Fanatics Plaza: Mordor Kingdom

The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza is the site within the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Network that allows Lord of the Rings and Tolkien Fanatics from all over the world, from every age and background, to interact and share in their passion for Middle-earth. The Plaza is meant as a gathering place where people can exchange opinions, discuss issues, trade products, play roleplaying games, exchange trivia questions, etc. To make this more fun and to give it more structure the Plaza works with a detailed system of Points and Ranks. This system basically enables members to obtain so-called Fanatic Points, upgrade their Rank within the Plaza and thus gain more priviliges.

What is the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Network?

The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Network is a network of LotR related sites that have been created to act as a platform to bring Tolkien Fans together and to further promote the interest for Middle-earth. At this moment the Network consists of the Following sites:

The Lord of the Rings Fanatic Site
The first site started in April 2001 as a pure content site featuring Guided Tours of Middle-earth, 111-Question-Quiz, Tolkien Biographies, Essays and many Specials on movies, arts, writings and other expressions of Tolkien Fanatism.
The Lord of the Rings Fanatic Shop
Started in October 2001 as a single point of entry for all Tolkien Fantics looking for Tolkien related products like books, movies, posters and all kinds of merchandise. The commissions earned by the shop are used to keep the sites in the Network hosted on it's own dedicated server and to allow the sites to grow.
The Lord of the Rings Fanatic Plaza
This Plaza started in January 2002 as a meeting place for all Tolkien and Lord of the Rings Fanatics to exchange questions, thoughts and games.
Beren and Luthien
Started in February 2002 as a special platform to introduce more people to the story of Beren and Luthien. At this moment under construction but already features an 8 minute Flash Demo with music by the Tolkien Ensemble.

How do I become a Member?

Becoming a member is very easy and totally free. Simply use the Register Now button on the sidebar of the Plaza pages to go to the registration procedure.

What do I need to Join the Plaza?

The Plaza is open and free to all but you will need the following:

A PC that supports Cookies, Javascript and preferably also Cascading Style Sheet. Cookies and Javascript can be easily activated in your browser. We generally recommend using higher versions of Internet Explorer or Netscape for using the Plaza.
A valid email address.

Note: For best use we recommend using Internet Explorer 5 and higher. These users will have a 'what-you-is-what-you-get' style posting interface and the support of much more and nicer smilies.

What Name should I choose?

Try to think about something that goes accordingly with your force. Don't use a dwarf name if you intend being an elf! It'll work only if you have a very good story to back that up. When chosing names try to be original. Getting an Arwen243 or a Frodolover is common. It is not wrong, you may do it if you want but you'll be lacking something. Try not to use the name Legolas in your name, this is just a warning. Try not to use ruler names, or titles, that may be confusing inside the plaza. Go to the Ranks Page and check which names are definetely not available. If you know any language of Middle Earth feel free to use it to come up with your own name, ask for help if you don't remember how to make up names. Names can be changed. If nothing of these works use your own name. For inspiration try using a Name Generators like the one here:

Barrow-down Name Generator >>

Fanatic Points

What are Fanatic Points?

Fanatic Points are used to measure a Member's knowledge and dedication to the Fanatics Plaza and the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Each member can earn Fanatic Points during this membership and thus gain more reputation. Fanatic Points are used to achieve higher Ranks.

How can I earn Fanatic Points?

These are the common ways to earn Fanatic Points:

Post Messages in the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Forums. This will earn you 1 Fanatic Point per message posted depending on which Forum. To earn points your message has to be longer than 200 characters and in a Forum where Points are given. Beware however: Administrators are watching and spamming the forums will result in Points Deductions, Loss of Rank or even Banning from the Plaza.
The Halls of Knowledge. The Fanatics Plaza features a couple of Halls of Knowledge in which you can earn Fanatic Points by answering Questions correctly. Beware however, every Test can only be taken once so make sure you have a good knowledge about the world of Tolkien before taking each test
Contribute content to the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Site. Depending on the quality and quantity of the content the Head Administrator will credit you with a certain amount of Fanatic Points. In this way you are rewarded for adding material to sites in the LotR Network
Special Actions: sometimes the Administrator will throw in special actions that allow you to earn points. These could be contests, polls and other actions in which you can participate.

Ranks

What are Ranks?

This Plaza works with a detailed Ranking System in which every member gets to choose a certain Middle-earth Power that he/she wants to join and start a career in. Every new member starts as a "New Soul" with 0 Fanatic Points. As you acquire Fanatic Points and experience you might reach levels where you can promote yourself to a higher rank. Once you score 20 points you will first have to choose which force of Middle-earth you wish to join. Once you become really strong you can even apply to Unique Positions in which you become one of the Rulers of the Power you belong to. For an overview of the Ranks visit:

The Ranks Page >>

How can I change my Rank?

The Ranks Page gives an overview of the Ranks that the Plaza operates with and the requirements a Members has to meet to be able to promote to the next Rank in his/her Power. To check your current Ranking and see if you are able to promote yourself use the following page:

Promotion Center >>

Notice: members are able to perform all promotions themselves except promotions to Unique Positions

What are the Unique Positions?

Each of the Middle-earth Powers has two Unique Positions that can be considered as the rulers, or the King and Queen of that Power. Members who receive these positions are honoured as head of their Power and get Administrative Powers over their own Forum and the Webpages of their Power. All members that belong to their Power automatically become their subjects. Unique Positions are only available to the highest members of each Power and they are elected.

Note: at this moment no members have reached the 3000 Points needed to become Rulers so at this moment each Power has temporary Rulers.

Powers of Middle-earth

Who is Eru?

Eru is the founder of the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza and all other sites in the LotR Fanatics Plaza. He is the chief Administrator and the only one with direct access to the Plaza database that holds all member accounts and posts. Mostly works on the background but at times comes down to shake the very foundation of the Plaza.

Who are the Administrators?

These are appointed as the Valar that aided Eru to take care of Middle Earth which is more or less what they do in the plaza. Pay due respect when encountering one (except on battles) and ask them any question you may have concerning the working of the plaza. Advice: refer to the Valar that's closer to your force i.e. if you're an elf go to Varda, if you're a minion of mordor go to Melkor, etc.

Who are the Rulers?

The Rulers are the people holding the Unique Positions as mentioned in the Ranks section. They have administrative powers over their own Kingdom Forum. The rulers of each kingdom are appointed from the highest-ranking members of every force. They are the masters in the kingdom so you owe them obedience (they usually won't ask you to throw yourself from a bridge, so don't worry). The rulers are there to clear any doubt you may have and to enhance and contribute to the beauty of the kingdom. Share your ideas with them!

Who is the Poetry Maia?

The Poetry Maia is a Unique Position comparable to being the Ruler of the Poetry & Fanfic forum. He/She has all the administrative powers that Rulers have but is also able to award 1-5 Fanatic Points to members who have written excellent poetry/fanfic.

What are Powers and Kingdoms?

In the Plaza there are a couple of Powers of Middle-earth that a member can join once he has reached 20 Fanatic Points. Within these Powers a member can start his Fanatic Career. An Elf can for instance start as an Elven Newborn and through numerous promotions reach the Unique Rank of Elrond Half-Elven. These are the Powers of Middle-earth:

Elves of Middle-earth
Dwarves of Middle-earth
Men of Gondor
Riders of Rohan
Hobbits of the Shire
Order of the Istari
Minions of Mordor

Who are the Elves of Middle-earth?

The fair and wise of Middle Earth are one of the most popular forces in this plaza. Beware if you chose to be one because there is over-population! Elves enjoy battles, looking for kin between other elves (they have a thing for genealogical lines) and are very active in the lore forums. To become an elf you have to take into account two things: don't do it because you love Orlando Bloom and remember you may be killed out of pure jealously once in a while. Elves have friendship with all the other forces but there have been huge battles against all of them. Don't expect to be liked by other forces if you become an Elf.

Rivendell, the Kingdom of the Elves >>

Who are the Dwarves of Middle-earth?

Small but sturdy friends the dwarves dwell in Khazad-Dum. If you're found of mining, ale drinking and axe-waving you'll feel at home between them. Dwarves are pretty selfish and can be friends to any other kingdom of Middle Earth depending on their needs so you'll find that sometimes they are welcome and sometimes they are not. However, dwarves prepare all-night parties and fight alongside the most important warriors of the plaza. If you're a girl, though, you have to remember that to become a dwarf you have to grow a beard. Also... you've got to decide if Gimli and Legolas where friends or lovers but then, everything can be solved with an axe, right?

Khazad-dum, the Kingdom of the Dwarves >>

Who are the Men of Gondor?

Descended from the Numenoreans, the proud and valiant inhabitants of Gondor are constantly fighting against the periodic raids of Mordor forces (and hobbit forces some times too). Minas Tirith is the home of a group of courageous men and women thirsty for knowledge but for power too. So be careful, the white city is enchanting but it may also be the door to darker places. Meanwhile, if your choice is this, remember that you must fight to maintain you're kingdom unsullied but that all visitors are welcome to roam between the Seven Walls.

Minas Tirith, the Kingdom of the Men of Gondor >>

Who are the Riders of Rohan?

The loyal and horse-loving Riders of the Mark are just beginning to inhabit Rohan. In those fields there are wide-open plains to till and shape. If you feel that a mortal life is for you but that you can't cope with the rigid standards of the Numeroneans, the plains are waiting. Also, if you don't think of yourself as an elf-friend but rather untrusting of those, but you do have a great heart and a mighty call for horse-ridden battle be welcome to Edoras and enjoy the bliss of Theoden's Halls.

Meduseld, the Golden Hall of the Riders of Rohan >>

Who are the Hobbits of the Shire?

The Shire-Folk are settled and peaceful, roused only if they are forced to miss second breakfast or elvenses. Yet this is the land that produced some of the greatest heroes of the Third Age - they may seem small and placid, but they have wisdom, courage, and loyalty to their friends.

The Shire, home of the Hobbits >>

Who are the Istari?

The wise and generous Wizards will be the best force for you if you consider yourself a lore-master. Or a purveyor of interesting powders and other substances. Consider that wizards are for the most part wanderers and that you'll have to make yourself present in all the kingdoms of the plaza.

The White Council, the council of the Istari >>

Who are the Minions of Mordor?

Inside the Dark Lands lurk a great vary of beings, from mere orcs and unfaithful wainriders to mighty balrogs and even the Nazgul. If you ever dreamed of sharing hobbit stew and elf pie recipes or off bashing some of your enemies' heads, the halls of Barad-Dur are open for you. Inside Mordor you'll find a group of orcs willing to go into battle every second day and a couple of mightier creatures that will give you the creeps! Remember that inhabitants of Mordor are fond of blood and that they are enemies to every other force in the plaza! However, if deep in you're heart you're a minion of Mordor, you'll feel welcome.

Mordor, home of the Minions of Mordor >>

How can I change the power I belong to?

You can change the Power you belong to but it will cost you 50 Points. On request you can ask an Admin to change your power for free but that will only happen in certain cases. To change your Power use the following page:

Power Changing >>

The Fanatic Forums

What are the Fanatic Forums?

The Fanatic Forums are basically a messageboard system where members can read and write messages and converse with eachother. Non-members are able to view posts but are not able to add posts of their own. The Forums have the following structure:

Forums: different forums for different discussion topics and themes.
Topics/Threads: a specific topic within a forum, started by one member and to which other members can reply.
Posts: the individual messages contained in Topics/Threads

The Fanatics Plaza contains about 20 Forums each with many topics and many posts. Forums are divided into Awarded and Un-Awarded forums. When a member posts a message in an Awarded Forum and that message contains more than 200 characters then that member will receive 1 Fanatic Point. In Un-Awarded forums it is impossible to get points for posting messages. These are the Forums as they exist now:

Middle-earth Lore
For the more complex questions about Tolkien's mythology. If you want to know what Gnomes are, or whether Elves can be reborn, this is the place to ask. It is assumed here that you have read all of the Lord of the Rings, and probably at least the Silmarillion, so there will be spoilers, and discussions may get fairly deep. Most contributors here will also use the Encyclopaedia of Arda, an extensive on-line encyclopaedia of all names and places to be found within Tolkien's work.
Middle-earth People & Races
Any questions about the various peoples who populate Middle Earth, their customs, and languages. Questions about the differences between Elves, how many meals a day Hobbits have, whether Rohan, Minas Tirith, and the Shire all had a common language, welcome here.
Middle-earth Locations
Locations are for discussion of the various places within Middle Earth - such as the Shire, Rivendell, Minas Tirith, or Mordor.
Middle-earth Languages
Discussions about the various Languages developped by J.R.R. Tolkien and spoken in Middle-earth
The Books
The Books forum is for discussions of, and comparisons of, the various books, whether detailed or simply debating which is the best.
The Movies
Discussion about the first instalment of Peter Jackson's trilogy, gossip about the second and third, and any items of interest about any other movies or animations of The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, or that involve Middle-Earth.
Poetry & Fan Fiction
Poetry and Fan Fiction is for all your creative efforts concerning Middle Earth. It is also the scene of many gory word battles between Elves, Dwarves, and the forces of Mordor - though sides change frequently. A few of the regulars also create RPG type continuous adventures which will occur here - participation is welcome, however getting eaten by a troll or maced by an Elf is entirely at your own risk. This Forum is governed by the Poetry Maia who acts as Admin for this forum and is able to reward member's work with extra Fanatic Points.
Out of Middle-earth
Out of Middle Earth should be used for absolutely anything you would like to talk about that isn't related to Middle Earth. Although for your own safety we would suggest that comments about Orlando Bloom go in 'I love Legolas' rather than here. Other books, films, role-playing games, weather, all can find a home here.
Newbies & Introductions
'Newbies' should make their way to 'Newbies and Introductions'. Here you can introduce yourself, and also ask for help with anything on the site you don't understand. Want to know how many people from your country or area there are on the site? Ask here.
Trade, Products & Merchandise
Any comments about those nice little mugs that Burger King made, or any of the other commercial spin-off's of Lord of the Rings. Want to know which is the best One Ring to buy? Want to find/trade Tolkien related items? This is your place.
Legolas Love Letters
You may find you are not one of our more popular visitors. There is very strong feeling about Legolas on the Forum, both pro- and anti. So we have created a forum for all fans of Legolas to chatter away. This Forum can also be used by those that are in Love with Elijah Wood or any other actor/character from the Books/Movie.
Parties, Weddings & Festivities
A General Forum for all Parties, Weddings and Leisure Activities. Meant to keep the Kingdoms a little more free of all the Parties, Weddings and other Social Gatherings we have seen in the past.
Rivendell
The Kingdom Forum of the Elves of Middle-earth
Khazad-dum
The Kingdom Forum of the Dwarves of Middle-earth
Minas Tirith
The Kingdom Forum of the Men of Gondor
Meduseld
The Kingdom Forum of the Riders of Rohan
The White Council
The Kingdom Forum of the Order of the Istari
The Shire
The Kingdom Forum of the Hobbits of the Shire
Mordor
The Kingdom Forum of the Minions of Mordor
LotR Site, Shop and Plaza Related
Discuss any of the Sites in the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Network. Make suggestions.
Administrator Messages
Important messages for and by the Administrators. Check this forum regularly to make sure you are up to date with the latests changes developement.
Abuse & Spammers
Use this forum to report Member's bad behaviour. The Forum itself contains the procedure to report a spammer use it to guarantee the swiftest handling.

How to Post and use the Editor?

You can post an entire new Topic when you are in the Topic Overview of a forum by pressing the 'New Topic' button. You can reply to a post in a thread by using the editor at the very bottom of that topic. Take not of the following when using the editor:

There are two editors one for people using Internet Explorer 5+ and an editor for people using other browsers. The people using IE5+ will benefit the most as they will have a 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' editor and will have a much nicer choice in smilies
Smilies can be added into the message by clicking on one of them. They can be stretched but we advise not to make them too big as they will mess up your post.
Styles like bold, italic and underlined can be used using the buttons on top of the editor.
Images can be added by pressing the Image button. You will then have to enter the URL of the image. A much easier way is to simply copy and past the image into the editor (IE5+ users). You have to make sure that the image you copy and past is located on the internet and not on your local PC.
Using the 'Enter' key will result in a double line-break in your post. Use 'Shift+Enter' to have a single line-break. This can be used for poems for instance.

How do I Edit/Delete my own Posts?

When you are looking at the Posts in a thread you will see two extra icons on top of the messages that you have written yourself: Edit and Delete. You can use the edit button to change the content of your message. Using the Delete button will delete your entire message but beware: you will loose 1 Fanatic Point for deleting your own message!

What rules are there when Posting?

To avoid loss of posts, points, suspension or even deletion of your account at the LotR Plaza it is very important that you learn our basic rules when it comes to posting messages in the Fanatics Forums. Note the following:

Do not start an argument with an Administrator or Ruler. They have been chosen by the Plaza Members and are backed by Eru and the other Admins and Rulers. They have been chosen as they are the eldest, wisest and most knowledged of the Plaza Members. If you feel you have been truly mistreated by an Administrator or Ruler than either publically announce it in the Administrator's Forum or send an email to: webmaster@lordotrings.com.
Remember this is a Tolkien, Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth Plaza in the first place. In practice that will mean that you will only receive Fanatics Points for Middle-earth related posts.
Stay on Topic! There are Forums for almost any subject that you would like to discuss. If you cannot find a suitable place then the Off Topic Forum can be used.
The Kingdom Forums are also meant for Social Gatherings and are ruled by two Rulers. In practice these Rulers will decide what kind of posts are and are not allowed in their Kingdom Forum. They will mostly stay in character so for instance in the Shire there will be somewhat more eating, drinking and partying than in Mordor.
In general try to say something meaningfull. Posts that only contain smilies or a quote with some smilies are frowned upon.
Do not post openly about things that could be considered a spoiler. A spoiler is something that people who might not know it might not want to know. For instance the plot of the story line. When you are posting a spoiler make sure to announce it by writing something like 'Warning: spoiler!'. Then make sure to select the spoiler text and make the font color white. In that way the text will seem invisible but people who want to read it can do so by selecting that text.
Do not ever post the answers of the Halls of Knowledge Tests in any forum on the Plaza! Also in Spoiler style this is not allowed and people who openly post Test questions or answers will receive severe punishments. If you are doubtfull about the answers given in a Test then mail your question/comment to the webmaster at webmaster@lordotrings.com.

What is Spamming?

In general Spamming can be seen as Misbehaviour in the Fanatics Forum. For instance:

Posting messages in forums that do not belong there. For instance posting about your Love for Legolas in the Middle-earth Lore forum.
Posting the same message in multiple Forums or Threads.
Random/Meaningless messages in Awarded Forums.
Offensive/Abusive messages.
Quoting with no apparent reason.

Administrators and Rulers are guarding the Forums. Administrators guard all Forums and Rulers are responsible for guarding their own Kingdom Forum. Spamming will be punished!

What happens to Members who misbehave?

In general Administrators, Rulers and senior Members will give fair warning if a member is misbehaving. Misbehaving members can expect the following counter-measures:

Editing messages. An Admin or Ruler can change the content of your message.
Deleting messages. If a member's post is deleted he receives a 1 Fanatic Point penalty.
Suspending accounts. Administrators have the power to suspend a member's account. His messages, points and rank are maintained but he/she is unable to further post any messages.
Removing Points/Ranks. Eru has the power to remove both points and ranks from any member.
Deleting accounts and posts. Eru has the power to delete all messages a member has ever posted and to delete his entire account. See Thomassing.

What is 'Thomassing'?

Thomassing is a procedure in which a Member's existence on the Plaza is totally removed including all past traces. All posts are deleted and the account is removed from the database. The first spammer who got expunged was called 'Thomas_2000'. Therefore many people now refer to this procedure as 'Thomassing'. Thomassing can be extremely painfull and thus far very few members have received this 'one-way-ticket-out-of-Middle-earth'.

How do I report a misbehaving Member?

If you see a member spamming, writing offensive messages or in anyway break the rules given above then you can report this member to the Abuse & Spammers forum. An Administrator will then try to act as quickly as possible. In case of a spammer emergency try contacting the webmaster at webmaster@lordotrings.com.

How come I just lost some Fanatic Points?

The most likely answer is that one or more of your posts were deleted. This means that you have broken one of the Posting Rules described above and either an Administrator or Ruler has deleted your post. Note: if an Administrator or Ruler deletes an entire Topic then the people who have posted in this Topic will not loose any points. There is no use in arguing why your posts have been deleted. If you truly feel that they were deleted for no reason at all you can use the procedure described above.

The Halls of Knowledge

What are the Halls of Knowledge?

The Halls of Knowledge are a the place in the Plaza where you can test your Tolkien and Middle-earth knowledge and earn lots of Fanatics Points in the process. There are a couple of Halls of which the access is restricted to people of a certain rank. The tests are all multiple choice tests and can only be taken once and in the right order. For information visit the pages at:

The Halls of Knowledge >>

How can I make sure I receive points for the tests I take?

Each member's account has two stats that are used to make sure that each member takes each test only ones and only receives points for each test once. If a test gets interrupted then these stats could be out of sync. When that happens you will be able to take other tests but you will not receive points for them! To make sure your test scores are in sync you can use the following page:

Quiz Stats Checking >>

Note: It would be wise to check your stats before taking any test and if you get interrupted or stop a test once it has started then make sure to check your stats and make sure they are in sync!

What do I do if my Test Stats are out of sync?

When you check your Test Stats and they are out of sync then you have two options:

If you interrupted the Test yourself then you can manually reset your Test Stats. Your stats will then be reset to the highest test you have taken. So for instance if you entered the Second Test but did not complete it then you will be able to take the Third Test without having taken the Second Test. You can do so here: Quiz Stats Checking
If you got interrupted by no fault of your own for instance your internet connection died or the site had an error then please contact the Administrators in the Admin Forum and inform them of your situation they will then update your Test Stats and make sure you are able to take the test you missed again. It might take some time however before they are able to do so.

Member Account Changes

How can I change my Name?

For some reason you might want to change your name. For instance you signed up under the name 'Frodo34-21' and would now like to go for something a little less confusing and more original. Changing your username costs you 10 Fanatic Points. You can change your username here:

Change your Name >>

Note: we recommend you do not change your name too often. First of all it will cost you points and people will fail to recognize you in your new name if you change every once in a while. Also a Username must be available otherwise you cannot change your name to it.

How can I add a Picture to my Profile?

Once you have reached a Third Level Rank (check the Ranks Page) you will be able to add a 120x180 pixel Picture to your profile. If you have your own webspace, like your own website or some way you can get your picture online yourself then you can use the following page to submit your Picture and add it to your profile:

Adding a Picture >>

If you do not have your own webspace then you can contact the webmaster by email and send him your picture together with your username. If he can find the time he will add to your profile himself. you can send profile pictures to: webmaster@lordotrings.com.

Miscellaneous Questions

How can I support the LotR Network?

First of all you can start by being a polite and excellent bahaving citizen of this Plaza and respect the work and dedication that have gone into creating all the sites. It has been an effort not only by the founder of the network but also by the numerous fans who have contributed material, time and dedication. If you feel like doing more than you can read how by visiting the following page:

Support the LotR Network >>

How can I add a Test to the Halls of Knowledge?

You can create entire tests or parts of tests for the Halls of Knowledge and thus speed up the process of creating these halls. You can use a template to speed up this process. People who contribute tests or questions are acknowledged at the bottom of each test and will receive some bonus points for their efforts. For more information visit:

Creating a Test of Knowledge >>

How come I cannot use the Cool Smilies?

As stated before their are two editors being used for posting end editing messages: one for Internet Explorer 5+ users and one for the other users. Only people who have IE5+ will be able to use the cooler smilies.

So what do you guys have about Sweden, anyway?

Sweden - the land of blond haired large men, and blonde haired large chested women. A fair number of our more regular posters seem to come from Sweden, especially the Mordorians. Used to having to chase down a Boar for school dinner, and then protect it against ravening packs of Wolves, they are natural berserkers who think nothing of looting and pillaging. However many of them have a more sensitive side hidden deep underneath - something to do with the Aurora Borealis maybe - and their pagan poetry and beer-drinking brings life to the halls of the Fanatics.

This FAQ has been written with the help of Osse and Vivienne