Middle-earth Messenger
September 2006 Edition
www.lotrplaza.com
Editorials
Respecting a Memory
By Firefly
“The wise
speak only of what they know.”
(The King of
the Golden Hall, TTT, LotR)
With the recent
death of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter – a man who, to my knowledge, had
nothing to do with the www.lotrplaza.com forums yet managed to touch the lives
of so many of the Plaza’s members – it has come to my attention once again that
there is a distinct lack of respect for each others feelings. In memorial threads, not just the Steve Irwin
thread but in others from the past as well, we are still seeing the
Administrators having to delete posts and warn members of their behavior or
their language. To me, this is
unacceptable and inappropriate behavior to be seeing in the first place.
Memorial
threads are created so that members can share their feelings and come together
in their times of need. Regardless of
what you thought or felt about the person or persons that the thread is
dedicated to, it is common courtesy to not share around your negativity with
those who are currently feeling emotional or grieving. Words do hurt, no matter how you intend them
to sound sometimes they are taken the wrong way. What does this mean? It means that in emotion related threads read
very carefully over what you have written, and if you think that there is a
chance for someone to take your words out of the context that you intended for
them, then chances are that that is not a post you are going to be wanting to
post.
I am not
saying that each and every one of us is not entitled to our own opinions, for
we are, but I would just like to stress the point that there is a time and a
place for us to air our thoughts, and memorial threads are not the places to
share any ounce of negativity. Think not
about the deceased, but of the Plaza Members who have been affected by the
loss.
We come not
only to the Plaza to talk about all things Lord of the Rings related. We also come here to be with our
friends. Like minded people just like
ourselves, and for some, we come here to seek support in our times of need from
someone who will listen, and share advice when it is called for. We must also recognize the immense age difference
between our youngest member and our oldest member. In doing this, we understand that we all
react and deal differently to arising situations.
So I ask
this of all of you now, think twice about what you are writing and who may be
affected by your words. Sometimes the
Plaza is not the place to say exactly what you think, so another option is to
post what you feel elsewhere. Websites
such as www.myspace.com or www.livejournal.com are great outlets for
venting. Use them to avoid adding to the
emotions that others may already be feeling.
If you are
not familiar with an obviously emotional topic that people are talking about,
be it issue or person, do a internet search and find out what is going on
before jumping in feet first and making things worse for some people. If you have nothing polite or supporting to
add to a thread then do yourself a favor by making use of your personal delete
button or better still, just saying nothing at all.
We are one
big online family. If we take care of
each other we’ll all be the wiser and happier for it.
The
Plaza: Bringing People Together
By Fairy Nuff
As one of
the oldest active Plaza members I am always reflecting on how the Plaza was in the
past, and so it makes me sad when I read threads where people say that they are
leaving because things have changed. Things do change - we would all be
bored to death if everything stayed the same on the Plaza all the time wouldn’t
we? However, one thing has most definitely not changed - the Plaza
remains an excellent gathering ground for fans of Tolkien, be it the books or
the films.
Ever since
the very first week of the Plaza’s existence people have been making friends
with the people they meet here, and every day since then I have seen new
friendships forming. Whether you become friends with someone by debating
the lore with them, by being in an RPG with them, or by sharing interests and
experiences in Out of Middle Earth it doesn’t matter.
Some
friendships become more than just Plaza friendships, as conversations leak on
to Instant Messaging programs (or into the Plaza Chat) and into email
exchanges. And some even become real life friendships, when people have
the chance or happy coincidence to meet other members at a Plaza meet.
There are threads for meets all through Out of Middle Earth, and meets are
frequently featured in the Middle Earth Messenger! There have even been cases
where the Plaza crops up in RL conversation and it turns out that the person
you’re talking to is a member as well!
It is not
only friendships that are found this way. Love too has been found through
the forums - just look at BB and
So I think its time that people stopped focusing on the
negative side of things, and took the time to look round and see how
friendships can form across countries, and even continents. You only have
to look in one thread to see how the Plaza has touched lives and brought people
together. I don’t know anywhere else in the world or world-wide-web where
I can make friends with so many like-minded people all in one place.
Prophecy
of Mandos
By
Hoth
Come now and
receive the judgment of Mandos. Ye have forsaken the bequest of Ilúvatar. The
World is thy life and owed are the lengthening days. Owed to thy brethren who
have perished and to thyself. Ye are called. But ye do not hear nor is the
restlessness of thy being assuaged. Ye clamour against the words of thy
masters. Did ye not know? Thy lords are seated by the howls of Lammoth heard
upon the plain and upon the hillside and recorded in the deeps of time. Finrod
who is called the Felagund is wise. Would that ye could hear his counsel now.
Would ye now become besotted by
regret and defile the memory of thy kin? It seems so to Mandos. Námo by the
charge of Manwë sits upon his carven throne and he receives the fëar that come
to him. By choice or by cruel fortune are the hröa of Elves and Men become
manifest before Námo and all pleas and tears fall upon the deaf stone floors of
Mandos. For if ye come to those Halls with empty hearts shall ye abide with
empty fëar. But lest ye founder let no festering of the spirit corrupt thy
understandings for the World and neither let thy feet take thee hence into
Darkness. Stand! And be ye adamantine in loyalty. Succumb not to the
whisperings of the Enemy. For they would speak to thee only of the terror of
death and ye will forget thy patience. The day will come but only slowly if the
power of love is forsaken and only if the fear of death becomes manifest. Námo
speaks, have ye patience and seek no other borders. Mandos has spoken.
Imagine a Garden
By Elenhir
Imagine a garden, with several trees. Imagine now only one of the trees. This
tree has different branches upon which grow fruit. While these fruit are on the
tree, they grow and ripen and are nourished. Some fruit grow large and
luscious, others small and wrinkly and sickly. Eventually, each individual
fruit will fall off the tree, and will degrade into the dirt. Those not sickly
will nourish the ground, and will help grow new fruit at a later time.
Now imagine a bench, near the tree, stationed in the hot sun. Select fruit are
plucked from the tree, as they grow, and are placed upon the bench. Away from
nourishment, away from shade, these chosen fruit begin to rot. Insects fly
about them, landing upon each one and defiling it before flying onto the next.
The fruit becomes unsightly, worse than the sickly fruit in that it had beauty,
now wasted. The bench becomes covered in the mushy filth left by the taken
fruit, and more are plucked.
The bench was placed so that any comer to the garden would see the cherished
fruit and appreciate the vitality of that tree. And in the beginning they did
come, and they did appreciate. Yet now any who look upon the tree will still
see the bench afore it, rot-laden with swarming flies, and the tree will look
poor in that light, the cherished fruit cherished no more.
With Grateful Thanks
If anyone asked me who groveling comes naturally to, I would be forced to say
Minions - if only because I know of several who have made it into an art form,
but that’s by the by. You see this article, or rather letter to the Editorial
Team, is by nature a bit of a grovel. I’m writing in a waffling style I know,
but then to get to the point too quickly would be hasty wouldn’t it?
To explain
why I’m planning to say thank you requires back tracking slightly, to the beginning
of August. As all of you are hopefully aware, Fangorn has its own newspaper -
the TreeVoice, and the issue in question was due to be released on the 1st
August. Now owing to events out of the control of the kingdom, one Editor was
MIA and the other was indisposed. Naturally this meant that in order to allow
everyone to see their work in print we would need a standby.
Unfortunately
both Rulers had been called away due to RL (one scheduled, the other not so!)
and so it was left to one particular Ent to pick up the pieces - namely a Black
Númenorean by the name of Star Flower. When the Rulers returned, there was the
paper ready to go, and while I can’t speak for the MeM Editorial Team, this was
of course in principal a violation of their code of conduct.
However,
this slight bending was permitted, and then came the even greater sin - we the
Rulers of Fangorn attempted to persuade the MeM team to let us borrow Star as a
temporary co-Ed until we were able to get a permanent Editor in place. This was
permitted - otherwise I wouldn’t have to be writing this letter now would I?
Anyhow I
think it’s time to come unhastily to the point. For the last two months Star
has been loaned to us and for this both Lanthy and I (as well as all of
Fangorn) are deeply indebted to her and more importantly to the MeM
Editorial Team for permitting this continuing infraction. Therefore while I’m
hopefully not groveling completely now, I would like to make public the
heartfelt thanks of Fangorn to those noble individuals - the MeM Editorial Team
Thom
On behalf of Treebeard, Fimbrethil, Lanthy & all of Fangorn.
Plaza News
October ATR’s
By Fairy Nuff
People
are clearly working as hard as ever around the Plaza, and over the past few
months there have been some new overnight celebrities with the awarding of
ATR’s. Keep your eyes open for people
wearing shiny new faces and be sure to congratulate them on their hard work!
Brandybuck awarded Luthien Tinuviel to Ciarda D Beorhtlig
Scea awarded Daeron to Azultur
Eleowyn awarded Telperion to Lailindëiel
Rohanna awarded Laurelin to Culfinwen
Tari awarded Tilion to Pan
Quill awarded Indis to Gwilileth
Hoth awarded The Void to Thaliondae Ekkaia
September
ATRs
Brandybuck awarded Gollum to Hanna Banks
Tari and Istarendil
awarded Uinen to Fuin Elda
BB awarded Ilmare to VardaElbereth
Quill awarded Luthien Tinuviel to Ithilvalan
Mairubert awarded Urwen to Tink
Hoth awarded Idril Celebrindal to Windowcel Alarion
Alkthoniel awarded Eonwe to Leafa
Tarkano awarded Huan to Snorta
Rohanna awarded Thuringwethil to Ears
Dis awarded Azaghal to Mognar (and this dwarfie is in fact still
wearing this face!)
Well done to you all, it is wonderful to see all your effort
rewarded with such recognition!
Talking
up a Storm
Monday the
11th of September, another day in the everyday
It started
off as a nice and calm day with most of the Administrators either sleeping,
drinking Bloody Mordor’s or chasing spammers until the highly respected Balrog
(who may or may not have wings) dropped a bombshell. It was something people had wanted for a long
time. Something many thought would only
come when the sun shone through the night. Something so truly amazing one would
never thought it possible. Yes, the
Plaza finally has its own Chat Room and Private Messaging Functions. The only catch with the PM’ing is that you
have to be logged into the Chat Room to receive the messages, but that’s
something we can all work around.
This lead
onto numerous threads, spanning a number of forums, about how wonderful Mo is for making such a great thing
happen to the Plaza – and let’s face it, all the compliments are 100%
deserved. All Supporting Members,
Moderators, Mair, Rulers and Administrators have access to the chat room, and
let me tell you there are some weird and wonderful conversations held in there.
If you are
not a Supporting Member, but you have the resources and the interest in
becoming one, you can sign up for it by clicking on the Supporting Memberships
(http://www.lotrplaza.com/forum/premium/gopremium.asp) link. For just US$3.50 a month you not only can
chat till your hearts content, but you will receive a shiny Gold Ring icon
which you can chose to display or hide on your Title Bar, 5mb of online picture
hosting, access to your own private forum which you share with all out other
Support Member Buddies and best of all you get your own email address hosted by
The Plaza. Now tell me what could be
better than having your own @lotrplaza.com email address?
Oh and Hoth, if you are reading this, asked
if elves slept and then he went on to say that there is only one quote that
answers that question exactly. According
to The Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers, Chapter: The King of the Golden Hall, it states, and I quote, “Legolas
and Gimli slept…”
Interviews
Normal
Rank Member Interview
by Caelyn Dunami
Welcome to this month’s Normal Rank Member interview! Today we have here with
us Ikali Dunami, a rank six girl who role plays a child in Lorien. Let’s delve
into the person that is this sweet 17-year-old!
Caelyn: Why did you first start reading Lord of the Rings?
Ikali: I didn’t actually start reading
them until after the first movie came out. After I watched it, I then went on
to read the books. I started reading them because I was so intrigued by the
story line and wanted to hear more
Caelyn: Why did you choose to become
an elf?
Ikali: They seemed so elegant and graceful
to me. And being rather...troublesome in real life, I loved the chance that I
could be such an elegant and beautiful creature/person
Caelyn: You mention that you are
troublesome in real life, do you think that people notice that mischievousness
about you on the Plaza?
Ikali:
I would say that they do. My character and her triplets aren’t exactly
known to be peaceful. But they do cause trouble in a elegant way, if that’s
possible.
Caelyn: What are your favourite
things to do around the plaza?
Ikali: I love being in the healers and the
animals of Arda in Lothlorien, and I also like to hang around in the ACT
section. OOME is also a rather amusing place to be sometimes
Caelyn: Being someone actively
involved in the RP of your kingdom, do you have any suggestions for newer
people just joining?
Ikali: Well, I’d say, don’t hide away
because you are afraid of making mistakes. The rulers are really great and they
won’t jump on you for doing something wrong. And the older members are always
willing to help out, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Caelyn: What was your most
embarrassing newbie mistake?
Ikali: Hmm, that’s hard. Probably
challenging Rings to a fight, I got killed quickly and painfully *g* and
everyone saw that.
Caelyn: What is your favourite Plaza
memory and why?
Ikali: At an Imladris feast. Most of the
Dunami family were there, and we had a great time dunking each other in the lake.
It would have to be my favourite memory because it was so much fun, and its
great to have your family around you.
Caelyn: Be completely honest here,
what are two things you would change about the Plaza?
Ikali: Hmm. I think there are sometimes
just too many rules. I know they are there for a reason, and they are great,
but its also very daunting being a new member and seeing all these things that
you have to remember. Another thing, ummm. I miss some of the really fun and
silly threads we had when I first joined the plaza. Pubs where people would
post a one liner and post in all different colours. It was heaps of fun
Caelyn: Which people have had the
biggest influence on you during your Plaza career and why?
Ikali: You, Caelyn. You were the first to
take me on as family, and your happy way made me a little braver to come out of
hiding in my first Plaza year. Goldmoon Dunami has also been a great friend and
mother to me. I talk to her everyday, and if I hadn’t joined the Plaza, I would
never have met her. There are so many people I could thank. But I think most of
all, the Dunami family has always been there, and they are always helping me to
get out and about, and they always show their love in many different ways.
Caelyn: Do you have a thread in the
A&FF that you would like everyone to just have a look at?
Ikali: Umm, I do have a thread in there.
And anyone is welcome to look at it anytime. It’s called Pencils and Hoofbeats.
http://www.lotrplaza.com/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=54&TopicID=203191&PagePosition=2&PagePostPosition=1
Caelyn: What is your life like outside
the Plaza?
Ikali: Hectic! I have heaps of study to do
at my school, and when I get back from school, I go on the Plaza and then go
back to studying. The weekends are always fun, as me and the girls from school
all hang out at the beach or just walk all over the place.
Caelyn: There really is a life outside
the plaza! Ok last question, what are your plans for your future on the Plaza?
What do you hope to achieve?
Ikali: I just hope to have as much fun as
I have been having. The people on the Plaza are great, so are the Rulers and
Admins. There isn’t really much more to achieve, just keep on having fun and
making new friends.
The Gloved One Speaks
An Interview
with Tarkano
By Fairy
Nuff
Fairy: Hi Tarkano, thanks for agreeing to
do this interview with me. You’ve been in the spotlight quite a lot recently so
I’m glad to get the chance to talk with you.
Tark: Hi there Nuffy, and you’re
most welcome, how could I resist such a charming invitation to spend this time
with you.
Fairy: Shall we begin at the beginning of
it all? In late August you announced
that you were stepping down from your position as King Aragorn, ruler of Minas
Tirith – was this a hard decision to make?
Tark: It was a very hard decision to make,
one that I had been thinking about for just over 6 months. But in the end
stepping down was made easier with the knowledge that Udan had accepted the responsibility of Aragorn and that Minas
Tirith would be in good hands.
Fairy: You and Tiana made an excellent ruler team; it must have been strange to
break off from that to move onto other things?
Tark: Even now I find it hard to keep my
nose out of things when she and Udan
are talking about them. But at the beginning I felt homeless and a little lost
if I’m honest about it, I still haven’t really found my role as an admin yet
but I’m getting there slowly.
Fairy: And were you sad to leave behind the
icon, which so many fan girls adored?
Tark: I was, though not so much
because of the fan girls, but more because of the people in Minas Tirith and
the fact that I had struggled with RP’ing Aragorn IC at the beginning so much
and that I had just begun to feel at ease with RP’ing him.
Fairy: Do you still have a lot to do with
Minas Tirith since you left?
Tark: In all honesty, though I keep up
with what’s going on I chose to take a step back from MT when I stepped down,
to allow a smoother transition from Tark
& Tiana to Udan & Tiana. Which I believe went very well
and the kingdom has continued to thrive so I will be making a nuisance of
myself in MT very soon.
Fairy: However, you weren’t just leaving
MT, you were going onto higher things, and next thing we knew you were spotted
in Valinor wearing a gigantic glove!
Tell me, how did you manage to find a glove the right size?
Tark: Well if truth be known I had
to shed a few pounds in order to squeeze my chunky little fingers in it. This
pleased the ladies of Valinor as it left more chocolate for them.
Fairy: How did you feel when you took on
the position, filling the shoes (or glove) of Collecthor? Did you set out
to be a totally different Tulkas?
Tark: I don’t believe that anyone could
fill the shoes (or glove) of Achoo;
he gave so much to the plaza in his time and was such a friend to all. Like it
was when I became Aragorn after Naith,
I brought my own shoes and I am my own person … Tulkas who was always my
favourite is very much like me in many ways, especially his ornery-ness.
Fairy: Have you role-played your giant
glove anywhere yet? Tell me, how do
gloves travel, how do they eat and talk?
Tark: I haven’t had chance to
role-play him yet but as far as eating goes, he does very well, especially at
home where the Valier spoil him rotten.
Fairy: You’ve been given quite an array of
nicknames since you acquired the Tulkas icon – which would you say is your
favourite, and which would you advise us never to use for fear of your wrath?
Tark: Hmmm, that’s a difficult one
because my favourite is also the one I would advise you never to use which is
Tarkass. Strange I know, but it was so funny at the time and meant with
fondness.
Fairy: You’ve made quite a presence in the
new revamped Public Relations forum (pet admin eh?), can you tell us a bit
about what you do there, and what’s happening in the PR arena?
Tark: Truth be told, most of the work is
done by halfir and Weny who are the backbone to the whole
thing. At the moment we are looking to overhaul the old fact sheets and flyers
and gain as much feedback from the plaza members as possible in the SWOT the
plaza thread. In truth I think this is something that everyone should become
involved with, as at the end of the day it’s the plaza’s future that is being
promoted, something I think we all hope will be around for a long time to come.
Fairy: How are you finding your elevation
to Adminhood? Are the fan girls still
screaming as loudly when they see your shining gauntlet? Do you miss the white towers of Gondor?
Tark: It has to be said that the groupies
have abandoned the old fellow and turned their attentions to the desirable
Aragorn. I do miss the white towers of Gondor very much but as I said I plan to
be amongst them again real soon.
Fairy: Any last words to the fan girls? (I
know Roh’s in there with the rest,
don’t deny it, we know how much she likes her handsome Gondorians, even if they
do turn into gloves!)
Tark: I’m Single!
Fairy: Thank you once again for agreeing to
this interview. We all wish you the best
of luck and hope you will remain the Gloved One for many years to come!
Beneath the Robes: Tarin Uncovered
An Interview with Tarin
By Firefly
MeM:
How did you
find the plaza?
Tarin: I found it through a google search I believe, gotta love looking
for quizzes
MeM:
How long have
you been a member?
Tarin: About two and a half years now
MeM:
The saying,
‘Keep the Dream Alive’ what does it mean to you?
Tarin: Hmm, the short answer to that
would be to play well with others on the plaza, and contributing to what you
can with what you know, or have the ability to do
MeM:
What keeps
you coming back to the plaza?
Tarin: The people mainly, it’s what makes
the place what it is
MeM:
How did you
react when you were asked to be a Ruler?
Tarin: My initial reaction was
"You’re kidding, right?" After it set in I was pretty excited
MeM:
If you could
make one change to the plaza, any change, what would it be?
Tarin: Have it be more active again, like
it had been for a while, I can’t think of anything else really
MeM:
Have you
always been a member of Mordor?
Tarin: No, I’ve not. I first moved there in December of ’04, and
also had a short vacation which lasted all of a month sometime around April of
’05, I went off to KD for a bit then
MeM:
Were you an
elf, or were you not?
Tarin: Sadly, I was
MeM:
I love making
minions admit that they were elves. If
you could get any Plaza Member to become a minion, who would it be?
Tarin: I really couldn’t narrow it down,
though among those I would like to see with the eye would be you, Firefly
(we miss you in Mordor, we do), Region, and ElendilTheFair to
name a few
MeM:
Wow, I got mentioned first, I feel so loved.
What are three of your favourite Plaza memories?
Tarin: Oh geeesh... well, my favourite
would probably be RPing with some of Mordor’s greats when I was a newb in there
in that Turncoat Taphouse thread. I
remember there were those like Rohanna in there, which was a great
time. Second would have to be one of my
funnier RP times, when I was a chicken being chased by a cat in some
thread. As for third, the BCW practice
round I got to do for he last Olympics.
That was a great time with those I got for teammates (not to mention the
fact we won, even though it was just a practice, definitely made it that much
better...)
MeM:
Which Tolkien
books have you read?
Tarin: I’ve read The Hobbit, The
Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings, and bits and pieces of HoME and UT when I
could stand just reading at the computer (have them as well as the Letters as
e-books)
MeM:
Which book is
your favourite?
Tarin: I’d probably have to say The
Silmarillion there
MeM:
Which
character is your favourite, and why?
Tarin: I actually don’t have a favourite
character... though if I did have to give one, I’d go back to tLotR and say
Éowyn, because her personality was one which I think more people should have
MeM:
Is there any
character you love to hate?
Tarin: Not really, no, I can’t say I
actually "hate" any of the characters.
MeM:
So you like
Grima Wormtongue then?
Tarin: Like him, no. I’m slightly intrigued by his character, but
I’m just rather indifferent towards him.
The greasy little guy can be interesting at times.
MeM:
If you could
change a part of the story, what would you change?
Tarin: I’d
kill the hoppit and have Sauron get the Ring back, thus conquering Middle Earth
and sending into a downward spiral of corruption and misery. *coughs* did I actually say that? There goes my cover as a benevolent minion...
MeM:
Do you like
the movies?
Tarin: I like them for movies yes,
they’re entertaining. For a
representation of the books... not too terribly much, some parts were rather
disappointing (like the ninja super elf and all) when compared to the books
MeM:
Would you go
to a Plaza Convention if there ever was one?
Tarin: If there was one, and if at all
possible, yes I would
MeM:
Have you read
any LotR fan fiction?
Tarin: Yep, I have read some
MeM:
I’ve heard you’ve
had a few Plaza Husbands, do you scare them off, or is there something more
sinister in play?
Tarin: I
didn’t poison them, nope, of course not, whatever gave you that idea...
MeM:
What is your
character like?
Tarin: My character? Ah, she’s a true Mordor girl. Downright cruel most of the time, but she’s
quite the evil seductress when she wants to be (which also explains the number
of husbands...)
MeM:
What advice
can you give to new members of the plaza?
Tarin: Just jump right in where you feel
comfortable, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Someone’s definitely around to answer you
soon enough, and everyone’s nice so there’s nothing to worry about. Oh, and R/A’s aren’t big, mean, scary people
as I remember I thought as a newbie
MeM:
Any last
words? Compliments to the Interviewer are warmly welcomed.
Tarin: You’ve been a genius interviewer,
Fly darling, now get your hat back in Mordor.
Tolkien, The Man
and His Books
About Shadows
By Balbo
(All quotes taken from HoME 12, The
Peoples of Middle Earth, The New Shadow)
Some people may say that The History of
Middle Earth is somewhat repetitive, some may say (dare I say it) boring, some
start to read it but end up skipping most of it and using the texts only for
research. I used to be one of the latter, until I repeatedly stumbled across
interesting new things and wanted to know more. The only way to gain such
information was to read all of it, and skip the skipping.
One piece of text that I found unusually
interesting was a piece called “The New Shadow”, the planned sequel to The Lord
of the Rings. However, after a few pages, Tolkien decided to put it to one side
and it was finished before it even really started. Although unfinished, Tolkien
did take writing this book seriously enough to write 3 versions. I’m not quite
sure of the date to when this tale was first
put to paper, but it could have been as early as 1965, and his interest
in writing it return once more in 1972 about 15 months before he died.
The
plot is set about 100 years after the downfall of Sauron, where the people of
Gondor flourish, and generally in the words of Tolkien himself - “Since we are dealing
with Men it is inevitable that we should be concerned with the most regrettable
feature of their nature: their quick satiety with good. So that the people
of Gondor in times of peace, justice and
prosperity, would become discontented and restless - while the dynasts descended from Aragorn would become just
kings and governors - like Denethor or worse.”
As
we have seen in our own past history, Man tends to forget the horrors of the
past quite quickly, alone in the last century we have seen 2 world wars and
various conflicts all over the world, and the opening paragraph of The New Shadow
makes this fact quite clear – “This tale begins in the days of Eldarion, son of that Elessar of
whom the histories have much to tell. One hundred and five years had passed since
the fall of the Dark Tower,(7) and the
story of that time was little heeded now by most of the people of Gondor,
though a few were still living who could remember the War of the Ring as a
shadow upon their early childhood. One of these was old Borlas of Pen-arduin. He was the younger son of
Beregond, the first Captain of the Guard of Prince Faramir, who had removed with his lord from the City to the
Emyn Arnen.(8)”
Unfortunately
for those of us who are Hobbit like in their nature and whose curiosity and need
to know often gets the better of them, only a small part of the story was
published in HoME 12, and we are left hanging begging for more. The text itself
is basically a conversation between Borlas, son of Beregond and his younger
friend Saelon, whom he once scolded for stealing his apples as a boy. Borlas having a troubled mind; seeks company
and conversation with the young man, in order to relieve the burden.
The
conversation starts with the story of stealing apples, and gradually unfolds to
reveal the unrest in the Kingdom and also the name of who I can only speculate
was to become mans new enemy – “His voice sank low and could scarcely be heard above the murmur of a
sudden chill wind in the leaves, as the sun sank behind Mindolluin. ’You have heard then the name?’
With hardly more than breath he formed it. ’Of Herumor?’(11)”
Who
or what Herumor is, is not made clear, but either way I think we can speculate
enough to say…”He’s the bad guy!”
Both
men were shocked to see that the other was aware of this name, seeing that it
was supposed to be a very closely guarded secret, however, due to the fact that
it is stated that more and more people were flocking to this persons call,
secrecy obviously wasn’t a big deal…After all, how do you recruit without advertising?
The
plot starts to thicken at this point with the first mention of disquiet in the
kingdom –
“I see that you have,’ said Saelon. ’And you seem astonished to learn that I
have heard it also. But you are not more astonished than I was to see that this
name has reached you. For, as I say, I
have keen eyes and ears, but yours are now dim even for daily use, and the
matter has been kept as secret as cunning could contrive.’
’Whose cunning?’
said Borlas, suddenly and fiercely. The sight of his eyes might be dim,
but they blazed now with anger.
Why, those who have heard the call of the name, of
course,’ answered Saelon unperturbed.
’They are not many yet, to set against
all the people of Gondor, but the number is growing. Not all are content since
the Great King died, and fewer now are afraid.”
Both
men pose questions to each other, as to where their loyalties lay, both
questions go unanswered, so there is still an element of distrust and fear in
both men when it comes to speaking openly of revolt, but, Saelon at this point
invites the older man to journey with him on that evening to learn more. Is
Saelon in on the plot? The thoughts of Borlas following the conversation do not
really answer that question so we can only speculate.
Deep in thought, the old man makes his way home and leads the reader to the
last paragraph of the published text – “The door under the porch was open; but the house behind was darkling.
There seemed none of the accustomed
sounds of evening, only a soft silence, a dead silence. He entered, wondering a
little. He called, but there was no
answer. He halted in the narrow passage that ran through the house, and it seemed
that he was wrapped in a blackness: not
a glimmer of twilight of the world outside remained there. Suddenly he smelt
it, or so it seemed, though it came as
it were from within outwards to the sense: he smelt the old Evil and knew it
for what it was. “
So,
the seeds of revolt have been planted deeply it seems, and every Tolkien fan on
the face of the planet has a new book to read…GREAT!!!…Or at least so one would
say if they were able to get a sneak preview of the text before it was
published. Alas, this was not to be, and Tolkien never finished what would no
doubt a great read.
Christopher Tolkien decided not to play with this one, as he could see it
turning into more of a thriller. A
‘remarkable thriller’, but not quite fitting for various reasons that are
explained in the text.
All I can say more about this tale is, it gets the imagination of the reader
running wild when the text comes to an end. Although quite annoying that the
story did not continue I would recommend reading the short text not only to get
an idea of what Tolkien intended the 4th age to become, but also
maybe the idea could inspire those of us who like to write about Middle Earth
here to come up with some interesting and new ideas.
Tolkien’s
Other Day Job
by Tanequil Silverleaf
Tolkien was not only a writer, or an artist, which we
know him for, but he was also a psychic. Oh yes, you didn’t read me wrongly, he
was psychic, and what’s more, I can prove it. Now, it’s pretty obvious that
Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and a few other books. What is
also known is that basic information was laid down, enough for the Unfinished
Tales and History of Middle-earth series. And most also know that there exists
the Letters. If by now, you still have no idea what in Arda I am talking about,
and what in Arda is what in Arda, then you better listen carefully, or rather,
read carefully now.
I say that Tolkien was a psychic because he predicted
the Plaza’s existence. No offence intended to the Master, but he had to be a
psychic, or how else would anyone be able to predict the Plaza’s existence,
about 60 years before it came to being? But before you all start pointing your
fingers, and making imaginary crosses with your hands, do remember, that there
is absolutely nothing wrong with being a psychic. Nothing wrong at all, apart
from being able to predict the future, curse your enemies with your mind power,
start up your car, and make big bucks by conning other people… But I digress.
I can prove it. So, all you sceptics out there, open
your eyes wide, and take this in, for the pen is mightier than the sword, and
therefore words are too. I will begin with an excerpt from the Return of the
King, one of the more popular books. Here goes. Italicized is the actual text.
“Pippin
looked out from the shelter of Gandalf’s cloak. He wondered if he was awake or
still sleeping, still in the swift-moving dream in which he had been wrapped so
long since the great ride began. [Return of the King – Chapter 1 Minas Tirith]
This signifies the start of the Plaza, where Eru
started to be interested in LotR, unbelieving that may be, someday, he might
have the capability to start his own uber-cool website, and showcase his love
for all Tolkien’s works. In this case, Pippin is Eru, the swift-moving dream is
his fanaticism about Tolkien’s works, and the great ride is the start of that.
The dark
world was rushing by and the wind sang loudly in his ears. He could see nothing
but the wheeling stars, and away to his right vast shadows against the sky where
the mountains of the South marched past. Sleepily he tried to reckon the times
and stages of their journey, but his memory were drowsy and uncertain. [ibid]
This signifies the beginning stage of the Plaza’s
development, when the initial codes and programming was going up. At this
stage, Eru was slightly doubtful, and also slightly afraid, that maybe this
might not work. His enthusiasm was dimmed a little, and he wasn’t so sure about
what he wanted to do anymore. However, the new members of the Plaza sang their
praises, and Eru found the heart to move on. In this case, the dark world is
the brand new Plaza, in which there were some glitches and minor problems,
making everything seem down. The wind was the other members, who kept Eru
going, the stars were the better parts of the Plaza that Eru liked, and the
shadows were the glitches. The drowsy and uncertain memory was Eru’s
indecision, and his troubled mind.
There had
been the first ride at terrible speed without a halt, and then in the dawn he
had seen a pale gleam of gold, and they had come to the silent town and the
great empty house on the hill. And
hardly had they reached its shelter when the winged shadow had passed over once
again, and men wilted with fear. [ibid]
This is a retelling of the short history of the Plaza,
showing that in the beginning, the pace was tremendous, and that the Plaza had
advanced tremendously. Also, the times were getting better, when something
terrible happened, i.e. Thomas. The first ride was the development of the
Plaza, the dawn was the increasing influx of new members who were grateful to
Eru and enjoyed the Plaza. The shelter was a period of stability, when not so
much was changing, and the winged shadow was Thomas. Men wilted in fear of
spam, thorough and utter spam with no meaning, and also, they wilted in fear of
being Thomassed.
But Gandalf
had spoken soft words to him, and he had slept in a corner, tired but uneasy,
dimly aware of comings and goings and of men talking and Gandalf giving orders.
And then again riding, riding in the night. This was the second, no, the third
night since he had looked in the Stone. And with that hideous memory he woke
fully, and shivered, and the noise of the wind became filled with menacing
voices. [ibid]
This is the reconciliation period after the Thomas
incident. The soft words were comfort and assurance from the administration,
the dimly aware was of the many different changes about to happen, the riding
was moving forward, and the looking in the Stone is like the memory of the
Thomassing, and the awakening, together with the menacing voices, is the shock
of the Plaza members.
A light
kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers Pippin cowered back,
afraid for a moment, wondering into what dreadful country Gandalf was bearing
him. He rubbed his eyes, and then he saw that it was the moon rising above the
eastern shadows, now almost at the full.
So the night was not yet old and for hours the dark journey would go on.
He stirred and spoke. [ibid]
This was the period of revolutionary change in the
Plaza, where there were more and more new components introduced. The light was
the new Kingdoms, and the fear was the scepticism of that. The night signified
that major changes would go on and not cease yet. The stirring and speaking was
of the feedback and comments of the members.
’Where are
we, Gandalf?’ he asked.
’In the realm
of Gondor,’ the wizard answered. ’The
This was the members asking the admin team for
feedback, and the occasional threads set up about the ‘purpose of the Plaza’.
In this, Pippin symbolizes the members, and Gandalf is Eru.
~~~~~
There. Was that good enough for you, the Plazaite? No?
Well, I wouldn’t really expect otherwise. We Plazaites are difficult to please,
aye? Hm… Let me see then. Out of Tolkien’s work, I’ll come up with another one,
covering a newer, closer-to-heart topic.
This whole excerpt is about trolls. You know about
trolls, no? Anyway, regardless of whether you know trolls or not, I’ll give you
a little explanation, ya? Trolls, just trolls, not mountain trolls, not stoned
trolls, or cave trolls. Trolls are ebil people who budge rudely into our
forums, and say the most incredibly stupid things like ‘Tolkien sucks’ and
‘LotR is a waste of time’… These terribly programmed beings take their
‘pleasure’ [Is that the right word? Probably not. Ah heck!] from upsetting the
community. Yup. And on to the actual text…
All day the
track of their enemies led straight on, going north-west without a break or
turn. As once again the day wore to its end they came to long treeless slopes,
where the land rose, swelling up towards a line of low humpbacked downs ahead.
The orc-trail grew fainter as it bent north towards them, for the ground became
harder and the grass shorter. [The
The story starts after a troll appears. The troll posts
something nice and mean [you know what I mean], and runs. He/she runs, because
they don’t want to be caught by the administrators, and those spammer hammers
and their Big Red Shiny Thomassing Buttons. And so the story goes… On and on
the admins chase, and sometimes, the going gets tough, and it seems like the
troll might just escape…
Far away to
the left the river Entwash wound, a silver thread in a green floor. No moving
thing could be seen. Often Aragorn wondered that they saw no sign of beast or man.
The dwellings of the Rohirrim were for the most part many leagues away to the
South, under the wooded eaves of the White Mountains, now hidden in mist and
cloud; yet the Horse-lords had formerly kept many herds and studs in the
Eastemnet, this easterly region of their realm, and there the herdsmen had
wandered much, living in camp and tent, even in winter-time. [ibid]
This is the part, when it seems that the troll has
escaped, and it seems like it has gone for good. The Admins search and search
[cue to play the investigator’s music, dun dun dun dun!], and search and
search… And soon, it seems that the troll is gone for good! Hooray! Well done,
Admins!
But now all
the land was empty, and there was silence that did not seem to be the quiet of
peace. [ibid]
But as always, in a really good story, much like this
one, there is a twist… A lovely twist to the plot! The troll has disappeared,
but who’s to tell they won’t come back?
~~~~~
Now, I would like to wrap up this article. So, I
believe I have enough proof that Tolkien was a psychic? Not enough? Well, I
think it’s enough, and that’s what counts. Nyah nyah! Oh, and if you found this
article interesting, then who knows, I might write another article, on Tolkien
and his other day jobs.
The Overshadowed Hobbit
by Seph
Goodbody
For almost all readers of
Tolkien we start with the Hobbit; the less serious, fun adventures of Bilbo
Baggins. But then in time we move onto the Lord of the Rings and, for many,
still further to the Silmarillion and the Histories of Middle-earth. The
serious, dangerous and “big” adventures of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin
overshadow those of Bilbo.
Poor old
Bilbo is left to stand on our bookshelves unread and seemingly unloved. This is
not true of everyone; but this is my experience until I recently opened the
Hobbit again and read the famous first line “In a hole in the ground there
lived a hobbit…”. I enjoyed reading the Hobbit again; Bilbo’s adventures are
equally interesting to those of Frodo and decidedly more entertaining. Although
Lord of the Rings is and will probably remain to be my favourite of Tolkien’s
books, I am surprised that the Hobbit is underappreciated.
In the grand
scheme of Middle-earth Bilbo is a very important person, as is illustrated by
the respect that the Elves of Rivendell and the Dwarves hold for him. Bilbo did
rediscover the One Ring, accidentally; and he saved the Dwarves many times on
the journey to the
I want to
challenge everyone reading this to read the Hobbit again, to rediscover the
joys of reading this book; especially as the Hobbit was first published on 21st
September 1937.
I.K and Role-Play
News
The Creating of an RPG
By Tinessael
”Is
that an actual person, or one of Rilly’s hallucinations?”
”Soooo...our Fearless leader is schizo? Oy.”
“Let’s make a T-shirt-"I survived Ril’s RPG"
*waves pointy-ended stick around and laughs
ebilly* MHUARGH *sounds of doom
on the background* She shall steal all the companies cookies and
keep them all to herself.... MHUAHAHAHAHA
”…The Healers are closed for business, only for the most critical cases, and
with the help of others, are searching for the lost heads of the Healers...Err, rephrase that.
Are searching for Minestor and Tanestor.”
I’ve
taken part in Roleplay Games (RPG’s) since my very first month on the Plaza. I
have always admired the GM’s: not Godmoders but Game Masters (GM’s). They
always look all-knowing and experienced, write very long posts of exceptional
quality and always think out new scenarios, fights or anything else you
will need to describe in your posts. That alone always made me shudder in their
shadows for a year or so. Then I made my own RPG. It failed, with me being the
only one who posted there from the beginning to the end. I went back to
being in awe of the other GM’s, whose RPG’s seemed normal and fun … and of
course, the red dotted threads found in the houses. I was dying to know what
they discussed in there; the place where the simple player could never see
into.
So,
maybe I should give you an insight what is going there and how a RPG is born.
Summer came and I could take part in the endless discussions of how to make Houses of Healing of Rivendell more fun for both patients and healers. There were hundreds (okay, I may be exaggerating slightly) of ideas. An RPG filled with difficult Latin names of diseases for our poor healers to try and heal as gracefully as elves can be, and we did want to have a game with the Army, as well as a RPG for Newbies (to attract