QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION
QUESTION: Could you tell me about Adamanta? What exactly is a bounder? (English isn't my first language, and I don't know that particular word). You always manage to craft such incredible OCs, so I'm curious to hear about her! :)
ANSWER: From the Tolkien Wiki:
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The Bounders were responsible for policing the borders of the Shire and ensuring that outsiders behaved themselves. The number of Bounders at any given time was not fixed but varied according to need. In the run up to the War of the Ring they were greatly increased as ruffians and spies of Isengard and Mordor began to enter Eriador.
So the Bounders are a subsidiary of Shirriffs (the only form of police/military the Shire has) tasked with patrolling the borders in more perilous times. Adamanta alongside her sister, Melilot have always had an interest in whatever lies beyond the borders of the Shire, but while Melilot’s interest is purely academic, Adamanta’s is cultural.
The main hubs of ranger activity in east and central Eriador according to both book canon and Lotro are Evendim (Annuminas), The Shire (Sarn Ford), Bree Lands (Bree), The North Downs (Fornost and Esteldin) and the Lone Lands (Weathertop and Ost Guruth). The rangers while travelling between Annuminas and Sarn Ford, travel along the banks of the Brandywine River. The closest village at the northern point of the Shire and frequent stop for supplies for the rangers is Oatbarton, home of our Hornblower sisters.
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Since these are my characters and I can pretty much write what I want, when Adamanta was a young hobbit lass, 6 or so she got lost in the fields north of Oatbarton that border Evendim. Fortunately for her, while these fields and those of the North Downs tend to be frequently visited by ruffians seeking ancient relics, two of the dunedain were there that day, travelling north, and they helped her get back to Oatbarton safely. One of them was none other than Sidhen. This is how a life long friendship between the two sisters and the dunadeth began.
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Adamanta proved interested in stealth and walking unheard. With every passing of the dunedain through Oatbarton, Adamanta grew more and more interested in their plight. Sidhen trained her in the use of the bow and in the stealth combat rangers use, but could not share details of any missions she was on, or take Adamanta away from the close vicinity of the Shire, since she was forbidden by the higher ranked rangers.
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Even so, sometimes the two sisters would journey north, into Evendim in search of any tombs of men for Melilot to explore and gather whatever research she can on hobbit history. This desire for the non traditional ways of hobbit life made Adamanta keen on joining the Bounder force, where she feels she fulfills her aspirations, at least to an extent.
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Her loyalty was put to the test though, during the Scouring of the Shire when plenty of ruffians infiltrated the Shire and started messing things up. While the central parts of the Shire had the highest influx of Sharkey’s attention, the bordering villages like Oatbarton managed to avoid it. Towards the end of that period, Adamanta, alongside Melilot and Sidhen led the opposition force of hobbits against the ruffians and managed to get the whole northern part of the Shire rid of them.