only. Allies of the Kin have access to an additional two Rooms, but, again, not the Rooms meant solely for our Kin-Members. However, any curious visitor may enter our Library's two Public Rooms: the Outer Court, where you can find information about our Kinship and how to join, if you so wish, and also our Artwork Gallery. If you would care to visit our Library, you will find it http://www.genesisofthefree.com|here.
 

If you are interested in joining and contributing to an expanding, lively, courteous, fun (while staying on the right side of "sensible"!) and pleasant Kinship, and enjoying relaxed and sociable formal and informal conversation, help and support, please either send a message to me through the Laurelin Archives or through mailto:Demelza@genesisofthefree.com?subject=Genesis of the Free : Laurelin Archives Contact|our Library - or, preferably, please contact one of our Officers in Middle-Earth, by direct message or via the Mail Courier system: Sister Demelza (Kinship Leader), Brother Theonfrid (Strategic Officer and Kinship Successor), Brother Bragnaer, Sister Marshlight or Brother Astraion. We ask only for you to intend to be an active Member (i.e. joining us more often than once in a blue moon!), with enthusiasm, goodwill, courtesy towards other Members, a mature attitude, the acceptance of other Members' chosen lifestyles and the desire to become a part of a friendly, helpful and active Kinship, where ALL Members (Leader and Officers included!) share equal importance and all ideas and contributions are welcomed and carefully considered.

We look forward to hearing from you!

To The Future!

Demelza of Lórien - Friend of the Wild and Lady of Streams
Leader and Sister of Genesis of the Free